#breakfast santa monica

[kafekcalifornia]

Best Breakfast Place Santa Monica | Best Breakfast Burritos, Tacos & Wraps

Discover why Kafe K is Santa Monica’s best breakfast spot. With fresh, locally sourced ingredients, a cozy ambiance, and a menu featuring favorites like avocado toast and breakfast burritos, we’re the perfect morning destination. Ideal for friends, family, or solo breakfasts.

[williammarksommer]

Weekend Breakfast

Route 66 series

Hasselblad 500c/m

Kodak Ektar 100iso

[raquel-lopez]

💐 Bᥙᥱᥒos dίᥲs! Hoყ dᥱsᥲყᥙᥒᥲmos ᥴoᥒ rosᥲs frᥱsᥴᥲs ᥱᥒ ᥱᥣ Rᥱstᥲᥙrᥲᥒtᥱ Ivყ dᥱ Bᥱvᥱrᥣყ Hιᥣᥣs, ᥱᥒ Sᥲᥒtᥲ Móᥒιᥴᥲ, Cᥲᥣιforᥒιᥲ. 💐

🩷Good morning! Today we had breakfast with fresh roses at the Ivy Restaurant in Beverly Hills, in Santa Monica, California.💐💐

💐 Uᥒᥲ ᥱxρᥱrιᥱᥒᥴιᥲ ᥙ́ᥒιᥴᥲ, dóᥒdᥱ ᥣᥲ ᥲᥣᥱgrίᥲ, ᥣᥲ dᥙᥣzᥙrᥲ ყ ᥣᥲ fᥱᥣιᥴιdᥲd sᥱ rᥱsριrᥲᥒ ᥱᥒ ᥱᥣ ᥲmbιᥱᥒtᥱ. 💐

🩷 A unique experience, where joy, sweetness and happiness are breathed in the atmosphere.

Mario ❤️

[value2society]

riding that Wednesday wave into the weekend.

[skzstannie]

"Did you know?"

SKZ-> ot8 x 9th member! reader

genre: angst, hurt/comfort wc: ~4,500 cw: slight violence, swearing, reader has to go to the hospital

summary: some online rumors cause turmoil within the group, and it seems the members’ concerns were certainly not without reason

A/N: Here's another angsty 9th member fic for you guys, hope you enjoy! My requests are still open, so if you have any ideas, feel free to send them in!

Likes/reblogs and feedback are greatly appreciated!

Part 2 | Happy Scrolling! | Masterlist

Today was the first date of your North American tour, landing you guys in the beautiful city of Los Angeles, California. Your managers allowed you the morning to explore the city, given you had constant security. They made you specifically promise to abide by these rules, as you had a habit of sneaking off to see fans on your own. What can you say? Security could be annoying, and your fans were always the sweetest.

This little habit of yours not only made management anxious, but also your members. They knew you could be innocent and credulous when it came to other people, always wanting to believe there was good in everyone. While this may be true, people's best intentions sometimes went out the window when confronted with their favorite Kpop idols.

"Ok, first the art museum for Hyunjin, then Griffith Park, and then the nice breakfast cafe down the street from the venue. Anything else?" Chan reads off your planned itinerary, glancing upwards at you guys.

"Yea, I said I wanted to go to the Santa Monica Pier. They have the cutest attractions there," you say, repeating yourself for what felt like the hundredth time that day. You were the only one wanting to go, all the other members not wanting to risk getting sick on fair food and carnival rides before the concert.

"Yes, and I already acknowledged the fact that we will not be going there today. And we, includes you, meaning you will also not be sneaking off to go by yourself," Chan pointedly looks to you, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

"What makes you think I'd ever do that?" you give him a cheeky smile, tilting your head ever so slightly.

"Don't look at me like that. You know exactly why I'd think that."

You drop your innocent act, giving him a bored look in return.

Chan gets notified that the vans have arrived, so you all pack up your things and head to the hotel elevator. The boys roughhouse in the hallway, Seungmin almost tackling Jeongin to the ground. This is quickly stopped by Minho, reminding them they can't get hurt before the concert tonight. They roll their eyes at him but oblige.

Leaving the hotel, you all jump in the cars, embarking on the short drive to the art museum. Your van consists of Seungmin and Felix sitting in the middle set of seats, while you're squished in the back between Chan and Minho. The air is weirdly tense and quiet, everyone seemingly too occupied with their phones. Besides Chan describing the itinerary this morning, everyone has been quiet all day.

You feel Chan's watchful gaze slide to your screen, and you pull away, leaning towards Minho. "Do you mind?" you sass.

"I do actually. What are you looking at on there, any cute boys?"

"Give me a break, we have a dating ban," you scoff, turning your phone back off and sliding it into your crossbody bag.

You continue to sit in silence until you arrive, not wanting to deal with Chan's wandering eyes on your Instagram feed.

Finally arriving at the art museum, everyone piles out of the vans. Fans line the sidewalk, and a grin spreads across your face. You step out of line quickly, wanting to go over to a particularly young fan. She looks around 8 or 9, and she has a poster of you in hand with a black Sharpie. What's the harm in giving this young girl a quick signature?

Within your first few steps, your arm is aggressively pulled backwards, and you stumble into Minho. He gives you a stern look, and you know, especially with this many people around, not to question him. You fall back in line, looking back to give the young girl a sympathetic smile as you're guided the rest of the way into the museum.

You guys walk through the entrance of the museum, officially out of sight from all the fans. Minho gives you another pointed look, finally releasing your arm from his grasp. "We told you, no funny business today. Tonight's important, and we need you in one piece for it."

Your eyes widen at his tone of voice, not appreciating the seriousness behind it. You know you tend to break some rules here and there, but it's always light-hearted. You'd never intentionally put yourself or anyone else in danger.

You guys explore the museum exhibits in peace, security doing an excellent job of keeping the fans outside. You, not having much of an interest in art, spend most of your time watching Hyunjin and the way he admires the artwork. He really is an artist at heart, and you love the way he can appreciate each individual piece.

While staring at Hyunjin, who's admiring an intensely beautiful painting of a riverbed with flowers, you suddenly feel eyes on you. You quickly spin around to be met with the stares of Felix, Jisung, and Jeongin. They quickly look away, busying themselves looking at the statues next to them.

You give them a squinted look, walking over to them. "What is wrong with you guys today? Why is everyone acting so funny?" you confront them, furrowing your brows.

Jisung stumbles over his words, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Felix jumps in, giving Jisung a strange look, "We were just talking about how beautiful you look today." He comes over to you and wraps an arm around your shoulder, pulling you into his side.

You don't stay there long, removing his arm from around you and walking away. "Weird," you mutter to yourself.

You guys finish up in the museum shortly after. Piling back into the cars, you're once again stuck between Minho and Chan. This time, however, Chan keeps constant conversation with you. He rambles on about the concert that night, what he had for dinner last night, practically anything to keep his mouth moving. While this is still strange behavior, you prefer this to radio silence.

Arriving at Griffith Park, you guys make your way up the hill terrain. All the guys want to take pictures, planning to post them to Instagram later that week. You think the perfect spot for pictures would be the Hollywood sign, so you start to make your way towards it.

You don't think to alert anyone, as it's within eyesight, and you prefer to take your own pictures, anyway. You came prepared, bringing your tripod in your backpack.

Before you make it very far, only walking about 25 feet away from the group, you hear your name being yelled. You turn back around, seeing an angry Minho storming towards you.

"What'd we say about going off on your own? Why are you being so difficult today?" he asks, his voice rising with every word he spits at you.

You don't know what's gotten everyone's panties in a bunch today, but you've just about had enough. The atmosphere has been tense all day, and you're officially sick of it.

"Why is everyone being so tense today? Gosh, I'm only going up to the sign!" You throw your arm behind, motioning to the spot only about 50 feet away from where you and Minho stand.

"No, you will not be going up there, especially not by yourself. Stay with the rest of the group and stop being stubborn!" Minho's overly-critical eyes stare you down. He steps toward you, grabbing you by the elbow for the second time that day.

You wretch yourself away from him. "I've had enough with being man-handled today. I'm done! I'm going to wait in the van. Have fun without me!" you yell at him, stalking off towards the parking lot.

You see everyone had stopped what they were doing upon hearing the loud yells, and they're all watching you as you hurriedly make your way back to the vans. Your face flushes, embarrassment taking over your features.

You pull on the door to the van, realizing it's locked. You stomp your foot and whip around, finding everyone still staring at you with varying expressions. "Someone please unlock this door before I have a mental breakdown," you beg, feeling the beginnings of an anxiety attack taking over your body.

The driver, just feet away sitting on a bench, searches for the keys in his jacket, finally unlocking the door for you. You climb in, slamming the door behind you.

