#chris's stump removal

[chrisstumps05]

Why do people remove stumps?

[chrisstumpgrinding]

Is it better to grind or remove a stump?

[kultavalo]

The Horizon Jake Kiszka/Chris Turpin

Chapter 3: I'll Take Your Name With Me

Summary:

Jake was clearly much more skilled with the dagger than Chris, having learned how to handle it properly during his training, and having used it many times since to whittle wood, or prepare the occasional fish he caught while out on the beach. He had only carved his initials once before. As a child he and his siblings had all carved them in the stump of an old oak tree at the edge of the forest that surrounded their town. He had been about ten years old. The letters had been barely legible and at one point the knife had slipped and carved a deep gash in his left thumb. In the summer when his skin was colored golden by the sun he could still see the tiny scar, slightly stretched out as he had grown into adulthood.

This was nothing like that.

Tags: AU-pirates, angst, 1700's, golden age of piracy, emotional hurt/comfort, alcohol use (wine), skinny dipping, kissing, religious references, romance, sexual references, oral sex (M/M giving and receiving), rimming, anal fingering, multiple orgasms, mild nipple play, throat fucking, cum eating, anal sex, aftercare, so much fluff, bathing, talks of marriage, knifeplay, cutting, blood

Word count: 8.2k

A/N:

Heyy I'm back from the dead, sorry this chapter took so long, the brain was not braining on this one but we made it!

please heed the warnings for this chapter, besides just your regular spice there is also some knife play and blood so if that's not your thing please beware. As always thanks to my besties @scarletvanfleet and @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszkafor the support and beta reading, couldn't do this without y'all.

alright that's enough of my yapping, enjoy!

The cool evening breeze that blew in from the sea had significantly lowered the humidity in the cave. A fact that both men were grateful for as they arrived back into their little safe harbor. The hunger and urgency that Jake had displayed out on the beach had settled into a gentle drinking in of Chris’ presence.

As they were once again completely enveloped by the rocky walls, Jake had carefully taken the time to undress his lover.

Chris felt like he was being worshiped.

The tender reverence with which Jake removed his clothes reminded him of the stories he had heard about ancient Greece as a child. Where priests in temples would dress and undress statues of their deities every day, cleaning them as if they were alive and anointing them in holy oils.

Jake took his time. Gently untying his cravat and placing it on the back of the chair that already held Chris’ coat. A kiss to the skin of his neck replacing the weight of the fabric.

His waistcoat and shirt followed next, kisses peppered against his shoulders and chest as the soft linen fell away. Chris hadn’t even noticed his eyes had slipped closed until he was startled out of his trance by the sound of a chair scooting back. As he blinked hazily into the light of the cave, he was met by Jake gently urging him to sit down. 

Chris followed Jake’s silent instructions and let himself fall back onto the seat as Jake sank to his knees in front of him. The ritual undressing continued as Jake unbuckled his boots and slipped them off, placing them neatly beside the table. His socks followed next, folded carefully over the opposite chair before Jake bowed down deeply and kissed the tops of both of his feet. His lips traced their way up the naked skin of Chris’ legs, alternating between them until he reached the hem of his pants, just below his knees.

He undid the clasps on the sides of the legs but as his hands traveled up to undo the row of buttons that closed off the front of the trousers, Chris placed a hand on Jake’s cheek, snapping him out of his reverie.

Jake’s eyes were wide and questioning, uncertain as to why his exaltations had been halted.

Chris simply smiled as he bent down towards him and pressed their lips together in a soft, sweet kiss. He could feel Jake’s lips curl into a smile against his own and as Chris released him once more, Jake looked nothing short of lovestruck.

With a happy sigh Jake rested his head on Chris’ thigh as his hands continued to work their way down the row of buttons. As the last one finally came undone he lifted his head ever so slightly in tandem with Chris’ hips, facilitating the slide of the last remaining item of clothing off of his body.

Chris was completely naked now and Jake’s eyes took in every inch of him from where his cheek rested on his thigh. The steady rise and fall of his chest with every breath, the soft skin of his stomach with its light dusting of tiny golden hairs. His eyes followed the trail of hair down as it grew thicker and curlier, finally landing on Chris’ semi hard member.

Jake breathed a sigh of adoration at the sight. His hands slowly stroking their way up Chris’ thighs until they reached his hips. They lingered there for a moment, gently massaging the supple skin as Jake moved forward on his knees, his lips tracing featherlight kisses in the wake of his fingers until finally, he reached the base of Chris’ cock.

He nuzzled his face against it, deeply inhaling the scent that was so intensely Christopher. before continuing his path of kisses up the shaft.

Chris let out a soft gasp that morphed into a moan as Jake placed a final kiss against the head before taking him into his mouth like he was taking his holy communion. Slowly sliding all the way down to the base, swallowing gently around him.

Jake let out his own pleased groan as his nose pressed against Chris’ pubis, the vibrations of which sent a shiver down Chris’ shaft and up his spine. The weight of Chris’ cock against the back of his throat flooded Jake’s senses with a wave of tranquility. This is how it was supposed to be, just the two of them, together and connected in intimacy.

Jake pressed his tongue to the underside of Chris’ length as he moved back up, swirling around the tip before pressing it into the slit. He suckled on the head, eliciting melodic groans from Chris as his left hand moved up from where it had been massaging his thigh to now tightly grip the base of his dick. 

Jake lazily stroked him as his mouth lapped up the steady trickle of precum that flowed into his mouth. His right hand rubbed soothing circles over the soft skin of Chris’ lower abdomen, feeling the muscles contract whenever he twisted his left hand, or unexpectedly took him all the way to the back of his throat once more.

As Chris’ breathing started to accelerate Jake took him out of his mouth for a moment. His hand was still steadily pumping up and down as his red and swollen lips spoke.

“Let me have you fully tonight my love. I want you to give me everything you have and I’ll do the same in return. I want you to be the only thing on my mind and on my skin when I depart. Don’t hold anything back.” He murmured as he nuzzled his face back against Chris’ dick.

The sensations were overwhelming. Jake’s words, his one hand roaming his stomach and the other pulling him asunder, his breath ghosting over his skin. Chris nodded frantically, too far gone to be able to force out any words, but his silent confirmation had been enough. Jake smiled up at him before planting another kiss on the tip of his cock and then using his tongue to lick a long line down to the base. His lips nipped at the skin of his balls, planting more kisses there before sucking one of them into his mouth and rolling it across his tongue, his left hand never stopping its steady pumping.

Jake could feel the precome starting to trickle down over his hand and reveled in the sensation. But he was too busy working towards another goal to lap it up so instead he just used it to aid in the movements of his fingers across Chris’ shaft. He toyed with his balls for a moment, enjoying the tiny whines it pulled from Chris. The sounds were like small slivers of praise but he knew the reward for his next action would be even greater. He moved down further, pressing his tongue flat against Chris’ taint, continuing to lick his way to Chris’ entrance. Chris had scooted far enough forward in his seat for Jake to have semi decent access to his hole, but with his free hand he still pulled his lover’s left leg up over his shoulder to make the position more comfortable for the both of them.

Jake’s tongue circled his rim a few times and Chris couldn’t help but moan, the filthy sounds filling the cave and making Jake strain against his trousers. Jake loved how vocal Chris became under his touch, drank in all the gasps and grunts and sweet little noises his beloved made for him. But he knew the best was yet to come.

The strained gasp Chris let out as Jake’s pointed tongue finally entered him was music to Jake’s ears, the way the sound echoed off of the cave walls and surrounded them both only aided in the feeling that they were truly alone together, cut off from the rest of the world and simply floating on each other’s essence.

Jake devoured him. His tongue exploring every inch, pistoning in and out of him and slicking him up as much as possible. When he felt the ring of muscle start to relax he brought down his free hand which had been tracing illegible shapes on the side of Chris’ thigh.

He dug around in the pocket of his waistcoat for a moment, unable to keep himself from smiling as he felt the box that held his pocket watch, but quickly refocusing on finding the item at hand. A little vial of coconut oil he had bought from one of the traders in the harbor. It hadn’t been cheap but Jake only ever wanted the best for his siren.

His nimble fingers quickly uncorked the bottle and set it on the ground under the chair. As his right hand still pumped Chris’ throbbing member and his mouth worked feverishly on his hole, his left hand dipped a finger into the liquid and pressed it against Chris’ rim alongside his tongue.

As he slowly pressed the digit in he was startled out of his diligent ministrations by Chris’ hand clasping around the wrist of his right hand. Jake looked up, worried he might have hurt him, but as he came face to face with Chris’s violently red cockhead and his heaving chest, Jake knew pain was not what Chris was concerned with.

“Jake, please,” he shuddered out, trying to catch his breath enough to be able to form the words. “Please my love, if you keep going like this I’m gonna cum….I want to cum together, please, let me help you too.”

Jake smiled up at him. Chris’ concern for Jake’s pleasure was sweet but Jake had something else in mind.

“Just cum my darling, that’s what I want. I want you to cover me in your love over and over until you have nothing left to give. Just for tonight, give me as much as you can, I need it.”

Chris’ grip on his wrist slackened and Jake resumed his strokes as his middle finger of his left hand worked on opening Chris up more and more. His mouth moved away from his hole and resumed its former place around Chris’ head, lapping up his precum and getting ready to catch his release when the time came.

Jake didn’t have to wait long to feel Chris’ flood his mouth. With another twist at the base of his cock as he inserted a second finger, Chris let out a strangled cry and flooded Jake’s senses with his load.

Jake caught most of it, swallowing it down as fast as he could and groaning at the pleasure of being allowed to taste Chris so intimately, to receive his love so absolutely.

Jake had no intent to stop lavishing Chris in his touches, even after he had cum. He had meant what he said earlier; he wanted Chris to give him everything. For all he knew this could be their last night together in this life, he needed it to be the one thing he would never be able to forget, no matter what.

He continued suckling on the head of Chris’ cock until Chris was shaking all over and scrambled to pull Jake up and into a deep and searing kiss.

Chris’ tongue searched every corner of his mouth for any remaining taste of himself, wrestling Jake’s for the final taste of his own release. Jake eventually won the battle but only by playing it dirty. He still had two of his fingers inside Chris and all it took was a light spread of his digits against Chris’ internal walls for the other man to go slack against his chest, letting out beautiful little “uhn, uhn, uhn’ noises against Jake’s lips as he started pumping his fingers in and out.

“Jake please…” Chris groaned, his hands twisting into the fabric of Jake’s shirt, gripping it tightly.

“What is it my love, what do you need?” Jake asked even though he knew what Chris wanted. He enjoyed hearing him ask for it. He reveled in that small confirmation that Chris wanted him in this way too, just like he wanted him in every other way.

“Need… uhn… Need you inside me Jake, please, need to feel you…fill me up so I can keep you with me- ah! Please Jake, I don’t want to cum again without you inside me!” Chris forced out the words as Jake kept working him open. He had managed to get three fingers inside him now and he knew Chris was more than ready to take him, but a small, teasing part of him enjoyed seeing him fall apart on his fingers like this.

Jake basked in the feeling of Chris clenching around his digits for a moment longer, feeling his love’s hot breaths against his neck, his wanton little gasps filling his ears. But he had to admit, the strain of his own cock against his pants was becoming painful. He was desperate for his own release too but all of his attention was focused on providing pleasure for Chris. That was his life’s goal. Not the navy, not his rank or his status, no, his purpose in life was to make sure Chris felt loved.

Jake slowly slid his fingers out of his quivering hole. Chris groaned softly at the loss of fullness but before he could protest too much, Jake had pulled him to his feet and captured his lips in another hot and hungry kiss. The eagerness spurred Chris on, despite having just shot his load into Jake’s mouth. His frantic hands roamed Jake’s body as Jake carefully walked them back towards their bed.

About a year or so into their courtship Jake had surprised Chris by replacing his tiny sleeping cot for a full bed. It took up a good bit more room on the rocky plateau and it was harder to keep weather proof but after some trial and error Jake had managed to fix up the frame and waterproof the mattress with beeswax. Having a real bed that actually fit the both of them aided immensely in the first steps towards growing their shared intimacy.

They had spent countless nights together in that bed, and now, as Chris’ knees hit the edge of the mattress and he let himself drop down onto it, he tried to keep the thought that this might be their last, far out of his mind.

He had managed to pull off Jake’s waistcoat and shirt as they made their way over, dropping them to the floor like a trail of breadcrumbs. As his ass hit the mattress his hands flew up to the waist of Jake’s pants. His fingers quickly undid the row of buttons holding the garment up and as soon as Jake’s cock sprang free Chris’ lips enveloped him.

Both men let out a groan. Jake at the feeling of his aching member finally receiving some much needed attention, and Chris at the rightness of the familiar weight and taste of Jake’s cock in his mouth. He focused on breathing through his nose as he bobbed his head at a frenzied pace, inhaling Jake’s scent on every downstroke.

Jake’s hands tangled in Chris’ hair, not pulling or pushing but simply moving along to the tide of Chris’ movements for the time being. That was at least, until Chris’ hands closed over Jake’s and silently pushed his own head further onto Jake’s cock. Jake caught the hint. The years of intimate conversation translating this silent request into words in Jake’s mind.

Chris wanted him to fuck his throat. And who was Jake to deny his love any of his desires.

His grip on the golden locks tightened as he took over the authority of Chris’ movements. He kept in line with the pace Chris had set at first, steadily fucking himself in and out of his mouth, but it didn’t take long for Chris to become impatient. He needed Jake to utterly destroy every part of his body. He wanted him to fuck his throat so hard that in the coming days, whenever he opened his mouth to speak, the rasp in his voice would remind him of the one he loved. The one he belonged to. He pushed his own head down as far as he could on Jake’s cock, swallowing hard as the tip hit the back of his throat. 

Jake let out a choked gasp, surprised at the hunger with which Chris was devouring him. The pleasure was divine but the wild abandon with which Chris was fucking himself onto his cock worried Jake. this wasn’t simply hunger, this was starvation.

���Chris…” Jake moaned out as his lover gripped his ass and used it as leverage to push his dick further down his throat.

“Chris, darling, slow down… I don’t want to hurt you..”

Chris pulled off of his cock with a gasp, catching his breath for a moment before he spoke, already pleased with how raw his voice was sounding.

“The only way you could hurt me tonight is if you leave me here without utterly marking me as yours Jacob. I need you to ruin me, remake me to solely fit your desire. Make it so that I can still feel you even when you are far from me.”

The look in Chris’ eyes was determined and Jake nodded in agreement. They would reshape each other to fit nothing but their love and yet outwardly, they would remain completely unchanged.

