#but chipmunks got my last car :(

[drowninginthoughts27]

i just bought a new car ahhhhh

[left4gospels]

“UNTOUCHABLE”

Short story

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(Drawing by me, I hated the full version but i liked how I drew Ellis so this is what you get.)

First time writing something and posting it publicly so uh i hope you guys like it. Was just an idea I had. I dont like this it could be better.

TW: Death, violence, Keith is sort of a douche, mid story.

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“Ellis and his best buddy Keith were driving on the road, heading to the nearest evacuation station with no idea what would happen to them. With rumors of an apocalypse, neither of them were taking it seriously. Keith always had that invincible energy that nothing could touch either of them when they were together, so why would Ellis doubt him? They were fine, everything would work out in the end.

That is, until they run out of gas. Then everything starts to get a little too serious for Ellis.”

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The chevy sped down the empty backroad, gravel crunching under the tires and trees blurring by. Ellis kept one hand on the wheel and the other draped over the shifter, his fingers tapping to the rhythm of ‘Don't fear the reaper’. Keith sat in the passenger seat, his worn boots propped up on the dash like he owned the damn thing, tearing into a stick of jerky he randomly found in his pocket. They’d taken one of the many backroads of Georgia to avoid the crowd towards the evacuation station– a hotel Ellis hadn’t been to since he was a kid– leaving the road clear for him to step on the gas.

“Man, this don’t feel real, does it?” Keith said, his mouth half-full, cheeks puffed like a chipmunk as he looked out the window. Ellis turned down the radio to hear him. “Remember that ramp off of White Bluff? I was drivin’, and I hit that shit goin’ like 120! Dave nearly shit his fuckin’ pants. You puked all over my dash, I was fuckin’ pissed.”

Ellis glanced at him, laughing at the memory. “Dude I know! I was just thinkin’ about that! Oh man, that was so funny. I’d do it again, ‘except last time we weren’t dodgin’ zombies n’ shit.”

“Hey, we ain’t seen no zombies yet? If we do, just run them fuckers over. Nothin’ but a speed bump.” Keith grinned, the kind of grin that made him look like a kid trying to get away with something. It was that grin that normally got Ellis into trouble. Keith had a way of turning bad ideas into brilliant ones, and Ellis had a bad habit of going along with them. Like the time Keith got it in his head to make homemade fireworks, or the bumper cars, or the gators. Keith always liked the thrill of having one foot in the grave.

Even when Keith’s ideas blew up in their faces—literally, in the case of the fireworks—Ellis always trusted him. Keith just had this way about him, this dumb kinda confidence that made you believe nothing could ever touch you in his presence. And until that day, Ellis believed him.

“Man, that would be so cool. Use em’ as a ramp, oh– like the Dukes of hazzard!” Ellis cheered with a gleaming smile, both of them laughing.

“Just the good ol’ boys…” Keith sang the tune to the opening. “That used to come on every mornin’ after the news. You remember as a kid, playin’ as them? Man, we were stupid. I’d watch it again though.”

Ellis smiled and swallowed hard, his throat suddenly tight. He didn’t want to think about the news– how all those people died in Macon, or how they might never see another tv show again. Now that the evacuation was mandatory, it all seemed different. He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. Ellis didn’t like to think about shit like that. So he avoided those thoughts for as long as he could.

“Y’think this hotel’s gonna be as fancy as it used to be? Hell, I ain’t been to The Vannah in a fuckin’ dogs age. Last time I was there, I think I was with Cindy,” Keith asked, breaking the silence. “That bitch that left me at the tunnel of’ love'?”

“Ha! Yeah, I remember that.” Ellis snorted, adjusting his hat. Who’s he kidding? They’re gonna be fine. “Oughta be paradise with all this shit goin’ on. Bet there’s gonna be a shit ton a’ people. Hope they ain’t zombies like on the TV.”

Keith laughed, that wheezy, half-choked sound that always got Ellis laughing too, and for a moment, the world didn’t seem so bad. “Pft, I wasn't payin’ attention to that. That news lady they got on channel 7 is a fine piece, I can tell ya that.”

Then the fuel light dinged, Ellis groaned. They should’ve fueled up before, but everyone was in such a rush to leave, they figured they might as well be too.

“Goddamn, already outta gas,” he muttered, hitting his steering wheel. “This is some bullshit. I told you we should’a gassed ‘er up.”

