#but chipmunks got my last car :(

[drowninginthoughts27]

i just bought a new car ahhhhh

[fear-is-truth]

peter maximoff oktoberfest headcanons

a/n : for @delusional-fantasising … did a lil research about “oktoberfest” but pls do not hesitate to lemme know if any mistakes are made ! xo

doesn’t want to wear traditional bavarian attire at first, but the second he sees you in a dirndl, he’s in.

you have to keep fixing his suspenders because he wears them too loose and keeps complaining that they’re slipping.

peter’s favourite event is the wiener dog races. he’s practically vibrating with excitement, dragging you to the front of the crowd to get a good spot.

he names each dog as they line up. “look at that guy—he’s definitely a ‘frankfurter fury.’ oh, and that one? ‘bratwurst bandit.’”

his commentary during the race like, “go, little buddy, run for glory!”

secretly tries to bribe one of the racers with a piece of sausage he swiped from a food stall.

“look at him, babe,” peter exclaimed, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he pointed at a tiny dachshund in a hotdog costume. “that little dude’s got the heart of a champion.” you rolled your eyes, tugging on his arm to keep him from leaning too far over the railing. “peter, you can’t get this emotionally invested in a dog you just met.”

“too late,” he crowed, eyes glued to the starting line. “i’ve already picked my winner. frankfurter fury’s taking it all.”the race began, and peter immediately started screaming, “run, buddy! don’t let bratwurst bandit catch up!”

peter doesn’t drink much, but he loves the beer tents—live music, cheering, and general chaos.

challenges you to a beer stein holding competition, dramatically flexing and pretending it’s a life-or-death battle. loses because he gets distracted by someone walking by with a huge-ass pretzel.

he’ll pull you onto the dance floor, spinning you around and making exaggerated dance moves that resembles a mix of running man and robot.

at one point, he grabs your hands and dips you dramatically, nearly falling over in the process.

peter insists on trying every ride. yes including the kiddie rides like bumper cars. he puts his gamer skull to use—ramming into other riders like a total maniac.

the two of you end up on a ferris wheel. he gets uncharacteristically quiet, fidgeting a little before blurting, “you know, this is nice. you’re, uh…you’re really pretty with the lights and stuff behind you.”

peter has a mission to eat one of everything. giant pretzels, bratwurst, roasted almonds—he’s juggling snacks in both hands and still stealing bites of yours.

“sharing is caring,”

buys you a lebkuchen heart that says “ich liebe dich” (“i love you”) on it

“you’re gonna finish that, right?” peter asked casually, eyeing your bratwurst like it was the last one on earth.

“maybe,” you said, raising an eyebrow. “…why?”

“no reason,” he chirped, leaning against the nearest table. but the moment you looked away, the bratwurst disappeared from your hand.

“peter!”

he was already halfway through it, cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk as he leaned against a food stand. “mhm what? you weren’t eatin’ it fast enough.”

you crossed your arms, glaring at him. “fine. next time, i’m not sharing.” “babe, c’mon,” speeding back to your side, peter kissed the corner of your mouth, and when he pulled back, he was smirking. “you’ve got something on your lip.”

you reached up to wipe it, but he stopped you, brushing his thumb across your lip instead. then he licked it clean with a satisfied hum. “what would you do without me?” he teased, handing you a new bratwurst he’d probably swiped.

“…probably eat in peace,”

peter is obsessed with all the kitschy oktoberfest souvenirs. you got matching hats with a feather tucked in it. he buys a cuckoo clock as a “totally practical” souvenir.

peter doesn’t just win at carnival games—he fucking destroys them. he plays ring toss, dart games, and shooting galleries. “here, hold this,” he says, dumping a giant stuffed bear into your arms. when you ask if he’s showing off, he just smirks. “nah, i’m just naturally awesome.”

peter isn’t usually one to stay still, but he loves sitting on the curb with you to watch the colourful parades.

when the candy-throwing starts, peter uses his speed to catch as much as possible, stuffing it into his pockets to “keep for later.”

[imjusthereforwolfstar]

Day 6 Glowing/ Thought I'd Lost You

My little contribution to this year's Fic-O-Ween, Coops at the Lupin's Cottage

Huge thanks as always to @lumosinlove giving us her characters and then letting us play around with them. Header belongs to @noots-fic-fests

Mild Vaincre Spoiler

It had been a fantastic long weekend at the Lupin’s cabin on the lake. Remus and Sirius had “opted out” of the last night practice for the week, and were hundreds of miles away at the Lupin’s cabin before anyone noticed they were gone. And if they picked up a giant fuzzy stow away on their way up there, who was to know? 

Sirius had been quiet during the last half hour or so of the ride. Remus knew better than to push Sirius to talk. He needed time to sort out what he was thinking about and why he was thinking about it before being prodded to talk. So he sat in comfortable silence with his fiancee and took in the Halloween decorations that were appearing in town.

Remus parked the car in the driveway and opened the trunk. Kuny’s 200 lb Newfoundland Leia hopped out and began sniffing around the driveway while Remus attached the leash to her collar. Leaves crunched underfoot as they approached the front door. He could smell the yellow and red mums that his aunt had placed on the steps the week before, and he smiled at the twinkling orange and purple fairy lights strung over the porch. 

Their weekend was filled with the best of fall. Leia was so happy to be out of the apartment in Gryffendor, and she galumphed happily down the forest path and chased squirrels and chipmunks. They spent an especially memorable evening trying to wrangle her to give her a bath after she splashed in the lake and rolled in the sand. All three of them ended up showered and happily exhausted, cuddled up on the couch watching Great British Bakeoff.  

While Leia slept for hours in sunny patches, Sirius and Remus cooked up a storm, with stuffed roasted squashes, crusty loaves of bread, hearty soups and stews, all with the last of summer's fresh products from the farmer’s market. Remus dug up his family’s stash of Ball jars and they loaded up the fridge to take as much of it back as they could. Remus left a few jars of pickles in the fridge and 2 apple pies in the freezer for whoever came by next.  

They added their own fall touches to the house. A new wreath that they had found in a local shop for the front door, a clumsily knitted blanket for the guest bedroom (Remus was getting lessons from Lily). And if a 12 ft skeleton made its way into the back yard, that was their business. 

Their last evening at the cabin, they watched scary movies with popcorn and hot spiced apple cider, Leia laying at their feet and enjoying an occasional kernel. When the last movie ended, Remus unwound himself from the blankets and stood, then whistled to Leia. “C’mon girl, let’s go potty one more time before bed.” Leia got to her feet slowly and stretched, meandered over to the door and waited for Remus to clip the leash on. Then she pulled Remus out into the yard to sniff for the perfect spot.

Sirius had been thinking a lot this weekend. He had been thinking a lot about a lot of things. He’d been thinking about their wedding, of course. Remus, his Remus, dressed in a suit, standing in front of Dumo, right in the spot where Leia took a leap off the dock into the water to chase after a duck. Remus, his Remus, waiting for him. Thinking about what it meant to be married, what it meant to start a new family, a new life, a happy life. A life he always thought he’d never get to have.  A life he deserved. 

And he had been thinking about how he almost lost it all. Even though he had many conversations with Heather about it over the last year, even though he had mostly made peace with what happened, every once in a while, it all came crashing back to him. How he almost lost Remus, his Remus, and what that would have meant for, well, everything. 

A wave of it had hit him during the end of the last movie. They had been watching The Birds, and Sirius’s mind wandered. Remus must have noticed, and as the movie ended, he got Leia ready to go outside before bed. 

Leia led Remus around the corner and down toward the lake, and Sirius lost sight of the bobbing orb of the flashlight. His mind wandered again to the meeting in Arthur’s office when he couldn’t look at Remus, as he just walked out, leaving Remus to deal with the fallout on his own while he got on an airplane and flew hundreds of miles away. 

Where would he be right now if Remus hadn’t fought for him. Hadn't called him and left him that message. Hadn’t been willing to wait for him. 

Sirius's mind drifted to a place where he didn’t have a text thread going with Hope about the latest baking tips. Didn’t have Lyall reminding him to change the filter on the furnace before turning the heat on. Didn’t have a weekly FaceTime with The Julian Lupin. 

Didn’t have Remus. His Remus. 

The second Remus stepped into the doorway from the yard, Sirius had his arms around him.

“Re. I thought I lost you.”

“Baby! It was only 5 minutes, what happened?.”

