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263adder · 3 years ago

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British Sitcoms: 20th Century Edition

I decided it was time to show some love to British content – specifically the British sitcom. There are so many I love though, that I’ve decided to split them into two: for the 20th century and for the 21st. So, if you want to try some British content or want to revisit the classics, have a look. I’ve posted links for some great scenes to introduce the shows.

1. The Vicar of Dibley – 1994 to 2000

It is set in a fictional village of Dibley, which is assigned a female vicar, Geraldine Granger, following the changes in the Church of England that permitted the ordination of women.

The Vicar of Dibley is a great fish-out-of-water show, with Geraldine “Gerry” Granger moving into the parish to the shock of the villagers. The entire cast is iconic and it’s very sad that several cast members have passed away in recent years. Their memories live on fondly in the UK however, with routine screenings of this show. There aren’t many episodes, but they continue to produce specials for charity fundraisers so we still get to see Dibley and all their loveable inhabitants.

The religious aspect of the show, as it usually is in British media, is usually downplayed with greater emphasis on Christian characteristics such as kindness, forgiveness and charity. Sample a scene here in which one character unexpectantly comes out of the closet in a very touching yet funny scene.

2. Yes, Minister (later Yes, Prime Minister) – 1980 to 1984, 1986 to 1988

Set in the office of a British Cabinet minister, the show follows the career of Jim Hacker. His various struggles to formulate and enact policy are opposed by the British Civil Service, in particular his Permanent Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby.

This show is notable for its marvellous dialogue and proves a great insight into British politics which is still applicable into the 21stcentury. The dialogue is not just a triumph of the writers, but also the actors who somehow get through sometimes incomprehensible speeches which you have to rewatch a dozen times to finally understand (give this speech a try). I’m aware that might not be the best way to advertise a show, yet it accomplishes its purpose of uncovering the game of politics. How words are manipulated to hide ulterior meanings or to secure what an individual wants. If you watch the show, you’ll never be able to watch political news the same way again.

3. The Good Life – 1975 to 1978

Opening with the midlife crisis of Tom Good, a 40-year-old plastics designer, it relates the joys and setbacks he and his wife Barbara experience when they attempt to escape a modern rat race lifestyle by becoming totally self-sufficient in their suburban house.

If you like cottagecore, you’ll like The Good Life. Tom and Barbara are excellent together, and their neighbours Margo and Jerry are hilarious. It’s the ultimate comfort TV show. Watching them running around after their pet pig, trying (and often failing) at DIY projects. Making their own cheese, trying to generate their own electricity. It’s brilliant. You can watch the full first episode here.

4. Blackadder – 1983 to 1989

Each series is set in a different historical period, with the two protagonists – Edmund Blackadder and Baldrick – accompanied by different characters, though several reappear. The four seasons of this show were accompanied by several specials including the film Blackadder’s Christmas Carol.

Ah, the show that inspired my username (Adder). The only reason it’s not further up the list is that I don’t really care for the first season – it’s a bit too Mr Bean for my taste. Second season onwards is the classic portrayal of Edmund Blackadder as the acerbic, sarcastic and put-upon protagonist, doing his best to teach Baldrick how to count and giving Percy fashion advice. The dialogue is always excellent and there is an array of fantastic actors, including Rowan Atkinson, Miranda Richardson and Hugh Laurie.

5. Only Fools and Horses – 1981 to 2003

Set in Peckham in south-east London, it follows ambitious market trader Derek "Del Boy" Trotter and his younger brother Rodney Trotter. The series follows their highs and lows in life, in particular their attempts to get rich.

Regularly voted as Britain’s favourite sitcom, catchphrases from the show have entered common usage in the UK such as: “this time next year we’ll be millionaires” and “you plonker”. There are several famous scenes, such as Del Boy falling through the bar and dropping a priceless chandelier (see GIF), but my favourite is from the above scene Heroes and Villains. Have a watch! There’s a reason this show lasted over twenty years and continues to be routinely aired on TV.

6. Father Ted – 1995 to 1998

Set on the fictional Craggy Island, a remote location off Ireland's west coast, Father Ted focuses on two priests exiled to the island as punishment for various mistakes, where they live together in the parochial house with their housekeeper.

This Irish-British sitcom may be incomprehensible to an international audience, but if you can handle the accents you’ll be in for a treat. It’ll also prepare you for an entry on the 21st century sitcom list! From a low-speed chase on a milk float, to a daring escape from the lingerie department, there is no shortage of laughs on this show. Unfortunately, the death of the lead actor one day after finishing filming of the final season prevented any special reunions like many other sitcoms on this last have had – but it remains much beloved in both Britain and Ireland.

7. Porridge – 1974 to 1977

This sitcom focuses on two prison inmates, Norman Fletcher and Lennie Godber, who are serving time at the fictional HMP Slade in Cumberland. The show's title is a reference to both the traditional breakfast that used to be served in British prisons, and a 1950s British slang term for a prison sentence.

The criminal yet loveable Norman Stanley Fletcher, played by beloved British comedian Ronnie Barker, takes cellmate Godber under his wing while the two serve out their sentences at HMP Slade. The show moves between the inmates and the prison wardens, showing off their excellent repartee as the wardens treat Fletcher with varying suspicion and sympathy. While it is frequently shown that Fletcher was a habitual criminal, often committing theft, it’s his heart-of-gold moments that shine through over his scheming ways – going out of his way to help fellow inmates and keep them out of trouble with the more menacing criminals. It also offers several poignant and thought-provoking ideas on the British prison system.

The series was so well-loved that it got a spin-off called Going Straight (1978) and a feature-length film Porridge (1979). Unfortunately, the actor playing Godber (Richard Beckinsale) died in 1979 so no further spin-offs or films were produced. For a sample of this lovely show, check out this clip.

8. Dad’s Army – 1968 to 1977

The Home Guard consisted of local volunteers otherwise ineligible for military service during World War Two, either because of age (hence the title Dad's Army) or by being in professions exempt from conscription. Most of the platoon characters depicted in Dad's Army are over military age. They are led by Captain George Mannering.

The episode which remains with me is Branded, which focuses on the character Private Charles Godfrey who is a conscientious objector. He is at first ostracised from Home Guard, until his sister reveals he served as a medic during World War One, was given the Military Medal, and subsequently saves Captain Mannering from a smoke-filled hut.

9. Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads – 1973 to 1974

A sequel to the Likely Lads (1964-66) set in Newcastle upon Tyne (North East England). It follows the friendship, resumed after five years apart, of two working-class young men, Bob Ferris and Terry Collier. The humour was based on the tension between Terry's firmly working-class outlook and Bob's aspirations to join the middle class, through his new white-collar job, suburban home and impending marriage to librarian Thelma Chambers.

This is an obscure one, but I love it. Probably as it’s set in the North East, which is a setting I’m familiar with and that doesn’t get shown much in 20th century sitcoms. All of the characters are annoying to an extent – Terry’s antics, Bob’s fastidiousness, Thelma’s temper – but put together they’re hilarious.

10. Fawlty Towers – 1975 to 1979

The series is set in Fawlty Towers, a fictional hotel in Torquay. It centres on the owner Basil Fawlty, his wife Sybil, chambermaid Polly and the Spanish waiter Manuel. They show their attempts to run the hotel amidst farcical situations and an array of demanding and eccentric guests and tradespeople.

I know it will seem blasphemous to some that this only ranks tenth, but consider that the show only had twelve episodes total compared to the longer running series on this list. I fully recommend the scene from the above GIF as an introduction, it kills me every time!

Honourable Mentions:

Bottom, Citizen Smith, Ever Decreasing Circles, One Foot in the Grave, Open All Hours.