Jake combed his fingers through Chris’ hair lovingly before re-tightening his grip and nodding once in agreement as he pulled his face back onto his cock. Chris didn’t have to move this time. Jake did all the work for him, thrusting sharply into his warm, wet mouth. The grueling pace made it hard to breathe but even that was something Chris didn’t need to worry about anymore. Every fifteen seconds or so Jake would pull him off of his cock completely, allowing him to gulp in a fresh breath of air before his mouth was being used for the only purpose Chris ever wanted it to serve again. He felt like he was in a trance, his blood replaced by lightning as Jake’s rhythm began to falter. He pulled him off once more, allowing him to breathe as Jake spoke.

“I’m too close….I can’t hold on much longer” he panted as Chris caught his breath

Chris simply grinned at him echoing Jake’s words from earlier ‘give me as much as you can, I need it’ before diving back onto Jake’s cock. Jake let out a deep groan and Chris swirled his tongue around his throbbing member while he waited for Jake to pick up the pace again. Jake’s hips snapped forward in a stuttering attempt at the neck breaking momentum they had built to only seconds before but it was all too much. Chris using his own words against him had pushed him that much closer to the edge and his tongue pressing against his slit was the final drop that pushed him over the edge. He pulled Chris as close to him as possible and shot his load down his throat. Chris eagerly swallowed around the pulsing member, drinking down all Jake had to give him. Once the last few spurts had exited Jake’s body and entered Chris, Jake released the grip on his hair and Chris pulled off of his cock with a gasp.

Chris moved to lay down on their shared bed and he motioned for Jake to follow him. They slotted their bodies together as both men caught their breaths. Jake dusted Chris’ face with soft kisses, his lips tickling the skin making Chris let out hoarse little giggles. His voice was destroyed, just like he had wanted, and he couldn’t be happier.

“I love you Christopher.” Jake breathed into his skin between kisses and Chris croaked out “I love you too Jacob.” as he circled his arms around Jake’s torso and pulled him close.

They laid like that for an unknown time, delighting in the warmth of each other’s bodies and dozing between tender kisses. Jake’s fingers traced invisible hearts over the skin of Chris’ stomach as the other man played with his hair. It was a lazy, familiar kind of intimacy. A stark contrast from the frenzied way with which Jake had just reached his climax but simultaneously a scene which these cave walls had seen a hundred times.

After a while Jake’s fingers started to drift downwards, grazing over the skin of Chris’ hip and thighs.

“Are you ready to give me some more, my love?” Jake murmured against his neck, punctuating his words with a kiss to Chris’ jugular. He could feel the answer to his question in the thrum of Chris’ blood pumping against his lips, but he still waited for the words to grace his ears.

“Take it Jake, take all of my love. It is yours anyway.”

With that Jake pressed a swift kiss to Chris’ lips before quickly getting up to retrieve the vial of oil that was still near the table. As he turned to make his way back to the bed he stopped to simply behold Chris for a moment.

His siren was watching him with a sleepy expression. His hair was spread out on the pillow and his flushed skin stood out brightly against the white of the sheets. The soft candle light painted him golden and Jake could feel his heart swell and his throat tighten, captured by the beauty he was beholding and the knowledge that all of it was his.

Chris smiled drowsily at him and extended his arms, an invitation to Jake to rejoin him on the bed. Jake cleared his throat and eagerly accepted.

He kissed Chris’ lips more deeply upon his return, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth and biting down on it lightly. Chris let out a groan and Jake seized the opportunity to plunge his tongue into his mouth. He could still taste his own release on Chris’ tongue and the thought alone made his spent cock spring back to life.

He released Chris’ lips and trailed a line of kisses down his torso, pausing for a moment to swipe his tongue over one of his nipples. The tiny bud shone in the dim candlelight and Jake gently blew on it, making it harden instantly and forcing a shuddering breath out of Chris. He smiled at the reaction he had elicited as he continued his way down. His hands roamed freely across Chris’ soft skin. The gentle scrape of Jake’s calloused fingers tracing a path of fire down to where Chris needed him most.

Jake took his rightful place between Chris’ legs, gently pulling them up and open, spreading his beloved out for him to take, and use, and claim.

Chris aided him by gripping the backs of his own knees and holding himself open for Jake, who eagerly dove down at the sight of Chris’ already lightly stretched hole. He lapped at the rim once more and in between his gasps and moans Chris couldn’t help but smile to himself. If he would let him Jake would be content to just eat him out for hours. It was his favorite pastime and he could lose himself in it completely. Chris had asked him before what he found so appealing about it and Jake had simply answered that it felt like he was serving him in the most intimate of ways.

Aided by the stretching they had started earlier, it took absolutely no time for Jake to fit both his tongue and a finger inside. He lazily pumped both in tandem and after a few moments he even managed to fit in a second finger. He gently scissored them open as his tongue lapped at Chris’ balls and taint.

The feeling was overwhelming. The fullness of Jake’s fingers combined with the wet heat of his mouth and the lingering buzz of his previous climax made him achingly hard within minutes. He was writhing as Jake pushed in a third finger. He was quickly losing his grip on his knees, the light sheen of sweat that covered his body making his skin too slick to hold on to. As he dropped his legs and his pelvis straightened out Chris inadvertently created the perfect angle for Jake to hit his prostate.

He let out a ragged moan. His raw throat constricting around the sound.

“That’s it my love, let it all out, let me hear your beautiful noises. Scream for me Chris, let me hear you.” Jake coaxed and Chris let out another raw yelp as Jake angled his fingers so that he would keep pressing against Chris’ sweet spot on every thrust.

“Jake, please…” Chris screamed, the desperation in his voice palpable but before he could finish his sentence Jake’s free hand gripped around his cock at the same time as his fingers pumped into him and his vision went blank as he shot his second load of the night all over Jake’s hand and his own stomach.

When he came to, Chris found himself the spectator of an incredible sight. Jake, on all fours, one hand still gently fingering him while the other held his dick out of the way as he licked the cum off of Chris’ lower abdomen. Chris groaned at the visual and Jake’s eyes snapped up to his as he felt his dick twitch in his hand.

“You’re doing so good my darling, do you think you’re ready for me?” Jake gently asked as he finished cleaning Chris off. Despite his unexpected second orgasm Chris couldn’t wait any longer. He used what little strength he had left to nod his head.

“Please Jake, I need you inside me. Fill me up, I need to feel you.” he rasped out as he watched Jake clean up the final drops of cum off of his tip whilst simultaneously retracting his fingers out of his ass.

The empty feeling left behind felt devastating, but thankfully Chris didn’t have to wait long to be filled again. Jake quickly dribbled some of the oil onto his own dick before lining himself up to Chris’ entrance.

His eyes flit up to Chris’s face, looking for any signs of discomfort as he slowly slid in. 

There was no discomfort on Chris’ face. If Jake had ever wondered what pure and absolute bliss looked like, the answer was spelled out on his lover’s features. His eyes half lidded and hazy, his jaw slack, a blush that crept all the way from his chest onto his neck and cheeks. He looked beautiful and Jake was so enraptured by him that he barely noticed when he bottomed out. He stayed still for just a moment, simply admiring Chris in his ecstasy. But it didn’t take too long for Chris to need more. A need which he voiced by clenching around Jake, snapping him out of his reverie and bringing him back to the task at hand.

Jake started moving slowly, gently at first, enjoying the warmth radiating from Chris’ inner walls. The stretch and squeeze as he slid in and out of him felt divine and he quickly started picking up the pace to match the fire that was building in his stomach.

Chris felt like he was floating. Jake’s movements rocked through his body like a crashing tide and he was merely a ship caught in the maelstrom. He could feel the tip of his cock catch on his rim whenever Jake pulled out fully and he relished in the anticipation of the deep thrust he knew would follow. His hands gripped the pillows around his head tightly, fingers digging into the soft feathers as his stomach tightened once more. He was losing himself in Jake’s movements, relinquishing any control he had left over his limbs in favor of letting Jake use him in any way he wanted. This is how he always wanted to be, the subject of Jake’s desire. A place for Jake to put all of his love and be accepted, and held close, and loved in return.

Jake’s pace had sped up to a grueling rhythm. He was pounding into Chris with a desperation he had never felt before. He hoisted Chris’ legs up over his thighs, allowing him to plunge into him even deeper and reaching his sweet spot with every thrust. Chris was screaming out praises and confessions of love and adoration but he wasn’t even aware he was speaking. It felt like his brain was swaddled in cotton. He couldn’t think straight, all of his senses overwhelmed by Jake. The slide of his skin, his hands wandering over his torso, the heat coming off of his body as Jake leaned forward on his elbows, covering Chris’ body with his own and nuzzling into his neck as his hips still pumped into him relentlessly.

It was too much. 

Too much, too much and not enough. Chris needed more. Needed to feel Jake spill deep inside of him, needed to know that his love would stay with him even after Jake had gone.

“Please Jake…please, please, please,” Chris babbled, his brain fighting to form a coherent thought. Coherency was unnecessary however. Jake knew exactly what Chris needed, he always had.

“Shhh, it’s  okay my love, I’m here, I’m yours. I’m gonna give you everything, can you hold on just a little bit longer for me? My beautiful boy, doing so good for me, taking me so well…” Jake was babbling too, the erratic clenching of Chris’ walls around his cock shooting fire up his spine. Neither of them would be able to hold on much longer. Chris released the vice grip hold he had on their pillows and moved his shaking hands down to Jake’s ass, guiding his lover deeper and deeper into him, keeping his pace steady during these final few thrusts.

The nearly symbiotic movement of their two bodies together, the tantalizing feeling of Chris’ hands on his body, the smell of his hair and his skin against his face, the whispered mantra of ‘I love you, I love you, I love you’ that was pouring from Chris’ lips. It all worked in tandem to finally drive Jake over the edge. With one final deep thrust his movements stilled as his orgasm washed over him and into Chris.

That final thrust had hit Chris’ prostate dead on and the subsequent feeling of Jake spilling so deep inside him was enough to force one last thundering climax out of Chris. He let out a ragged moan as his own overstimulated cock let out the tiny bit of cum it had left between their bodies.

Jake collapsed on top of Chris, he was a panting sweaty mess but neither of them cared. If they could have crawled inside each other’s skin, they would have done so without a moment's hesitation. They stayed like that for a while. Time didn’t exist as they were floating through the waves of their love together. 

Eventually their breathing evened out and the sweat on their skin cooled off slightly in the night air.

Chris whined as Jake slid out of him. The emptiness he felt in the absence of Jake’s body was devastating, it felt like a piece of his soul was missing. But Jake didn’t let go of him entirely. He maneuvered the both of them into an upright position, making sure to keep them as connected as possible without twisting Chris’ limp body uncomfortably.

“Do you think you can stand, my love?” Jake asked. Chris tried to find any strength he might have left in his legs, but they felt like they were filled with sand. He weakly shook his head and Jake smiled down at him softly.

“Not to worry, I’ll just carry you, can you scoot a bit closer to the edge of the bed for me?”

Chris used whatever strength he had left to follow Jake’s instructions, sitting up as much as he could and moving into a position that would make it easiest for Jake to do whatever it was he planned on doing. Jake squatted next to the bed and in one big hoist lifted Chris up like a husband would lift his bride.

He walked the both of them over to the edge of the tide pool and gently sat Chris down, letting his feet fall into the water which had retained more of the day’s warmth than the rapidly cooling air around them. Jake pressed a warm and gentle kiss to his lips as he told him “Sit tight, I’ll be back in a second.” Chris’ brows furrowed, he didn’t want to be left alone but he also didn’t have the strength to get up and follow Jake. All he could do was watch him as his beloved made his way through the cave.

Jake’s first stop was at the weather proofed chest. He retrieved two large towels and hung them out over the back of one of the chairs. He scooted the chair closer to the water’s edge so they’d have easy access to it once they got out. Next he retrieved a washcloth and a bar of soft rosemary soap from a little box inside the chest and placed both on the seat of the chair.

Chris’ eyes followed him across the space, his adoring gaze gliding over every curve and valley of Jake’s body as he watched him scuttle about in their little slice of domesticity.

He walked up to the table next grabbing the bottle of fresh water they had ignored during dinner in favor of the wine Chris had brought. He handed it to Chris as he passed by.

“Take a couple sips for me my darling, it will do you some good.” he said as he uncorked the top and held it out for Chris to take. Chris eagerly drank, not realizing how parched he had been until Jake had urged him to drink and Jake smiled softly and kissed the top of his hair before continuing his tasks.

He made his way over to the little bookcase, grabbing a comb and once again winding up the music box so that the cave was filled with the soft tinny melody as the little gears spun.

Finally, Jake made his way back to Chris, placing the comb with the bar of soap before sitting down next to him. He took a few sips from the bottle as well before letting himself slide fully into the water.

He dunked himself under once before turning back and gently pulling Chris into the pool by his waist.

The warm water was like a balm for his aching body and Chris sighed softly as Jake set him down on the submerged bench before grabbing the bar of soap and the washcloth. He quickly lathered up the cloth before taking a seat behind Chris and diligently washing his back. The soft scratch of the fabric against his skin and the fresh smell of rosemary combined with the briny water quickly made Chris relax. Jake’s hands rubbed soothing, soapy circles across his back and once had deemed him clean, he cupped handfuls of warm water over his skin to wash away the suds. 

When his back was done Jake pulled Chris close to him, letting him rest against his chest as his hands worked to clean his torso. Chris didn’t know if he believed in heaven. It was hard to imagine any place that could feel better than this, floating in the arms of his love while he took care of him so completely.

His skin now fully cleaned, Jake lathered up his hands with the soap once more and went to work on Chris’ hair. His deft fingers massaged his scalp and gently used the oils from the soap to untangle the biggest of the knots their intense lovemaking had caused. Once his fingers had done all they could he picked up the comb to get out any of the smaller tangles he might have missed. Satisfied with the smooth and silky result Jake gently guided Chris down into the water, making him float on his back so the gentle waves of the ocean could wash the last remnants of soap out of his hair.

Chris could feel the energy pouring back into him with every gentle, devotional touch from his lover. One the last of the suds washed away in the tide he sat up from his floating position on his own strength and turned to face Jake.

“It’s my turn to take care of you now my darling.” he said with a smile. Jake had always been so quick to provide for Chris, caring for him and lavishing him with gifts and praises at any opportunity. It had taken him quite a while to accept the same from Chris in return. He wasn’t used to being taken care of, sure in childhood his parents cared for him, and they did so well, but as soon as his youngest two siblings were born it became almost second nature for Jake to help out wherever he could, taking some of the load off of his parents. And once he joined the Navy no one really provided him with any care. They fed him and dressed him and housed him, made sure he was provided for, but there wasn’t any gentleness in it. It was a transaction, they paid in resources and he paid with his time and his body.