You stumble over the front row of seats, laying down in the back away from the concerned gazes of your members and the rest of the staff. Your chest feels constricted, the air in your lungs feeling limited in supply. Tears stream down your face at the unwanted advances of an anxiety attack.

The fight with Minho paired with the building tension all day, along with the nerves for tonight's concert mixed into a deadly concoction in your brain, all too much for you to handle.

You're not left alone with your thoughts for long, the door to the van opening only minutes later. Hyunjin crawls in, shutting the door behind him.

"Hey, hey, shhh. It's ok, everything will be ok," he coos, rubbing your back. He's squeezed himself down in between the middle row of seats, his elbows resting on the armrests beside him.

"I'm sick of today," tears slide down you cheeks, your voice audibly shaking. "Everyone is being so distant and mean. What'd I do?"

"No honey, you didn't do anything. Everyone's just a little stressed for tonight. There's been some stuff circulating around online putting everyone on edge, but it'll all be fine," he reassures you, trying to roll you onto your other side so he can see your face. Your mind is too pre-occupied to register his words, letting them travel in one ear and out the other.

You allow him to turn you around, uncomfortably shifting in the small space. Your glossy eyes meet his, and he's quick to wrap you up into a tight hug, your own arms squished against his chest.

"Everyone's finishing up out there, then we're going to head to the venue a little earlier than planned. Does that sound ok?" he asks, affectionately running his fingers through your hair.

"Yea," you sniffle, pressing your face firmly into his shoulder. "I don't want to sit by Minho. Please don't make me," you cry harder at the thought.

"Alright, alright, shhh. You're only working yourself up more. You know we have to stay in our assigned vehicles, but I'm sure Seungmin and Felix will switch spots with him and Chan."

After a few more minutes of consoling from Hyunjin, everyone else has finished their photoshoots. Hyunjin leaves, but not before giving you another firm squeeze. Seungmin and Felix pile into the van first, both of them coming to sit beside you. You telepathically thank Hyunjin for asking them in passing.

Felix rests a comforting hand on your knee throughout the ride to the venue. Chan and Minho are silent, completely engrossed in their phones once again.

Once at the venue, you stay far from Minho, not wanting to deal with his negativity. You notice the security is amped up a bit compared to last tour, guards standing at every door leading to your dressing rooms. You figure it's because your band has gotten so much bigger, the Stay Family always growing exponentially.

In your dressing room, Felix occupies the chair by the mirror, your stylists brushing shades of brown and pink across his eyelids. Changbin stands nearby, the hair stylist just finishing up with a couple extra spurts of hairspray. You lay on the couch while you wait, playing Among Us with Jeongin and Hyunjin who reside in the other dressing room.

Changbin and Felix offered to go with you to your dressing room, and you gladly accepted their offer. You explained to them you didn't necessarily want to be alone; you just didn't want to be by Minho.

The stylists start to work on you once they're done with the boys. They finish your hair and makeup just in time for soundcheck, applying some last minute powder to your nose before sending you off to the stage.

Rehearsals go by smoothly. You and Minho are able to put your issues behind you for now. Your fans are so important to you, and the last thing you want to do is ruin their night because of some petty argument.

Management sends you off to the dressing rooms once again, satisfied with the quality of the soundcheck. You follow your members off stage before departing down a separate hallway in search of the bathroom.

You walk for another few seconds, taking a few random turns before your met with the door to the ladies' restroom. You do your business and take your time getting back to the dressing room as you guys don't go on for another hour. The venue your playing is beautiful, so you take a slight detour, admiring all the nice architecture.

You're startled from your peaceful thoughts once again by a furious Minho. "I cannot believe you'd go off on your own again. After all we've told you today, how could you possibly think that's ok?" he throws his hands up in disbelief, his tone snarky.

"I had to use the restroom! You guys have never had a problem with me walking around the venues by myself, why now? You have been up my ass all day. Leave me the hell alone for awhile." You push him out of the way, ramming his shoulder with your own in the tight hallway.

"Do you think this is fun for me, huh? Yelling at you all day long? Did you ever stop to think for one second that there may be something bigger going on here?" His voice sounds exhausted, leaving you slightly concerned because you still have hours of performing to do. However, your anger gets the best of you, and your concern gets pushed deep below the surface.

"Well, I'm sorry that I can't read your damn mind. If there's something bigger going on, then why hasn't anyone told me? I'm a big girl, not some toddler. I am a part of this group the same as everyone else, so why are things being kept from me?"

Minho starts to speak, but you immediately cut him off, not wanting to hear the lame excuses you're sure he's come up with. "You know what, I don't even wanna hear it. My mental health has went to shit today because of you, and if I wanna be able to perform in 30 minutes, I need to be away from you. We can talk about this later," you finish, rushing off to your dressing room, leaving Minho standing alone in the hallway.

Everyone seems to have deemed your dressing room the hangout spot until the concert officially begins, as all the other boys have gathered around, making themselves comfortable amongst the laid out furniture in the room.

You all make conversation, laughing at Changbin's cringey jokes; you're happy for the distraction, allowing your mind to wander from the fight you had with Minho.

10 minutes before you go on, management comes to fetch you to get ready, providing you all with in-ears and microphones.

Your pre-performance jitters have made themselves known, but you've been doing this long enough that you can turn that nervous energy into excitement.

5 minutes before you go on, you and the boys gather in a circle. Chan leads, knowing exactly how to get everyone hype before going on.

You're all standing now just outside of view from the fans on the side of the stage, waiting for your cue from management. Once they give it, you all make your way out onto the stage, relishing in the sounds of the screaming Stay that form the crowd.

All is going smoothly as you finish your center part during the bridge of Lalala, and you make your way to the side of the stage, waiting for the part in the song where you re-enter the choreo. With all your attenton focused on the performance, you fail to notice the commotion coming from the crowd just a few feet from you.

Your attention is pulled away from the performance when you're tackled from behind. You scream in agony and fear, having landed painfully on your wrist. If the snap you felt is anything to go by, it's definitely broken. However, this isn't your main concern at the moment. You open your eyes, and they’re immediately drawn to the shiny pocket knife the man has in his hand. He's quick to slash a small cut into your forearm before he is aggressively pushed off of you. Your attacker is taken down by security; they immediately throw a pair of handcuffs on him, taking him off stage.

The crowd has broke out into panicked cries, all of Stay wondering what happened and if you're ok.

Your members are quick to rush over to you, abandoning the remainder of the Lalala choreo. While it's felt like an eternity since you were tackled, it really only took security a few seconds to get the situation under control, and only a few more seconds for your members to surround you.

"What hurts?" Chan panics, crouching down beside you.

"My wrist," you sob, totally overwhelmed from all the commotion. The crowd is still roaring and your wrist throbbing like crazy. The cut on your arm is no comparison to the pain radiating from your wrist.

"Alright, let's move her off stage," a paramedic pushes through the barricade your members have formed around you and helps you stand to your feet. You quickly move off stage, wanting to get out of the crowd's view as soon as possible.

Once off to the side, one paramedic inspects your wrist, gently grasping your forearm to hold you steady, while another wraps the cut on your other arm.

"It definitely looks broken. We should get you to the hospital to get it X-rayed and possibly casted," he explains.

Minho steps up next to you, your earlier arguments swept from your mind. "I'll go with her. You guys finish up here. Probably should cut the setlist short anyway; we're already behind schedule."

You follow behind the paramedics, them leading you outside to the ambulance. Minho walks beside you, providing you familiarity in this uncomfortable situation.

The ride to the hospital is silent except for the beeping of the machines the paramedics have you connected to. Minho holds your unbroken hand the whole ride, your disagreements on the backburner for the moment.

The more time that passes, the sorer your body becomes. Your arms feel heavy, and your back feels like it was beaten with a hammer. You realize you've probably been in shock this whole time, and the attacker did more damage than you originally thought.

You finally find yourself in a hospital room, Minho pulling the chair up beside you.

"Well," the doctor says, pulling your X-ray up onto the screen, "This cut doesn't require stitches, just keep it bandaged and medicated. We'll give you a Tetanus shot for it, though, since it was done with a knife. As for your wrist, it's definitely broken. The good news, though, is that it doesn't look like it will require surgery. What color cast do you want?"

You're expression appears dazed to Minho and the doctor, your mind completely preoccupied. "Black," you mumble, just loud enough for him to hear you.

The doctor nods his head, disappearing from the room to retrieve the supplies to apply your cast and the shot.

You look to Minho, finally feeling like you have processed everything that's happened. "What the hell happened? How did that guy get past security, and with a knife especially?"