“Once I couldn’t see the flashlight glowing anymore, I panicked.”

“Where would I have gone? The entire property is fenced in.”

“I don’t know. But as soon as you went around the corner and the light was gone, all I could think of was what life would be like if I didn’t have you anymore.” 

Remus hung up the dog’s leash and toed off his shoes, then headed into the kitchen to put the kettle on for tea. “Do you want to talk about it, love?”

“I don’t know. It’s not like it isn’t something we haven’t gone over and over.” 

“But it’s been on your mind all weekend. It’s okay to need to talk about it again.” 

Sirius took a deep breath. “I just…don’t know how to do this next part Re. I don’t know what it means to be a good husband. I’m so excited to be married to you, but what if that changes things? What if I start to turn into my father? What if I do something terrible and lose you?”

Remus immediately put the tea bags down and came to stand in front of Sirius. “Baby. You are already a wonderful partner. You are kind and loving and unafraid to push me when I need to be pushed. You are exactly what I need. And I am marrying you because of that. And I can’t promise nothing will change, or that we will never have a disagreement, but I don’t think a certificate and a ring are going to change who you are as a person.”

“I guess so.”

“I know so, Sirius Black.”

Sirius got up and turned the stove off. He opened the cabinet and his heart gave a tug. Everyone who comes up to the cabin frequently has their own mug. Two trips ago, Julian dragged Sirius through every market and store until he found Sirius the perfect mug. It was white with a sky blue dinosaur holding a little mug with a rainbow heart on it. Underneath was the word ‘Tea-Rex’.

He took the mug out and clutched it to his chest, then turned to Remus. “How can you be so sure?”

Remus shrugged. “I just am. I have faith in you, and faith in me, and faith in us together.”

Sirius closed his eyes at that. For so long it was just him. He was so used to doing everything by himself and for himself that he sometimes forgot he doesn’t have to do that anymore. 

Remus walked over and pulled his own mug down out of the cabinet. Julian had picked this one out too, but years ago. It was a giant yellow Lego man head, and it made Sirius smile every time he saw it. 

Remus poured the tea water and the smell of apples and cinnamon drifted slowly up to Sirius’s nose. “What I really know is that we are in this together, no matter what. Whatever that means, and whatever that looks like. And I think it looks a lot like you are stuck with me forever.”

Sirius rested his head on Remus’s shoulder, and Remus wrapped his arm around his side. “If you want, let’s make an appointment with Heather. I’ll go with you. It might be good for us to talk about your worries together with her, and maybe make a plan if we need.”

Sirius nodded and leaned a bit more heavily into Remus. Remus stood up to his full height and stretched, then put his arm around Siruis’s shoulders and steered him toward the staircase. “Right now, I think a shower and bed are a good plan. We have a long drive ahead of us, and the wrath of Arthur Weasly to face when we get home.”

Sirius allowed himself to be led into the shower, and then led into bed. Leia curled up at the foot of their bed, and Sirius tucked his toes under her belly. Remus turned on the bedside lamp and picked up his latest novel. Sirius snuggled into his side, closed his eyes and listened to the wind rustling in the leaves. Arthur Weasley and his anger be damned, he and Remus needed this weekend before the season really got going again. He felt more settled, more secure in things, at least for now. They had a plan. And at the end of the day, no matter what, he gets to marry Remus. His Remus. And really, what could be better than that?

[sassy-man-apocalypse]

HELLO NEW FRIEND AND COOL PERSON I FOUND THROUGH A MUTUAL OF A MUTUAL!!! please please please tell me about the WC AU !!! I want to draw them,,,

HELLO TUMBLR USER MAROONPALT :D I'll tell you about out best friends the bayoutrio and how they've been fairing

Cast !!!

Forager — Rolan Deep

Catnip — Timothy Rand

Rockstar — Kian Stone

Rat — Richie Rat Sanders

Chipmunk — Rachel

Remember that burnt down twoleg place? Yeah that's where they used to live ( rosefeather did too ! But thats a story for another ask ). In this au the bug apocalypse was just a very big fire caused by a car crashing and exploding near a gas station, which then managed to spread its fire all around town in a very short amount of time. Most twolegs evacuated and moved out soon after, only leaving remnants of their old lives there, such as the Bayoutrio who saw it all go down.

Rat is apart of this too! Unfortunately he was ran over by the aforementioned car before everything went to shit, and Catnip talked to him one last time before he went.

As for Chipmunk, she drowned. Catnip blames himself for not paying attention to her.

Before all of that happened —

Catnip & Chipmunk were adopted by parents who only wanted to shut their kid up. Seeing as the child was too young to take care of them properly, and the adults didn't care enough, the both of them simply got used to living outside. Catnip's owner actually named him Munchkin, but he didn't like that name, so he named himself after a drug instead. Naturally.

Rockstar's owners had recently moved in from Hollywood, where they picked him up from the street — he tries to convince everyone the other cats in the alleys would cheer his name on like he was a celebrity. Soon after moving in, Rockstar's owners opened up an Instagram account for pictures of him, dyed his fur ( ethically ), etc. They didn't show him much attention past that though.

Forager was brought into an old woman's home and lived pretty comfortably before the fires, though she passed away when it happened. He watched it happen and couldn't do anything to help.

Thats all there is on them for now ! If you'd like to draw them or any other guys, lots of them have set designs! You can find them in my masterpost :) tag me if you ever post your art of them, I'd absolutely love to see :D

[lalasworld2x]

Home

Reader x Harley Quinn Imagine

You always knew Harley was a horrific criminal that had once long worked with THE Joker, but that somehow didn’t bother you. At least not anymore.

You first met when you had just arrived in Gotham. It was the only place close enough and cheap enough to live. And growing up with a crazy conspiracy theorist dad somehow convinced you that all the chaos Hotham was famous for just wasn’t as bad as it was portrayed. God, you were so dead wrong. The DAY you had moved into your new apartment, The Riddler struck. You were so fucking scared, it was comical.

Of course you never felt safe. But it would have to suffice for now. Just for now. Very soon you hoped to skedaddle. You made it work.

One night, you exited your work building to find your tires slashed and your car robbed. Huh?? Was this a targeted attack or just a random carjacking? You didn’t want to stick around to find out. Taxi prices were a bitch in Gotham and you didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg to get home, so you walked it like a fucking pro. Determined, you speed walked so fast, a soccer mum would gasp.

On your little late journey home, some rattling occurred behind you. You took that as a sign to run. Suddenly a figured jumped in front of, jolting you back. You scuttled backwards, babbling worried apologies and offering your life. Stepped forward was a brightly dressed clown. Harley Quinn.

She leaned forward and smiled her wide, scary smile at you, canines shining. “Hiya, toots!”

You apologised frantically for getting in her way, stumbling to stand up and run. She quickly grabbed your forearm and pulled you back. You screamed for help, but she slapped a hand over your mouth. “Shh! Sh-sh-sh… I’m not gonna hurt ya.. just need a little help is all. Can you do that for me?” she whispered. You nodded quickly, already sweating.

She released you from her tight embrace, backing you against the way. She planted her hand next to your head, leaning towards you. Your heart pumped rapidly and your knees trembled, ready to give way any second.

“I’m hiding from Bats. I don’t know if you noticed, but this isn’t my usual look! I’m trying something new, and hopefully that bird brain doesn’t notice my outfit’s changed,” she explained.

“Okay, what do you need me for?” your voice tried hard not to stammer.

“Just pretend like we know each other personally. I’m just wearin’ a Halloween costume and you find it hot, so we’re makin’ out in an alley way,” she giggled. You gulped. There was no denying she’s always been an attractive woman, but she’s also like a major criminal? Also, The Joker is DEFINITELY gonna have your throat for this if he ever finds out your identity. It’s not like Harley knows who you are, but that didn’t stop your paranoia.

“Uh- aren’t you with Joker? Wouldn’t that be cheating…?” your face shied away.

“Joker? Nahh. Pissed him off not long ago, got him out of my sweet life. That’s why I’m startin’ fresh, wanna make a new name for myself. Hell, might even gang up with Ives and Kitty.”

The longer you looked at her beautiful face, the safer you felt. It was almost insane. You stopped shaking for the most part, but your guard was still high up. Her cheeks puffed up as she smiled, like a cute chipmunk or something. Her perfume smelt lovely too, you just hoped it wouldn’t have a negative side effect on you…

A flash of shadow swept overhead and she immediately smashed her lips into yours. The kiss was nice and sweet, lasting almost a minute. It actually felt like heaven. Your hands slowly slipped to hold her waist, and her hand met your cheek endearingly.