The first time Chris had offered to wash his hair Jake had sat frozen for the entirety of the process. Chris had feared that he hadn’t liked it but when Jake shyly asked him if he would mind doing it again a week later, he realized he would do anything he could to make this man feel safe and comfortable. 

Chris’ hard work had paid off cause now, once they had swapped places, Jake instantly melted into him.

Chris let out a little huff as Jake slumped his full weight against his chest. He adored how easily Jake gave in to being cared for nowadays. He was no longer shy about asking for things and he turned to putty in Chris’ hands when he offered.

“Come on darling, sit up a bit, I want to wash your back too.” Chris chuckled and Jake obliged, albeit with a bit of a grumble. They repeated the process in the same order as Jake had for Chris. His back was washed first, handfuls of water rinsed him off before Chris pulled him back into his embrace and washed his front. His hair was saved for last. Chris’ lathered hands combed their way through the damp tendrils and Jake could have instantly fallen asleep like that. Had it been any other night he might have let his tiredness overtake him but he fought against it now. He wanted to be conscious for as long as possible, etch every moment into his memory and take it along with him.

As Chris guided him down to float and rinse out his hair Jake let out a deep content sigh. 

“I wish I could have married you.” He said as Chris gently combed out his hair in the water.

Chris’ hands stilled for a moment. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind at Jake’s words. He wanted to speak, but the lump in his raw throat didn’t let him. In the end he didn’t need to, Jake filled in the silence for him.

“I wish I could have introduced you to my parents. Taken you home, shown you off as my beautiful husband. Introduce you to Sam and Ronnie, you get along so well with Josh, I just know you would love them too. I wish I could have put a ring on your finger that would have let everyone know you were mine and I was yours. I would let you brand your name on my chest for all to see if it didn’t get us both in trouble.” Jake mused. 

Chris finally managed to fight down the lump in his throat long enough to speak, his ruined voice hiding the sob that was building in his chest.

“In my heart we are already married. I don’t need a ring for that.” he managed to croak out.

Jake sat up and turned to face him, a watery smile splayed on his lips. He pulled him into his arms and cradled his head against his chest. Both men tried to ignore the melancholy that seemed to creep up and into their chests. The air hang full of wishes they knew would never come true. Even if Jake would return to Chris, they would never be married by law. Jake could take him home and introduce him to his family, but it would only be as a friend.

The water started to cool around them and they silently made their way back onto the rocky plateau.

They dried each other off and climbed back into bed. They pulled up their covers high, enveloping them in warmth and sheltering them from the real world that pressed in closer with every minute that passed.

Jake was lying on his back, Chris’ head rested on his chest and he was idly playing with the golden locks that were slowly drying against his skin. He was halfway to a dream when he noticed Chris moving to sit up ever so slightly. He assumed he was just changing positions, trying to get more comfortable as they drifted off to sleep, but all drowsiness was quickly evicted from Jake as something cold and sharp pressed against his chest.

Jake recognized the shape instantly; the dagger he still kept hidden beneath his pillow. 

He should have been startled. His training should have kicked in and he should have disarmed Chris instantly. But there was no need. Jake trusted Chris so absolutely, he could have cut out his heart then and there and Jake would have probably held his own ribcage open to grant him better access.

Chris didn’t move to cut out his heart. He simply laid the dagger flat against Jake’s chest and grabbed for his free hand which he placed on the hilt. Jake moved along with him easily, curious to see what Chris was doing.

“We might not  be able to be married by law, and I don’t have a ring or a brand with my name, but I want you to mark me as yours. Carve your initials in the skin over my heart, it only beats for you anyway.”

“Chris are you su-” Jake started to speak but Chris quickly shushed him and placed a kiss onto his lips.

“Don’t ask me if I am sure, you already know the answer. People may ask questions, sure, but no one will know what it means. No one but us. And isn’t that all that matters?”

Jake could see the determination on Chris’ face. There would be no talking him out of this, not that he wanted to. If he could live with his love’s initials carved into his skin he would be a happy man, and Jake had to admit that the thought of bearing that same mark filled him with such euphoria he felt like he might burst.

He simply nodded once, his own face mirroring the determination he found in his beloved. The smile that erupted onto Chris’ was one of the most beautiful sights Jake had ever seen. 

“I just have one condition.” he spoke as he guided Chris’ own hand back to the hilt of the blade. A look of curiosity flashed over Chris’ face but it was quickly replaced by a look of adoration as Jake continued.

“I want you to mark me too, I am yours and you are mine and we are equal.”

Chris replied with a nod as his hand closed around the dagger.

The blade was large and unwieldy, in all truth it was far too big for the delicate task. But it was sharp. Chris barely had to press down for it to break the skin. Dark red blood instantly welled from the cut and rolled down the gentle slope of Jake’s left pectoral. Jake didn’t even flinch. He just looked up at the focused look painting Chris’ features, a look of absolute admiration painting his own.

Chris hadn’t realized how hard this would be. The instant flow of blood obscured the lines he had already carved and the letters came out blocky and crooked. The back line on the C came out double as Chris didn’t see the well of blood on the first line, thinking he hadn’t broken the skin he carved a second one. The horizontal line on the T was more diagonal than anything and one of the edges flicked up slightly as he fumbled with the unruly knife. The letters were big, taking up a good three square inches on Jake’s chest. The result was not what he had hoped for to say the least.

He opened his mouth to apologize after he put down the knife. He attempted to get up and grab a clean washcloth to clean Jake up but both attempts were quickly cut off by Jake grabbing his wrists and holding him in place.

“It’s beautiful.” he whispered, a blissed out look on his face as he stared up at Chris.

“You haven’t even seen it yet.” Chris huffed. His eyes darted back to the rivulets of crimson that trickled down every direction of Jake’s chest.

“I don’t need to,” Jake smiled. “You could have carved a unicorn into my skin and I would still think it was the most glorious thing in existence simply because you were the one who made it.”

Jake’s words finally eased some of Chris’ anxiety about the result. He looked down once more. Pinpricks of blood still welled up from the red angry lines. The letters didn’t exactly match his usual handwriting but they were close enough. If anything they were uniquely his, just like Jake.

Jake released his wrists and sat up against the headboard of the bed. He pulled Chris into a deep and gentle kiss, their lips sliding together tenderly, tongues softly lapping at the opening of the other’s mouth. When they separated, the look of absolute adoration on Jake’s flushed face was almost too much for Chris to bear. He picked up the blade again and pressed it into Jake’s hand before laying back on the soft sheets that enveloped them.

Jake hovered over him, he pressed another kiss onto his lips, then on his cheek, one more to the side of his neck, and the final one on his chest, right above his heart.

His lips were soon replaced by the tip of the knife. With a whispered “ready?” and a single nod from Chris, the blade was gently, lovingly, plunged into his skin.

The feeling of the metal slicing through him was both intoxicating and nauseating. The warm drops of blood flowing down his chest lightly tickling his skin.

Jake was clearly much more skilled with the dagger than Chris, having learned how to handle it properly during his training, and having used it many times since to whittle wood, or prepare the occasional fish he caught while out on the beach. He had only carved his initials once before. As a child he and his siblings had all carved them in the stump of an old oak tree at the edge of the forest that surrounded their town. He had been about ten years old. The letters had been barely legible and at one point the knife had slipped and carved a deep gash in his left thumb. In the summer when his skin was colored golden by the sun he could still see the tiny scar, slightly stretched out as he had grown into adulthood.

This was nothing like that.

The dagger was much sharper than the dull kitchen knife he had used before. Chris’ skin was soft and supple and easily gave way under the tiny bit of pressure Jake applied, the dark blood that gently flowed from him filled the air with a tangy metallic scent. He tried to make the cuts as clean as possible, but the curve on the J came out pointy and one of the legs on the K was much longer than the others. Based on how big the cuts on his own chest felt Jake guessed the markings were at least of similar size. Once he was satisfied with the result, he placed the dagger onto the rocky floor below their bed. He then folded himself down over Chris, pressing his lips to his wound before allowing Chris to do the same to him. When their lips met, the taste of iron was all encompassing. Their tongues lapped every last drop of crimson from the other’s mouth, mixing it together until they were one and coating all of their senses in each other’s life essence. 

Jake didn’t even know his arms had been shaking until Chris gently guided him down, making sure their chests were pressed together in such a way that their cuts aligned. Jake could feel Chris’ heartbeat against his own, felt their warm and sticky blood mix and dry against their skin. The bond that they had forged over many years was now made real, a token of it carved into their skin. No matter what happened when he departed tomorrow, nothing would be able to change that.

                                              .°˖✧‧˚༺ 𓊝 ༻˚‧✧˖°.

[somerandomjewelleryonthefloor]

Oliver M. Berry as Vines/heavily incorrect quotes or whatever:

(incomplete: send requests in replies for more vines cuz I'm stumped lmao)

(16 year old) Ezra: you stupid

(14 year old) Caleb: no I'm not!

Ezra: what's 9+10?

Caleb: 21?

Ezra: you stupid.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Michael: there's only one thing worse than a *insert thing here*

(removes paper from the board to reveal 'Child')

Solrin (mc): a child.

Maria: no-

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Solrin: baby changing station

(covers 'c')

Solrin: baby hanging station

(cue claps and sounds of agreement)

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Aiden: is there anything better then pvssy? Yes a really good book!

(plays piano amazingly)

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Michael: can I get a waffle?

*2 Golden Griddle employees fighting over the counter*

Michael: can I PLEASE get a waffle-

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Myra: Aiden, ask me what kind of tree I have-

Aiden: no.

Myra: Aiden, ask me what kind of tree I have.

Aiden: no...

Myra: Aiden- just ask me what kind of tree I have.

Aiden: what kind of-

(shows 'Chris pine' photo on top of the tree)

Myra: it's Chris Pine!

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

(in bathroom)

Julian: Hey, want to see a picture of my cck?

Ezra: bitch what?

(slides picture of a majestic chicken to him)

Julian: picture of my cck

Ezra: that's a chicken motherfucker-

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

(busts into his room)

Ezra: WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD!

Caleb: bro what are you-

(getting up right behind him, holding him by his waist) Michael: the fuck, man?

Ezra: Oh-

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

[thisaintascenereviews]

10 Albums That Changed My Life: 2000s Emo Edition

For the past few days, I’ve been listening to an audiobook version of 2023’s Where Are Your Boys Tonight by Chris Payne, and the book chronicles the emo / pop-punk scene between 1999 and 2008. It’s about the rise and (unfortunate) fall of the genre’s mainstream success, but it metaphorically comes straight from the horse’s mouth. The book has interviews from loads of musicians and important folks from the “scene,” such as Pete Wentz, Patrick Stump, Geoff Rickley, Buddy Neilsen, Anthony Raneri, Hayley Williams, JT Woodruff, Chad Gilbert, Chris Carraba, Andrew MacMahon, and many others.

Because I’ve been listening to the book, I wanted to start a new series in which I talk about ten albums that changed my life, and I wanted to start with 00s pop-punk and emo. I was at the right age when emo broke into the mainstream, so a lot of the big bands at the time were like gods to me. Some of these albums aren’t necessarily some of my all time favorites, but I still love them. For all these episodes, I also wanted to include a “bonus pick,” where I include an album that’s a rather obvious pick, because it’s an album I love and talk about all the time. That way, I can talk about ten other albums that I may not have talk about as much.

The aim of this series is to highlight albums that are important to me, but these albums are in no particular order. I don’t rank these lists, because some of these albums aren’t necessarily more influential than another. Each one of these albums is important in some way, but I wanted to highlight them regardless.

Bonus Pick: Fall Out Boy - Infinity On High

For the first bonus pick, I wanted to start off with an obvious one. I’ve talked about Fall Out Boy’s third album, 2007’s Infinity On High quite a lot. This is the album that got me into music, and to make a long story short, I had listened to a few alternative albums beforehand, but I didn’t truly get into music until I heard that record. This isn’t the first album I picked up, but it was the most impacting one, because it truly blew my mind. This is still my favorite album, although it’s interchangeable with Michael Jackson’s Thriller, but this record really opened my eyes to how unique and awesome music can be, especially alternative, emo, and and pop-punk. I can say so much more about it, but this is the album that truly started it all for me. Little did I know that picking this album up at Target on the weekend of its release that it would change my life.

Fall Out Boy - Take This To Your Grave

I’ve had a tumultuous relationship with the first couple of Fall Out Boy records, especially 2003’s Take This To Your Grave. Back before I would just order stuff online, or download music on iTunes, I would only buy music through retail stores, like Target, Best Buy, and Walmart. I remember finding Take This To Your Grave at Walmart for $9 back in 2012, and while I was a huge fan of them, I didn’t know their early stuff too well, especially their debut. I picked it up, and I absolutely fell in love with it.

Take This To Your Grave is the record that introduced me to the early 00s pop-punk scene, and it was a scene that I only vaguely knew. I was a little too young for it, but hearing their debut was mindblowing. In retrospect, Take This To Your Grave is a hardcore album disguised as a pop-punk album, because it has the ethos and energy of a hardcore record, but the songwriting of a pop-punk album. As a kid in my late teens when I really sunk my teeth into it, and with the “defend pop-punk” movement being huge, this record (and many more like it) worked for me. The lyrics just spoke to me, but I’ve always been a sucker for Wentz’s lyricism.

Over time, however, my relationship with the album soured a bit, partially because my taste in music was becoming more removed from the current pop-punk scene (and reckoning with the fact that a lot of that scene was very misogynistic, including some lyrics on the first couple Fall Out Boy albums), so I wasn’t as into them, and I championed more of the later work, as well as some of the post-hiatus albums. It’s come full circle now, because I really love Take This To Your Grave, warts and all. This is a record made by kids that just loved hardcore and pop-punk, so if you look at it as anything more, it’s doing the record a disservice.

Paramore - Riot

My first experience with Paramore wasn’t with 2007’s Riot, but it was with 2005’s All We Know Is Falling. That was the first album I downloaded on iTunes, back when iTunes was just exploding, but I somehow lost the album (I think it was due to losing my first account, or my hard drive crashed, something like that). I listened to the album pretty soon after, but in between that, Riot was released. Riot is the album that blew Paramore up to the upper echelons of the emo and pop-punk scene, and for good reason. I’m pretty sure I got this album at Walmart, but this record was the soundtrack to the summer of 2007. It came out right before my freshman year of high school, so I played it a lot.

