#bonfire bbq

[mamaplaneet]

Special offers for BBQ lovers 🍽️

[crassussativum]

Cato almost bet it was but he didn't say that, just sipped from his bottle again and peeled a little at the label. "I mean, I have like a dozen videos saved on my omnitool, but I don't feel like watching those right now. Not even that really good one." He drawled, his mandibles twitching.

crassussativum​:

“I’ll keep you distracted so you don’t.” Cato said softly, watching Siska’s expression out the corner of his eye. “It’s only a few days.”

“That’s plenty of time, believe me…” Siska scratched at his cheek, looking down at his bottle instead of the overt lovey-dovey display. He’d suddenly had a violent impulse to throw a singularity over there. That’d show them… “Don’t you got anything better to do than to watch me?”

[franultraputa]

piña pa que arda

[folkloregirlfriend]

i bought white and yellow dahlias and i've been wandering aimlessly in the evening market in kurti jeans and jhumke i feel so desi

[arborescent-shadows]

ok while we are at it again!!! People here are bad at making bread!!! It's not that hard to make very basic bread!! it's ok to cheat with quick rise yeast or make milk bread. But everyone here is adding sugar to bread!! not pumpkin bread or like a sweet bread. i mean like sandwich bread. sandwich/savory bread should taste good on its own or with butter! you dont need to add sugar if you do it right!!!

also it's OK to stop putting random shit in your pasta salads!!! Some veggies and spices wont hurt you!!! stop adding jello and marshmellows to savory things!!!

[lilpunkintater]

I am a pyro, I have a problem

[tripsawaytours]

Dubai BBQ Night Party

A BBQ night party in a Dubai Desert Safari camp is a delightful and popular experience offered by many tour operators. It provides a unique and enjoyable way to enjoy an evening in the Arabian Desert

[sayakalaine]

昨日の午後は #キャンプ場 @akazawa_bay にて #伊東商工会議所青年部 #気鋭の会 の #デイキャンプ 🏕でございました♪ 楽しいゲームもあり めちゃくちゃ美味しいキャンプ料理が沢山あり 盛り沢山✨✨✨ たくさん笑って たくさん食べて あっという間に日が暮れました♪ OBの方々とも久しぶりに会えて お話し出来て嬉しかったです😊 思ったより暖かくて過ごしやすい日でしたね 初めて #ワニ を食べました🐊 前日からの準備 遅くまでのお片付け 担当委員の皆様ありがとうございました😃 #キャンプ いいですねぇ〜 #商工会議所 #商工会議所青年部 #yeg #camp #campsite #daycamp #bonfire #焚き火 #焚き火台 #bbq #バーベキュー #海辺 #seaside #伊東市 #伊豆 #伊豆高原 #伊東温泉 #静岡県 #いとうカメラ部 #izu #itocity #fire #炎 #ワニ肉 (at Akazawa Bay) https://www.instagram.com/p/ColHazaSoWq/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[hauscollective]

Add warmth and character to your backyard gatherings with this beautiful fire pit. Enjoy more flame and less smoke with its unique dual wall design🔥 #visionlinefire #visionlinefirepit #visionlinefireplace #firepit #woodfire #woodfirepit #outdoorfire #fireplace #brisbanefireplace #outdoorliving #campfire #bbq #landscapedesign #bonfire #firepitdesign #wood #fire @visionlineau https://www.instagram.com/p/CeDClhOlWyK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[topgearlab]

How to Choose a Fire Pit: The Best Fire Pit

Even during the cold season, a simple fire pit allows you to enjoy outdoor living from the warmth of your backyard. A gorgeous fire pit may be the feature of your backyard, whether you wish to experiment with interesting architectural design ideas or create an outdoor fireplace for social gatherings. Here are some specialties to think about How to Choose a Fire Pit. 👉 Read more about How to Choose a Fire Pit: The Best Fire Pit

[queenof-curses]

req: omg no bc imagine ur at a family cookout w ur bf (toji) and it’s like his first time meeting ur family, it’s summer time (sundress szn 🌚), and the dress ur wearing is just doing it for him fr and y’all fuck in the bathroom or smthing 😭

Hi Anon! Let's ignore the fact that I finally finished this request MONTHS later 😅Anyways... Here it is!

Meeting the Family

Toji Fushiguro x Fem!Reader

Summary: You bring Toji over to meet the family. What happens when his mind can't stop wandering to the fact that you decided to wear the prettiest little sundress that he's ever seen?

Notes: Toji is in his early 40's and reader is meant to be in her mid to late 20's!

Tags: MINORS DNI!!!!! Explicit in all ways, dirty talk, age gap, breeding(?), oral (fem rec.), PinV, unprotected s*x, Daddy K!nk.

Word count: 2.1k (I kind of went crazy with this one)

--

He knew what your family truly thought of him.

He could see it- the judgmental eyes masked by a tight smile. Your mothers kind words that were somehow tight lipped… he knew exactly what they thought of him. 

Toji, a man pushing 40- dating you. You, who was so young and full of life. You had dreams and aspirations; Toji had a divorce. He could tell the age gap was going to be a problem as soon as he walked into this family BBQ. 

You however, were completely blind to it. If you knew what was going on, or could read the uncomfortable vibe at the party, he could not tell. And he loved you all the more for that. Toji had decided that if it did not bother you, that he wouldn’t let it show that it bothered him. 

It was the least he could do. After all, the longer he spent at this family outing, the longer he could stare at the little sundress that you decided to wear today. 

God- you were so fucking hot, he thought. The pink and orange patterns on the dress made you look as beautiful as the sunset. It made his mouth water as he eyed the way your tits were pushed up by the bodice of the dress, the straps thin enough to tease the fact that you weren’t wearing a bra. 

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. 

“What was that babe?” You turned to look at him, currently standing next to you as you both filled your plates with food. 

He coughed to cover, but all it did was earn your suspicious eye. “Nothing babe, food looks good.” was his excuse. 

“Mhmm..” you said before returning to your conversation with a cousin. 

Toji shifted his weight from side to side, pretending to listen to your aunt rant about her latest cruise excursion. He couldn't give less of a shit, and ended up letting his mind wander back to your outfit choice of the night… 

–

About two hours passed, your meals finished long ago and the entire family sat gathered around the bonfire out in the backyard. Dad rock blasted over the speakers, almost loud enough that conversation had to be shouted to one another. Activities were just getting started, and the crowd seemed to be livelier than ever.

