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shirlleycoyle · 3 years ago

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How 9/11 Became Fan Fiction Canon

Every fictional character you can think of has experienced 9/11 in fanfiction.

A Clone Wars veteran with two lightsabers is on United Airlines Flight 93 and prevents it from crashing. Ron and Hermione get caught up in the chaos as the towers fall. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her friends watch the attacks unfold on TV from Sunnydale. We have spent 20 years trying to process what happened on 9/11 and its fallout, and that messy process can be tracked through the countless, sad, disturbing, and sometimes very funny fanfiction left across the internet.

Many of the fanfics written in the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks seemed to directly respond to the news as it happened, processing the tragedy in real-time through the eyes of characters they loved. In the absence of a canon episode where Daria Morgendorffer paid respects to those lost, writing fanfic about these characters also experiencing trauma helped fans cope.

One YuGiOh fanfic published on fanfiction.net in May 2002 could have been ripped exactly from what this writer experienced that Tuesday morning. “It started as a normal day,” user Gijinka Renamon wrote. Yugi and his friends were in school, where their teacher informed them of the attacks and sent everyone home from school.

“After reading people’s 9/11 fics, I decided to write my own, and put a certain character in it. And Yugi and his pals were my first choice,” the author's note reads, explaining the connection they felt to United flight 93 and the World Trade Center attacks. Given that they lived in Pennsylvania, and “it’s close to New York, I felt really sad about it.”

Stitch, a fandom journalist for Teen Vogue, told Motherboard that this reaction to 9/11 is not at all uncommon in fandom.

"Fandom has always been a place that positions nothing as 'off limits,'" she said. "Historical tragedies like the Titanic sinking and atrocities like… all of World War 2 show up regularly across the past 30 years of people creating stories and art about the characters they love. So, on some level, it makes sense that 9/11 and the following 20-year military installation in the Middle East has joined the ranks of things people in different fandoms turn into settings for their fan fiction."

Reactions depicted in a handful of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanfics published in the weeks after the attacks ring a little truer to the characters. “Tuesday, 11th September 2001,” written by Anna K, almost echoes the lyrics from “I’ve Got a Theory,” one of the songs in the musical episode that aired in November 2001. “We have seen the apocalypse. We have prevented it. Actually, we’ve prevented quite a few. So we know what they look like,” they write, before taking a darker turn. “They look a lot like…New York today.”

Killing demons and vampires doesn’t phase the Scooby Gang, but when preventable human death is brought into the picture, it’s gut wrenching.

“What am I supposed to do…When I can’t do anything to save the world?” Buffy cries into Spike’s chest, watching the attacks unfold on TV in a fanfic the author described as being “about feeling numb and helpless.”

In “Blood Drive,” Kirayoshi writes about Buffy and her friends saving a van full of donated blood meant for victims of the attacks from a group of thirsty vampires. One Buffy the Vampire Slayer fic even takes a blindly patriotic turn, where noted lesbian witch Tara McClay helps Xander hang an American flag from the window of the magic shop to make Anya feel better.

Experiencing 9/11 as a young teenager was overwhelming not just because of the loss of life. Almost immediately after the event itself, it was as if the entirety of American culture re-oriented itself towards an overtly jingoistic stance. As we get distance from the attacks, seeing the tone of television and movies from the early 2000s is jarring, and some have gone viral on Twitter. In the world of pop music, mainstream musicians like the Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, were blacklisted from the radio while Toby Keith sang about putting a boot up the ass of terrorists. On the Disney Channel, a young Shia Labeouf reading a poem he supposedly wrote about the events. The poem concludes with the line, "it's awesome to be an American citizen."

In a world so completely saturated with this messaging, it is not surprising that fanfic authors started including 9/11 in their work so soon after the event. Even The West Wing had a strange, out of continuity, fanfic-esque episode where the characters reacted to 9/11. In some cases, it made sense that the characters in the stories would be close to or a part of the events themselves.

"For characters like John Watson or Captain America, the idea works to an extent," Stitch told Motherboard. "In the original Sherlock Holmes works and the 2011 BBC series, Watson had just returned from Afghanistan. For Captain America and other Marvel heroes, 9/11 was something that was addressed in-universe in The Amazing Spider-Man volume 2 #36. Technically, 9/11 is 'canon' to the Marvel universe."