Between Hayley Williams’ vocals improving tenfold between the debut and Riot, their sound having more of a “mainstream” sound, and emo / pop-punk being at the crux of its popularity, this record came out at the right time. It was lightning in a bottle, but they were truly something special. This record has some of the best hooks and vocal performances of any band in that scene at this time, rivaling Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance (the scene’s two biggest bands at that time, arguably). This is just a monster of a record, and one of the most pivotal and important records from that time, and it’s cool to see people still talking about them all these years later. They just won the first Grammy earlier this year for their 2023 record, so it’s awesome to see that success pay off.

The Academy Is - Almost Here

One of the most underrated bands in the emo / pop-punk scene of the 00s is Chicago’s The Academy Is. These guys didn’t get their time in the spotlight, or at the very least, they skirted with fame at the same level as labelmates and friends in Fall Out Boy. It feels like highway robbery almost, because their sound was just as good. Their first two albums really changed my life, but for different ways. I wanted to focus on their debut album, 2005’s Almost Here, because this album is arguably the more influential album compared to 2007’s Santi. Santi was a more eclectic and interesting album, but Almost Here was more influential, because it was a big influence to the mainstream rise to emo and pop-punk.

Vocalist William Beckett is one of my favorite frontmen of the scene, too, and he has such a good voice, especially here. Almost Here is a really catchy, clever, and accessible emo record that surely should have been bigger, but oddly wasn’t. I don’t know what happened, other than that the scene was just too saturated. There were just too many bands out there, and that’s one reason the scene began to disappear from the mainstream. There were so many bands that were vying for peoples’ attentions, but Almost Here is one of the best records of that era that not a lot of people, at least outside of people who were a huge fan of the scene itself, have heard.

Bayside - The Walking Wounded

Contrary to the belief of what “elder emo” TikTokers will tell you, there are more bands in the scene than Fall Out Boy, Paramore, MCR, and Panic. The scene is so much bigger than what you saw in the mainstream, and a lot of it began in New York, including the band Bayside. These guys got pretty big in the early to mid 00s, even playing some late night shows (a lot of bands did, which was super cool), and they’re still around now, but they’re not on the level they once were.

My introduction to them was 2007’s The Walking Wounded, which was their third album, but I found them through an Alternative Press compilation of with an acoustic version of a song from that album. I picked up the album, because I really enjoyed the song, especially Anthony Raneri’s lyrics and vocals, and the album surprised me quite a bit when I heard a pop-punk album with heavier guitar riffs than your average pop-punk album. This remains my favorite album from them today, although their newest album from this year is great, too, and really reminds me of the inventiveness I heard on that record. It showed me that pop-punk can be both catchy and heavy at the same time, and the record still rules today.

Forever The Sickest Kids - Underdog Alma Mater

In the late 00s, a lot of the emo / pop-punk in the mainstream started to disappear, and popularity waned for that style, despite a few bands still being popular. Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Panic, and MCR still reigned as kings and queens of the genre. A new challenger emerged, at least in the underground, and that was neon pop-punk. Retrospectively named for its bright and colorful aesthetic, as well as how catchy and pop-focused the music was, neon pop-punk was the early 00s pop-punk fun-loving cousin that didn’t really take itself too seriously.

One of the most important albums of that movement, and while it’s probably not the first album that you could call neon pop-punk, Forever The Sickest Kids’ debut album, 2008’s Underdog Alma Mater, is a big moment for the genre. This album is catchy, slick, energetic, fun, and a little immature at times, but it also doesn’t take itself seriously and knows what it is. I always loved this record, because as catchy and synth-laden as their music, they had some good hooks and riffs to match. They were more than just a vapid pop-punk / pop-rock band, and this record shows it. They should have been a lot bigger, but they kind of fumbled the bag by releasing mediocre albums after and then just disappearing by the 2010s, so it’s unfortunate, but their debut is still one of my favorite albums from the scene.

New Found Glory - Sticks & Stones

Outside of Take This To Your Grave, I wasn’t familiar with a lot of early 00s pop/punk and emo, but where that album got me into that style of pop-punk, New Found Glory’s 2002 record, Sticks & Stones solidified it. Funnily though, this wasn’t the first NFG album I heard, that would be 2009’s Not Without A Fight, but it took me a few years to go back in their discography and listen to the album with their most iconic song “My Friends Over You.” This is easily one of my favorite 00s pop-punk records, and it’s kinda for that song alone. This record is so much fun, and it’s one of the first examples of easycore, where pop-punk and hardcore breakdowns met. You can hear it on this record a lot, and it’s awesome, but even after listening to this album for the first time in over a decade, I still enjoy it quite a bit.

Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends

Taking Back Sunday is one of the OG pop-punk and emo bands of the 00s, including New Found Glory, but I found their debut album, 2002’s Tell All Your Friends through word of mouth almost. This album was my all my favorite bands’ favorite album, especially in the 2010s “defend pop-punk” scene. Tell All Your Friends was a generation before mine, as I was too young when this record came out, but when I heard it, it blew my mind. I kept thinking, “This is what my favorite bands are influenced by? This is great!” There are loads of catchy hooks, one-liners, and mosh-ready instrumentation galore. These guys really helped to bring a new style of pop-punk to the forefront and you can hear the influence in a lot of records afterwards.

Panic! At The Disco - A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out

Panic! At The Disco’s debut album, 2005’s A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, is lightning in a bottle; this record could only have come out in the mid-00s. It has a really unique sound, especially for the time, but it helped to catapult emo to the mainstream. Hell, “I Write Sins” is one of the biggest songs from that era, and it’ll be a song that people always remember, let alone gets played at emo nights across the country. Fever is such an iconic record, but it’s also a unique and interesting album that showcases Panic wanting to aim higher in terms of emo and pop-punk. The album is split into two halves — an electronic first half and a baroque pop second half, but it doesn’t feel jarring or strange.

It’s funny, because I remember downloading only a few songs from this album at first on iTunes back in 2007. I found the band through the Alternative Press compilation I’ve mentioned over and over again. I heard a live version of album closer “Build God, Then We’ll Talk,” and I loved it. I ended up listening to the rest of the album sometime later, but Fever is still such an iconic and nostalgic album for me. It still holds up all these years later, too, especially for its unique sound.

MCR - The Black Parade

Talk about another nostalgic album, because The Black Parade is very much another album that defined not only my adolescence, but the entire scene during the mid-00s. Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Panic! At The Disco, and My Chemical Romance were the big four of the scene at the time, but The Black Parade is really what cemented MCR on that list. Their first two albums were a darker version of the emo and pop-punk sounds that came slightly before them, and during their rise, but The Black Parade was a new sound entirely. Dubbed the emo Queen, these guys made an emo rock opera that really justified that description.

This record is huge, expansive, melodramatic, fun, dark, poignant, and incredibly interesting in all facets. I just absolutely love this record. I don’t remember how I found them, because I found them at the same time as Panic and Fall Out Boy (Paramore came last, as I found All We Know Is Falling a bit before Riot came out), but I was obsessed with this record as a kid. It’s one of those rare albums that I can listen to as an adult and still appreciate what it does on a purely technical and artistic level, because there are a lot of nuances that I didn’t pick up back then. It’s easily their best album to me, despite how they only put one more and disappeared (they still haven’t put out another album despite coming back a few years ago), and it’s the one that I always go back to.

The Cab - Whisper War

For my last pick, I wanted to include another “neon” album, but a bit of an obscure pick. The Cab were a band that were heavily involved with Fueled By Ramen, as well as Pete Wentz’s Decaydance imprint, even including both Patrick Stump and Brendon Urie on the main single for their debut album, 2008’s Whisper. Called “One Of THOSE Nights,” the song showcased what they were all about, and they had a really unique R&B and soulful take on neon pop-punk. Their vocalist had a lot of range, and reminded me a ton of Patrick Stump, but I just fell in love with how catchy and groovy that album was (and still is). It showed me that pop-punk could utilize more outside influences, and while The Cab never got as huge as the bands that they clearly were inspired by, they had a rather dedicated following in the scene, but they just never got as big as they really should have.

[treeremovalpensacola]

Titan launches its VPO technology to offer versatile solutions

If you're in the Pensacola area, then you have probably already experienced the need for having to remove a tree or stump or getting your tree's trimmed. The cost of tree removal varies depending on a few factors, such as: - The type of tree that needs to be removed - The size of the tree - The location of the tree - The condition of the tree Pensacola Tree Removal offers competitive pricing for our tree removal services. For a full list of services Tree removal services visit Tree removal service in Pensacola for a fast, friendly and reliable quote that you can count on. This will help not only beautify your property but also is the safest way to do it. Titan and the recently acquired Carlstar Group launched its Variable Pressure Operation (VPO) technology. This flat-proof technology offers a versatile solution as an alternative to tweel wheels and other airless polyurethane spoke wheel options. It provides the ability to effectively operate machinery at various inflation pressures even down to zero psi. “We first developed this technology for military applications. It has since been tested extensively with Polaris and is now adapted for consumer use,” said Titan’s general manager of outdoor power equipment, Chris Daum. “We put a lot of thought and passion into the product design with function at the forefront — it’s cool, aggressive-looking appearance is a bonus.” Zero psi advantage The pressure adjustability of VPO technology allows operators to optimize performance by adapting the inflation pressure to suit different terrains and applications. With this flat-proof technology, an operator can focus on getting work done with less stress, according to the company. Additional features of VPO technology include: Shock-absorbing properties: This minimizes whole-body vibration, enhancing operator comfort and reducing fatigue. Flat-proof design: VPO Technology is designed to be flat-proof or zero psi-capable, increasing durability. Closed sidewall: This prevents debris from getting stuck between the spokes, eliminating sidewall damage, balance issues and more. Exceptional reliability: Extensive testing has shown that tires equipped with VPO technology can run for hundreds of miles at 30 mph with zero pressure. Built for various applications: This allows operation with or without large attachments while using the same set of tires. According to the company, when coupled with VPO technology, the new Invictus tread pattern provides: Balanced traction Self-cleaning capabilities Better wet traction Improved heat dissipation Evenly distributed ground pressure Enhanced traction and self-cleaning due to split lugs. The post Titan launches its VPO technology to offer versatile solutions first appeared on Landscape Management.

[muwapsturniolo]

✯𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐌𝐞 𝐀𝐭 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭✯

IN WHICH...Nick is confronted about his actions in freshman year by an ex-best friend. Feelings are brought up and they both come to a conclusion.

WARNINGS... small bit of angst, mainly fluff, mentions of homophobia, feelings that were never said, that's about it.

Nick was exhausted, but for some reason, he could not fall asleep. He's tried everything, turning on his fan noises, drinking a warm cup of milk, and even counting sheep.

But nothing worked.

He figured it was the jet lag, the time difference between California and Boston throwing him off... But he knows deep down that's not the reason. This has been happening every day since that moment in high school, never being able to sleep well after it. That single moment had a domino effect in his life, keeping a firm grasp on his brain and never letting go.

It was an endless cycle that he now has become used to.

He thought as time went on he would forget that moment, his mind would push the memories to the back and he would forget about it, unfortunately, that's not the case. Every single day he thinks about it, when he's in the shower, when he's eating breakfast, even when he's filming videos with his brothers.

It's all he can think about.

He sighs as he tosses and turns in his bed, eventually covering his face with a pillow and sighing as he hears Chris's faint voice yelling. He and Matt were in Chris's room playing a game, Nate being with them.

His phone chiming makes him remove the pillow from his face, grabbing the phone with a sigh. He figures it's Chris asking him to bring him a drink and or snack, but he was wrong.

a simple text notification is on his screen.

xxx-xxx-xxxx: meet me at our spot.

His stomach drops seeing the number and text on his screen. The number wasn't saved in his phone, but he knew who it was.

How could he forget Y/n? His best friend and crush since middle school.

Memories of that day in freshman year flash through Nick's mind.

"Nick what's going on? Why have you been ignoring me?" Y/n asks in annoyance, the two of them standing outside Nick's home after coming from school. Nick huffs and and avoids eye contact with the boy in front of him. "Nothing's going on, I've just been bus-bullshit! You're lying!" Nick becomes frustrated and lashes out at the boy.

"I don't want to be your friend anymore! Ok?! gosh, I thought you would have taken the hint!" It hurts Nick to see the hurt on Y/n's face, the boy's brows furrowing in confusion.

"W-what? But we promised each other when we got to high school we would always be friends...It was us against everything."

"Yeah well, I lied, get over it!" Nick storms into the house, pushing past Matt and Chris, and straight to his room.

Nick is brought out of his memories by his phone dinging once again, this time a location being shared. He debates, does he go and meet up with Y/n after all these years? Or does he stay home in a restless slumber?

"Fuck..." Nick stands from his bed and throws on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, his Birkenstocks being slipped on before he leaves his room. He exits the home through the back door and begins walking down the familiar streets of his childhood.

He soon arrives at the park and walks into the woods, looking around in fear.

"I swear to god if I get murdered I'm going to haunt whoever-Shit!" He grunts as he trips over a tree stump. He sits up and glares at the stump in annoyance, his eyes softening when he notices the markings on the tree.

both his and Y/n's name carved onto the stump.

That was the day they made the pact to be friends no matter what.

Y/n grunts as he uses the scissors to carve Nick's name into the stump. "You're going to hurt yourself!" Nick cringes as he watches the boy stick his tongue out in concentration. "Shut up, no I won't!" Nick rolls his eyes and crosses his arms in annoyance. Y/n soon finishes and smiles at his handiwork.

"Nick look!" He says in excitement. Nick peeks around the boy and smiles seeing their names carved into the stump. "It looks like Trevor did it- Hey!" Nick shouts as he rubs his leg, Y/n swatting at it. The older boy (by two months) turns to Nick fully, looking at him with a determined gaze.

"We need to make a pact!"

"A pact? For what?"

"Yes a pact doofus! This pact is a promise for us to always remain friends when we get to high school!" Y/n spits in his own hand and holds his hand out to Nick. Nick gives him a dirty look, "That's gross! I'm not doing that!"

"Nick come one! This is important!" Nick grumbles and spits into his own hand, soon clasping it with Y/n's and cringing at the feeling.

Nick feels an ache in his chest as he recalls that day. The two boys had spent the rest of the day by their stump, making memories neither of them could forget...and Nick ruined it. He sighs and stands up, brushing off his pants and continuing his trek to their spot.

The spot was this abandoned gazebo they found in middle school.

The gazebo sat on the edge of this lake, vines of all kinds twisting around the pillars of the structure. It was so deep into the woods that you couldn't see or hear the bustling streets of Boston, it was peaceful.

They use to spend all their time there, hiding away from the world and never telling anyone where they were.

