#gonna rock up with the bare fucking minimum today. I Guess.

[ghostzzy]

anyway. enough about that. it's thursday so i have to socialize tonight and i'm like -_- not again

[genderfluid-jew]

I'm gonna be wild and put this on an account where it might be shocking to post, but it needs to be said.

There is a genocide going on in Palestine, it is inherently wrong, and anyone who disagrees is upholding islamophobia and colonization.

Yes I have posts on my account that go against that and are more zionist. Guess what? I found out I was fucking wrong and I'm ashamed of myself for ever siding with those people. They're all on the wrong side of this conflict morally and it's reprehensible. It's also against Judaism, and even though they might argue that it isn't, Judaism has never been a religion that celebrates murder and slaughter as a solution, even if all else fails, which it hasn't in this case.

If you disagree with me, look up the founding of Israel, how the British government didn't care about Jews and just wanted them to go away and to have a puppet state that was friendly to them in the middle east, so they used Jews to achieve that. How could a country founded that way ever be moral? How could it be truly safe for Jews?

Look up how the Balfour Declaration was supposed to give non-Jews in the middle east rights and keep the rights of Jews outside of Israel safe. That's been a complete failure, I read it for the first time and laughed out loud. I don't know how anyone can look at that founding document and say "yep that's what Israel is doing today!" It's never been worse for Jews and it's all Israel's fault for constantly promoting the idea that the modern state of Israel is inherently central to Judaism, and not an ethnostate that's trying to slaughter the minorities around them that they don't like.

Look up the massacres that have been going on in Palestine. Attacks on displaced persons camps? Imagine if that had been Jews in the DP camps shortly after WWII. How many Jews would no longer be in existence if that had happened? How can people call themselves Jews if they support that? Think of the most recent massacre after writing this (on 6/9/24) - who the fuck disguises themselves as aid workers to sneak into somewhere and slaughter them? I saw rightful outcry when Hamas was doing that, and no pro-Israelis I saw protested against the IDF checking ambulances to 'make sure the need was real', so why is that being supported now? It's fucking disgusting, and if you aren't wholeheartedly condemning this you should be ashamed.

If you want to know the actual facts of what's going on and not the version that's been astroturfed by Israel (yes they have done this consistently over the past decades, look it up, there are literally campaigns to talk about how 'good' Israel is for queer people and the environment, as long as it's only their colonialist view of 'nice queers' and 'the Israeli environment'), try some books! I've read a few that are really good - Walking to Jerusalem by Justin Butcher and Light in Gaza edited by Jehad Abusalim, Jennifer Bing, and Mike Merryman-Lotze. Those books make it clear how reprehensible the behavior of Israelis are (throwing rocks at people for fun, demolishing peoples' houses and laughing, not letting them eat, constantly arresting and harassing them), and how despite all of it there are still Palestinians who are willing to work with Jews and consider them friends as long as they put in a bare minimum amount of support.

Or, you know, you could ignore this post and call me, a Jew, antisemitic for pointing out how awful Israel is being and how it's all against the laws of Judaism.

I hope everyone who disagrees is ready to make massive amounts of teshuvah in the future.

[lovelyjasmari]

Twisted Wonderland Reaction Part 10 ~ Rook Thirst Go Burrr Electric BEANgaloo edition

Beanfest part 2 is here and Vil was extremely kind to me on his birthday! I got his card in one pull and Rook came home today in only one pull too! So now I’m more than ready for the Pomefiore rate up when their chapter comes around in EN. 

In the meantime, let’s continue with the farmer-monster mickey mouse shawarma-spiced violence! Warning: pic heavy, one or two references to my ocs (I TRY to keep it at an absolute bare minimum) some swearing, a little Rook-thirsting but no here NEAR as much as will come in the next part. I’ll explain at the end...😅

Did I mention how much I would LOVE to be on the farmer team?? 👀

SIR I AM AFRAID OF YOU! SOCIAL DISTANCE! SOCIAL DISTANCE!!!

Not at all Jamil, and you’re really rocking that monster camo. It suits him very well! 

Or...ya know...be fucking BETRAYED by your own fellow farmer! 😤

❤❤❤

You forgot one, Benedict Diamond: #picstakenb4tragedy 💀

Also, I wanna say, my love for Riddle has risen astronomically since I first saw him in book 1. I think everyone can say that though. 🌹

Meanwhile over at Pomefiore...

ROOK BEING EXTRA AS FUCK AS ALWAYS WITH THAT FRENCH DEATH GRIP UPON MY HEARTTTTTTTT 💙💙💙💙💙 

Yeah...there’s a reason most of my ocs are on the farmer team...👀

MMMMMMFFFF I love this exchange so much! This entire side story is such an oasis of RookVil food for my crazed and thirsty soul! 😩

And poor Epel is watching all this probably afraid for his life. Sweet apple child.

Meanwhile over at Diasomnia...

Poor Sebek is having an existential crisis!!! 😭🤣

What makes this even more hilarious is that in Taima’s beanfest fic that I’m writing, Sebek taunts her by explicitly saying he’s certain Malleus will be on the monster team with him and that they’ll hunt her down together. Almost as if tempting fate! Of course Mal isn’t on the monster team but you know who is? THATS RIGHT! 💀

THIS POOR ANGRY CABBAGE MAN 😭

Imagine being on the farmer team and getting faded by this pretty little menace fae. Yeah...I really wanna be on the farmer team...I wanna be chased by Rook and Lilia while Malleus protects me...I have problems...

You hear that? That’s the sound of these savannabros digging their own graves...

KEEP DIGGING

Behind that beautiful face, he’s contemplating how to make it look like an accident...

In all seriousness tho, I would GLADLY kneel before Vil Schoenheit! These savannabros don’t know how lucky they are to even be in his presence breathing the same air as him let alone getting to team up with him after he beats their asses! 👑

A true queen, even narrating his outfit change! The whole world is his runway and we have no choice but to stan! ✨✨✨

Meanwhile poor Deucey is having a pretty lame time after a certain bitchass (affectionate) influencer set him adrift...

But you know what? At least he went out with honor! No betrayal, no bullshit, and defended his dorm leader like a faithful bodyguard. We stan. See ya at the crossroads, Deuce. 🥺

👀👀👀

Can you smell it? Is that Kalim making lunch or Pomefiore erotic tension? Maybe both? Probably both...

Vil is having so much fun with this! You love to see it! 💙

They both are! It’s so lovely! Welp, just about done with what’s available of the main beanfest story. LETS GO FINALLY READ ROOKS BEANFEST VINGETTE AND GROOVIFY HIS CARD AT LONG LAST!!!

Ooooooorrrr not...💀

THEY REALLY GONNA MAKE ME FUCKING WAIT TO GROOVIFY HIS CARD!!! And now that I think about it, I didn’t get Vil’s SR today either, another card I was looking forward to getting.

WHYYYYYYY?! Is this meant to encourage people to continue with the beanfest story? Cause I was going to do that regardless! OOOOFFFFF Ah well, I guess I’ll just have to wait, at least I was able to get Rook’s card right away so I can continue saving my jewels. 

[myhockeyworld87]

Not So Dangerous Liaison - Sidney Crosby - Part 17

Word Count: 3,216

POV: Sid

Warnings: Language, Smut, NSFW

Notes: This is sort of a filler going into the next part, but I really wanted to write this smut part...haha! So I hope you guys enjoy. Happy Reading!

Not So Dangerous Liaison Masterlist

Two days after the incident with the new recruits, you were loading (Y/N)'s suitcases in the car for the flight in the morning to Cole Harbour. "Geez, (Y/N), do you think you packed enough?"

 "Don't start. We're going to be gone for like two months. I'm trying to be prepared for every occasion."

 "You know I do have a washer and a dryer at my house." You teased as you loaded her third suitcase into the car.

 "I am not a light packer Mr. Crosby."

 "So I've noticed."

 "Oh stop whining, you needed a good workout today."

 Grabbing her by the waist you hauled her close before whispering in her ear. "I know of a better workout I'd like to do." She giggled as you nibbled on her ear.

 "You'll have to wait for that. I need to drop off a key to Meg so she can get my mail and you still need to finish packing." She wiggled out of your arms and checked inside the house one last time before locking the door.

 "It won't take long to finish, plus whatever we forget we can just buy."

 She shook her head at you as she got inside the car. "Like it's just that easy if I need a cocktail dress or something."

 "Babe, it is. Whatever you need we'll just go to the store and I'll buy it."

 "You don't need to buy me things; I have money, you know."

 It occurred to you then, that you'd yet to buy her anything. By now you should've bought her flowers at the bare minimum. In fact, if you actually thought about it, she was the one who was always getting you stuff; even if it was part of her job. You would definitely need to rectify this before you declared your love for her. "Well, what if I want to buy you something?"

 "I suppose." She said reluctantly. "Let's just hope I packed everything I need."

 "Well with the amount of luggage you have, you'll be fine." She swatted at your knee, but you grabbed her hand and brought it to your lips to kiss her knuckles. "I'm so excited to show you Cole Harbour." It didn't have the hustle and bustle of the city, but you still wanted to experience all your favorite things about your small little town with (Y/N).

 "I can't wait to see it, and all the baby pictures your mom promised to show me."