“We’re drinkers on this side of the family,” you lean in and tell him. You noticed his hesitation to grab a third beer earlier, knowing deep down that your family would think he was weird if he HADN’T drank. 

His scar stretched across his lips as he smirked down at you. “Oh yeah?” he taunted. “Think I can out drink any of these old geezers?” 

You laugh at this comment, “Babe I hate to break it to you- but YOU are an old geezer.” Your hand finds his chest, patting him over his black shirt. 

Toji scoffs before commenting, leaning down to whisper in your ear. “Old? Nah- you wouldn’t let some old geezer bend you over the kitchen table last night while you cried ‘Daddy! Daddy!’ huh?”

“Toji!” You cry out, punching him in the arm. “Anyone could’ve heard you…” 

He chuckles, “Not a chance Sweetheart, look around… everyone is wasted.” 

His comment makes you laugh. It was true- your family wasn’t well off, but they sure knew how to party. 

It was then your mother noticed the two of you laughing, the white wine making her feel confident to approach you. 

“OH HONEY!” she cries, loud enough to wake the neighbors. “Why don’t you give Toji a tour of the house! I’m sure he’ll LOVE seeing your cute little baby pictures…” 

“Mom- please st-”

“I’d love to have a tour!” Toji interrupts, his grin stretching from ear to ear. “I’m sure my girl was just as precious as she is now.” He wiggles his eyebrows at you, an action unnoticed by your intoxicated mother. 

“Yeah, yeah- I’ll give him the grand tour…” You take his hand in yours, dragging the much larger man back towards the house as your mother waved you off. 

–

His eyes were glued to your ass as you led him throughout the house. It wasn’t a long tour, but by the time you two made it to the second floor his jaw was practically on the floor. Watching you climb up the stairs in that little sundress had his cock hard and his balls achy. 

At a certain point, Toji accepted defeat at the fact that  he couldn’t wait until the two of you got home. Who knows how long you wanted to stay. Was he really about to risk getting caught by your family? 

One more look at the way your breasts swelled inside the dress determined his answer.

Of fucking course I’m gonna risk it, he thought. 

He waited until the right moment; you were showing him the bedroom you grew up in. Thankfully, he was able to lock the door after you walked in without you noticing. 

“You got a private bathroom in your room? Damn- you sure you aren’t loaded?” He teased you, walking towards the large doorway. 

“It isn’t much Toji,” you tell him, rolling your eyes and following close behind. 

What you didn’t expect is for him to pull you completely into the bathroom, shutting the door and shoving your body against it. He locked your hands behind your back, making you unable to move against him as your face pressed into the cool wood. 

You could feel it there- his hard on rubbing against your behind, his hips slowly hiking up the skirt of your dress inch by inch as he rutted against you. Your chest heaved, the surprising situation turning you on immediately. So what do you do? Well, you decide to taunt the beast…

“What? Couldn’t make it home, Daddy?” You ask as you push your ass against his front, rubbing yourself up and down his clothed shaft. The grin on your face was similar to that of a cat, and it made him want to corrupt you all the more. 

“Don’t even fucking tease me, Sweetheart- I’m harder than a rock and ready to tear that little dress off your tight body.” He groaned into your ear. 

Using his free hand he pushed your hair to the side, exposing your neck and immediately bringing his mouth to your heated skin, leaving a trail of love bites towards your ear. He moaned into you, soaking in the scent of bonfire and arousal as he shifted himself behind you even more. 

You couldn’t move your hands, wanting to touch him just as much as he was touching you. 

“Toji I-“ you start, but he was quick to cut you off.

“Shhh sweetheart, let me take care of you.” 

He kept his grip tight on your hands, forcing you in place as he kneeled behind you. “That’s right princess, keep your ass out just like that.” 

Quick to shove the fabric of your dress up, he hikes the hem above your ass and uses your restrained hands to hold it in place. Not waiting any longer, Toji didn’t even admire your panty choice before tearing it down to your knees and sinking his face into your cunt. 

“Oh- god!” You cry out, pushing the softness of your behind further into his face. You could feel the way his tongue worked your folds, spit mixing with your arousal as he shoved himself into your opening.

He removes himself briefly, but only to tell you how delicious you tasted. “You’re my favorite flavor sweetheart.” Before diving back in.

Toji used the thumb of his freehand, quickly finding your little button and softly tapping it as he devoured you whole. The quick licks and twirling of your clit was quickly going to send you over as your back arched into his touch. 

“Daddy- fuuuuuuuuck, I-I’m gonna cum!” You warn him.

“Do it princess- do it on my fucking face.” He goads you, wanting to taste your sweet release. 

It wasn’t long before his tongue prodded your cunt just right as you cum hard on face, whimpering as he kitten licks the mess you’ve made on yourself. Stars danced across your vision as your orgasm rips through you, blanketing you in bliss as he massages the fat of your ass. 

“Fuuuuuck!” You cry out, attempting to move away from his touch, but his iron grip keeps you in place.

“Ah- that’s my girl, so fucking beautiful…” 

You take in his words as you slump further into the back of the door, your mind spinning as you try to wrap around the fact that your family was just outside the house… 

“Mmm Toji…. Don’t you think we should be more careful- oh!!” 

Your words cut off quickly as you feel the blunt tip of his cock rub your wet folds. In your haze, you hadn’t heard him unbuckle his pants, but as your neck craned to peak back at him- you look back at the monster you created. 

Toji was beyond disheveled… his face was heated and his eyes were feral as his gaze bore into your own. He didn’t even take his pants off all the way, but just pulled out his member that he currently fisted behind you. 

His cock was hard, the tip leaking precum as he ran the head up and down your puffy folds. You knew at that point there was no convincing the man otherwise- he was going to fuck you with reckless abandon.

One whimper slipping from your lips is all it took, as the older man buried himself deep into your cunt in one swift motion. His heavy balls slapped your swollen clit as he set a hard and fast pace. 

You cried out at the intrusion, and Toji was quick to remove his hands from your back and bring one to your mouth. Your muffled cries quickly filled his palm as you screamed at the sheer girth of his length. His other rested on the swell of your hip, squeezing tight and no doubt leaving bruises in the shape of his fingertips. 

“Fuck princesss- you’re so goddamn pretty in that little fucking dress, it makes me want to fuck you up, put a little baby inside you. Everyone will know- you’re fucking mine.” 