Nick remembers the first time he saw the spot, Y/n being overly excited to show the boy.

"Nicky come on! It's going to be dark soon and we will have to go home!" Y/n urges impatiently. Nick was a few feet behind, screeching at the bugs swarming around him and stumbling over roots and rocks. As soon as he caught up, Y/n grabbed his hand and yanked him the rest of the way.

The two arrive and Nick is instantly in awe, "how did you find this place?" Y/n giggles and sits down on the cement flooring of the gazebo.

"That doesn't matter, what matters is that this is now our spot! I'm thinking we can hang up those fairy lights and we can-" As Y/n rambles about ways to make the gazebo theirs, Nick is staring at him in amazement.

Nick is pulled out of his memories by the gazebo coming into view.

He begins to panic, his body tensing as he feels the anxiety settling in just from the simple thought of seeing Y/n again after all these years. "Fuck it, I can't do-OH MY GOD!" Nick screams in fright as he turns around and bumps into a person. Whoever it was grabbed onto him, but Nick jerked back, making both of them fall and roll down the small hill.

Nick groans in pain once they finally stop rolling. Nick sits up and looks down, his eyes widening once he recognizes the face under him.

"Y-Y/n?"

"Well, I'm definitely sobered up now...Hey Nicky."

Nick swats at the boy's chest, a look of annoyance on his face.

"What is wrong with you?! Why would you scare me like that?" Y/n laughs and sits up, both his hands resting on Nick's waist. Nick tenses at the action before quickly climbing off of him.

"I wasn't trying to scare you, I was literally about to say your name before you started freaking out," he says standing up. He offers Nick a hand and pulls him off the ground.

Both of them examine eachother carefully, taking in the differences from their freshman-year bodies. "You uh...You look good Nick...I like the piercing."

"Yeah thanks... You look good too." Nick states softly.

The silence between them is loud, the tension thick before y/n breaks it, "Did you want to go down there?" He motions to the platform of the gazebo. Nick silently nods, being too scared to speak.

They make the short walk to the platform, memories of them doing this all the time flooding back.

They settle down, both of them sitting crisscross as they stare at the lake in front of them. The only sounds being heard are the rippling of the water, and the flickering of Y/n's lighter as he sparks a cigarette.

They sit in silence for a moment before Y/n speaks up.

"Why did you do that to me our freshman year?" Nick feels his heart fall to the pits of his stomach, not expecting to be confronted so bluntly.

"Wow ripping the band-aid right off..." Y/n gives Nick a look making Nick sigh.

"I'm... I don't know..."

"You don't know? You don't know why you told me you lied about us staying friends through high school? That's the biggest lie I've ever heard."

Nick becomes defensive, "ok well why are you still hung up on it? I moved on why haven't you?" Y/n scoffs at the response, his cigarette long forgotten.

"You're a fucking liar, you didn't move on. If you had, you wouldn't have showed up tonight!" Nick quickly looks down at the flowing water.

Y/n was right, he wasn't over it.

Y/n speaks up after a moment of silence, "You hurt me Nick... You were my best friend, and out of nowhere you switched up and I don't know why. I raked my mind trying to figure out if I ever did something to you to make you ditch me and I came up empty-handed. I didn't deserve what you did but I do want closure....You owe me that much."

All the bottled-up emotions Nick has been suppressing for years are about to explode, tears forming in his eyes.

"I-um-I... I'm gay..."

"Nick I already knew that, what does that have to do with you ditching me for no reason?"

Nick sighs and rubs at his eyes, trying to stop the tears, "N-no I know you know that, it's not that hard to notice, but I stopped being your friend because I'm gay." Y/n's eyes soften at the confession.

"Nick...Did you think I was going to hate you for being gay?"

Nick nods softly, "I umm... I didn't want you to hate me for being who I am, it killed me to think it would happen. I was already scared my own family wouldn't accept me, I couldn't handle it if you didn't... I was already pushing Chris and Matt away, I just figured I would do the same to you."

Y/n moves closer to Nick and pulls him into a hug, "Nick, I could never hate you for being yourself, you should have known that."

"I couldn't help it! So much was happening and I didn't know what to do!" Nick runs a hand through his hair in frustration, all the old memories and feelings coming back from that time of life.

"It's ok Nick...I get it. I know exactly what you were going through. When I realized I was gay, I com-You're gay?" Nick cuts Y/n off, pulling away from the embrace and looking at him in shock.

"Yeah, I am. I came out after we graduated."

Nick stares at him for a moment, this news shocking him.

"When-What made you realise?"

"You."

Y/n can't help but laugh at the shock on Nick's face. He knows his answer was very blunt and nonchalant, but it was the truth. He didn't see the need to lie, especially to Nick.

"M-me? What do you mean me?"

Y/n shrugs, starting to flick his lighter, a nervous habit he picked up when he started smoking. " For the longest time, I couldn't figure out why I never hated you after what you did. I was so upset, crying and constantly talking about it at any chance I got. My family and my friends couldn't understand why I was still so upset about our friendship ending, even after a couple years...It wasn't until you came out that I realized why I was so upset...It was because I was gay and I had a crush on you, but you pushed me away."

Y/n turns to Nick and gives a sad smile, " You were gay and pushed me away because you thought I would hate you, meanwhile I was gay and had a crush on you...Funny how that turned out."

All Nick can do is stare at him, his mind working a thousand miles a minute trying to comprehend what he just heard. Once it does register, he wants to slam his head against the pavement.

"I actually want to scream, I want to bite the curb."

Y/n scoffs at Nick's words, "damn, is me having a crush on you that bad?"

"No fuckface! I had a crush on you too, but I was too fucking dumb to comprehend my feelings and I pushed you away! God, I'm so stupid!" Nick hits his forehead a few times before covering his face with his hands.

Y/n laughs out, full-on cracking up. Nick slowly lifts his head from his hands, eyes squinted as he glares at the boy. "This is literally not funny, why are you laughing?"

"Because this is the most closeted gay conversation I've ever had." Y/n has tears in his eyes from how hard he's laughing, his stomach cramping.

Nick groans and covers his face once more, not being able to deal with Y/n's antics. After a few minutes of uncontrollable laughter, Y/n glances at Nick, a look of affection in his eye. He moves closer, his thigh touching Nick's. Nick tenses at the feeling, not knowing how to feel with him being so close.

Y/n gently pulls Nick's hands away from his face, both boys looking at each other.

Y/n feels something burst in his chest, the moonlight shining down on Nick, making his blue eyes shine brighter than they already are. He could stay here all night if he could, getting lost in the sea of Nick's eyes and enjoying being close after years apart.

The two of them slowly get closer, their breathing speeding up. they get so close they can feel each other's breath fanning over.

"Do you still have a crush on me?"

"I'm here aren't I?"

That's all the conformation Y/n needed to plant his lips against Nick's

Both boys kiss each other with ease, the old connection and knowledge of each other making it so much easier to do so. It wasn't stressful, it was not nerve-wracking,

It's right.

They eventually pull away, huge smiles on both of their faces.

The happiness in their system gives them a sense of adrenaline, y/n pulling Nick up and dragging him through the woods, just as he used to do when they were kids. They both climb into Y/n's car, not knowing where they are going but just wanting to enjoy whatever the night brings.

They spend the rest of the night driving around, pulling off the side of the road to occasionally make out before hitting the streets once again.

They soon stumble inside Nick's home, bursting through the backdoor. They stop in their tracks seeing Chris, Matt, and Nate in the kitchen.

"Where the hell have you been Nick?! It's 5 am!"

"Y/n?"

Nate looks down seeing both boys holding hands tightly. He looks back up at Y/n and smiles,

"You finally came clean?"

Y/n laughs and ushers Nick into the bedroom, closing the door and locking it before one of the three boys can say anything else. Nick's lips instantly find his, both boys moving back to the bed.

As the two make out for the millionth time, they can't help but think about how happy they are being back in each other's arms. The years of being away from each other not mattering anymore, the thought of the future not even crossing their minds,

All that matters is now.

im apologizing for the ending, i couldn't figure out a way to end it

𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨 𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 🍑: @mattslolita @thenickgirl @guccifrog @luverboychris @zayyluvz @mrsmiagreer @chrisssluttywaist @78yaz @hoesformatt @freshloveforthefit @3lizaluvs @mattsturniolosgirlfriend @jetaimevous @luxy-nyx @ts-is-my-spirt-animal @iihrtsturniol0 @idontexistman @katw4shereee @madisturn @starlace111 @zivall @adoreindie @imwetforyourmom @sturnsxplr-25 @sturncakez @theyluvme-2315 @moonk1ss3d @@babyalliah-777 @sturniololol @oliviasturniolo21 @ariithereyet @blahbel668

[piningbuddies]

i'll do all that i can do (to keep you safe)

eddie’s heart skips a beat for the second time that day. buck. of course, buck was going to take him after school. they were going to go to the aquarium and then for some dinner before eddie got home. eddie should be asking questions, should be running through a triage protocol he knows like the back of his hand, but he can barely remember how to breathe, let alone anything else. his fingers are frozen and he can barely hear over the thrumming of his heartbeat inside his head. don’t do this, buck. not like this. not today. not when i was going to tell you -

sound snaps back to him in that moment, and it’s like someone’s plugged a live wire directly into his spinal cord. “okay chris, you said he’s not awake.” he pauses momentarily, trying to catch his breath. “can you- is he breathing?” he almost whispers, fingertips gripping his headset so tightly he hears the plastic groan.

(or; buck, chris and eddie all find themselves on the wrong end of a 9-1-1 call.)

2.3k | read on ao3

it’s a simple enough routine: much of the calls are rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat in a way that you wouldn’t really get with firefighting. sure, there’s the odd call that stumps him or throws him for a loop or stretches his medical knowledge, but overall? eddie likes working in dispatch. he likes his deskmate (an older woman in her mid 40s - denise, his mind supplies), and he likes knowing that he’s still helping people. most of all, he likes being able to go home to his son every day, the pressure of trying to keep himself alive mostly removed from his shoulders. and things have been…well, okay. there’s days where eddie’s hands itch to be holding a halligan, days where he misses the scratchy fabric of his turnout gear against his skin.

mostly, he misses the partnership.

being a 9-1-1 dispatcher is very much a solo gig, although people tend to ask eachother questions often. you tend to be very much on your own for most of the day, and if eddie misses any one aspect the most from his old job, it’s the teamwork. it’s being shoulder to shoulder with people who are fighting the exact same fight as you, and the feeling of accomplishment shared after a job well done. more than that, though, it’s the sharing of the burden of loss when things don’t quite go your way. in a team, you have eachother to lean on - to draw strength from and to learn from. after tough calls in dispatch, sure, there’s a shared sense of hey, we’ve all been there but it’s not the same. some days, eddie wishes it was.

today’s been a pretty standard day, all things considered - some more intense calls intermixed with the regular run-of-the-mill type of deal. he’s only got a few hours left in his shift, and he’s looking forward to getting home and seeing chris, maybe ordering some take out and watching a movie with his son. it’s the little things now, the little miracles that happen each day that he’s most thankful for.

he slides into his seat, tucking his headset onto his ear and putting himself into a ready state, not at all surprised when a call comes through almost immediately. back to it, i suppose he muses, clearing his throat before hitting accept. “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” he asks. the line is silent, save for some rustling and…some crying? he can hear a voice, but it’s muffled and he can’t quite make out what they’re saying. “hello? this is 9-1-1. can anybody hear me? can you speak?” he tries. there’s some more rustling, and then the line gets a little clearer, and then -

“hello? 9-1-1?” and eddie’s blood runs cold, because he knows that voice all too well.

“chris?” he exclaims, standing from his seat and feeling a little outside of his body. a beat, a pause, and then he responds.

“dad?” he shouts, “is that you?”

eddie fights frantically to get some air into his lungs, tries not to let his training go completely out of the window as he replies shakily, ignoring the several pairs of eyes he can feel burning into his skull. “y- yeah, bud. it’s me. it’s dad. can you tell me where you are?”

“um,” there’s a pause when chris looks around, and he rattles off a cross-street. eddie nods, finding it much easier than he expected to slip into soldier and survivor mode than to be in dad mode right now. he doesn’t even look at which unit he’s dispatching to his son, too fixated on the task in front of him and trying not to keel over in his seat.

“okay, that’s great, chris. you’re doing so good. can you tell me what happened?”

he can hear chris suck in a shaky breath, a high pitched whine slipping into his voice and he wants nothing more in that moment than to hold his son. “we- we were driving home from school and- and another car drove into the side of us, i think.” he whimpers. eddie tries to swallow around the golfball in his throat as his fingers fly frantically across the keyboard.

“okay, buddy. i’m sending some help, okay? i’ll stay with you on the phone until they get there, then i’ll meet you at the hospital, okay? i promise. now, are you hurt at all?”

there’s another pause, and eddie’s fingers itch to be able to examine chris himself. “um, i have a cut on my head, but i think i’m okay.” eddie lets out a breath he doesn’t realise he’s holding, some of the sensation in his extremities returning.

“okay, that’s good chris. you’re doing awesome. what about the person you’re with?” and eddie’s running through a list in his head, trying to remember which of chris’ school buddies houses he’s going to that night. eddie counts himself fairly lucky that the PTA moms seem to have pseudo-adopted him and chris, otherwise he’d find himself struggling. he tries to remember which of them are on pick up, but he just can’t for the life of him put his finger on it.

“he- he won’t wake up.” chris whimpers, and eddie’s heart breaks for his son.

“okay, chris. it’s okay, buddy. help’s gonna be there real soon.” eddie’s fingers are flying over the keyboard at lightning speed, adding more detail into the incident notes than he ever has. “can you try saying his name again? seeing if he makes any noise for me?”

“okay dad. i’ll try.” he says, and then there’s a bit more shuffling, some movement as chris struggles to hold the phone, and then -

“buck! buck, you gotta wake up. buck!”

eddie’s heart skips a beat for the second time that day. buck. of course, buck was going to take him after school. they were going to go to the aquarium and then for some dinner before eddie got home. eddie should be asking questions, should be running through a triage protocol he knows like the back of his hand, but he can barely remember how to breathe, let alone anything else. his fingers are frozen and he can barely hear over the thrumming of his heartbeat inside his head. don’t do this, buck. not like this. not today. not when i was going to tell you -

sound snaps back to him in that moment, and it’s like someone’s plugged a live wire directly into his spinal cord. “okay chris, you said he’s not awake.” he pauses momentarily, trying to catch his breath. “can you- is he breathing?” he almost whispers, fingertips gripping his headset so tightly he hears the plastic groan.