 You groaned and rolled your eyes, just thinking about your mom showing (Y/N) album after album. Your mom would be in her glory. "Just tell me you're still going to date me after you hear all her stories?"

 "Oh stop, they didn't scare me away a couple weeks ago. I'm still here, aren't I?"

 "Thank god." The rest of the night was pretty much a whirlwind as you spent it packing, and (Y/N) went through her stuff again making sure she had everything. At eight in the morning, the car pulled into the drive to take you to the airport.

 (Y/N) leaned over as you got closer to the airport, to whisper over to you. "Sid, I think the driver is going the wrong way. The airport was the last exit."

 She was right, but you were using the private airport, the same one you left from with the Pens for all away games. "No, he's right. We're flying private."

 "Is that why you wouldn't let me pay for the ticket?"

 "Well partly, I always take a private jet home. There aren't any direct flights into Halifax from Pittsburgh, so this is easier." Her mouth formed a little O, as the car pulled next to the plane. The pilot came out and shook your hand to welcome you both onboard, while your bags were loaded onto the jet.

 "I guess I don't have to worry about paying extra for my bag." She quipped as she took a seat.

 You took the one across from her, before answering. "So are you trying to say if you knew we were flying private, you would've taken more? Because if that's the case I'm glad I didn't tell you."

 She laughed. "You know I just might have."

 "We would've never got everything in the car." She fiddled with the seatbelt as the plane got ready to take off. "You know we can sit on the couch together if you're nervous. I know you're used to Beau making jokes and stuff. I'm not as funny as him, but I'm good at holding your hand."

 She smiled over at you as you reached over and grabbed her hand. "Hey, I was fine for the last several flights. I don't know what my problem is today." You rubbed your thumb back and forth across her knuckles as the plane soared into the air. She tensed a bit, but as soon as you were in the air, you could feel her relax.

 "Better?" She nodded and soon the captain came across and told you, you were at cruising altitude. "Did you want a water or anything? It's usually stocked with drinks and food."

 "No, I'm good right now." She relaxed into the seat then sat back up. "Do you always fly private?"

 "Yeah, pretty much have for a while now."  She nodded and you could tell she wanted to say something, but then she sat back again. Her mouth opened then closed one more time and it was killing you to know what she was going to say. "Ok, spit it out. I can tell you're dying to ask me something."

 "Have you…" she stopped, then closed her eyes as if trying to find the right words. "Have you ever…you know?" and you shook your head because truly you didn't know what she was asking. "Joined the mile-high club?"

 Your eyes widen at her words. "No." The word slipped out before you had a chance to even think about it. Was she suggesting she wanted to? You definitely weren't opposed to it. The problem was you couldn't read her mind at the moment. So instead you said, "have you?"

 "No, this is the first time I've even flown private… well besides when we fly with the Pens. Though I suppose people find a way to do it on a commercial flight." She was probably right; it did happen, but would it happen right now was the question on the tip of your tongue. A mischievous smile appeared on her lips and you knew that you didn't have to ask anymore. "So…do you want to?"

 "Is that even a question?" You unbuckled your seatbelt before she could even think about answering and then you noticed she was doing the same. When she was unfastened you hauled her onto your lap, her legs straddling your hips, while her mouth came down on yours. You tore off her long dark gray cardigan, then worked on removing her cami.

 "Wait, the pilots aren't going to come out or anything?" she asked when you started to unclasp her bra.

 "Never have," you breathed out and then her mouth was back on yours, while her hips ground down on yours. She gathered your polo in her hands then broke the kiss so she could toss it off to the side with the growing pile of clothing. "Stand up, so I can get these off." You told her needing her leggings off as well. She shimmied out of the pants as you pushed her panties down to join them. Grabbing her hips, you guided her back to the small sofa in the plane which gave the two of you a bit more room to move. She fell back against the leather, and you followed her down, your hands working on the buttons of your jeans so you could free your cock to be inside her. That's when it hit you. "Fuck," you whispered out harshly.

 "What's wrong?" (Y/N) asked when you started to rebutton your pants.

 "I don't have any protection." You'd packed condoms in your suitcase for when you got to the house, but hadn't thought about putting any in your pocket or wallet.

 Her hands reached out to cover yours at your waistband, undoing the work you'd just done with the zipper. "It's ok, I've got us covered."

 "Oh," and you got up going over to her purse.

 "Sid, that's not what I mean." She sat up grabbing your hand and pulling you back. "I have an IUD. I've been meaning to talk to you about it, but it's always well you know…in the heat of the moment, but I'm clean if that's what you're worried about, and I haven't been with anyone but you."

 "I didn't think that you had, considering we've spent like every minute together for a while." She giggled at that. "And I haven't been with anyone either, in case you were wondering. Honestly, it's been a long time since I was with anyone before you, but like you everything's fine. Though if you don't believe me…"

 She stopped you then. "I believe you, Sid." (Y/N) tugged on your hand pulling you down with her as she leaned back against the cushions. You quickly removed the rest of your clothes then settled in between her legs before kissing her once more. Your tongue mingles with hers, lips molding together as your hips rocked into her. She whimpered into the kiss, and so you slid a finger inside her to find her wet and ready for you. You toyed with her a bit until she started to squirm underneath you.

 Slipping the head of your cock between her fold, you almost lost it being able to feel her around you without any barrier. Inch by slow inch her heat engulfed you and you found it hard to breathe. It took you a minute before you could move as you tried to get yourself under control. (Y/N) reached up and tugged on the back of your neck drawing your lips down to hers so she could kiss you tenderly. As you laid there, buried deep inside her you couldn't help feel your love for her bubbling up inside. You'd never felt this way before, never wanted to tell someone how much you loved them at that moment but you also knew it wasn't how you wanted to tell her the first time. So instead of verbalizing your feelings, you started to move in and out of her body. One of her legs wrapped around your waist as she used the other for leverage to meet each of your thrusts. She felt like heaven as you could feel her pussy clench around your cock with each push into her. "Fuck, babe…I'm not gonna last long." No matter how much you wanted this to be good for her, the feel of her warm wet pussy surrounding you was throwing you closer to the edge.

 "Almost…there," she panted out, before reaching down and playing with her clit. You just needed to hold out a little bit longer. You shifted her leg and sped up your pace, the action hitting her g-spot as she moaned out and you hoped to god that the pilots couldn't hear anything through the door. It wasn't long after that, that she was screaming out your name in ecstasy. With one final thrust, you followed her, reaching the high your body so desperately craved as you soared above the clouds. It felt amazing to just spill your seed inside her, and as you lay there trying to catch your breath; you realized your cock was still semi-erect and instead of going soft, it only was getting harder as you stayed inside her, but you knew the two of you didn't have time for another round. While it was the last thing you wanted to do, you pulled out from inside the haven that was (Y/N); you were both a sticky mess. You sat up on the couch and (Y/N) followed you up.

 "So do we get a card or something now that we're members?" You asked as you kissed her forehead and pulled her close still needing some form of contact with her.

 "I'll make you a card that says 'Mile High Member' when we get home." You both just laughed, then you finally pulled your boxers on and walked back to the small restroom to grab a towel for (Y/N).

 "I gotta be honest. I wish this was a longer flight." You told her when came back to the main cabin.

 "Oh really?" You nodded your head, before capturing her lips again; your cock rock hard with thoughts of being inside her again. She picked up her panties and leggings, struggling to put them on as the plane made a turn. "Well don't expect this to happen on any of our Pens flights."

 "Aww come on, you always bring that blanket. I'm sure we can make it work." You teased her.

 "Nope, not happening, besides you sit with Flower, not me."

 "Well, I was thinking I might have to change my seat next year."

 "No way!" She was fully dressed now and you found yourself a bit disappointed as you both sat on the couch, you'd just made love on. "You're keeping your same seat, just like you always have. I'm not changing that superstition."

 "Well, we have time to talk about it." She rolled her eyes as if it was not a point for discussion. Checking the screen, you noticed that you'd be landing in the next few minutes. "So my parents are picking us up at the airport. It's about a twenty-mile drive to the house, but I think my mom wants us to stop at their place for lunch if that's ok."

 "Yeah that's totally fine, maybe she'll show me some of those baby pictures she was talking about."

 It was a little over an hour later and your mom was doing exactly that along with showing her your childhood room. She was literally showing (Y/N) every embarrassing photo she had of you. You had to beg her to stop, telling her that she had plenty of time to tell (Y/N) every humiliating story she had over the next few weeks. The only bright spot was that it gave you a few minutes alone to prepare a surprise for (Y/N). After lunch, the two of you headed to your house promising that you'd have dinner with your parents in the next couple of days.

 You watched (Y/N)'s expression as you pulled down the long drive to the summer house. It was buried down under a canvas of trees; not as massive as the house in Pittsburgh yet you loved it all the same. "It's so beautiful Sid." There was a note of awe in her voice and you felt the same way every time you came here.

 "I'll get the bags in a bit. Let me show you around first." You jumped out of the Suburban and went around to get (Y/N). The inside of the house was nice, but it was the outside that you really wanted her to see. The long dock which held a small boat for you to take her out on, caught her eye first. "Maybe we can go for a ride later tonight." You told her.

 "That would be nice. It's so peaceful and calm here. I can see why you love it." You stood on the patio with your arms wrapped around her waist and there was no place in the world you'd rather be. "What's that over there?"