In “Early Warning: Terrorism,” a fanfiction for the TV show Early Edition in which a man who mysteriously receives tomorrow's newspaper, predicting the future, avoids jingoism, but tries to precent 9/11 from happening. This fanfic remains unfinished; it’s unclear if the characters successfully prevent 9/11 in this retelling.

Largely in fanfic from the era just after 9/11, when many young authors were trying to emotionally grapple with it, the characters don't re-write or undo the events themselves. It's this emphasis on the reaction to tragedy that colors the fanfiction that features 9/11 going forward.

Although fanfiction authors have been writing about 9/11 consistently since soon after the event, whenever that fanfiction reaches outside of its intended audience, it looks bizarre.

A screenshot of a Naruto 9/11 fanfic on the Tumblr subreddit comes without any context, or even more than two lines and an author's note. It’s impossible to suss out if this falls into the category of sincere fanfic without the rest of the piece or a publication date, but modern-day commenters on the Reddit thread see it as classic Tumblr trash.

Screenshot from r/Tumblr

“Bin Laden/Dick Cheney, enemies to lovers, 10k words, slow burn,” one user joked in the replies, underscoring the weirdness of Naruto being in the Twin Towers by comparing it to a What If story about Cheney and Bin Laden slowly falling deeply in love.

It’s hard to tell how much of the 9/11 fanfic and fanart starting a few years after the attacks is sincere, and how much of it is ironic, and trying to make fun of the very concept of writing fanfiction about 9/11.

A 2007 anime music video (in which various clips, usually from anime, are cut together to music) that combines scenes from The Lion King with Linkin Park’s “Crawling” and clips from George Bush’s speeches immediately after the attacks feels like the perfect example of this. Even the commenters can’t seem to suss out if this person is a troll or not.

There’s no way that My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic 9/11 fanart could be serious, right? Especially if the description pays tribute to “some of the nation's most memorable buildings,” and features five of the main characters as child versions of themselves. The comments again are split between users thanking the artist for a thoughtful remembrance post, and people making their own headcanon for why Twilight Sparkle is surreptitiously absent from the scene.

Screengrab via DeviantArt

There’s Phineas and Ferb fanfic that combines a 9/11 tribute concert with flashbacks to Ferb being rescued from the towers as a baby, written on the 10th anniversary of the attacks. It jumps from introspection to lines like, “‘Quiet Perry the Platypus. I’m trying to listen to these kids singing a 9/11 tribute.’”

The author's notes make it more likely that they meant for this to be a tribute piece, but it doesn’t quite make sense until watching a YouTube dramatic reading of it from 2020, fully embracing the absurdity of it all.

“For me, 9/11 is synonymous with war. It completely changed the course of my life," Dreadnought, the author of a Captain America fanfic Baghdad Waltz that sees Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes fall in love over the course of the war on terror, told Motherboard. "It’s the reason I joined the military, and I developed deep connections with people who would go on to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq. These very much felt like my generation’s wars, perhaps because people I graduated high school with were the youngest folks eligible to serve at the time.”

Dreadnought told Motherboard that although they didn't deploy, their career has kept 9/11 and the trauma from it in their mind. After seeing that people who fantasize about Steve and Bucky getting together seemed particularly interested in reading fanfiction that related to 9/11, they decided to try their hand at it.

"I had to do something with all of that emotionally, and I’m admittedly a bit emotionally avoidant. So I learned through fic that it’s easier for me to process those feelings and the knowledge of all the awful stuff that can happen in war if I can turn it into something creative," Dreadnought said. "Give the feelings to fake people and then have those fake people give the feelings to readers!"

To Dreadnought, who is a queer man, the experience of researching and writing this was more cathartic than they first expected, especially as a way to navigate feelings about masculinity, military culture, and queer identity. But they said the research they did, which included watching footage of first responders at ground zero, was what helped them finally process the event itself.