The gas station came into view a mile or so down the road, a lonely convenience store from when people worried about gas prices and not whether they’d live long enough to pay for it. Ellis pulled the truck into the lot, the tires crunching over broken glass and debris.

“Where the hell are the people? They already left? Man, I better not get a flat from all this glass, I'm serious.” Ellis said, shaking his head as he turned into one of the pumps.

“Shit, this place looks like a scene outta a horror movie,” Keith said, leaning out the window to get a better look. “Betcha there’s bodies in the back.”

“Shut up,” Ellis grinned, slapping him on the shoulder. “Ain’t funny.” He said, despite his smile.

He killed the engine and stepped out, the heat slamming into him like a wall. Goddamn the Georgia heat was relentless. It was quiet. No birds, no wind, just the sound of his boots on the pavement as he walked to the pump. He glanced around—two empty cars, both with busted windows, but not a soul in sight. I mean damn, he didn’t think it would be all peaches and cream, but he definitely didn’t expect nothing like this.

“Hey, you think they got snacks inside?” Keith called from the truck, stepping out and shutting the door.

Ellis smiled and looked over his shoulder, Keith’s words distracting him from reality– like they always did. “Oh, that’s a good idea right there. Man, I could go for a slurpee– or a beer.” He shook his head. “You think they make beer slurpees?”

Keith didn’t answer, and Ellis figured he ran off somewhere to find some food. He was silently wondering if he still had to pay or not, gripping the pump handle, his fingers trembling just a little. He hated how quiet it was. Hated how weird this whole thing felt. He started getting wrapped up in his head again, something he never does. Maybe this whole flu thing was a bigger deal than he thought.

“El,” Keith called again, catching Ellis’s attention.“You see that?”

Ellis turned, following Keith’s gaze to the corner of the lot. A shadow darted between two cars, quick and low, like an animal.

“Prolly just a dog or some shit,” Ellis said, though he didn’t believe it himself. Just ignore it, he told himself, get the gas and go.

Keith snorted. “Yeah, a dog the size of a goddamn linebacker.”

Ellis laughed at that, setting the pump back in its cradle and turned toward the truck. “C’mon, we’re leavin’. Not a man here, so I ain’t payin’. And I sure as hell ain’t killin’ no dog.”

But Keith wasn’t in the truck. He was a good twenty feet away, crouched beside an overturned box, squinting at something on the ground.

“What'd ya find? Hurry your ass up, man.” Ellis smiled, approaching him. Ellis usually didn’t mind the way Keith treated all this like it was just another story they’d laugh about later, it kept his mind from wandering to the parts of this whole mess he wasn’t ready to think about. He didn’t know if he ever would be. Now, Ellis was starting to get a little worried. But he’d never let Keith know that.

Keith looked up, grinning like an idiot, waving the yellow cylinder in the air. “Found me a box of Twinkies! They ain’t even opened!”

“Awh, yeah! Get some and let’s go man, cmon. Move your ass.” Ellis said, beckoning him with a little more insistence in his words. The hairs on his neck stood up, watching as Keith shoved a couple more in his pocket.

“Alright alright. Damn, don’t get your panties in a twist–”

And then it happened.

The “dog” from before launched itself at Keith, moving faster than Ellis blink. Keith barely had time to scream before the thing was on him, its claws ripping into his chest, its weight slamming him to the ground. This wasn’t a dog, this was a human– or it was at one point– as wild as an animal

“Keith!” Ellis yelled, his voice cracking, pulse skyrocketing. “Holy shit!”

The thing snarled with gritted teeth, blood already dripping from its mouth from God knows what. Keith thrashed and yelled, using all the force he could to push the thing off, but it was no use. It’s hands– almost clawed, tore into Keith's ribs, jabbing into his organs again and again and again. This thing wasn’t like the zombies in movies. It wasn’t looking for brains or running on hunger– it was looking to kill.

Ellis grabbed the crowbar he kept in bed of his truck and ran, his legs moving on instinct. The first hit connected with a sickening crunch, sending blood and bits of bone flying. The Hunter reeled, its claws twitching, but Ellis didn't stop. He brought the crowbar down against its skill– feeling every hit– until the thing was a lifeless heap of infected flesh on the ground. Ellis stared in disbelief for a second, panting with burning lungs, before he heard a babbling cough beneath him.