 "Oh, that's the shooting pad. It's like the one in the basement in Pittsburgh."

 "Gotcha, I couldn't quite make it out from here."

 "I thought about putting a pool in, but I don't know. Just decided to stick with the hot tub." The house in Pittsburgh had a gorgeous pool and you loved watching her swim in it, so you might have to rethink putting one in. "That building over there is my workout room."

 "Oh so if I ever can't find you, I'll look there first." She gave you a little wink and you tickled her under her ribs. "Ok show me the rest." You punched in the code to the house and proceeded to give her the grand tour, saving the master bedroom for last. "It's gorgeous, Sid; it really is."

 "It's not bad."

 "Not bad? It's more than that and you know it."

 "Well maybe. There's lots of room in the closet for your stuff, but move anything you want. I want you to feel at home here."

 She flopped back on the bed, then looked up at you. "Hmm, I think I could get comfortable right here if you'd join me." Your knee pressed into the mattress so you could hover over her body and just as you were about to press your lips to hers the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?"

 "Guess we'll have to go see." You took her hand pulling her off the bed with you as you headed downstairs. You were prepared for what greeted you, but (Y/N) was not.

 "Is there a Ms. (Y/L/N) here?" A young gentleman asked and you could see the questioning look on your girlfriend's face.

 "That's me." She answered as he handed over a beautiful bouquet of roses. You pulled out your wallet and tipped the man before closing the door. "Did you get me these?"

 You shrugged, but replied, "I don't know. You'll have to read the card."

 She carried the six dozen roses into the kitchen, setting them down on the island. You knew you'd gone a bit overboard but wanted to make up for not getting them sooner for her. She plucked the card out from amidst the blooms. You knew the words she was reading but watched as she read them in silence.

 (Y/N), I have yet to take you out on a proper date, but I'm hoping to change all that. I hope that you love Cole Harbour as much as I do and that we'll be spending many more summers here together. Yours always, Sid.

 There was so much more you wanted to say in the card, but yet you tried to keep it as brief as possible. "They're beautiful Sid, but you didn't have to do that, let alone so many." She went up on her toes and kissed you.

 "I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to." You wrapped your arms around her, pulling her close to your chest. "So, how about we go on that official date then?"

 "When...tonight?" She asked pulling back slightly to look up into your face.

 "Yeah, why not?"

 "Well, we don't have our bags inside the house yet for one thing."

 "I can have that taken care of in ten minutes. Ok, twenty with the number of suitcases you brought." She swatted your chest. "So is that a yes?"

 "Umm…how can I say no?" She teased.

 "You can't. I'll go grab the bags and then we can get ready for our date." You planted a kiss on her nose then headed out for the bags, excited that you were finally getting to take her out on what would be your first official date.

[cafeconbrujeria]

I’m not a minimalist in nigh any aspect of my life, but I have a reoccurring fixation on what my witchcraft essential kit is. I think you could build an entire practice on the foundation of book and bone and blade, and that sounds snappy and I like it. Maybe the key is to think of it as main pillars instead of bare minimums.

But I mean, it SOUNDS good, and it’s viable, but is it accurate?

book is accurate--I keep records because I have to. so book is journal but also not quite that, and I think for some people “book” would mean bible or book of psalms or practical sigil magic by What’s His Name or a volume of The Invisibles by Grant Morrison, or whatever. I have my kindle in a book style case for ease of use but also because it occasionally subs in for the role of “book” in a magical sense--which it should, given that it has a bunch of magical texts on it, my own included. there is no better handy dandy reference grimoire than something with a ton of data on it that’s also very portable and readable in sunlight. but usually “book” means notebook, and my entire life is contained in whatever notebook I’m currently using. I don’t have a separate book for witchcraft, because then I would have to keep track of two notebooks at a time, and I would always manage to lose one or the other. So I’m close to a bullet journal og pursuit in that respect, but then also not because I like refillable systems where you rearrange the pages to your liking. but the point is: BOOK. you’re probably gonna write some sigils in it! maybe PEN or PENCIL or KEYBOARD is implied with “book.” maybe.

bone is accurate and I think the general idea idea doesn’t need to be explained, at least not to anything with a death leaning aspect to their practice, but I also mean a specific physical sacred object, but you can’t really explain that to anyone because it’s just One of Those Things. as you practice and go along one day you are gifted The Object, and it’s a ridiculously occult very unsubtle event that’s probably different for everyone and you don’t really force it. it is one of those Mysteries. when you are ready, you acquire the object of power. or it acquires you. like, honestly, I try not to think about it. but people who are new to this kind of thing always want to know--how do I get it, how do I know, is this feather I saw on my walk today a sign? in reverse order: no, you just do, and it’s not entirely up to you.

blade--I mean, OBVIOUSLY and of course, and I mean an actual fucking knife you use to do knifey things, not a symbolic representation of blah blah blah. a KNIFE! you can open boxes with it! gather plants! cut yourself loose from whatever! stab--something. if you have to.

so, accuracy: kinda, yeah, sure.

but realistically, I mean, I’ve probably DONE the most witchcraft with pen and ink and a pendulum and none of that is a metaphor, except for how it also is, as writer. but that doesn’t sound as snappy.

and that’s not even getting into consumables:

graveyard dirt and instant coffee

crushed rose petals and manzanilla

+ many many tea lights.

I like buying fancy rocks but whenever I have NEED for a rock, what does the job is almost always the rock that you trip on while you’re on a walk. what is that? like, granite? hell if I know. it works. humans and rocks have a long history together. there’s one of those sketchy speculative theories of species development out there that says we got our great big brains in part because we had to figure out how to throw rocks real good just to eat. so, rocks: VERY helpful, since forever.

so now we’re up to--bone and book and blade and rock (and graveyard dirt and rose petals and coffee and candles and chamomile)

“then you talk to the trees,” I always start to explain, and then I stop, because it doesn’t explain anything, and anyway it’s not even an accurate description of what happens, exactly, so setting that aside

bone and book and blade and rock and key

quite like using keys, me. good and straightforward symbolism. problem is: I’m hellaciously allergic to metals so I can’t actually wear ‘em, right? so maybe scratch that, idk, although key on a cord does make for a pendulum, which, as I’ve said, is very handy.

but really

when I think of most used items, you know where we get to?

bone and book and blade and rock and key and mirror.

extremely useful item, practically and magically speaking--much like the knife, much like the book.

just noticed I switched the order of the words in  my alliterative phrase and I am not going back to change it, ty

and I think that’s something core to my practice: maybe you don’t need stuff, but if you have stuff, it had better be damn useful stuff, stuff you actually CAN use and stuff you actually DO use.

there’s a lot to be said for ritual specific tools, and how that primes you for the right headspace, how you can condition yourself to drop into the liminal mindset, how it helps to set the scene and how it’s sacred and special to have things set aside for one dedicated use, and that use alone.

but that’s what the priestessing is about, for me, I think. some of it, anyway. the witchery, the witchCRAFT, can’t be cumbersome. I really do think of it as being like workouts and physical training: if the whole thing is too hard, too intense, or requires too much prep time, or leaves you too exhausted, you are just NOT gonna do it.

and, again, much like how you can do bodyweight workouts with only your darling self, and that works--yeah, okay, you don’t NEED equipment but you probably have some versatile favorites.

and I guess listing five to six items as “essentials” is pretty maximalist.

so anyway--today I bought another mirror, so...

We’ll see.

Gotta go find my rose petals.

[bapyess1r]

PuNK

WARNINGS: cursing

Pairings: Rafe Adler x OC, Sam Drake x OC

Tags: @desertvvitch, @tiecladartist, @courtenbae

Chapter 3

Lyric’s POV

There I was. Up at 6 in the morning. Standing in line. At Starbucks. For overpriced coffee. That he probably wouldn’t even finish. My eyes were dried out and my neck hurt a little this morning. ‘I gotta cool it on the head bangin’ tonight…’ I thought.

It was cold as hell and the street walkers of New York seemed ruder than normal. I somehow managed to get up and dress myself; a powder blue collared shirt tucked into a light gray pencil skirt with a well fitted blazer to match. My trench coat was thick enough to keep me warm but still I shivered. I was tired. I had just done a show last night and it was only the beginning. I sang and screamed my heart out and the audience felt my dedication. That was all I asked for. As good as we played, I should’ve been partying with the band. But here I was. Up at 6 in the morning. Standing in a goddamn line. At goddamn Starbucks. Waiting for overpriced goddamn coffee. That he probably wouldn’t even goddamn finish goddammit… “Order for Rafe Adler!” the barista called out. I took a deep breath and rolled my eyes as I went to retrieve the coffee.

When I arrived at work, I greeted the receptionist as I always did, said my what’s ups to the coworkers I was cool with, and entered the conference room to set up the stupid little snack plate and pitcher of ice cold cucumber water. Usually I would set up contracts and paperwork and files on opposite ends of the table but there was nothing like that for this meeting. He’d mentioned a couple times to me last week that the meeting today would be a little unorthodox. So I did the bare minimum and sat waiting. I snuck a few pieces of fruit while I did.