His words were as unhinged as the thrusts of his hips. He cock filled you deliciously, the thickness of him stretching you wide as he slammed into you repeatedly. 

Toji rocked against your body, forcing you to bring your hands up to brace yourself for his movements. 

“Fuck- Daddy, you feel so fucking amazing…” you tell him, only making his groan deep into your ear. 

He was erratic, fucking you as if his life depended on it. Beads of sweat dripped from his temple as he focused on the only thing he could think of: filling you up. 

“Want me to cum in ya, baby? I’ll fill you up real nice- fuck a baby into your sweet cunt.” 

He was filthy; but you’ll damned if that didn’t turn you on more. He grinned as he felt the way your cunt clenched tight at his words. 

“Oh? You like that baby? Then I’ll fuck you up real nice…” He said between thrusts.

“Ohhh, please- yes!” You cried, practically begging him to finish inside. 

The angle of his hips hit just right, your second orgasm hitting you like a freight train as you squeeze the girth of his cock tight. 

“Fuuuuuck- that’s it, such a good girl- milk my cock Princess.” 

You rock your hips against him more, and with one final thrust, Toji buries himself balls deep inside of you. You can practically feel him in your womb as he empties his load into you- the heat of his filling you up deep within, it makes you cry tears of  bliss as he stills inside of you. 

“Shhhh, it’s okay baby- I got you.” He says as he pulls out. “Daddy’s got you…”

Toji was quick to catch your tired body before you collapsed. He brought the two of you to the bathroom floor, shifting you so that he was sitting against the door with your body cradled within his. 

Both of you were sweaty, covered in slick and cum, and currently catching your breaths. You look up at him and lock eyes, both of you sharing a huffed laugh as you process what just happened. 

“I hope they haven't noticed how long we’ve been gone…” he tells you, reaching out to swipe away your smeared mascara with a thumb.

You smile before answering. “Nah… mom was wasted before we even came up here.” 

As if on cue you hear cheers from the yard just beyond the bathroom window. 

“Who wants s’mores?!!!” Your mom screams.

And you both laugh. 

Thank you for reading! All notes/reblogs/comments/likes are appreciated besties!!!

[thewulf]

Oh, Honey || Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Summary: Request - Maybe a Jake x reader where the dagger squad and jake accidentally make her feel insecure? Like Jake and reader have been dating for a couple months so Jake wants to introduce her to them. So Jake throws a little bonfire bbq at his place and the daggers come to meet her... Read Rest Here

A/N: Changed up the ending a smidge. Hope you still love it!! :) My fav trope - angst to fluff, miscommunications galore!

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Reader

Word Count: 2,000k +

Brushing down your dress for probably the fifteenth time you let out a slow sigh while looking over yourself in the mirror. You were nervous, terribly nervous. You’d been dating Jake for four months now. You’d learned all about his friends at work. The people he spent more time with than anybody. The people he’d grown to love and adore after going on life threatening missions. See, they kept the group together as a tactical unit after their surprising success bombing the uranium facility. Even more so of a reason to bond. They were the best of friends now. And you were the girlfriend.

Being so nervous you hadn’t heard Jake walk in and watch you with cautious eyes. He too knew you were nervous. You were gentle. So damn gentle. That’s why he went for you. He was so tired of going after the same type of girl and getting the same results, nothing. He’d tried for years and years without much success. The over bubbly bottle blonde wasn’t what was going to suit his fancy. No. It was you.

He'd run into you in the last of places he really expected at the library. His sister and nephews were in town, and they wanted to go. So, he obliged. And thank goodness he did. He always counted his lucky stars with how fortunate he felt that he’d met you.

“You look beautiful.” He spoke in a softer than usual voice trying not to startle you into oblivion.

You still jumped. A small smile brushed across your lips as you spotted him in the doorway of his bedroom, “You scared me.” You let out a soft laugh not really responding to him.

He walked over to you and brought you in for a warm embrace, “Sorry darlin’.” A light but breathy chuckle came from above you. Closing your eyes, you breathed him in slowly trying to slow you rapidly beating heart, “They’re going to adore you.” He whispered before placing a gentle kiss to the top of your head.

You nodded gently into his chest, “I sure hope so.” Your wanted to curse as you heard your voice waver unfavorably. Surely, that was going to give you away.

He gave you a gentle squeeze, “You have nothing to be worried about darlin’. If you can handle me you can handle them.”

You giggled at his efforts to calm you down, “You’re quite the handful Jake.”

He hummed, “Maybe so.” He had to agree. But before he could really counter he heard the knocks at his front door, “They’re here.” He clicked his tongue gauging your reaction. Had he calmed you down? Were you going to be okay? Was it too soon? He wanted to collapse in on himself. He’d surely has never been so unsure of himself. He knew how much he liked you. Even loved you. He knew he wanted it to be you. He was so sure of that. But he was so unsure of how to make that happen. Love was always so fleeting for him. He wanted to make sure you would stay. You would always want to be around him. He never knew how to act. But he must’ve been doing something right as you stuck right by his side for the better part of the last four months.

“You don’t say.” You grinned up at him as he pulled away.

He rolled his eyes before giving your side a playful pinch, “Smart ass.”

“Come on. Let’s go get your friends.” You nodded towards the door letting him lead the way. You were trying to put on a brave face, but damn were you terribly nervous.

You heard Natasha’s voice from the side of the house, “I’m really surprised you went for her.” Your breath caught in your throat as you failed to listen to the rest of the comment. ‘She’s so sweet and kind!’ But you didn’t hear that as you back up against the door. Well damn. At least you had thought it was going well.

You heard the group laugh and agree in confirmation. Shit. You really had misread the backyard throughout the night. You thought you and Bob were agreeing on so much. You really thought Natasha wanted to go shopping with you after you told her all the good local spots that didn’t include the gross megamall that swam with people you tried to avoid. You and Javier bonded over your love of the San Diego Padres. But maybe you were wrong. Maybe you’d really misread the situation that badly.

“Agreed! She’s not ridiculously tall and blonde and super talkative.” You could’ve sworn that was Bob’s voice speaking up. It seemed out of character for him. But he clearly didn’t like you. You backed yourself right back into the house. You didn’t hear the ‘She’s an actual human being that can have a real conversation. She’s great Jake,’ from him.

Instead, you frantically grabbed your phone from your back pocket. Thinking too fast you shot Jake a text,

Hey, not feeling super great. Crazy nauseous. Think I’m going to head home.