“i- yeah dad, he’s breathing!” eddie releases a breath he didn’t realise he was holding, and in the faint distance he can hear sirens approaching.

“okay bud, thanks for telling me. help’s almost there, and we’re gonna get you out and get you looked at in the hospital, okay? i’m gonna be right there with you. you’re being so brave, bud. i’m so proud of you.” he assures chris. the sirens are much louder now. they must be on the scene, eddie’s brain supplies. then they quiet, and then the comms with the truck company begin going.

“dispatch, ladder 118 on scene, what am i looking at?” and eddie releases a tearful snort, because of course it is. of course it’s bobby.

“ladder 118, this is dispatch. 31 year old male and 11 year old male child involved in an RTC- i, bobby -”

“eddie?” bobby asks. he clears his throat, trying to slip back into captain mode. “who-”

“victims by the name of evan buckley and christopher diaz. i- bobby- chris seems okay, but, but buck -”

“we’ll get him, eddie. we’ll get them out safe.” bobby declares, and eddie knows he can trust him to do just that. knows the determination in bobby’s voice all too well, he’s heard it up close and personal on more than one occasion. the call becomes a cacophony of noise then, everything blurring into meaningless sound that eddie struggles to keep track of. at some point, his supervisor has materialised beside him, most probably listening in on the call. his knuckles are white where they’re clutching the edge of his desk as he tries to remember exactly what breathing’s supposed to feel like.

it could be one minute later, it could be ten, he doesn’t know. but eventually, bobby’s voice is back in his ear. “118 to dispatch, victims stable and ready for transport.”

eddie’s muscles are screaming at him to get up and get to his boys, and he struggles to remember how to form words. “i- where- “

“general, ETA is about 7 minutes.”

“i’ll see you there.” he assures. he hits end call and takes his headset off, turning with frantic eyes to his supervisor. “i need to-”

“don’t worry about it, diaz.” she assures, resting a comforting hand on his elbow. “go, we’ve got it covered.”

eddie doesn’t wait a second longer.

-

the drive to the hospital is somehow the longest and shortest it’s ever been. a million and one worst case scenarios tear through his mind, and he tries not to let himself focus on them too much. all the words he hasn’t said taste bitter on his tongue, and he finds himself gripping the steering wheel a little bit too tight, just so that he has something to hold onto.

he doesn’t remember parking, or the pounding of his feet against the pavement as he all but sprints into the ER waiting room. his head’s on a swivel, they should be here by now. he’s pretty much frantic when he hears his name being called quietly behind him. he turns, finally spotting bobby and making a beeline for him. a thousand questions form on the tip of his tongue, like is buck awake? how’s chris? how bad is it bobby? and because it’s bobby, and bobby knows him, he knows what he’s going to ask before he even does.

“buck’s awake.” he begins, and eddie feels his legs liquify at the news. “he’s talking, too. the doctors are speculating concussion, but i couldn’t get too much out of them because i’m not his emergency contact.”

“okay, okay, and chris is -”

“just getting patched up. he has a small cut on his forehead that’s likely gonna leave him with a bit of a scar, but other than that he’s okay. they’re gonna bring him out here in a couple of minutes.” bobby pauses, laying a hand on eddie’s shoulder gently. a bit of contact that he didn’t know he needed until he got it. “eddie, they’re gonna be okay, you have to breathe.”

eddie feels the world around him spin a little as he sucks in a much needed breath. bobby guides him to sit down, resting a calming hand in between his shoulder blades. eddie closes his eyes, trying to stop the escape of tears he can feel brewing. “i- i really thought- for a second i thought i’d lost them.” he admits, the words coming out broken and syllables sounding foreign to him.

“i know you did, i can’t imagine how terrifying that must’ve been.” he sympathises. there’s a pause then, a lull in conversation because what else is there to say? it’s quiet for a few seconds, and then bobby pipes up. “does he know?”

eddie furrows his brow, looking up at bobby. “about the will? i told you i told him after the shooting -”

“no, eddie, i’m not talking about the will.” and bobby’s wearing a knowing smile on his face as he asks again, “does he know?”

eddie doesn’t have to ask about what this time, thinks it’s gone beyond the point where he can play it off as he shakes his head. “not yet, but he will. if today’s shown me anything, it’s that if you love someone, you need to tell them, no matter the consequence.”

-

it’s about an hour later that he’s leaning in the doorway of buck’s hospital room where he’s busy pulling on his shoes. eddie crosses his arms, raising a brow. “you know, for someone who’s just been in a car accident, i’d say you’re looking pretty alright.”

buck snorts, shaking his head gently as he knots his shoes. “what, not dramatic enough for you, diaz? need a code blue for it to be worth it?” he teases, and the interaction is so painfully them it steals the breath from eddie’s chest.

“don’t joke about that!” he laughs, causing a laugh to spill out of buck’s lips in reply, and it feels so good to finally see him smile again, and to know that he’s the reason that he’s smiling. the room quiets once again, and for the first time in a long time, the silence between them isn’t awkward. loaded? yes. eddie clears his throat, pushing himself off of the doorway as he moves towards buck. “come on, i’m gonna take you home.”

“oh, okay.” buck says, sounding a little dejected. “i could just give maddie a call to give me a ride back to the loft, you really don’t have to -”

“no, evan.” he interrupts, and the sound of his name gives buck pause. the way his name fits into eddie’s mouth like it belongs there says all it needs to. “i’m not taking you to the loft, i’m taking you home.”

a smile, small and bashful curls around buck’s lips then as he stands slowly. a loaded look passes between them in that moment. eddie knows there’s a lot they need to talk about. there’s so much that they need to discuss, but in that moment it doesn’t matter. because buck knows. and eddie does too. and for right now, that can be enough.

a broad hand lands on the small of eddie’s back, a barely there touch but enough to set his nerve endings alight.

“let’s go home, eddie.” buck says quietly. and they do.

[caesurah-tblr]

alternatively, it's ryan and dylan in the final chapter + they're going against caleb and while ryan is able to kill him, dylan still gets a Nasty Injury.

TW: Graphic descriptions. Heed the tags.

“I mean- I don’t really feel anything? Doesn’t seem too bad.”

Ryan wants to smack him. Instead, he focuses on tightening the makeshift tourniquet around his thigh so Dylan doesn’t bleed out.

“You’re missing about half your leg. I think it’s pretty bad.”

The fight with Caleb Hackett hadn’t gone as well as they could’ve hoped. Everything would’ve been fine if Dylan- stupid, selfless Dylan- hadn’t throw himself in front of Ryan to protect him when his gun had jammed, frying pan in hand. By the time he had been able to get the thing working again- wasn’t Chris supposed to be taking care of these things?- Caleb had decided that Dylan’s leg was the perfect snack.

The bottom half of his shin and foot were only held on by flesh and sinew, the bone completely shattered. While it was a horrific wound, Ryan knew that if he worked fast that Dylan would be fine short-term. Since Caleb was dead, they wouldn’t have to worry about infection of the werewolf kind, but if Dylan hadn’t gotten sepsis from the nasty chainsaw that had been used to remove his hand earlier in the night, he definitely had it now.

“Serious question.” Dylan looks towards the ceiling. “I know you said the one-handed thing was cool, but would you date a guy with a peg leg? I could be a pirate. If you’re into that kind of thing.”

Ryan shakes his head. Of course Dylan is still cracking jokes.

“I’m into guys who throw themselves in mortal danger to protect me. I don’t know about the pirate thing though.” He gets up from Chris’s bed and snatches one of the many bottles of pain pills in the medicine cabinet. Hopefully they’ll block out the pain till morning.

“Then you can call me your knight in shining armor.” Dylan sits up, taking the pills and water offered to him. “Just try to be careful. I only have two limbs left. Unless you count-“ He wiggles the stump of his hand around. The bandages are soaked in blood.

Ryan frowns. That’s twice now that Dylan has lost a limb because of him. He was supposed to have his back in the radio hut, and he was supposed to have his back in the fight against Caleb. But both times he had failed Dylan, had forced the other to throw himself into danger to keep him safe.

“That look on your face? Stop it.” Dylan wiggles a finger at him. “Get it off. It’s not your fault we’re fighting werewolves, and you didn’t make me do it. I asked you to cut my hand off, and I threw myself in front of you because I knew you were the only one who could kill Caleb. None of it was your fault.”

“That’s twice you’ve saved my life tonight.” Ryan grabs a roll of fresh gauze and begins to wrap it around Dylan’s newest mangled limb. “I should’ve done something. I shouldn’t have let you get yourself hurt.”

“I don’t regret it.” Dylan says, even as his face contorts in pain. Ryan slows his wrapping. “He would’ve killed you, and I can’t have that. You’re the only dude who’s ever liked me back.”

“Oh?” Ryan raises an eyebrow as he finishes wrapping the wound. It’s sloppy, but it should hold. “And what makes you think I like you back?”

Dylan suddenly looks the most scared he’s looked all night. “I-I mean, I just assumed? With all the flirting, and the kiss, and the whole saving-your-life thing I just thought-“

Ryan shuts him up with a kiss. Stupid Dylan, with his stupid smile and his stupid handsome face and stupid selflessness. He’s halfway in love with this boy, and he can tell that Dylan is already there and he can’t wait to be there fully.

The goofy grin on Dylan’s face when Ryan pulls away makes him want to scream. Who gave him the right to be this damned cute?

“So that’s a yes to if I can have your number?”

“Move over.” Ryan responds, helping him move over so he can settle down next to him. He throws an arms around Dylan’s neck and the other snuggles against him, head tucked against his shoulder. Ryan buries his fingers in Dylan’s blood crusted hair, fingers running through the brown locks gently.

Dylan lets out a sigh, body completely relaxing into Ryan’s hold. “Love you.” He mouths against the other’s neck. It’s followed by a soft snore.

Ryan presses a kiss to Dylan’s temple, muttering a soft “I love you too.” against his skin. Dylan in his arms feels like home.

[the-delta-42]

Disarmed

Disarmed

Gabriel glared at the screen in front of him. The girl, Marinette, Ladybug, had been a major thorn in his side for too long. He’d tried going to her home and taking all the miraculous she had in her possession but had found he couldn’t remember where she lived.

Nathalie had suggested targeting the school, of course, it’d have to at a time no one was there. Gabriel smirk insanely as he started drawing up his plan.

Nathalie had started to grow concerned at the lengths Gabriel had started to go to bring Emilie back. She hoped he wouldn’t go too far in his campaign.

D

Marinette glared at the little screen on her yoyo, Adrien was dozing behind her as Alec Cataldi’s smirking face looked up at her. Ever since Marinette’s arm had been taken off, the ‘reporter’ had been openly questioning if she was capable for her job. It didn’t help that he had the backing of an alt right politician, who’d started calling for anyone who was neuro-divergent to be sectioned for ‘being a danger to society’, and Gabriel Agreste. Marinette supposed that Gabriel had a reason to question her competence, since she was in his son’s class, and she’d lost him his ‘muse’.

Marinette looked behind her, at Adrien, quietly wondering if he agreed with his father. Adrien opened his eyes and smiled at her, before stretching his arms out.

“What time is it?” Asked Adrien, looking around to make sure no one had seen them.

“Just after 11.” Replied Marinette, frowning as Adrien looked around, “Adrien, if anyone spotted us, I would’ve woken you.”

Adrien yawned, before flopping back down. Just as he did, an explosion rocked Paris. Both heroes looked at the explosion.

“Did… did Hawkmoth just blow up our school?” Asked Marinette, blankly.

Marinette shook her head and shared a look with Adrien, before the two called on their transformations. Ladybug and Chat Noir skidded to a halt in front of the burning building.

“Okay, we’re at the scene, but there’s no Akuma.” Muttered Ladybug, her bionic arm twitching.

A deafening roar tore through the street, as a dinosaur glared down at them.

“Mr Césaire got Akumatised again?” Asked Chat, cocking his head.

Ladybug was about to answer, as a blue blurr rammed into her side. Mayura threw Ladybug through the window of her parents bakery. Chat moved to grab the villainess, only to be grabbed by the collar and thrown at the dinosaur. Hawkmoth sneered at the boy, just as Mayura sailed past him and into a lamp post.

Ladybug charged at Mayura, ramming her fist into the elder woman’s stomach. Ladybug’s continuous blows triggered a coughing fit, the woman doubled over, unable to continue fighting. Ladybug turned her gaze on Hawkmoth, before launching herself at him, with Chat following. Ladybug’s fist connected with Hawkmoth’s chin, while Chat’s staff got the back of the man’s knees.

Hawkmoth stumbled back, spitting out a tooth as he went.

“I really need to get one of those, M’Lady.” Smirked Chat, falling into a defensive stance.

“I wouldn’t recommend it, Minou.” Responded Ladybug, mirroring her partner, “Looks like Mayura’s down for the count, Hawkmoth.”

Hawkmoth glanced at Mayura, as the woman continued coughing. Ladybug removed her yoyo from her hip and started spinning it, “We could easily end this now, you just have to give me your miraculous.”

“I was just about to say the same thing, Hawkmoth.” Snarked Ladybug, launching her yoyo at him.

Hawkmoth quickly dodged the attack, before swinging his cane sword at her. Ladybug blocked the attack with her arm, as Chat swung his staff at Hawkmoth’s head.

Hawkmoth snarled, before he grabbed Ladybug’s yoyo and pulled her towards him. He swung his cane-sword at her again. Ladybug raised her left arm to protect her chest and neck, only to collapse to the ground as Hawkmoth stabbed her right leg  and twisted the blade until the limb fell away from the rest of her body halfway up her thigh. Hawkmoth plucked the earrings from Ladybug’s ears and threw Marinette towards Mayura, who’d stopped coughing.

Hawkmoth turned his sights onto Chat Noir, an insane grin covering his face, “You need a new arm, boy?”

Chat gulped, before he swung his staff at Hawkmoth’s head again, only for Hawkmoth to grab his wrist. Hawkmoth grinned sadistically, as his sword pierced Chat Noir’s right bicep and he pulled on the limb until it came off the young hero’s body with a wet snap and a scream from the hero.

Hawkmoth threw Chat to the ground and smirked as he held both Miraculous in his hand.

“Finally.” Muttered Hawkmoth, before glancing down at the boy and freezing as he saw Adrien trying to stop the remains of his arm from bleeding, “Adrien?”

The boy froze, before he recognised the voice of his father.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” Demanded Hawkmoth, advancing towards Adrien, “We could’ve brought your mother back together!”

Adrien froze, before looking up at Hawkmoth. Hawkmoth tutted, “No matter, we can just have another, worthier, son.”