#the vicar of dibley #yes minister #yes prime minister #the good life #blackadder #only fools and horses #father ted #porridge #dad's army #whatever happened to the likely lads #fawlty towers

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holocene-sims · 2 years ago

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📎 for everyone in Grant’s family? Or at least as many sims as you can answer for? Pretty please 🙊🥺

jdjlskdjkslfs this is so sweet, thank you for the ask! 😭 idk if i can get everybody because the list is pretty extensive but i'll get the main folks at least!!

enjoy the chaos that this ask brings

📎 paperclip - a random fact

general family fact: this family is so incredibly neurodivergent. good luck finding many neurotypicals here

grant: this man who typically listens to classic emo hits and metal also has a ridiculously strong affinity for disco music. disco king! chaotic music taste for the win! like he absolutely loves donna summer, ABBA, boney m, etc. get him just drunk enough on fruity cocktails and he will ignore the fact that he has a terrible singing voice and will provide you with disco karaoke

mother mary: very briefly had a modeling career while she was in college. she might be evil but she is beautiful

dear old dad juhani: he's completely colorblind!

grandma aoife: she's kind of a jack of all trades! she grew up on a dairy farm, was an unofficial but very reliable midwide for a while in her hometown, then she toiled in a factory making cars, worked on a fruit farm...and finally started her own bakery!

grandpa joseph: he built the house he and his wife, miss lovely aoife, have lived in since the mid-1960s! he did it with his own handiwork, alongside the aid of aoife's older brother and a local friend who runs a very small construction company

uncle paddy: for a good few years as a younger man, he was a member of a celtic punk band! he played guitar. iconic, really. the band needs to make a full comeback LMAO

aunt catherine: one time in the early 2000s, she and paddy took their kids to florida, which was a very expensive ordeal they saved up a long time to afford. well, she got terribly sunburnt, then got heatstroke, and had to be treated at the hospital for her near-death experience with the sun. she has since vowed to never touch a single beach except the ones on lake michigan during cloudy days

cousin adam: within the family, he's the practically undefeated champion of monopoly (okay, mr. business degree)

brittany: proud one-time winner of the pie eating contest at the iowa state fair

cousin hannah: obsessed with pinterest, especially pinterest DIY/crafting projects. like unhealthily obsessed.

connor: went skiing one time in connecticut with his family while he was a kid. he broke his collarbone. never again.

cousin chelsea: got an actual honest-to-god terrible concussion because someone closed a car door on her head

jasmine: she was in marching band during middle and high school, also even college. she's an alto saxophone queen. okay, maybe she's mildly embarrassed about her band days, but at the same time, she had a good time, so?

cousin alex: suffers (?) from a very strong fear of crustaceans. the lobster tanks at red lobster definitely traumatized him as a child

lilly: once snuck into a celebrity wedding out of sheer curiosity by pretending to be a waitress for the event. it was boring and the food portions were sad as fuck

aunt bridget: she was a camp counselor as a teenager, which was a great experience, but also spawned the most embarrassing moment of her life. just after midnight, she was uhhhh ~flirting~ with a fellow female counselor in the "privacy" of the woods behind one of the counselor's cabins. everything was going swimmingly until some kids who snuck out of their cabin to go on the hunt for frogs caught them in the act

uncle sean: if a movie is sad, he's 100% going to cry at some point

cousin shannon: wrote and published fanfiction about the sims 2 premades, including a 100000k words angst & hardcore sci-fi story about bella goth's abduction

colm: his long estranged father is quite literally in the mafia. a story for another day is colm's interactions with his father's colleagues trying to chase him down to get him to stop spilling the beans about his father's affiliations

cousin lorcan: cannot sleep without using his airpods to listen to text-to-speech reddit thread videos from youtube. so interesting yet such cheap content with a droning voice. perfect sleep material

sydney: she gives herself stick and poke tattoos when she's bored

#asks #i used the relationship titles based on how grant would be related to them LOL #just to limit confusion #i'll come back and tag everyone later #jfsdjflkdjflksd RIP #but for now #hlcn: oc info #hlcn: story extras #hlcn: callahan family

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cherriipeachcreme · 3 years ago

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W.arioW.are AU Idea

!! Please read my links / carrd before interacting !!

I was playing the W.arioW.are: Get it Together demo and I just realized, if we can customize the characters' colors, I coud make them look like some of the other background characters! I've always wanted to make an AU where more characters either join the W.arioW.are company, or start their own (Since some of them are antagonistic). Here's a list of who I'm thinking of below, including my self insert OC:

W.aluigi (M.ario B.ros. series; Many of us wanted him to join right?)

Jimmy P (W.arioW.are: Smooth Mooves)

Vanessa (W.arioW.are: Touched)

1.3-Amp (W.arioW.are: Gold)

Sal Out (W.arioW.are: Twisted)

Leo (W.arioW.are: Get it Together)

Mr. Sparkles (W.arioW.are: Gold)

Sammy Rai (W.arioW.are: Touched)

Harvey (W.arioW.are: Snapped)

The Detective (W.arioW.are: Snapped)

The "Bean" Salesman (W.arioW.are: Snapped)

Cherrie (Self Insert)

Also something I thought of for Cherrie: If she were to pick m.icrogames in Gold, she would mostly choose the ones that feature food or nature (Mainly from Mega M.icrogame$ and DIY), and they'd have the "Mash"-style gameplay.

W.aluigi would have m.icrogames that star himself or more of the ones that star W.ario.

Tbh I feel like one of the only ones who knows about the W.W Snapped comics, since the gameplay was shitty and there's not enough information on most websites, which really sucks. I'd love to see these characters appear more in the games!

#self insert #canon divergent au #selfinsert

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jar-of-salsa · 7 years ago

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Been binge watching all the Rick and Morty episodes this week…and this little guy came out Also the newest episode was really good; poor robot Morty he deserves all the ice creams and streams he desires

#gif #i'm mr meeseeks look at me #can do #jewellery #handmade #charm #crafts #diy #rick and morty #spoilers #rick and morty season 3 #rick and morty spoilers #rick sanchez #morty smith #my art #my stuff #rickmancing the stone #smol bean #fanart

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nightwitchwriter · 4 years ago

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Christmas Chapter

To those that have been reading my story, I apologized for being so late with my recent works. I managed to finish the other two on Christmas and this one before New Years. So, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Nick’s POV

I walked into the kitchen to be greeted by a giant basket filled with pears and a box filled with pear based foods, like pie, cobbler, juice, even jelly beans, which Molly was stuffing herself with.

“Where did the pears come from?”

“Faye bought them!” Molly, mouth stuffed of jelly beans

“She did?”

“Both her and her father.” mom, who came from the next room. “Molly, leave some for the rest of us.”

I stared at the packages, uncertain about its products.

“Why pears?”

“Why don’t you ask?” mom asked playfully before walking into the kitchen.

The next day, I went to the Black Cat Cafe, carrying a bag. When I walked in, it was semi-busy, with many of the tables full.

“Hello Nick.” Mrs. McCalmont, from behind the counter.

“Hi, Mrs. McCalmont. Is Wil home?”

“No, she’s helping me with a delivery. Is something wrong?”

“Uh, no, um, here.” I handed her a bag of apples. “Mom says thanks for the pears.”

“Oh your welcome. Thank you.”

As she took the apples, I struggled to ask my question, even though it may sound rude.

“Uh, what are the pears for?”

“For the 12 Days of Christmas!” Faye jumped from behind the counter, surprising me.

“12 days of Christmas? As in the song?” I questioned “So, in the place of Christmas?”

“Oh no we celebrate Christmas. Think of it as a Christmas tradition. It gets everyone in the Christmas spirit.”

“Does everyone on Arcanos do it?” Looking around, making sure no one heard me.

“You can talk about Arcanos. There’s no rule about it not talking about it. Watch. ARCANOS!”

Everyone in the cafe turned to look at us.

“Faye, stop that.” scolded Mrs. McCalmont. “If it makes you feel better, we can go into the kitchen?”

I nodded and followed them into the cafe kitchen, where I saw stuff moving by itself. The food was cooking and wrapping themselves. I saw tiny fairies flying around the kitchen as well as multiple ovens and stoves, six at least. I could smell bread baking, chocolate melting and meat roasting.

“Wow.” I looked at the whole room in amazement. One of the fairies came up to him and landed on his shoulder. She looked at him curiously.

“I hope the fairies aren’t a health code violation.” I joked

“Those aren’t fairies. They’re pixies.” explained Faye “Fairies are much bigger.”

“I see.” I looked back at the kitchen. “It’s like Merlin’s spell from the Sword in the Stone.”

“It's something similar.” Mrs. McCalmont answered, putting the apples in the center table. “It makes work a bit easier.”

“So how does the 12 days of Christmas work?”