"It was like a delayed horror, and it was more powerful than I expected it would be." Dreadnought said. "When I was eighteen, I was pretty emotionally divorced from 9/11; I just knew I wanted to do something about it. So coming back to it in my 30s while writing this fic, it was a very different experience. Even the research for this story ended up being an extraordinarily valuable exercise in cognitively and emotionally processing 9/11 and all of its second and third order effects."

Fanfiction that features 9/11 provides an outlet for people who still grapple with the trauma from that day. But Stitch warns that the dynamics of fandom and how it relates to politics can also create fiction that's less respectful and more grotesque.

"With years of distance between the stories written and the original events of 9/11, there seems to be some sort of cushion for fans who choose to use those events as a catalyst for relationships—and Iraq and Afghanistan for settings," Stitch said. "The cushion allows them room to fictionalize real world events that changed the shape of the world as we know it, but it also insulates them from having to think about what they may be putting into the world."

The tendency of turning these events into settings or backgrounds for mostly white, male characters to fall in love has the unintended effect of displacing the effects that the war on terror has had on the world over. Steve and Bucky might fall in love during the war on terror, but they would also be acting as a part of the American military in a war that has been criticized since it started. Fanfic writers in other fandoms have come under fire for using real world tragedy as settings for fic before. In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake Supernatural fanfiction about the actors Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki going to the island to do aid became controversial within the fandom. There have also been fics where characters grapple with the death of George Floyd that is written in a way that displaces the event from the broader cultural context of race in America.

"A Captain America story where Steve Rogers is a 'regular' man who joins the US Army and 'fights for our freedom' post-9/11 is unlikely to deal with the war’s effect on locals who are subject to US military intervention," Stitch said. "It’s unlikely to sit with what Captain America has always meant and what a writer is doing by dropping Steve Rogers into a then-ongoing conflict in any capacity."

After enough time, “never forget” can even morph into “but what if it never happened?” A 19k+ word Star Wars alternate universe fanfic asks this question, wondering what would have unfolded if someone with two lightsabers was on United Flight 93. This fic, part of a larger fanfic series with its own Wikia, considers what would have happened if Earth was a military front in the Clone Wars.

In this version of events, a decorated general who served in the Clone Wars is able to take back control of Flight 93 before it crashes, landing safely and preventing even more tragedy from happening that day. In the end, all of the passengers who made harrowing last calls to their loved ones before perishing in a Pennsylvania field survive thanks to the power of the Force, and are awarded medals of honor by President Bush.

Twenty years after the attacks, it’s painful to think about what would have happened if people got to work 15 minutes later, or missed their trains that morning. There weren’t Jedi masters deployed to save people in real life, but for some of the fanfic writers working today, the world of Star Wars might feel just as removed as the world before September 11, 2001.

Fiction serves as a powerful playground for processing cultural events, especially generational trauma. The act isn't neutral though; a decade's worth of fanfiction that takes place on or around 9/11 shows how our own understanding of a traumatic event can shift with time.

How 9/11 Became Fan Fiction Canon syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

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girlactionfigure · 3 years ago

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In "Long Walk to Freedom", Nelson Mandela said:

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."

~~~~~

His tombstone has no name.

He was called "a man of a great many ethics, and very intense about his human rights beliefs, causes he could never put down."

Before his journey, however, he did and said things he would later regret.

He was born in 1943, two days after July 4th.

Growing up in a conservative environment on military bases in Georgia and South Carolina, he admitted he was a "white racist" and a homophobic.

“I spent most of my life putting others down,” he said.

He was part of the crowd shouting, "2 - 4 - 6 - 8, we don't want to integrate."

He said he "idolized the Confederate flag . . . [it was] a symbol of the past and the way things were and they should still be. Not necessarily slavery, but the white of white—the right of white oppression.”

He also subscribed to the myth that “to be gay it meant that I had to wear a woman’s dress, I had to molest little children, and I had to go in bathrooms and watch people.”

“I had a low self-image of myself. So if I could have someone who was lower than I was, the Black American… even . . . Jewish people in general . . . as long as I could put someone else down, then I wasn’t the lowest person on the totem pole. So I spent most of my life putting others down.”

“I’d use the word queer and fag*ot and put gays down,” he admitted.

