#but the camera is a tool to keep his sanity in check

[lelio]

So Louis takes up photography and he gives a plethora of reasons as to why he's chosen it as a hobby. But then he's on a date with Armand and he's seeing Lestat there. And so he takes the camera and looks through the lens, just to make sure that Lestat isn't there. Because his mind can betray him but the photos do not, and the photos confirm that there's no one. And that Lestat is just in his head.

So when Louis says 'I walk the night capturing disappointment and regret', he's also in a way talking about himself. Because every time he takes a photo and Lestat isn't there, he's filled with disappointment and regret. He's grieving Lestat and he misses him. He sees him everywhere and it's not real. It's never real even if he wants him to be. And back in the present day he's still grieving Lestat. That's decades worth of grief.

Lestat says that he has a capacity for enduring. But I think that applies to Louis too. All that pain and loss and grief and trauma, and Louis still carries it all. And I think this makes Louis one of the strongest vampire out there because anybody weak would've crumbled from the weight of it all.

[cursedbanalities]

"There Was a Hole Here..." (A Horror Story)

Index

Kate looked at him half surprised, “Wait, what do you mean?”

“I mean there was a hole here,” he knocked on the wall causing a dull, hollow sound to echo on the other side. “It’s gone now. Yep, someone must’ve patched it right up.”

“Well, that’s impossible!” Kate exclaimed, half chuckling and half trying to tell if he’s pulling her leg, “I mean, ugh I wish you were pranking me or something ‘cause that’s awful. I feel like I keep hearing freaky shit coming out of this wall. Like, I don’t know, faint voices, or something.”

“Well, sorry ta’ say Kate, but I ain’t able ta’ do a whole lot,” he scratched the back of his head. “The buildin’ next door’s prolly got some animals making noises, er’ druggies er’ some shit,” he lets out a raspy belly laugh, before coughing hard into his fist and clearing his throat. He saw Kate’s scowl and put on a guilty look. “Sorry, I know it ain’t funny,” he said, clearing his throat. “That buildin’ over there’s abandoned, though. Has been fer a while, and I personally check it fer squatters. I’ve been through there… prolly a dozen times and I ain’t never seen a hole. Chances are the other side is all bricked up, and this here little tunnel is all that’s left o’ it.”

Kate rubbed her temples. Of course. Not only did half of the stuff in this godforsaken “luxury” apartment barely work– this is the fifth time she’s had to call her landlord in the past month for plumbing, heat and electrical problems– but now there’s a mysterious un-filled hole in her wall. Great.

 “Okay, okay. Can you fill it in now? I don’t want any raccoons or anything tearing into my wall,” she sounded more exasperated than she meant, but this has really thrown a wrench in her mood.

“Erm, suuure,” he sighed and scratched his head. “I mean, we need ta’ get a permit from the city which’ll take a few days. This is an area ‘tween two buildings, so it might be considered a 'major renovation' under city code. I know a few people in the city ‘cause of my drywall business, so they should be able ta’ give us ‘special permission,’” he says with air quotes. “I also own the building next door. Been meanin’ ta’ make it into a rental like this one. I’ll swing by with some tools and start fillin’ it in maybe… in a week er’ so?”

Kate started to complain, groaning and throwing her hands up, but decided to take a deep breath before throwing a fit. It’s not like she had any choice in the matter, anyways. “Well, thanks Ed,” she sighed. “I wish it could be done sooner, but the fact you’re doing this for free is really better than the alternatives, so… yeah.”

Ed shrugged, “Hey, what’re landlords for, eh? See ya next week, and try not to have that ‘hole’ thing stress ya out too much, okay? It’s the middle o’ the summer, so it’s not like any of those pests over there are tryin’ ta’ find someplace warm. Hell, I’ll fix it up before you dwell on it too long!” 

Kate nodded, but wished she could believe him.

***

Waiting for the week to go by was agonizing, especially since Kate still had work to worry about. Thoughts about the hole in her wall thrashed around in her mind; she had to be careful about it, otherwise those thoughts would eventually wrap around her mind, constricting and crushing her sanity like a metaphysical anaconda. Her biggest fear was coming home to a pack of rabid raccoons ripping her whole life to shreds— or worse, a person who’d do the same thing. 

She spent most of her days at work alleviating her anxieties rather than doing anything productive. Security cameras were an idea Kate had, but the earliest she could get them installed was after the hole would’ve been filled. She thought she could fill it herself, but figured Ed would make her pay if she somehow made the problem worse. By the time the weekend rolled around, Kate was beginning to feel anxious about even the slightest things. Open sewer grates, the bagels she ate, even the pores on her face reminded her of that closed tunnel. Even now, as she sits at her desk on a Friday, tapping her pencil and trying to avoid staring at the perforated ceiling tiles, her anxiety was through the roof. Five o’ clock couldn’t come soon enough.

Kate really needed a vacation.

Unfortunately, the closest she could get to Margaritaville was at the bottom of a glass. Her friends took her out to the bar and laughed at her when she talked about the hole in her life, which seemed to be a back-handed way at making her feel better. Though, it could’ve been the drinks they shared and the jokes they made about each other’s lives that lifted Kate’s spirits.

For once this week, Kate forgot about raccoons or people inside of her walls. She even forgot about Ed and his stupid inability to do a complete job the first time. The only thing she remembered at this point was how to get home and get into bed, and that’s all she needed.

***

Kate woke with a groan. Her head pounded and stomach flipped as she stood up.

Ugh. She definitely had a few too many.

Hungover and exhausted, she stumbled into her bathroom and washed her face with cold water to shake the night away. She took a couple of long drinks from the faucet as well. The gulps were desperate. She was taking in the water like a wrung out sponge. It actually helped a bit— at least her stomach wasn’t doing backflips anymore. It was just cartwheels, instead.

Kate decided to brush her teeth as a way to sober herself up more, and was halfway through brushing her teeth when she noticed it. Her eyes widened as she focused on it: somehow, there was a large hole in her bathroom wall. Large enough for a person to easily crawl through. 

Kate peered into the hole with her brow furrowed and toothbrush hanging in her mouth. Toothpaste starts to drip from her mouth and onto her outdated bathroom tiles, but she’s so taken aback by the sudden appearance that doesn’t even notice. The hole in the wall seemed to go on for a while, and it was dark. Too dark for Kate to see the end of it, even when she shined her phone flashlight into it. The inside of the hole was strange, too. It was made of a brownish cement with ridges every inch of it. She has never seen anything like it. 

She spat her toothpaste out and called her landlord as she cleaned herself up. He didn’t pick up the first couple of calls, but on the third try Kate finally got through to him. He sounded groggy, and angry that she’s calling him.

“Geez o’ petes Kate! Y’know it’s my day off, right? What the hell’s going on?” 

Kate’s voice wavered, still shaken from the hole that seemingly appeared in her wall, “L-listen, do you remember that hole in my wall that was ‘gone?’ I-it’s back.” 

The landlord sighed, “Shit, uh, whaddya mean it’s back? Like, sum animal tore its way in ta’ your bathroom?”

Kate shook her head and looked at the hole, “No, it’s like… I don’t know. It’s grafted into the wall, I guess... Like it’s always been there, or maybe like the wall itself just opened up.” The landlord chuckles, causing Kate’s nostrils to flare and her brows to furrow. 

“Listen hun, I know yer stressed about this whole thing-“

“Don’t fucking call me ‘hun,’ Ed. I know what I’m looking at.” She ran her finger along the edge of the hole as she said this, trying to see if there were any gaps indicating it had somehow been added to the wall recently. Instead, it seamlessly blended from white drywall to a strange brownish-gray cement. “Just get your ass over here, please. I cannot go the rest of the weekend thinking I’ll get jumped by raccoons.”

Ed started to say something just as a sound emanated from the hole, causing Kate to jump. It was a strange, strained noise coming from deep in the hole. It started out low, and Kate told Ed to stop talking so she could hear it better. After a second, she realized it was a voice. It was strained and weak, though. Like someone was standing on their chest.

“Kkkkh— khhhaaaaayyyy….aaaatttttttteeeee,” said the voice. “Khhh-Kaaaaattttteeee, hhhhh….hhhheelp me… help me, please!” The voice sounded feminine—slightly deep and distorted as well. Maybe she’s saying it through the hole on the other side of the wall, or maybe she’s stuck in there somehow. Either way, Kate went through a paroxysm of shock. Even though she spent most of her week stressing over someone/something tearing through her wall, the idea of a woman in need was the last thing she expected.

She was silent for a while, ears ringing as she stared at the hole in a horrified silence. After a second, she realized that she still had her phone in her hand. Ed was still yapping, asking Kate where she went. She put the phone to her ear.

“Ed… Ed!” She said, interrupting him. “I think there’s someone inside the fucking hole.” Ed was silent for a second, which seems like an eternity for Kate. The continuous pleading from the woman in the hole grew louder, and more frantic. Finally, Ed just laughed.

“Kate, what- what’re ya talkin’ about?” There was a sense of nervousness in his voice. 

“Listen!” Kate placed her phone up to the hole, allowing Ed to hear the pained wails. After a second, she put her phone back to her ear. “Do you believe me now?” She said, half panicked and half impatient. “Please, you gotta swing by and help. I’m gonna call 911 and crawl in there, or something.”

Kate heard a quiet “Fuck,” come from Ed. Then, he said in a surprisingly stern voice, “Kate listen ta’ me. Do not go into that hole and do not call the cops. I’ll be there in an hour. If anythin’, lock yer bathroom door. Better yet, leave yer apartment. See ya soon.”

Before she had a chance to protest, Ed hung up. It was her turn to cuss, since the idea of just hanging back while this woman was in pain wasn’t one she was entertaining, especially as her cries grew in intensity. Kate wondered if anyone else in the building could hear it.

Screw Ed, she thought. This hole is probably big enough for me to crawl through. If Ed’s going to take that long to lug his ass over here, I might as well just crawl in myself. Besides, these buildings aren’t that far apart. I’ll be back before Ed’s even left his place!

Kate rummaged through her kitchen drawers until she found her flashlight, not wanting to take her phone in case she somehow broke it. She shined the flashlight down the hole, and it hit the darkness as though it hit a wall of black just fifteen feet away. She sighed.

Maybe it’s a bit further out than I anticipated, Kate thought, but still shook her hands to amp herself up. She’s going to go in there regardless. After the time she’s spent in this apartment, she couldn’t trust Ed to find his own ass. Putting her flashlight into her mouth, she grabbed each side of the hole. It was warm to the touch, almost matching her body temperature. It was a weird sensation, but Kate still dove headfirst into the mysterious hole that appeared in her bathroom wall.

She crawled into the darkness. The ridges every inch give good finger holds as she crawls on her hands and knees into the darkness. She realized that she’s been crawling for a while— much longer than what it should’ve been. She tried to turn around to see how far from her bathroom she had crawled so far, but she couldn’t see her bathroom anymore. In fact, it was hard to even turn around and look, the hole itself seemed to have shrunk since she went in, now closing around her shoulders and hips. Panic flared inside of her, and she tries to back up, but something was blocking her. Somehow, a wall came up behind her. After a couple of deep breaths, Kate figured the only way out was to go through, and went onwards. After what felt like a half an hour of crawling she ends up on her stomach. Her arms were like jello. She didn’t know if she’s even the one dragging herself along anymore. For all she knew, the hole is the one pushing her along, bringing her deeper and deeper into its bowels. The warm concrete ridges of the hole scrape against the exposed skin on her arms, legs and stomach. They feel raw, but it doesn’t matter. The hole Kate found herself in was getting tighter, crushing her and making it harder to breathe. The air was stale, and her lungs were being squeezed, causing her to only take short breaths. It hurt. Everything vibrated around her, but she didn’t know when that started. It’s hot. She’s sweating. She can’t breathe.  Even if Kate wanted to turn around, or push herself backwards, she couldn’t. Her arms were pinned to her side, and her head barely had enough space to look forward. She could feel her shoulders begin to pop out of socket. Her ribs cracked. Eventually, her flashlight went out, and she’s left in the all-consuming darkness.

***

Ed unlocked Kate’s door with his skeleton key for the building. He’s pissed at her, and rightfully so, he felt. The bitch who’s been ringing his phone nonstop since she moved in can’t seem to answer hers the one time Ed needed her to. Of course she just had to keep him locked out, too! Ungrateful fucking tennants, he thought.

“Kate! I’m here ta’ fix that damned hole ya keep yammerin’ about!” He stood in the doorway of her apartment. The lights were all still off except for the bathroom. The light seeps out of the doorway, slightly brighter than the glow of the afternoon sun. The silence was deafening, and Ed shifted uneasily. “Aight, well… I’m comin’ in! Don’t call the cops on me, er’ nothin’.” 

He muttered under his breath as he walked into the bathroom, complaining about how much of a bitch Kate was– so much of one that she wouldn’t even speak to him! He stopped in his tracks, though, when he saw the hole in the wall… and no sign of Kate. It’s not until he peered into the hole that he heard her. 

She’s sobbing, calling out to him.

“Eeeeehhhh…. Eeeeeeeeehhhhhddddd,” Her voice called between choked sobs. “Eeeeehhhhhddwaarrddd… hhhhhh….Heeellp me… Help me PLEASE! ” 

Ed swore under his breath. Then, he said to the hole, “Fuckin’…this is the fourth one this year, you piece o’ shit!” He kicked the wall underneath the hole out of frustration, putting another hole into the wall from his steel toe boot. He unleashed a steady stream of cusses, “Great. Just great. Now I need ta’ find another tennant and fill another fuckin’ hole!” He looks into the hole, puts his hands on either side of it, and yells in, “I hope yer happy, diggin’ around in holes ya didn’t belong in!”

Ed quickly plastered the hole from his foot. It was child’s play. He fixes holes in drywall like this three times a day. He looked into the hole that swallowed Kate one last time. The uneasy darkness seemed to reach out to him. Kate continued to scream his name between raspy sobs, but he shrugged it off. He knows that isn’t Kate. Not any more.

He plugged up the hole after an hour of work. Then, he went home and put up a new ad online for Kate’s old apartment:

“A wonderful one-bedroom apartment for rent in downtown Lansing. Rent is $2,500 a month. Fully furnished and recently retouched after the unexpected departure of the previous tenant. Aside from added luxuries, there was a hole in the bathroom wall…

 “...it’s gone now.”

[[I hope you all enjoyed this piece! I first wrote this when shopping for apartments in my state. It felt like, despite having a nice job at the time, nothing was good enough. Those of you who are nerds like me probably recognize the title of this piece. I was inspired by Silent Hill 2 and 4, but it doesn’t go much further than that, haha.]]

[[See you all next time!! 💜]]

Index

[dankusner]

Milestones is a one-of-a-kind holistic and specialized residential trauma treatment experience. Serving individuals adversely affected by symptoms of unaddressed trauma, including anxiety, depression, codependency, and PTSD, this innovative and integrative program offers a variable-length of stay from 30 to 90 days specific to individual needs. A sanctuary for healing. Providing the holistic care you deserve. Mental Health Care | Cumberland Furnace, TN

"Milestones"

I crawled through the forest of Tennessee / All on my hands and knees

Not seeing the wood for the trees / Till I got to Los Angeles

First thing that I learned at the juncture / Evil is not my true nature

So even though you drove me to terror / I don't have to be that her I don't have to be that she / This is where I get to be me

This is where you don't get to make me / This is where you don't get to create me

I slept outside in the dog shed / Because you wouldn't let me keep my iPad

I've had less rights as a woman / Then the dog is my eternal form

And it remains the same / Yes it remains the same Let's start with the name / You can shove it where you keep all your pain

I drove through the graveyards of Dixon / Of which there are still black and white ones

What a thing to happen in the nation / Even in death, segregation

One day we'll sit with our maker / Discuss over biscuits and soda

Which one of you and me was braver / Which one of us was a true soldier?

With his ten working principles for a healthy society, Dr. Phil provides the tools for mainstream America to fight back against the forces of division with sensible and urgently needed advice supported by the latest social, medical, and psychological findings.