“Well, like the song, it lasts for 12 days, from the 12th to the 24th. For each day of Christmas, we gift that theme of the day. Like, a partridge in a pear tree.” she explained

“So, like you give out pear based presents?”

“Exactly. When I married my husband, we carried the tradition to his family, then decided to use it for the cafe as well.”

“Wow. So, if yesterday was pears, then today would be-”

“Doves!” exclaimed Faye

“Doves? Like turtle doves?”

“Uh-huh. Last year, my aunt gave me actual turtle doves.” she bragged

“Really?”

“No, she didn’t. Don’t tease him like that, or you won’t get any presents from Santa.” Mrs. McCalmont scolded

I chuckled to myself. Felicity is the same age as Faye, but doesn’t believe in Santa anymore. “You still believe in Santa?”

“Of course I do. Why should I not?”

“Because your getting older.”

“These pixies are real.” she pointed out. “So why shouldn’t Santa?”

She had me there. I glared at the pixie on my shoulder giggling at me.

“So for the second day, what should I give?”

“Why? You want to give my sister a gift?” Faye grinned “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…”

“What? No! I just saw Wil give something to Maddy today and yesterday. So, I was wondering, since its Christmas season.” For some reason, my cheeks were getting warm. Am I blushing? Why am I blushing?! Why does

“So what should I give her? And Maddy?”

“Well, the most common gifts would be turtle candies, dove chocolates, dove products or ornaments.” answered Mrs. McCalmont.

“That’s it?”

“Well, unless you have enough money to get her actual turtle doves…” she smirked “Oh, speaking of which…”

She went to the fridge and took out a paper bag. She gave it to me and I looked inside to see individually wrapped chocolate turtles inside.

“No one in your family is allergic to pecans right?” she gently asked

Christmas may be the time of generosity, but this is surprisingly generous.

Will’s POV

For the past couple of days, I’ve been getting presents. Not that it’s a bad thing. It’s Christmas season of course, but…

“Maybe you have your own Santa Claus?” questioned Maddy

We were walking through the downtown area of the town, in Arcanos. Like in Harry Potter, many of the lights and lighted ornaments were floating in mid-air.

I’ve been getting 12 days of christmas presents, but they aren’t from anyone I know. Why? Because I’ve been finding them, somehow in my locker. The same happened with Maddy, but the gifts were different.

On the 3rd day, she got 3 hen and chicks succulent plants, while I got French perfume. 4th day. She had a birdhouse, feeder, braille book and birdseed ornaments delivered to her house. I got cell phone accessories, including a diy phone case. 5th day. Five donuts were at Maddy’s desk. I got 5 rings, two hoops and a ring. 6th day. She got a recipe for eggnog, while I got chocolate creme eggs. By the 6th day, enough was enough.

“Like a Secret Santa? No way. Who would want to be secret Santas with me?” I questioned her

“Speaking of which, does Santa really exist in Arcanos?” she asked

“In a manner of speaking, yes. He’s more of a spirit now, than an actual person.”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

“And you know those snow globes from the movie Rise of the Guardians? There’s actual snow globes like them?”

“Really? That’s so cool!” Maddy thought for a minute. “So you really don’t know who’s been giving you those gifts?”

“I have an idea.”

“Nick?”

And this is why she is my best friend.

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“Remember that bet we made on my birthday? He’s trying to romance me, like he does for Heather. I saw him giving her an “early” Christmas present. A plush reindeer.”

“So you aren’t upset that he’s courting you, even though he's dating Heather?”

“Not really. It’s not so bad.” I winked at her. “Plus, we're getting free stuff out of it right?”

“Hm. Good point. But are you going to get him something?”

“Oh, don’t worry. I got some ideas.” I grinned evilly

“Ooh, can I help? He gave me stuff too.” Maddy volunteered. I grinned.

“Hmmm, fair enough, alright. Come on, let’s come up with some ideas.”

On the 7th day, which was for swans, I left something in Nick’s locker, before quickly heading in the direction of mine. I turned the corner and waited until Nick came. Maddy stood next to me. After a few minutes, Nick came in with his group of friends.

“Is he here yet?”

“Yeah. Shh!”

We, well I, watched as Nick opened his locker, and a giant, white inflatable pool swan blew up in his locker. I used big magic to make it bigger. It bursted the door opened, surprising them and everyone else in the hallway. It kept growing and nearly filled the whole hallway. And here’s the best part. It fell right on top of Nick. I could barely contain myself.

“What happened?”

“It fell on top of him.”

Maddy started to chuckle too.

“Come on, let’s go.”

We hurried away to our lockers, then classes before anyone noticed.

Nick’s POV

I. Am going. To kill. Her. I don’t care what type of magic she used, I know she put that stupid swan in my locker. I even got in trouble with it. Twice! It made me late for class, since it took 15 minutes to deflate it.

What the hell?

I was trying to be nice and give her presents, and Maddy too, not because of that stupid bet, because its Christmas! Aren’t you supposed to give presents to each other on Christmas?

Fine. If she wants to be naughty, I’ll show her naughty. Ugh. That did not sound right.

Later that day, I watched Wil as she got closer to her locker.

“Uh, Nick?” I turned around to see Dylan. “What are you doing?”

“Shhh!”

I motioned him over, and we watched as Wil opened her locker and then- boof!

A small explosion of black power and black feathers covered Wil and some parts of Maddy!

“Wh-what the?”

“What happened?” asked Maddy

Me and Dylan quickly went behind the wall before we were spotted. We could barely contain our laughter.

“Holy Shit!” laughed Dylan

“How’s that for a black swan?”

“Are you out of your mind? You just pranked the Wicked Witch of Willow High.”

“I know. Just a little payback.” I turned to look at him. “Want to help me out with the next one?”

“Oh heck yes.”

The next few days continued as followed: on the 8th day, Wil got pelted with milk balloons, while Nick smelled like camebre cheese, after finding them in his pockets every five minutes. The 9th day, Nick’s locker was filled with ballet items, while Wil was scared by red dancing shoes. The 10th day, both found frogs and toads in their personal items. Wil in her book bag, Nick in his pants while in the bathroom. On the 11th day, Wil was scared by a sudden piercing from a recorder while in the bathroom, and the same goes for Nick while answering his phone. On the 12th day, Wil was woken by the sound of drums from metal rock, while Nick was kept up all night because of it.

Wil’s POV

“That’s it! No more pranks!” scolded Mom. I was keeping the pranks on Nick a secret from her, but she managed to find out. “It’s Christmas Eve! Now make up and give him a present as an apology and a sign of actual good will.”

“But mom,...” I didn’t want to, but… I really don’t want to.

“Do it or no Christmas.” threatened my dad

I groaned. Missing Christmas is one of the worst things that can happen to anyone. I know there are thousands of people who have no choice but to miss Christmas, but its not fair for me either.

“At least call a truce for Christmas.”

I sighed. “All right. No more pranks.”

“And give him a present he’ll like, nothing cheap!”

The night before Christmas, and all through the night. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. And it was freaking cold! I got Nick’s stupid present, but I couldn’t give it to him at school. I wanted to drop it off at his house and that’ll be it, but my parents would not accept it. Dad even threatened to call them on Christmas, just to make sure I gave him the present. So, I’m here on my broom, at his house, at night, in the freezing cold! I clutched the present closer to my chest, debating whether this a good or bad idea. Groaning, I lowered myself towards his room window.

Also, if you all are wondering how I knew where Nick’s home or even his room is, thank Dalia, due to her mischief.

I knocked on the window with the curtains closed.

“Nick!” I quietly yelled, to prevent anyone seeing me.

I didn’t hear any movement, but the lights were on.

“Nick!”

Nothing. I reached into my pocket, and took out a hag stone. A hag stone is a stone that has a natural hole inside them. Depending on how or where the stones were formed, by looking through the holes, you could see various things. The one I have is similar to the one in Coraline. So think of the had stone as x-ray vision goggles.

I looked through it and could see past the house walls. I saw Nick in his bed, sleeping.

I knocked on the window again.

“Nick!”

Seeing that he wasn’t waking up, I tapped the window lock twice.

“Tick tock. Break the lock.”

The window unlocked and opened itself, and I climbed in.

His room is surprisingly clean, for a high school boy. I saw him in his bed and walked over to wake him. His snoring is as loud as a high school boy. I shook him as hard as I could.