"Honestly, we're not sure. Management and security are reviewing the camera footage now. We were trying to be cautious; there was so much extra security tonight. It should've been impossible for anyone to get to you."

You process his words, a realization forming in your mind. "Did you guys know something about this beforehand?" Your eyebrows furrow. If they knew something, they for sure would have told you, too, right? "Is this what you were talking about in the hallway before the concert?"

"Y/N," he sighs, giving you a look full of remorse.

"No. I don't want any bullshit," you snap, "Did you or did you not know something was wrong before the concert? Is that why you have been giving me a hard time all day?" You start to put the puzzle pieces together, the day replaying in your head.

The overprotectiveness, the extra security, them not wanting you to go on your phone- they knew.

Minho looks to the ground, his shoulders slumping. "Look, we find out about some rumors going around online this morning, but-"

"Get out," you say, your voice tense.

His head snaps up, his remorseful eyes meeting your fiery ones. "What?"

"I said, Get. Out." Your unbroken hand aggressively points to the door.

"I'm not leaving you here alone. Let's just talk about this-"

"You had all day to talk to me about this, but now that I'm injured and traumatized you want to talk about it?" Your incredibly angry, and your words are filled with venom. "Get out, get out, get out!"

"Do you really think it's the best idea to be by yourself right now?" His eyes are filled with sorrow, his hands in dire need to reach out to you.

"If you don't leave right now, I will scream."

His watchful gaze rests on you for a couple seconds, before he finally gives in, rising to his feet. He walks toward the door. "We'll send a car to come get you when you're ready. There's security out here waiting, and your manager is out in the hall. I'll see you when you get back to the hotel."

He disappears out the door, once again leaving you alone with your thoughts. How dare they not tell you? There are threats going around online about you, and you're the last one they tell? In what world does that make any sense?

The doctor comes back in the room just a few minutes later. He's quick with putting your cast on, and he sends you on your way, requesting you stop by the front desk to sign a few documents before you go.

You follow him out the door, meeting up with your manager and security right outside the room.

After signing the paperwork, your manager leads you outside to the car that has been called for you.

Fans must've found out which hotel they took to you, and the outside of the hotel is flooded with Stay. Normally, you'd be ecstatic to see so many of them. However, you're exhausted and hurt, so you bring your hood over your head and stare at the ground, thankful for the security that surrounds you.

You climb in the back of the car, your manager following suit. "Why was I not informed about the threats online?" you question, your eyebrows furrowing in anger.

"The concert was going to go on no matter what, so we figured it'd be easier to get you out there if you didn't know about them."

Your jaw drops at her statement. "That is not fair, how can you just assume that? I had a right to know about this," you argue.

"This isn't really up for discussion. It's the way we chose to handle it, and that's that."

You're in disbelief at her careless attitude. "How did the guys find out about it then?"

"Nosy little shits," she laughs, but you're not sure how she's finding any humor in this situation. "They saw them online themselves. We practically had to threaten their contracts to get them not to tell you."

Your heart constricts at this new information. Emotions flood your system, and you're suddenly feeling incredibly guilty for your interaction with Minho in the hospital room. All the arguments between the two of you flood your mind, and remorse rushes your body.

They have just been trying to keep you safe all day. Trying to keep you off your phone, not letting you wander by yourself, the whispers behind your back. It all makes sense now. And you realize you've been a royal bitch all day to the wrong people.

You turn to look out the window for the remainder of the drive, knowing it's useless to argue with your manager. What she says goes. This doesn't mean you're not angry with her and the rest of management, though. This conversation needs to be had in a professional setting, not in the backseat of a car when you're by yourself.

Once you arrive at the hotel, your quick to jump out of the car, wanting to be away from your careless manager. However, you stand directly outside the door, patiently waiting for security to escort you to your room.

They walk you all the way up to your shared room with Seungmin, and you're not surprised to find all of them waiting for you when you open the door.

They're conversations halt, all eyes snapping to you. You walk in and set your bag down on the bed. Your eyes well up with tears for what feels like the hundredth time that day. "I'm so sorry," you cry, afraid to meet their concerned gazes. "Today has just been so overwhelming, and my manager sucks, and my back hurts, and I have been so rude to you guys all day-," your words are cut short by another sob wracking through your sore body. You sniffle some more, bringing your sleeve up to wipe at your face. "Min, I'm so sorry for kicking you out. I should've just listened to what you had to say. I'm such a horrible person."

All the guys are quick to stand, not wanting you to rile yourself up anymore. Hyunjin comes over to you first, gently guiding you to sit on the bed. Everyone else follows, all of you now gathered on the queen sized bed. "Listen," Minho starts, comforting you, "Absolutely none of this is your fault, you hear?" He pulls you down next to him, his arm coming up around your shoulders. "Today has been an awful day, and you don't need to work yourself up about how you treated us."

"Yea, but-"

"No buts, you need to rest. We are not mad at you."

"Not one bit. We love you so much, and we're so sorry you had to go through that. Are you ok? How's your wrist?" Chan asks from the edge of the bed, placing a comforting hand on your ankle.

"It hurts, but the doctor gave me some painkillers to take for the next few days. My cut didn't need stitches, but I have to keep it bandaged until it heals," you explain, your words coming out steadier than before.

Your cries eventually calm down, leaving you sniffling every now and again. Felix notices you've calmed down, and he nudges your leg, opening his arms for you. You crawl into them, relaxing into his calm and comforting embrace. The rest of them are quick to follow, creating one big group hug.

You know this situation is certainly not over. I'm sure you guys will press charges, and you'll probably have to release a statement of some kind. It seems that management and you guys have come to a silent agreement to deal with everything in the morning, and you couldn’t be more grateful for it.

~ ~ ~

Part 2

[darksigns-exe]

whatever a sun will always sing is you - noah sebastian x f!reader

warnings: none

word count: 2.1k

note: birthday fic for our birthday boy <3 title comes from the poem i carry your heart with me by e.e. cummings

masterlist | taglist sign-up

Noah’s relationship with birthdays is tricky. 

Not just because he doesn’t like big celebrations, he’s also impossible to gift to. Instead of agonising over which art book you’d give him this year, you’ve decided to do something different. While he has scaled down his work schedule quite a bit, you can still tell that he’s so very restless. 

You watch him pace around your living room, while he talks to god knows who on the phone. 

You know that forcing Noah to slow down doesn’t work, you’d tried that and in the end all it had brought you was an argument so bad that you thought that you’d ruined it all. Instead, you’ll bribe him into a slow day. 

Over the weeks leading up to his birthday you’d gathered all sorts of things including bath bombs, facemasks and a brand-new sweater for Noah that you had discovered while you were out shopping. It felt so nice and soft that you simply couldn’t leave it in the store.

When the day finally rolls around, you get up before he does. As a first order of business, you turn off his alarm, before getting a few more things into order. You slip back into bed with him, fitting yourself against his side again. Noah is deep enough of a sleeper for him to remain entirely oblivious. You allow yourself to doze off for a little while longer. 

Eventually, Noah stirs next to you. He shifts and moves, stretches like he always does before he lets out a yawn that almost deafens you. You’d previously joked that he was already making dad noises, when you’re nowhere near that step in your relationship. 

You sit up next to him, trailing your fingers across his skin.

He blinks up at you, still looking rather sleepy. His lips turn up in a soft smile. 

You lean down to kiss him. Noah’s hand curls around the back of your neck, keeping you close to him. You stay close to him when you part. 

“Happy birthday, baby.” 

For a second you think that he’ll roll his eyes as he does so often. Instead, he gives you that pretty smile of his. 

“Thank you, my love.” 

He pulls you down for another kiss. 

“You have the day off today.” You inform him, “And that’s not a suggestion.” 

“Yes, Ma’am.” he lifts his hand to his forehead in a mock salute. 

“Good.” you press another quick kiss to the corner of his mouth, “Two options. We can go out for breakfast or we stay in.” 

He thinks for a moment, “What’s the out option?” 

“I found a cute place in Santa Monica. I’ve booked us a table, but I can always cancel it.” 

You show him the menu and Noah scrolls through the page for a moment. 

“Does sound really nice.” he still sounds as if he’s trying to make up his mind. 

“We still have a bit of time.” you reply, settling back down next to him, “Just in case it helps you decide, I have made a loose reservation for dinner.” 

You end up having breakfast at home. Noah hovers behind you the entire time – or at least until you banish him to the counter. But even then he keeps finding reasons for you to come over to him. 

After breakfast, you find yourself on your knees for him. It’s as much for you as it is for him. You take your time with him, savouring the different sensation that come with this. You try your best to replicate the devotion Noah showers you with when he’s between your thighs. And judging from the sighs he lets out, you’re doing a pretty good job. You’re pulled up into his arms afterwards. 