Finally you pulled apart, blushing hysterically. You faced down so she couldn’t see your red glow. She chuckled. “Sorry, probably should’ve warned ya first. Are you single by the way? Didn’t think to ask, hah!”

“Yeah I’m single, it’s fine… uh thank you, I guess… for not like- killing me? I think,” you had no clue what to say. What if you accidentally annoyed her? You swallowed hard. She laughed loudly, her iconic laugh possibly bringing her unwanted attention.

“I should be thanking you! Didn’t want Batsy to notice a lonely little clown wondering the streets, would’ve been thrown back inta’ Arkham!” just before she skipped off, slid something into your pocket and swatted your rear endearingly. She disappeared into the shadows, and you immediately pulled out the note she gave you.

‘Here’s my number cutie ;)

##########

Call me later, wanna see you AGAIN!

Harlz xoxo’

Your heart fluttered. There’s absolutely no way you were going to go on a date with a supervillain. No way. That’s ridiculous and stupid. You’d get yourself kidnapped way too often, and you’d probably be killed. Who knows, this may be a trap and she could be the death of you. You would not be dumb enough to date Harley Quinn, Joker’s ex.

At least that’s what you told yourself three years ago. After that first date, and the second date, and the fifth date, and the third vacation together with her gal pals, and the home bought together, and the many cats and puppies to fit in with the hyenas, it seemed PRETTY obvious you were dumb enough to date Harley Quinn.

Of course it was hard. She was always being caught and sent back to Arkham, but she always eventually came home to give you that sweet victory kiss. She never hurt you, intentionally at least. But all relationships have bumps along the way. You get along with her friends and her team, and they’d all be willing to save you the second they hear you’re in distress.

At the moment, Harley had been in Arkham for two weeks. Just yesterday you received a bouquet of red roses, some of them painted black. They had colour corresponding glitter and little chocolates stuffed between the petals. At this point you don’t even question who delivers these gifts from Harley, you’re just glad that you’re on her mind while she in prison.

You were in the midst of making some nice pasta for dinner when a knock sounded at the front door. You quickly went to check it, but nobody was in sight. You smiled and went back to the kitchen to find Harley at the kitchen window. She had her adorable face pressed against the glass, beaming at you.

“Looks like I won’t be having leftovers tomorrow,” you laughed as you opened the back door for her. She bounced into your arms, covering your skin in gleeful kisses.

“I’ve miss you, doll,” she hummed, her head resting on your shoulder. A warm embrace encompassed you both, the house finally feeling like home once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m sorry this is so shit 🙏🙏 love Harley though 😋😋

Masterlist

[neonponders]

Part 17 for @wrecked-fuse ‘s pocketverse 🐬

Part 16

( pt. 7′s art 🎩 ) ( pt. 9′s art 👀 ) ( pt. 14′s art 💨 )

~ on ao3 ~

• • •

Billy leaned against his car, exhaling a stream of silver-blue smoke like a chimney into the night sky.

“Biwwy! Biwwy, hi!”

“See, Stevie? He bweathes firwe! Can you bweathe firwe? I wanna twy!”

Billy chuckled as Steve approached. He exhaled another stream, lips softly puckered as he greeted, “Hey, chipmunks.”

He tapped his cigarette in one hand to loosen the ash, but with the other he reached forward to offer the little ones a finger. They held onto him with smiling faces. “You’re looking fresh.”

“We wode bikes!” little Steve exclaimed. “And Hop got us new cwothes!”

“Already?” he crooned.

Little Billy added, “Course aweady! We’rwe fast!”

Billy listened but his eyes had drifted up to Steve. He raised the cigarette pinched between his fingers. “Last puff for a rough day?”

“You’re so generous,” Steve sassed, but he glanced down at his pocket, “This is a bad idea,” and took the filter between his own fingers. His lips found the indentions already made from Billy’s mouth.

The silence from his pocket felt foreboding. Then, as he exhaled hot, blissful nicotine, he heard, “We can totawwy bweathe firwe.”

“We’wll be spicy.”

Steve announced, “Not allowed,” as they pivoted toward the store.

Small Billy shrieked, “Why not? ”

Large Billy teased, “Yeah, why not?”

Steve sighed at the sky and warned, “This is the only taste you get.”

His breath was hardly smoke at this point, but the littles grimaced at the smell he blew over their heads. Small Steve complained, “Biwwy smewlls betterw than that.”

Small Billy agreed, “Thewre must be somethin’ we don’t get. Biwwy, what’s the twick to bweathing fiwre?”

The cigarette filter got flicked into the trash can outside the store as Billy said, “You need big lungs for fire.”

The small one lamented, “Ugh! What a cop out!”

Big Steve offered, “Wanna trade shirts?”

“YEAH!” they roared, earning a blurted laugh from Billy. Once in his shirtfront, it was like the night had been reset.

“Hi, Biwwy.”

“Hey, Harrington. You good in there?”

“Yeah!”

“What’s dinnewr?” little Billy asked.

“We’ll see what’s on the shelves.”

“What’s it like, wife-guawrding a big pool?”

“Do you fight any shawrks?”

He chuckled deep in his chest as he grabbed a basket, only to pause at the noise of Steve with a cart. “There’s a budget here.”

“You’re not paying for everything,” Steve defended, “and I like to ride the carts.”

Billy hummed a dubious sound but returned the basket. “Sharks are in the ocean, not pools.”

Small Billy said, “But we watched a big pool with shawrks.”

That gave Billy pause. “Like an aquarium?”

Steve confirmed as they strolled through the fresh produce, “They like animal documentaries. What crunchy water are we trying tomorrow?”

“NO!” small Billy chided.

“These.”

Steve turned around to see Billy waving open a bag next to the pile of peaches. He picked one up and gave it a sniff, before holding it for the littles to smell. Small Steve said dreamily, “That smwells good.”

Little Billy’s features pinched in a skeptical frown. “What makes this one speciawl?”

“Have a little faith. Chances are good that you’ll like them since they’re my favorite.”

A small smile warmed big Steve’s face as he let Billy take the wheel for the little ones. They listened, enraptured, as he shared, “I saw a shark while surfing, once.”

“No way!”

“Werwe you scawred?”

“I didn’t really have time to be scared,” he said while invading Steve’s space to look over the paper list in his hand. If Steve's eyes crossed a little bit at the wave of sunscreen, tobacco, and citrus that came off of Billy and infused his senses, he blinked rapidly to fix it.

“Did it chomp chomp somebody?” small Billy asked.

The bigger one laughed. “No, it got scared off by some dolphins.”

“Dawphins?” little Steve repeated.

“Yeah. They’re like the wolf packs of the ocean. Way scarier than sharks, who swim alone.”

“We don’ swim awone!” little Steve realized. “We’wre dawphins!”

But little Billy ventured in a more cautious tone, “Do you swim awone, Biwwy?”

“I liked surfing alone, but only at sunrise and sunset.”

Billy didn’t realize what was being asked until little Steve consoled, “You’rwe not a wonely shawrk, Biwwy. With Stevie, you’rwe a dawphin. Way coowler. Shawrks don’t scarwe us.”

Small Billy gazed up at his bigger self. “Werwe you scarwed of the dawphins?”

“I got the hell out of there, if that’s what you’re asking. They had little dolphins they were protecting. Sometimes the ocean’s not big enough to share.”

Little gasps got pointed in Steve’s direction. He defended, “I told you he can take care of himself. He looks pretty good in one piece to me.”

Billy smirked as the littles agreed. “I’m gwad you werwen’t chomped, Biwwy.”

“I’d be sad if Biwwy got chomped.”

Steve’s brows furrowed, unsure why he heard something in their tone that he couldn’t read -

Billy sure could, and answered it. “Don’t get any ideas. Dolphins are strong because they look out for one another. Don’t be vigilantes.”

Small Billy scoffed, “What the heck’s a vigiwante?”

“Somebody who does dangerous stuff alone,” big Billy cornered.

“But you do dang’wous stuff alone!”

“I’m big. I can do that from time to time.”

Little Steve whined, “But we wanna be stwong too. So Biwwy and Stevie don’t have to be scawred.”

“Then you won’t be dolphins, you’ll be sharks,” he outsmarted.