“Keith!” Ellis gasped, forgetting the crowbar and dropping to his knees beside him. Blood pooled on the asphalt under Keith's body– his shirt and flesh shredded to pieces. Keith’s eyes were wide, his chest heaving, blood pouring from the gaping wound in his side, coughing up more of the red liquid from all the internal damage. Ellis reckoned it must’ve hurt something fierce, but the sheer shock and adrenaline must’ve kept Keith from feeling a thing.

“Ellis,” he choked out, his voice weak, looking down at himself in complete disbelief. “Holy fuck, man– holy fuck!” He repeated, his mouth gaping open in surprise. “What the fuck was that thing?!”

“Shit!” Ellis yells, shaking his head. “Holy shit, man! No, it's alright. You’re always fine. Remember the fireworks? The gator?” He tried to chuckle, but it just came out as a choked sob. “Keith, c’mon man, get up! You’re alright…”

Keith tried to smile weakly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Man, this ain’t the same, Ellis! I’m all– I'm everywhere…” The corners of his lips turned downwards. His hands trembled as he attempted to sit up, he couldn’t seem to look at anything but his organs pooling out of his body. Keith gurgled, more blood rising from his throat and out of his teeth. His breath was ragged and thick, the thing must’ve hit one of his lungs.

Pressing his palms to the wound, Ellis tried to stop the red stream from spurting out as best he could, but it only stained the back of his hands. Keith began to choke, and cough out another gush of blood onto his shirt. His wide eyes settled onto Ellis’s face, tears streaming slowly down them. Keith never cried.

“I think I'm gonna die, man…” He whispered, voice quivering as his hand reached for Ellis, fingers weakly gripping his shirt. “That thing knocked the life outta me.”

“No,” Ellis whispered, his voice breaking, shaking his head in denial. “Shut up, man. No, no, no. No, man you’re not gonna die.” He pleaded, silently praying, repenting for every sin they’ve ever committed. Not Keith man, he couldn’t lose his best buddy.

“Shit, Ellis man.. I don’t wanna die…” Keith said, his panicked voice dropping low, words slurring. “I’m– You’re my best friend, man…” His eyes grew big for a few seconds, so full of fear, looking up to the sky at something Ellis couldn’t see. Ellis shook his head, his lips beginning to move, begging for him to keep holding on. Begging for God not to do this to either of them. Keith took a few more ragged breaths, and one last sticky heave, before his eyes shut. His body went slack, head lolling to the side.

“KEITH!” Ellis yelled, shaking him now. “No, no no no. Man, c’mon man!” He said, gripping hard on his shoulders. It was then when he realised he was crying himself. Keith was dead. Keith just died in front of him, in his arms. “Shit!”

Ellis abruptly stumbled to his feet, sticky with his best friend's blood. He studied his muddy hands, palms up, palms down. He could feel his pulse in the tips of his fingers, his hands sore from gripping the crowbar so hard. Staring at Keith and the zombie's lifeless body, a numbing despair settled over him. It all happened so fast… so fuckin’ fast.

He had to get out of here.

Ellis climbed into the driver’s seat, fumbling with the keys and staring at his hands. He found a grease rag in the compartment of his truck, desperately scrubbing his best friend’s DNA off his skin, though it didn’t do much but dry them. His blood was in the beds of his fingernails. He started the engine and pulled onto the road, hands trembling on the wheel. He didn’t look in the mirror, he didn’t dare look back.

He was going to the evac station– he’ll meet Keith there.

Keith wasn’t dead. That wasn’t his body dying in Ellis’s arms. He was back in the truck, laughing about Twinkies or pools or something stupid. Or better yet, somewhere at home with a beer and a shotgun, safe as can be. Yeah. He’s alright.

Keith was fine. Ellis never saw anyone die.

He had never seen a zombie before.

Nothing could ever touch him.

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[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

[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!

[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

[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. 

[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!

[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.

[pbandjesse]

I am feeling a lot better tonight which is nice. the day did not start like that but I was so sweaty today I think I may have sweated the sickness away?? It's just a theory anyway.

I wasn't feeling great last night but I slept. Waking up was horrible. But it was something I had to do. So after snoozing my alarm twice I did get up and got myself ready. Against my will.

James would give me some medicine and that got me through. And I would feel fine soon after taking it so I'm glad they did that for me. I was running about 10 minutes late and the traffic did not help. It was very not only heavy traffic at times but people driving insane. I almost got side swiped and someone else slammed on the breaks in front of me. Thankfully I always drive with a very large space between me and the car in front of me. Ugh.