Some time had passed and I checked my watch to make sure I wasn’t crazy. My boss was usually no more than 10 minutes late if anything. I picked up my phone to call him. We told the Drake brothers to be here at 8:30. The first try, it went straight to voicemail at which I hung up and tried again. When he didn’t answer the second time, I left a very stressed out and slightly mouthy message. Then I went to the front desk to ask the receptionist if she’d heard from him. When she said no, I placed my hands on my hips and groaned. I went back to the conference room and sat down to wait a little longer, stress eating the fruit plate. The third time, he answered surprisingly. I gasped audibly in relief.

“What the hell, Rafe?!” I snapped. “It is now going on 8:20 and you are nowhere to be found! Where the hell are you?!” It was silent on the other end until he gave a tired groan.

“Shit…. the meeting.” He said.

“Yeah! ‘Shit! The meeting!’” I exclaimed. He sighed and I heard some rustling on the other end before he finally spoke.

“Are they there yet?”

“No not yet.”

“Good. Then I may have some time. I’ll be there soon. Get them whatever they want.” He ordered.

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh, and Ms. Lewis?”

“Yes, sir?”

“If you ever talk to me like that again, I will have you fired before you even think about having breakfast.” He told me. My heart stopped for a moment. Maybe I was a little too mouthy in my voicemail.

“Yes. Sorry, sir.” I apologized awkwardly before hanging up.

I stayed put and sat resting my head in my arms, staring at my watch. It was now 9:15. Neither Rafe nor the brothers had shown up yet. ‘This is fucking ridiculous…’ I thought. How was it that I was ordered to be present early and I ended up being the only one on time? I groaned loudly, rubbing my fingers against my temples. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. When it opened, a man’s head popped out rather curiously and obviously very lost. He was a little older than myself. Longish curly brown hair pushed back off of his ruggedly charming face. His thick salt and pepper brows raised above his bright hazel eyes almost like a puppy.

“Sorry to bother ya, sweetheart. I was told this was the conference room?” He asked, his voice sounding with a very distinct Boston accent. I made a face and pointed to the words on the door.

“It’s literally marked ‘conference room’...” I said with a bit of attitude. I couldn’t deal with riff raff this early in the morning. He looked at the door and chuckled.

“Ha! So it does. Guess I’m gonna need to invest in a pair of glasses soon, huh?” He said with a handsome grin. A small smile pulled at my lips and I found myself adjusting my hair like a teenager. He was a good looking guy. “Sorry, I’m a little late. Traffic is a bitch here. I’m Sam Drake. I was supposed to be meeting with Rafe here in his…..palace.” He smirked, walking out from behind the door. His little jab at my boss made me chuckle a little but still my stomach flipped at the mention of his name. However, I liked what I saw when he entered the room.

Rafe never mentioned that the Drake Brothers were this handsome. I quite literally had to look up at this man. He was freakishly tall. He wore a denim jacket with the fleece inside, a grey thermal, and dirty jeans with equally dirty work boots. And he had a tattoo of a flock of birds on the left side of his neck. In his long arms he carried a map and a few folders, a backpack slung over his wide shoulders. He put his things down on the table and extended a large rough hand to me. I barely met his chest and I was in heels. When I stood, I awkwardly pushed my hair behind my ear and took his hand to shake it firmly. I was a bit embarrassed that I’d been a little snippy with him.

“Lyric Lewis. Mr. Adler’s Assistant. I’m sorry for my mouth…” I said like an idiot. I hung my head and he chuckled. “I mean, I’m sorry for how I spoke to you when you came in.” I rephrased, suddenly getting lost in his honey colored eyes. I couldn’t stop looking at them. And the worse part of all, was that I was still holding his hand. I giggled nervously, pulling my hand away and taking a step back from him.

“Ah, it's alright. Rafe runnin’ you ragged I see?” He asked as he began to set up whatever he brought with him.

“Tell me about it.” I grumbled and he just smiled.

“Speaking of your boss, he’s not here yet is he?” He asked me.

“No, sir, he’s a little late himself.” I answered. His ears turned a little red when I addressed him that way but it was my job to be polite where Rafe tended to… well not.

“Well good. Maybe we can keep my being late just between us, heh?” He winked at me and it was like I’d been shot with an arrow. He had trouble written all over him and like the dummy I was, I’d fallen for it. I grinned stupidly and nodded. If this was one of the brothers, I couldn’t even imagine what the other was like.

“He doesn’t even have to know, sir.” I smirked. When he finished setting up what looked to be like a couple of maps and tools, he leaned over the table to look inside the water pitcher as the cucumber slices floated about and frowned.

“You got anything other than Rafe’s tears to drink?” He asked me as he sat down in a chair and kicked his large boots up on the table. I tried my best to suppress a laugh and answered his question.

“We have a soda machine…. and coffee from the break room.” I said.

“Regular coffee, right? Not that milky shit people are drinkin’ nowadays?” He asked brashly. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I burst into laughter and he grinned from ear to ear, obviously scanning my body from head to toe. I placed a hand on my hip and eyed him just as he did me.

“I’m pretty sure it’s just regular shitty office coffee.” I responded, trying to compose myself but I had a smile on my face for once.

“Perfect. That’s all I need.” He said, taking off his heavy denim jacket to reveal an upper body swollen with muscle. I cried inside a little. Just a little.

Just then, the door opened and Rafe came barging in, a cloud of stress looming over him. You could feel it in the room, how he was going to be today, and it wasn’t a very positive vibe. He groaned, sitting his suitcase on the floor next to his chair and shrugged off his pea coat as he sat down in front of his coffee (which was now cold). Before I had the chance to warn him, he’d already taken a sip and he spat it out immediately. Just all over the table, dramatic as hell. I noticed Sam roll his eyes as I sighed. Today was not going to be my day. I didn’t really know what to do at that moment. I just kind of… stared. In surprise.

“This is disgusting!” He snapped, throwing a fit. “Jesus, Lyric, I asked you to do one thing!” He then glanced at the table, looking around. “Where’s my croissant?” He asked me and a light bulb went off so hard in my head that it was visible on my face.

“I completely forgot! I’m so sorry, sir! I can uh…. I can run to the snack machine and get you a Honey Bun or something.” I was rather serious about my answer but clearly he was not amused. He narrowed his eyes at me in annoyance and confusion.

“What the hell is a Honey Bun?” The look on his face was as if he’d just heard a really bad joke. As the words left his mouth, I hung my head. Sam scoffed aloud.

“Sorry, sir. It was a suggestion. But I can order you something small from a restaurant if you’d like.” I mumbled.

“That’s more like it. And when you speak, Lyric, use volume. I can’t hear you for the life of me.” This was all a bit much for first thing in the morning. I could only imagine what got him so pissed off. He rubbed his hands over his face, blinking repeatedly as if he were trying to wake up still.

“Of course, sir.” I replied, pulling out my phone to have food delivered to the building.

“Honestly, Lyric. Your work performance has been going downhill the past two weeks.” He mumbled in irritation. He was right. Ever since Floral and Fading wrote a slew of new songs, we were playing more than just the usual weekend gigs. We’d done a rock festival just last week, several rehearsals on my days off and playing shows… I had been running on fumes for a while now. But I had a feeling that it would be worth it soon. I just had to keep it up a little longer.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Adler. I’ll clean up my act. I promise.” I said, feeling slightly embarrassed that he just chewed me out in front of Sam, who still sat with his legs crossed on the table. After a moment of silence, I could sense Sam’s need to break it.

“Christ, Adler. How bougie can you be?” He said to him, fiddling with the skin on his fingers.

“Good morning to you, too, Samuel.” Rafe sighed, tiredly as he pulled a few things from his suitcase and sat them on the table. “I trust Lyric didn’t give you too much trouble.” He glanced at me for only a second before flipping through the papers he had gathered together. Sam looked at me and smirked.

“Not at all. Your darling assistant has been nothing but helpful to me.” He said, giving me a thumbs up as he made a goofy face.

“That makes one of us.” He snipped, marking notes on a few pieces of paper. I rolled my eyes and looked to Sam, placing my hands behind my back.

“I’ll be right back with your coffee.” I told him politely.

“Thank you, beautiful...” He smirked, admiring my ass as I turned on my heel. I grinned as I put a little extra sway in my hips to give a little show as I left.

Rafe’s POV

I heard Sam wolf whistle as the door closed and I looked up at him a moment as he opened his folders.

“She’s a good lookin’ girl, ay?” He nodded, smiling like a desperate dirty old dog. My eyes never left the paper.

“Who?” I asked, not really caring about the answer.

“Lyric!” He reiterated. My brows furrowed as I looked at him then back to my notes.

“Hmph… I never noticed.” It was true that I hadn’t really paid any attention to my assistant. But then again, I hadn’t paid many women much attention to begin with. Every now and then, if I wanted a good lay, I’d suck it up and socialize for a bit but other than that, I was focused on business. And treasure hunting.

“Oh bullshit, Rafe. You mean to tell me you got a girl like that workin’ for you and you never once took a look at how great her ass is?” He asked me. I shook my head as I continued to look over a few things.

“Not once.” I answered simply.

“Why?!” He exclaimed.

“Because looking at the rear ends of less than average women doesn’t make this company money.” I said. He flexed his lip and nodded.

“Fair enough but I’d say she’s above average. Which you’d know if you took a second to actually look at her when you talk.” I knew exactly what he was getting at.