Hawkmoth raised his sword to kill Adrien, before Mayura tackled Hawkmoth and ripped the miraculous from him. Gabriel looked down as he realised that Mayura had taken all of the miraculous he had on him, including the butterfly. The senti-monster dissolved into nothing, as Gabriel was tackled from behind, while paramedics attended to Marinette and Adrien.

D

Adrien stared down at the stump of his right arm. He now understood what Marinette meant when she said she could still feel her fingers. The very thought of his arm being cut off, much less that it was his own father that cut it off, sickened and distressed Adrien. Max had already come by and measured a new arm for him, he was muttering about having to make Marinette a leg.

Adrien knew that Marinette had lost a lot of blood, since his father’s sword had severed her leg mid-thigh and cut through an artery.

“They’re tying to sew Marinette’s leg back on,” Said Nino, making Adrien look at him, “but there is the possibility that the leg can’t be reattached.”

Adrien frowned, before Nino grabbed his remaining hand, “Focus on me, don’t look at the arm.”

Adrien cracked a small smile, as Alya poked her head through the door.

“Mari’s out of surgery, they’re putting her leg in a cast until it fully heals,” Alya informed them, “It’ll be a while, but she’s going to keep her leg.”

“Thank Allah.” Muttered Nino, releasing a sigh of relief.

“Don’t thank him yet,” Said Alya, “Marinette’s not going to take it well.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT’S GOING TO BE THREE TO NINE MONTHS BEFORE I CAN WALK AGAIN?!” Came Marinette’s scream, sounding panicked.

“Yeah, she does not react well to the pain killers.” Said Alya, as Marinette was wheeled past.

“I don’t need blood transfusions.” Babbled Marinette, her tone doing a complete 180.

“You lost a lot of blood, you’re barely surviving on the blood that you didn’t lose, you need these transfusions.” Said a Nurse, as Marinette pouted and glared at the cast.

“I wanna go home.” Mumbled Marinette, folding her arms and sulking.

“You’re going to be kept here for a few days for observation, but you’ll be able to go home soon.” Reassured the nurse, as she and Marinette grew further away from the room.

“Marinette doesn’t seem to like hospitals much.” Remarked Alya, before looking at Adrien, “How’re you holding up, Sunshine?”

Adrien shrugged, looking down at his lap.

“He hasn’t said a word since the fight,” Said Nino, looking away from Adrien and towards Alya, “I think he’s still in shock.”

Alya frowned sympathetically, before sighing.

“I’m not surprised, considering…” Alya trailed off.

“He was going to kill me.” Whispered Adrien, as his vision blurred, “He said he was going to bring Maman back and he was going to kill me.”

Adrien wasn’t aware he was crying until Nino pulled him into his arms.

“Breath.” Nino instructed softly, “Breath.”

Adrien choked out sobs as he buried his face in Nino’s chest.

D

Chris poked Nino’s face while sitting on his chest.

“Nino.” Whispered Chris, “Nino. Nino. Nino. Niiiinooo.”

“What is it, Chris?” Groaned Nino, squinting at his brother.

“Adrien’s had another nightmare.” Said Chris, pointing towards a dark corner of the room.

Nino could make out the vague shape of Adrien rocking back and forth with his face buried into his knees.

“Okay, thanks Chris, I’ll handle it.” Said Nino, rolling Chris off his chest, “Go back to bed.”

Chris quietly shuffled out of the room, as Nino got up and walked over to Adrien. The blond didn’t react to Nino moving towards him and Plagg was hovering next to his chosen.

“How long has he been like this?” Asked Nino, looking at the Kwami.

“A couple hours,” Responded Plagg, “Sugarcube and pigtails are already on their way over.

Nino glanced at the clock; it was six am. He sighed, knowing he wouldn’t be able to get Adrien back to sleep.

“Bro,” Nino’s voice was soft, “Bro, look at me.”

Adrien slowly lifted his head. His eyes were red and bloodshot, he had dark bags under his eyes and his face had become thin and gaunt. Adrien let out a small whine and buried his face in his knees again. A loud banging at the front door echoed though the house, Nino thought he heard his mother grumbling about whoever was at the door.

“Sorry, Ms. Lahiffe, I need to see my cat.” Came Marinette’s muffled voice, “Alya, move faster!”

Nino winced, remembering that Marinette’s leg stump was still healing. Despite Marinette being rushed to hospital a short while after the leg had been severed, the doctors focussed on getting Marinette’s blood levels back up, before focusing on the leg, which had been left behind at the battle ground. Much like Adrien’s arm, the muscles in Marinette’s leg had be torn as Hawkmoth had cut and the limb had become infected, necessitating the legs removal. Marinette was still getting used to the leg Max had made her.

The loud drag-thump sound on Marinette limping on her new leg came down the hall. The bedroom door flung open, revealing Marinette being supported by Alya.

“Adrien.” Said Marinette, as Alya struggled to get both herself and Marinette through the door.

Adrien stopped rocking himself, just as Marinette decided to push Alya away and crawl along the floor to her partner.

“I’m here, Minou,” Said Marinette, softly, once she reached Adrien, “It’s okay. It’s over.”

D

Marinette leaned on the bright pink cane Rose had given her. Everything was quiet, no birds, not aimless chatter. Just silence. Marinette caught sight of her reflection, her arm and now her leg. Marinette wondered if it would ever get the point where she was more machine than human.

Marinette swallowed the lump in her throat, before quickly looking away from her reflection. Marinette walk-limped towards the door. She carefully climbed down from her room, noticing that everything was shrouded in darkness.

“Hello?” Marinette called out, looking around for anyone who was in the apartment. Marinette reached out for the light switch, flicking it on, Marinette was assaulted by both the light and the unanimous yell of “SURPRISE!”

Marinette let out a squawk of surprise, toppling back and landed on her rear. Adrien laughed, before walking over to her. He held up his black prosthetic right hand out for Marinette, which she grabbed with her red left.

“Happy Birthday, M’Lady.” Said Adrien, as soon as Marinette was on her feet.

[legionofpotatoes]

we decided to watch all story cutscenes from the new resident evil village videogame on a whim, since it’s not really our cup of tea gameplay-wise but seems to be this massive zeitgeist moment that made us morbidly curious. And I know how much everyone cares about my thoughts on things I know very little about, so. let’s get into it huh gamers. and yeah spoilers?

for context, I’ve only played resident evil 4 and a small portion of 5. I also read the wikipedia entry for 7’s plot recently. all this to say I was only vaguely aware of how tonally wacky the series was going in

I also completely gave up following the plot of the mutagens’ soap opera, so that paid off in spades here as you might imagine

anyway so that baby in the intro. that baby’s head is just massive. humongous toddlerdome. when ethan finds the baby’s head in a jar later on. there is no way that head would fit into that jar. bad game design. no not even game design. basic stuff. one hundred years in prison for jar modeler

if I see a single functional hetero marriage in video games I will cry tears of joy. I understand their misery is kind of The Point irt them badly working through the hillbilly romp trauma but like. sheesh. at least set that up as an emotional story goal the plot will help resolve. but nope they start off miserable and it goes nowhere

I know I know the mia thing has a huge wrinkle in it but like. not really in terms of dramatic function?? set up a happy end to the re7 nightmare (miranda can keep up appearances for all she cares) and then take that all away from angry griffin mcelroy for manpain. it will still absolutely work to set up the dramatic forward momentum. why throw in this cliche Hollywood Tension in their marriage if you’re not going to address it oh maybe because it’s normalized as automatically interesting because nuclear families are a self-propagating pit of a very narrow chance at emotional happiness relying on social stigma to preserve their empty function oops my baggage slipped in yikes abort mission

I called him griffin mcelroy because I saw his face on twitter and. yeah. I will continue to do this occasionally. my house my rules

... fuck the reason I’m hung up on this is specifically because the rest of the game is so tonally dexterous (which is a shining point to me! more on that later!), and yet they felt weirdly compelled to create the aesthetic trapping of a family-at-odds trope without following it through too well. a sign of both the good and the bad stuff to come

but listen the real reason why I wanted to talk about any of this is to nitpick the fascinating backwards-engineered nucleus of the entire thing; in that this game essentially creates a melting pot of just SO many disparate horror tropes and then makes a no-holds-barred unhinged effort at weaving thick lore to piece them all together. it is truly a sight to behold. like straight up you got your backwoods fright night situation, your gothic castle vampires, your rural-industrial werewolves, and don’t forget your bloated swamp monsters over there, with then a hard left turn into robotic body horror, and the entire ass subgenre of Creepy Doll writ large, and the bloodborne tentacle monsters, and a hellboy angel bossfight, which rides on the coattails of a mech-on-mech pacific rim bonanza, and just jesus henry christ slow down

almost all of these are textural hijack jobs that don’t really get into the metaphor plain of any of those settings but the game sort-of makes an argument that the texture IS the point and revels in it. It is kind of admirable almost. The same reason why the intro felt boxed in and unmotivated is also why the rest of the game just blasts off of its hinges to the point of complete and self-indulgent tonal abandon. I kinda loved that about it. lady dimitrescu made sure to hold her hat down as she bent forward in mahogany doorways and then suddenly she’s a giant gore dragon and you settle in your temp role as dark souls man with Gun to take her ass down. Excellent??

this rhino rampage impulse to gobble up every horror aesthetic known to man comes to head when the game wrestles with its FPS trappings in what is the most hilarious solution in creating visceral player damage moments. Since most cinematics and the entire game is in first person, that leaves precious little real estate for the devs to work with if they really want to sell griffin’s physical crucible. To wit. This dude’s forearms. Specifically just the forearms. They are MASSACRED throughout the story. The poor man lives out the silent hill dimension of a hand model. by the end cutscene he looks like a neatly dressed desk clerk who had decided to stick both his grabbers into garbage disposal grinders just a few hours prior. like in addition to everything else it manages to rope in that tinge of slapstick violence into its general grievous genre collection except this time it IS for a lack of trying! truly incredible

but wait his miracle clawbacks from everything his poor paws go through are retroactively explained away, yes, but far too vaguely and far too late to console me as I sat and watched everyone’s favorite baby brother reattach an entirely severed hand to his wrist stump by just. placing it on there. and giving it a lil twist ‘n pop terminator-style. and then willing his fingers back into motion right in front of my bulging eyes. this game just does not care. it does not give a shit. and boy howdy will it work to make that into one of its strongest suits

cause generally speaking resident evil was THE premiere vanilla zombie content destinaysh for like a decade, right? and as the rest of the world and mainstream media started encroaching and bloodying its blue ocean it went and just exploded in every single conceivable horror trope direction like a smilodon on catnip. truly, genuinely fascinating franchise moves

yeah the big vampire milf is hot. other news; grass... green. although I do love the implication that her closet is just identical white dresses on a rack. cartoon network-level queen shit

apropos of nothing I’ve said there’s also this hobo dante-devimaycry-magneto man, and I can’t believe this sentence makes sense. anyway he made that “boulder-punching asshole” joke referring to chris redfield and it was probably the only easter egg that really landed for me and boy did it land hard. I have not seen him punch the boulder in re5, mind. I had only heard about how funny it is from friends. and here this dude was, probably in the same exact mindset as me, trying to grapple with that insane mental image. with you on that ian mckellen, loud and clear

I advocate vehemently against the shallow pursuit of hyper photorealism in art direction but I gotta admit it works really in favor of immersive horror like this. the european village shacks especially gave me super unchill flashbacks to my rural countryside retreat in western georgia. I could smell the linoleum dude. not cool

faces are weird in this game. can’t place it. nice textures, good animation, but the modeling template is... uuh strange? and the hair. it has that clustered-flat-clumpy look that harkens to something very specific and unpleasant but I just don’t know what. sue me

griffin’s mental aptitude to take all this shit in stride and end every seemingly traumatizing bossfight involving some fucking eldritch being yet unseen through mortal eyes by essentially throwing out an MCU quip is just. What the fuck dude? I mean that was funny how you casually yelled the f-word at a god damn werewolf that you considered a fairy tale an hour ago but are you like, all right?? it was swinging a sledgehammer the size of a bus at you, ethan

oh oh the vampires are afraid of cold and your last name is winters. I get it haha

Pro Gamer Nitpick: boss fights seemed a bit unnecessarily long?? idk why the youtuber we picked decided the ENTIRE propeller man fight counted towards the vital story scenes he was stitching together, but man mr big daddy lite there really had some get up and go huh??

why are they saying dimitrescu.. like that. is it really how you say that word or is the english language relapsing into its fetish for ending every single word with a consonant at all costs

I’m not saying it’s a dramatic miss of a twist in context of all that’s going on, but the “you died in the last game actually and have been DC’s clayface ever since” revelation is low-key. it’s. it’s just funny to me, I dont know what to say. century-old god-witch fails her evil plan after she mistakenly removes heart from what was definitely NOT just some white guy with eight fingers after all

chris realizing he’s about to become the player character and immediately swapping out his tsundere trenchcoat for the muscletight sex haver sweater

the little bluetooth speaker-sized pipe bomb he taped to his knife was nuclear?? really??? I must have missed something because that is just too good. I buy it though I totally buy it. chris just got them fun-sized nukes in his car trunk for, you guessed it, Situations

anyway this is all for now just wanted to briefly touch on how unexpectedly funny and tonally irreverent this seemingly serious game turned out to be. did not articulate any cathartic story beats whatsoever but my god it had fun connecting those plot points. he just fucking put his severed hand back on his stump and it Just Worked todd howard get in here

[chrisstumps05]

"Stump Grinding, Tree Removal & How to Change Stump Grinder Teeth"

[chrisstumpgrinding]

How long will the stump grinding process take?

[bigfan-fanfic]

Luka, Benny Cousland, Asha Lavellan, and Vaati Adaar (clockwise from top left)

Some headcanons for the new OCs I’ve been making. Maybe I should do these for all my OCs?

Vaati Adaar (Dragon Age: Inquisition) - face claim Chris Evans, bottom left

Vaati was practically born into the Valo-Kas Mercenary Company, a Vashoth child of Tal-Vashoth parents Meraad and Isala. However, he was kidnapped at age five by Templars and imprisoned in the Circle of Magi in Kirkwall, known as the Gallows. At age fifteen, he was rescued and set free by Warden-Lieutenant Lissa Surana and former Templar Raleigh Samson.

Vaati had a hard time in Kirkwall. His left horn was permanently damaged when a Templar sawed it off and had a fellow apprentice cauterize it with a fireball - the apprentice was made Tranquil and Vaati was left with a jagged white stump where his horn used to be. As part of his proposal, Blackwall gifts Vaati with a magic silverite false horn that he wears always.