(It is helpful to arrive with this confirmation, but not required.) Please arrive between 8:00 – 8:15 AM Central Standard Time.   Your spots are only guaranteed until the above time – so plan accordingly for heavy traffic!  Taping will last until approximately 1:30 PM Central Standard Time.     PRODUCTION POLICIES:  AGE LIMIT: All guests must be 16 years of age or older. All guests under 18 must have an adult guardian.  Please dress appropriately in dark business attire.  DRESS TO IMPRESS. Please avoid logos, busy patterns, and bright clothing as it does not show well on camera. Shorts, T-shirts, jeans, and hats are NOT permitted. A jacket or sweater is suggested as it is cold in the studio. Remember - DRESS TO IMPRESS!  The entire experience will last 5-6 hours, including check-in and two episode tapings. You will be expected to stay for BOTH episodes unless otherwise noted. There will be a break between episodes, during which we will provide a light snack and beverage (but feel free to bring any provisions of your own).  We encourage you to bring your cell phones, cameras, and electronic devices to take photos of the new and exciting “Dr. Phil Experience”! They will then be collected before walking to the stage. Weapons, knives, backpacks, laptops etc. are NOT permitted inside the building. YOU MUST LEAVE THEM IN YOUR VEHICLE.     ALL TAPINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR CANCELLATION.    LOCATION and PARKING:  The studio entrance is at 5501 Alliance Gateway Freeway, Fort Worth, TX 76177 (just south of Roanoke).  Free parking is available at the studio. There will be signs to follow to the audience entrance.  *** If anyone in your party requires special accommodation to attend Dr Phil Primetime, please contact us ASAP so that appropriate arrangements can be made. (Persons with special needs may include guests with an impairment or disability who require reserved wheelchair-accessible seating and/or companion seating.) ***

We look forward to seeing you! drphil.com, 4245 Kemp Blvd, Suite 406, Wichita Falls, TX 76308

Do you think mainstream America needs to find its voice? If so, you’re not alone. The country is under attack by extremists at the fringes who put ideology before sanity and stoke division for their own gain. They are trying to rob America of its common sense and deny empirical truths, and we’re all suffering the consequences.

In We’ve Got Issues: How You Can Stand Strong for America’s Soul and Sanity, Dr. Phil employs his signature no-nonsense approach to analyze America’s cultural crisis and offers practical, empirically based, action-oriented strategies to restore and support our country’s collective mental health.

This compelling work combines a brutally honest look at the sustained attack on the core values that have defined America at its best and offers prescriptive guidance on what you can do in your own life to stop the madness. With his ten working principles for a healthy society, Dr. Phil provides the tools for mainstream America to fight back against the forces of division with sensible and urgently needed advice supported by the latest social, medical, and psychological findings.

Dr. Phil demystifies the “tyranny of the fringe” and deconstructs their assault on the principles that made our nation prosperous, free, and powerful. With the hard-earned wisdom of years spent working with Americans of all backgrounds, Dr. Phil charts a course from cancel culture to counsel culture, from fear to acceptance, from victimhood to community, and from the tyranny of the fringe to a more civil society where we heal our divides and every one of us decides to be who we are on purpose. Dr. Phil is here to show us how.

"I meet the psychiatrist at the trunk of his car as I’m stomping back from the garden toward my room. He offers me a fig bar. What the fuck does a rocker want a fig bar for? Is he crazier than me? I tell him, “No thank you, fig bars are for hippies.”

[odysseywritings]

Rust and Woods

A trio of pre-teenaged classmates in the sleepy Appalachian town of Tidville (Americanized from Welsh roots) and traveled the old one-lane road in the backroads as a dare. It was a cold autumn that year, with brisk wind and gray clouds souring the kids’ moods. The orange and yellow fallen leaves surrounded the road in a sea of warm colors as the dull road was peppered with scattered leaves that crunched under their shoes. Their optimism varied among the group.

Ashley Sawyer’s brown eyes were half shut by the searing wind, but her curiosity led her onward. Her braided black hair swayed in the wind like ropes as her stout fingers readied her camera.

To her left was the taller and skinnier Danny Williams, who was the calmest one despite his disinterest. His curly black hair rose two inches off his scalp in fine-cut evenness on the sides that felt no push from the wind.

To her right was the sluggish but broad Theo Polinsky, who tagged along with dazed green eyes and disheveled blond hair. He unwrapped and chewed a piece of gum to keep himself up and moving even if it was just his jaws.

“How much more do we have to go,” Danny asked, more irritated than whining.

“There’s uh,” Theo paused. “There’s a white line in the road. When we see it, it oughta be close.”

“Exactly!” Ashley beamed. “Let’s hop to it, gentlemen.”

The two gentlemen groaned in unison. They nevertheless pressed on.

The 5-pointed yellow leaves on the road appeared as stars to the kids, giving them wonder and light. Old enough to be intrepid without that worrisome puberty getting in the way. Theo spotted the white line on the road signaling the half-mile mark, showing they were close and picked up their pace.

It was there that they turned the corner of the hill and spotted their site down a steep slope. The abandoned dull red mill had black roofing and various woodcutting tools and saws left unattended for over 3 decades. More striking to them was the amount of white and black graffiti plastered on the sides, some with poetic witticisms like “Fuck Tidvil” and other scribbles ruined by time and weather. It filled Ashley and Danny with childish dread, while Theo looked only upset at the dark windows.

“Well,” Ashley hesitated. “What are we waiting for? Let’s get in and record. What all could happen?”

“I’m going to guess anything, Ash,” Danny quipped and raised his voice. “I heard my mom talk about places like these. Where teenagers shoot up.”

“What, like hunt deer?” Theo asked.

“No, butt-munch. Like drugs.” Danny folded his arms together. “But I also want to prove my fearlessness to the others. Quite a pickle.”

Ashley rolled her eyes. “Let’s just get as close as we can. We can record our trip and if we’re too scared, we’ll just ask my sister to edit it out.”

With no better ideas, the boys accepted this begrudgingly and slid down the hill as leaves swept away like creases in the water. Ashley went behind them and turned on the video recording after they were on equal footing with the building. The size of it increased immensely once they got close. An intimidating relic from a time they only know from their parents’ times. Ashley remember hearing about this place off and on from adults but forgot the details. The main parcel was an accident some time ago that was blamed on devil worshipers at the height of the 80s.

The blood red facade froze their feet, aided by huge windows covered in years-worth of brown and green grime. Many were shattered in almost decipherable patterns resembling spider webs. They couldn’t see anything inside outside of darkness from the lack of power. The silence was broken up by the vocal wind, sending them each back a step. Life felt alien with this structure, but the rusted blades felt like death was walking around them. Quiet, unnerving tension ended as Theo made a peep.

“If we get attacked,” he continued. “I know how to kick a guy in the balls really well.”

It got the other 2 chuckling and lightened up. Taking more steps forward, they used momentum to check the imposing red and black mill. Danny was the tallest and could peek in more easily through the windows. The grimy ones were useless, so he walked to the cracked ones and poked the shards with a twig. He could see better but his expression showed him losing color fast.

“Did you see something cool,” Ashley inquired.

Danny shook his head but kept eyeing the window. Ashley stood on her tip toes and recorded with the camera.

She surveyed the interior and found a blank darkness. No tables or wiring or tools. An abyss with a perpetual low drone, almost electrical in tone. Turning up the brightness did nothing. She thought it was broken but she raised the phone to the mill’s side with an obvious spotlight. Whether it was real or their imagination, the droning grew louder and closer. More industrial and cold.

They all took steps back, too awed to really scream. There was nothing to scream about. With heavy panting and breathing they darted to the hill. Ashley could hear her heartbeat pound from the adrenaline and struggled to think aside from keeping her camera.

Theo made it uphill quicker than the others and he reached his arm out for them. They gasped and shivered from the fear and grueling wind. Ashley turned off the recording in the middle of her sprint but she took what she got, tearing up from the sight of pure nothingness. Danny and Theo hugged her to ease her, slowly bringing her to grounded reality, even if both were as scared as her in less vocal ways with teeth clattering and tight grips.

Their movements calmed down and their breaths required less labor. Ashley sniffled and rebounded quickly enough.

“I’m sorry, guys,” she said with some choking in her throat. “I hate the dark. I just can’t handle so much of it. And it felt like something was going to pop out at me!”

“It’s alright, Ash,” Theo said with lucid sincerity. “That place wigged me out too.”

“Mm-hmm,” Danny hummed. “Something was up with that dark. Even if the lights were out, we should’ve seen something. It’s still daylight.”

She sniffled and smiled at the two, causing them them to smile back. The boys took a look at the footage, and started ragging on each other in boyish fashion over the most scared. Amused by Danny’s animated gestures and Theo’s deadpan retorts, Ashley felt comfortable again. She nudged the boys to keep walking before it hit dusk while they continued taunting each other.

Ashley walked behind the boys normally but her peripheral vision caught something. The mill itself stayed the same, but a window did not. There was a white figure standing inside. A pale specter with a white helmet and glancing eyes. But she saw the nose and teeth removed of flesh, revealing holes and maybe black gums. She touched Danny’s shoulder.

“Hey, hey!” she alerted the two. “There- there’s someone in there! He looked like a skeleton with eyes popping out!”

The two were worried but unamused. They went back to look again but saw no one.

“Look, Ash,” Danny groaned. “I know you’re scared, but you don’t need to say stuff like that. It’s fine if you’re freaked out by that place. But there’s nothing there. We already proved that.”

Theo nodded and yawned. “Yeah, let’s just forget it. We got a recording of the place, and the kids will know we went to it and looked in. We’ll just say the mill was locked and that’s all we got to see.”

Ashley fumed at the suspicion, but she knew there would be no use persuading them. They marched on, still weary from the uphill run. Danny and Theo resumed talking about a cartoon show starring superheroes and how implausible the plots were. She tried her best to follow along, but her mind went back to the white face among black. Thoughts on what happened if they stayed were growing and only stopped temporarily by the boys’ chatter. It was the sanity of togetherness that anchored her in that walk home.

[ryik-the-writer]

Chapter 28: The Missing Pan

A03

          Chapter 1: Pan meets a Wendy

·         Chapter 2: Scars (Felix’s Story)

·         Chapter 3: Day One

·         Chapter 4: Revenge and Fireflies

·         Chapter 5: Brighter than Stars

·         Chapter 6: filler: The Tigress

·         Chapter 7: Operation Spotless!

·         Chapter 8: Operation Spotless: Reporters Down

·         Chapter 9: A Dance with the Devil

·         Chapter 10: filler: Felix and the Pancake

·         Chapter 11: The Girl with Blue Eyes pt. 1

·         Chapter 12: The Girl with Blue Eyes pt. 2

·         Chapter 13: The Girl With Blue Eyes: Underground

·         Chapter 14. Recovery

·         Chapter 14.2 Recovery some more

·         Chapter 15: Trapped

        Chapter 16: Filth

        Chapter 17: Fairydust pt. 1

        Chapter 18: Fairydust pt. 2

        Chapter 19: The Mystery of the Dead Nun pt. 3

        Chapter 20: The Mystery of the Dead Nun pt. 2

        Chapter 21: The Mystery of the Dead Nun pt. 3

        Chapter 22: Reflections pt. 1

        Chapter 23: Reflections pt. 2

        Chapter 24: Closing

        Chapter 25: Felix is helping Pan

        Chapter 26: Temporary Fix

        Chapter 27: The Search Begins

It was like a bizarre book club meeting, except there was no book and the meeting was held at Tink’s forest of a living room.

He had found Pan’s broken cellphone nearly three days ago, and hadn’t seen hide or hair of him since.

He was worried, especially as he saw less and less of Wendy roaming the town looking for him.

No, he wasn’t stalking her that would be creepy. He was just watching her from afar, usually behind buildings, in case Pan reappeared by her side.

He was worried about the little shit, even if he’d rather not think about him and what they were—or rather what they had been.

Their relationship was on Pan’s terms, as it had been the night August returned to Storybrooke two years ago.

It had been just a glitch on their timeline, a moment in history that would go unrecorded.

He had returned to Storybrooke after the money he pawned from several of his father’s tools ran out.

He was tired and sore, not sure whether he was back to ask for forgiveness or to take more from his loving father. His motorcycle was nearly out of gas, his tires shreds of rubber attached to rims.

He hadn’t realized the clusterfuck he’d road in on. That Storybrooke was practically on lockdown after Jekyll killed those two girls—and nearly a third, he’d find out later.

And—for his own sanity—Pan was waiting at the town line for the psychopath to return, with the blunt end of his camera at that.

As his head was spinning from being clabbered over the head from the hit, Pan had kicked him onto his back.

“Shit,” he had said. “You’re not him.”

“Lucky for me,” August deadpanned, wobbling as he picked himself up. “Want to explain why the hell you did that?”

“Monster hunting,” Pan had stated, staring at him suspiciously, offering him no assistance.

It was close to 3 a.m., a completely unreasonable hour for anyone to be running around—travelers or off-their-knocker journalists.

“Yeah,” August muttered, grabbing his bike and preparing to head into the town.

“Everything’s closed,” Pan said. “You’re better off sleeping in the woods.”

It was none of the little shit’s business. In fact it was probably best if he kept his entire being to himself. For he knew his father had taken out a report to the police.

“I’ll be fine,” he said. “Thanks for not giving me a concussion.”

“You might as well come back with me.”

The weight of those words still clung to August’s brain this very day.

That brutal, flirtatious, broken boy…

“What’s this about?

August looked up. Tink, Felix and Lily Tigress were surrounding him, trying to figure as much as he was what the hell was going on.

August stood, feeling the mix of emotions from the people in the room.

“Pan’s missing.” He said, simply.

The reactions that followed fit everyone perfectly.

Tinkerbell scoffed and rolled her eyes while Felix seemed to melt with fear. Tigress snorted.

“Have you checked all the holes in the city?” she teased.

“And ditches,” he replied humorlessly. “He’s not anywhere.”

“Maybe check in the depths of hell.” Tink muttered, flopping down on her couch.

“What happened,” Felix inquired, obviously the only other person in the room that had general concern.

“I have no idea,” August sighed.

“It’s probably nothing!” Tink exclaimed, visibly aggravated. “He’s always pulling shit like this, we all know it!” she looked around at everyone, their eyes dropping .

“I don’t know this time—” August began before Tink cut him off.

“He’s fine! He’s off screwing someone or ruining a life. He’ll come back and continue as normal.”

August blinked hard and reached into his pocket. In a flash he threw Pan’s broken, dead cellphone onto Tink’s coffee table, an inch away from Tigress’s boots.

The occupants of the room stared at the device like it was something that had just fallen from the sky, as if they had no idea what to make of it.

“I found this the other night at the docks,” August explained, swallowing a lump. “I’ve been looking for him ever since. It died a few hours after I found it.”

Felix gripped his kneecaps until his fingers turned white. Tigress glanced at him and then at Tink’s still shoulders, wishing she could reach into her back and unknot every single one of her muscles.

“It could be an accident,” Tink said, her mind numb.

“There’s something wrong here, Tink,” August said. “Something I don’t think we’ve dealt with before.”

Tink nodded slightly. She could accept that this was a bit odd, but she wasn’t ready to relent to a search just yet.

“Did you go through the phone, see who he called last?” Felix inquired.

A cold sweat ran down August’s back.

“Yeah…it…it was me,” he looked straight ahead, trying to avoid Tink’s direct gaze. “The night he wrote that story about you.”

Tink barely moved, the only indication that she heard August was the darkening of her pupils.

“Last time I saw him was the morning after that when Wendy showed up and…all the other stuff happened.”

“Have you talked to her?” Tigress asked. “Why isn’t she here?”

August thought about the blonde enigma who spent the better part of two days searching for the wild boy…

And then she stopped…

Not from falling into a fate like Pan’s, but rather a strange dark haired man seemed to be gypsying her away from her task.

Maybe she had the same mindset as Tink, that Pan was somewhere safe and sound but avoiding the rest of the world.

Or perhaps she’d finally realized she deserved to use her time the way she wanted and not focus so much on Pan.

When he’d see her in town, her gaze would occasionally stray to the streets and into shops, looking for him without trying.

But she wasn’t alone. There was someone else with her, some dark entity that always seemed to be just out of both their line of site.

“She’s looking for him,” August concluded.

“Have you gone to Graham?”

“No, not yet,” he admitted.

Tink smiled bitterly. “There’s your answer,”

August leaned forward. “Do you really think Graham is going to take this seriously with Pan’s track record?”

“That’s the best thing to do!” Tink yelled. “He’s not our problem.”

“Yeah, he is,”

“No he’s fucking not! We have nothing to do with any of this!”

“Yeah we do!”

“He’s your little fuck buddy not mine!”

A wave of sand coursed through August’s throat, cutting him off.

“Okay, that’s enough!” Felix finally jumped in, evenly meeting Tink’s glare. “He’s right, we have to help.”

“Are you kidding me, Felix!” Tink exploded.

“What he did was terrible,” Felix injected, putting everything everyone in the room had held in for days now. “But if you turn your back on him and something really is wrong, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Because he is family, Tink. He’s one of us.”

He stepped forward, keeping his distance after taking her stiff posture into account.