~~~~~

"He followed his father’s footsteps into the Air Force in 1963 at the age of 19 and served three tours in Vietnam," according to writer David Roza in June 2021's Task and Purpose military news.

Despite the beliefs he grew up with, he became a hero.

He earned a Bronze Star for killing two Viet Cong soldiers attacking his post while he was on sentry duty, according to the Washington Post. He later earned a Purple Heart for being wounded after stepping on a Viet Cong land mine.

At that time, he still was wary of anyone different than him and still believed in the stereotypes he grew up with.

In the military, outside in the world, however, he started questioning his previous beliefs and those stereotypes.

He became friends with a Vietnamese interpreter and learned about other cultures.

He then became friends with a Black colleague.

After getting to know his Black friend, he told himself, “‘he’s different, he’s not like the rest.’ And then I met another Black who was different, not like the rest, and then another one who was different, not like the rest. Until I began to look around and see so many different individuals.”

He also started learning about himself.

"Over time, his bias against homosexuals began to fade, along with his bias against African-Americans, who he found himself serving alongside and taking orders from during his time in the Air Force," wrote Roza.

“One stereotype after another stereotype started to crumble,” he told The New York Times.

Learning about others led him to learn more about himself.

He realized he went to Vietnam to prove he was masculine, he said, but instead he became something more.

He found the courage to be himself.

He said he always knew, but had continued to deny it.

“In September 1975, a stunning issue of TIME magazine hit the newsstands,” according to writer Kay Tobin Lahusen. “On the cover was the photo of a young man wearing his Air Force uniform."

“I am a homosexual” read the title in bold under the airman’s uniformed portrait.

"His name tag said 'Matlovich'."

Leonard Matlovich.

The Peace Page has previously shared stories of Leonard Matlovich, but this story includes some rare insights, including words from Matlovich himself.

~~~~~

When Matlovich appeared in Time, “It marked the first time the young gay movement had made the cover of a major newsweekly,” according to author Randy Shilts in his 1993 book "Conduct Unbecoming", about discrimination against lesbians and gays in the military. “To a movement still struggling for legitimacy, the event was a major turning point.”

“Even the most hardened homophobe had to take pause when he reviewed Matlovich’s record,” Shilts wrote. “Credentials such as a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and twelve years of outstanding service meant something that civilians could barely imagine.”

Matlovich's media appearances had a big effect on America,” according to David Addlestone, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union. "He was a patriotic, conservative middle-class war hero. He destroyed the popular myth of homosexuality."

Matlovich, the LGBTQ rights pioneer, was the first gay service member to purposely out himself to the military to fight their ban on gays, and perhaps the best-known openly gay man in the United States of America in the 1970s next to Harvey Milk.

He was “inspired and guided by gay rights pioneer Frank Kameny, who had been looking for a test court case to challenge the military’s ban on homosexuals," according to Making Gay History.

“He … was the epitome of a perfect soldier, one of those people that stuck his neck out, and he was proud to be the person to challenge that law,” Jeff Dupre, a longtime friend of Matlovich, told NPR in 2015.

He “was the kind of serviceman the air force prided itself on,” according to writer Naveena Kottoor.

When he finally came out, at the age of 30, he was warned that he would be throwing “away 13 years of military service and a pension", according to Addlestone.

When “an Air Force attorney asked him if he would sign a document pledging to ‘never practice homosexuality again’ in exchange for being allowed to remain in the Air Force,” he refused.

He replied that “he couldn't live a lie" any longer.

In October of 1975 - despite his exemplary military record, tours of duty in Vietnam, and high performance evaluations - Leonard Matlovich was ruled unfit for service and discharged, according to Back 2 Stonewall.

“In 1980 he finally won reinstatement, which he declined; the Air Force upgraded him to an honorable discharge,” according to "Gay Alternatives".

~~~~~

“Throughout American history, LGBTQ+ citizens have fought to defend our rights and freedoms -- from the Founding of our nation to the Civil War, from the trenches of two World Wars to Korea and Vietnam, and from Afghanistan to Iraq,” said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III in the Opening Remarks at DOD Pride Month Event, June 9, 2021.