“Nick! Nick! Niiiccckkkk!”

After some groans, Nick managed to slowly open his eyes. His eyes widened quickly when he saw that I was in his room.

“Holy freaking crap!” he yelled as he scrambled away from me. I just smiled.

“Merry Christmas!” I smirked

“What are you doing in my house?! How’d you get into my house?!”

“Magic. Duh.”

“How’d you even know where I live?”

“Dalia. Duh. Anymore questions?”

He was silent for a moment, before asking, “What are you doing here?”

“Come outside.”

“It is freezing outside. And it’s Christmas Eve. If this is another prank, can it wait until morning?”

“It’s not a prank. My mom wants us to call a truce for Christmas, so truce?” I ask while holding out my hand.

Nick looked at my hand, suspicious and hesitating for a bit, before taking my hand.

“Fine, truce.”

“Good. Now come outside. I have a present for you.”

A few minutes later, we were both outside in the cold. After explaining that I got him a gift, it turns out he got me one too. Then we both stood there awkwardly for the next few minutes.

“So, want to open them now?” Nick asked

“Ehhh, it kind of goes against my tradition of opening presents before Christmas. You?”

“Not my tradition.”

He quickly went to open his present.

“Woah, a toy motorcycle. Cool.”

“Press the button.”

He looked confused.

I took the toy, pushed the button, then put it on the street and stepped back. Moments later, it quickly grew in size to a rideable size. The look on Nick’s face shows that I gave him the right gift.

“I heard from Felicity that you got your motorcycle license, so I got you this.”

Remember the boat from Ponyo? There’s a toy company in Arcanos that makes toys inspired by the film. Cost a lot, but not as much as a regular motorcycle.

“What do you think?”

The next thing I knew, he was hugging me. An actual, no hesitation hug.

“Thanks.” he whispered

Turns out, he was saving money for a motorcycle, but wasn’t close yet. With this, he doesn’t have to save anymore. But for some reason, he now didn’t want to give me my present. He tried to take it back, but after some tugging, I won. I decided to leave before he tries to take it again, but before I did, I showed him how to make it small again. Before I flew away, I watched Nick go back inside and shut the window I opened.

The next day, on Christmas, I opened Nick’s present first. It was a ugly Christmas sweater, with a witch in a Santa dress and hat, on a broom, with a bag of presents behind her, flying through the night sky. A ugly Christmas sweater that's witch themed. After opening the rest of my presents, it was the only thing I didn’t have anything to say about. But, I wore it on the first day back at school.

#finally #merry christmas #happy new year

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akp-1327 · 4 years ago

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dear diary // chapter three

Hey! Long time, no see! I am so, so, so sorry that this chapter is late. I’ve been having a bit of a busy time recently and haven’t had many opportunities to write/edit like usual. But now I have a looser schedule so updates to the series should go back to normal! 😄 I hope you are all doing okay wherever you are! :)

Find the series masterlist here to catch up on the previous chapter!

Word count: 4.6k

(*) Warnings: mentions of bankruptcy and emotional abuse

All I could see was red. The anger that flowed through my veins was terrifyingly smooth, leaving my entire body shaking. The news that my mom just told me, well, sobbed to me, left me in awe. In terrible, heart-wrenching, shocking...awe.

Sweetie, my mom’s sweet and clear voice bellowed through my memory, I’m so sorry. So, so, so sorry, darling.

“Charlotte, you need to calm down. Seriously. I don’t know what’s--” Leila said softly, her hands firm on my shaking shoulders.

At a time like this, I didn’t need her soothing me. I needed her to slap me out of this impending doom that I thought would tear me apart. I needed to get a grip on reality, to comprehend that this entire nightmare was actually happening.

“Leila, do you know what my mom just told me?” I huffed, throwing my phone onto the tidy bed that I had just made. Our first night in New York had started off amazingly, as if it was taken straight out of a movie; we met new and amazing people, found Leila’s wayward bag, explored the dorm building...

Then, when called my mom once we got back to our dorm...everything came crashing down like a colossal, teetering tower of Jenga blocks.

Leila scowled at me then, squeezing my shoulders harder. Her eyes, usually a coffee bean brown, looked inky black when her entire demeanor changed from confused to quite ticked off. I immediately regretted the tone I used, though there was no going back now.

“Does it look like I do? God, you can be so dense sometimes!” Leila stated, glaring right into my eyes with a look that sent a chill down my spine. “Something’s up and you need to tell me immediately.”

This wasn’t something that I thought I could even have the guts to say. But, sooner than I though, words started forming on the tip of my tongue at the speed of light; but one stood out in particular, one chilling me to the bone.

“Bankrupt.”

This set her back, making her hands falter a bit on my shoulders.

“What? Charlotte, I need deta--”

“The diner, Leila.”

The words slowly tore my heart into microscopic pieces. Every notable memory I had from my childhood took place at the diner. I could distinctly remember the scent of buttermilk pancake batter being mixed and the sounds of plates being stacked. I could remember the outside, the bright yellow paint standing out against the lifeless gray colors of the neighborhood that it’s surrounded by.

“T-The Golden Griddle?” Leila asked, confusion consuming her features once more. The intense look in her eyes slowly fizzled out and turned into pure fret. As she’d always been, Leila was not well-composed in these types of situations.

“Yes. There’s just too many complications with the building, too many expenses and so little money...” I sighed sadly. Tears welled in my eyes, though I didn’t need to show Leila that. And so, with a deep breath, I sniffled and shook my head to clear the emotions away. “My dad spent what he could to fix the cheaper things like the light fixtures and seats, but then he got carried away with fixing the rest of the bigger issues. It all added up over time, Leila. Now the diner...the diner doesn’t have anything left.”

The diner had so, so many issues for such a long time. The interior, for as long as I could remember, was small. There were only ten tables, half of those being booths that lined the walls, in total. The kitchen was also considerably compact for the amount of business that the diner would face. My parents always wanted to get around to renovate properly, but could never keep up with the overwhelming amounts of money spent on necessities like ingredients, napkins, utensils, advertisements...so DIY projects and repairs it was.

“But your parents still own it, right? They can bounce back?”

My heart yearned to be at home with my family. Why would I leave? God, I really am dense. Forget school, forget dreams. Home is where I should’ve been when that news was unveiled, not thousands of miles away.

“No. I guess the health inspector said that there were so many things with the building that set off a lot of red flags. He condemned it right on the spot.”

Leila’s eyebrow’s furrowed in thought. It was never easy for me to talk about these things - the serious things - with her. Of course, though, she knew almost everything about me; she knew that I was never the “open book” type and would always need a bit of encouragement to work my way up to talking things through. I’d rather sit and wallow in my misery than get help. The whole mindset had definitely not been ideal for anyone, but that was always the least of my worries.

The moment Leila looked back into my eyes was the moment she started to speak, her voice soft like it was before; again, I didn’t need to be sympathized, I needed to be able to see reason. This whole thing caught me completely off-guard.

Leila whispered, shaking her head, “How did this even happen?”

In high school, a very wise teacher of mine once said that there is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid people who ask questions. However, by the looks of it, this was definitely an exception. Even with her ingenious, Leila had just asked one of the stupidest questions known to man.

She knew exactly how this happened, and has known for years. The Golden Griddle’s financial instability had never, ever been able to be kept secret in a town such as Ceder Cove, no matter how many times my parents tried.

“Oh, wait. Sorry.” Leila stammered, looking up at the ceiling to collect herself.

“It’s fine. I just can’t fathom what my parents are going through right now. Henry, too.” I sighed, stepping back from Leila and letting my shoulders deflate. I slowly sat on the edge of my bed and crossed my legs, my gaze trained on the aged wood floor. “Even if I should, I’m not calling my mom back with more details tonight. This...this is just too much for me to handle right now.”

Leila was silent and I looked up to see her scrolling through her phone.

Seriously? I cleared my throat to get her attention...but she didn’t even flinch.

“Leila. Are you even listening to me? Or...are you texting Skye?”

Leila’s eyes immediately averted from her phone to look at me. The smallest hint of a blush crept into her cheeks, though she played it off and rolled her eyes.

“Actually, Erin wants to take us shopping for the party next week when we’re available. Check your phone.” Leila stated, a defensive edge in her tone. I was the one to roll my eyes this time.