What you weren’t expecting was his insanely fast response. You thought he’d be engrossed in some conversation or agreement about you. Were you really that bad? Was he agreeing with them? It certainly didn’t sound like he was disagreeing with them.

Hold on darlin. Don’t go. I’ll be right in.

Your eyes went wide as you realized you really didn’t have time to slip out the front door like you’d planned. He’d be walking in the side door any second now. Damn you really hadn’t thought this through. You couldn’t lie to the man. No, you were an awful liar. Terrible actually.

You walked away from the door but just a moment later it clicked open. Jake’s big green eyes softening once he spotted you on the other side of the living room looking more frantic than ill. His eyes scanned your figure for any other signs of what was actually going on. He didn’t waste a second once he’d finished his once over. He walked right on up to you.

“What’s the matter love? My cooking isn’t sending you home is it?” He scanned you again with nothing but concern in his eyes. You didn’t really seem sick. You were just skiddish. He was used to this. Earlier on in the relationship he had to dance around you. Let you get used to his presence. He was so careful with you. And you bloomed right under him into something of your own. You got comfortable with him. Opened up like a book to him. Trusted him more than anything in the world.

“I’ve been feeling a little gross all day.” It wasn’t really a lie. You have felt gross all day. You’d been remarkably nervous over the entire thing.

He cocked his head to the side in slight confusion. He read you like a book though, “Honey, they love you!” He gave your arms a squeeze in reassurance. He seemed so adamant. He didn’t seem like he was lying to you. He seemed so confused. Had you missed something?

“It didn’t sound like it.” It slipped so quickly from your mouth you weren’t sure if you said it out loud or in your head. It was a tossup really.

His face dropped immediately, “What’re talking about darlin’?” His face was laced with nothing but confusion. You’d definitely missed something.

You pursed your lips. Oh well, secrets already out, “She said she was surprised you went for somebody like me.” Your eyes dropped in shame. You felt a little guilty for listening In on their conversation meant for their own ears only.

He pulled your eyes up to look at his, “Then what?” He asked.

You shook your head in confusion, “They all agreed.” You sighed. Why was he making you repeat what you heard.

He shook his head slowly, still holding your chin in his hands, “No love. She said you were sweet. That you were kind. She really likes you. Said she can’t wait for you to take her shopping.”

Well shit. How had you missed that? Your stitched your eyebrows together as you looked for any sign that he could’ve been fooling you. You couldn’t find a sign, “But then Bob said I wasn’t a blonde or talkative.” You repeated trying to justify your actions.

“Oh honey.” He laughed at the situation, not at you. He’d never dream about laughing at you, “You don’t know him well enough to know he was being sarcastic. He said that you were so fun to talk to, could hold an actual conversation.” He ran a hand down your arm trying to give you the reassurance you so clearly needed.

Shaking your head, you felt the nerves bubble back up. You definitely missed that, “I must’ve walked back inside.”

He wrapped you in another tight embrace. This one felt more necessary than the rest. He could feel how anxious you were. How saddened you looked at the thought of his friends not liking you. It warmed his heard at how much you wanted to be accepted by them. You knew how much they meant to him.

“Wish you would’ve stuck around.” He mumbled into your hair while rocking you back and forth ever so gently, “Even had Rooster singing your praises.”

You smiled as you finally started to believe him fully. He wouldn’t have lied to you like that, “Really?” You asked softly. You cheek was resting on his chest as he held you in his comfortable embrace.

“Yeah,” He chucked before pulling you closer into him, “I think they may ever like you more than me. I know Bradley does.”

Your heart swelled with all the love you felt for the man. He always knew what to say. He had a way with words that always left you feeling all the love, “Like that’s hard to do.”

He let out a full belly laugh now, “There she is. There’s my smart ass of a girl.”

“You like it.” You countered, pulling away from his strong hold on you.

He nodded, “I love it.”

You couldn’t help but to smile at that comment, “Noted.”

He hummed before dropping his arms from his hold on you, finally letting you squirm away, “Know what else I love?” He asked. He had a mischievous smirk dancing across his face.

Not having a clue what was coming next you innocently answered his question, “What’s that Jake?”

“You.”

A small gasp escaped your throat. Eyes widening and pupils surly dilated, you gave him nothing but a shocked stare, “What?” Finally squeaked out of your mouth after a few long moments.

“I love you.”

You gaped at him. Now of all times? Now?

“Jake! You dropped that bomb right now?” Your head was dizzy with thoughts. How could you face them again after he just did this to you.

He shrugged, “I think I’ve known for a while. They just helped me realize it.” One of the things you loved about him was the complete lack of pressure to respond to it. He didn’t expect it. He knew you took things slow. He was hardly offended. But he knew he loved you and he needed you to know it.

That was when it all clicked for you too. You loved him too. You loved him beyond your wildest measures. You don’t think you’d be able to live a life without him anymore. He’d changed you completely. Changed you whole.

Your eyes found his again. Yours scanned his pretty tanned face. He was smiling. Patient face on as he waited for your response. Your legs felt like jelly when your eyes finally locked with his, “I love you too.”

The smile that lit his face could make you happy for the rest of your life. God, you couldn’t wait to keep making him smile like that. You knew you were in trouble when he picked you right up in his arms kissing any part of you that he could get his mouth on and whispering sweet ‘I love you’s’ in between. The group be dammed.

Jake Seresin/Top Gun: Permanent Taglist (Message me or comment below if you want to be added!): @loving-and-dreaming @kmc1989 @memeorydotcom @matisse556 @buckylov3r @taygrls @ah-blossom @hardballoonlove @rosiahills22 @djs8891 @mamachasesmayhem

[baldurs-beach]

`✵•.¸,✵°✵.｡.Event Intro .｡.✵°✵,¸.•✵´

Welcome to the Baldur's Gate 3 Summer Creativity Event.

The idea is to bring the community together to create works around a summer theme!

FAQ: How does it work? Create a work (art, writing, embroidery, song, anything) based on Baldur's Gate 3 with a summer theme. This blog will share them through the summer. (June through August)

Do I have to follow certain prompts: A list of prompts is below, but fitting in one of them isn't required, as long your work is appropriately summer themes.

How will you share the works? Either @ the blog or submit your post! There will also be an AO3 collection (coming soon). Please don't just tag with a hash tag because that will be very hard to share.

Are there any ratings guide lines? Nope! Just tag appropriately please!