“They fought for our country even when our country wouldn’t fight for them . . . Even as some were forced to hide who they were… or to hang up their uniforms.”

~~~~~

Matlovich’s case inspired other enlisted gay and lesbian people to fight for their right to serve, including Navy officer Vernon E. “Copy” Berg, according to Making Gay History.

“Matlovich’s LGBTQ activism did not end with his court case. He lent his voice and influence to several battles against homophobia: Anita Bryant’s anti-gay crusade; California Proposition 6, which sought to ban gay and lesbian teachers from public schools.”

In June 1987, Matlovich was one of 64 demonstrators arrested protesting the White House’s AIDS policies,” according to the Washington Post.

“He also contributed to the founding of Affirmation, an affinity group for LGBTQ Mormons, and forced Northwest Airlines to end its discriminatory policy regarding passengers with AIDS.”

“Matlovich [is also] lovingly memorialized on the AIDS Quilt."

In June 2019, Matlovich was one of the inaugural 50 American “pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes” inducted on the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor within the Stonewall National Monument (SNM) in New York City’s Stonewall Inn, the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights and history, and the wall’s unveiling was timed to take place during the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

~~~~~

Matlovich said that his fight was inspired by Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr. whose portrait he had in his home.

"He explicitly gave credit to the black Civil Rights Movement, and Martin Luther King Jr. specifically, for giving him more courage to understand that gays were a minority group and they had not just the right, but the obligation to fight for their own rights," said Michael Bedwell, Matlovich's best friend and estate executor.

Dr. Martin Luther King said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere", which his widow Coretta Scott King reminded everyone of, when she spoke out for gay rights.

In an interview with Studs Terkel, Matlovich said, "the debt I owe to Black Americans, and probably the debt that America owes to Black Americans, probably will never be repaid. Because they have shown us that through perseverance and determination, the laws can be changed, and attitudes can be changed.”

It inspired him to be a race relations counselor, easing racial tensions in the service.

"He was brilliant at it," said Bedwell. "At his discharge hearing, one of his supervisors that was African-American testified he was one of best race relations instructors they had."

Some of his strongest supporters were Black.

"Out of the 20-some witnesses that came on my behalf, there were three white witnesses and about 19 Black," Matlovich said. "And it seemed—to me, it was a little shameful to me that, I remember back in my white racist days, that the very individuals who I put down came to my aid when I needed it the most. I guess people can forgive and forget, and people can change . . . You’re never too old to change and to become enlightened and to change."

~~~~~

Matlovich said the most difficult part of his journey was having to tell his parents, especially his father.

“He cried when he first heard about it. It’s, it’s hard to have a child that’s gay in America today because they are so discriminated against.”

But, in the end, he supported his son, saying, “If he can take it. I can.”

The picture attached to this story from Making Gay History is 19-year-old Leonard Matlovich, center, at his Air Force induction, May 1963. At right is his father, Air Force veteran Leonard C. Matlovich. Credit: Courtesy of the Matlovich Family.

~~~~~

“Just to love and be loved, I think is very, very beautiful,” Matlovich said. “And that parents growing up today will give our little children guns, and we are very proud of them when they play Cowboys and Indians and run around. But when they show emotions and, and love. . . people get uptight, and they’re so afraid that their child may, may love. It’s very sad.”

Growing up and realizing he was gay, he said in an interview with the New York Times in 1975:

"I cried. I wept, hoping it would change. I believed absolutely that homosexuality was terrible and degrading."

In the interview with Terkel, he said:

“Jesus said that you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. And I believe that truth is who you are and what you are. And once you know those things, you are set free. And once you can accept who you are and what you are, then you can love others. You can’t love others until you love yourself, and as long as you hate yourself you’re gonna hate others.”