Now, let’s get this straight; I am not fond of parties. Leila had dragged me to each homecoming, each winter formal, and the two prom nights that we had. My date to prom both years, a guy named Harold Longhorn (a total snob), would not shut up about politics or the “oh-so-stupid” stock market. I only went with him because he said he’d tutor me for free with my AP Euro and AP Chem homework in collateral. Oh, and did I mention that his dad is a major entrepreneur in the Portland area? Wait, that’s unimportant; just like every single party I’ve ever been to in my life.

“Do I have to go? I’d rather stay here and reread Pride & Prejudice for the millionth time or something that I actually enjoy. Dancing the night away doesn’t sound as interesting to me as my daily dose of Mr. Darcy.”

Leila scoffed and looked over at me again, her eyebrow quirked in such a way that left me a bit uneasy.

“News flash, Charlotte Parker, but Mr. Darcy is fictitious and will not save you from this.” Leila scolded, though she was playful about it. “I’m not letting you stay here because you’re a college girl now and you need to socialize with people other than me!”

“Ughhhh,” I groaned, laying down onto my bed and turning away from her and burying my face into my pillow that sadly smelt like home, “you sound just like my mom!”

Leila burst out into laughter that sent a faint chill down my spine. Whatever her plans were, she knew I’d loathe them.

“I’m glad.”

August 10th, 2020

Dear Diary...

Okay. Sorry for the radio silence. Lots has happened over the course of a couple weeks that I need to get off my chest. As Scar would say, be prepared...

First off, NYU is amazing. I’ve already met lots of (!!) people, though 4 have become friends! Two girls, two guys: Skye, Erin, Rory, and Ajay. They’re all really down-to-earth and genuinely cool people that I’m getting along with!

Rory and Leila are really like two peas in a pod, and so are Skye and Leila. Leila is just a social butterfly, so she honestly gets along with everyone. Erin and Ajay, though, are more mellow and easy-going. Erin is so...laid back? Like she’s the type of person that you could spill your life story to. She’s just so, I don’t know... nonchalant? - definitely in a good way.

However, I feel more drawn to Ajay; we share similar interests and outlooks on life. He even saw my performance at Spotlite! He’s also a student director here at NYU, so if I do somehow wind up in the show, I’d probably work with him. It even helps that he’s kinda cute, but you didn’t hear that from me.

Overall, though, the campus is absolutely stunning and the view from our dorm window takes my breath away each and every morning.

Second, The Golden Griddle is doomed right now due to both bankruptcy and condemnation. My parents are all torn up about it, and to be blatantly honest, so am I. The diner has always been a home away from home, and now that I may have to face losing it forever...

Third, I HATE PARTIES. With a deep, burning passion.

Leila, if you’re reading this, then you can call me George Eacker: piss off because I’m watching this show - also known as Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist - now...well..when you’re at the party! There’s no way in hell that I’m stepping foot into anything resembling a disco or a dance or even, god forbid, a hoedown like that one during our sophomore year. Nope, nope, nope. Over my dead body.

All in all, I’m having a wonderful time settling into my new life in New York. Of course I miss home, but I also feel like it was time for me to spread my wings and learn to fly!

Alright. I gotta run. I’m going shopping. And, yes, it’s regrettably for this pointless party that I’m being forced to go to against my will.

Talk, er, write soon!

Charlotte :)

“Ooo, what’re you writing about?” Leila asked, barging back into our slightly messy dorm after finishing with her morning routine. I hastily closed my diary and forced a smile.

“Um, it’s just the address of my uncle’s new house! Mom said to write it down somewhere in case I lost my phone.”

Shoot. Thank God Leila wasn’t really paying much attention to catch how bad of an excuse that was; she just turned her back to me and scavenged through a pile of dirty clothes already heaped in the corner by her closet. It’s been six days since we’ve moved in. I still haven’t really organized nor have I gotten around to calling my parents or Henry with updates about the diner.

“Right, right. He moved a couple days ago. Though, with our plans today, are you ready to go? Erin and Skye are already waiting for us downstairs.” Leila said, grabbing her purse. I gave her a scowl and grabbed my own, sighing as I slung it on my shoulder.

“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess. But I have one quick question,” I said, finally catching her attention, “why are you wearing those?”

My eyes went to the unscuffed black stilettos on her feet; they had to have been at least 5 inches tall. She laughed and instinctively brought one of her ankles up to rub it as if she’d been in pain. The stilettos were paired with a pair of skinny and holey whitewash jeans and a black Shinedown sweatshirt with a crow and a butterfly printed in white; from what I remember, that was one of the band’s songs.

“I’m wearing these to the party so I figured I’d break them in a little first. And I need to find a dress that looks good with them, so why not?”

“Fair warning, you might actually break something else before you walk a block in those death traps.” I teased, making her huff. This was obviously not something she wanted to hear, but let’s remember who was dragging me to this stupid party in the first place. My sarcasm comes with the territory!

“Jesus, you make it sound like I’m breaking a law! They’re just heels!” Leila laughed, shaking her head. Her hair had been in two Dutch braids, making her outfit even more unique. To each their own, I suppose.

“Just heels that might put you on crutches,” I mumbled, rolling my eyes as I slipped my (comfortable) light pink flip flops on. We headed down to the lobby and quickly spotted Erin, chatting with Rory and Ajay, and Skye standing a little off to the side.

“Ah, there you guys are!” Erin grinned, running over and leading us over to the group.

“I thought this was a girl trip?” I asked, playfully eyeing the guys. Ajay gave a tight-lipped smile and rolled his eyes.

“Oh, don’t worry, it is. We were just heading out to find Rory another outfit that he apparently needs because his six other ones aren’t enough.” Ajay explained, making direct eye contact with me. I could see the different blends of brown tinges in his eyes - the light from both the windows and the bulbs above hitting just the right angles - shimmer behind his glasses. I also noticed that he was wearing a simple green t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts with black Nike’s.

Wait, what?

“I may have a slight obsession with shopping,” Rory said sheepishly, slowly creeping away from the group, “but I also need something fresh. I can’t be seen in the same maroon shirt that I wore to--”

Ajay’s groan interrupted him but he followed in Rory’s footsteps with a small shrug. “We’ll be going now. Have fun.”

I immediately felt myself missing his eyes. The brown sparkles that caught my own. Was it so wrong to find his eyes...gorgeous? Didn’t think so.

As they waved goodbye, Leila migrated from my side to Skye’s. The redhead looked particularly sad today, but let out the slightest trace of a smile when Leila started talking to her.

“So, where’re we going to go first, o’ wise Erin?” I asked, turning to her. She looked a bit lost in thought, a bit dazed when our eyes met, but I could tell she regained herself before she answered.

“Well, I thought we’d take a trip to The Shops today,” Erin said smugly, her hand resting on her hip, “we can take an Uber in case we want to make other stops along the way!”

Skye visibly revolted at the thought, her arms tightening around her chest and her glower intensifying. The way her blue eyes darkened was just a bit unsettling, too.

“Okay. Sounds good...” I sighed, gripping my leather purse strap a bit tighter.

“Sure,” Skye groaned, “good. Great. Grand. Just how I wanted to spend my day.”

The nearby mall, The Shops, had a wide array of stores that we buzzed in and out of, Erin and Leila eagerly leading the way.

“You know,” I said, looking over at Skye, “I really don’t understand why we need new clothes for this party.”

Skye shrugged. “Me neither. I never really had to get new clothes for the banquets that I went to as a kid with my parents.”

I instantly noticed that her hands were in tight fists at her sides.

“What do your parents do?” I asked, trying to keep her talking. I really wanted to get to know her better; she was still such a mystery and I was destined to change that.

Though, the bitter grimace she gave at the question was all the hint that I needed to know that I’d said something wrong, maybe even crossed a line.

“They do nothing but make a lot of money and prioritize themselves over anything else, even their own kids.”

Oh, wow. I blinked rapidly, willing my brain to say, something, anything, to break the agonizing silence building between us.

“Oh. I’m sorry I brought it up.” I stammered, though she shook her head.

“It’s okay. It’s just...not something I really like to talk about.” Skye sighed, almost ruefully. Despite my pending curiosity, I left the topic be.

“What’re you here in New York to do, Skye?” I asked instead, hoping to lighten her spirits a little. When she looked back over at me, she gave me a neutral expression.