“And you know he didn’t do any of this to hurt you, even if he did,”

Tink scoffed. “I know that. But I’m so sick of him thinking rules don’t apply to him and that he’s invincible,” she paced a bit, thinking about the wild-haired boy to always brought so much chaos into their lives. Who was more trouble than any of them knew what to do with.

“What if he’d been alone that night?” She wondered aloud, knowing firsthand the type of cruelty Mother Superior could enact when pushed too far.

Pan was in trouble, and this time it was more serious than ever of them had ever seen before.

He was usually good at getting himself out of messes and suffering the consequences on his own. But things were different this time. This time he was somewhere none of them could find.

Tink groaned, tucking her anger away for later.

“When was the last day you talked to Wendy?” she sighed in August’s direction.

His lip twitched in gratification. “The day she told me Pan was missing.”

“Then Lily and I will check with her first.” Tink said, voice strong with leadership. “You and Felix check the paper and Graham and all his usual haunts.”

Before Felix could ask for more, Tink was out the door.

Lily gave the men a shrug before following her friend, not looking to cause a fight with the fiery blonde.

Felix sighed in relief when they finally left, trying his best to stay calm. Last thing he needed was to fall into a seizure.

“That takes care of that,” August teased. “You ready?”

Felix looked over at him, frowning heavily. He had no feeling for August, good or bad. The two didn’t see or speak to each other than the few times he left Pan’s place.

He wasn’t a bad person from what Felix could gather, but he wasn’t the best influence on Pan. He was too casual, not interested in settling down.

Adding gasoline to the fire of Pan’s soul.

Still, obviously he cared about him enough that he cared if he was missing or not, so some points were warranted.

“We’ll need to start with Graham first,”

“Why’s that?”

Felix frowned. “I might know the reason he’s missing.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Pan wasn’t sure where to target his latest wave of sickness from.

The swaying ship, the dehydration, or the infection building around his numb wrists from the metal cuffs?

He was more than certain he was developing some kind of bladder infection as well.

God he was tired.

Jones hadn’t been to see him in a day and a half, or at least that’s what he was estimating judging by the light that was coming in thorough the cracks of the ship.

He wondered what he was doing, especially to Wendy. Had he hurt her? Was he torturing her right now to get information out of her?

What did this asshole hope to accomplish keeping him locked up? Why didn’t he just off him already?

Or maybe this was it. Maybe he just wanted to kill him slowly.

As he nodded in and out of consciousness, he caught images of the people in his life. Wendy and Felix up front, Tink, August, and Tigress just behind them. Even Glass and Gold, and deeper in the shadows, Belle.

Each time he woke up, they would vanish, and Pan wouldn’t remember who he was dreaming about.

The smell of salt was enough to make him vomit now. He was dying, and he was doing so cruelly slow.

Would any of the people he kept seeing in that place between sleep and awake ever know what had happened to him.

Was anyone looking for him?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The last few days had become sort of a new routine for Wendy. She’d leave her apartment at the crack of dawn and visit Pan’s apartment…knocking just in case he’d come home.

But he hadn’t, and she’d let herself in and feed his fuzzy orange cat who had yet to be utterly concern about his master’s disappearance.

It was comforting feeding the large cat without Pan’s interference, she thought. No one to pick fun at her at every opportunity. No one to push her into a corner, away from her safest places.

No one to pick fun at her at every opportunity. No one to push her into a corner, away from her safest places.

It was unsettling, Pan’s absence. But there was an odd peace in the air. One that didn’t quite fit in Storybrooke’s atmosphere, but one that was welcome. If only for a short time.

Each day without the wild boy was like a blurry vacation: you knew each day was passing by but the details were unclear.

And somehow Pan was blurring from her memory as well.

She’d wake up in the dead of night with a glimpse of him in the air above her head.

Then he’d disappear, and she’d fall asleep without concern.

It felt wrong, to brush him off after all they’d been through, even in her sleep.

But there was an odd freedom to letting him go, especially if he didn’t want to be found.

She stared at the number on her cell phone glaring back at her, the one she’d called constantly in the last four days.

He doesn’t want to be found, she reminded herself. Calling him again would be fruitless.

She knew this, it was imbedded in her brain at this point.

Yet she pressed his number again and listened as his voice mail immediately came up.

It’s Pan. Call me back.

No, she decided solemnly, she wouldn’t.

“Hi, Pan…it’s…it’s me again.” Wendy chuckled. “I guess you know that by now…”

She paused, knowing if she were quiet for too long she’d have to start over.

She didn’t want to start over. She wanted to go forward.

“Look,” she sighed. “I can’t keep doing this with you. Everyday it’s a fight with you and I have no idea why. I don’t know what I did the other day to make you leave like that…but you need…”

She paused again.

“Well I don’t know what you need o honestly, but it’s something you have to figure out for yourself.”

She considered hanging up then, but she didn’t want to leave him on such a harsh note.

“I really hope you try, Pan, because I don’t want to fight with you anymore. After everything, I really want us to be—“

The voicemail beeped, inquiring if she wanted to start over or if she was satisfied with her message.

She didn’t want to start over.

So she hung up and headed to the docks.

Killian was there, as he always seemed to be.

Perhaps it was her need for new freedom that silenced the warning bells in her head, that made her drop the walls and inhibitions that had clung to her like a second skin during the last several months.

She approached him without fear, without any type of concern holding her back.

And she didn’t question him when he slid a manila folder into his leather coat.

“Is dinner still on the table?” she questioned.

He tilted his head, amused, though his pulse was racing. “I thought lunch was the next step.”

Wendy shrugged, stepping a bit closer. “I’m feeling…braver than I did yesterday.”

He chuckled, concealing the folder further into his jacket for dear life. “Well then, Miss Wendy Darling, tomorrow night?”

She smiled, relieved. “I’d like that.”

He watched her leave, noting the little pep in her step.

Such a lovely girl, he thought, and more malleable than he had originally foreseen. Jones thought he was going to have to push her more to fall into his grip, but it would seem she was finally crumbling.

He made his way back to this ship quickly, opening the folder full of information for his backup plan.

He stepped into his cabin, breaking out his best rum. This was a small victory after all.

Some of the glasses on his counter shook lightly, so little they could almost be missed. Jones rolled his eyes. He’d forgotten to feed his captive again…and water him for that matter.

Whoops.

He still hadn’t told him why he’d requested those files, what he was digging for.

Who he was searching for.

And how Miss Darling was involved was still being revealed, but time was running short.

He had been given orders to find out now.

He spread his new leverage across the table, frowning a bit.

The two boys, preteens by the look of it, caught his eye first. He hated targeting kids. It was so pointless.

His eyes traveled to the woman next. He could see bits of Wendy in her, especially in the shape of her eyes. She had the man’s jaw however…and his frown, he noticed with amusement.

A tidy little family in danger of meeting the blunt end of his gun.

Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that, he decided as he hid the folder. Hopefully, very soon, Wendy would tell him what he wanted to know.

The pipes sang from Pan’s struggle again.

He was already a dead man walking, and too tight-lipped to save now.

Feeding time.

[gumnut-logic]

Sky Candy

Okay, this one is for ‘shits and giggles’ :D Literally. It grew out of a discussion with @onereyofstarlight​ this morning and I managed to both start and finish it today :D Just a bit of fun.

Spoilers & warnings: This is actually based in the Kermadec Universe created by my fic ‘We’ll Be Home For Christmas’, but it barely relates to that fic and it can be read without it. Maybe mild, mild spoilers for that fic. There is a tiny amount of Scott/OC ship in this, but it is minimal. Low level language, 4490 words.

Many thanks to @onereyofstarlight​ for the inspiration, support and the read through. And also to @scribbles97​ for a read and encouragement.

I hope you enjoy it :D

-o-o-o-

Living on an island in the middle of the ocean had Virgil fairly used to birds. There was a colony of Kermadec Petrels on Mateo that he liked to keep an eye on since apparently, they were ‘native and uncommon due to past ecological interference in the area’ and Mel had glared enough at his father to let it sink in…particularly when they were building their backup generator over there. The fact the little island had nearly been blown up by the Hood had given him nightmares for weeks. A firm discussion with Kayo and a change to the WASP protocol had been enacted since.

But so close.

There were the lone albatrosses that occasionally visited, their vast wingspan visible far above the island. Virgil had been known to just sit and watch them until they disappeared to the horizon or behind Tracy Peak. There was something so calming about them.

Of course, then there was the time a huge gull had taken up residence in the pool…while Gordon was in it. There was such a ruckus at that, even Virgil had been dragged out of bed. Alan had been eating breakfast when the bird landed and had caught a good chunk of it on film. One sodden, screeching aquanaut tangling with a much put out gull provided entertainment for Christmases to come.

But this? This was unprecedented.

Thunderbird Two had been left on her runway overnight due to a small fault in her module retrieval system. No module meant no wheels and a ticked off pilot. He had lowered number four to the tarmac at 2am and used a pod to push it into the hanger, but Two had to stay outside.

Gordon had not been happy and Four couldn’t deploy without help from Two at this point, but at least the craft had been safe inside overnight.

Two on the other hand…

Virgil crawled out of bed at 6am, drowned himself in coffee and stumbled out into the morning.

Fortunately, the weather was blue sky and the wind almost non-existent. The palms were still and the foliage on either side of the runway was just lighting up as the sun slowly crept over the horizon beyond the villa. It was all quite beautiful.

It was a relief. With the exception of last night, the last week had been full of nasty weather. Not enough to stop a Thunderbird launch, but dark, grey, windy, wet and depressing.

Virgil took a moment and let his shoulders drop and closed his eyes. Okay, he was overreacting. He was tired. Yesterday had been hell and the fault had appeared just as he was finally able to leave the last rescue site. It meant a crawl back to Tracy Island and Gordon stuck in the module and his ‘bird the entire way.

The vitriol over comms hadn’t helped.

If they had been near land, he would have paused to collect the aquanaut out of the module, but the rescue had been in the middle of the Pacific and it was pitch black and, god, he just wanted to go home.

The fact he was separated from his brother by a comline that could possibly be muted was a reassurance of his sanity.

Did he mute it?

No.

But the possibility was there. It really was.

It was over. He was home. The morning was beautiful and he should be able to fix the problem easily enough.

The petrels over on Mateo were squawking up a storm. A glance in that direction and, yes, the sea eagles were out looking for breakfast.

Living on the Island was a twenty-four-hour nature documentary sometimes. Without the editing.

Two was exactly where he left her, squatting on her struts. He took a moment to just stop and gaze at her. It wasn’t often he was able to see her outside without having to dash to or from an emergency.

She was lit up by the sun, her green hull glowing with its satin shimmer. Her big number two emblazoned and glowing on her tail. He was able to appreciate just how big she was and just how beautiful.

His heart swelled with a little pride and, if he was to admit it, blatant affection.

She was just perf-

He frowned. What the hell was that?

A white glow on her front windows where there should be no highlight with the sun this low on the horizon.

He took a step sideways, moving the angle of reflection.

You have got to be kidding me.

He didn’t have his uniform on, just his service harness, wrist remote over his flannel and an old pair of jeans. He was planning on using his onboard tool kit and killing two birds with one stone by checking the equipment at the same time.

He ran to the hatch, lowering it without thought and waiting impatiently for it to rise up into the cabin. The moment he could, he dashed forward to his pilot’s seat.

Across the forward windows was sprayed a large splat of white something.

Virgil’s brows cut a furrow into his forehead that almost cleaved his skull in half. If the white mess wasn’t so huge, he’d think a bird had eaten Grandma’s cooking and had a bad night. But it was massive. The streaks spread over several windows.

If Gordon had used paint on Virgil’s ‘bird as a prank, fratricide was a possibility.

Grabbing a safety line, Virgil hooked himself in and raised the hatch. Lips, pursed he climbed out onto Two’s hull and lowered himself down to her windows.

It was bird shit.

One massive bird shit.

It encompassed plexiglass and cahelium hull and was a spray of at least a couple of metres across.

How the hell? Anger was frozen as his brain attempted to account for how it got there.

It wasn’t there last night. Hell, if it was, there was no way he could have missed it. So, it had to have happened overnight.

The problem was, as far as he knew, there was nothing on Tracy Island big enough to do such a thing. Except maybe Gordon. Anything was possible with Gordon.

Gordon. Yeah, it had to be Gordon.

Climbing back into his ‘bird, he hunted down enough cleaning equipment to remove the mess.

Once it was cleaned up, he turned to the task he had come out there for and fixed the faulty retrieval hydraulics.

-o-o-o-

Virgil had mostly forgotten about the issue by lunchtime. Having his ‘bird out in the sunshine gave him the opportunity to air out her life support systems and do some general cleaning. He even got one of the bots to hose her down and climbed out and polished up her windows and external lights. For an hour or two he lost himself in the job, his mind wandering over yesterday’s events and processing as his hands worked on familiar surfaces.

Gordon wandered out onto the tarmac at one point to check on him. His fish brother may claim to be carefree, but if one of them wasn’t acting normally, he was known to chase them up or alternatively poke and prod if they weren’t responding in a Gordon-acceptable manner.

“Hey, Virg, whatcha doin’?”

It was yelled up as Virgil was hanging almost upside down above Two’s port wing polishing his third number two for the day.

“Cleaning.”

And yes, that was an arched eyebrow from his little brother. He couldn’t see it, but he could hear it. “You gonna wax and polish your entire ‘bird?”

“Just the important bits.”

“You do know we have bots for that.”

“Yes, Gordon.”

“Then wh-“ A wet splat interrupted his brother. “A-aaaargh!”

Virgil spun so fast, his safety line shifted and he found himself falling forward and off the edge of the wing.

Hanging in mid-air only gave him a better view.

Gordon stood on the tarmac, face absolutely disgusted, somewhat distraught and covered in white bird shit.

Virgil immediately looked to the sky, but from this angle half of it was obscured by the cliff face and the rest of it was blue, empty and glaringly full of sun.

“What the hell?!” Gordon stood like a frightened scarecrow, white uric acid in his hair, on his shirt and hands. His fingers flicked white all over the asphalt.

Virgil kept a wide berth as he rappelled down the side of his ‘bird.

“You okay?”

“Do I look okay?!”

Virgil bit his lip. “Well, you’ve looked better.” And if his phone camera was suddenly in his hand, it wasn’t like the fish wouldn’t do the same if he had the chance.

The expression of disgust on Gordon’s face was one for the record books. An accusatory glare at the phone, he spun on the spot, careful not to touch any part of his body with his filthy hands, darted between the ferns and clambered down the cliffside.

Virgil unclipped himself and ran after his brother, only catching sight of him as a pair of sand shoes flew up the cliff and landed on the asphalt. Gordon took a leaping dive into the lagoon.

Well, that was one way to get rid of it.

Virgil watched him purely for safety’s sake as his fish brother skimmed below the surface towards the deeper blue at the centre of the caldera. As always, Virgil marvelled at how fast Gordon could move underwater. Goofy above, powerful below.

And now madly trying to scrub the mess out of his hair. Words which Grandma would not approve bounced around the bay.

A figure in blue appeared at the edge of the villa cliff staring out at the splashing in the middle of the lagoon. That was an explanation waiting to happen. He was surprised there hadn’t been a squawk from comms already.

A glance at the empty sky and he returned to the question of what the hell would be capable of doing this.

Virgil was no orthinologist, but he did have a camera and an interest in the wildlife around him. They were in a rather privileged position just north of one of the world’s largest wildlife sanctuaries, and if his photos were of use to the scientific team on Raoul Island a few hundred kilometres south of them, well, it didn’t hurt to help where he could.

Mel, the leader of the team had him grabbing rough counts of the Kermadec petrels on Mateo every now and again, plus the sea eagles in the cliffs. With the tui in the forest and a number of other species, Virgil was pretty sure he had encountered just about every type of bird on the Island.

And none of them were big enough to make that mess.

Gordon was heading back and no doubt, the words were not going to be pleasant.

He was spitting chips before he even climbed out of the water.

“What the hell was that?!”

His soaking wet brother climbed the verge, hair sticking out in all directions, bare feet nimble despite the sharp rocks.

Virgil opened his mouth, but another voice interrupted. “What happened?”

Blue eyes, dark frown, Scott had already walked half the length of Two’s runway. “What’s going on?”

“Relax, Scott. Gordon just had an encounter with some bird poop.”

His big brother stopped walking. “You’re kidding. All that,” and he waved his hand towards the lagoon, “was for a little sky candy?”

“Candy?” Outrage was one word. Bedraggled was another. Gordon was shoving damp feet into his sand shoes and having a doozy of a time with it. “A bird shit on me, Scott. A pterodactyl sized bird. Possibly an elephant with wings.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “If it was an elephant with wings, you’d need a shovel.” Though at this point, he was willing to entertain the pterodactyl theory.