“I’m not going to sleep with my assistant, Samuel.” I groaned in annoyance.

“I’m not sayin’ you should (even though you should or I will). I’m sayin’ just look at her. Having a beautiful woman like that workin’ for you, that’s a view to take the edge off!” He said. In an idiotic way, I sorta of understood what he meant. But I grunted and changed the subject.

“Where’s Nathan? He didn’t come to lunch yesterday.” I asked and he looked down, biting the skin off his lip.

“Listen, about my brother… I don’t think he’s comin’...” he told me. A bit of anger began to boil in me.

“He what?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“I called around and from everyone is tellin’ me… he’s out. He’s got a wife and all that. Nice job, nice house, the works. I don’t wanna pull him from that if I don’t have to.” He said. I shook my head in disbelief. I couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth.

“Nate’s out?” I asked.

“Nate’s out…” He mumbled in confirmation. I nodded, trying to accept the small change. I wasn’t happy about not having my full team but Samuel was the expert on the subject of Henry Avery. We were in a search for his lost treasure. But first we needed to track down a clue. The same clue that got this man locked up in a Panamanian jail for what was almost life. The broken, hollow Saint Dismas cross we found 15 years ago had a second. This one was still intact. We just needed to get a hold of it. Whatever was in the other cross was definitely still inside this one. So I bought up all the land around the St. Dismas cathedral in Scotland and sent people to scavenge the area. The problem was that I kept running into all these dead ends. But I could feel it in my bones. We were going to find it no matter the cost.

After a few minutes, Lyric had returned with Samuel’s coffee in hand and she strutted over to sit in front of him. His hand graced over hers a moment as he gave her a smile and a wink. “Thank you, sweetheart.” He said to her before sipping on his drink. Then she turned to me.

“Mr. Adler, I ordered for you a French toast with fruit and a latte.” She told me and I waved her off.

“Yeah, yeah that’s fine….” I mumbled. Suddenly I thought about what Samuel told me. And I don’t know why but the words “look at her” kept ringing in my ears. So I looked up, only to be met with a lovely set of brown eyes. Her dark curls framed her face in the most flattering was; her lashes were long and her makeup was fresh, her lips were perfectly curved and plush. Even with the exhaustion played out on her face, she was still a rather beautiful woman. “Thank you… Ms. Lewis, that’ll be all for now…” I managed to say. She walked over to me and picked up the coffee she brought me and leaned over to clean up the mess I made. I may have caught a glimpse of cleavage as she did but I quickly averted my attention back to the papers and blueprints before me.

“If you need anything…” she glanced at Samuel and they exchanged a cheeky smirk before returning her eyes to me. “I’ll be at my desk. I’ve got a mountain of paperwork I need to get started on.” She said. “I will bring you your breakfast when it arrives, sir.” I nodded as my eyes ran over her features. When she smiled, a pair of dimples imprinted into the skin of her round cheeks. ‘Cute.’ I thought simply. Not really thinking much of it. When she turned to leave, I found myself staring after her, admiring her backside. I hated to admit it but Samuel was right. She had a pretty great ass. I sighed tiredly as he looked over at me, wiggling his thick brows at me with a cheesy grin.

“I saw that, Rafe.” He said as he turned in his seat to face me. I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

“We have work to do.” I said, changing the subject immediately. Today was going to be a long one….

[ghostmartyr]

Pokémon FireRed Nuzlocke [Part 12]

Can we beat the game using Nuzlocke rules and only battling against trainers?

The current answer is leaning towards no. Still, we shan’t give up or in.

Four badges in. Next stop?

Uh. Haven’t decided yet.

So things did not go what I would call according to plan with the Grimer. Ideally, it would have been a higher level than 30. It wouldn’t need me to hold its hand through a bunch of leveling. It would immediately be an asset. Life would be beautiful. Nothing would hurt.

Only it’s level 30.

I have a Ground, Water, Electric, and Normal Type in rotation. Grass has historically been a problem, but it is much less of a problem with a Snorlax. Oak isn’t always the most useful, but he’ll be receiving a huge power boost come Surf collection.

Bark and Trunk are going to be wanting all the Attack EVs I can feed them. Sap is going to want Attack as well. And HP.

Its move pool is a huge plus, and I would be happy to have it available, but to make it available, a lot of switch training would have to happen. When Sprinkle went through that, experience gain dropped to a slow crawl. Sprinkle was only level 25, and at an even later stage in the game, but the approach taken with this round was intended to be geared towards a minimum of pokemon.

Other things to consider would be that in the first run, I lost two pokemon, and a lot of work went into making up for that. The two runs can’t be compared fairly with what levels to expect further down the road. ...I. think.

By the first Elite Four fight, Po was level 46. My highest level pokemon was 49.

It did not go well.

I need this one to go better.

Does it go better with Sap, or does it go better with maxing the heck out of the other four.

I really, really want to use Sap.

Having a status-reliant choice instead of a pure powerhouse makes me more comfortable with everything else. Minimize is good. Screech is welcome. Sludge Bomb is welcome. Acid Armor is welcome. Muk is a kickass thing to have available.

But I’m not sure splitting the exp is going to do me any favors this late in the game. Silph offers a lot of lenience, I guess, but. Cycling Road is going to go to Trunk. So is a lot else, and what doesn’t should help out Bark.

Five pokemon starts to be a lot.

Fuck.

I’m trying it out.

Sap, welcome to the team. Don’t die.

In happier news...

Good job making it this far, buddy.

Route 16, what are we catching here today?

Doduo!

Sap, prove your worth by failing to kill it.

Damn it, Sap. +123 to you and Bark. -_-

Siiiiiigh. I need 30 pokemon for the Itemfinder.

Now Trunk is just going to claim. As much of Cycling Road as possible. Bark will help when possible. ...Or do I want to go deal with Silph? Hey, past me, wtf is the best way of doing this nonsense?

..hm.

I’m going to do Silph for the sheer heck of it, I think. I don’t want to get as far as my Rival yet, but. I don’t know. I’m just not feeling Cycling Road right now. Video games are supposed to be fun, right? Let’s chase some damn fun.

And I don’t think I ever got my Route 7 thing. Let’s do that, too. Hi Growlithe.

SAP WHAT THE HECK. WE WANTED THAT.

Did I misremember how much damage Sludge does???

...

Oh.

Yes.

Yes, I did.

I very much did.

...+130 to Sap and Acorn. -headdesk-

With that in mind, actually, Sap, you and Bark want to try your hands on the dojo next door to Sabrina? Trunk can’t touch any of those guys thanks to the Super Effective problem.

..And Bark can barely touch any of them thanks to her low Defense.

Yeeeeeah, after that short experiment, we’re just gonna go straight to Silph. Where the Rockets are not a thing to be too afraid of.

Beautiful building.

Hellscape place.

...

I don’t wanna do this, either. Uh. South of Lavender, maybe?

Out of order ALL the things.

Route 13, let’s catch a thing.

The thing is a Venonat! We now wait and watch to see if it will end up dead like other recent catches for totally unpreventable reasons.

Caught!

Its name is Oak.

Route 14, in the middle of all these trainers we’re beating down largely out of order.

...Gloom’s technically not viable because Oddish and species clause, but screw it, it’s not going to be used, I’m too lazy to look up what else is here, and I just want this part done and over with. I know that’s really bad form. but. I am not a rules lawyer. once, maybe. not anymore.

Caught. Its name is Oak.

So far with trainers, the way I’m keeping my sanity with exp division is that the Bikers go to Trunk, and Bark and Sap get the Bird Keepers.

It is slow and tiresome. I do not care for thinking when I am playing my video games.

We’re in Route 18 now, and doing the same nonsense to a Raticate. This is it. This is the point. This is where I stop caring about any of the rules except the no grinding thing. Everything else is irrelevant.

Bark ffs. Stop. Sigh.

+414 exp. Route 18 officially dead.

(Also, this looks like I should have known that she would kill it, but Bark still knows Mud Slap. It does as much nothing as anything on my team can. Still not enough nothing when critical hits are involved.)

Good Rod get so that Fuchsia might have a happier ending.

Back in the realm of completely legal catches, we have a Poliwag!

Throwing a Great Ball proves the best strategy. In that it works. Poliwag get! Its name is Oak.

In other, trainer-related news, Sap hits 34 and learns Acid Armor.

We have also cleared out the section of trainers that is not Saffron and not Cycling Road that comes pre-Koga. Naisu.

-time passes-

So, post-Cycling Road, Trunk is level 41, Bark is level 42, Sap is 35, Oak is 37, and Acorn is 40. I think what makes the most sense in terms of safety is to go clear out the Silph building, then deal with the dojo and assorted Gyms.

Unfortunately.

I hate Silph Co.

So, so deeply.

Deep breath time.

Oh, wait, I want Oak to have Surf first. Never mind, we can still delay this party!

Let’s do it.

Hey, and while we’re at it, we have a chance at a Parasect!

-gasp-

We caught it!

Its name is Oak.

I don’t remember if it was me or someone I knew, but as a child, I have distinct memories of the timer flat-lining just a handful of squares away from talking to this guy. It filled me with enough sadness that I think maybe I was the one having the issues.

The Safari Zone is a lot harder when you have no idea what you’re supposed to do or where you’re meant to go.