“Graphics,” Skye stated, her tone firm and assured, “I want to be a graphics designer.”

“That’s really interesting. Have you designed anything yourself?”

Sadly, before I could hear her answer, Erin and Leila gasped in unison and pointed to a store. A quick glance at the shop name was enough to make me roll my eyes.

“Windsor! Yes!” Leila squealed, bolting into the store without a second thought. Erin rushed after her, gesturing for Skye and I to follow.

Several racks of dresses filled the store and even lined the walls, some popping with bright color and some glittering with infinite sparkle. I watched Leila pluck several dresses off their racks and fold them over her arm, shaking my head.

“Wow, look at this abomination.” Skye murmured, plucking a dress made of plastic (well, not literally, but basically) off the rack. It was a flamingo pink and looked like something a Barbie doll would wear. A laugh escaped her as she sifted through and pulled out the other options, the colors ranging from a vibrant cobalt to a neon yellow.

“I’ve always wanted to be Barbie disguised as a highlighter! Skye, how’d you know?” I giggled, taking a resembling green one off the same rack. My poor eyes ached at the sight of all the vivid colors.

“Pure intuition, obviously.” Skye responded, putting the dresses back on the rack. “Jeez, I could never wear any of these.”

I could agree; I would never be able to pull any of these off. Also, it didn’t help that they were so effervescent and looked severely uncomfortable. (I mean, how do you even move in that kind of material?)

“Me neither,” I said wistfully, plucking another dress off a nearby rack. It was a black sweetheart-necklined dress that cut off at (what I’d say) the knee. It had some lace detailing on the straps and a few sparkles scattered across both the bodice and the skirt. It wasn’t over-the-top, nor was it boring...

I held it up to Skye, making her jump back a little with surprise. I giggled and closed an eye, coming to a conclusion about how this dress would look incredible on her.

“Whoa, what’re--” Skye asked, her eyes widening. I smiled warmly and laid it over her arm.

“I think this is a good option for you, and I’m guessing your a 4?” I smirked, watching her gape in both confusion and amusement.

“How’d you...know?”

“Pure intuition, obviously.” I playfully mocked, making her crack a tiny smile. As we continued throughout the store, we came across a few more ridiculously bright options, thankfully not made out of a faux plastic.

About five minutes into our little exploration, I spotted a dress; it was a silvery mauve skater dress with a flowing skirt and spaghetti straps. By some sort of force, it spoke to me.

“That’s pretty,” Skye said, nodding in approval as I held it up, “ it definitely speaks ‘girl who can read minds’ to me.”

Oh jeez, she’s cool. She’s really cool.

“Perfect, it’s just what I’m looking for, then,” I joked, folding the dress over my arm and walking further into the store. Erin and Leila, practically having the time of their lives, had their arms brimming with dresses that ranged from super glittery to extremely bright. I could swear I could see a familiar highlighter yellow in Leila’s stack, but that could just be my mind playing tricks on me.

Speaking of Leila, I stifled a giggle as I watched her wobble around in her stilettos, grimacing whenever she walked too fast. Not to say I told you so, Leila, I thought, but...I told you so.

“Ladies!” Erin squealed, pointing back to the dressing room area with her free hand. “Let’s go try these on!”

“How about this masterpiece?” Leila giggled, sauntering out of the dressing room. Erin burst into laughter, Skye rolled her eyes, and I, well...

“Oh my God, Leila...” I playfully gagged, covering my eyes. Turns out that she really did pick out a highlighter dress to try on. After a few laughs, she turned around and changed into a royal blue dress with a deep V neckline. It was sparkly, sassy, and overall...very Leila.

“Wow, you look great, Skye!” I cheered, giving her two thumbs-up as she examined herself in the mirror. The dress was a perfect fit and she seemed to be comfortable in it. Her hands idly fiddled with the skirt, experimentally flicking it back and forth in thought.

“It seriously looks amazing on you!” Erin smiled, nodding with approval. Skye gave me a small, appreciative smile in the mirror.

I took a quick glance over at Leila and was met with her wide eyes and deep red cheeks.

“Charlotte, phew, you look hot!” Leila whistled, gesturing for me to spin around. I didn’t really gush over the “dream dress” as much as I had hoped. In fact, the more I looked at it, the more I disliked it.

“Maybe we can find a different color?” I said, looking back at Erin’s face; she definitely did not like it. She shot up out of her chair and came back a moment later with a similar option. It was the same style of dress but in a jade green shade instead. It was also not as shimmery, but more dull and had ruffles on the neckline.

I ducked back into the dressing room and quickly changed. With just a glance at myself now, I knew I found the one. I stepped back out and saw everyone’s face light up.

“Yup,” Erin said smugly as she crossed her legs, “that’s the one.”

Erin walked out in a tight-fitting midi white dress that popped against her flawless chocolate brown skin. It had a plunging V-neck and a small slit on the left side that climbed all the way up toward the middle of her thigh. Needless to say...she was killing it.

“Now I just need some hoops...” Erin mumbled as she examined herself. Leila looked over at me and just gaped.

“Stunning!” I said, and Erin gave me a warm and self-satisfied smile.

Finally, we were heading home in an Uber. But because of how long the shopping took, we decided to stop and get some ice cream from a local parlor; all after persuading the driver to wait for us with a hefty tip.

Erin munched on a mixture of raspberry and vanilla, Leila got creamsicle all over her face, Skye picked at her brownie swirl, and I delightfully ate two scoops of cake batter.

“So. Are you two excited about going to this party now?” Erin asked, eyeing Skye and I. At the same time, we both shook our heads.

“New dress, same feelings.” Skye sighed, looking down into her dish. I nodded in agreement only to hear a dramatic sigh from Leila.

“You two will have fun. We’ll find fun things for you guys!” Leila grinned, glancing at Erin. The two shared a look that, like all the times before, sent a chill down my spine.

“You guys can’t make us have fun.” Skye said, figuring her face was serious; but I looked over to see a teasing smirk on her face.

“Well, we can sure as hell try! Besides, what do you guys have against parties?” Erin said, her tone a bit more tame then it was before. My eyes averted from theirs, and without looking, I could tell Skye was doing the same.

Awkward silence wracked the table for what seemed like hours before Skye spoke up.

“You can thank my parents for being the pessimistic and narcissistic assholes that they are. My distaste originates from them.” Skye said, her teasing tone completely replaced with a hiss. She spoke in a mumbled tone, as if she wished she didn’t want to speak.

“I’ve just never been really...happy with the ones I’ve gone to in the past.” I added awkwardly. I thought about the one good party I went to...and of course it had to be from the diner. Emotions bubbled in my throat and were about to escape before Leila (thankfully) interjected with a disapproving groan.

Then, right after, all three of us got looks of unbridled hope and amusement from Erin.

“That’s going to change because, dearest freshmen, you’ve never experienced a party quite like a college party.”

And it can stay that way, I thought.

The rest of the ice cream was eaten alongside lighter conversation, and then, FINALLY, we were back in the dorms.

The afternoon flew as I decided to buckle down and unpack the remainder of my things. Leila went to hang out with Erin and Skye (without heels, if you were wondering) as I slaved away at stacking my t-shirts in my closet, that is until I got a knock at my door.

As soon as I opened it, I saw a familiar pair of gorgeous eyes lock onto mine.

“Hi, I know this is kinda weird,” Ajay said casually, “ but I have a question for you.”

I leaned against the door, praying I didn’t look like an uncoordinated mess. “It’s not weird at all, actually. Shoot.”

God, his eyes are just breathtaking in any and every way. Was it weird to be obsessing over an acquaintance’s eyes like this? Yes, I thought, yes it was.

“Well, since we really don’t want to go to the party, I was hoping we could try to get something out of it?”

What does he mean? If we didn’t want to go, what good would we be able to get out of it?

I tipped my head a bit to the side in curiosity and felt some of my blonde hair come loose from its bun.

“Let me escort you. To the party.”

Wait, was that an actual thing? An escort to a college party? No way. It sounded so childlike, almost like something an elementary kid would say.

“Hang on. Do you mean, like, as a date?” I asked, my tone packing more intensity than I had hoped. His eyes widened and he shook his head.