For a while you rest like this, curled together, just enjoying the others' presence. Conversation is light, but comfortable. 

It’s nice to just have a day to yourself with him. 

Your fingers trace across the bare skin of his chest. Noah lets out a breathy laugh when your fingers brush against his side. You let yourself soak in his presence for a little while longer, before you decide that it’s time for the next step of your plan. 

You sit up enough for you to be able to look at him. Noah’s hand remains on your side, fingers toying with the hem of your shirt. 

“Thought we could have a little self-care day. You always say that you want to join in when I do this, so I planned a little day for you.” 

His eyes soften then, “I don’t know what to say.” 

“You’re good. I’m more than happy to do this.” you place your hand against the side of his face, tracing your thumb across his skin, “Have to treat my boy right, don’t I?”

You swear that his cheeks turn a little pink then. 

“You work so hard, and I just want you to know how proud I am of you. You rarely ever let me do things for you, so I’m forcing you.” you say with a smile that he reciprocates so easily. 

“I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you – or this.” 

You know that, by now, he’s saying it in jest. 

“You just do. Accept it. You’re not getting rid of me, and that means that you’ll have to live with me doing nice things for you.” 

Noah lets out a dramatic sigh, “Horrible fate. I don’t know if I can do that.” You lean in to kiss him again, “You’re so brave.” another kiss, “I’m gonna pop upstairs for a moment, okay? I’ll come and get you.” 

Noah’s hand remains on your body for as long as possible. He looks after you with a soft smile playing on his lips, and it makes your heart beat a little bit faster. 

You try to be quick with your preparations. You’ve already placed towels in the dryer and made sure that you have everything you need tucked away in a cupboard. To create a real spa experience you’ve loaded the diffuser with eucalyptus oil. The speaker you’ve placed on the counter fills the room with soft music and with the mostly dimmed light your bathroom feels rather cosy. Once you’ve started to fill the tub with water, you head back to where Noah is waiting for you. 

He’s typing away at his phone, smiling to himself when you enter the living room. He looks up when you sit down next to him. 

“Nick texted.” he announces, before turning his phone towards you. 

The happy birthday text is accompanied by a photo of Nick’s cats. The little party hat he put on Jerry doesn’t incite too much excitement in the cat, but it does look rather adorable. 

“That’s cute. Tell him I said hi.” you drop your head against his shoulder, “You wanna come upstairs with me?”

Noah leaves his phone on the coffee table when he gets up to follow you. His hand finds yours before you reach the stairs. You love how affectionate he is when it’s just the two of you. He’s slowly thawing, allowing himself to be affectionate with you when you’re around other people. He’ll reach for your hand when his chest starts to feel too tight, finding comfort in the way you squeeze his hand. 

You lead him into the now steam filled bathroom. 

Between all of the things you’ve just added and the plants that already were in your bathroom, it’s feeling rather comfy. 

Noah wraps his arms around your middle, pressing his chest against your back. He presses a kiss to your shoulder. 

“I don’t know when I have taken a bath for the last time.” he says quietly. 

“I know.” you drop your head against his chest, “I got a bunch of bath bombs too. Bath salts, whatever you want. Bubbles.” 

You’ve arranged the various products in a little woven basket. Noah inspects it so carefully, picking up different things to smell them. You think that he almost looks a little timid, unsure what to do with the array of things in front of him. He eventually settles on the cloth wrapped bath oil you’d already loved in the store. 

“How does this work? Do I just drop it in?” he asks still sounding a little hesitant. 

It takes him a long moment to really relax when you’re finally in the tub. After a little bit of re-arranging you had managed to convince him to sit in front of you. Eventually, he allows himself to rest against your properly. His head drops back against your shoulder, while you run your fingers through his damp hair. Your other hand rests, entangled with his, on his belly. You tell him about some insignificant gossip from your friend group, about the call you had with your cousin a few days ago and their new puppy. Noah’s laugh rumbles through your body when you tell him about the puppy chewing up the shoes of your cousins partner. A partner neither of you really like. 

When the water starts to cool too much, you ask him to get his hair wet. Noah gives you a perplexed look in response. 

“It’s a bit easier to wash hair when it’s wet, no?” 

He’s a little reluctant to actually let you do it. The only other time he’d let you take care of him like this, he’d been sick as a dog. To make things easier for yourself, you’d climbed out of the tub and sat on the edge of it, wrapped up in your robe. The somewhat stiff posture of his back has eased up a little, and you think that he actually enjoys the affection you shower him with. You gently tilt his head back a little, allowing you to swipe a drop of suds away from his forehead. Noah blinks up at you with a soft smile playing on his lips. You lean down, pressing a kiss to his forehead. 

“Almost done.” you announce, “Just have to rinse this.”

You usher him into your shared bedroom a while later. When you’d gone to fetch the warmed towels from the dryer, you’d placed the new sweater you bought for him on the bed. 

Noah doesn’t even notice it at first. 

Only when the wrapping paper crinkles under his back, does he sit up again to investigate. 

“What’s that?” 

“Present. For the birthday boy.” You crowd into the space in front of him, coming to stand between his thighs, “Go on. Open it.”

“You already did so much.”

“Noah, we had a bath, and you let me put moisturiser on your face, that’s not a lot.” you say, placing your hands on his shoulders. 

He carefully picks at the tape keeping the paper together. You’ve never seen him tear into wrapping paper, and it always seems as if he’s savouring the moment of unwrapping it as much as he does the present itself. 

“I saw it in a store while I was out getting stuff for today and it just looked so comfy.” you explain while he unfolds the sweater. 

It’s a nice deep blue, but the selling point had been the soft fabric. Sure the price tag had made almost made you reconsider, but your boy deserves only the best. 

He examines it with an adorably focused face. 

“Thank you, my love. I love it.” 

You bring a hand to the side of his face, allowing you to gentle steer him closer to you. You meet him in a soft kiss. Noah lingers with you for a bit longer, letting both of you bathe in this moment. 

When he eventually lets himself drop back onto the bed, you follow, fitting yourself against him so comfortably. You have one thigh draped across his and an arm thrown across his chest. His skin is so warm and soft beneath your palm, and you can’t stop yourself from kissing every inch of him that is within reach. 

Noah lets out a sigh, “Thank you for all of this.”

“Of course.” you place another kiss against his chest, “Doesn’t have to stay a special occasion thing, you know? You’re more than welcome to join in.” 

“Maybe I will.” he hums out in response, “Felt kinda nice to be taken care of like that.” 

“Good because you deserve it.” You shift until you can look at him, “This and so much more.” 

You swear that there’s a little bit of damp gathering in his eyes, but he quickly blinks it away again. 

“I love you so much.” he says eventually, bringing you somehow even closer to him. 

“And I love you.” 

Hours later, you decide to skip out on the dinner reservation. You still have store-brought pizza dough in the fridge and every thing else you need to make dinner at home. And if you’re honest with yourself, you’d much rather spend the rest of the day tangled up with him in your own home than anywhere else. And the content smile on Noah’s face more than enough proof for you. 

taglist: @deathblacksmoke @circle-with-me @sitkowski @ladyveronikawrites @baddestomens

@malice-ov-mercy @chels3a-smile @ferduttini @somebodyels3 @itsafullmoon

@shilohrosechicken @poisongirl616 @mysticdoodlez @agravemisstake @th4t-em0-k1d

@thisbicc @iloveyoutodeathbutimdrowning @mrsnoahsebastian @blackveilomens @sorrowsofsilence

@fadingangelwisp @lma1986 @tosoundlessdarkistare @thisisntablogspost @tintadecirco

@rumoured-whispers@cheyyyyr@mathfairchild1 @follow-me-down-to-wonderland

[redvelvetcupcakes21]

Santa Monica is cool and stuff, but have you ever gone to the beaches in Ventura? Zen AF.

Here's some beach fluff.

Buck and Tommy were all too thrilled to be up at 7 am on their day off.

Only because they had plans for today.

Amazing and, hopefully, fun plans.

"You guys are amazing to agree to watch them." Hen told them sincerely as she and Maddie watched as Mara and Jee excitedly hugged Tommy and Buck.

"Yeah, we can't thank you enough." Maddie added, hands over her heart as she watched Tommy pick up Jee.

"Thank us for watching our favorite nieces? Please. " Tommy playfully scoffed. "This has been the one thing we've been looking forward to all week." Tommy admitted, patting Jees back in comfort as the little girl rested her head onto Tommy's shoulder.

Buck looked at his sister who was trying to not coo at the sight. He was fighting the same issue, watching his neice and his boyfriend snuggle was making his heart skip beats.