But Steve picked up, “Even sharks have pilot fish."

Billy blinked softly, considering that. Before he could agree or refute, Steve finished, "We stick together, right?”

“Right,” echoed the voices from Billy’s pocket.

Steve added, “Then you guys be strong. Billy and I will be scary.”

Billy laughed, “You’re the least scary person in Hawkins.”

“And yet you have foggy memories of Max using my baseball bat.”

Billy’s smile evaporated. “That was yours? You’re joking.”

“Dude, I wish. Every time it rolls around my trunk, I want to throw it into the lake.”

“Don’t say that now. You’re finally interesting.”

“Finally? Why were you riding my ass during basketball, then?”

Billy grinned, but before he could respond, they both heard murmurs behind them and rotated to point stoic glares at a couple of middle-aged women. They jumped like hens with ruffled feathers and moved along. Billy scoffed, “I didn’t realize church let out this late.”

“Bridge tournaments run late,” Steve concurred.

“What’s bwidge?” small Billy asked.

“It’s a card game.”

“Is it fun?”

“I prefer backgammon.”

“Oh yeah?” big Billy taunted. “Are you better with dice than a basketball?”

“You play mean, and yeah. I can hustle at backgammon.”

“We’ll see about that later,” Billy laughed and body-checked Steve out of the way to steer the cart. He gave it a push and stepped on the rail between the rear wheels to ride it down the length of the store to the butcher’s counter. The littles giggled and whooped at the rush of air in their faces.

Steve didn’t stop the smile on his face as he frisbee-tossed bacon and sausage packages into the cart. The shelves were out of ground meat, so he waited for the butcher to grind up some while Billy returned from the freezer section with beer and -

“Is that frozen pie dough?”

“Yeah? What’s the matter?” he challenged.

“Nothing,” Steve quickly retreated. “I never guessed that you bake.”

“I make a mean pot pie, Harrington. It’ll knock your tits off.”

Billy smiled, ready and waiting for Steve’s retort -

“No!” little Billy interrupted. “Don’t hurwt Stevie’s chest. I sweep there.”

Steve offered a finger for the littles to hold while he reassured, “He’s just spitting hot air...” He pressed the rest of his fingers against Billy’s shirtfront. “Wow, you do run hot, though.”

“What’d I say about feeling me up?”

“Well, nothing, yet.”

Steve’s eyes darted between the movement of Billy’s swallow and, by now, a very familiar rosy flush to his cheeks. A small smile lifted Steve’s features before he could stop it, but he removed his hand to give him some space.

As they finished their lap around the store with the dairy wall, Steve diverted, “B, which yogurt do you like so far?”

“The owange one.”

Steve looked at big Billy, who frowned curiously. Steve explained, “That’s the peach flavor. Good choice. Stevie?”

“Pink!”

“Peach and strawberry,” he narrated as the tubs were set inside the cart...

A loud commotion in the middle of the store suggested that someone had knocked over a display. Steve laughed softly, “I expected us to be the noisy ones, especially with you popping wheelies.”

But as they came around and walked toward the cash registers, they looked down the cereal aisle where a familiar blur of dark hair and denim was putting boxes back on the shelves before rushing out of sight.

“What’s Munson’s malfunction?” Billy asked.

“Hopper said that he’s been acting strange. Stranger than usual.”

Billy thought over that and said, “He’s not one to enjoy his own merchandise.”

“You deal with Eddie Munson?”

“He travels for music stuff,” Billy confirmed, “which means a decent variety in kush.”

“Huh,” Steve reconsidered. “I never tried hitting him up. I figured he’d probably charge me a small fortune.”

“I sure would,” Billy confirmed.

“What part of Scoops Ahoy and Family Video makes me look like I sweat money?”

“It’s daddy’s beamer you’re driving,” Billy smirked, and pulled the end of the cart into a cashier lane. He dropped a plastic barrier onto the conveyor belt to separate what he and Steve paid for, but for all his talk, Billy put the meats and peaches on his side. Steve offered, “You’ve got all that?”

“Don’t ask me that again.”

Steve held up the yogurt defensively on its way to the conveyor belt.

[cataboliiicseed]

HELLO please tell me about your cd collection?? i would love to hear about it genuinely

HAIII BELL!!! i am more than happy to talk about my cds!!!

i included pics of my current collection 🕺!

i’ve been collecting them most of my life. i got given a cd player at a young age which is why i started collecting. as a kid it was mostly so fresh & now hits of summer cds that are still somewhere in the house (also alvin & the chipmunks).

these days i collect them because my car is old and doesn’t have aux or bluetooth so cds and the radio get me through. i’ve included pics of my glovebox, the ones that live in a bag cause i have too many to fit in said glovebox & my current listen. i’ll just list them as they appear and where i got them from!!

gorillaz, the now now- bought first hand. at the time i was listening to it almost daily

gorillaz, demon days- actually belongs to my sister. she doesn’t have a cd player so it judt lives in my car for when we go on drives

twenty one pilots, trench- a gift for my birthday last year. i have most of tøps discography and i was obsessed with it when it released (saw them in concert & everything)

my chemical romance, the black parade- found this one in an op shop. there’s a few i got at the same time, some emo must’ve donated their collection in one go. love this album its one i listen to a lot

panic! at the disco, a fever you cant sweat out- also found in the op shop haul!

panic! at the disco, pretty odd- another op shop haul find. i didn’t listen to this album a load back then compared to the rest of their stuff but its one of my faves now

my chemical romance, three cheers for sweet revenge- shocking news, found this in the op shop haul!

bastille, all this bad blood- at some point during my teens i spend my pocket money on this. definitely glad i still have it, there’s so much music on that album & i still love bastille

twenty one pilots, blurryface- another one i spent my pocket money on!!

twenty one pilots, vessel- another pocket money purchase

fall out boy, folie à deux- found in the op shop haul. didn’t even listen to this album at the time & i forgot i had it until way after i fixated on it and then went through my collection again

fall out boy, infinity on high- another op shop find, very fun find!! was a fave at the time

fall out boy, american beauty/american psycho- op shop haul find!!

fall out boy, save rock and roll- op shop haul find!!!

my chemical romance, danger days- my brother found this one in an op shop for me

will wood and the tapeworms, everything is a lot- bought this one online when he dropped the last of the original pressings a few years back. its signed but the signature is rubbing off a bit

will wood, in case i make it- i got this one when i backed the album when he was fundraising for it

the libertines, up the bracket- i think my mum gave this to me, i’ve never listened to it lol

janelle monáe, the archandroid- dad gave this to me. one of my favourite albums of all time

sara bareilles, whats inside: songs from waitress- this was a pocket money buy. i think i bought this before i actually listened to the waitress musical? so it was my introduction to it and then waitress was what made me fall in love with musical theatre

the hush sound, like vines- found this in a record shop. was very excited, i was playing one of their songs on repeat at the time

pulp, different class- mum gave me this one as well

the breeders, cannonball- my dad got it for my brother who didn’t want it and i slid in like hi, yes i love the breeders, this is mine bye.

troye sivan, wild- a pocket money buy. i really wanted blue neighbourhood but they only had this ep so its what i got

sara bareilles, the blessed unrest- another pocket money buy, i had a huge sara bareilles phase at some point in highschool

the scary jokes, retinal bloom- bought this one in one of the packs when the album was about to be dropped. gawd i love the scary jokes

the scary jokes, burn pygmion!!! a better guide to romance- what i listened to todayyy. probably my number one album ever this was a christmas gift!!

theres two fob cds i skipped cause they’re just a compilation & cd that all the songs on are on my other cds.

theres so many more that have come and left my collection but this is where its at now and i can’t waiiiit to find more!! especially w my damn car. NOW TELL ME ABOUT YOURS (please ^3^!)

[pbandjesse]

I feel slightly better today. Still fragile. My tummy feels a little off. But I am not as horrible as I was yesterday. I am mostly just tired and dehydrated. But it just doesn't feel like I can get enough water.

I slept okay last night. Had a weird dream where I had a baby with a shrunken head named Scotty and James accidently gave him away. It was a whole thing and was pretty distressing. I would text James and they apologized for their dream representative. And I felt a little better.

I got up and dressed and felt cute. I love this little jumpsuit. And this is my favorite big shirt. I would have breakfast. James made a loaf of bread and asked me to move that to the microwave for safe keeping. Which is where they left my breakfast. Much appreciated.