When I got to camp I drove around to make sure everything was good to go. The lovely parents from yesterday did such a good job cleaning up so I didn't have to do anything so I was very pleased. And honestly today's parents made everything easy too. It was great.

I was in the hacienda when I heard some cars and all my parents were at the office! I yelled over to them and went to meet them. And I would walk them all to their spaces.

And for real they were all so good. Just excited to be there and so sweet. I had some really excellent conversations with some of them and that was so nice. I just really enjoyed hanging out with them at different points throughout the day.

This group would also have a lot of chaperones and they all came before the kids. So I had a whole bunch of adults and they were nice too. One of them made a comment about how well organized I was and I was like oh my God thank you I do not feel organized at all.

But soon the kids were arriving and I was able to meet the bus and everything was good. There were a bunch of Puhtok kids and I felt sure in charge and good. And after the teacher got them into their groups and seated I got them going.

My I tro was much calmer. And filled the time much better. And while I didn't have time for the storybook that was alright. I would send them off to their programs and it was good.

But man was I hot. Just sweating through my dress. No one else seemed to be as hot as me so I think it was mostly the material of the dress and the fact that I had my rain boots on. There was still a lot of mud back by the woodlands village so I didn't want to not wear my boots yet. But also. I was so hot and later in the day, after the group left I changed into flipflops and was so much happier it was wild how much it helped.

Because I was so hot though I would take a few more office breaks. It wasn't as awkward in the office. Everyone seemed to be in a better mood. And it was nicer to be around. Chatting. I also was just feeling better. I was trying very hard to remain hydrated so I wouldn't be to hot and I just would continue to feel better. Still uncomfortable from the heat and sneezing coughing from allergies but I didn't feel sick sick anymore.

The groups all seemed to be having a lot of fun. I would wander around and check in but everyone seemed good so I tried to just give everyone space and not hover. Don't want to make anyone nervous. And it was a nice day. Nice seeing everyone having fun. Hearing the laughing. I was enjoying my walks. It was a good day. I even saw a chipmunk!

I would go back to the office when I was thirsty as I wasn't carrying my cup around. And Heather asked me to investigate cement pavers with Joe. So I went up to his shed and we chatted. He is going to move them for us so I was very very grateful for that. Heather would come up to see the pavers because they were a little larger then I think she expected but I think they will work really well for tic tac toe and hopscotch.

While we were up there we were near Joe's metal recycling pile and I saw there was a fire pit. And I was like. Hey could I have this? It's a little rusty but still nice. And Joe said a wedding put it in front of the dumpsters and that I could have it so I would carry that to the car. I was so thrilled about this. We were going to buy one anyway but now we have the nicer one that I know is $150+! Incredible.

The rest of the day would go smoothly. The teachers were telling me about more stuff Walter apparently used to do. About beads and fire. I wish I knew Walter better. He sounds like a wealth of knowledge. But I do my best.

I had my little lunch. And had to keep going back to the hacienda because the toilets were doing the continuous running thing and it is so annoying. But the kids are also afraid of the toilets because it's loud flushing all the time. But I had to keep promising them they would still work and to not be afraid.

I would have some more really lovely conversations with the parents. About how I got involved in camp and how me and James met. One of the dad's told me all about ways to make mushrooms taste better. He recommended a dressing called Gazebo that he uses for basically everything. So I will have to look into that. I don't even dislike mushrooms but I would like to try the dressing!

The end of the day came quick. I brought everyone back to the hacienda and we did some questions and said goodbye. And one parent would help me with chairs but then it didn't matter anyway because there is a feild trip in there tomorrow. Excellent.

Elizabeth asked me to go meet with Sarah and Heather to make sure the fort was clean. I walked to the office to get the gator and went up there but no help was needed. Instead I grabbed Sarah and we went to collect trash. Office. Hacienda. Then to the barn dumpster. The breeze while riding the gator was the best part. And after a stop at the Alaskans to drop off some merch that was leftover from last weekend, which was also super cold and felt great, we went back to the office for a staff meeting.