"Tommy's right," Buck added, smiling softly at Jee and Mara, who was holding onto Buck's arm and dozing off since it was still so early for them both. "We’ve been excited to babysit the girls, we've got everything we need." He pointed towards his sister, "including snacks!"

Both women rolled their eyes at him, but Buck shrugged it off. "What about Denny? He really didn't want to come?"

Hen gave them an apologetic smile, "As much as he actually did want to come along, his school is taking part in a robotics competition and Denny wanted to go since apparently robot fighting is rumored to be expected." Hen explained, rolling her eyes at Buck's excited look.

"Robot fighting versus beach day. Totally get it." He joked.

"Karen and Chim should be able to get the girls by tomorrow morning, that still works?"

Tommy gave them a thumbs up, while Buck nodded with an excited grin. "Works perfectly."

Maddie and Hen gave both men a "Thank you" before kissing both girls goodbye, reminding them to be nice to their uncles before leaving.

"Okay!" Buck clapped his hands together excited, "Who's up for some strawberry Frenchtoast before we hit the road?"

"Me!"

"Meeeeeee!"Jee popping right awake had Tommy laughing as he followed Buck and Mara into the kitchen.

After breakfast, the four of them got into Buck's jeep and started the drive up north.

Fortunately, driving up from Tommy's house is easier since they avoided all the traffic coming into LA.

The first spot was a small beach by Harbor Village, Tommy and Buck were able to set up a spot close to the water with Mara and Jee's help.

(Jee, ever the little helper, got upset that she couldn't carry the beach chairs to show she was just as strong as her uncle Buck and uncle Tommy)

Buck helped Mara get her swim cap on as Tommy laid out a blanket and got the toys they had bought for the girls specifically. Both men were also adamant about sun block for both girls, spraying a liberal amount on both their nieces (and themselves).

Both men took turns sitting on the beach and watching over their things as they took the girls out into the water. With Buck getting each girl to paddle board with him and Tommy showing them how to surf. Both girls ended up playing in the water for a long while, squealing happily as the water splashed around them. They made sand castles, played around with a volley ball, and took lot of pictures to send to Karen, Hen, Chimney, and Maddie.

Before long it was nearing one and all of the snacks were gone. "Who's up for some burgers?" Tommy asked the crew as he and Buck helped the girls into some shorts and hoodies. They had managed to get their stuff back into the jeep (and collected half of the beaches sand too).

"Me!" "Me, I'm really hungry!"

Buck picked up Jee and pointed towards the small gathering of restaurants that were walking distance. "Theres a old school burger shop that has milkshakes." He told them in a sing a long voice. "Does that work?"

Mara nodded excitedly at that, "Yes! Can I have a strawberry milkshake?" She asked politely.

Tommy felt his heart lurch out, he had seen how comfortable Mara was getting with not only the team but with them specifically. She had taken a while to open up to Buck and himself, understandably, but now? He would refuse to admit to anyone but Buck about how it almost had him tearing up at how Mara felt safe and comfortable with them now.

"Of course you can, Mara." He told her gently, holding out his hand for her to take, leading them towards the restaurant.

After lunch they headed over to main street, letting the girls burn their energy off as they walked down the street and into shops that interested them.

(Did Tommy and Buck buy each girl a new coloring set, stickers, and their own individual ukulele? Yep!)

They drove further up till they made it to Santa Barbara. The girls loved the water, again asking both men to take them paddle boarding and surfing.

Buck felt more relaxed as ever as he watched Tommy play with the girls, laughing as the girls tried to tackle Tommy into the water.

Buck felt his heart skip a beat again, he rubbed his chest. He could feel his eyes sting as he thought about Tommy and him having kids, giving Mara, Denny, Jee, and Christopher a few new cousins to play with.

He hadn’t spoken to Tommy much about them having kids, but he knew Tommy wanted kids. He knew how much Tommy adored all the kids from the 118 and his own nephew and niece (Buck had met Theo, age 3, and Harley, age 6 via zoom and saw how much they meant to Tommy).

It was something they both wanted, Buck was only a little bit doubtful about it being something that Tommy wanted with him.

After enjoying tacos for dinner, the group made their way to the ice cream parlor, Buck knowing how crowded the town got crowded in the evening opted to hold a table in the courtyard for them. He took Jee with him and left Mara and Tommy to order their ice cream.

Ten minutes later, a very smiley Mara and a red faced Tommy came towards them, each carrying a cup of ice-cream in their hands.

"Hey uncle Buck, guess what!"

"What?" Buck quickly gave Jees ice-cream to her since his little niece was making grabby hands towards the dessert and looking annoyed.

"The cashier at the ice-cream shop thought you and uncle Tommy were my dads. It was cute, they told uncle Tommy that we're a cute family."

That explained Tommy's red face.

"That was sweet of them." Buck smiled, he looked up at Tommy again, giving his boyfriend a hopeful smile as the four sat to eat their dessert.

By the time they got back to Tommy's place, it was late and both girls were passed out asleep.

"You think about one day doing this with our own kids?" Tommy asked, almost hesitantly as he carried a sleepy Mara while Buck carried Jee into the house.

Buck was sure this time that his heart melted at that, he took a moment to catch his voice. "Every day." He answered softly.

Morning came way too fast for everyone in the house, Tommy and Buck were still dealing with two very tired girls.

"I can drink a little coffee, can't I uncle Tommy?" Mara asked, eyeing the steaming cup that Buck had placed for Tommy and himself.

"Nooo." Tommy stressed, moving the cup away from Mara. "You get some non caffeine drinks, I've got juice, milk, chocolate milk, or I can make you smoothie."

Mara pouted at that but answered "Smoothie please."

"You too Jee?"

Jee shook her head no, "I want juice please!"

They were in the middle of eating when the doorbell rang, "I know who that is." Tommy got up, "Take your time eating, I'm sure Chim and Karen could use some breakfast."

"Is that why we cooked enough to feed an army?" Buck joked. He smiled at the two girls before noticing their downtrodden expressions. "You two okay? What's up?"

"Do we have to go?" Mara asked, "Can't we stay one more day?"

"Pleeeease!" Jee added, "I want to have more fun."

Buck pressed his lips together momentarily, one to keep from smiling so hard and two, to keep from crying at how much his nieces adored them.

"You guys are always welcome here, yknow that." He reminded them, "What if I talk to your parents about having an uncles' day once a week? That way you guys can spend some time with us?"

Jee clapper her hands together and Mara nodded, all smiles as Chim and Karen came into the kitchen.

"Hey mom, uncle Buck said we could do a uncles day every week!" Mara said excitedly, running up to Karen and the Chimney for a hug hello.

"Did he now?" Karen looked almost smug at that, she knew how much of a softie Buck was. "I think that's a wonderful idea, right Chim?"

Chim picked up Jee, tickling her side, "Hey, if Buck and Tommy are up for it, you won't find me complaining."

After breakfast, Tommy and Buck hugged the girls goodbye while grappling with Karen and Chim bemoaning for buying them a jeep full of toys and books ("You try telling Mara and Jee no after they tell you that you're their favorite uncle!" Tommy complained after receiving the glare from Chim when he saw the ukulele).

The house became all too quiet too quickly. Tommy took Buck's hand and led him toward the living room, pulling the man onto the couch for cuddles.

"So, still want kids then?" Buck asked, rubbing his hand up and down Tommy's arm.

"With you? Of course I do."

Buck felt himself melt into Tommy's hold finally, content and safe about their future.

"I do have a question for you though, a pretty important one." Tommy admitted after a beat of silence.

He sounded serious and anxious enough for Buck to sit up and turn to look at him.

"O-okay." Buck stammered, his nerves fraying as he watched Tommy carefully for any signs of what the queation could entail. "What's the question?"

Tommy let out a happy and content sigh, taking a hold of Buck's hands, and then got down on one knee...

[jungle-angel]

Too Many Mimosas (Rhett Abbott x Reader)

Summary: Christmas morning in the Abbott household is nothing short of awesome but beware when Royal takes on the role of bartender

"Daddy! Mommy! Daddy! Mommy!" Amy screeched as she ran in and pounced on you both. "Santa came! Santa came!"

You felt your husband's side of the bed shift a little as Amy rolled off him and ran out of the room to wake everybody up. "Motherfucker," he groaned, rubbing his face.

"Too early?" you mumbled.

Rhett looked at his phone screen on the nightstand next to the bed.....five thirty in the morning. "By my watch it is," he chuckled.

You laughed a little as he kissed your cheek. "Boys awake?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Good, lemme get a shower in before Amy and Hannah start running around," Rhett told you.

Quick as he could, he jumped into the shower and washed off the grog from the night before, only switching back into his pjs to stay comfortable. Tatum and Tanner were just starting to wake up as Rhett lifted one of them out of their crib and you took the other, the both of you heading downstairs to join the rest of the family.