Who can participate? Anyone 18+ since there is not interest in policing who submits what content.

Who's running this thing? Just me, @tragedybunny

Anything else? Please share so lots of people can participate.

AO3 Collection is live!

Prompt list:

Ocean / waves 

Sun / Sunburn

Heat / Humidity

Beach / Sand / Sandcastles /Sea glass

Ice cream

Sunsets

Calimshan and Amn

The Sea of Fallen Stars (pirate region on forgotten realms)

Festival / County Fair

Summer flowers / night blooming flowers 

Beach Party

BBQ

Travel

Bonfire / campfire stories

Swimming/ water / first time swimming in the ocean

Fireflies

Summer storms

Fruits / summer harvest / summer refreshments

Mosquitoes

Boats / sailing

Surfing 

Snorkeling / Scuba diving

Camping (for fun this time)

Summer Love

Dividers by @ / saradika-graphics

[the-bar-sinister]

🌴🌴🌴Welcome to Summertime Ship/Self Ship bingo! ⛱️⛱️⛱️

(Where the rules are made up and the points don't matter!)

How to use these prompts: Any way you want! You can choose to do some or all of them, or you can have people send you a ship and a prompt to your ask box. You can write fic, or do art, or just talk about how the prompt is relevant to your ship. These are just prompts-- what you do with them is up to you. 🌴

Here's a list of the prompts with emojis for your ask box:

🫂 sweaty cuddles

🥵 beating the heat

👙 swimsuits

🍧 ice cream

🛍️ down on the boardwalk

🏖️ at the beach

🩴 summer outfits

🎆 summer nostalgia

🌉 warm nights

💦sprinklers

🏕️ camping

🌠stargazing

🎡 amusement park

🚢 getaway vacation

🪭 paper fans

🐻 carnival prize

🖍️ sidewalk chalk

🔥 bonfire

🔫water guns

🌴 palm trees

🛼 roller skates

🧺 picnic

🍹 iced drinks

🍖 bbq/grilling

[hersweetrevenge]

ahh another instalment of my favourite show !! man, i'm glad corey's last outing didn't scar him too badly, i feel like i've said it before, but i love the way this story waxes and wanes, after such a weird and uncomfortably tense night out, we get the lull of the comedown -- but we've also hit the point of no return, and that dark feeling of something bad on the horizon feels so well ingrained !! 💗💗 (plus we had our surprise guest star, rose !!)

You didn’t realize at the time how Corey held onto things, good, bad, and neutral, with white knuckles in his heart.

corey soaks up everything that happens, he's an emotional sponge (he's an empath lol). but you're so right, the way he hold onto anything and everything. he's learnt to be super observant, that any little detail might be important in some way later.

He was confused about why it was so different from last time

nooo !! him being confused is almost worse than him being paranoid. i love this contrast of him being genuinely vulnerable because he just doesn't know what to expect, he's so inexperienced, while also having the growing undercurrent of him being dangerous - he never stopped being dangerous - and sooner or later that's going to come to a head.

he followed the paranoia all the way down the rabbit hole, worrying that the joint was spiked, that Veronica had mixed something else with the weed, that she hated him, that he’d feel weird for the rest of his life. 

vindication !! ahh i love this so much, i just knew (that's a lie, but i had thought it lol) that he'd get it in his head that veronica did it on purpose. and i love how he voices it when he's still very much stoned because then reader doesn't even really question why he'd think that other than just general greened out paranoia. this was so, so good because every single chapter reader is getting closer to the truth, but she just doesn't see the red flags from the right angle, or just doesn't ask the right questions. if corey was ever going to slip up it'd be now.

“Will you still love me if I feel this weird forever?” He asked, like he’d already been devastated by the answer. ... “No, you wouldn’t,” he insisted with tears in his eyes... You swept your hand over his forehead, brushing his curls back. “I would.”  

would you still love me if i was a worm?

ahhh you write him anguished so well !! these moments where he is completely stripped back, so genuinely vulnerable to the point he might even seem just a little bit pathetic are everything to me !! i love the word devastate, and it says so much here, how he's wracked with pure sadness over something that hasn't even happened. i feel like this is the first time he's cried so openly in front of reader? and it's not angry or frustrated, it's almost like premature grief. it's like all of his worries about losing reader are coming out now, building into this huge thing that isn't really about the drugs at all.

the simplicity of "i would" because it's true !! no explanation or defence just "i would love you". it's straight forward, something corey would appreciate if he weren't in his current predicament.

Corey came into the room in his boxers, his skin still hot and pink

my brain must be irreparably ruined in some way, because why am i so enamoured by this? i love your wording, it's so simple and feels really tender. and it is such a vulnerable, tender little moment and we get to see it 💗

You know he’s no angel

girl, you don't know the half of it !! i'll mention it again in a few points but this idea of reader never quite guessing the right things about corey is written so well and integrated so consistently !!

(although he is, in fact, an angel)

"I had some alerts set on parts websites. I almost had it a couple times but I kept losing it. Auction ending while I was at work, shit like that. I had to fight for this one. Like, I got in a bidding fight for it." 

man, i love this so much !! it's such a mundane little thing, but thinking about him sat there in an ebay bidding war just like, soothes my soul haha you're amazing at getting these details, things i wouldn't even think about but of course he would do !!

Do you really need to ask him why he didn’t tell you his birthday? ... What could you gain from the conversation that you don’t already know? Why hurt him needlessly? 

the inner conflict here is so, so, so interesting to me !! the way reader, although i think she's right and corey doesn't particularly like his birthday, imparts this assumption onto him. it's so perfectly infuriationg because reader gets so close to getting right, and in her concern of not hurting him, tends to miss the mark by just a fraction, ending up with a conclusion that is almost right but not quite.

Your giggle makes him laugh harder. His wide, dimpled smile floods you with affection.

i've said it once, i'll say it a million more times; i love when corey laughs. laughing with corey would fix me, actually. i can absolutely see him laughing more just because someone else is, and that way he's kind of stilted about it until he's certain on the situation.

Not long after you go inside, the sky turns a menacing gray, any trace of the sun blotted out... just as fat raindrops start to splash against the windows.

yes !! foretell that bad omen !! we love some prophetic weather. the way it closes in and cuts reader and corey of from the world, into their own bubble away from everyone. i love how encapsulated it makes the rest of the scene, braving the storm together and knowing the other person will still be there, right next to you, on the other side.

also, "fat raindrops" will forever be the best kind of rain and it evokes something in me, a weird sort of joy, anytime anyone describes that type of rain 💧 your wording of this whole sorm actually is so wonderful, i can feel it rolling in.