Oak learns Surf!

We also give the Warden his teeth back, so Strength get.

I’m gonna see about catching a Route 19 thing. Due to it being something I can do that doesn’t involve the Silph building.

Yes, a Krabby. As we learned from Heero’s run, they make for excellent HM slaves.

Caught!

Its name is Oak. Sadly, I think it will be replacing Oak in the party.

Sigh.

I think we’re. back to the sad part.

(Route 17 option: Doduo. Status: caught. Name: Oak.)

UGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH.

Granted, it’s much easier without having to record every single fight, but the memories of the most recent time I did this are harsh and painful and I don’t like them.

Several floors later, yeah okay, this isn’t so bad.

I still hate it.

However, I can safely say I know who the best character in the Pokemon multiverse is.

Best. Girl.

She’s on floor 9, future self. Sorry about your life.

Because there are so many vitamins hidden around the building, I’m starting to really panic about how my team is going to handle the final parts of the game. I of course love all my children equally, but losing the first team was rough, and I can’t imagine that I’ll continue to engage with my pokemon on any level if things consistently fall to pieces in the very last sequences.

In a funny way, I think the EV training I’m softly tripping through might be hampering things a little. The balance is more sideways than my usual in-game teams have, because I’m focusing a lot on who’s fighting what. There are no random bursts of Defense being distributed, for instance. Oak is the closest to balance, and that’s because Oak had to do most everything before we had a real team (no offense buddy, you rock).

I don’t know. I’m paranoid. Things did not go well with Heero and friends. I think I want to invest in some of the X [stat] items, you know, like the way of the speedrunner, but the way I usually play these games involves brute force.

Full stop.

I can’t repeat enough how little I enjoy thinking in my video games.

But what that means is that I’m not used to using X items. And spending a turn on something I haven’t spent years of background noise thinking about could have disastrous consequences.

The disaster is something I fear. Clearly.

Sigh. There’s not helping it right now, so. Silph.

LOOK MAN, CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF TRAINERS I HAD TO BEAT TO GET UP HERE

I kind of love that your Rival doesn’t appear to do anything at all about Team Rocket. He just shows up because hey, Red will be doing the hero stuff over there! Time to throw down!

Then he loses and just goes back to worrying about his League quest.

He’s almost like a real ten-year-old.

Acorn thank you for existing.

Wait. Crap, what deals with the Venusaur? Did I decide to just throw Trunk at that? Because that’s what I’m doing?

Yeah, fine, that works.

I got a Lapras.

Its name is Oak.

Sprinkle, I miss you.

Oh whoops. Acorn’s still in front. I don’t think I want that.

Kangaskhan without a Fighting Type is weird. Not a problem weird, because yay, Trunk exists. But weird. I keep expecting to have something super effective against it.

One Master Ball for me. Yay.

Now off to the dojo.

Where I’m going to try not to get Sap killed by letting him have this fight for great exp. I trust Sap’s moves. I trust the concept of their usefulness. Then I see critical hits and tragedy everywhere.

Sap.

Do not die.

Does my hat look black to you.

Level 37 Hitmonlee.

You know. I have the post that says this involves a level 37 Hitmonlee open in another tab. And yet. This still comes as a horrible shock and my brain is already playing taps for Sap.

!

The pain of one Hi Jump Kick. Not bad. I think we might make it, little guy.

We won!

And no one died!

Yay!

I guess that means it’s time for Koga.

Boo. But we’ll let Trunk punch through. Maybe with Bark, too.

Or Oak can eat a Kadabra. That works.

Trunk makes it through all the pre-Koga peeps with little trouble, and we move on to the man himself.

-gasp-

Awesome. More awesome is how everyone’s still alive. Oh happy day before we go forth and fight Sabrina.

Toxic get.

Trunk is level 46, as seen above. Bark is 44. Acorn is 42. Oak is 41. Sap is 37.

Oak’s job is to eat Sabrina. With any luck, Oak will continue to be a help with Blaine, though Bark and Sap will want some of that sweet exp too.

...Basically, what this all means is that I’ve stopped worrying about most of what’s going on with my team. I’m now just watching the levels and letting my dread run the show.

Dread and Oak. The dream team. Oak’s hit 44. I have faith.

.....Ooookay things are going awry because a Calm Minded Alakazam packs a wallop with Psychic, so I’m switching in Acorn under the assumption that he can survive one Psychic and will outspeed the thing.

Pictures taken just before disaster, fyi.

Houston, we have a problem.

Trunk wraps things up.

But. Uh.

Gyarados damage control is gone.

Acorn is gone.

What even is life without Acorn.

That critical hit would have been the end of Oak. Your oldest friend. I know we both wanted things to go differently, but I’m sure you understand why this is the end result.

I will miss you.

So much.

The lack of your warm presence will be a loss for us all.

I also no longer have something on my team with Thunderbolt, so. The script is no longer clear. I guess I can be less worried about levels, but. This right here might be the end of this round.

With a heavy heart, we head to the oceans where Acorn should have reigned supreme.

And stop Sap from evolving so he can learn Sludge Bomb at 43. Hopefully doing that won’t lead to another unfortunate accident, but if it does happen, I’m sadly resigned to it.

I don’t know how many times Sap has hurt himself in confusion in this fight, but it’s too many.

Then the Tentacruel comes in when this is finally over, and Sap hurts himself in confusion.

Yeah.

Sap’s just eating every single confusion problem of the entire run. He’s taking it all for himself.

But. we. get. through. it. As a family.

Hit Route 20, and now I have a level 8 Tentacool. Its name is Oak.

Supersonic is hitting everything and it is absolutely miserable.

Seafoam Island gives us.... Golbat! Apparently we already had a Zubat, so whoops, but in any case, its name is Oak. And needs to be moved from the D E A D box because whoops.

Does Oak want to learn Fly and help greatly with things not being awful?

Boy howdy do I.

And I am at 30 pokemon in my Pokedex, so it’s time for me to go grab my Itemfinder and Leftovers.

...Oh. Golbat doesn’t learn Fly. Well fine then. Another Oak will help me.

After all.

He is

Oak’s Aide.

Got one Leftovers. Two Leftovers. Awesome.

-many minutes later-

Sap gets Sludge Bomb! Do you know what that means?

Sap! We’ve done it! We’ve kept you alive! You’ve made it through your trying times as a Grimer!

Now let’s go into that non-haunted mansion that makes up most of Blaine’s island’s real estate.

I’m just going to shove Bark in front and. idk. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I’m just waiting for Victory Road, the day of reckoning, and. Maybe better than last time.

Growlithe caught in the mansion. Its name is Oak.

Secret Key get.

Blaine, why must you be so sketchy.

Okay, so for this Gym, I think I’ll be using Sap more than expected. Bark and Oak will deal with a lot of Giovanni, because they don’t have to worry about Ground really causing an extra problem. That makes this a better place for Trunk and Sap to level up. Agreed?

Yeah sure, whatever.

I guess the other thing to consider is if Bark will really be a help in this endeavor.

She’s very, very fast, and will learn Earthquake naturally. But she can’t take a hit, and with the loss of Acorn, I’m thinking what I have to do is just have Trunk, Oak, and Sap tank everything; lots of X items, lots of Full Restores.

Most of the time, Bark can’t afford to take a second hit of anything.

If I really want to optimize, Cutting down to three out of my four might be the better call.

Ugh, that’s such a dangerous number, though.

Sap has an amazing move set. I really could just...

Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, Lance, Rival.

Trunk could probably handle Lorelei. Sap could do the Fighting half of Bruno, and the other half isn’t really a problem. The plan with Agatha was always to teach Po Shadow Ball, but then Zaft needed Thunderbolt, so I couldn’t afford it. Lance is hell, but not one a Dugtrio is likely to improve by much.

I have no idea what to do for Oak.

But if I can set Sap up, a lot of problems become manageable. I can’t brute force this. I keep saying that, and I keep ignoring it because that’s not how I play these games. I need better strategies. Bark’s Attack stat isn’t up to being a glass cannon. She’s a glass rifle, maybe. Fantastic, but eating up resources without serving an extra purpose. She’ll be just as dead in two hits if I keep on giving her exp. Leveling could remove that weakness, but I don’t have anything to work with there.

I have to focus on three.

Damn it.

For now, let’s finish Blaine, shall we.

Got the badge.

Bill Gaiden?

So he says.

So ends the post, because I just can’t.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #154

“the wind is screaming, it’s screaming your name; it sounds like fear.”