In his last public speech before he died, Matlovich tearfully said, “I want you to look at the flag, our rainbow flag, and I want you to look at it with pride in your heart, because we too have a dream. And what is our dream? Ours is more than an American dream. It's a universal dream. Because in South Africa, we're black and white, and in Northern Ireland, we're Protestant and Catholic, and in Israel we're Jew and Muslim. And our mission is to reach out and teach people to love, and not to hate. "

~~~~~

Matlovich said, “I knew, for example, that when Americans went to the Vietnam Memorial to remember and honor those who gave their lives fighting that horrible war, it never occurred to them that some of those who were the strongest, bravest and most heroic were also gay.”

He was buried with full military honors at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C. The inscription on his tombstone, which he wrote himself and is meant to be a memorial to all gay veterans, has no name.

It simply reads:

"A Gay Vietnam Veteran"

and the words . . .

"When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one."

~~~~~

“It’s a crazy mixed up world we live in," he said, "when we’re rewarded for killing and hating, and punished for loving."

~ jsr

The Jon S. Randal Peace Page

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leland-chapman-the-bounty-hunter · 4 years ago

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Murder Under The Cold Moon

So, I wrote a short story for my creative writing class. Underneath the cut is like the third (?) draft of it. It sits at about 4.8k words at the moment and I think that there might be some more content that I could add to it. Other than that, I think that is it.

TW for depictions of violence-none of it graphic & mentions of underage drug use.

Duke was never one to find his place with the other children on the street. It not like he couldn't just go up to them and ask them to play. They would easily bring him into his group. But he never felt connected to any of them, honestly. The kids were a few years younger than him. Just starting first grade or kindergarten while he was nearing middle school. They were just other kids that his mom forced him to play with whenever she was in sight. But since she wasn't, he wasn't about to pretend to play with these children. The ones who really only played with him because their parents forced them to do so.

Rather, his pants were rolled up to his ankles and his sleeves pulled up to his elbows. His shoes were half a mile down the creek and his jacket a mere quarter of a mile downstream. The water neared body temperature and if you were already in the water by the time its temperature started rising, you didn't feel it at all. Duke's hands finished in the water for tadpoles. Each time he dipped them in, his hands came out as red as a tomato but only a few degrees warmer than his skin. Not too hot but just warm enough to feel a difference.

Duke rummaged around in the water for a few more minutes before he came up empty-handed again. He had heard the frogs at night, so why were there no tadpoles? Were they just too far away for him to get to them? The calls of the other children neared. His cue to pack up and leave even though he wanted to wade in the water alone for a bit more. Duke rushed back to his clothing. The mud clinging to his feet with every step he took until the mud-caked on his feet was nearly a pound of extra weight.

Duke pulled himself up the bank and to the top of the drop-off. His church jacket-a light beige in color and too thick for the weather outside-was in the place he last put it, hanging on a small oak tree branch that still had some bend to it. He stomped off the mud as best as he could, wiping what little was left of the mud onto the grass. Duke only had to walk a bit before his dress shoes came into view. Then, his house which lay on the right side of the creek a mile and a half from where Duke had been before the kids had come. Even from all the way back where he was, he could see the smiles on their still chubby cheeks. No more than four years younger than Duke right now.

"Duke," His mother chastised as he walked through the door and into the mudroom where he began stepping down to his underwear. "I thought I told you not to play in the creek today."

"No, you said not to play in the creek tomorrow. That's when Charlie is coming."

"I said Sunday, Duke. Sunday. Not Monday." His mother let out a sigh. "I'll go put out some more Sunday clothes for you but no more playing outside, do you hear me? I want you to look nice when your cousin gets here."

It wasn't like Duke needed to make a good first impression on Charlie. He had already made the first impression when the whole family had a reunion at Kings Island and he threw up on Charlie after one of those tilt-a-whirl rides. Even though he barely remembered the memory, only the stories, Charlie had still been old enough at the time that he would remember the incident with more clarity than he did.

Duke placed his dirty clothes into the washer with the rest of the clothes that waited to be washed. From there, he headed to the bathroom to wash what little mud remained on his body. His own room connected to the bathroom much like his mother and father's room was. Soon, the number of toothbrushes would go from three to four with the arrival of his cousin. He wasn't all too sure about how he felt. On one hand, he was excited to see the cousin that he had seen so long ago. On the other, he wondered if Charlie would even feel the need to come out of his room. That he really only needed to come out for mealtimes and that Duke wouldn't see him for the year that he stayed at their house. Like a ghost that they couldn't get rid of.