And it was a pretty productive meeting. When it wasn't relevant to me I was texting my mom about our proposed trip to Scotland. We were supposed to go in 2020. But I will let you guess why that didn't happen. It actually lead to a huge fight between us because I said I wasn't sad about the loss of the trip but the loss of time with my mom. And I still stand by that. Especially because the pandemic made us spend even less time together. And I am just really really excited to get this back and to make memories with her.

She had been pushing for bus trip but I think it's to expensive and that we can do it both cheaper and better for us. So now I am doing research and making plans. I am in touch with my friend Laura in Ireland for some ideas and I may even suggest we do a layover/ one night in Belfast. Laura even offered to show us around if we do that. I want this to be an amazing trip for me and mom but also need to make sure I don't kill us by trying to do to much. Next April is the plan. And I am really excited to plan everything ASAP!!

When the meeting was relevant to me I made some suggestions and asked some questions and made my self available to help come up with programing for Horse camp. Which I hope they take advantage of. Because camp is only a few weeks away!! Crazy how it snuck up on us.

At 4:10 I headed home. When I got in the, very hot, car the GPS said the drive home would be 45 minutes. Ugh. But whatever. I started heading home and right around the corner from camp I saw a rocking chair on the side of the road. And had to stop and pick it up. Even of the fire pit in the back I made room. Was annoyed by the cars not just going around me but I was quick. Got my chair. And drove back to camps drive way to turn back around and get back on track to go home.

I texted James and let them know I got a poor abandoned rocking chair and I couldn't leave it there all alone! They laughed at me!

When I finally got back here James was happy to see me and I was happy to see them. The went to get the fire pit and rocking chair from the car. And I was feeling really good and went in the backyard to play with sweetp. He was having a blast out there and I would throw a ball with him for a bit and was just in a really good mood.

I went and took a shower and put on a lighter dress. I was a lot more comfortable and way less dusty.

We would hang out on the couch. I picked at my face and plucked my eyebrows. Made my face all red picking though. Bad. James would make us pasta for dinner but I was more excited to the garlic bread. It was fine, the pasta was just a little boring. I enjoyed James's company. Things were good.

Eventually, while I was reading a funny story to James my dad called. And we talked for a bit. About his leg and stories and memories. He also told me about the budget for the trip and mom agreed from the background about the length of the trip and trusting me. So I am excited to have their trust. I would like to make sure that this is cost effective and fun and just a really great trip.

I came upstairs to hang out in the AC. James went to record their podcast. And it's just been a really lovely night chilling.

Tomorrow is a long day! I have a feild trip, where I am supposed to lead hikes and I am really excited to just walk around. And then I have a workshop in the evening! It is for polymer clay and I am really looking forward to that. Also nervous!! I hope the people who signed up have fun, that's all I really ever want.

I am going to get ready for bed now though. Brush my teeth and make sure I'm ready for tomorrow.

I hope you all sleep good tonight. I love you all. Good night!!

[piplupfluffwritingstuff2]

Wisdom Teeth- Marvel One Shot

Y/N has to get her wisdom teeth taken out, and her friends, Spider-Man and Deadpool, are there to take care of her

“Just gave Y/N a valium pill!” Wade said, holding his phone out in front of him, “now let the fun begin!”

“Wade, put that away,” Peter scolded, “help me get Y/N into the car.”

“But how am I supposed to record all the funny stuff she’s gonna end up saying?”

“I’m not gonna say anything funny,” Y/N slurred.

“Ha! That’s what you think, doll. Just wait until that pill really kicks in.”

“Remind me where we’re going?” Y/N asked, trying her best to walk without help.

“The SHIELD med bay, Y/N,” Peter answered.

“Oh… why?”

“Because you’re getting your wisdom teeth out, remember? Gosh, you are out of it.”

Peter helped Y/N slide into the SHIELD hover-car. He sat down in the backseat next to her while Wade took the wheel in the front. Y/N slumped forward in her seat; she would have fallen over completely were it not for Peter, who gripped her by the shoulders to keep her upright.

…

When the group arrived at the SHIELD med-bay, Y/N could barely walk. Peter was tempted to just lift her up and carry her the rest of the way, but he knew he’d never hear the end of it if Y/N found out about it. So, he let Y/N lean on him all the way to the operating room.

“Where’re we?” Y/N slurred, “are we on Morag?”

“Nope, still on Earth, Y/N,” Peter answered gently.

A SHIELD nurse walked in shortly followed by an anesthesiologist and a surgeon.

“Have her lay down here,” the nurse instructed, gesturing to a dentist’s chair.