Another wary glance at the sky.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to get Two undercover.

-o-o-o-

The video captured by Virgil proved to be highly popular that night, particularly once it was thrown up on the main holoprojector. He knew he was risking dye in his shower rose, but it was a change from being the subject of joviality and it really was harmless. It was also a rare day when they hadn’t been called out, so everyone was relaxed and there was laughter which was sorely needed after yesterday.

There was less laughter the next morning when Scott walked out onto the main balcony at five in the morning and slipped on a wet patch.

The mug of coffee in his hand went flying, splashing boiling hot water on his shirt as he fell, and it was only years of sparring with Kayo that saved him from cracking his head on the hardwood.

As it was, by the time a worried Gordon dragged Virgil out of bed, there were a number of nasty bruises sprouting on his big brother.

“Well, you are staying home today.”

“Virgil, c’mon. I just fell over.”

Wrapping the scald on Scott’s hand, Virgil shook his head. “Nope, you slipped. On a non-slip balcony, by the way. What were you doing out there in the dark?”

“It wasn’t dark.”

“The sun wasn’t up and you didn’t see what you stepped in.”

“Giant bird poop isn’t usually a problem, Virgil.”

No, it wasn’t. The sight of the white splash on the hardwood, large enough to overcome the non-slip surface was like a taunt.

Virgil cleaned up his big brother while listening to Gordon whine about the shit in his hair that apparently hadn’t washed out, ocean or three showers later. After that, he dropped a line to Mel on Raoul and asked her if she knew of any local birds that could do that much poop in one evacuation.

Apart from the snort of laughter from the blonde ecologist, the answer was only ‘maybe an albatross’. Apparently, that was the biggest bird in the Kermadecs.

He sent her the video in thanks.

The howling laughter that followed was worth it. He couldn’t help but grin at the sound of Sam in the background.

Oh, yes, Gordon was going down.

Virgil spent the rest of the afternoon securing everything he owned and rigging some protective security.

Gordon would likely get him anyway, but no need to make it easy.

Scott, of course, refused to acknowledge the burn or the bruises and went about his usual activities. If strangling him wasn’t counterproductive to his preferred outcome, Virgil may have considered it.

“I’m fine, Virgil.” The bandaged hand waved in his direction begged to differ.

The sun was setting and Scott had been at their father’s desk for most of the day. At least they hadn’t been called out.

“There’s someone on the runway!”

Virgil jumped as Alan tore up the kitchen stairs.

“What?”

Young blue eyes were earnest and not a little worried. “There is someone on the runway!”

Scott’s response was immediate, swiping aside paperwork and bring up the Island’s security network. Views of the runway, now almost in darkness flickered past, all empty of life, until a screen came up blank.

“Camera Five is transmitting, but there is no image.”

Scott thumbed his comms. “Kayo, we have a possible intruder on Two’s runway and a camera down. Could you please check it out.”

Their sister’s efficient FAB bounced back over comms.

“I’m going with her. Gordon jumped off the couch where he had been lounging for most of the afternoon and threw himself into his launch chute.

“John, we have a possible intrusion and a blanked camera. Can you give us extra eyes on Two’s runway.”

Another efficient FAB bounced down from orbit and the transmission in Scott’s hands changed to the massive sensors employed by Thunderbird Five.

There was nothing on the runway.

Virgil stared at it. “Alan, what did you see?”

His little brother was standing beside him. “Movement. A head maybe. It was too big to be anything else.”

Kayo appeared on the display, followed by Gordon. They both sketched out a search pattern.

That ultimately proved unfruitful.

They did discover why one of the cameras wasn’t working properly.

“More bird shit.” Gordon’s disgust was a physical thing.

Virgil turned the unit over in a gloved hand. It was designed to withstand a cyclone, yet here it was coated in enough uric acid to simply block any light from entering it.

The thing was, this wasn’t the first time this camera had had an issue. The way it protruded out of the cliff made it a perfect perch and it had seen a few birds over the years. Consequently, it was maintained and checked regularly. It was fine yesterday.

Now it was not.

Coated in one big bird turd.

“You know whatever the hell this is, it obviously has a stomach issue.” Apparently, Gordon was on the verge of declaring whatever it was to be his personal nemesis.

“We’ll need to work out a way to deter the birds from this camera.”

“Bird, Virg. One great big honkin’ bird.”

“That we have yet to see.”

“Well, we have cameras and sensors all over the island. Let’s use them.”

-o-o-o-

They were called out before they could do anything. China. A flood. Three days of drudgery and misery.

It was bad.

Bad enough for Grandma to shut them down for forty-eight hours after they finally made it home.

Virgil was limping with a twisted ankle and a cranky commander who had witnessed him making the jump responsible for the injury. It nearly ended up so much worse,

An aching ankle was worth the life of the two children he had in his arms at the time. He’d be fine.

After fourteen hours curled up in bed, he crawled downstairs and hunted down his coffee. It was midmorning, but the house was quiet. The weather was still holding out and despite a long night’s sleep, he still felt exhausted. Hopefully coffee and breakfast would help.

Sun would be nice. He grabbed a bagel, limped out onto the pool deck and found himself a lounger.

-o-o-o-

Coffee or no, he must have fallen asleep, because he woke to a whisper on comms.

“Virgil, stay still.”

“Wha-?” He mumbled and rolled over, blinking against the sunlight.

And came face to face with an alien.

What the f-?

Dopey brain, adrenalin, and he was floundering backwards, landing hard on the concrete. The lounge flipped over and collapsed on him.

A massive pair of black and white wings spread and flapped, agitated. They backed off, but not without grabbing his neglected bagel first.

Virgil stared as his brain booted.

It was a pelican. A very large pelican.

The bagel was gulped down a huge pink beak.

“Virg! It’s a pelican!” Gordon sounded excited, his whisper over comms almost a shout.

“I can see that.” At least they now knew where all the poop had come from.

Virgil eased the lounger off his back as quietly as he could.

“Virgil, are you okay?” Scott, of course.

“Fine.”

“That is a very big pelican.”

Virgil resisted rolling his eyes...just. “I noticed.”

The bird was eyeing him. Virgil edged backwards a little only for the lounger to rattle behind him.

Those black wings spread again and Virgil froze.

Several feathers were missing from those wings and there was a small smear of red amongst the white on the bird’s right side.

Aw, hell. “Gordon, it’s injured.”

“Damn. How bad? I can’t see from here.”

Virgil looked up and found both Scott and Gordon on the balcony above watching him.

“I can’t tell. We will need to capture it.”

“Reckon you can grab it?”

Virgil eyed the bird. It was over a metre tall and had a beak to match. “Possibly.”

Any other thought on the matter was suddenly vetoed as a familiar hiss lightly disturbed the surface of the pool and Virgil found himself covered in netting.

Kayo and Shadow.

The pelican did not appreciate it and struggled, tangling itself.

Virgil held still and tempted to calm it with soothing noises. Then Scott was there, dragging him out from under the net. Gordon was gathering the huge bird, hands and words desperately trying to calm it.

Thumb on comms. “John, get me Mel. We need her help.”

-o-o-o-

“Well this is a first. An Australian Pelican all the way out here.” Mel stood watching the injured bird stalk about its cage. “You sure he didn’t hitch a ride on one of your Thunderbirds?”

Gordon snorted. “Virg tried to bring home a polar bear once.”

“That was not intentional.” Okay, so it was a sore point. Alan could have been seriously injured simply because Virgil hadn’t closed the module door.

“Well, you did.”

“Did not.”

“Alan would disagree.”

“I did not!”

A hand landed on Virgil’s shoulder, its partner landing on Gordon’s. “That’s enough. Mel, is he going to be okay?” Scott’s voice was authority deep.

The blonde ecologist tilted her head to one side and shrugged. “I’ve done what I can. I think so. He should still be able to fly, but there is no way he is making it back to the continent by himself. I’ve contacted Birdlife Australia. We’ll make an estimate of where he might have come from and take him home.” She smiled up at Scott. “I might need a lift.”

A lopsided smirk. “You’ve got one.”

Gordon rolled his eyes.

“Thanks, Mel.” Virgil held out a hand.

She eyed him a moment and took it. “I see you’re the walking wounded again.”

His eyelids dropped into a flat glare. “Just a twisted ankle.”

She smirked at him. “Look after yourself.”

“Oh, for gods, sake, Mel, isn’t one of my brothers enough?” Gordon groaned.

The ecologist shrugged and Scott frowned. The moment Mel spotted the frown she burst into a grin. “Something wrong, Commander?”

Scott’s glare was flat enough to level the Island. “Not a thing.”

Mel’s grin just got wider. But she reached out and took his fingers in hers. Scott’s shoulders relaxed just a little.

She stroked the back of his hand. “Good.”

Both Virgil and Gordon rolled their eyes at that.

“I’m going for a swim.” Gordon skipped out of the room.

“I’m going to go finish my breakfast.”

Neither Scott or Mel noticed.

The pelican stared him down.

Virgil flicked his eyes towards the ceiling, turned and left.

-o-o-o-

Scott wanted to borrow Thunderbird Two for the delivery. Virgil offered but the Commander claimed he was injured. Virgil told him where he could shove that, listing off a burn and a maze of bruises from a few days earlier as far more injurious than a twisted ankle.

Scott resorted to whining after that.

The fact Scott actually whined like his littlest brother had the engineer staring at his big brother like he’d grown an extra nose.

“How old are you?”

“Virg, please.”

“You’re kidding me, right? You want to borrow my car to take out your date because your jalopy can’t do the job.”

That got a more familiar reaction. “It has to be Two to lessen the trauma to the pelican.”

“Fine, I’ll take him to Brisbane.”

“Virg!”

An arched eyebrow. Okay, he had to admit this was a little fun. “Something wrong?”

“Virgil! I could order it.”

“Sure, you could.” I dare you.

Blue glared at him fit to bust a vein. Virgil held those eyes calmly with his own, doing his best to hold back his grin.

Ultimately, he failed.

“Damnit, Virgil.”

A snort. “Fine. Bring her back in one piece. No aerobatics.”

His brother’s grin was worth it. Who ever thought Scott Tracy would be so eager to fly the family cargo carrier?

The pelican left Tracy Island along with Mel and his brother the next morning.

Virgil did not fail to notice that there was a night before that morning and Scott was positively chipper before he left.

The engineer stood out the front of the villa and took the opportunity to watch his bird lift off with a familiar roar and bank towards the south-west.

He couldn’t help but smile just a little more.

His brother was gone all day and it was no surprise. Virgil was not worried, despite Gordon ribbing him about it for a good part of the day.

The artist hid in his studio.

And painted a pelican.

Eventually, the familiar sound of his ‘bird returning to the Island drew him out and he met his brother on his way back from the hangars.

Scott was obviously preoccupied and didn’t see him approach.

“How did it go?”

The man nearly jumped out of his skin. “Virgil! Give a guy warning next time.”

Virgil stared at him. “You okay?”

“What? Yeah, sure.” The commander pushed past him towards the lockers.

That didn’t sound right. Virgil turned and followed. “Did you have a good time?”

That had a better result. Scott straightened and grinned. “Definitely.” The man was obviously seeing pleasant memories in his mind’s eye.

“So, what’s wrong then?”

The grin vanished. “Er, nothing.” He unfastened and lifted his baldric up and over his head. He looked at anything other than Virgil.

“And you say I can’t lie.”

Eyes caught his. “You can’t. You’re crap at it, Virg, always have been.”

“Well, you’re failing big time today. What happened?”

His brother’s shoulders dropped. “I’ll help you clean her. I promise.”

Virgil’s eyes widened. Oh, god. “What did you do?” He turned and ran towards the hangers.

“Virgil! I’ll fix it. It was an accident.”

“What the hell did you do?!”

He burst into Two’s hangar only to be met by Gordon grinning like a loon. “Big Bro is in trouble.” The fish managed to sing that.

Virgil shoved him out of the way so he could see his ‘bird.”

His jaw dropped. “Oh my god.”

Scott stepped up beside him. “Honest, I didn’t know.”

Virgil held out his hands to his beautiful Thunderbird as if in supplication. One desperate word. “How?”

Scott sighed. “Local fishing fleet docked while she was parked on the beach. Apparently, it is an event that all the local birds gather for. Two unfortunately made a great perch.”

There was bird poop from one end of his girl to the other. She looked diseased. Her green hull mottled with white and brown.

“I’ll clean her. I promise.”

Pelicans. There were pelicans. Likely gulls as well.

“Virg? I will, I promise.”

Bird shit all over his ‘bird.

“Virg?”

“I think you broke him, bro.” Something waved in front of his eyes, interrupting his view of his girl. He swiped at it.

“Well, we have movement at least.”

“Shut up, Gordon.”

“Virg?”

He turned on his big brother and shoved a finger in his face. “You are going to clean every single turd off my ‘bird.”

“Yes, Virgil.” Those blue eyes were very wide and Scott was leaning backwards.

“Good.” Virgil spun on his heel and stormed out.

Stupid birds.

-o-o-o-

FIN.

If you would like to see the possibilities of what can happen with these birds, please have a look here and here :D

[allie1804-fan]

Please Assist Me (Chapter 18)

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8,  Chapter 9, Ch6apter 10 , Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15 , Chapter 16, Chapter 17

Warnings: Explicit Content

He Said

At last in January of 2021, the schools opened and we felt like there was more every day normal going on.  There were a few more restaurants open with outdoor service too so Sophia and I had the occasional lunch out together when he had free time.  I was training hard though so I didn’t have much free time which meant we tended to need to stick to Hollywood rather than driving out to the coast off the beaten track and that was our first mistake. Sophia had been my assistant  for almost 2 years now so it  wasn’t odd for us to be seen together but as there was almost never any other women seen with me,  Cheryl alerted me that pictures started appearing in gossip rags, putting 2 and 2 together based on their (correct!) reading of intimate gazes and body language.

She Said

In the new year, a few photos started to come out of me with Keanu online and in gossip rags. The publicity wasn’t hugely invasive and I wasn’t too bothered by it - my family and friends knew the truth so this only really attracted random contact on social media from acquaintances being nosy rather than any real invasion at first.

My first direct experience that the attention was getting invasive came one day at the school pick up. I had noticed a man hovering at a distance from the gates who I was pretty sure wasn’t a parent. My attention was torn away when my kids came out but as I turned to take them to the car, I saw a teacher cautiously approach him and after a brief exchange he turned on his heal and left. That’s when I spotted the camera slung over his shoulder. A couple of days later, pictures of me and the kids were published on-line on a gossip site.  The kids’ images were a little blurry but still, I was furious.

 He Said

“Fuck!”

I’d just clicked on my phone on a link Sophia had sent to me  for a photo news site showing pictures of her and the kids at their school gate. Some low life pap had tracked them down and deemed them newsworthy because of her link to me that had been emerging more and more frequently of late.

I forwarded it to Cheryl and asked her to arrange an urgent  call with her and my lawyer to work out an action plan. Then I called Sophia, nervous that I might be in for a tirade of Spanish insults.

“Hun, you OK?”

“No, I’m not OK. Que pendejo insoportable!”

Here we go, I thought!

“who me?!”

“No, no, the photographer, this isn’t your fault!”

“kind of is though isn’t it?”

“No, I won’t let you take the blame – but we have to stop them. The kids need to be kept out of this right?”

“Yeah, I’m waiting to hear back from Cheryl. I asked her to arrange a call with the lawyers. I’ll let you know when they can set it up OK?  And I’m sorry, even if you say it isn’t my fault, it wouldn’t be happening if we weren’t in a relationship.”

She sighed.

“We’ll figure it out, OK, I just, I need to keep them safe”

“I know, I know sweetheart”

We managed to issue a cease and desist order on that particular photographer to not take further photographs of the children and put out a general statement asking the press to respect their privacy  but that did seem to have the effect of making them more thirsty for pictures of Sophia and I – we were still game.  As pictures circulated of us eating out or on bike rides, this apparently spawned a trend of what I understand are called “Trolls” seeking out Sophia on social media to send her hateful messages to ‘leave me alone’ and to stop ‘trying to wheedle her way into my life’  and ‘get her grubby Latino hands on my money’. And, she said, if they didn’t do it directly, there would be comments underneath her photo on fan sites with people expressing their disgust at my choice of romantic partner.  On top of that, there was a lot of denial   - people saying that Sophia was and could only ever be my PA – just like Janey they said. Good grief the world really had gone to hell - why did who I was dating even matter?