His father said he was a troublemaker. That he had been sent here to straighten up as a last resort before he was off to military school. Charlie could not have been that bad. The last time Duke saw him, he was still blonde-haired and blue-eyed. The spitting image of Captain America. They only really saw each other at family reunions and those stopped back when Charlie was around eight or nine. His mother and father wouldn't tell him why How bad could he have messed up in the year or two since he had last seen him? Duke knew he had been raised in nearly the same God-fearing household as Duke did.

Duke wandered into his room. His eyes fixated on the small suit that had been laid out in front of him on his bed. Duke didn't struggle with putting it on. He had spent too many Sundays he now spent putting one on for church. Ever since he could dress, he had been tasked with doing it himself. His parents are too busy to help him anymore. Even if he wanted help, he wouldn't be able to get it since there was going to be a new arrival coming to the house was so soon. His mom was portably putting

"Duke!" His mother called from somewhere in the house. "Charlie and his family just pulled up. Get to the door!"

Duke hurried to the front door. Did he look okay? He checked himself in the mirror that hung above the bench one last time before he turned to the front door. His hair did not have a single strand out of place. His hair was still gelled back from that morning's service. Would his aunt and uncle recognize him if he opened the door? They had to, right? He didn't think he had changed all that much between when they last saw him and now. The car doors slammed shut. A rush of adrenaline ran through Duke's body. Three shadows appeared in front of the frosted glass. Duke rushed to place his hand on the cool metal of the doorknob before they did. Duke flung open the door with a little more ferocity than he would have liked.

Charlie now sported long, black hair. His jeans ripped and his eyeliner muddied. The leather jacket he wore looked new as if he had just bought it. Long gone were the days of a weirdly patriotic love for America that his blue eyes and blonde hair once said. It looked like he would end up kicking a kitten while it was down instead of picking it up off of the ground and carrying it five miles to the vet as Duke had once heard about him. Charlie looked like the kind of man that Duke's mom told him to stay far away from when they walked through the city. A far cry from the stories his mother would tell him when His face hardened with the rebellious teen years that Duke was only a few years away from.

"Well hello there Duke." His aunt smiled down at him. Her hair was just as blonde as Charlie's once was. "We haven't seen you in a while, it's been what? Two years?"

Duke's mom and dad rushed in before he could answer and ushered his aunt and uncle into the living room which left only Charlie and Duke to ponder in silence while awaiting further instruction. Charlie didn't look all too rebellious. Nor did he look like he was worried about the possibility of being shipped off to military school next summer if he didn't shape up. His face was stone cold. Tired, almost. Even though the drive from his aunt and uncle's house wasn't that far. Duke's mother soon came back with a smile on her face still. Her smile was surely more painted on than real.

"Please show Charlie to the guest room. We'll have dinner at five."

Duke began his walk in the opposite direction as his parents. Charlie's footsteps followed a bit later. The guest room was right across from Duke's and had stood empty aside from a bed for as long as he could remember. Only a few months ago had there been additions of a bookshelf and a dresser. Duke flung open the door to the room with a smile painted over his face and gestured for Charlie to take a few steps inside. His suitcase landed on the bed as he passed it. His hands rested on it for a few seconds before he began flinging the clothes across the room towards the dresser.

"So you're going to be my new roommate for a while." Charlie turned towards Duke. "Or I am going to be your new roommate."

Duke forced a smile as he continued to watch Charlie unpack his only suitcase. His backpack was just as thick as his suitcase and filled with books and records. Though, he had no record player to play them on. Everything from Prince to Guns N Roses. Charlie placed them onto the desk with a smile as if they were his best friends and he hadn't seen them in a while. It was odd but Duke wasn't about to call Charlie weird for it. Duke was the one who didn't talk to the local children because he'd rather find tadpoles that were 'too icky' for him. Charlie turned back to Duke and gestured to them for Duke to flip through a few of them.

"You can take one and listen to them if you'd like." Charlie seemed so nonchalant about it. He flung the last of his clothes-all of them black in color-towards the dresser.

"Mom wouldn't like it if I listened to these. She says they're of the devil."