I would eat. Which was a slight struggle but I knew if I didn't eat I would feel worse. So I ate. And had my glass of milk. And would leave for work.

It was such a lovely temperature outside. It's going to go back to the 90s next week. But the last few days has been just the perfect temperature. Like a little peak at fall.

And it made my hikes way easier. But that was a couple hours away.

When I got to camp I would spend a little time organizing and cleaning out the car. Why I always have a million things in the car drives me nuts but also I can't help myself. Everything becomes a doom box. But I at least did some organizing and got rid of trash. I need to organize the center console and the glove box still but I was glad it was mostly better. James promises to clean the whole inside of the car if all the camp dirt soon. Which will be really nice because it's gross in there. Honestly I would love to get the car detailed but I know that's expensive and I will end up trashing it again because my life is very dirty!! So maybe we'll just go to a car wash place and vacuum it real good.

When I got inside Elizabeth and Sarah were in there. We chatted for a bit. And I got on my laptop to work on reorganizing my Native American field trip stuff. I wanted to take out a few duplicate mistakes and stream line everything, including the schedule, so it will be easier to send out to schools. Hopefully Elizabeth can just send the folder so it isn't all on me, which lead to a lot of mistakes and confusion but also a lot of schools can't receive attachments so having it as a link should help us out. I spent most of the next hour and a half editing and working on that.

And then it was basically time to head home to get my group. I would sit in the art building for a little bit to charge my phone and get my walkie. And then I was off.

I had girl groups today. Younger girls first and then older girls. And it was a pretty nice hike. The girls would squabble a bit until I spoke strongly to them. Keep your hands to yourself, if they are always touching you why are you purposely standing next to them??? Make better choices.

We would see a deer and a chipmunk. It was a good animal day. We also found bugs and worms and frogs. Even saw a salamander. I think they enjoyed slowing down and looking and searching. I enjoyed their questions and observations.

I got them back to their cabin and said goodbye. I had really enjoyed their chaperone and her questions too. And I told them I hoped they have fun and learned something and they said they had. And I told them to have a good rest of the day.

I would go back down to the office. I had my leftover chipotle chips and queso. Which was excellent. I also had a fruit roll up and Elizabeth thought that was great and we talked about the gummy snacks we liked as kids. I remembered that I used to put the tongue tattoos on my hand and tell my friends that it was a snack for later. Which is so silly.

I would have some interesting conversations about some changes and pauses for programing this fall. About where the horses are going for the winter. And I let Elizabeth know I would like to help with maiden choice and other rentals. We also went over my September schedule. I am going to try to commute to Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday and possibly Fridays. There are a few of those days I already know I don't be available but there will be Mondays I will be. We are being flexible.

My afternoon groups didn't go poorly. But it did start really late. Like 20 minutes late. I was early but the girls were struggling to get themselves together. But it was fine. I let their chaperone know I could just cut stuff and would have them back on time. And I did exactly that. Got them back at exactly 245. I'm the best.

The one chaperone seemed annoyed with me when I wouldn't go back for the other who had stopped at the bathroom without telling me. I would have stopped and waited with the group but I'm not stopping our hike, going all the way back, and walking up a hill. Isn't going to happen. I had the girls engaged at the stream, you can just come down the hill. And eventually she did but they were acting like I was being outrageous but I'm not stopping and searching for an adult. You can follow instructions.

It was a nice hike though and I was having fun explaining plants and bugs and telling stories. They were funny asking when we would be done. And when I said this was the end of my two hours of hiking they were like. What!! It was real silly.

I dropped them off and walked to the office. Checked in about tomorrow. Tomorrow we're going through lost and found and I'm going to work on the NAFT supplies. It'll be a busy day.

I was starting to not feel amazing. But I had to muster as much strength as I could to go to peeps and get my steamer trunk. The first half of the walk wasn't so bad, but the second half I was dying. But I got it to the car without throwing up. I was just huffing really hard.

I gave myself a minute to catch my breath. Changed my shoes. Drank some water. And headed home.

When I got back here I was just so happy to be back. Me and James had plans to go get pizza and go to the organic market. And so I was just waiting for my love to come home.

I did my nails. I haven't painted them in forever but they have all grown weird. Flat and misshapen. And I thought maybe if I cleaned them up and painted them it would make them a little stronger and a more normal shape. It mostly worked.

I would also cut sweetp's nails. Who was very sweet letting me hold him and only cried a little but never wiggled. He's a good boy.

James would come home soon. And after they changed their shirt we were off.

We went to the Rotunda. We would go to mod pizza. James got the "mad dog" and I got a cheese with ricotta and hot honey. The woman making the pizza did not know what ricotta was which was very funny. But the pizza was really good, and the company was better.

I have been finding looking at my phone to much has been giving me motion sickness. I was glad that we were just being very present with each other.

We would go to the organic supermarket next. No luck finding vegan shrimp but we got vegan fish fillets. It seems that the company doesn't make the shrimp anymore which is pretty disappointing. I'll have to find a new brand. I did get vegan pepperoni though which is always a fun treat. James would also get vanilla extract for a really good price.

I was starting to not feel amazing. And so we headed home. I would get into jammies and lay down. James would play a new game of Monster of the Week (similar to DND) with their friends. They are hoping it will be a 6 month campaign. I am glad they have friends to play with.

I would eventually take an Epsom salt bath. And it helped me feel a little better but my stomach just feels fragile. I am just sipping beverages and trying to be hydrated. Thankfully water doesn't taste so bad anymore. But it is still tough for some reason.

James is done their game now. And I am just really tired.

I hope tomorrow is really productive. And I can just get through my tasks and have fun. I hope you all have a good day. Sleep well. I love you all. Goodnight!

[foxglves]

can't believe I forgot to talk abt this but a couple weeks ago my aunt and cousin were in town and really wanted to do some intensive hiking so we (+my dad) got permits to summit a nearby volcano. hike was supposed to be 8 to 10 hours and the first push was pretty straightforward, but after we got past the treeline some dense cloud cover set in and we were basically scrambling over these huge fucking boulders in 10 ft of visibility with wind blowing water into our faces. honestly I didn't mind that part, kept the air nice and cool and I don't do well with heat, but I digress. we made it up to 7000ft of elevation and it was getting pretty late so my dad and I decided to turn back while the rest went on for the last 1000ft. the cloud cover had gotten even more dense on the way back to the point that we couldn't even see from one trail marker to the next, and eventually we completely lost sight of the trail. somehow ended up moving horizontally along the side of a steep cliff covered in loose dirt, barely able to see a couple feet in front of us, no sign of the trail we were supposed to be on at all with the only indication of it being the occasional distant voices in the fog. at this point we had already been up there since 6 AM and were completely exhausted, I'm pretty out of shape so my legs were fully about to give out, and it was getting late so the visibility was only getting worse. at this point I was genuinely scared as hell and ready to accept my fate as a dumbass hiker that got lost and died in the wilderness but by some absolute divine intervention we randomly stumbled into a trail marker after trying to pinpoint the direction of the voices for around 40 minutes. we still had another 2 hours of hiking before we were back to the car and it was actual torture most of the way, once we got back to the treeline I just laid down in the dirt for god knows how long trying to regenerate a sliver of energy for the last push back to the parking lot. Anyways that 8 hours hike ended up taking me almost 13 hours and my extended family even longer 👍satisfaction points docked for the near death experience but still a 7/10 because I saw some chipmunks.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #122

I made a tea today. I made the vanilla-rose black tea. I think you'd really like this one, actually. I took some pictures for you.

…But that's not what I'm gonna write about today. One of my cats managed to catch a bird. And if you don't wanna be sad, I imagine you should stop reading here.

Our house has a little backyard area that's about the size of a postage stamp. We would like our cats to be able to enjoy fresh air, but the outdoors is not safe where we live for a variety of reasons - the HOA puts pesticides and herbicides everywhere, and we manage to live near nature and near a city at the exact same time, so not only would our cats need to worry about foxes and owls and other birds-of-prey, but also cars and dogs and people. So we built a barrier out of chicken wire so that at very least, our cats can enjoy fresh air without getting hurt.