Apparently there were many people being kind and saying it was nice that I’d found love and that she was beautiful, might give me the babies I’d missed out on etc etc but I could see the comments of the trolls weighed on her mind and lodged there far more than anything positive. Eventually I said she should really just follow me into the social media free wilderness. She could keep an active messenger service for group chats with friends and use a cloud service to share photos of the kids with our parents but for her sanity, she needed to drop Facebook, Instagram and Twitter before she went insane!

 She Said

I knew I shouldn’t get drawn into looking at what Keanu’s fan base were saying online but the curiosity was hard to control. I actually only started getting drawn in after the trolls started tracking my down and sending me abusive DMs. That made me want to know if there were any positive voices or if these nasty people basically spoke for the whole of his fandom. I found myself wasting so much time going down rabbit holes trying to find out who these people were but there was no way to do that really.

 When my general tetchiness finally got too much and Keanu said I should join him in the 1990s and get off social media, I knew he was right but at the same time it was infuriating as I had got so used to using it for sharing news, family photos, jokes etc as well as using all the messenger tools to connect with my friends. After all the isolation of 2020, this new isolation felt like a kick in the teeth but I felt so childish to think that way and didn’t dare say anything to Keanu. Having never been on social media, he just wouldn’t get it! After about a week though, I had to admit I felt better and admitted that his way was probably the sane option – after weeks of anxiety,  I finally felt free from the worry of silly people  out there who didn’t know us personally having an opinion about whether we ‘should’ be dating.

Happily, we  also had a trip to New York to look forward to - Keanu would be starting filming on John Wick 4 and we were heading there as a family with around a week free to enjoy the city together before he would start on set.

The kids were beyond excited to be flying, not ever having done so before. They each had a little pull-along case and we booked first class so we would have as little time as possible milling around in the public spaces at the airport. I was sure there’d be paps about - we couldn’t ban them from taking our photo altogether even though we’d asked for their privacy to be respected so I was desperate to minimise their chances.

When we got to LAX, it was literally minutes after we’d got into the building when a fan approached asking for a photo. Keanu started to try and explain that he was on his down time with his family and would they mind if he didn’t take one today but he hated the crestfallen look on their face and he quickly suggested that we split up and meet up in the lounge. I rummaged through my bag to get his ticket out and handed it to him with a pointed look at the woman before heading off to check in with the kids, not caring that my silent displeasure might make it online somewhere to be used as evidence of what a bitch I was!

We went on through to departures and waited a good half hour before he showed up.

“Hey Keanu why did you take so long” Eva whined.

He chuckled.

“Sorry honey, but I guess it’s because ‘I’m Duke Caboom, Canada’s greatest stuntman’ he boomed, tickling her sides “and sometimes that means people want to say hi and take a photo so it took a while to catch you up.

“Oh OK” she said matter of factly not at all phased by that idea. I guess she knew how excited Julie and Miranda’s kids had been when they zoomed with him when he was in Berlin so it made sense to her even though Toy Story 4 was the only thing she’d ever seen with him in so she had no idea just how truly famous he was!

“You’re too good to them” I said, still a bit put out that we’d already been separated for a while right at the beginning of our trip.

“Yeah, but it never ends well if I’m an ass…. I mean not nice and you’ve got to remember that I’m usually ‘so high’ on a screen and seeing me in real life is exciting …. to them at least” he said cocking an eyebrow at me as if to say that I no longer saw him as special.

“You’re exciting to me too silly!” I said, relenting a bit from my sulk.

He squeezed my hand.

“Don’t worry, I’ll try to give off some ‘stay away’ vibes in New York so we can all hang out like real people.

“I know, I’m being a bitch, I just wanted this to be, you know, normal”

When we arrived in New York, we had a car waiting so were quickly away from the airport and managed to pass through it without being bothered. On the journey, the kids were pressing their faces against the car windows to see the famous sky-scrapers and there was much anticipation of getting to his apartment to see how their bedrooms looked. We’d arranged to have them  decorated and bought new duvets and drapes which Keanu’s maid service had taken care of putting up for them. We got take out pizza for the first night and once again I felt safe and cocooned from the outside world of fans and paparazzi.

He Said

It was strange that Sophia and I had been together for not much short of a year before the public interest in me,  and its impact on living our lives, really became a pain in the ass and the source of some conflict  between us. I had to remind myself that I’d been living this way for about 20 years and had learned to just allow a little extra time in my day for stopping for a photo. It only affected me when I was on my own so I had to learn to see if from her point of view  - it was a shock to her system basically. She’d been my PA for 2 years but we had rarely needed to conduct our business in the public eye so she hadn’t even experienced the attention when we weren’t dating – it was all happening in the context of her being my significant other and with the backdrop of the online trolls and the need to protect her kids.

I guess it would have happened much sooner if I hadn’t been away filming for almost 5 months shortly after we started dating so we’d had an extended time of being together but with no-one outside of friends and family knowing. I tried to tell her we should be grateful all this hadn’t started sooner. I’m not sure that was the right thing to say!

My celebrity did have some advantages though and in New York I’d managed to arrange a private tour of the  Empire State Building  and rink side seats at a Rangers game. Those earned me points but we weren’t so lucky in Central Park. My apartment isn’t far from there so we headed out for a walk one afternoon, ending up in in the Conservatory Garden figuring that this would be  a nice place to be by some water but not where most people would be like Bethesda or the model boat pond.

We’d bought some sandwiches on our way (my time to enjoy the pastrami, pickle and Russian salad I so love)  and settled on a bench to chill and rest the kids’ legs when I saw a guy across the other side of the pond raising his camera. It was clearly a Pap with a long lens. I’m normally not a hot head but it was such an intrusion to our pleasant afternoon that I handed Sophia my sandwich and marched up to him.

I was striding fast, not caring much that my stance was clearly threatening and some people idling by the pond scuttled out of my way. The Pap, surprisingly stood his ground until I reached him, squaring up to him.

“Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing? We’re just having some private time as a family and you come along determined to ruin it!”

I was yelling and drawing the attention of others by the pond but I didn’t care.

“hey man, you’re fair game” he responded brazenly.

“Yeah that’s right, I, me, I’m fair game, me not them ,now get the hell out of here”

He was a short weasel of a guy and I was towering above him. He soon thought better of trying to take a picture and scurried away.  A woman a few feet away spontaneously clapped!

“Good for you Keanu” she said.

I blushed, coming down suddenly from the adrenaline of the confrontation. It has been a long time since I’d even spoken to a Pap. I usually just ignored them, occasionally putting my hand in front of my face to ruin the shot. It generally wasn’t worth antagonising them but this dude had pushed it too far.

I thanked her and returned to the bench. Sophia handed me back my sandwich while the kids eagerly asked why I’d been shouting at the man.  I explained as best I could and I think they were grateful that I just wanted their mom and them to enjoy their time without strangers photographing them.

A couple of days later, Cheryl let me know that the guy made a claim on-line that I’d assaulted him – no actual legal claim was made, I guess because he knew it was bullshit. That was quickly proven when people quickly came forward that they had witnessed it and no such thing had happened. I wondered if the lady clapping was one of them.

  She Said

After the Central Park incident, I was so proud of how Keanu had stood up to the paparazzo but we still made a decision to do most of the tourist things without him after that. I couldn’t see us being in Time Square, The Lego Store or the M&M store with him alongside us comfortably. And that was strange and a little sad for me to be back to the single parent feeling, having experienced some very cherished family days.

Our time to go home was fast approaching and I was keen to get one day just for the two of us. Luckily I have a cousin in New York who wanted to spend time with the kids and they offered to take  them on the boat trip to the Statue of Liberty for the day. We made the kids breakfast and handed them over to my cousin with backpacks, ready for their adventure.

We just had coffee ourselves as we were planning on a brunch out for ourselves later after some us time between the sheets!

The minute the door was shut, Keanu was pulling me by the hand back to bed.

We quickly shed our pjs, climbed under the covers and started to kiss

Keanu soon reached down and started to gently tease my folds. I moaned into his mouth thrusting myself against his fingers.

A thought came to me and I pulled back and asked

“Can we um, try something today ?”

“Mmmm - what?”

“Well you know your movie, Siberia? “

He nodded

“Well, I watched it while you were away and, um that thing with your thumb ....”

“Oh you want that do you?” - a wicked grin spread across his face

“Well we can try that lots of ways ….. so, we can try that from behind. Get on all fours for me”

I obliged and I felt him slip his stiff cock into me, my folds parting  with a pop. He was moving very slowly, then after a few thrusts as I was moaning softly, I felt his wet fingers reach around to gently tease my clit. He did it just enough to make me  moan louder but not enough to make me cum. Then he pulled out leaving me bereft

“What?” I cried out

Then he rolled over on his back and pulled me  onto him.

“And then there’s lady on top”

I happily sank down on his cock and started to ride him. I was groaning but at the same time I could hear my voice quavering as I neared orgasm once more. He licked his thumb, this time, re-enacting the Siberia moment making me throw my head back in pleasure. I was about to lift off, my voice  raised in pitch but again he stopped me before I could, holding my hips to stop my movement.

The he flipped me over onto my back and straddled me, making me wait a few moments as he played with my breasts and smoothed his hands down my sides .

“And finally we can try man on top”

“Will you do that thing ?” I asked

“What the thumb ?”

“No, well yes, but first the thing where you lift me onto you”

“Oh like our first time?”

I nodded, glad he remembered.

He obliged lifting me onto him,  pulling me up,  ensheathing him  slowly so I could feel every vein of his rigid cock and he could feel every ridge of my tunnel.

I was wailing by now each time he pulled me up then released me – I could feel his cock getting even harder when he asked simply

“Ready?”

I just whimpered and nodded my agreement.

 He Said

I was so close to coming, I needed to really focus to give her everything she deserved.

I manoeuvred her fully onto her back and encouraged her to lift her legs up over my shoulders.

This allowed me maximum access to thrust in all the way to her cervix and pump in and out.

I could already feel the beginnings of her orgasm, her pussy pulsating around me. It was as if she was a beautiful flower, attracting me with her petals then sucking me in, holding me there in a vice like grip to take what she needed from me. It was primal and all encompassing

As I felt the ripples get more intense, I managed to balance on my left hand and free my right hand, lick my thumb and circle it over her clit.

That was it, it was all over for both of us. She clamped around me, her legs quivering and I shot my hot load inside shouting out as she screamed “yes, yes oh god, yes”

My thrusts gradually slowed, I was still moaning and fighting to catch my breath. I eased her legs down and lay on her just holding my weight off her by resting on my elbows. I gave her a sloppy kiss before easing off her onto my back. I still couldn’t speak. and just squeezed her hand. Tears leaked out of my eyes and I gulped, looking across, I found her in a similar emotional state.

“Wow that was - god I don’t think I’ve ever, ever come so hard”

“Me neither - love you so much Mr Reeves”

“Why do you always call me that after really great sex?”

“Dunno” she chuckled “maybe to give you the respect you deserve for making love to me so, so ….”

“What?”

“So masterfully, so beautifully”

“Mmmmmmm”

“Let’s have a snooze before brunch yeah?”

“Mmmm”

I think she was almost asleep already as she turned away and I spooned behind her, holding her warm breast in the palm of my hand.

@fortheloveoffanfic @kindainlovewithk’eanu @omg-imagine @iworshipkeanureeves @fics-not-tragedies @ficsnroses @keanureevesisbae @penwieldingdreamer @witty-wallflower @paperplanesandwallflowers @bitchyslut99 @ladyreapermc @toomanystoriessolittletime @fanficsrusz @keanuficfiles @bitchyslut99

[pitviperofdoom]

Fundraiser Commission #2

Thank you for donating $20!

Prompt: “Shigaraki, Dabi, and Toga go to Disneyland (no ships please, unless you wanna include a bit of Dabihawks in which case I will love you forever)”

Sadly I couldn’t fit the Dabihawks in there, sorry! I ended up going AU with it, hope that’s okay!

---

Like most things that made Touya drag his feet and roll his eyes and desperately pretend not to care, it was Himiko’s idea.

She came prancing into the bar while Tenko was hard at work mopping up nose blood by Fuu’s table, because some drunk idiot thought it was a good idea to reach for her chest. “Ten-chan! Ten-chan, guess what!”

Instinct almost made him snap at her for using even a shortened form of his real name, but the only other people in the bar were Kuro and Touya, so he let it drop. “Himiko, I don’t care who you fell head over tits in love with today, I’m not helping,” he said without looking up.

She pouted, her face scrunched up in a way that made her nose even more button-like than usual. “You’re no fun, Ten-chan. Besides, it’s not even about a crush this time!”

“Stop the fuckin’ presses.” Satisfied that the floor was clean, Tenko plunked the mop back in the bucket. “What’s up?”

She bounced eagerly on the balls of her feet. “Want to go to Disneyland with me?”

For a moment he simply stared at her, blinking owlishly as he processed the question. “What.”

From the pocket of her sweater she produced two slips of paper and waved them about. “I got two all-day passes! Let’s go to Disneyland, Ten-chan!”

He squinted at her. “Where the fuck did you get two all-day passes to Disneyland.”

“I won a sweepstakes!”

Tenko stood there, still holding on to the mop handle, processing this slowly. “When did you enter—no.” He threw his hands upward. “You know what? I don’t wanna know. Fine, you won a sweepstakes. Let’s go with that. Disneyland? Great!” He caught his breath, already mentally calculating the fastest way to save up the price for a third ticket.

Blissfully unaware, Himiko tackled him with a hug around his middle and a squeal of delight.

---

Touya was doing inventory in the back when Tenko flung the door open. “Good news! We’re going to Disneyland.”

“Congratulations,” Touya answered, without looking up from his clipboard.

“You’re coming too,” Tenko informed him. “My treat! You don’t have to worry about your ticket, and I’ll buy you an obnoxiously over-priced lunch, courtesy of the mouse.”

Touya shot him a disbelieving look, and the pencil in his hand began to smolder. “Tenko, what the hell. Who else is coming?”

“Just you, me, and Himiko,” Tenko answered, and was cut off by Touya groaning loudly. “C’mon, it’s Disneyland! Haven’t you ever been to Disneyland before?”

“Oh sure, yeah, the old man used to take us every weekend. We got pictures of him posing with Goofy.”

“Great, then—wait, really?”

“No, you fucking idiot!” Touya snapped. “I wasn’t even allowed to watch movies until he decided training me was a waste of time!”

“Oh,” Tenko said softly, and for a moment Touya thought the conversation was over. “Ohoho.” Something about Tenko’s tone made him look up, and he found Tenko staring at him with wide eyes and a grin that showed just a few too many teeth.

“Tenko, what—”

“I get to show you Disneyland,” Tenko said gleefully.

“Yeah, no.” Touya turned back to the inventory. “Have fun with Himiko, bye.”

“Touya, come on,” Tenko gritted out, walking into the back room and closing the door behind him. “You have to come. You can’t make me go alone with her!”

“Why not?” Touya asked. “She likes you better than me.”

“Because I need you to help me rein her in so she doesn’t get me perma-banned from Disneyland!”

It was frustratingly hard not to laugh at that. “What do you need my help for?” he asked. “What makes you think I’ll be any better at keeping her from biting the park staff than you are?”

Tenko shot him an impressive stink-eye. “Oh, I’m sorry, which one of us was an older sibling again?”

“Oh, what, you think that means I’m genetically predisposed to wrangling infants? That’s weak, Tenko.” He turned away with what he hoped was finality. “Have fun without me.”

After a moment of silence, Tenko answered, “I mean, we will. I didn’t think you’d be so bent on missing the show.”

Damn him, that was a good point. “If you’re so excited to drag me to a corporate shitshow of obvious pandering to a target audience, then why do you want me to come on the one day you’re pretty much guaranteed to get kicked out?”

“Because everybody and their grandma will have a camera and internet access, and if we end up plastered all over the internet, there’s a chance somebody’ll look at it and say, ‘Hey, isn’t that Endeavor’s kid getting maced by Minnie Mouse?’”

Touya whipped around to scowl at him. Tenko offered a disarming smile.

“Bullshit,” Touya retorted. “The mascots don’t carry mace. Do they?”

“Nah. Disney’s kind of obsessed with their squeaky-clean image. Did you know that if you die in Disneyland, they won’t let the paramedics call it until you’re out of the park so they can pretend nobody has ever died in Disneyland?”

“How many people die in Disneyland?” Touya demanded.

Tenko blinked. “None, weren’t you listening?”

For a while, Touya stared at him. Tenko stared back. This was a losing battle, and he knew it. Tenko had the patience of a brick wall. “You’re not gonna let this go, are you?”

“No.”

Touya put down the clipboard with a thud. “God damn it. Why are we friends? I hate you.” He turned back to glower at him. “When are we going?”