What is your opinion on sex without emotional commitment?  nononononoNONONONO. Last time you puked from drinking?  Never. What books, if any, have made you cry?  Johnny Got His Gun, Old Yeller, The Outsiders (I think; I know the movie did), The Notebook, uhhh others, I'm sure. Does it get annoying when somebody says they’ll call you, but doesn’t?  It depends on the person, but honestly, almost never.  I hate talking on the phone. What is your favorite simple ice-cream flavor?  Usually vanilla, but sometimes I'm all about chocolate, especially if I can't put chocolate syrup on it. When was the last time you slept on the floor?  Jeez, probably when me and Jason did at my house.  I've slept on an inflatable mattress since, but I'm guessing you mean literally on the floor with blankets and such. If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?  I dunno.  I doubt it really, but don't potatoes have all the nutrients you actually need to survive?  If so, then probably that, but otherwise, uh.  I dunno, I'd get tired of things or die 'cuz I'm not getting what I need. I could say shakes, but I consider those drinks. Have you ever given someone oral sex?  Yeah, fucking hated it.  I'm bi, yes, but visually, penises are disgusting to me.  I don't want it in my mouth.  I only ever really did it to make him happy.  I'm open to trying it with a girl, but who knows if I'd like it. What's your favorite lyric from the last song you listened to?  "Hey, hey, NRA, how many kids did you kill today?" ("Shelter In Place" by Otep) Are you friends with someone that has a baby?  My best friend does. How many different towns/cities have you lived in?  Three. Have you ever had a kinky dream about a celebrity?  No. How many pets do you have? Would you like any more?  Six, and I kinda want another snake to breed with Venus when she's big enough.  I want to keep at least one of the babies to help with Sara's snake breeding passion. Is there a song you can’t stop listening to atm?  Oh yeesh, yeah.  I've fallen in love with Powerwolf recently and thus play a number of their songs repeatedly. How many bedrooms does your home have?  Two. How many times do you use a bath towel before washing it?  Once.  Annoys the hell out of Mom but like, I feel like there may be leftover germs I'm getting off + maybe dead skin 'cuz my skin in dry as fuck??? What time do you usually eat dinner?  This can vary from 6:00 to like almost 9:00.  I can't cook and Mom works late, so.  I'll make my own microwavable things if I can't wait for her to make something. Do you know any narcissists?  Jason????? Dillon????? dat u???????? Have you ever been falsely accused of something serious?  I don't believe so? In which were you happiest: elementary, middle, or high school?  Elementary. What was your favorite thing to do as a little kid?  Video games. You can bring back one dead pet to life. Which one?  Cali, for Mom.  She misses her so much. Rock, paper, or scissors?  I think I usually do scissors. Who was the last person to ask you out? Girt. What are your favorite pajamas you have? My purple, black, and white Jack Skellington ones ahhh What’s your least favorite ice-cream flavor?  Strawberry is disgusting. Do you prefer it when it gets darker earlier?  NOOOOO.  This is totally inverted from how it used to be, but I'm more likely to feel down when it's dark. Are there a lot of cookbooks in your house, or just a few? Or maybe none at all?  Mom has tons she never uses. Who are your godparents?  I don't think I have any. Can you touch​ your nose with your tongue?​​  No. What brand is your toothpaste?  Crest. Are you currently broken out?  No. What was the last hotel you stayed at? I dunno. Do you have a favorite NASCAR driver?  No. Eyeliner. Yes or no?  If I wear makeup, that's the bare minimum. What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make?  Let Jason go or continue to let what we had ruin my life. Where is the last beach you went to?  Myrtle Beach, NC. Have you ever been rock climbing?  Nah, not interested. Have you ever played Gamecube?  No. What has been the biggest event for you to overcome?  Recovery.  It changed me for the better so much. Do you have a favorite pet?  No one can beat Teddy.  I doubt any pet ever will. When someone drops something do you immediately go and pick it up for them?  If I’m close, unless they're already reaching for it, yes. Could you call your best friend right now and tell them your biggest secret, and trust them to keep it?  HAHAHAHA NO tbh.  I love her, but she tells people everything. Have you ever played Wii Fit?  Yup.  Everyday one summer, lost 40 pounds, got in great shape. Have you ever touched a caterpillar?  Yeah, loved picking up the ordinary ones as a kid. Is there a YouTube channel whose videos you always watch?  I will watch literally any video Mark makes. How often do you feel lonely?  This is like.  Almost a daily struggle. Do you struggle with depression?  I'm diagnosed with it, but it's well-controlled now! While in a relationship, do you ever think about its possible end?  I worry about it BADLY.  Even in my current one where I feel completely secure, I have some spans of "what if" anxiety. What is the worst treatment you’ve had to put up with from someone else?  Ummmm.  I dunno. What’s the longest you’ve gone without eating?  24 hours, probs. Do you like watching music videos?  No.  I just care about the music. Which, if any, drug have you ever abused?  None. Do you know your mail (wo)man?  No. Honestly, are you often high-maintenance/hard to please?  No. Are there any flags flying outside at your home?  No. Will you vote in the next presidential election?  If the remaining candidates don't fucking suck, yes. Tell me about someone that you know dislikes you. What do you think is about you they don’t like?  The one person I know doesn't is my best friend's mom, but I can't tell you exactly why.  There's no telling what Colleen told her after our fight, but.  Colleen has told me her mom thinks I could "hurt" her son somehow.  I was fucking livid.  I adore that boy and would do anything to protect him.  Oh yeah, know she mentioned I was a bad influence, too.  But hey, the hate is mutual, I've never been able to stand her. Tell me about something you’re afraid of. Why does it frighten you?  Getting heartbroken again.  Last time tore me the fuck apart, I seriously don't know if I could do it again.  Worst pain I have ever experienced. Is there someone you could hang out with all the time, without ever getting bored of them?  Sara <3 Have you ever liked someone else when you already had a boyfriend/girlfriend? What happened?  Yup, first high school crush Sebastian.  And nothing really happened; he was taken (though I'm pretty sure he had at least mild feelings for me too), though it was at a complicated point.  Then I met Jason. What mountain ranges have you seen?  The Appalachians. Where would you most like to go in your state, etc that you haven’t been?  THERE'S AN ABANDONED WIZARD OF OZ-THEMED PARK IN THE WEST AND I WANNA VISIT. Have you ever seen or touched an iceberg?  No. Where was the most remote location you’ve ever been to? I dunno. What is your most unhealthy habit? Not exercising? Has your house ever been damaged in a storm? A tree fell on our old house during a hurricane.  It didn't cause severe damage or anything, though. What’s the least amount you’ve weighed since reaching your full height? ~118.  Hilarious. Do you think it’s cruel to keep an animal in a cage while you’re away?  Depends on the size of the cage and how long they're staying in there. Are you scared of reptiles?  Not at all. Does death scare you?  Not that much. Do you use a comb or brush?  Comb now that my hair's short. When you were younger, did you ever do that exclamation point that looked like an upside down triangle and had a really big dot?  No. What kind of relationship do you have with the last person you kissed?  She's my girlfriend. Are there things in your life that you’ll never be able to get over?  If I could get over my breakup, I can get over anything. Have you ever turned to smoking or drinking to solve a problem?  New Years of 2017 I actually did try to get drunk for that purpose. Would you mind dating someone significantly shorter than you?  No. What’s on your bedside table? Yeesh, a lot.  A fan, a basket with all my meds in it, sketchbook, notebook, my folder full of things from Holly Hill as well as my therapy homework folder.  There's other miscellaneous stuff too. How much money would it take to get you to give up the Internet for one year?  This is pathetic, but probably like... no amount.  My life sadly revolves around it, just about. What are some things on your holiday wishlist?  Always tattoo money lmao.  But I'd really love a drawing tablet, but a decent quality one.  Can't have both. Who accompanied you to your first concert?  Jason, Mom, and Nicole. What’s the temperature outside?  Phone says 79.  Gonna get to 90, though. Have you ever been in detention?  Yes, too many tardies getting to school. Do you wear black to look skinnier?  Not for that reason, but it's a plus lol. Do you have scars on your wrists?  You can barely see them, but they're there. How about anywhere else?  Yeah, quite a few. Do you post things on Facebook that are personal?  No. Has the last person you kissed ever taken their shirt off in front of you?  Just to change it. Would you ever get in the passenger seat of a car with someone who’s been drinking?  Fuck that. What is a topic you definitely don’t want to talk about with anyone?  How I'm 99% sure I lost my virginity. What is the craziest hairstyle and color you’ve had?  Style, probably what I had before this where I had short hair on most of my left side and it faded to long.  Color, purple. What was your first gaming console?  Original PlayStation. Which fictional villain is your favorite?  Um obviously Darkiplier???????? What’s the last thing you’ve made with your hands?  Hm.  Dunno. Which hair color would you never want to have?  Yellow. Who’s the last person you talked to about sex?  Sara. What is the wallpaper on your phone?  My lock screen is a heavy reminder that I am still straight as fuck for Mark, home screen is my favorite pic of me and Sara. What was the last thing you wrote down?  Stuff at the tattoo/piercing parlor to get my tongue done. What is your least favorite color?  Puke green or olive. What’s the most boring sport to watch?  Golf.  Sara, don't tell your dad I said that.

[dontshootmespence]

Small Creatures

Part 8

I should’ve known that having our relationship known to the rest of the team would eventually come back to bite us. 

Once Morgan returned to work, Spencer and I did our best to keep the PDA to an extreme minimum, especially when we were around him; on my part in particular, the last thing I wanted was to shove my love for Spencer down his throat. So for weeks, I consciously thought about where I was, whom I was near and what I was doing when Spencer was around and I wanted to playfully smack his perfect ass, place a kiss on his cheek or just place my arm around him. I mean, how would you feel seeing your two best friends all over each other when you were in love with one of them? It’d fucking suck, so I made a point not to do it.

During those few weeks, Spencer and I ended up having a couple of one-on-ones with Morgan; he’d been working through a lot of things and needed to share those things with us before he would have the courage to admit it to anyone else.