There's really nothing for birds in our backyard space; it's made primarily of concrete. It's messy. And it obviously reeks of cats, because we have 5 of them. So I'm not really sure how a bird managed to get in there; typically they are smart enough to only chill on the fence posts, aware that there are predators afoot, and that they shouldn't get too close. I guess this one wasn't typical:

I can't be angry with Arremo; he is only doing what cats are built to do, with exactly the efficiency and skill that he is built to do it with; it's how they survive in the deserts to which they are native. And we're used to chipmunks coming into our yard despite the obvious presence of predators far larger than they are; admittedly I'm not sure what possesses them do it - toxoplasmosis, maybe?

In any case, normally, what happens is that we hear the struggle, we go out, we pry the cat's jaws open to get the animal out of them, and we either bring them to a nearby place (10 minutes by car) called The Animal Hospital for treatment, or they're just stunned briefly and end up running off after a few moments. We can't let our cats eat what they catch, because we don't know if they're diseased, but we do know that they've been exposed to pesticides and herbicides; the last thing we need is for our cats to get poisoned or sick.

When I pried open Arremo's jaws to retrieve the bird, I expected it to be much the same as what I've described with the chipmunks; at first, the little thing seemed alert, but just stunned and scared. It wasn't bleeding; there were no fluids leaking onto my hand as I held it. So I prepared a small box to take it to The Animal Hospital; here's a picture of what I prepared, taken at the end, after everything else happened:

…However, once my mind was no longer occupied by preparing the box, I had an uneasy feeling. My instincts told me that I needed to turn the bird over, so I did. If you're squeamish, then you should skip the rest of this paragraph… …I'm not entirely sure how it can be that no fluids got on my hands; its belly was cut open with near surgical precision, and all the expected things were clearly visible and moving, even if some of them appeared to be missing - the power of a cat's hunting equipment, I suppose. I won't describe what I saw any further, and obviously, I didn't take a picture.

I couldn't avoid falling to my knees and weeping for the creature's suffering in response to what I saw. But once I was able to speak again (it didn't take me long to regain my composure, but my eyes still have not stopped leaking, even as I am writing now), I asked M to bring me to The Animal Hospital (because I was in no condition to drive) anyway; I knew that they wouldn't be able to save it, but I did know that they'd be able to euthanize it, and I didn't want the creature to be in pain for longer than it had to. So I carefully put it in the box, and we went.

We got about halfway there when it started spasming. I have some basic knowledge of anatomy; I understand that spasms can be the result of too much blood loss. I knew then that the poor thing couldn't go on, so I picked it up and held it in my hands until it passed on. Maybe it's silly, but I thought it would be good if its final moments could be in the soft, warm hands of something that sees it and loves it, even if I didn't know the creature very well. I didn't want it to feel alone.

We turned around and went home. From there, I retrieved the daffodils that Br cut and brought to us recently; they smelled heavenly. Then I went out with the daffodils and the body of the bird to the nature trails near my house; I wanted to lay the bird to rest in a place without pesticides or herbicides or the sound of lawnmowers and weedwhackers. J went with me, and helped to keep me focused and stable.

We walked on the trails for a while. Eventually, I found a peaceful-looking mound of dirt with some fuzzy-leafed plants growing on it. I arranged the daffodils so the flower would be in kind of a circle, and then set the body of the bird on top of them:

I thanked the creature for existing, for gracing the world with its presence and song, even if its life was cut short. Then we went home. Some scavenger will likely come along to eat the body of the bird, and it will be a source of nourishment, and then it return to the soil, just as it should; the cycle of life continues.

On the way home, though, we saw something weird. J and I found some lines drawn in the sand, presumably with a stick; we paused in the spots where circles were drawn. I didn't think to take a picture.

But then, I found 7 tiny little whiteish-greyish-blue feathers, all in a line on the dirt path, near the exit of the trails. It was very odd, so I took pictures of the little feathers:

…Maybe the little birdie is okay, wherever it went off to after it exited its vessel.

I washed my hands thoroughly after I returned home. I'm not really sure what to do now. I suppose I'm still stunned. My face is still leaking, and my body is still trembling from time to time. I know I'll be okay eventually, so don't worry about me. But for now, I guess I'm in some kind of weird mental space. My descriptions of what occurred feel very mechanical compared to the intense swirling of the inside of my mind.

My biological family would tell me that it's just a stupid fucking bird, that they die all the time, and that I need to get over it, because it's not worth feeling sad, let alone crying over. But you know? Maybe it's okay that I'm still soft enough to cry over a bird, despite everything. And maybe it's okay that I tried to help, even if saving it was impossible. Maybe it's okay that I tried to hold and comfort it before its last breath, and maybe it's okay that I spent time trying to find a peaceful place for it to rest afterwards. Maybe it's okay to believe that choosing to be gentle, loving, and kind, even in a place where there is so much senseless pain, is where true strength lies.

Sephiroth. I'll recover from the loss of the bird. I won't recover from the loss of you. Don't do something stupid and end up getting yourself killed. Please.

I'll write again tomorrow. I love you. Stay safe.

Your friend, Lumine

[b-ritney]