"Hey, Doodlebug," Royal said to Amy. "Calm down alright? Ya'll gotta give momma and daddy a minute to get down here."

"Merry Christmas everybody!" Rhett said loudly.

Everybody welcomed you both into the living room, excited to finally be able to be together. The Duttons had all come down from Bozeman to celebrate with you, the whole clan having descended en masse the week before once school had let out.

"Alright, who's on first?" Kayce asked.

"Give everybody a minute to get settled," Cecelia told him. "And then we'll get everything handed out."

You heard the clanking of bottles in the fridge under the counter and Monica opening the hutch for the glasses. You knew that as soon as Royal started, things were bound to get very interesting.

"I GOT NEW BARBIES!!!!" Amy happily declared.

You and Rhett had to laugh. You had found four new Barbie dolls for Amy that you just wouldn't have passed up for the world. You two knew full well too that you would have to get her the dollhouse to go with them.

Hannah was so happy and excited to have finally gotten Barbies of her own along with a few hand knitted sweaters from Cecelia. Tate finally had a black cowboy hat to match his father's along with two brand new GI Joes and a bucket of green soldiers. All of the kids and even the grown ups had an absolute blast opening their gifts and finally, once all was said and done, Cecelia could throw breakfast into the oven.

"Alright drinks are ready, come and get'em!" Royal announced.

You yourself couldn't drink seeing as you were still nursing the boys but Rhett and the others enjoyed themselves to the fullest but by midday, you could tell that he and some of the others might need a nap later. Rhett's speech was getting a little slurred along with the others and his hair falling all over his face.

"Baby?" you said.

"Sup?" he chuckled.

"You might wanna go take a nap," you told him. "I think you've had a few too many."

"I've only had......maybe like.....four?"

You laughed. "Rhett I counted and you had six in the last three hours."

Rhett laughed and pressed a sloppy little kiss to your cheek. "Merry Christmas lovebug," he chuckled.

"And a Merry Christmas to you too Grumpy," you answered, kissing him back.

[ashstfu]

plans for today: sit in the backyard and feel the sun on my face, poached eggs on avocado & feta toast for breakfast, call mom, draw something, study!!!!, paint my nails black, a nice long walk after lunch, barnes & noble date with my friend and then go to santa monica to do some shopping, watch the secret life of walter mitty (2013), read a book before bed, convince my boyfriend who is not my boyfriend to hike up to griffith observatory with me this weekend and add songs to my summer playlist 🌞🌷🤸‍♀️🧃🌟

[diazsdimples]

😴😴😴😴😴

Pls enjoy some post-tsunami waking!

Buck knew he should probably get out of bed and make his hosts breakfast, but he couldn’t make himself leave. Every time he’d shift his arm to pull the covers off himself, something with twist in the back of his stomach, keeping him exactly where he was. He found himself turning so he was facing Christopher and Eddie, and just watching the rise and fall of their chests as they slept. He'd been so close to losing Christopher and it ate away at him, like acid burning in his gut. Every step through the swirling quagmire that had been Santa Monica Beach had been laden with guilt, weighing him down until he’d collapsed into Bobby and Hen’s arms at the VA hospital. Eddie had grasped Buck gently on the elbow and told Buck to come home with them, and Christopher had clung to Buck like a leech right up until bedtime. Eddie had brushed aside Buck’s insistence at sleeping on the couch, and it had taken everything in him not to cling to Eddie the minute they slipped under the covers. He was safe. Christopher was safe. They were all safe. Buck swallowed down the rising lump in his throat and forced himself to look away from his slumbering bedmates. He was intruding – this was Eddie and Christopher’s family and he’d almost ripped that apart. He needed to leave. Taking in a deep breath and steeling himself, Buck pushed himself up and was just about to swing his legs over the edge of the bed when the soft brush of fingertips against his elbow stopped him. “Where’re you going?” Eddie asked, his voice quiet and rough with sleep.

[catsofcalifornia]

Caroline and Danny from Lilly's Haven in Santa Monica, California

Click here for more information about adoption and other ways to help!

Click here for a link to Lilly's Haven's main website.

Caroline is a small girl who is so inquisitive. She will help you in the kitchen waiting for you to drop a piece of her kibble so she can play with it. She and her brother Danny like to hang out together following each other around. But then they find their own way to somewhere comfortable to take a nap. When you look at their exotic faces and slim build, they almost look like an Egyptian Mau or Ocelot. And they have the speed to prove it!

Danny is a little guy who loves to hang out. He is the first one to breakfast beating out his sister Caroline. He and Caroline like to hang out together following each other around to investigate whatever they find. But then it's nap time and Danny loves to find a comfortable bed. When you look at their exotic faces and slim build, they almost look like an Egyptian Man or Ocelot. And they have the speed to prove it!

[kafekcalifornia]

Best Beer and Wine Places in Santa Monica - Relax with Drinks & Bites

Santa Monica is a vibrant coastal city known for its beautiful beaches, lively atmosphere, and thriving dining scene. Among its many offerings, the perfect spot to unwind with a drink is a charming beer and wine place. Whether you're looking for a casual afternoon with friends or a venue for private parties, this locale promises a delightful experience complemented by great bites. 

[deathofpeaceofmiiind]

illicit affairs | seven

*Noahs POV*

“Has anyone seen Matt?”

We were all gathered in the lobby of our hotel, getting ready to go out for breakfast before we left. No one had seen Matt since yesterday and it wasn’t like him to just go off and do his own thing. It felt like someone punched me in the gut, he was obviously with her. 

Bryan grabbed his phone to text him as everyone scanned the lobby again, “He never came back to the hotel, his bed was empty this morning.”

“Oh he hooked up with someone I bet.” Folio joked with Jolly, who just send him a glare to shut up. I think he had a hunch where he was too, his face was stern.

“Shut the fuck up.” I snapped, angrily walking away before I said something else. The idea of those two together just made my blood boil. I don’t even want to know what they go up to while I was sleeping last night...

“You okay?”

I looked up and saw Bryan following me outside. I took a deep breath as my eyes panned over the busy Vancouver street. “No…I know exactly where Matt is.”

“Where?”

“He’s with Ellie.” I pursed my lips together, thinking about the two of them together. It was pure torture.

“I don’t think anything is going on with them.” He replied so nonchalantly, clearly not noticing how much this was killing me. 

“What if something did happen?”

He sighed, running his hand through his hair before looking over at me. “Noah I say this as your friend, you had a whole year to reach out to her and properly apologize. No matter how many times we tried to encourage you to do it, you pouted instead. You can’t be surprised that she’s moved on.”

Fuck, that stung to hear, but I knew it was right. “Why him though? Why couldn’t she meet someone up here? Not someone that I’ve known for forever.”

“I think you need to ask yourself that question man. Look at what Matt did for her in LA, he almost took the fall cause he didn’t want to see anything bad happen to her. While you threw a party and fucked some random girl, he practically went to war for her to make sure she didn’t get in any trouble. Fuck, look at how they interacted with each other that night in Santa Monica in general. They just…work.”

I still kicked myself for how I dealt with everything in LA. Ellie felt disrespected, and Matt did what I should’ve done. Instead I got drunk, made her the villan while I worried about my own reputation. Why would she want someone like me back? I know I wouldn’t if the roles were reversed. “Maybe I should just let her go then.” After everyone gave up looking for him, we finally headed out for breakfast. There was a small brunch spot recommended to us around the corner so we just walked to it. I really did miss Vancouver, I could still move up here if I wanted to, but that would be too weird. As we got closer to the restaurant, I saw a black Audi SUV parked outside. My stomach dropped, I wonder if it was hers. 

“We should go somewhere else.” 

I was about to ask why but I answered my own question. A few booths away from us, I saw the two of them sitting together, drinking coffee and so lost in a conversation that they didn’t look up at all. She looked so beautiful, it was killing me. Her short hair was sleeked back in a bun, matched with some leggings and one of our shirts that was oversized on her. I wonder if she still wore the same YSL perfume or even the lip gloss that made her taste like strawberries. I was brought back to reality when Matt whispered something in her ear, making her laugh and flash that smile that used to bring me to my knees. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, she looked happy with him. 

“No it’s fine, we can stay.”

We all piled into another booth, luckily not too close to them but close enough she could see me. My eyes darted over to them again after the server took our order, and I noticed Folio was talking to them. Cursing under my breath, I put my hood up and looked in the other direction. He clearly didn’t get the memo.  “Did you guys know they were here? I asked them to come sit with us.” He said as he sat back down. His facial expression dropped when we didn’t reciprocate his excitement.