“No, no. I just want to get to know you better. I thought that this would be a better option than hunting you down in a huge mass of drunk people and ending up not being able to find you.” Ajay explained, a light smile tugging at his lips. “So...?”

Maybe spending the night with someone with the same ideals as me would make the night less dreadful, perhaps even fun. I barely gave the idea a thought before words left my mouth.

“Sure, Ajay, I’ll be your escort.”

#high school story class act #hssca #mc: charlotte parker #oc: leila maciel #skye crandall #erin ward #rory silva #ajay bhandari #choices stories you play #warnings: mentions of bankruptcy and emotional abuse #chapter three! 🥳

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believerindaydreams · 4 years ago

Text

I was not expecting to channel Tuco Ramirez energies into a young pregnant hatmaker but Carla has very promptly become the sardonic loveable glue in this ongoing ball of poly!energies

This'll all show up on a03, properly edited. Eventually.

Into the fire, part 3

"He's scared stiff," Carla says, looking at Arcade sleep. "I mean, literally stiff. Look at how tightly his hands are clenched."

She fluffs a pillow to put under his head and I'm falling in love with her all over again, just to see her. That calm, sure way she moves, the sparkle of earrings she ground herself from broken beer bottles. Utter self-confidence wrapped in a hand-knit shawl.

"He's not as important as you. Nobody could be."

She snorts. It's cute. "You keep thinking you need to surrender something for me. That's not true and it never has been."

"Might be this time. Uh- we weren't planning to stay in the Mojave. What with him both of us being marked by Legion assassins, a friend of ours was gonna help us get out."

"Ooh. Friend friend, or-" She gestures, disgracefully. Makes me bark with laughter.

"No. Dyed in the wool lesbian. On the outs with the Brotherhood...she says she can get us cross-country. I don't know if it's by Vertibird or what, but if she says she can do it, she can."

"Are you sure she's trustworthy?" Hell, just the way she wrinkles her nose half kills me. Manny used to tease me about the way I'd keep on about her.

That was before he met her, though. "Yeah. If she wanted us dead, she had plenty of chances she didn't take. And we didn't tell her anything about...you know."

"I still say we need a better way to refer to that." A big smile appears. "Maybe we could say baby names. That's personal but not strange in a conversation."

I run my hands along the inviting bump of dress; she's pretty far along now. "What happens when the baby's born, though?"

"We can say we're planning for the next one." She laughs, pins my arms back in a bear hug; and I don't mind a bit. "But hey. If you were planning to go, let's go. God knows I'm hardly stuck on this two-bit town."

Whatever that means. Her Vault had some funny expressions. "I'd like to say it'd be safer to stay put...but honestly, it wouldn't be. Not while I'm still here."

"And I am not letting you wander off without me," Carla says, cupping my chin in her hands. "Bad things will happen. I want you where I can see you."

"...okay. Then I guess we'd better pack. Your sewing machine is under the bed."

"Not anymore," Carla says, tapping a footlocker with her bare toes. "Manny fetched it for me, all the way to Arizona and back."

"Guess I wasn't up to much compared to him, was I."

"Listen," Carla says, her small face suddenly turning intensely serious. "You're here, I'm here, Manny is here. And your new boyfriend. We're all alive, that's what matters."

She makes me blush, sometimes; and it doesn't help when Manny comes out of the bath, drying his hair with a towel and butt naked otherwise.

"Damn. Your Arcade looks cute curled up like that."

"He says it's a habit. Bedrolls aren't ever long enough for him."

"I can fix that with my magic sewing machine," Carla says, grinning dryly. "And I'll make him a hat. That's an important order of business."

"Don't know what I did, to deserve you two...look. You're sure you're okay, him coming along?"

"Would you be here if he hadn't helped you?"

"...no."

"Then let's bring him," Carla says conclusively.

"If it's good enough for your wife," Manny says with a wink, "it's good enough for me. Besides. That ass."

"Definitely one of the more shapely asses populating this wasteland," Carla agrees, straight faced.

"Fuck...you two don't talk about me that way when I'm asleep, do you?"

Manny gives me a patient look. "Don't be stupid, Boone."

"Huh."

"Of course we do."

***

It's ridiculously late by the time Arcade wakes up; and he has a pretty good idea why. There's a part of him that never quite feels safe falling asleep, without the hum of conversation and a trustworthy guard around; and he hasn't really had that since the Old Mormon Fort.

(Avoided going places for exactly that reason, if he's being honest. He's still never seen the Strip.)

He looks at the Sierra armor, frowns, puts on light doctor fatigues instead. It's hot already, that's a fair excuse.

Manny's asleep on a spare mattress, but there's no sign of the other two. He heads out and finds Carla cooking at the motel campfire, a tired Boone besides her.

"Oh good," she says when he approaches, poking her husband. "Boone, go to bed. Someone else is here to play bodyguard."

"Mmm...'s Manny?"

"No, it's Arcade. Go to bed."

He grunts and goes, slightly to Arcade's surprise. Carla looks after him fondly.

"They always were a little paranoid, even when we thought Novac was safe. And it wasn't really good for them, being on opposite shifts...they missed each other." She shoves beans around in a cast iron pan, takes the lid off a milk crate filled with tortillas. "Would you enjoy a burrito for breakfast? Or I can just give you some caps to buy from Cliff, if pre-war food's more your thing."

Right. After being taken as a slave and then dumped into a pre-war casino he is in fact broke right now, at least until he and Boone split the pre-war money stashed in the room. "Burritos sound fine. Trust me, you don't have the luxury of choosiness at the Old Mormon Fort, it's too chaotic."

"Sounds terrible. But then I'm a luxury hatmaker and I enjoy what I do, I'm probably the last person who'd understand charitable impulses." She places a tortilla on a grill to warm. "It did seem simpler in the vault, when we used lotteries and left morality out of it...my other vices include overpacking, an impatience with village idiots who think that three cornfields equal New Vegas, and I will bite you if you hurt Boone or Manny. Hard. Just getting that out of the way upfront."

"Ah." He's been expecting something like this conversation, but had rather expected he'd have to go first. "Um. I'm a poor liar, despite being privy to more secrets than I ever wanted to know. I seem to have mislaid an inherent pacifism in favor of wanting to shoot any Legionary I see, which despite Boone's opinion I can't really see as an improvement. And despite my ostensible position with the Followers, my medical capabilities leave almost as much to be desired as my bedside manner."

"You seemed to handle it well when my husband passed out."

"Battlefield medicine is one of the things I can do, yes. Along with making broc flowers grow anywhere and boiling homemade bagels."

" ...actual bagels? You're hired. Damn shame no NCR caravan imports lox yet, Boone took me to Shady Sands for our honeymoon and that's the only time I've had it...do you want to make bagels? Do you need ingredients?"

"Uh. I would need to buy a few things, yes, and it would take time to grow a new culture." He thinks with a mild pang of the last sourdough he had going, left unattended in a Followers tent. Hopefully someone found it before it started to smell. "What I mostly did for the Followers was garden, actually. We've figured out ways to emulate stimpaks with herbs, but they always put the subject in a fever, and there are ailments that's contra-indicated for. And of course nobody wants that on a battlefield...except the Legion, apparently, they don't seem to care."

"A crafter rather than a soldier. I'm not outnumbered anymore, that's great news." She has buck teeth and it shows when she smiles. "Honestly, I've had to become a regular Crusoe just because the boys aren't. Want them to turn any kind of ammunition into any other kind, they'll do that for you. Anything else, it's strictly DIY." She forks a piping hot burrito onto a plate, hands it to him. "There's sour yoghurt in the fridge if you prefer topping."

"Mmm...this is fine." Better than fine, actually, there's grilled iguana in the mix and a hint of jalapeno. "You've read Crusoe?"

"Oh, we had education machines in the vault, they worked great. Mr Gutsy reading your ABCs to you and blasting radroaches...we were happy." She starts on her own burrito, looking a little pensive. "I'll never forgive Mr House for that, never. Half the kids my age ended up in the Gomorrah turning tricks for sleazeballs, a lot of the others signed up for the NCR and died right away at Hoover Dam...there was a rumor going around," Carla says, a little vicious now. "That House cut a deal with the NCR, so many warm bodies in exchange for not appropriating the Strip. I'd believe it, but then I'd believe anything of the bastard."