You turn off all the lights in favor of a hoard of candles and the glow of the TV. Corey lays on the couch and you tangle yourself in his legs

domestic bliss 💗 you're the expert in writing these moment of intimacy that are so... normal. normal and familiar and romantic because literally what else is there !! what more do we need ?! one of my favourite things is the blueish tv glow, ethereal and grounding at the same time, and this is literally the perfect scene.

The impression that Veronica is a severe threat, well beyond the level of any other person in his life. The impression that she��s more dangerous ... The impression that Veronica could, would, and will destroy everything he's worked so hard for. It's only a matter of when. 

i am so madly, deeply obsessed with how you write this from corey's perspective !! the tone is amazing !! the way, at least in his mind, he paint veronica as the villain, after everything he's done. how no matter what he did, he really, really, really wants to just have a happy (or at least uneventful life) and veronica is going to ruin it. veronica is the threat, she's dangerous; your word choice has me in a headlock seriously !! we feel for corey, we know veronica would have every right to turn him in if she ever found out the truth, but we really, really don't want her to.

the countdown has accelerated now

i love this !! it feels like a really good parallel to ends canon, the way everything went down because he hit terminal velocity and couldn't stop it even if he wanted to (he didn't). only this time feels more real, and he's desperate to slow the clock, spend as much time with you as possible before it all goes bad. stop the clock if he can and be with you forever and ever.

In the dark he pulls you closer, wishing desperately that there was a way to have you all to himself. 

classic corey moment. corey who is well-meaning and caring, but possessive and ravenous at the same time. how his experiences and relationships have shaped him into someone who's emotionally unstable, someone who will do anything just not have to let go of the person (and it only ever can be one person, right?) he loves. how really it's kind of sad how he'd been made to feel that anyone he loves is always on the precipice of leaving him.

i love this image though, the darkness around them, the way he pulls you in closer. the way he would pull you both into the shadows forever if it meant he could keep you. only he knows he can't and he wouldn't, but he so badly wants to.

Stupid, lovesick bastard. 

our stupid, lovesick bastard 💗 as torturous and desperate and all-consuming as his love is, sometimes he's just some guy who is in love. he's sappy and sentimental and oh so sweet on you. it's the moment of realisation that this is his forever, and if it isn't he's going to feel the heartbreak.

It’s been so long since he’s done it, it takes him a minute to realize — this is what making a new friend feels like.

stop, stop, please !! 😭 i am obsessed with the switch in his thinking, from rose being an asset to rose being maybe his friend? the way he's never had a lot of friends, and how he's had to reduce interpersonal relationships to the barest minimum ("safe to know" or "not safe to know"), so when he actually is making a friend he's surprised how nice it feels, to just be cool with someone.

That’s the guy that killed that kid! ... How convenient to have a violent mob descend on him at a bonfire. All they’ll need to do is find a stake. 

thinking about how many times he's heard that, when people whispered behind his back in grocery stores or yelled at him across the street. he's been "the guy that killed that kid" for so long. and now he's gone so long not hearing it, he'd started to think that maybe he isn't just "the guy that killed that kid", he desperately doesn't want to be that anymore (and maybe he's ignoring all the far, far worse things he's done since then, but none of that matters as much as that first one). but he knows it's something he can't get away from, no matter how far he goes, someone will know.

Clean Again

Chapter 12: THORNS read on AO3 | previous chapter | tumblr chapter index make sure to check AO3 for this fic's playlist and other extras! Corey comes down... general warnings for this fic - angst, fluff, eventual smut (MDNI), canon-typical violence, canon-typical gore contents/warnings for this chapter - oops! all angst 3,397 words @rebel-blue @heartrot666 @wolvesandvampires @cordelium @toxicanonymity @multifandom--mess @hersweetrevenge @futurewife @yllcm @ethanhoewke dm me or reply to this post to be added to the tag list 💕

Your car will never be a show car. While it's in impressively good shape for its age, and people often express surprise about its condition, there has been no blobject renaissance. Cute cars from the era of soft shapes are firmly out. Nobody is desperately searching for a PT Cruiser. But you love your little jelly bean to death, and for years it’s been a thorn in your side that the first thing you did at 16 upon being given full control is switch the radio out. 

You just had to have a CD player and an aux port for your iPod, the cassette converter thingy wasn’t good enough for you. The aftermarket radio wound up looking dumb, the design severely clashing with the rest of the car’s knobs and gauges, and the CD player skipped at every tiny pothole and rock you drove over. It’s exceedingly low priority – you’ve been dealing with it so long that most days you don’t even notice, and in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter much at all – but for a while you've been set on reinstalling the factory radio someday.

You told Corey this early on, just in passing. You had no reason to think that he had internalized it. You didn’t realize at the time how Corey held onto things, good, bad, and neutral, with white knuckles in his heart. So, unbeknownst to you, he’s been looking for the right radio ever since. Now you sit in the backseat watching him disconnect the aftermarket radio’s wiring harness, half of your dashboard piled up in the driver's seat. You still haven't talked to him about the birthday thing. 

The drive home Wednesday night was quiet, just the road noise and the local college radio station turned low. Corey slumped against the passenger window with glazed eyes. When you glanced over at him, it seemed like he was barely there. You cursed yourself for thinking he could handle the hotbox, feeling bad because you knew it probably made his anxiety worse instead of better, and annoyed because you needed to talk to him about this birthday bullshit, but he was already going to be bummed out from the comedown. How hard would it have been for you to suggest snuffing out the joint as soon as you started to notice Corey getting wobbly? Of course not passing it to him wasn’t enough when the entire car was one swirling cloud. 

When you got home he was even clingier than normal, stalking you through your apartment with hunched shoulders until you sat on the couch and patted your thighs, beckoning him to come lay his head in your lap. 

That was when the floodgates opened. He must've been even worse off than you had thought, he didn't seem to have come down much at all yet. He was confused about why it was so different from last time, and reassurances that it was normal did nothing to quell his building panic. Despite your best effort to get him to resist, he followed the paranoia all the way down the rabbit hole, worrying that the joint was spiked, that Veronica had mixed something else with the weed, that she hated him, that he’d feel weird for the rest of his life. 

“Will you still love me if I feel this weird forever?” He asked, like he’d already been devastated by the answer.