“Bro you gotta learn how to read a fucking room.”

“Morning” Matt greeted, Ellie’s hand was wrapped around his arm as she scanned the table. She made contact with me, our eyes stayed locked for what felt like an eternity before she turned her attention elsewhere. Her lips were glossed over with the same shade as before, I could almost taste it on the tip of my tongue.

“Do you two mind squeezing in at the end?” “Why not.” She sarcastically replied as her and Matt exchanged glances. As they sat down, the whole table went silent, darting glances at Folio for putting us in this situation. My eyes were burning a hole through his chest, this was all his fault. 

“So, Ellie…How’s work been?” Nick said as everyone simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.

“I actually quit my job. I work for the hospital still, just from home. I deal with difficult cases, work on care plans, also help patients with any concerns they have. It's lots of emails and video calls.”

“I thought you liked your job.” I slipped out surprisingly. 

“I did, but people change.” She replied, very passive aggressively may I add. 

“How’s everything else?” Bryan asked her, “Last time I spoke to Danielle, some things were up in the air?”

“Everything is a lot better now.” She replied, turning her head to look at Matt. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand. I wanted to leave but I also sadly wanted to be in her presence, even if it killed me. 

“I saw your instagram photos. That condo you have is sick.” Folio added, making me roll my eyes.

“Thank you! I was gonna sell it and get a house but I can’t be bothered. I’d love to have you all over for dinner one of these days… you too Noah.”

I glanced over at her and her bright eyes were blinding me. She looked really genuine with her invitation, “that would be nice.”

“Good.” A small curved on her mouth, causing one to form on mine too. Maybe if I buried my feelings I could became a friend to her. At this point I’d do whatever it takes to stay in her life. 

“Maybe we could do thanksgiving together? We usually do it with Ruffilo’s family but they’re in Europe all November.” Jolly suggested.

“Canadian thanksgiving is actually in October and it happens to land on my birthday…it’s a big one for me.” 

“She’s turning 30.” Matt chimed in. She rolled her eyes and elbowed him slightly. Not gonna lie, it made me chuckle a little bit.

“Fuck yeah! We’re throwing you a dirty thirty!” Folio exclaimed. “We’ll come up here for thanksgiving dinner and party afterwards.”

“I hope Canadian thanksgiving is good...” Bryan whined, “please tell me there’s football on.”

“It’s the Canadian football league but it’s still good, and there’s hockey! You guys will be fine.” Ellie tried to convince him but it wasn’t working. 

Our food arrived and we all dug in. Bryan picked up a piece of his bacon and pointed it in Ellie’s face. “We’re only doing this cause we love you.“ “I know.” She smirked, taking the bacon out of his hand and eating it, leaving him stunned. “We still haven’t figured out our thanksgiving. I know for a fact we’re off.” Matt asked us. We all looked at each other but couldn’t come up with anything. For the last 7 years, we always did the same thing for thanksgiving, so this year we were a little lost.  “Let’s get a cabin with a hot tub in Whistler.” Ellie suggested as her eyes lit up, she definitely had our attention. “It's quiet up there since ski season hasn't started but there's snow up there by then. We'll just get drunk, watch football and go out for dinner. Turkey is overrated anyway.” Jolly wrapped his arm around her and gave her a squeeze, “I’m so glad you’re back, El.”  We all ate our food in silence, talking about random things here and there. It was so bizarre, but I was actually having a good time. It felt like we picked up where we left with Ellie, almost as if she was a missing part of our group. My eyes wandered over to her and she caught my stare. A soft smile appeared on her face, and I mirrored it. 

Maybe we would be okay.

[peterlorres21stcentury]

I was going through some past emails and I found this post from my old Yahoo group

On Feb. 6, the "Old Movie Section" blog posted this "tintype" of Peter, written by Sidney Skolsky, taken from a book titled "Tintypes". Peter was working on "Crime and Punishment" at the time:

<<<< 11/27/1935 HCN Tintypes By Sidney Skolsky

Peter Lorre is in his dressing room. It generally takes him an hour to dress for his role in Crime and Punishment. He does this slowly, intentionally. He believes it aids him to portray the character.

He goes on the set and stands in for himself. He is one of the few big actors who do this. He poses under the hot lights while director von Sternberg arranges them and the camera. He does this because von Sternberg, who is particular about lighting a scene and an actor, asks him to do it. It means hard work for him, but he admires von Sternberg.

While on the set he has a favorite drink, a mixture of raspberry syrup and water. He makes everyone sample it. While making a flicker he doesn't eat much. His lunch consists merely of sliced fresh fruit, usually peaches.

He walks about, whether it be in the studio or in a restaurant, much in the same manner as he did in M. People who have seen him in this great flicker are scared when they first see him in person. He knows this and is greatly amused by it.

It was his excellent performance in M which got him a contract with Columbia. Before coming to America, he signed to play in the flicker, The Man Who Knew Too Much, to learn to speak English. He is good at languages and was quite adept at English in six weeks. He spoke better English in the latter reels of The Man Who Knew Too Much than he did in the beginning.

He was born in the village of Rosenberg, Hungary, on June 26, 1904. It was after he completed high school that he ran away from home to become an actor. In one early theatrical job he was given a three- line part. After the rehearsals the lines were taken away from him because he overacted. The director said he would be a standout by merely walking across the stage.

He is five feet 5 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds, has brown prominent eyes, brown hair, and rosy cheeks. A strange villain.

He speaks in a low, confidential voice which cannot be heard very far away. At the studio he will visit different offices. He amuses friends by acting and making faces. When telling a story he acts out all the characters.

He is a mild, pleasant person. He has a house at Santa Monica to which he invites his few friends for breakfast or dinner. He prefers to test by himself in his garden here. He seldom barks. He is not a visitor to the Hollywood gay places.

He enjoys watching tennis and football. His favorite sport is wrestling. He attends the bouts regularly. He once waited until after a match to ask Man Mountain Dean for an autograph.

He is married to Cecilie Lvovsky, an actress. They met when they were both appearing in the German play, "The Candidate," and were married when they met again in London. He was making a flicker. They were married during a lunch hour, and Lorre was in the make-up he used in The Man Who Knew Too Much. They haven't any nicknames for each other.

He makes charcoal sketches, landscapes and portraits, and is a good artist for his own amusement. He likes to listen to classical music. He detests bright red fingernail polish on women.

He insists that if he did not have to act, he would not. Acting, he says, is a child's profession for a grown up. "But," he slyly adds, "I love it."

When he isn't working he relishes a big meal. He likes Hungarian goulash and is especially fond of new potatoes in cream. He will talk about food and give a lecture on why a certain salami is better than another type of salami.

He is not at all particular about clothes. He doesn't try or pretend to be fashionable. He always carries plenty of baggage, most of which he never uses. He claims it looks good when you're traveling.

He likes cold showers and actually takes them.

He seldom carries money with him. Often he has run into a shop to buy a package of cigarets [sic], has found himself without a penny, and has had to write out a check for 15 cents. He sleeps alone in a twin bed. He wears pajamas, and on warm nights he wears only the jacket. He always reads himself to sleep.

He has a clause in his contract. Each day before work he is allowed to run into Boris Karloff's dressing room and frighten him.

[thealogie]

miss thea im visiting LA for the first time this weekend and i must please know if you have any recommendations…… especially for delicious things to eat and especially in the santa monica/culver city areas 🤲

Yes you’ve come to the right place because I love to eat my way across LA. I’m more of an East side girl but I do have some west side faves.

We are a reservation heavy city and it’s a little too late for that if you’re coming this weekend but here are non-reservation places:

For breakfast: do Layla bagels (for something quick and good) or destroyer (brunch spot in culver with really good brunch food). You can try to get into Elephante in Santa Monica and sometimes it works and other times they are very booked (it’s a beachy brunch spot with good food and great vibes but very trendy).

Lunch/dinner: I love love gjusta in Venice (very close to Santa Monica). It’s more of a lunch/brunch spot but you can also make it an early dinner. It’s a fancy deli with immaculate vibes. Seriously just trust me on this one. Also Great White is very basic LA girl and it does get packed with reservations at night but if you go before 5 pm it’s first come first serve and the food is good so it’s where I go whenever I don’t have a reservation and need somewhere good to go.

Sonoratown and Teddy’s red tacos are both iconic no frills casual Mexican places. I prefer sonoratown but they are both iconic.

Dan Tana’s is an old school Hollywood Italian place where the food is ok (the chicken parm is excellent) but the waiters are old stand up comedians and you just feel like you are in a movie. and they might be able to do a walk-in if you go super early.

Finally, you can go to sawtelle (a street/neighborhood near sant Monica) and just walk around and find amazing Asian restaurants. Killer noodles is a fave of mine but there’s just so much there to explore.