“Y/N, I’m gonna let you down slowly, okay?”

“Mmhm,” Y/N replied dazedly.

Peter tried his best to lower Y/N into the chair as gracefully as he could, but Y/N almost fell out twice.

“I’m afraid only one of you can stay for this next part,” the surgeon said, “we don’t want the room to be too crowded.”

“Got it,” Peter said, “Wade, you’re up.”

…

Y/N watched Peter leave with a sad look in her eyes. She watched Wade enter her field of vision. He took her hand and started rubbing circles into it.

“Hey, Y/N, remember me?” He asked.

“Wade, where’d Peter go?”

“He just had to step out for a minute, don’t worry, he’ll be back as soon as you wake up.”

Y/N felt the nurse place a foam ball in her other hand.

“Squeeze that for me, sweetheart,” the nurse said.

Y/N squeezed as hard as she could manage, but she felt so weak that she wasn’t sure if she was actually squeezing anything. Y/N flinched when she saw the anesthesiologist pull out a needle.

“Wade, I’m scared,” Y/N said, tears welling up in her eyes.

‘I know, I know,” Wade said, “but it’ll just be a small little pinch and then you’ll go to sleep. And hey, I promise we can get ice cream after this. How does that sound?”

Y/N nodded. She barely felt the needle enter her arm.

“Count backwards from ten for us, Y/N,” the anesthesiologist said.

“Ten, nine…eight…seven…”

Y/N was finding it difficult to keep counting. She blinked once, twice, then her eyes stayed shut. The last thing she felt before drifting off was Wade’s hand letting go of hers.

…

Y/N woke up to pain. So much pain. Her mouth felt like it had been smashed with a block of concrete, and when she ran her tongue over her gums, she tasted blood.

“Hey, she’s waking up.”

Y/N opened her eyes to her friends standing over her.

“How are you feeling, my little chipmunk?” Wade asked.

“Chi-unk?” Y/N tried to say, but her lips felt numb. She felt around with her tongue and tasted cotton on either side of her mouth. Her cheeks were also numb. Y/N brought a hand up to her cheek, but Peter gently grabbed it and put it back down.

“You can’t touch your face yet, Y/N,” he said, “it’s okay, we’re gonna get you home.”

Y/N felt herself being lifted up into a bridal carry. She looked up into Peter’s lenses.

“I ‘an walk,” Y/N protested.

“Sorry, Y/N, but you could barely walk on valium, you’d fall over if you tried to walk now.”

Peter carried Y/N to the hovercar that was parked on the helicarrier landing pad and placed Y/N across the backseats. He sat down on the floor next to her and ran a hand through her hair. Wade put the car in gear and started to fly up into the air.

The trip home happened in a haze for Y/N. One minute she was in the hovercar, and the next minute she was being laid down in her bed. Y/N closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she had no recollection of the past few hours. Y/N sat up in bed and looked around. There were discarded rolls of cotton in a nearby trashcan, and Peter was sitting in a chair by her bedside.

“What happened?” Y/N asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“You don’t remember anything?” Peter asked.

“I remember you guys gave me a pill, then we got in some fancy SHIELD car, and then Wade was with me, and there was a needle.”

“That pretty much sums up the first half,” Peter said, “you got your wisdom teeth out. The surgery only took about twenty minutes. They brought you out, and we took you home.”

Y/N looked around for Wade, but he was nowhere in sight.

“Where’s Wade?” Y/N asked.

“He’s…” Peter paused, “I don’t know. He just left as soon as we got you in bed.”

“Surprise!” Came a sing-song voice.

The door to Y/N’s room swung open to reveal Wade, carrying a bowl of ice cream. Y/N’s eyes lit up. It was her favorite flavor of ice cream, topped with whip cream and sprinkles.

“Wade.” Peter’s lenses narrowed, “you know she’s not supposed to have that yet.”

“Pssh, you worry too much,” Wade said, handing the bowl to a very excited Y/N, “what could happen?”

…

“This could happen,” Peter said as he held Y/N’s hair back.

Y/N vomited into the trashcan that had been left in her room. Not an hour had passed after eating the ice cream and she was already regurgitating all of it.

“Okay, when the doc said ‘no dairy’, I assumed he meant straight up whole milk,” Wade said, “I didn’t think ice cream counted.”