 Vaati was raised by Shokrakar after he escaped the Gallows. He was eager to expand his powers beyond the Circle’s teachings - he has an analytical mind and quickly became Shokrakar’s assistant tactician and second-in-command.

Vaati wields a spear that he uses mainly as a staff, and a spiked greatshield for defense and sometimes offense. He is only twenty-three when he becomes the Inquisitor to protect young Tash Adaar.

Vaati used to be involved with Tash’s elder step-brother Arno and acts sort of as a big brother to the Herald. He and Tash work together to plan the way the Inquisition goes, although Vaati defers to Tash’s judgments for the most part.

Vaati is demisexual, and began being attracted to Blackwall after they spent many weeks talking in the stables and whittling toys for the kids in New Haven.

Vaati enjoys carving and making things with his hands. His greatest fear is Tranquility, and he still has nightmares about the Gallows, where he was threatened with it daily just for the crime of being a qunari.

Asha Lavellan (Dragon Age: Inquisition) - face claim Mallory Jansen, bottom right

Asha Lavellan was the First of Clan Lavellan, but she left in order to become a Watcher for the Arlathvhen, keeping an eye on the shemlen’s wars and movements and how they would affect the People.

She bears the vallaslin of Dirthamen, the God of Secrets. Asha is a competent assassin and mainly wields a pair of daggers. However she is a mage, so she uses these to channel magic.

Asha has spent years helping city elves flee oppressive conditions and make it to various clans. She is well known amongst the Dalish and a legend among city elves who call her the New Emerald Knight. Asha’s connections led her to become the Dalish Advisor to the Inquisition and work closely with the other advisors, the Herald, and the Inquisitor.

Solas’ apparent dislike of the People led her to greatly distrust him, even as he tried to find out more about the distinctly non-traditional Clan Lavellan, and she took over teaching Tash about the Dalish folklore and culture when he and Tash’s relationship crumbled. Solas offered to remove her vallaslin and she balked, avoiding him from then on.

Asha encountered Briala at Halamshiral and the two women fell hard in love, particularly after Asha helped Tash to keep Briala in power with a public truce, and then after she assassinated Celene once Corypheus was defeated, leaving Briala as the power behind the throne Gaspard occupied as a puppet Emperor.

Asha is a rift mage and has perfected a technique much like Calpernia’s ability to teleport. She also gives Briala an enchanted dagger as a token of their love.

After she and Briala marry, Briala wears a mask with the vallaslin of Falon’Din hidden inside it, to commemorate the bond between her and Asha as one of similar strength to that of the two gods.

Benny Cousland (Dragon Age: Origins) - face claim Pedro Pascal, top right

Benezio Alendro Cousland, Lord of Highever, is actually Josephine Montilyet’s cousin through marriage - his brother’s wife, Oriana, is Josephine’s cousin, but the Couslands originally came from Antiva and the two have several ancestors in common. Josephine gets a message to Benny to have him serve as Tash’s tutor in dealing with nobility.

Benny escaped the massacre at Castle Cousland with the sacrifice of Ser Gilmore, and came across the Hero of Ferelden’s party by chance as he was trying to reach Ostagar to find Fergus.

Benny is skilled in the diplomatic arts, as well as with the rapier, and he used both these talents to assist the Hero. He formed a close attachment to Zevran during this time - the two informally married after the Blight and traveled together, first to Amaranthine with the Warden’s party. He became known as the Dark Wolf there.

Benny and Zevran spend the intervening time between the end of Origins and the start of Inquisition fighting corrupt institutions and helping protect the disadvantaged. Around this time they both become Red Jennies. While Zevran does assassination work for Leliana, Benny becomes somewhat of a mentor to Sera, helping her organize the Red Jennies.

Zevran and Benny form a polyamorous relationship with Mysen of Denerim and his husband Alistair during Inquisition. The four eventually end up in Kirkwall, helping Varric, working to improve the orphanage Mysen and Alistair started, and occasionally going on missions for Divine Victoria or the Red Jennies.

Benny is mildly allergic to strawberries and will break out in hives if he eats one, although it will clear up quickly and he won’t be in danger of anaphylaxis. 

Benny is technically next in line for the throne of Ferelden should Queen Anora have no heirs. He formally adopts Alistair and Mysen’s foundling children so they are Cousland heirs, and hires guards to protect the orphanage.

Luka (the Witcher - Netflix) - face claim Niall Horan, top left

Luka is a gold dragon in human form - he prefers his human form immensely and only ever shifts back to save someone’s life or flee quickly. His mother was killed by dragon hunters when he was still a hatchling, and he had barely come of age in human years when his father Villentretenmerth had to leave him behind.

In human form Luka can still breathe fire, and can cast limited spells when he sings. His singing voice can be bewitching if he isn’t careful. HIs full name is Luczaryth.

Luka has a bright and happy spirit and is surprisingly naive. He seeks to do good deeds and seek out joy for his long-lived existence.

Luka has repaired over many years an abandoned house in a forest on the Continent. Jaskier heard Luka’s singing from afar one day and came upon the fine house. He seduced the young dragon, and the two spent many weeks together, falling deeply in love. Jaskier invited Luka to join him on his journeys and the two often perform duets, although Luka will occasionally leave to make sure their house is safe.

When Luka meets Geralt, the Witcher reluctantly takes the young dragon under his wing (so to speak) to protect him. Luka and Jaskier experience a great attraction to Geralt and act on it. 

The three maintain a polyamorous relationship. Although Geralt chases Jaskier off after meeting Luka’s father, they reunite and agree not to be parted in anger again.

Despite acting very submissive to the other two in public, Luka is the one to take charge in bed, with Geralt letting go of all control and Jaskier switching between roles as the mood takes them.

[hollandstanevans]

Awkward

Chapter 5

*disclaimer this is a work of fiction so none of this is actually real*

warning: maybe some language; lack of proofreading

masterlist

5 months later

Life had finally started to get back to normal well as normal as it was going to get. You had been casually dating Tom for about 2 months and things were great you hadn’t dated anyone your age ever. With graduating high school early it was very difficult for you to make friends your own age and let alone date anyone your age. They were always just so immature and Tom just wasn’t. So this time had just been a great couple of months, but you were about to change something major in your life. If things were ever going to get serious with Tom there were a couple that you needed to do first and a couple of things you needed to tell him but that could wait, right?

 It was 3 pm and your shift at work was finally over so you thought now was a perfect time as any. So you went to Miller’s office and knocked on the door, “Hey Miller we need to talk”. 

“What’s up l/n?” he replied.

“Well I’ve already informed the board and I’ve asked them to let me inform you but today will be my last day here”

“What are you talking about l/n you can’t leave surgery again you are amazing and those kids need you”

“No Miller I’m not leaving surgery I’m just leaving the hospital. I’ve come to realize I don’t love it here anymore. I’m taking a job offer closer to home in New York”.

“Come on f/n  you can’t just leave me understaffed what can I do to get you to stay”

“Honestly Miller there’s not anything you could do but I am not leaving you without replacement choices.” You handed him 3 folders filled with information about the doctors you interviewed. “These are my top 3 pics and the choice is ultimately up to you but my top pick is the Alex Karev guy he has the talent and he looks like he would fight for his patients”. Your phones started to buzz meaning you were about to be late for your flight back to New York. “Hey look Miller I’m sorry but I have to go I hope to see you around sometime”. And with that being said you went on your way waiting for all that life will be bringing to you.  

Hemsworth texted you and to let you know that he would be there to pick you up from the airport and in less than 2 hours you were back home in New York looking for your brother until you heard a voice. 

“L/n over here”. You turned around and there was your brother you ran over and gave him a big hug and told him that you were glad to be back home. So you guys got in his car and the next thing out of his mouth was “I hope that you don’t have plans for tonight because if you do I’m going to need you to cancel them because we’re having game night”.

“Well seeing as I just got back home no I don’t have any plans but who all is going to be there?”

“Umm the usual and some new people you haven’t met yet. Actually, what was the last movie you saw?”

“Ultron I think with med school and life I didn’t have the time and when I finally did I didn’t want to see Chris’s face so yea, speaking of him is he going to be there”.

“Yes, but there are many people that you haven’t met yet that I want to introduce you too. Like the kid who plays spider-man-”

“Wait spider-man isn’t he with Sony”

“See y/n you’ve missed a lot and Rdj, Seb, Johansson, and Pratt will be there too and they miss you and it’s at your house so you have like no other choice”.

Your brother did have a point so the next thing out of your mouth was, “I guess I can show my face and meet the new people”. 

“Now that sounds like my annoying sister,” he said as you guys were pulling up to the house.

“So how long do I have until people start to get here?”

“Um, about 20 minutes.”

“20 minutes Christopher Hemsworth have you lost your mind that barely gives me…”

Hemsworth cut you off and started pushing you in the house  “Well looks like you need to stop talking and get to doing whatever you need to do.” 

So you ran up to your room to hurry and get ready. You looked for comfortable clothes 

and you found a pair of leggings and an old Hopkins sweatshirt. So with the little time, you had left you went and jumped in the shower and washed up and when you got out you just threw your hair up so it would be out of your face. By the time you got finished, it had been 40 minutes since you got home and you could hear people downstairs so you decide to bite the bullet and go. 

You walked down slowly, one step at a time and you got down there and the first thing you heard was a voice that said, “Hey y/n long time no see,”  you turned your head to match the voice to the person and it was someone you hadn’t seen in a long time. 

“Well Seb same could be said to you”, you replied. 

“If my memory serves correct you were the one who went m.i.a”, he retorted but he could see very instantly how uneasy that made you so he quickly added, “but that is in the past now I’m just happy to see you”.

 You smiled gave him a hug and went around to speak everyone and somehow about 30 minutes later you were playing the most intense game of beer pong with Seb against Johanson and Pratt when you slipped and while you waited for the ground to come it never did. 

“Woah watch yourself y/n you don’t want to hurt yourself”, said someone you knew all too well. 

“You know what… just thank you Chris”, you replied

“Well don’t lose the game babe,” he responded.

“I’m not your… nevermind” you muttered. 

Everyone had finished their games and now all eyes were on you as you were about to throw the winning shot an oddly familiar voice said, “Hey guys I’m sorry I’m late”. You turned around and saw someone you weren’t expecting to see here  “Tom?”, you questioned.

“Babe what are you doing here?”, he asked. 

“I live here what are you doing here? Hemsworth, how do you know him?”, you said. 

“He plays Spider-man”, your brother told you. 

“Sp-sp-spider-man, oh you’re spider-man”, you said starting to feel a little lightheaded from all of this. 

“So are we all just going to ignore the fact that he called my wife babe?”, Chris asked the room. 

“Your wife? Y/n you’re married?”, Tom asked you.

“Only on paper,” you retorted. You shock starting to wear off you walked towards Tom and said, “Can we take this somewhere where everyone isn’t. I hate everyone knowing my business and I’ll explain everything once we’re alone ok,” you told him.

“Ok”

a/n: it’s been a while hasn’t it? Truth be told I didn’t know what to do with this, I was really just stumped for ideas but I think I have most things figured out. I’m going to try to start updating every 2 weeks and then try to progress to updating every week but I don’t want to make any promises. I am working on the next chapter of a political monster so that should be coming here soon and if you are in the taglist and no longer want to be on it just let me know and I’ll remove your name or if you wanted to be added let me know. I hope everyone is doing well and if you guys need someone to talk to during these hard times I am always here!! ttyl

taglist:

@hnnhjy​ @inlovewith3​ @zabdisamor​ @beck-alicious​

[treeremovalpensacola]

LM Growth Summit Success Stories: The power of connections

If you live in Pensacola, it's just a matter of time that you have to do the inevitable and remove a tree. Tree Services Pensacola Florida is a tree removal company that specializes in stump grinding, tree removal, and arborist services. They have been in business for over 10 years and have the experience and expertise to get the job done right. Fully licensed and insured, so you can rest assured that your property is in good hands. Pensacola tree service is a company that specializes in removing trees. They have been doing this for over 10 years and they are really good at it. They also do stump grinding, which means they get rid of the stump left behind after the tree is removed. They are fully licensed and insured, so you can be sure that your property is in good hands. Chris Stoudt, owner of Stout Lawn Care in Pottstown, Pa., worked up a healthy to-do list before his trip to the 2023 LM Growth Summit. And while he was able to check off most of those items during the event, he says the most impactful part of his experience was a handful of takeaways that he hadn’t considered before heading to the Summit. “First, going in and meeting with the companies that sell a lot of the products that we use regularly made me more confident in the programs that I had put together,” Stoudt says. “I always suspected that what we were doing was taking the right approach, but being able to get affirmation from the vendors about that, along with a few new ideas to try, was invaluable. “But the best takeaway was probably the networking and the people I met, some from firms the same size as us and others who are bigger, which is where we’re trying to get. I met Chris Brown from Teed & Brown (Norwalk, Conn.) and the guys from Lawn RX (Brad Herrle and Shawn Rodgers) over in Pittsburgh. We still stay in touch and have our own little networking group, which is really cool.” Continuous improvement Although last year’s LM Growth Summit was his first, Stoudt has pursued professional development opportunities throughout his career. His company is a RealGreen by WorkWave customer, so he’s participated in numerous user conferences over the years and has taken advantage of local and regional events when possible. So, when a couple of his colleagues in the area recommended the Growth Summit, he was eager to attend. “I’d heard it was a good event from some vendors I know, colleagues who had gone in previous years,” he says. “And for a long time now, I’ve found that networking and putting myself out there has been good for me as a business owner and as a person too.” Stoudt says he valued the Growth Summit’s one-on-one nature, which sets it apart from other industry events. “It’s such a unique format. The one-on-one conversations and the time with vendors, really digging into problems, is invaluable,” he says. He also appreciated the fact that his fellow attendees represented lawn care companies of all shapes and sizes. “I’m a big fan of diversity in the company size. We’re not a huge company, so it was nice to meet a couple of the larger companies down there in more of an intimate setting than a user’s conference where you have thousands of people,” Stoudt says. “That’s the big difference for me, that you have more time to interact with people you want to interact with (at the Growth Summit).” Five stars, would recommend Just like other landscaping professionals did for him, Stoudt has been singing the praises of the LM Growth Summit and the value it delivered to other colleagues. If the opportunity presents itself, he says, lawn care companies need to seize it. “I think the most important thing that we can do as an industry — particularly as a small-business owner — is network,” he says. “No one has all the answers or all the newest ideas, so being able to meet others, learn how they operate and talk about their business was great. I thought it was a really unique way to elevate your business.” The post LM Growth Summit Success Stories: The power of connections first appeared on Landscape Management.