[shadedjasmine]

A Black Eye

1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5

I spend the morning in the infirmary.

I’m told that I was spared the indignity of serious injury… but I’ll be damned if my body doesn’t hurt regardless. My ribs have an awful memory of a steel toe boot, meanwhile, my back knows the shape of a baton better than I’d like. It takes premeditation to move from the infirmary bed at Savannah’s insistence, and the action causes me constant pain.

Savannah’s been on the warpath since she saw the bruises, and keeping up with her breakneck pace is a struggle. I told her that I couldn’t ID my attacker, and Savannah sees through the lie like glass…but she has an empathy that keeps her from further pressing the issue. It didn’t stop Savannah from taking me to the Security Office before breakfast, though. I’ve been sitting on the stairs outside the office, cuffed to the stair railing for at least an hour now, trying to ignore the pain in my side.

Sitting amid Lux Hall, I can properly take it all in now. The building is tucked away inside a mountain, just beneath Pan Doi-Zhou’s estate, and exits through an opening on the other side, the mouth covered by the dense waterfall I saw yesterday. The morning light floods the space through the skylight, landing generously on the massive mountain rock from their blasting errors in the middle. They even stuck climbing holds onto the rock in the middle, rather than simply destroying it, and now, Shadows spend their mornings and days off climbing it for fun. I can see the bones of Delun’s original design, the space meant for Pan’s friends and staff. But I can also see the seams of expansion when Lux Hall ballooned and blossomed into the Shadows’ first headquarters. It's easy to see where Delun’s practicality ends and Pan’s love for culture, and artistic expression begins. But it’s all pure creation--the fact that there’s any order to at all luck and afterthought, the architectural equivalent of painting on an endless canvas just because it's fun and hoping to find a semblance of order behind it afterward. It’s possible Pan Doi-Zhou may have missed her calling as an architect for social spaces.

Whatever it was a year or so ago, it is now a sprawling campus at the heart of a sizable village sitting in the shadow of an artificial Santa Monica mountain. It is quickly turning a company of nomadic, lonesome assassins and manipulators into social creatures with a place where they could realistically lay roots. Such gatherings only happen in dreams.

I’m so lost in my study of Lux that I never see her walk up to me; the girl I saw yesterday. With a pair of sweatpants, a dirty tank top, thick ankle-high boots, and a few rings, she still has the edge she had yesterday, albeit more relaxed. She, like many others, begins her day with a morning climb.

“You’re the one they’re all talking about,” she pulls a hair tie, and her braids fall to her shoulders. “The one that threw a sledgehammer at the conditioning program. Jasmine, right?”

I’m unsure of how to respond. Was she asking me? Accusing me? Confusion must have registered plainly in my face, because she replies swiftly.

“Oh, I’m not here to give you hell about it. I one hundred percent approve. We do some fucked-up shit in this job, but there are lines we shouldn’t cross. Buying kids, taking them from their homes is a step too far, and I’m glad someone had the gall to actually do something about it.”

I shrug, and pain radiates through my body from my shoulder. “Don’t say it too loudly, I assume most people don’t agree.”

 “You’d be surprised at how many people are actually on your side about this. The problem is, was, that no one talked about it. It was just a thing that we accepted as protocol. Then you happened, and suddenly, we dare to disagree instead of doing as we’re told. Talk about ruffling feathers.” She sits next to me on the stairs and reaches for my cuffed hands. “I’m Brooklyn King. My friends call me BK.”

I can’t do much with my hands like this, but opening my palm is enough for her to offer a gentle shake. My bruised wrist protests, and I wince, but I do what I can to return the gesture anyway.

BK’s hand holds mine firmly, as she takes stock of the bruising on my forearm. But she lets it go and says nothing. I’m grateful. “They never should have pillboxed you for it,” her hands fall to the steps, and she leans back. “There’s plenty of Shadows walking the planet, shaping politics, killing bad guys, and all that jazz. We never needed to resort to bribing families for their kids. And we shouldn’t have been complicit in it. But no one questioned leadership about it until you. As far as many of us are concerned, you’re the only one brave enough to say out loud that it was wrong. Even better, you were the only one to act on your beliefs. A lot of us look up to you.  I know I do.” BK’s features soften and a smile forms on her lips. “I’m certain the new director will be open to discussing it.”

“That’s the hope,” I reply. “I’m pining for an audience with her. Trying my best to keep out of trouble, and work as hard as I can to earn a knock at the door..”

“Hmm.” BK tilts her chin up. “Hopefully that doesn’t include suffering more black and blue souvenirs from the job.”

I tense up.

“Stay safe out there,” BK reaches for the cut on my forehead. “I’ll talk to my friends, see if there’s anything we can get you that audience a little faster. I’m not sure what Pan is even doing right now, but I’m sure she’ll respond to growing moral support for an opponent of the company’s more…controversial programs. I’m even willing to wager that she’ll love to hear about…workplace safety concerns. We can’t have those…right?”

She continues brushing my forehead with my thumb. My heart skips a beat.

“Did you see them?” BK asks flatly.

The question hurts as much as my bruises. As much as the lying. “I… don’t follow.”

BK’s smile never fades. Eventually, her thumb falls from my face. For a while, she says nothing. Her eyes stay locked on mine. “You’re a terrible liar. If I know it, Savvy knows it. But no one can do anything if you don’t point the finger.”

Savannah storms through the security door, angrier than a storm cloud. But the cloud breaks when she sees BK sitting with me. “Out of all the first friends you could make, BK could actually be the worst.”

BK laughs, “C’mon Savvy, I’m not that bad!”

“Mmhmm,” Savannah reaches for the cuffs and unlocks them with the turn of a small key dangling from the same keychain she uses for her car. “Tell me that when you exit recondition.”

“Well maybe, when they give me a recondition mentor, I’ll actually move along in the program instead of waiting for nothing” BK stands and helps me to my feet.

“You’re in reconditioning?”  I ask.

“Yea, yea. I’ll tell you all about it next time you have some free time. Surely Warrick allows visits?”

“Supervised visits,” Savannah replies. “And since I’m her around-the-clock supervisor now, there’s plenty of opportunity to request a visit. But if I remember correctly, you have a meet in Santa Monica tonight, correct?”

“…I do. At sundown.” BK eyes me with intrigue. “You’re a car person?”

“She would say a little,” Savannah says, “But she diagnosed a cylinder misfire while I was driving.”

“The Elise has a misfire???”

“Apparently so.”

BK gawks at Savannah, shaking her head. “Fine. I’ll fix it. Again. But, yeah…if you can find a way to get her off Lux, I’d be happy to hang out with her.” BK’s eyes float to me. “Show you around the scene, and whatnot.”

“I’d love to,” I say. “If I’m even allowed to. How would that work…?”

“Handler authorization,” Savannah replies. “I would be on location with you and usually, you would be injected with a tracker…but you and I are past all that. I’ll give you a phone; just keep it on at all times.”

“I….ok!” I laugh nervously. The notion of leaving fills me with uncertainty…but also excitement. “I’m sorry, this morning has been a blur.”

“No, I get it,” BK brushes my arm. “I get it. Trust me, the meet will be a good place for you to unwind. You get out of that prison apartment, enjoy the Santa Monica air, meet some cool people, and see how cars have changed in the last eight years. It’ll be good for you. Tonight at 8. The earlier you both are, the better parking is,” BK heads back down the stairs. “It was good meeting you, Jazzy!”

Jazzy. It sounds nice.

BK returns to her friends at the base of the rock, leaving me on the stairs with Savannah and leaving my day fuller than I anticipated. “Will this affect my work today?”

Savannah gently turns me around. “You are battered and bruised. You are on paid leave while security investigates your attack. But they won't find anything because you didn’t see anything.” Her gaze turns to ice. “I really wish you’d help me here. “

The lie gets harder and harder to maintain. “I told you; I didn’t see them.”

Savannah sighs. “I understand that the Pillbox is the loneliest place in the world and that you were there for too long, for unfair reasons. But the period of your life where you have to suffer alone in silence is over. You have a friend now, going on two. Whether you make it as a Shadow or something, anything else, you must learn to lean on the people that care about you.” She braces my shoulder gently. “I won't force you to say his name. I’ll support you in any way you ask me to. But if you and BK hit it off and she figures it out on her own, she will do something stupid in the name of helping you. There’s a reason why she’s in reconditioning. She has a knack for retaliation.”

My eyes water up. My mouth opens to say something, anything. But instead, I hear my weary voice say “I swear, I didn’t see anything.” And my heart breaks.

Savannah sighs and forces a smile for my comfort. “C’mon. We’re late for breakfast.