Peter rubbed Y/N’s back with his other hand as she retched. Y/N was never going to look at a bowl of ice cream again. When her retching had turned to dry heaves, Peter helped her get up and guided her back to bed. He grabbed a washcloth and dabbed at her mouth. Y/N leaned back against the pillows, absolutely exhausted by just vomiting.

“Sorry,” Y/N mumbled.

“Not your fault,” Peter replied, glaring at Wade.

…

Y/N drifted in and out of consciousness for hours. She felt a hand gently shaking her shoulder.

“Y/N,” Peter’s voice echoed, “dinner time.”

Y/N groaned and pulled the covers over her head.

‘I know, I know, but you have to eat something. Come on, I made you some chicken broth. It’s got really tiny noodles in it, it should be easy on your mouth.”

Y/n groaned again and let Peter help her sit up. She tried to take the bowl of soup from Peter but he gripped it firmly.

“Ah ah, I don’t want you lifting anything,” he said, “let me do it.”

Y/N’s face turned red as Peter spoon-fed her the chicken broth with noodles.

“This is embarrassing,” Y/N mumbled.

“Yeah, but you’d do the same for me,” Peter reasoned.

Y/N only finished half of the soup before her eyes started to drift closed again.

“Wait, you can’t go to sleep yet. It’s time for your next dose of painkillers.”

Without opening her eyes, Y/N held her hand out for Peter to dump a small, white pill into. She took it and washed it down with a glass of water left by her nightstand.

“Now you can sleep,” Peter said.

Y/N was asleep before Peter finished his sentence.

…

3 days later

Y/N crept through the alley. If her intel was right, a crime gang should be meeting here any minute now. Y/N paused when she heard voices. By the sound of the discussion, it was definitely the gang she was looking for. Y/N charged up ice crystals and leapt into their path.

“Party’s over, boys,” Y/N said, though it caused pain to surge through her mouth.

The members of the gang all wore looks of shock on their faces. They went to draw their weapons, but they were all quickly immobilized by… webs? Y/N looked up as she heard the tell-tale sound of webs shooting through the air. Spider-Man crouched on a nearby fire-escape, his lenses narrowed menacingly. He leapt down and landed right in front of Y/N. He turned to the incapacitated gang members.

“Excuse us for a moment, fellas,” Spider-Man said, “Blizzard and I have something to discuss.”

Spider-Man turned back to Y/N and folded his arms across his chest.

“What are you doing out here?” he demanded, “Your mouth’s not healed yet, you should be in bed!”

“I took painkillers before I left,” Y/N argued, “I feel fine!”

Y/N held a hand to her cheek. Despite the painkillers, her mouth was still very, very sore. But Spider-Man didn’t need to know that.

“We’re going home.” Spider-Man put an arm around Y/N’s waist and pulled her close, “Now.”

“Hey, uh, Spidey?” the gang leader called, “what about us? You’re not just gonna leave us here, right?”

Spider-Man sighed.

“The police are on their way,” he said, “and make better choices next time. You’re lucky Deadpool wasn’t out here.”

With that, Spider-Man swung himself and Y/N away from the alley and back home.

…

Spider-Man opened the door and the sound of a blender running assaulted Y/N’s ears.

“Wade, what are you making?” Y/N called.

“Milkshakes,” Wade called back.

Y/N ran out of Spider-Man’s grip and into the kitchen.

“Can I have one?” Y/N asked, reaching for a freshly made milkshake.

Wade smacked Y/N’s wrist lightly with a spoon.

“Naughty patients who run off to fight crime in the middle of recovery don’t get any milkshakes.”

“Please?” Y/N gave her best pouty face.

Wade tilted his head back dramatically and groaned, his chef’s hat almost falling off.

“Fine,” Wade grumbled, “but don’t go running off again, or I’ll make sure you stay put and you won’t like it.”

“let me guess, bribery?” Y/N asked as she sipped on her milkshake.

“Sedatives,” Wade answered with a smile.

Y/N’s eyes widened as she looked down at her milkshake. Wade laughed and shook his head.

“I didn’t drug your milkshake, silly. Oh, but you should’ve seen your face. I should’ve taken a picture.”

Peter took off his mask and joined Y/N and Wade in the kitchen. Wade poured the contents of the blender into a glass and handed it to Peter. Peter drank from his milkshake as Wade grabbed one for himself. It would be a while before Y/N could go out again, but for now, she had everything she needed right here.