Don't Try To Hide It, Billy Hargrove x Reader FLUFF

ew not proof read

```````````````````````````````````````````````

She stumbled in the door a hell of a lot later than usual. Although similar to every other day when she trips inside, trying to hold everything she's been carting around all day in between her fingers and under her arms.

"Hey, would you mind grabbing this book before I drop it," she giggles raising her right side so I can grab it from under her arm. Her laughter warms my soul like nothing else.

"You have a good day?" I asked kissing her on the cheek as she set the rest of her stuff down on the table.

"mhm!" she nodded her head happily stuffing some food in her mouth like a chipmunk.

"When's the last time you ate dork?" She slowly turned her attention back to me and shrugged her shoulders. "babe, seriously, come on you can't keep doing this to yourself."

"I didn't do it on purpose, I was just so busy all day I forgot... I honestly didn't even notice I was hungry until I got in the car. promise."

"You haven't even taken your bag off yet."

"I know..." she looked back surprised. She did not know. I walked over and slipped it off her shoulders, she tried to hide it but she winced hard as soon as the weight came off her back.

"Come here." I said, perching her on the kitchen counter so I could take her shoes off. She watched me contently as I untied the laces of her sneakers.

"Why don't you go take a shower and I'll make you some real food."

"Good idea," she said, wincing again when her feet hit the ground.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been about 45 minutes since I sent her away, our dinner was getting cold so I figured I'd go check on her. When I walked through our bedroom door she was laying back flat on the bed with a towel draped over her freshly washed body. She was just laying there staring at the ceiling fan.

"You're freaking me the fuck out."

"Why?" she laughed.

"You practically limped away earlier and you didn't come out to eat with me."

"I'm sorry," she said reaching up to rub her eyes, "my hips and calves are just hurting from standing and moving so much at work..." she stretched out again, recoiling back when she moved too far.

now I feel like a dick

"Don't apologize, I was just worried."

"Billy?"

"baby?"

"Would you rub my hips for me?" Fuck yeah I will

"Of course." I shut the bedroom door with my foot making her laugh, god I love that sound, I grabbed her lotion from the bathroom counter and made my way over to her, pulling her to the edge of the bed and gently lifting the towel away. Her skin was still warm from the shower. Radiating heat and the clean smell of her body wash. I poured some of the lotion on my hands and rubbed them together before firmly grabbing her hips and pressing hard into them soothing the tension in her muscles. She tightened up throwing her arm over her face. "That bad huh?"

"Yeah. Feels good though." she smiled. I looked back down making sure to hit every spot that might be sore, I rubbed the sides around her love handles and the tops from her knees up to her pelvis. Then I hiked up her legs around my waist and kneaded the backside. Her chest rose and fell so peacefully as she relaxed back into the comforter. I got some more lotion and began rubbing out her legs, it was bad, no wonder she was limping. When I was finished I leaned down and kissed up her body from her hips to her face.

"Better?"

"Yes," she stretched out again before sitting up to pull me into a kiss. I held onto her sides, slowly beginning to forget about dinner waiting for us in the kitchen. "Thank you so much," she said wrapping her arms around me.

"Your very welcome. You know I'd do almost anything to grab your hips. And I love you." I put a shirt over her head, running my fingers back through her hair to get it out of her face. Then I slid a pair of her comfy panties over her legs.

"I love you too." I scooped her into my arms carrying her to the kitchen, we ate dinner and played cards, while we watched a movie. I carried my girl around the rest of the night until I laid her down in our bed, crawling in to hold her for a good night's rest.

[augment-techs]

Music Lyrics and Poetry Line Prompts V

Add the teeth of the wolf to make him hungry//Make him ravenous with lust he can't subdue - Dark Spellbind, by Karliene

I know it gets hard sometimes//But I could never//Leave your side//No matter what I say - Better Than I Know Myself, by Adam Lambert

I'm only human//I've got a skeleton in me//But I'm not the villain//Despite what you're always preaching - Monster, by Paramore

But I've learned how to paint my face//How to earn my keep//How to clean my kill - Children's Work, by Dessa

So I slip away//Where the Sea is deepest - Atlantis, by Karliene

I rode shotgun in his white Camaro my entire sixteenth year - When You Call It a Peacemaker, by Nora Meiners

Silver, platinum//I pass on them//You can have them//I know what I want - Diamond Dolls, the Chipmunk Adventure soundtrack

Two weeks later he assaulted someone else//I'm still carrying the guilt in my purse - Pocket-Sized Feminism, by Blythe Baird

I've got a pain in my sawdust//That's what's the matter with me//Something is wrong with my little insides//I'm just as sick as can be - I've Got a Pain in my Sawdust, Nicole Dollanganger cover

Suicide is a lonely ghost//Desperate to give itself playmates - Every 40 Seconds, by Patrick Roche

If you can't handle this, roll off the mattress//I'm trying to let you know that you're not just another--When you're under the covers, I'm under your thumb//And you're the finest of specimens - Bring the Night On, by Eve 6

For the good fathers//And the person who invented eye glasses - If There was a God, by Olivia Gatwood

I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face - I Will Survive, by Gloria Gaynor

Endlessly struggling against former ways//I will not be called a coward with the choices that I face - The Hero Pt. 2, by Ministry of Magic

Look and understand//Press your lips to me and drink - E., by Catherynne M. Valente

Take a sip of my secret potion//I'll make you fall in love//For a spell that can't be broken//One drop should be enough - Black Magic, by Little Mix

They like to time their fucking, ensuring it begins twenty to forty minutes after I have fallen asleep; and lasts until I have contemplated setting a small fire - Someone Lives in Apartment Four, Brenna Twohy

It should have been me inside that car//It should have been me instead of him (in the dark) - Like We Used To, by A Rocket to the Moon

I learned the telltale signs of disordered eating as a teenager//but as far as I could tell, boys don't get that kind of sick - Hocus Pocus, by Patrick Roche

When the wolves come and hunt me down//I will face them off and stand my ground//Cuz there's a fire burnin' in me//They will see my strength in this love I found//Oh - Hard Love, by NEEDTOBREATHE

I want fingers between my legs//I want heat//I want my fingers slick - Masturbation, by Lillian Olson

I'll be sleeping on the left side of the bed (hey)//Open doors for me and you might get some--kisses - Dear Future Husband, by Meghan Trainor

Show me again, I said. Tell me again not to talk to strangers - Exaggerated Honey, by Elizabeth Metzger

Dregs of black tea leaves, spinach smoothies, red slushies, whatever's in reach around 9 to swallow the pills easy and pink as a sunset - Libations, by Rhiannon McGavin

'On the day you fell through a cloud...' - Love Letter, by Sarah Manguso

[fleurcareil]

West Quebec: 4 national parks north of Montreal & Quebec City

When I had checked in at national park Hautes Gorges, they already told me that most of the park including the river activities and most hiking trails were closed due to the high rain fall a few days earlier, but when I woke up the forest fire smoke had moved in as well; double whammy of climate change impacting my travel! 🥺

On top of it I felt crap from a cold that I had developed the day before (am thinking I got the virus on one of the boat tours when everybody was on top of each other to take pictures) so I took it extra slow in the morning, already cooking the rice for the evening meal (staving off a brazen chipmunk who kept jumping on the table) and even doing an old-fashioned steam session with vix under a towel to loosen it all up. 😂

From the visitor centre, I did end up doing a 8.4k hike, first up to a boring lake (undoubtedly made more unattractive by the smog) which was higher than I thought so was struggling to breathe in between my coughs and sneezes, and then along the river which was indeed raging; it would have been impossible to SUP let alone swim in the water! I then took the shuttle bus to a little dam where the water flow continued to be impressive so had some snacks at a picknick table while doing a crossword. Not feeling great at all, I skipped dinner & went straight into the tent at 6pm... not the best of days! 🤧

It was good that I had gone to bed so early as it meant that I had a few hours of sleep before a thunderstorm rolled in. I always find it a bit scary to stay in the tent but not sure the car is much better... the tent and I survived 🙃 but it meant that once more everything was damp/wet/soaked when packing up, truly the main downside of camping!

On my way to the next campground, I spent the day at Grands-Jardins national park, which was also impacted by the floods but luckily the "jewel" hike up Mont du Lac des Cygnes was open. At 8.6k and 500m elevation gain, the hike was not the easiest but my sneezing had already been much reduced (although I'm still coughing a week later) so I felt reasonably well. After the first viewpoint at a pretty lake (confusingly not the Cygnes 😜) the last km was a scramble up rocks and staircases, but then an incredible view opened up of the surrounding hills and valleys, all part of another massive astrobleme (this time the 11th largest of the world) when a meteorite hit the earth a long time ago. Beautiful! 🤩

Driving at the end of the afternoon towards Québec City, the rolling hills which were very pretty to drive through all the way from Baie-Comeau, made way for the flat plains around the river while in the distance the city contours with its chateau became visible... before I reached the "capital nationale" 😄 however, I veered north to a private campground close to park Jacques-Cartier. Generally, I prefer to stay in park campgrounds rather than in private ones, as they're more natural, cheaper and have better showers 😅, but this one was actually really good; it had a lot of space, amenities such as a fastfood truck, mini golf and a (now not so lazy) river where people floated on inflatables, and most importantly, a truly quiet nighttime!

Again, most of the park was closed as a result of flooding, so I did a lovely 4k hike around a cascading river (am feeling much better now!), and then felt incredibly lazy so hung the rest of the day at the visitor centre talking to my parents, writing the blog and putting my feet up! 😊😊I did start another small hike on the way back but aborted after 10 minutes, simply not feeling it 😝. In the evening, I had two trip firsts; I used a standalone rack to cook over the fire (private campgrounds don't provide a grill where park ones do), and I finally made my first s'more, with a kitkat as the camp store didn't have any real chocolate 😅. Very satisfying!!

Rain had been forecast for the next day however it was still dry when I woke up, so I swiftly cleaned up camp and did a 6.6k hike up a mountain. The view was not as great as I had thought it would be, but not complaining though, always a 100x better than a computer screen! 😉 The rain did start when I got to the top and quickly turned into a downpour, so had to do a complete change of clothes on my return at the visitor centre 😂... once I'm fully soaked I don't mind the wetness anymore, as long as I know I can dry & warm up at the end of it!