Not only had he had an enormous crush on Spencer for years now, but when we were younger, he’d questioned his sexuality for the first time because of me.

“Wait, what?” I asked, my head snapping toward where he was standing in the kitchen. The rain outside was steady and teeming; it was calming and I had been allowing myself to zone out to the beating of the water against the street outside. “You…liked me?” My heart dropped into my throat. “We told each other everything…why wouldn’t you tell me? Especially me at that point, I was out and proud basically from the time we met.”

Morgan pushed himself up onto the counter. I had always liked Morgan. For me, our friendship always remained that way because he was my only friend and I didn’t want to ruin it by confessing that I’d always wondered about what would happen if our relationship went further than friendship. But that was the only reason we stayed strictly friends. “I don’t know. You got beat up on occasion, but I think because you were out and proud, people couldn’t bother you about it. You wore it like a badge of pride. Honestly…” He hesitated, wondering how to best word these emotions he could still barely name himself. “I don’t think I could’ve worn my feelings so on my sleeve at that age, which would’ve made me a bigger target than I older was for being the scrawny kid.” It was true; you couldn’t tell by looking at him now, but Morgan was a small kid. “Hell, the idea of telling people now that I’m bisexual makes me want to throw up.”

Despite Morgan’s off rhythm breathing, sweaty brow and the cascade of emotion behind his eyes, I smiled. “What?” He asked. “Why are you smiling? I just said I want to hurl.”

“I’m smiling because the last time we talked you couldn’t even say that you’re bisexual, and right now you just did without thinking about it,” I said, my smile growing wider as recognition dawned on his face.

Morgan leaned back against the refrigerator and took a deep breath. “I guess that’s progress.”

“Damn right, it’s progress,” I replied. Things were still a bit strained between the three of us because Morgan hadn’t fully worked past his feelings for Spencer, but he was still one of my best friends and seeing him come to terms with his true self was definitely a source of pride for me. “Like I said Morgan, everyone’s journey with coming out is different. It means different things. You tell different people. You say it in your own time. Whatever works for you. But considering that last week you couldn’t admit it to yourself, comfortably at least, I’d say that’s definitely a big step.”

Morgan had been making so much progress when it came to himself that Spencer and I hadn’t realized we’d been getting a bit more handsy at work.

Now that the BAU, and the Bureau as a whole, were aware of Spencer and my relationship, we would occasionally sneak kisses in the hallway when we thought no one was looking. “Spence, wait up, I have files I need you to take downstairs.” Today was a crazy day, and we’d barely seen each other with all the running around.

When he turned around, I thanked the stars that he was mine. His out of control hair, big brown eyes, sharp jawline and brilliant smile were all for me. Some people had the privilege of seeing them while he was out and about – at work or down the street grabbing food – but I got to see them when he was in his most comfortable state, at home with me. “Atim? You there?” He chuckled.

“Sorry, I guess I just got sucked in by your smile.”

“You always were the charmer of the two of us,” he laughed.

That I was. My mom and sisters would say I was a charmer from the day I was born. “Can you take these downstairs? I have to get back to Hotch. Apparently, he has a meeting to go to and he wants me to go with.”

As Spencer took the files from my hands, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips, while his free hand skimmed up my back and to the nape of neck, pulling me in as the kiss deepened. When he pulled away, his eyes locked on mine. “That was necessary,” he whispered. 

“Definitely. If only I didn’t have to go to a meeting and we could go to lunch together.” 

Spencer wiped his hair out from in front of his face. “I sense that if we went to lunch, it wouldn’t be so much eating as making out in the back of the car.”

“You know me so well,” I said, smiling as I looked at my watch. “Alright, I seriously do have to go. I’ll see you later.” 

Spencer called down the hallway, drawing attention from the some of the other Bureau members – but he didn’t care and neither did I. “Hey Atim? Way to not say I love you before you leave!”

“Love you, Spencer!” 

“Love you, too!”

After I drifted off in a momentary smile, I started running. I was so late. Within two seconds, I bumped into Morgan at the top of the staircase. “You okay?” I asked, before noticing the stretched smile he wore. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough,” he replied. 

Dating a colleague was a lot harder than I thought it would be. “Sorry, Morgan. We’ll be more careful. I promise.”

Pushing the door open, he sighed. “Don’t worry about it, Atim. I’ve got to get used to it.”

---

After being witness to our kiss and declaration of love right in the middle of the office, Morgan didn’t say a word to either of us; he didn’t seem angry or hurt – he just didn’t say anything. It was nearly a week before he started actively talking to us again, and even then, he just brought up a random conversation about the new Star Wars moving coming out, acting like he hadn’t said a damn word to us all week long.

It was Morgan’s journey, so we didn’t ask him about how he was feeling unless he asked. Maybe him just talking as normal was his way of getting things back to the way they used to be.

After about a month like that, the three of us seemed better than ever. Morgan was smiling again. We’d gone out the three of us and as a team numerous times; the only thing that remained the same as before was the fact that Morgan hadn’t said anything to anyone but us.

“We still going out after work?” Rossi asked, coming up behind JJ, Garcia and Emily as the day came to a close.

“Oh crap,” Morgan said. “I totally forgot tonight was the night we were going to dinner. I think I have to bail.” He grimaced. “Sorry.”

“What? You’re cancelling on me?” Garcia exclaimed, smacking him in the shoulder over and over again. “You better have a good excuse.”

Leaning against her head, he took a deep breath. I could see it; he had a date. “Your truly has been on a dating app recently. I met someone and we’re going out tonight, so you my babygirl will have to fly sans wingman.”

Garcia’s eyes lit up. “Oh my god. You have a date? What’s her name?”

“Actually,” he said. “It’s a he.”

While the rest of the team seemed surprised, Garcia didn’t miss a beat. “Okay, so what’s his name? When can we meet him?” 

“Can I meet him first?” Morgan laughed. His speech was a bit forced and clipped, probably because he was trying to act like he didn’t want to vomit even though he did, but the look in his eyes told Spencer and I that he’d worked passed his biggest hurdle. The team knew he liked men and women. And Garcia in particular hadn’t seemed fazed in the slightest. 

“You’ve never told us about going out with a guy,” Rossi said. It was a question so much a statement of surprise.

Morgan looked up from where Garcia stood – his rock, he worshipped the ground he walked on no matter what – and told Rossi the truth. “Well, it wasn’t until recently that I realized I didn’t just like women, and felt comfortable admitting as much.”

I wanted to hug him right now. Instead, I just beamed with pride. “And his name is Patrick by the way.” 

“Well,” JJ said. “We’ll miss you tonight, but remember to tell Patrick where you work and that your friends will kill him and make it look like an accident if he hurts you.”

“Such hostility from The Pennsylvania Petite,” he laughed. 

Emily added. “No seriously.”

“I’m not going to tell him that, and if you threaten to tell him that I’m never introducing you. Ever.” When his watch beeped, he saw that it was the end of the day and bounced off the desk. “I told him I’d pick him up after I was out of work, so I’m out of here.”

With a smile I hadn’t seen from him in weeks, he pulled on his jacket and started walking toward the elevator. “Oh and babygirl?” He called, pressing the down button on the elevator like his life depended on it. “If you look into his background, I’m going to have to punish you.”

“What? Are you gonna spank me?” She asked. A clearing of the throat startled everyone. 

Hotch was standing right there. “Really Garcia?”

She shrugged in response.

“Have fun Morgan,” Hotch called. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

As the elevator doors closed behind him, I reached back and grabbed Spencer’s hand, giving it a tight squeeze. After all this, the three of us were going to be okay. “Ready to go?” Spencer asked. His stomach was growling and so was mine.

We all started heading out. While everyone else spoke amongst themselves as if something enormous hadn’t just happened before their very eyes, Spencer and I knew differently. The doors closed behind us and the elevator began to descend toward the garage as I pulled out my phone, oblivious to the world around me.

A: Hey. This shouldn’t need clarifying considering we’ve been acting like friends for the past month, but you know me…we’re good?

D: Yea, we’re good man. I’m in the process of getting over Pretty Boy, but I figured the best way was to go out with someone else. Play the field.

A: I’m glad. Tell Patrick I say hi, and I’m with JJ. If he hurts you, I’ll kill him.

Immediately, he replied with an exasperated emoji.

A: And Derek, I’m proud of you.

By the time we were at the car, my phone buzzed again, and so did Spencer’s. Apparently, he’d sent Morgan a similar message.

D: Thank you both. I’m feeling a lot better now. Also, in the midst of everything that happened, I never got the chance to tell you that I’m happy for you both.

The car doors closed, the sounds echoing against the garage as I turned to Spencer. “We’re good,” he said. 

Words were failing me, so I just nodded as we pulled on our seatbelts and made our way to Rossi’s place.

We really were good.

@coveofmemories @sexualemobitch @jamiemelyn @unstoppableangel8 @iammostdefinitelyonfire26 @stunudo @ragweed98 @remember-me-forever-silent-angel @imagicana @ssajenniferjareau @criminal-navy-writings @killerwithashotgun @ultrarebelheart @the-slytherin-ice-queen @reiding-and-writing @bestfluteninja

P.S. Do you want an epilogue? Or should I cut it here?