---

Obviously Himiko pouted when she found out that Touya was coming along on their little impromptu day trip, which was why Tenko waited to tell her until they were about to leave. She liked his company enough to prefer it over anyone else’s, and that wouldn’t do. Exclusive one-on-one positive contact with Tenko and Tenko only did not a well-socialized human being make. Tenko wished he could have invited some more people, but Himiko had sprung this on him on incredibly short notice, so there was no time to bribe anyone else to do it. Besides, his pocket money was limited and a day pass to Disneyland was like, eight thousand yen.

So they were going with Touya, and if Himiko wanted to complain about it, then Disneyland had plenty of distractions available. Once they got through the line, of course.

Tenko and Touya passed through the security check without any problems, because they weren’t stupid. Himiko, naturally, set off the metal detector.

“God damn it,” Touya muttered under his breath. “Why did we bring her again?”

“They were her tickets,” Tenko hissed back. “Technically, we’re the ones who brought you along.”

“Oh, yeah. Why did you bring me again?”

“What’s left of my sanity,” Tenko said out of the corner of his mouth. On the other side of the security gate, Himiko offered a cherubic smile that showed off just a little too much gumline, as the long-suffering security guard pulled a small metal device out of her purse. It was a nail clip, with attachments: a file, a buffer, a cuticle nipper, a cuticle pusher—basically any metal tool required in a manicure. It was like a Swiss army knife without the knife.

With a sigh, the employee put the manicure set back in her bag and waved her through. Himiko joined them with a skip in her step, and together they made their way past the entrance and into the World Bazaar.

“Did you seriously need to bring that?” Tenko asked. “What, are you planning on setting up a nail salon in the Space Mountain line?”

“Nope!” Himiko chirped. “I just didn’t want them to look harder.” She kicked up one heel so she could reach it with her hand. From inside her sock she produced an actual Swiss army knife.

“Himiko, what the fuck—”

---

“I can’t believe you actually bought those,” Touya said, glaring as if Tenko had personally affronted him.

“Bought what?” Tenko said innocently, reaching up to touch his mouse ears. “These? I brought these from home.”

“You still bought them at some point!”

“I think they look cute, Ten-chan!” Himiko hung onto his arm, squeezing tight enough to measure his blood pressure with her bare hands. “Don’t listen to him, he’s no fun! They look super cute, especially with your hair!”

Tenko let himself preen a little, because at least someone had good taste.

“Are those rose gold?” Touya asked.

“Maybe.”

“And you seriously shelled out for that?” Touya pulled a face. “Last month you tore me a new asshole for wanting to buy hero merch.”

“Oh fuck you—hi.” Tenko paused to wave at the park employee who was leveling a cheerfully pointed customer service smile at him. “Touya, you wanted to buy the store’s entire stock of Endeavor merch just so you could burn it.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Touya said sullenly. Himiko pouted, because she usually tried to avoid agreeing with Touya on principle.

“Uh, one, pollution,” Tenko said, counting off on his fingers. “Two, your money management sucks and you need to get it together. And three, you’re still giving money to the guy you hate. If you really want to snub him, just shoplift it. Or bootleg it. And speaking of which, that’s exactly what I did.” He gestured vaguely upward.

“Those are bootleg Mickey Mouse ears?”

“Bought ‘em from an artist on Etsy,” Touya said proudly. “The mouse had just sent her a cease-and-desist, so I got a pretty sweet deal.”

“Ten-chan, can I wear them?” Himiko asked. “I’ve always wanted Disney ears!”

He tugged on one of her side-buns, making her squeak. “Don’t waste your money, you already got ‘em.”

---

“I’m in hell,” Touya said serenely, slipping further and further down in his seat. “This is hell, right? It has to be hell.”

“I’m getting more of a purgatorian wasteland vibe,” Tenko remarked. “Like, this isn’t quite on the level of, say, Chuck E. Cheese, in terms of children’s media hope-abandonment, but… I dunno. I can imagine this playing as I eternally wander in search of penance for my past sins, or something.”

“I’m just waiting for one of those furry bastards to step off the stage and straight-up eat a kid,” Touya said, earning a glare from a nearby grandmother. “Like that one, with the guitar and the pouty mouth. Imagine that guy just unhinging his jaw like a snake and swallowing a toddler in the front row.”

“Huh.” Tenko leaned on one hand, squashing his cheek to the side. “Yeah, I could see it.”

Two seats down, Himiko continued to bounce and sing along to the twanging country music, blissfully unaware of the dull-eyed mother of three popping an aspirin and glaring at her.

---

“Okay, so we’ve been through the World Bazaar, Westernland, Adventureland, Critter Country—”

“I wanna go on Splash Mountain again!” Himiko cheered, throwing her hands in the air excitedly. She nearly punched Touya in her enthusiasm, but he quickly sidled out of the way, pulling the map close so that she wouldn’t tear a hole in it by accident.

“We can do that later,” he informed her. “We’re in Fantasyland—hang on, why am I the map guy?”

“You’re the oldest,” Tenko said.

“This trip was your idea! I didn’t even want to come!”

“Really? Because that wasn’t what you said when we got off of Thunder Mountain—” Tenko spotted a nearby face character and hung an immediate left. “Oh hey, I just found our next stop.”

Touya lowered the map. “What? Where? If we want to fit everything in before the park closes, then we have to hurry up and get to—”

“Yeah-yeah-yeah whatever,” Tenko called over his shoulder. “This won’t take long, I just want a quick selfie with Alice.”

Touya caught up to him just so that Tenko would see his incredulous look. “Why?”

Tenko stared back. “Seriously? That’s my favorite Disney movie!”

“Since when?”

“Since I saw it! How do you not know this already?”

“I did!” Himiko piped up. “It’s my favorite, too! I love the Red Queen.”

“No, wait a minute.” Touya squinted at him. “You told me literally an hour ago that your favorite Disney princess was Aurora because, and I quote, ‘I, too, want to sleep for a hundred years and let some other asshole fight a rosebush while I enjoy my coma.’”

“Oh, yeah, I was just being a dick,” Tenko said. “Alice in Wonderland rules. No dead parents bullshit, just eighty minutes of plotless colorful mindfuck.” Before Touya could protest any further, Tenko ducked in to grab his selfie. To his credit, it did take less than a minute. Tenko wasn’t picky about selfies. Unfortunately, Himiko immediately wanted one of her own, which then became three, and then ten…

The Alice jumped, and for a split second she seemed to struggle to stay in character.

“Oops!” Himiko chirped. “Did I pinch you by accident? Sorry!” Before the Alice could reply, Himiko darted back to the boys.

“Okay, you both have your stupid selfies,” Touya said impatiently. “Now can we hurry up and get to—”

“There’s a gift shop!” Himiko shrieked. “I’m gonna go see the gift shop!” Before either of them could answer, she raced off through the crowd.

Touya groaned loudly before Tenko dragged him after her. “Yeah yeah, hurry up and let’s catch up before she stabs someone.”

It was easier said than done; the store was packed and the aisles were almost mazelike. “Is there a fake weapons section?” Touya asked. “We’ll probably find her there.”

“Nah, this is mostly clothes…” Tenko looked around. “Maybe… there! I see her!”

“Where?”

“By the costume dresses, come on!”

Sure enough, to their immense relief, they found her pouting over a rack of child-sized princess dresses, with minimal carnage left in her wake. “None of these will fit me,” she fretted.

“Duh,” Tenko said flatly. “Adults can’t cosplay in the parks or they’ll get confused with the face characters. Kids get a pass because nobody’s gonna mistake a four-year-old for a Disney employee.”

Himiko looked close to wailing as they gently herded her from the store. “But—but—”

“I’ll buy you one online when we get home, now come on before Touya throws a tantrum.”

Touya folded up the park map and slapped him with it.

---

“Guys! Guys! Ten-chan look! Look at that Cinderella! She’s so pretty!”

“Himiko, there’s a line!”

“You can’t just trample children, you’re gonna get us kicked out!”

“Me next! Me next! Ohhhh, I want a dress like that! Ten-chan, won’t I look pretty in that dress?”

“HIMIKO!”

---

“Personally,” Touya remarked as they stood outside the park gates near closing time. “I can’t believe we didn’t get kicked out.”

“We had some close calls,” Tenko said. “I thought we were done for back at the Cinderella castle for sure. Also five minutes ago. I can’t believe we actually got out of that.”

“You guys worry too much!” Himiko said blithely from behind a bush. “I’m very charming.”

Touya scowled. “Himiko, you literally had to turn into a different person and point security in the wrong direction.”

“And they believed me, because I’m charming!” Himiko stepped back out onto the sidewalk, once more clothed and wearing her own face. “Thanks for the clothes, Ten-chan.”

“I figured you were gonna need them at some point.” Tenko rubbed his eyes wearily. “Let’s just go home so I can take an aspirin and sleep.”

“And find a Cinderella dress for me online,” Himiko added.

Tenko’s headache kicked up a notch. “Damn it, I was hoping you forgot.”

“Nope! I remember everything you’ve ever told me.”

---

“Hey Ten-chan. Ten-chan.”

“Yeah, Himiko.”

“I just wanted you to know I was kidding about the princess dress. I don’t even need it!”

“Mm-hm.”

“Wanna know why?”

“Yeah sure.”

“You’re not even looking! You have to look.”

Distracted, Tenko turned to look at her, and promptly fell out of his chair when he found himself staring at the Cinderella face character from the park, smiling Himiko’s smile.

“Is it too much?” The disguise sloughed off of her, revealing the Alice face character instead. “How about this, Ten-chan? You said Alice was your favorite, right?”

“Himiko, what the fuck.”

[womanoflettersinthebunker]

John wasn't sure how long he stared at the impala, just mesmerized by the beauty that she was sitting there.

She looked exactly the same as he remembered. Black, gleaming, and just pure perfection. He'd always loved her and he was sure that if he managed to turn the engine on, she would purr just as good as she had before.

He remembered the first time he saw her, being driven into the shop he had been working at after coming back from Vietnam. He had noticed the car first, unable to look away, she was that beautiful that no mechanic could resist her. Even with a flattened front there was no doubt of the beauty within.

But then the drivers door opened and the real beauty came out; as graceful as a dancer, hand trailing over the door, and leaning against the side with a slightly sheepish smile.

"I got into an accident." she had said, laughing and the sound of her voice, the sound of her voice. Was like bells ringing, like the beginning notes of the classical music his mother had enjoyed listening to, like the promise of all that was good in the world.

He had been hooked, line and sinker, those very first seconds and he had to move fast because apparently so were the other men.

He didn't make a fool out of himself, barely. He didn't stumble over his words, because he barely got any out. By some miracle he hadn't dropped his tools on his foot as she leaned against her car watching him work. Whenever he would look up to her green eyes on him she'd smile and his stomach would spin in ways he hadn't thought possible.

He hadn't been scared when he was in Vietnam. He was terrified of this woman and nothing had even happened yet.

But what was most terrifying was if he let her go without even trying to have her in his life.

So he swallowed his pride, his senses, and everything in between and tried to talk to her. She found him funny, laughing as he spoke and of course her laughter sounded like bells chiming in the wind.

And by some miracle he managed to ask her out on a date, just as he finished working on her car.

By some bigger miracle she agreed and he had raced home to wash up and be presentable enough for what she deserved, barely able to remember all those lessons his mother had drilled into his head about manners that Vietnam shot right out of him.

Taking a deep shuddering breath John forced himself to stop thinking about the past, forced himself to push past everything and focus on what was right in front of him.

But when he remembered what that demon had said that Mary was...that Mary was...

He couldn't even think it without the threat of losing his lunch and sanity.

So he focused on the car, forcing himself to move closer to it. He couldn't stop himself from reaching out to touch it, flinching back as if he had been burned before he reached to touch it once more, fingers gliding over the cool metal.

He walked around the car, keeping his hand on it, stopping at the window to the backseat, just staring into that leather clad seating.

The amount of hours and nights they had spent in that backseat. The place where Dean was most likely-

He closed his eyes and breathed in deep, the nails in his other hand digging hard enough into his palm for it to hurt. The pain grounded him enough that he could try to focus a bit more.

He finally walked to the trunk and he reached for the hood, trying to open it. He knew that he needed a key to do it.

But he also knew a small trick to open it as well, remembering being taught this by her. He reached under the perch, feeling around for the latch and pressed hard on it and pushing it to the side. The trunk opened up and before he could chicken out he brought it open completely.

He wasn't sure what to expect once he opened it. Maybe a body, maybe some sort of blood and parts that showed that the car belonged to nothing more than a pair of demons.

Instead, all he saw was a mess of clothes, books, what looked like personal items, and other things. There were a few weapons in here, and yes, some were covered in blood, but it didn't look out of place of being a hunters trunk.

His hands were shaking a part of him noted but he reached in, starting to look through the things. He moved the clothes around, looking them over for anything of interest. They were all mens clothes and the only thing somewhat interesting about them was that some of them had flecks of blood on them.

He put the clothes to the side and kept looking.

He looked over the weapons but they also were deemed unimportant, run of the mill blades and guns. Nothing magical or demonic about any of them.

Underneath those was when things got a bit more interesting. There were a few books, old looking and heavy, written in languages he couldn't make out. Those were for Bobby to make heads and tails of.

He picked up some of the books and started to leaf through some of them, just to see if they had anything he could understand. He froze however when he got to the middle, it had been bookmarked and dogeared, showing just how many times they've gone to this page.

But most importantly...it had a picture of Mary pressed between the pages.

Hand shaking he touched the plastic of the picture, fingers stroking over her face. Obviously someone else had taken it because it showed three people. He recognized the child, he'd know that child anywhere, grinning and wrapping his arms around Mary tightly, leaning into her as best as he could but also trying not to jostle her.

Because Mary was also holding onto another baby who was staring up at the camera, or whoever was holding the camera, in wonder. She was holding the baby close to her, one arm wrapped around it and the other holding onto Dean to keep him from falling.

He quickly checked the timestamp of the picture, it was ten months after the both of them had disappeared from his life. And the fact that the baby looked to be between two and three months.

He had another son.

He flipped it over instinctively, staring at the words written by someone. Mary, Dean, Samael.

Sam. Dean.

He had two sons.

He had two sons.

A choked sound escaped him and he put the picture back, not wanting to risk ruining it. His hand came to cover his mouth as he tried to compose himself.

His two sons were raised in hell, one born in hell.

And alone for a majority of the time if the demon had been honest with them because Mary was-

He closed his eyes and put the book back into the truck, gripping the edges of it to try to ground himself.

Gently moving the book to the side John kept looking through it, not sure of what else he was going to find. His fingers ran over the sides of the truck, stopping when he realized he could dip them in.

A false floor at the bottom of the trunk, hidden by everything else on top. Meaning, something big. He slid his fingers under the catch and slowly started to lift it up.

Only to be pushed away from the car and thrown to the ground hard enough for all the air to escape him, head slamming against the floor so that his vision swam. Groaning he moved to get up, stopping when he felt a boot being pressed down against his chest.

"So you're John Winchester." a female voice spoke, pressing down harder onto his chest to keep him in place. "You are one unlucky son of a bitch."

John forced his eyes to open, staring at the short blonde haired girl above him. She smiled back down at him, eyes completely black.

"Hi, I'm Meg." the demon told him. "And I'm here to get a bigger reward from the boys than they previously thought."

She grinned at him. "I'm not going to kill you, don't worry." she mock assured him. "That's for Sam and Dean to do. I'm just here to get that." she motioned with her head back towards the impala.

When John moved to get up she pressed him down harder, threateningly against his ribs. "You're not taking the car-" he managed to gasp out.

"I'd like to see you stop me." Meg told him patronizingly. She looked up when they heard Bobby and Ellen coming out. "Oh look, more victims."

The both of them had their guns trained on her, not that they would do any good against a demon.

"I don't want to-" she stopped herself and thought. "Okay, yes, I would like to kill all three of you." she corrected herself. "But I can't, Sam and Dean called dibs and as their auntie I have to honor their wishes." she sighed. "And you can stop right there." she added, aimed towards Bobby and Ellen.

"You're not going anywhere." Bobby said lowly. "Not until-"

"I don't care." Meg said, finally lifting her foot off of Johns chest and going towards the impala. When the three of them moved to grab her, or do something, Meg reached into her pocket and pulled something out.

It was a small vial of blood, simple and useless but at the same time, priceless .Ellen froze at the sight of it.

"Sam gave me this in case I needed to get out without spilling blood. Told me not to break it either." Meg said. "I'm guessing that means this is something important to you."

"So either you stop pissing me off." Meg said. "And I'll give this to you. Or I'll just swallow it and whatever it is, you're never going to get it."