Not being in a particular rush to get to my next campsite in the pouring rain, I spent a few hours in Quebec's largest mall, the Galeries de la Capitale, buying some things and having chinese at the foodcourt! 👌 I'm not a big fan of malls, but this one was quite impressive with an indoor skating rink, a ferris wheel, rollercoaster and carrousel - although you can imagine the noise was ear deafening and a bit of a shock to the system after camping.

When I got to La Mauricie national park, the sun had come out again so spent a leisurely evening at the campfire, more my cup of tea than the busy mall! The next day started humid and cloudy, so I forewent another steep uphill hike for a series of shorter ones along the 50km park way. Driving from one end of the park to the other side, there's little hikes at lakes, bogs, viewpoints that are all equally pretty and don't require much effort, so perfect to drink my cup of tea while taking in the scenery! At the west end, people were swimming in the rapids, but instead I took a refreshing dip in the lake & then chilled on the beach for a while.

I won't post too many pictures of my campfires, but this one I was particularly proud of as it had been a struggle in the last days to get it going due to the wood being wet... very frustrating when the fire keeps fizzling out but now I heaped so much kindling on it that the strong heat dried up the logs quickly.

After 6 days of camping, I'm ready to get back to town and check into a hotel in Montreal and then off to northwest Ontario!

Wildlife: 1 porcupine (Hautes Gorges), 1 heron, tens of tiny frogs, 1 turkey & 1 deer (La Mauricie)

SUPs: none

Hikes: one at Hautes Gorges, one at Grands-Jardins, two at Jacques-Cartier, 5 little ones at La Mauricie

[casspurrjoybell-17]

Hart and Hunter - Chapter 22 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Dane Hunter

If I didn't know what awaited us, it would have been a pleasant drive.

Early morning sunlight streams through the boughs of the tall, evenly spaced pines, little chipmunks and ground squirrels scamper through the underbrush and birds flit among the trees.

Picnic tables dot the landscape and I catch a glimpse of blue water up ahead. 

As we near the boating area, I also see the first signs of something amiss... flashing lights in the open parking area near the boat ramp and a row of official vehicles lining the side of the road. 

Pulling up behind a car bearing the marks of the sheriff's department, I take stock of who's here and who's not.

It's an eclectic mix of sheriff's deputies, fire personnel, parks services and few unmarked vehicles... some of which I recognize. 

"No sign of the coroner," I murmur.

"He's either not here yet or he's been and gone but my money's on the former." 

"Looks like the sheriff's here in person."

Julian points to a large, shiny SUV blocking the road up ahead.

It's bigger and fancier than the rest and has 'sheriff' written on the side in red and gold lettering.

"Is that usual?" 

"Not for a department this size but that's Randall Walker for you. If there's a chance of press coverage, he'll want to be sure he gets his mug in the shot." 

I get out and slam the door shut after me, not bothering to lock it with the forest full of law enforcement.

Circling around to Julian's side, I hear the echoes of a heated argument filtering through the trees. 

"Sounds like Coleridge is here, too," Julian remarks mildly and points. 

I follow the direction of his gaze and see the source of the commotion up ahead.

Near a picnic bench at the edge of the pines, Coleridge faces off against a large, balding man wearing a khaki uniform with a shiny, star-shaped badge pinned to the chest.

Sheriff Walker clutches a brown fedora in one hand and gestures angrily with the other as he shouts. 

Coleridge is having none of it and shouts right back at him.

As we draw closer, I make out her words. 

"The most irresponsible, unethical, unprofessional, fucking shit-headed thing to do." 

Walker's face is red with fury as he jabs a finger at Coleridge's chest.

"Now, see here, you meddlesome bitch. This is my investigation and I'll run it however I damn well see fit. You've got no right to barge in here and tell me..."

"I'll tell you where you can shove your investigation," Coleridge snaps.

"And I'm telling you this isn't an accident or a suicide, Walker. It's not a photo-op either. That young woman was murdered and you better pray to the God of shady politics her family doesn't see that headline before your cowboys deliver the news properly. If they do, you can sure as hell kiss your chance at re-election goodbye." 

"Chief," I call in greeting as the distance between us closes.

She looks up and frowns but some of the raw anger leaves her face, tempered by a friendlier expression. 

"Hart. Hunter. What are you two doing here?" 

"Saw the headline," I say. 

"Shit," she says, running a hand over her greying hair and sighs. 

"I take it collaboration is off the table?" 

Scowling, she turns to look after the sheriff and his posse. 

"Walker's a son of a bitch but he's not a fool. He's allowing us to 'shadow' his 'operation' because he knows his team isn't equipped for something like this. He wants the credit and the glory and I don't want evidence lost or mishandled. So, in a perverse way, our interests align. Problem is, he needs to look and feel like he's in charge all the time."

She sighs.

"This is why we need a centralized homicide unit. Get the fucking egos out of the way." 

"I remember the last time you proposed that. Made for one hell of a town hall meeting." 

She laughs, though it's a rough, humorless sound.

Then she turns to Julian and her expression shifts.

I'd almost call it 'motherly' if I didn't know better. 

"Hart, you alright?" 

Julian crosses his arms and huffs.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" 

"Because you look like shit," Coleridge says before I can come up with a more diplomatic answer.

"And because I know you got history with this place." 

His eyes go wide.

"You do?" 

"Yeah. You think I don't do thorough background checks on consultants? Especially the ones who claim to be psychic. Your father took his own life here." 

I bristle at her bluntness, ready to step between my mate and the threat of harm but Julian speaks for himself. 

"It's complicated," he says.

"But yeah, he died after jumping from the dam." 

She chews her bottom lip.

"Are you up for it? You want to read the body, right?" 

Julian and I exchange looks.

"There's a chance I might pick up something important. So, yeah... I'd like to try," he says and Coleridge nods. 

"Good. Come with me. Halloran and Vasquez are down there already, trying to manage the scene. I hate to speak ill of other law enforcement but honestly, it's like herding cats." 

She leads the way towards the lake and we emerge from the trees into a wide, paved area filled with a haphazard collection of emergency vehicles and roaming personnel. 

The boat ramp is a long slab of ribbed concrete that descends beneath the water, with an old wooden dock stretched alongside.

Beyond this, the lake lies blue and serene beneath the morning sky, its surface as yet undisturbed by the wind and waves that build throughout the day. 

Several hundred yards to the west, the curve of the dam bends the water in an artificially smooth arc, on the other side of which is a precipitous and deadly drop. 

I look at Julian but his attention is elsewhere.

To our right, a black plastic screen has been erected around a spot further down the rocky shoreline.

Beside it, Halloran and Vasquez stand side by side, arguing with a couple of deputies. 

Coleridge sighs.

"Leave this to me. You ready?" 

Julian nods, his mouth set in a determined line. 

With some misgivings and still half hoping I can somehow shield him from whatever awaits us, I follow him towards the scene. 

[catsiidhe]

taking a ride share to class because my car’s in the shop (got stuck on a hill last night & indirectly caused two minor collisions), gonna get to class 13 minutes late on 3 hours of sleep with an incomplete final project and the driver’s playing a combination of alvin and the chipmunks & religious christmas music

[rockislandadultreads]

October is... National Squirrel Appreciation Month!

My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kemper

Meet Ellie, the best-intentioned redhead next door. You’ll laugh right alongside her as she shares tales of her childhood in St. Louis, whether directing and also starring in her family holiday pageant, washing her dad’s car with a Brillo pad, failing to become friends with a plump squirrel in her backyard, eating her feelings while watching PG-13 movies, or becoming a “sports monster” who ends up warming the bench of her Division 1 field hockey team in college.

You’ll learn how she found her comedic calling in the world of improv, became a wife, mother and New Yorker, and landed the role of a bridesmaid (while simultaneously being a bridesmaid) in Bridesmaids. You’ll get to know and love the comic, upbeat, perpetually polite actress playing Erin Hannon on The Office, and the exuberant, pink-pants-wearing star of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Shakespeare for Squirrels by Christopher Moore

Set adrift by his pirate crew, Pocket of Dog Snogging—last seen in The Serpent of Venice—washes up on the sun-bleached shores of Greece, where he hopes to dazzle the Duke with his comedic brilliance and become his trusted fool.

But the island is in turmoil. Egeus, the Duke’s minister, is furious that his daughter Hermia is determined to marry Demetrius, instead of Lysander, the man he has chosen for her. The Duke decrees that if, by the time of the wedding, Hermia still refuses to marry Lysander, she shall be executed . . . or consigned to a nunnery. Pocket, being Pocket, cannot help but point out that this decree is complete bollocks, and that the Duke is an egregious weasel for having even suggested it. Irritated by the fool’s impudence, the Duke orders his death. With the Duke’s guards in pursuit, Pocket makes a daring escape.

He soon stumbles into the wooded realm of the fairy king Oberon, who, as luck would have it, IS short a fool. His jester Robin Goodfellow—the mischievous sprite better known as Puck—was found dead. Murdered. Oberon makes Pocket an offer he can’t refuse: he will make Pocket his fool and have his death sentence lifted if Pocket finds out who killed Robin Goodfellow. But as anyone who is even vaguely aware of the Bard’s most performed play ever will know, nearly every character has a motive for wanting the mischievous sprite dead.

With too many suspects and too little time, Pocket must work his own kind of magic to find the truth, save his neck, and ensure that all ends well.

This is the third volume of the "Fool" series.

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris

Featuring David Sedaris's unique blend of hilarity and heart, this new illustrated collection of animal-themed tales is an utter delight. Though the characters may not be human, the situations in these stories bear an uncanny resemblance to the insanity of everyday life.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl by Ryan North & Erica Henderson

Wolverine, Deadpool, Doctor Doom, Thanos: There's one hero that's beaten them all-and now she's got her own ongoing series! (Not that she's bragging.) That's right, you asked for it, you got it, it's SQUIRREL GIRL! (She's also starting college this semester.) It's the start of a brand-new set of adventures starring the nuttiest and most upbeat super hero in the world!