Arcade nods, mentally notes one more vice: Carla, for all her sunny disposition, certainly can hold a grudge.

But then, she is Boone's wife; not entirely surprising. "So you got to Novac and hoped it would be home sweet home?"

"If such a place exists, it isn't here," Carla says; and violently pokes out the fire.

#i only have so many original characters in me #and Carla has 0 character so i gotta do all the hard work of making one up

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cfazote · 4 years ago

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Greensleeves draft 3 (on going project)

Acrylics on cardboard and sculpture (polymer clay). DIY yarn hair.

Never realized that I sucked at sculpting until this project. The eyebrows and hair are of different colors. Looks unnerving and creepy.

Brief descriptions of draft 1 and 2:

- draft 1: looked more like one of those hyenas in Lion King.

- draft 2: made with recycled clay from draft 1. Was poorly baked. Mr. Beans’ nose. The very representation of the word “ugly”.

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wheresmogs-blog · 6 years ago

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Bogi’s dream came true: we visited a coffee farm

Laos probably doesn’t spring to mind when you think of coffee, but it’s the world’s 22nd biggest coffee producer, and coffee is a key part of everyday life - something I was very pleased to see upon arrival. In Luang Prabang and the capital Vientiane there are plenty of swanky coffee shops to choose from, and they all proudly serve Lao coffee. It actually made me think, how it nice it must be to live in a country that grows its own coffee, as opposed to having to import it, which obviously makes your cuppa more expensive and a lot worse for the environment. The lucky Lao!

Coffee is one of the very few things the Lao can thank the French for. As colonisers go, the French were rather useless: they built no infrastructure, no schools, they simply invaded Laos because it’s wedged between strategically more important countries they also wanted to invade. That aside, the clever French figured that the Bolaven Plateau in Southern Laos, with its volcanic soil and hot climate, is ideal for growing coffee plant. Merci guys.

I first read about Mr Khamsone’s coffee farm tour on a blog as we were researching Laos (because, quite frankly, we knew very little about the country). With great skill, I managed to convince MJ to come back to Laos after travelling through the North of Vietnam - not knowing that this will manifest in a gruelling, 24 hour journey that would see us being dropped off a sleeper bus at 4:30 am at some unattractive town’s Soviet-inspired bus station, then standing on the side of a road in hope of being picked up by another bus that would actually take us to Laos.

It’s gonna be worth it, when we get there! - I kept saying to the man who can’t even drink coffee.

Anyway, we made it back to Laos, and the next day we were on our way to a village called Paksong, to meet Mr Khamsone. He said he’d pick us up in his jeep to take us to his coffee farm - and so he did, rocking up at our meeting point like some bad ass chauffeur in what turned out to be a 70 year old Chinese jeep. Despite its appearance (think WWII tank) it did a pretty good job at tackling the infamous Laos ‘roads’. We were given huge plastic bags and medical masks (always a good sign when getting into a random person’s car) to protect our bags and lungs from ‘The Dust’. The beauty of this part of the world is that you’ve got 2 options: in dry season it’s the omnipresent Dust that gets into everything and sticks brilliantly to sweaty skin, or in the rainy season the roads become so muddy that you can’t get anywhere.

The thoughtful Mr Khamsone’s itinerary really took the sweat and dust situation into consideration, and so our first stop was at a remote waterfall where we could go for a refreshing swim. Then we were taken to another waterfall, this time parking our jeep in the water because, why not. We got into the lake and swam through the cascade of water into a little cave, which turned out to be more challenging than we’d thought: the sheer power of the water creates a strong ‘wind’ that pushes you away, and the closer you get, the louder it becomes.

After all the aquatic fun, we drove to a nearby village where literally everyone makes a living from coffee. This time of the year is great for visiting as we could see the various parts of the process all around the village: freshly picked coffee berries were laid out to dry in the sun; some people were operating a rather DIY looking machine getting the dried skin off the beans, others were sitting on the ground sorting through bags of green beans and categorising them, hand-picking the best ones and discarding the ones that have even a tiny bit of defect.

Walking through the village, the labour intensive nature of growing coffee really hit us: you realise how much work goes into a single cup of coffee, how many hands touch the humble bean before it even gets sold to roasters, and then to coffee shops. When your barista hands you your £2.50 flat white in a painfully cool cafe in Central London (like I used to do), you don’t think of the farmers growing the beans, whose name might be mentioned somewhere, but you’re even less likely to think of the dozens of anonymous workers who nurtured, picked, processed and selected the beans so that you can face the day and the numerous pointless meetings you’ll have. And I guess that’s fine - as long as these people are paid and treated fairly.

In this part of Laos, both Robusta and Arabica varieties are grown. The cheaper and stronger Robusta tends to stay in Laos and is consumed by the locals, while the more expensive and high maintenance Arabica is exported, mainly to the neighbouring countries. There’s more money in Arabica but it also needs a lot more care and attention, so it’s a bit riskier. Mr Khamsone tells us how in 2014 he lost a lot of money when 6 hectares of his coffee farm was hit by frost. Since then, all his coffee plants are grown in the shade, protecting them from extreme temperatures.

After a delicious home made lunch at Mr Khamsone’s house, we were shown around the coffee farm itself - a much awaited highlight of the day. I’d never been to a coffee farm in my life, in fact, I’d never seen a coffee plant in its natural habitat, so I was well excited. Drinking my post-lunch coffee whilst walking around the plantation where is was grown, it was like Christmas for me.

The farm itself is truly beautiful. It spreads over 16 hectares on the slope of a small hill. Just like a well-maintained vineyard, the trees are planted in neat rows, each one exactly 2.5 metres from the other. What makes the farm particularly pretty is the acacia trees that are planted purposefully to create a canopy over the coffee plants and protect them from the heat and cold.

I can only imagine how nice it all looks with the berries still on the plants, but the harvest had happened a few weeks ago so it was all just beautiful green.

After the tour of the plantation and a gentle hike to the hill, we returned to the farm to roast some coffee. At this point I was properly taken back to my dad’s place in Hungary, where he makes his famous (infamous?) palinka, a punchy fruit brandy many of my friends are familiar with. He distills them from various fruits in the back of his garden, and whilst the process is 100% legit and he knows what he’s doing, it does look a bit home-made. No fancy equipment or sterile labs, just basic tools and a lot of expertise.

Standing in Mr Khamsone’s back yard in rural Laos, I got a sense of admiration - in the middle of nowhere, this guy has built himself a coffee roasting machine. It’s a clever piece of Lao engineering: a massive metal drum rotated above a grill that is fuelled by gas from a canister. I got to contribute to the process by expertly managing the handle that rotates the drum.

In a more professional environment you’d time the roasting and you’d have a little window allowing you to see how the beans are doing in there, but Mr Khamsone is a man who doesn’t need all that fancy tech. He knows when his coffee is ready by the smell alone.

He explained the different phases of roasting to us: first it smells like popcorn, then in 5-10 minutes it’s like a bakery, then chocolate, and finally, at about 15 minutes, it smells like what it is: freshly roasted coffee.

Opening the roasting drum, it again felt like Christmas Day. The beans were now dark brown, shiny, slightly smaller than before, and they smelt amazing. Sadly we couldn’t try them as they needed to rest and release some CO2 for a few days. But we did get a bag of beans roasted a couple of days before, to take with us.

Before we finished our tour and headed back to Paksong, we walked through another part of the village and chatted about Mr Khamsone’s plans. He wants to build couple of bungalows above his farm, on top of the hill, so his guests can enjoy the amazing view. He even talks about a yoga retreat. While he’s happy to see more tourists visiting his farm and the area, he’s strongly against tour agencies bringing in big groups of tourists. We totally understand why he’s keen to keep his tour small scale and intimate.

We feel lucky to have had such an authentic experience, and got a glimpse of how some Laos farmers and rural people live their lives. From a tourism point of view, Laos is still less popular than its neighbours (being landlocked sucks! Take it from a Hungarian) but there’s so much to see and experience there, and the people are absolutely amazing; one of the friendliest, most relaxed people we’ve met. We feel that as a country still recovering from a devastating war that saw the US bombing it for 9 years, Laos deserves the attention of the world. So if you ever get a chance to visit this part of Asia, give Laos a chance.

Or just look out for Lao coffee in your local coffee shop.

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