Meg twirled the vial between her fingers, whistling as she walked to the impala, taking out a set of keys from her jacket. She smirked at the three of them, John had managed to stand up, rubbing at his chest.

"I want to talk to them." John managed to get out, his voice rasping. "The boys...Sam and Dean."

Meg laughed at him, turning on one foot to leer at him. "They'll come for you." she told him. "Trust me they'll come for you soon enough. They want your blood."

Climbing into the driver's seat of the impala she turned the engine on, revving it, keeping the door open. She tapped her fingers against the steering wheel, thoughtful.

“Sams alive by the way.” she told him. “You know, after you guys stabbed him with a demon killing knife.” She didn’t turn her head as Ellen moved towards her but she did let the vial drop to the ground, destroying it with the heel of her boot before she immediately got floored the pedal, dirt and gravel flying as she drove away.

Just as Jo stumbled out of the house, shouting for her mom and awake.

[burningrosepassion]

She’s My Winter

Chapter 4

Loki was enraged at being interrupted. He slammed the door behind him and stormed down the hall to where Doctor Selvig had started working on the machine.

“What?” Loki snarled.

“Sir,” Doctor Selvig was clearly surprised to see Loki in such a state. “I-I...” he looked to Agent Barton.

“We have a problem with a couple of the recruits. The scepter’s power is... well... you just have to see, Sir.” Agent Barton led Loki to the rooms designated as holding cells.

Agent Barton walked in first, weapon drawn. Loki, scepter in hand, followed. What he saw did not surprise him. Three men were tied to chairs, manic, depraved expressions plastered to their sweat soaked faces. Their eyes were the same glowing, crystal blue as the others under the influence of the scepter. But the glint in their eyes was clearly that of a being possessed with a need to kill. They each had terrible wounds and blood sprayed all over themselves. It was clear they’d been fighting. And Loki had not given them reason to.

“We found them behind the lab area. That one was carving up one of Selvig’s assistants. That one was fighting with the other one over who got the next assistant. I’m sorry, Sir. It appears the effects of the scepter are more drastic on certain behaviors than I initially thought. I was just looking for quantity. I’ll be more careful, next time.” Agent Barton waited for Loki to assess the situation.

“Are there men you can trust, Agent Barton?” Loki finally asked.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Coordinate a watch. I want everyone on your list of trusted recruits to keep their eyes open. If anything like this happens again, I want to know about it. I want this taken care of. Is that clear, Agent Barton?”

“Yes, Sir.” Agent Barton raised his gun level with the head of one of the manic men. “Shall I dispose of them, Sir.”

“Please do. And do not disturb me for the rest of the night unless it is absolutely necessary.” Before Loki left the room, he realized he recognized one of the men. The man who had carved up the lab assistant had originally been assigned to watch Loki’s room while he was gone. This man had been notified there was a woman in the room. Something about this didn’t sit right with Loki. He made a mental note to be more cautious with the men he trusted to watch his new Pet. “Get as much information from them as you can before disposing of them, Agent Barton.��� Agent Barton only nodded.