“You’re not going to feel weird forever, Corey.” 

“But would you love me if I did?”

“I’d love you no matter what.” 

“No, you wouldn’t,” he insisted with tears in his eyes.

Like the night you watched The Lobster, you suddenly felt like you weren't really talking about him being stoned forever. Self-inflicted, you thought, and your annoyance settled into guilt.  

You swept your hand over his forehead, brushing his curls back. “I would.”  

You finally convinced him that he'd feel better if he took a shower. When he got out, you were lying in bed on your back, staring up at the ceiling. How had you let yourself make it this far without knowing his birthday? How could you miss such a big gap in your basic knowledge of him? And the date had come and gone since you met him! Did he say something and you just forgot? Are you a terrible girlfriend? 

Corey came into the room in his boxers, his skin still hot and pink, his hair towel dried. He curled up next to you with his head on your chest, and before you could say anything to him at all, he was asleep.

It feels like a rain cloud following you around. It's only been a couple days, but the window is closing, the problem edging closer and closer to being something you have to just let go. And you've considered letting it go. You're not mad at him, he doesn't seem to even realize you didn't know, and now you do know. The weak, sad version of you that stayed with Orin so long, that took forever to break things off with Hurley, certainly would have left it alone. But that feels like a regression. There just hasn't been a good time to bring it up yet. 

And now isn't a good time either. You've established a precedent, beginning all those weeks ago when he came to fix your sewing machine – you let him work in silence. If either of you speaks, it's always him who initiates, explaining what he’s doing, asking you to reposition the flashlight, giving you instructions for a task that requires more delicate fingers than his. It must be more than 100 degrees in the car, but the sweat that beads your forehead isn’t from the heat.

In front of you, Corey’s already securing the radio cage back into the dash, wordlessly reaching between the seats for you to hand him the screws one by one. The humidity turns his hair into a frizzy halo all around his head. You know he’s no angel, but his presence in your life feels like such a blessing, and while you might not be angry, the conversation will still be a confrontation. You’re terrified of pushing him away, scaring him off, like taking a step too quickly towards a backyard deer you want to eat out of your hand. If you’re not careful he’ll startle, bolting back into the woods, and you’ll be left standing there alone with a handful of wasted oats. He snaps the last piece of your dashboard into place, then rotates to look at you.

“Moment of truth,” he says. “Keys?”

You hand him your keys and he cranks the engine. Blue-green digits appear on the display. He clicks the radio’s power button and the speakers hum lowly with static. He spins the knob back and forth and the volume rises and falls. He presses a few of the other buttons, making sure the functions of all the rainbow wires he twisted together are present and accounted for, then he sets your clock and station presets for you.

"All good," he announces. 

"Yay!" You exclaim. "It's so nice to have her back to her original glory. I can't wait to start buying tapes from work. Thank you so much, Corey." You lean forward over the center console to give him a gentle, lingering kiss.

"No problem." He clears his throat.

"How did you find it anyway?" 

"I had some alerts set on parts websites. I almost had it a couple times but I kept losing it. Auction ending while I was at work, shit like that. I had to fight for this one. Like, I got in a bidding fight for it." 

You sense an opening. It’s not a good one, but you take it before you can change your mind. “I guess Madame Veronica was right,” you say. 

“What do you mean?” Corey asks.

“The shit she said about Aries. They like a challenge and fight for their loved ones or whatever.” 

He just looks at you and shakes his head no.

“Do you remember that conversation at all?” You ask. “You were pretty far gone.”

“It’s all fuzzy. She complimented Dad’s ring. I got a sandwich. The bathroom was really clean.” He shrugs.

Fuck, you think, somehow both disappointed and relieved. If he doesn’t remember then maybe… Maybe it actually would be okay to just let it go. Maybe it isn’t regression. The old you avoided conflict for your own sake, because you didn’t want to make yourself feel bad. But this isn’t that. This is a conflict you want to avoid for Corey’s sake. Do you really need to ask him why he didn’t tell you his birthday? The only people who don’t get excited about their birthday are people who were never celebrated enough, and people who wish they were never born in the first place. The implication makes your heart ache. What could you gain from the conversation that you don’t already know? Why hurt him needlessly? 

“Yeah. I’m so sorry about that. When you have a higher tolerance you don’t realize how much it can fuck somebody else up if they don’t have a tolerance at all. You don’t remember what happened when we got home either?” 

He shakes his head again. That settles it. If he doesn’t know how badly he spiraled, his overall impression of the night is probably pretty good, right? Why soil what little he remembers with a question that will feel like an accusation, no matter how much you insist it’s not? 

“Well, what happened?” 

“I got you to take a shower to sober up, but you didn’t sober up at all, you just rolled straight out of the shower and into bed. Out like a light.” 

Corey chuckles and it makes you giggle. Your giggle makes him laugh harder. His wide, dimpled smile floods you with affection. You crane over the center console to kiss him again, turning his laughter into a buzzing sound inside his face. The commercial block on the radio ends and the station identifies itself over the sparkling acoustic guitar of a late 90’s bubblegum pop hit. The song is cheesy, but the sentiment resonates. Would you love him, no matter what? I would.

You kiss him until the song ends. His face is damp and shiny when you pull away. 

“Let’s go inside,” you say. “It’s way too fucking hot out here.” 

Not long after you go inside, the sky turns a menacing gray, any trace of the sun blotted out. You hear distant thunder like a giant’s stomach rumbling, just as fat raindrops start to splash against the windows. You turn off all the lights in favor of a hoard of candles and the glow of the TV. Corey lays on the couch and you tangle yourself in his legs, settling in to play Smash Bros until your thumbs go numb. You’re extremely impressed with how good he’s gotten, and how quickly, but you’re far too competitive to allow the student to surpass the master, his every skill increase prompting one for you too. Almost every match goes into sudden death. When you can’t take another tie, you blow out all the candles and drag him off to bed.

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

Corey wasn’t completely honest with you about what he remembers from Wednesday night. He didn’t quite lie, but he left something out, more of an impression than a memory. The impression that Veronica is a severe threat, well beyond the level of any other person in his life. 

The impression that she’s more dangerous than Phil and Joanna, who don’t understand the internet and have helped him enough to be implicated should anything happen, more dangerous than his boss Will, who only pays half of his employees the way the government requires him to and would have to answer for all the taxes he and Corey haven’t paid. The impression that she’s more dangerous than even you, the person most sure of the good inside him, but with the most information to damn him, and the best chance of convincing a DA that he manipulated you into protecting him, blinding you with gifts and acts of service. The impression that Veronica could, would, and will destroy everything he's worked so hard for. It's only a matter of when. 