Loki stormed out of the room to the sound of gun shots ringing in the air. He made his scepter disappear and went back to his room. He opened the door and shut it quietly, noticing the sleeping woman in his bed. She was breathing soundly, slow and quiet. Dried tears trailed down her cheeks. Loki decided to just let her be, waking her just to torment her was not something he had the energy for, at the moment. Instead, Loki removed his armor and leather jacket and settled himself on the bed next to Winter. She stirred, just barely, at his presence on the bed, but not enough to wake up. Loki nestled in close to her, pulled the blanket around them, and slowly drifted into sleep.

~~~~~~~

Winter woke up, sometime later. She felt like it should be morning. But with no windows and no clocks in this dank basement room, she had no true concept of time. If felt like some form of torture, not having a way to estimate time. And the anxiety of the day before caused such a fitful sleep, Winter couldn’t be sure if she’d slept only an hour or more than 8. The only thing she was sure of was that Loki was not in the room. Upon inspection, Winter found a letter sitting on his chair, waiting with his nickname for her.

Flower,

I left some new clothes for you on the other chair. When you are ready, knock on the door and one of my men will escort you to the bathroom. Tell him if you wish to shower- you will have as much time as you need. If you do not shower, you will have 15 minutes. He will ensure you have food and fresh water when you return from the bathroom. I will be back late. Be a good girl.

Loki

Winter read the note twice. She looked at the other chair and found a simple green and gold sundress with a black shawl and white panties. No bra. She looked at the floor at the foot of the bed where she’d left her clothes from the day before, but they were gone. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she scooped up the clothes and went to the door. She hesitated at the idea of knocking on the door to alert someone she was awake, but she really wanted to use the bathroom.

Almost immediately after she knocked, a small, timid sound, the door unlatched and opened. A large, burly man with short buzzed blonde hair loomed in the doorway. He has the same glowing blue eyes at the two men who had abducted her on Loki’s command.

“Boss says you’re to be taken to his bathroom.” The man grabbed Winter’s arm in a vice like grip and pulled her from the room. He unlocked the bathroom door and shoved her, roughly, into the room. “Are you taking a shower?”

“Yes.”

“Knock on the door when you are done.” The man shut the door and Winter heard the lock click into place.

Time seemed to pass slowly. For the sake of her sanity, Winter decided it must be daytime. She must have been with Loki for at least 24 hours by now. Granted, most of that time she’d been asleep, or rather unconscious. Winter took her time in the bathroom. She found shampoo, conditioner and body wash in the metal cabinet next to the wash basin. While she was cleaning herself, she wondered if her boss at the bookstore reported her missing. Surely he would have. The place was open, her jacket, purse and lunch still behind the register counter, but she wasn’t. Winter was pretty sure the men who’d taken her hadn’t even bothered to close the door when they left. Her boss wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but surely he would realize she’d been removed from the store unwillingly. Winter wondered if that meant someone was going to be looking for her. She found comfort in that thought. Maybe her boss had notified the police. And then it dawned on her. The store had security cameras! Winter’s heart nearly soared out of her chest when she remembered her boss setting up the new system a month ago. Not only will her boss know she had been abducted, but the police will have video footage of those responsible. That was hope worth clinging to.

After her shower, Winter was taken back to Loki’s room. The same steroid-junky from earlier brought her food three times during the day, as well as checked to see if she needed to use the bathroom. Winter tried to occupy her mind by reading her book. It was quite a time later that Loki returned. He was in the same mood as he had been the night before, for better or worse.

Once he’d removed his armor, he approached his chair, where Winter had been sitting. She instinctively stood up and waited for him. Her new found hope that someone would be looking for her had given her the resolve to put up with whatever Loki was going to do to her. Or, at least, most of what he’d do. She could endure it, because sooner or later someone would find her. So she’d made up her mind to play along and try her best to placate him. He didn’t even have to pull her onto his lap, she sat without prompting. A look of smug satisfaction on his face.

[katestinyliving]

I have been so behind on creating this post. This past week has been so hard for me for multiple reasons. None of which I’m specifically comfortable going on a public level about so for the sake of privacy and sanity, I’m keeping it private. I’ve had a lot of highs and a lot of lows. A lot of “talk downs” from Tristan, my parents, and Asa.  It’s so dangerously close to Christmas, and I’ve been overwhelmed by to-do lists, anxiety, and fear.

Needless to say, crying is my new thing. Waterproof mascara is my beauty essential. I don’t think there’s a foundation in the world created to withstand the floodgate that is attached to my face, so I don’t even try. 

I’ve been afraid of not getting my to-do list done by a deadline. Which is a big one for me. I am a planner. I like lists. I like checking things off and moving forward. But to be honest and 100% transparent I’ve had fear of not making enough money to be able to afford finishing the house or being able to afford a wedding… Etc. And by wedding, I’m not meaning some elaborate thing. I want simple. I want stress free. Anything flashy, showy, or that REMOTELY sounds like it could cause me any stress or drama is out. I don’t want it. And all of that goes for my house too. I just want zero drama.

And in reality I know the money is there. I know it will come. I’ve been diligent, praying, and asking for God to send me work and to help me recognize the opportunities He brings my way and to have wisdom with those opportunities. And He does. I know God provides because He has been providing for me every step of the way. I could tell you THOUSANDS of wild stories where God’s provided for me. But all of that is easier said than believed when you’re going through the thick of it and you’re hearing all these voices of discouragement in your head saying, “It ain’t gonna happen. How’s this gonna happen? You’re gonna finish your house, and get married within 5 months? HA!”

Isn’t it wild how God can do amazing things for us, and then when stress hits again, in that moment we sometimes totally forget how amazing and capable He is? Or is it just me? Cause I lose my mind and turn into an blubbering idiot, almost every time it feels like.

This does not mean I am labeled a doubter. This does not mean I don’t trust Him. This does mean I am human. This does mean I have struggles. This does mean I am learning and growing. And this does mean I am a child of the King.

Even Jesus himself in the garden of Gethsemane struggled! God himself in the form of man wept and had so much agony from stress, he sweat BLOOD. Jesus Christ experienced hematidrosis while praying in the garden of Gethsemane before his crucification. That is insane.

“And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:44

So I think if anyone understands my humanity, the battle of overcoming it, and needing help from the Father, it would be Jesus.

When you walk through the fire with Him… stuff gets real. FAST. And any honest, true believer, devoted, loving Christian worth their salt will tell you that it’s not all peaches and cream walking with Jesus. There’s a whole lot of humility, fear, and worry with learning to trust God. Even when He’s done miraculous things in the past, and you KNOW He will be right there with you through the fire again… It’s hard. And because it’s hard, doesn’t make you any more or less of a Christian. It just means where your at is hard. It’s growing pains. The process is hard. The journey is hard and it’s harder when you don’t include Jesus in your journey, or when you forget that He wants to be included in your journey. So we have to constantly invite Him into our situations and say, “Okay God. I’m here. Here is this thing. Help me to surrender. Help me to learn and to trust You during this time. It sucks and I hate it, but here’s where I’m at with it. Help me.”  

But anyways, I’m getting off topic. I never started this post with the intention of getting that deep into my personal walk with Christ or being that transparent about it.

Maybe I will make a blog post going in-depth about it and about all the drama I have going on in my head, but I really want to get to the details of Construction Saturday.

Anywayssss… 

This post is about last week’s Construction Saturday. Last Saturday I woke up to Daddy revving a chainsaw outside of my window getting ready to cut a tree down. This tree has been looking crazy dangerous and shady now for years, and we were all starting to get paranoid it was going to fall on someone’s vehicle(especially Asa’s), so the day finally came for it to come down.

Asa couldn’t be there that morning because he’s been having to work Saturdays lately. Which is sad, because I miss him terribly and it’s something I’ve been trying hard to gracefully adjust to. Plus it’s difficult because he’s genuinely a God-send when it comes to construction. I’m insanely proud of him. His long arms, strength, persistence, level-head, and height seriously helps SO much on construction days. And he has a calming presence for me, and I need that because I’m everything but calm. Plus he’s really good at following instructions, which is a trait I feel like is in short supply these days.

But instead of going all out on the house first thing that morning, Tony, Mama, and I decided to help Daddy clear the driveway. Which I enjoyed a lot. It was fun working as a team doing something different. And then afterwards, to my surprise, Daddy stayed that Saturday and helped us build the house. He’s usually doing ministry work or running his business, so it’s a lucky day when he can help me work on my house. Which was a God-send because he’s incredible at building things and the more fellas around with the muscle and the know-how, the better.

One thing that I think I really underestimated when I said I wanted to build my house was my own muscle strength.

I am not very strong in the arms. I’m not exactly weak, but it is not as easy for me to lift things like I thought it would be. If this house teaches me anything at all, I think it’s that: I need help. A lot of help. I CAN NOT do this by myself.

And that’s okay. That’s where the true blessing comes in. That’s where true love comes in.

I’m thankful for my crew and for everyone that has helped me with this house. We’re not out of the woods with it yet, but we are getting closer every time we work together. And everyday, despite whatever crippling emotion I’m having at the time from all the stress, I know God’s in it. I know He’s teaching me. I know it’s gonna work out. It might not be my timing, but it will be His and that’s all that matters.

Be sure to hover over my photos or click on them. I’m gonna add some captions so you know what is going on. And if you’re curious about my photography at all you can follow me here, and here, and look here at my website.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful season of Christmas despite whatever stressful circumstances you may be facing right now. Jesus loves you. I love you. We care about you and I am praying for you. Whomever you are reading this, you matter to me and I am praying for you.

Merry Christmas.

-Katie

  This is right after the tree was cut down. Tony is inspecting it, while Daddy is cutting it up into movable pieces.

Tony always brings some kind of dessert to every event. He’s gonna make me fat, and I’m trying to get married. This is not the ideal situation, but it is a tasty one.

Close up of Daddy.

Cool angles. Yaknow. All about them angles.

This is Tony and Daddy making the best of the scrap pieces I had left over for the siding. Our goal was to trim out the windows and put siding on the windows.

I think you know what’s happening here.

Another angle of Daddy and Tony.

Man and his chainsaw. He cut up at least two other big old bushes that day. Daddy says it a dangerous time when a man buys a new chainsaw. Everything gets cut. This chainsaw isn’t new though, but I think the point is still there.

Biscuits Mama made for us! She keeps me going strong and happy. I love her so so so much!

Chalk line to keep things square!

Mama with a fancy dewalt finishing nailer. Us Weeks girls know about our tools and how to use them. I’m thankful for a Mama that has never let fear hold her back, as far as I know. Which has helped me and Tristan tremendously in having that “I can do anything I put my mind to” attitude. And forget about the whole gender thing. My whole life I knew I was just as good as a guy, thanks to my parents. When your born with no brothers, chores have no gender role. It’s “Girls! Do this. Do that!” Haha!

Daddy seeing if this piece of scrap will be long enough to cover the window.

Tony and Mama figuring out the measurements for the first window.

First window trim, done!

Holding the tape for Daddy.

Tony measuring to see the length of the glass I need to order for my stained glass Moon Phase window that Reflecting Light Stained Glass Studios will be making for me. I love custom pieces! https://www.reflectinglightstainedglass.com

Second window trimmed and finished!

Miter saws make life 100% more efficient and easier.

Third window finished! This is also my favorite window.

Mama working on taking apart the temporary table we made for the miter saw.

Wider angle, so you can see more of the house.

p.s. Please know that if someone else had the camera this day you would have seen me telling Tony to get off the ladder many times. Haha! I love him. He’s a crazy hard worker! I’m proud of my friend and could not have dreamed of a better person to learn from. Tony is a God-send. 100%!

12.16.17 | Tiny House Construction Saturday I have been so behind on creating this post. This past week has been so hard for me for multiple reasons.

[the-stick-seller]

Sanity breach part 5

For almost an hour we waited in near total silence. They had us line up and march out of the debate room and into the testing area. Here we would learn how to use the tools we were given for the final portion of this messed up game. And we would also learn just what tools we were given.

Just an hour earlier we had the opportunity to speak our case, a simple question which would determine whether or not the audience thought we were sane or not. Simple right? The only problem is, someone always cheats.

There was no opportunity to speak with the girl since the round ended. As soon as the camera shut off and guards swarmed the room, we became separated. Probably to keep whatever the man wanted to do to her from happening before the final round.

"Welcome back! The votes are in and our contestants are more than eager to hear just what you thought about their answers!" The overly excited announcer's voice comes out from an overhead speaker. He could only pray now that the audience would have mercy.

The camera in front of me cuts on and the man manages his best smile despite the horror of it all.

"Are you ready?" No, no! He silently shouts to himself. A small sign above the camera tells him the answer. I'm certain that just behind the unassuming man is a similar screen for the audience to see.

INSANE

"Welp, no surprise there! Our little Sunshine really is a fan favorite, isn't she? For her efforts, she has been awarded a bronze age spear personally crafted by the good folks down at Astro Tec! Astro Tec; When your needs are astronomical, look to the stars."

"And for our runner up, a 2X4 board from a local hardware store! Locally made and sturdy composition. In fact, we may have used the same type of wood for the pole of the spear earlier! Well not really, but it's a nice thought." A splintered hunk of wood is dropped at his feet unceremoniously.

"And now for your challenge, take up your weapons and move your way through this obstacle course! You'll be given incentives to help you play the right way so don't slack off!" The camera shuts off and a guard from off screen leads me to another room.

They fit the man for some kind of large collar. It feels large and unnecessarily heavy on the neck. The metal underneath prods at the skin under the bands that can't scratched. Just wearing this thing fills one with dread and panic.

None the less, he take up his rough looking wood, making sure not to get any splinters in his hands. As he does so, targets of people appear and the cameras cut on. Looks like there's no introduction needed for this challenge.

The business man spies the nearest one, a burly man with a spear and a colar around his neck just like mine. With a single swing it's head is brutally ripped from it's body and the dummy goes limp.

Another one popps up nearby, a frightened looking woman. Surely they don't mean for him to attack that one? No, in a few moments the target returns to it's previous position out of range. Guess that one was a test?

As the man moves on clutching his wood, he is certain to check and see if the person is not carrying a weapon before swinging.

Another man appears, this time extremely close to where the man is standing and holding a knife up. With a swing it's arm comes off of the dummy and a powerful electric current runs through the man. He lets out a yowl of pain and falls to the ground in a heap.

"No no no! Don't attack the civilians!" Civ-civilians? What is that crazy announcer thinking? He had a knife!

A camera moves in closer around the dummy's neck. There is no collar.

"Attacking civilians will not be tolerated! But out there in The Real World stage, you won't get just a shock for trying it!"

The stunning effect eventually wears off and he gets to his feet shakily. As he keeps moving through that maze of people and obsticals he eventually comes accross a barrier of boxes. The only way through was to jump over them. He hooks the wood over one side of them and uses it to pull himself up and over the crate. He leaps down and keeps running without looking back.

"Gyaaaaaaaaa!" The man shouts, clutching his shoulder. A dummy hiding behind the crates stands silently, spear extended and slightly bloody. The dummies, they can attack to.

[Chapter is getting kinda long so I'll end it off here. Next time may or may not be the final one depending on if I decide to elaborate on this chapter more. Also, there are just a few subtle hints I included in this chapter for the suprise ending. No spoilers!]

[montemoutdoorgear1]

What Is The Most Important Gear To Bring On A Camping Trip?

Camping is a highly personal experience, and every outdoor adventurer brings to it his or her own strengths, weaknesses, needs and desires. This means that you will probably want to bring along a different set of items than your buddy when heading out on your next trip. For example, you may want to bring along your camera, while your companion would prefer to bring a book. But your equipment list won’t differ entirely from that of your partners — there are a half-dozen or so things that every camper will need to bring. There are also a few items that are necessary for the group but needn’t be carried by every individual member of the party.

We’ll cover both types of equipment below – those things that should appear in every camper’s pack, and those things which should be divvied up between the members of the group.

What Supplies Should I Bring Camping?

For the most part, you’ll need these things no matter where you are heading or how long your trip is scheduled to last. Because you’ll use these items on each and every trip, it is always wise to prioritize these things when allotting your camping-gear budget.

Sleeping Bag

A sleeping bag or camping blanket will keep you warm while you’re sleeping out in the elements, and they’ll cushion your body a little bit too. Most campers elect to bring a sleeping pad too, but this is not absolutely necessary, particularly if you are the type that can sleep anywhere.

Most campers will also be using a tent, but extreme campers may prefer using an enclosed or bivvy-style bag, which will protect you from rain and snow. These are rarely as fun for recreational campers, but they can actually keep you warmer than a traditional tent in extreme conditions, and they obviously help you free up pack space and eliminate a lot of weight.

Water Bottle

Decades ago, camping websites books would list a canteen among the items every camper must bring, but in the 21st century, campers have a number of better options. Canteens make water taste kind of funky and they have narrow mouths, which limits their flexibility. You can’t, for example, cook soup in them very easily.

Instead, most modern campers bring along a wide-mouthed plastic bottle. Often called “Nalgene bottles,” because they were originally produced by a company of the same name, these bottles are now made by a variety of manufacturers. There are differences between the various models, so be sure to think carefully about your choice and be a discriminating buyer.

Flashlight

Every camper should have a flashlight on his or her person. Flashlights are not only imperative for safety reasons, but they’re also good for your sanity – sharing a flashlight is no fun at all. Try to select a small, lightweight flashlight that has an easy-to-activate switch, fits comfortably in your hand and pumps out plenty of lumens.

Some campers like to bring along a headlamp, but you’d be wise to bring a flashlight too, as they excel in a variety of ways that headlamps do not. For example, it can be difficult to hold a headlamp steady for a lengthy period of time.

Multitool

A good multitool is one of the most important things in any camper’s pack. They are the Swiss army knives of modern outdoor enthusiasts. Multitools give you a way to carry several different tools in one convenient and relatively light package.

Even the simplest of multitools will usually feature pliers, screwdrivers, scissors and a knife blade, while the more elaborate models will include everything but the kitchen sink. As with almost every other camping-gear decision, you’ll have to balance the competing forces of weight and luxury, so consider your needs carefully when making your choice.

Survival Kit

A small survival kit should be one of the first things every camper packs before a trip. It should contain the essential items you’d need to survive, should a worst-case scenario unfold during your trip. Some campers prefer to purchase commercially assembled survival kits while others prefer to create their own custom survival kit themselves. Either approach is fine, as long as you are sure to include everything you need. Check out our guide to making your own survival kit, if you are so inclined.

Items Every Camping Party Needs

In addition to the things each individual needs, each camping party needs several items that can be shared among the members. Obviously, if you are camping alone you’ll have to carry each of these items yourself, while large parties will be able to spread the weight of these items among the members.

Tent

Tents are shared by two campers, but large tents can accommodate up to 5 or 6 people. This means that you’ll have to adjust the number of tents in your group to match your space needs.

Note that it is not necessary for any one person to carry the entire tent, as you could split it up into its component pieces if you like. This way, you could carry the rainfly and poles, while your companion carries the main tent shell.

Water Purifier

You should never drink untreated water while camping, as even the purest of mountain streams can carry a variety of nasty pathogens. Just a sip from the wrong creek could ruin your trip and have you heading to the emergency room. There are a variety of ways to treat water, but most campers will find that a water purifier is the most convenient and effective solution.

You’ll probably want to bring a purifier for every two members of your group. Aside from the redundancy benefits of multiple units, they’ll save you time too — it can take a while to pump a single liter of water, and time always seems to move slower when you’re thirsty.

Camp Stove

You can cook on an open fire, but this is usually a lot more trouble than it’s worth. Additionally, campfires are prohibited in many locations, particularly west of the Rockies, where wildfires are a perpetual threat. This means that you’ll want to bring along a camp stove whenever you go camping.

You’ll also need to bring along fuel too, and this will typically take up more space than the actual stove. As with water purifiers and tents, you’ll probably want to bring along one stove for every two campers. This will make it much easier to cook larger quantities of food than a single stove would.

First Aid Kit

While some campers will choose to include a few basic first-aid supplies in their survival kit, every camping party should have a well-stocked first-aid kit. Although you can certainly pack as much as space permits, the following items should be considered mandatory:

An assortment of bandages

Gauze

Tape

Tweezers

Benadryl

Aspirin

Ibuprofen

Topical pain-relieving lotion or gel

Antidiarrheal medication

Antacid

Antiseptic wipes

Triple antibiotic ointment or cream

Moleskin

Additionally, you’ll want to bring along any prescription medications you’ll need during the trip. Make sure to pack your first-aid items in a good carrying case to keep everything together and organized. If possible, select a brightly colored bag, so it is easy to find in an emergency. A first-aid kit can be used for several people; you’ll just need to adjust the quantities packed to reflect the size of the group.

Mess Kit

Every camping party needs a mess kit so that you can prepare, cook and serve food. A typical kit would be comprised of two sets of minimal flatware, a couple of pots or pans, two cups and two plates. However, there are plenty of variations on the theme and plenty of options in the marketplace. Mess kits aren’t really life-or-death equipment, so you can pack like a minimalist or a gourmet chef, depending on your desires. You may consider a mess kit an individual item, or you may try to get away with a single mess kit for four people – either way will work.

It’s also important to consider the type of food you’ll be making when planning out your mess kit. Many commercial camping foods can be prepared in and eaten from the bag, which will eliminate the need for individual plates. But on the other hand, you’ll need plenty of pans and individual plates if you want to make pancakes and bacon for breakfast.

Map

If your camping party is to have any chance of reaching its intended destination, you’ll need a good map to help you get there. A good map is even useful when you are hiking along well-marked trails, as it will allow you to determine how far you’ve traveled (and more importantly, how much farther you’ll have to travel to reach the campsite).

Digital maps – such as those displayed on your phone or tablet – are an intriguing option for modern campers, as they can provide a wealth of information that isn’t provided by paper maps. They also provide value from a safety context, as you can use your phone to contact help in an emergency.

However, digital devices present problems too. They are much heavier than a paper map is, and they are dependent on a good signal – something that is rare in the wilderness. Accordingly, it is probably wise to bring a paper map along too, as a backup.

Your Pack; Your Gear; Your Decisions

Every camping trip is different, so you may need to tweak this equipment list to account for the local terrain, wildlife, climate or laws of your destination. Accordingly, no list – including the one above – should be considered exhaustive and foolproof. You must always plan your trip carefully to ensure you have a good time and remain safe while enjoying the great outdoors.

However, the items listed above do represent the primary supplies and tools that you’ll need to ensure most of the memories you’ll make will bring a smile to your face. Additionally, some campers are willing to endure rougher conditions than others. We compiled this list for the “typical” camper, who wants a reasonable amount of comfort during the outing. Ultralight campers and survival-minded minimalists may scoff at a tent, but the typical weekend camper will likely have a much better time if sheltered from the elements.

Conversely, car campers and those for whom camping must include access to bathrooms and showers will probably want to double or triple the length of this list. And as long as you’re driving up to your campsite, there’s nothing wrong with that at all. Did we leave anything out that you consider being critical for camping? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the issue. Let us know what other items you always pack – whether they are personal or group needs.

The post What Is The Most Important Gear To Bring On A Camping Trip? appeared first on Montem Outdoor Gear.

from Montem Outdoor Gear https://montemlife.com/what-is-the-most-important-gear-to-bring-on-a-camping-trip/

[kidsviral-blog]

Summer Is Almost Upon Us, So Here Are 16 Travel Scams That You Should Avoid

New Post has been published on https://kidsviral.info/summer-is-almost-upon-us-so-here-are-16-travel-scams-that-you-should-avoid/

Summer Is Almost Upon Us, So Here Are 16 Travel Scams That You Should Avoid

As someone who has lived and traveled abroad, I can tell you that tourist scams abound, and they’re the worst.

Designed with stealing your money (and sanity) in mind, these maneuvers are the tools of the trade for schemers all over the world. Since summer will be here before you know it, let’s go over what you should be on the lookout for when you hop on a plane to your dream destination.

After all, nothing says “please get me out of here everything is terrible let me go home I quit” quite like losing your cash, credit cards, and passport to some lady who just threw her baby at you (more on that later). If you’re planning on visiting a major city abroad this summer, here’s what you need to know.

1. That guy handing you a friendship bracelet is 100 percent not your friend.

Flickr / Kevin K

Remember those bracelets you used to weave for your besties in elementary school? Well, when in Rome (or anywhere else for that matter), don’t let some strange dude on the street lure you in with false promises of friendship. He isn’t Becky Williams, and this is not the third grade. By the time that heartless fraud wraps a colorful lie around your wrist, he’ll have asked you for all of your money. Nothing is sacred anymore.

2. The lady holding a rose will come between you and your significant other.

iStock

This scenario is a lot like the friendship bracelet situation, but this time, you’ll look like a bad person in front of your guy or girl. Here’s how it usually goes. The woman offers a rose to a couple strolling by. One half of said couple reaches out and takes it, because free flowers are the best flowers — but it’s not free. After the rose is taken off her hands, the lady demands money for it. Say yes, and the victim of this nasty enterprise contributes to a really irritating system. Say no, and they look like a miserly partner. Not cute.

3. Someone will throw a baby at you.

iStock

The good news is that it’s usually not a real baby. The bad news is that you’re probably not a pile of human garbage, and you’ll instinctively try to catch it anyway. While you’re fumbling through what is absolutely the weirdest thing that has ever happened to you (and I can tell you from experience that it is), mom of the year will steal all of your valuables.

4. You’ll give yourself away after you see a wallet on the ground.

iStock

You revel in not being “that guy” by reaching for your own wallet when you see one on the ground. If you’re wandering around in a major European city and you see a discarded wallet, do not reach for yours. It’s still there. You just used it to buy really overpriced shoes. Scam artists plant those wallets just to figure out where you keep yours.

var OX_ads = OX_ads || []; OX_ads.push( slot_id: “537251602_57086a5db3635”, auid: “537251602” );

5. Your taxi driver is taking his sweet time.

iStock

Taxi drivers exploit tourists by taking the longest routes possible to jack up rates. This will cause you a world of emotional and financial hurt, so familiarize yourself with the roads that lead to your destination, and call that nonsense out if it starts happening! I didn’t, which ended in a hefty, tipless payment to my driver and a frantic sprint to my terminal. It was the least fun.

6. People on packed trains are good at stealing your personal space (and your stuff).

iStock

One of my favorite things about living abroad was using public transit, which is sorely lacking here in the States. Take advantage of these inexpensive services when you travel, but if a train is crowded enough to leave you scrunched up under some guy’s armpit, zip up your bags and hold them tightly in front of you. Scammers love crowded trains, so be mindful of your purses and pockets.

7. If an overnight bus from one country to the next for almost no money sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

iStock

While you’re just trying to live your life on the night bus and snooze between Spain and France, someone’s in the luggage compartment stealing all of your valuables. That pretty much kills those bargain vibes.

8. Get all of your own luggage out of the car.

iStock

Hiring a private car to get you and your bags from the airport to the hotel is a great option, but if you can, take all of your own bags out of the vehicle. While most drivers offer to help you with luggage just to be nice, others will remove your largest bag, quickly hop back in the driver’s seat, and zip away with the smaller ones.

9. Fake cops are not the good guys.

iStock

If someone who looks like a police officer approaches you and says that there’s fake money circulating and he needs to check your wallet, ask for ID. If he doesn’t present you with proof that he’s an officer, get all up out of there. He’s posing as a cop to take your money.

var OX_ads = OX_ads || []; OX_ads.push( slot_id: “537251604_57086a5db37af”, auid: “537251604” );

10. Always count your change.

iStock

As a way of skimming a little off the top, cashiers sometimes exploit tourists by handing them less valuable coins when giving them change, since it’s hard for people to identify foreign currency at first glance. Familiarize yourself with what bills and coins look like prior to departure if you can! It’s not like any of us need to be more broke.

11. Don’t trust anyone when you’re purchasing tickets.

iStock

Seeing plays and concerts abroad is basically the best thing ever, but when it’s time to buy tickets, go straight to the booth or the official online vendor. Scammers target people waiting in line at theaters and arenas and offer them tickets for a fraction of the cost. The only downside is that they’re usually fake.

12. Always deal directly with your hotel concierge if money is involved.

iStock

Because everything is awful and the world is a spinning ball of pain, scammers will call you late at night, posing as your hotel concierge to confirm your credit card details. They know that people are less likely to venture downstairs later in the evening, which makes it easy for them to steal your info. If you suspect foul play, it never hurts to go downstairs and see what’s going on.

13. Everyone finds strength in numbers, including the kids who want to take your money.

Getty Images

Going back to the part about you not being a piece of garbage, it only makes sense that you’d want to help kids begging on the street. This gets tricky when they approach you in massive groups. If the kiddos come out in droves to hassle you, keep a close eye on your valuables. While you’re brushing one or two of them off, the other three will set their sights on your wallet.

14. That overly friendly local at the ATM isn’t helping you use the machine.

Getty Images

Even if you’re struggling with an ATM in a foreign country, take a deep breath and figure it out on your own. Do not, under any circumstances, allow someone to help you. Although it seems like the locals are trying to help you use the machine, they’re actually memorizing your PIN so they can steal your card and use it later.

15. Beachgoers beware: those free massages will cost you a pretty penny.

Getty Images

Locals love offering up “free” massages to tourists sipping mai tais on the beach. I’m sure you can guess by now that nothing in life is free, so be on the lookout for amateur masseuses. Even when tourists resist, they’re often pestered into shelling out pretty serious amounts of money.

16. Think twice about taking pictures for strangers.

Getty Images

Sadly, being nice to people on vacation isn’t usually rewarded with anything but a headache. One trick that locals pull on tourists seems innocent at first but quickly turns into something awful. Someone from a group approaches a traveler and asks them to take their picture. As the photographer is handing the camera back to its owner, the scammer purposely drops it and demands payment for the broken device.

(via Reddit)

Traveling is a blast, but you can never be too careful. When you’re out of your element, scammers know that you’re ripe for the picking. Maybe getting one of those horrible neck wallets your mom can’t stop talking about isn’t such a bad idea, after all.

Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/tourist-scam/

[httpmariana-blog]

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