That timer has been ticking since the first fateful day at the library, but the countdown has accelerated now, and will only keep getting faster, without the gravity of a looming first meeting weighing it down. He felt pressured to say yes to Veronica's joint without the reasonable protest of pot being illegal, and he senses he'll feel pressured to say yes to more and more social outings without the reasonable protest of not liking new people. But she's not new anymore, you'll say, batting your pretty puppy eyes. And Corey will have no choice but to follow you to his own undoing. 

In the dark he pulls you closer, wishing desperately that there was a way to have you all to himself. 

Corey’s intuition that meeting Veronica had broken the barrier between your time with him and the rest of your social calendar proves true two weeks later. He’s in the kitchen, cleaning up the dinner dishes when he hears you answer a phone call. He freezes in place, fork resting against the half-scraped plate he holds over the trash can.

“No, I’m not busy… Right now? Yeah I can… Yeah, he’s here… Okay, I’ll offer those suggestions, haha… Alright, see you in 15. Love you!” 

He’s still standing hunched over the garbage, paused mid-scrape when you come into the kitchen. 

“Are you okay?” You ask, noticing his unnatural posture.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he says, resuming his task and trying not to panic. “Who were you talking to?”

“Rose. She needs some pants hemmed and she wanted to know if she could bring them by tonight. I told her it was okay, she said she understands if you just wanna stay in a different room while she’s here. I have to mark where the hem should be while she’s wearing the pants, but that should only take like 10 minutes.” 

Corey puts the dishes in the sink, very careful not to set them down with too much force, despite the fact that he wants to shatter them on the ground. “That’s fine,” he says.

“Are you sure? I can call her back and tell her to come a different time, or I can run over to her house instead and you can stay here, or sit in the car?”

He weighs his options. There was something you said once. Veronica is a pill, but Rose’s name suits her well. Which means that the consequences of refusing to meet or engage with her are probably minimal, that he can put off the inevitable for a day when he’s more prepared. That is, unless it gets back to Veronica that he avoided Rose. She would certainly think that reflected badly on him. And Rose allegedly being a sweetheart also means she could be an asset, a second sympathetic voice in chorus with yours. Veronica hearing that he agreed to meet her, having her vouch for him… This could be the one time meeting a new person is a good idea. If he never has to be in a position like this again, it would be too fucking soon. 

“It’s fine,” he affirms.

You come around the island to wrap your arms around him, smooching him all over his face. “Thank you, baby,” you murmur in his ear between kisses. 

Baby. The word dissolves his bones, turning him into a puddle at your feet. It’s only the second time you’ve ever called him that, and this time it isn’t mocking like it was when he struggled to hit the bong. This time you mean it. God, he is so fucked. No matter what happens from now on, he’s doomed, he’s damned, he’s absolutely, completely, irreparably fucked. But being torn apart by police dogs, giving the existing bullet hole in his window 1000 new friends in a shootout that he’s destined to lose, even life without parole would be worth it to hear you call him baby.  Stupid, lovesick bastard. 

When Rose arrives, Corey is sitting at the dining room table. 

“Hi, Corey! How are you tonight?” She asks like they're old friends. Her arms are loaded with fabric.

“Uh…Okay, and you?” He responds, caught off guard by just how different she already seems from Veronica. 

“I’m great! I’m so stoked for these pants to finally be the right length. Our girl over here is like a wizard, my clothes always come out so good when she fixes them.”

“Oh, stop,” you say, coming into the room with the step stool from the kitchen. 

"No, she's right. You always do a good job," he agrees. 

Rose goes down the hall to the bathroom, changes into one of the pairs of pants, and comes out to stand on the step stool. The three of you chat while you orbit around her feet with a pin cushion on your wrist, then she hops down to repeat the process. Corey’s shocked to find he enjoys the conversation. Even as it drains him to have his facade of normality tested like this, Rose is a soothing presence and he finds a sort of ease. It’s been so long since he’s done it, it takes him a minute to realize — this is what making a new friend feels like. Of course, any sense of calm Corey feels can only ever be short lived.

"Are you joining us for the bonfire, Corey?" Rose looks over her shoulder to address him as you pin the final pair of pants.

“What bonfire?” he asks. 

“We haven’t talked about it yet,” you say.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to spring it on you." She looks between you, apologetic frown on her face.

“No, don’t worry about it.”

“What bonfire?” Corey asks again. 

“The annual Plymouth Records Summer Solstice bonfire,” you explain. “The store is closed that day and we all have a big party at the owner Gordon’s parents’ house. Is it his parents or maybe his aunt and uncle..?”  

“I think it’s his uncle,” Rose says.

“Right, it’s Gordon’s uncle’s house and it’s a big mansion on a bunch of acres in the middle of nowhere, and like, everybody in the scene comes and we just celebrate the longest day of the year.”

“It’s always a great time. This year Drew’s renting a smoker and everyone else is bringing meat and veggies for it! Who doesn’t love barbecue?”

Corey does love barbecue, but there is no food on Earth delicious enough to make him excited for a party in a mansion with all of your coworkers and God knows who else. He can see it now, one person stumbling up to him, insisting they know each other from somewhere. Another overhearing and joining in the guessing game. He does look awfully familiar. Everyone in the whole house studying his face and whispering suggestions into each other’s ears until a blood curdling scream cuts through all the noise and 100 fingers point at him. That’s the guy that killed that kid! He didn’t just kill a kid, he killed his own mother! How convenient to have a violent mob descend on him at a bonfire. All they’ll need to do is find a stake. 

Rose leaves to change again. 

“I’m sorry, Corey,” you say. “I didn’t want to present it to you like that.”

“Can we talk about it later?” 

“Of course.”

A door down the hallway opens. Rose returns in the outfit she came in, and hands you the pants you’d pinned, folded into a neat stack. The vibe is awkward now. She doesn’t stick around.

“Well, y’all have a good night. It was nice to meet you, Corey.”  

“You too,” he says. 

And it was. It’s not her fault wanted killers and backyard parties don’t mix. He just hopes that he was right about the protection being in her good graces might afford him. Clearly, he’s going to need it. She waves as she slips out the door. You close it behind her and flip the deadbolt lock into place for the night.