"So I bet she doesn't let you play one of these then, either." Duke turned to see what Charlie was talking about. He held up a Gameboy. Duke shook his head. "Well then, your parents really are no fun."

"Dinner!"

His mother's voice echoed down the hallway and towards the pair. He had lifted one to inspect it even further. Duke nearly dropped the record in that he had in his hands to the ground. Charlie jumped from his spot at the edge of the bed and crossed the room in a matter of milliseconds. He turned from the window with a speed that Duke had never seen. What? How did he move that fast? Duke had never seen someone move that fast before in his life. He didn't even think that it was possible.

"Come on, dinner is ready. Don't be late."

Duke moved towards his mother's voice. But Charlie wasn't behind him. Charlie did not leave his room. Duke didn't hear his footsteps behind him as Duke made his way into the dining room. He shrugged. Charlie would have to come out eventually since he would eventually get hungry. He would have to get hungry sometimes. Duke's mother sat down at the table after putting the finishing touches on the dinner table. The ham steamed as did the mashed potatoes and gravy. Duke didn't even think he heard his mother heat up the asparagus in the microwave. He guessed he was too busy talking to Charlie to hear anything else. He was just ready to eat but his mom outstretched his hand towards him. Duke took her hand without thinking. Now the real praying could begin. They all bowed their heads down in silent prayer.

"I knew he'd want to unpack." Duke's aunt rolled her eyes. "You'll have to excuse him. His manners have seemed to have evaded him as he's gotten older."

"He seems like a sweet enough kid. I wouldn't put it past him to just want to unpack and decompress from the car ride here."

Charlie's dad bowed his head over the food once more. His hands folded in front of him. His lips moved fast. Too fast for any

"He's definitely not sweet," Charlie's dad lifted his head from bowing it to pray over his meal since none of Duke's family had said the prayer out loud. They had all been distracted by conversation to do it. "You wanna know what the final straw was?"

"What was it?" Duke's father scooted towards the table and bowed his own head over his meal for a moment before digging in. "What are we getting into?"

"What?" Charlie's dad smiled. "The old ball and chain didn't tell you all about her nephew?"

Her nephew? Charlie was their nephew, his cousin. If his uncle was joking then Charlie certainly didn't pick up on it.

"So what did he do?" Duke's dad let out a sigh as he dug into the food and began passing it out to everyone. "What are we in for?

"He tried burning down the high school. He kept rambling on about how the students there were worthless and needed to die."

"Well, that doesn't seem so bad." Duke's mom chimed in.

"It's arson, Susan." Charlie's dad turned towards her. "He's also been investigated for kidnapping."

"Kidnapping too?" Duke's mom lifted her head. "You didn't tell me that he was being investigated for kidnapping!"

Duke wasn't as worried as his mother. Charlie was a good kid from what Duke had seen over the years. When it rained at King's Island the summer before Duke turned six, he had given Duke his jacket. He helped a young girl find her mother after she lost sight of her when she got off of the ride. There was no way that he had even been a person of interest in kidnapping cases.

"He was never charged and he was only a person of interest. You still have to take him. We're not bringing him back to town after he kicked up so much trouble there."

Charlie's father let his head fall and began making good on his food. The rest of dinner was silent. None of them spoke and the only noises were the forks and knives on the plates. Duke wasn't going to make much noise. He was ready to finish dinner and do whatever he wanted. His suit was now fitting too tight around his neck. Like it was strangling him. Charlie was a good person, he reminded himself. Charlie is a good person. He is not the reason those kids went missing.

Duke wandered back to the closed door about a dozen times between the end of dinner and now, as he walked to his bedroom. He had cleaned up the dishes and put them into the dishwasher for further cleaning. His parents and aunt and uncle had gone into the living to talk. He didn't care for his mother's gloating. He didn't care for his father's pride in his work. His aunt and uncle boasted about their own achievements as well as if none of them were proud of each other.

"Alright, I think we're going to head out. We don't want to be too tired when we go into work tomorrow." Duke's uncle's voice echoed down the hall. His figure appeared a few seconds later and waved at Duke in the hallway. "See you at Thanksgiving, Duke."

Did they make plans for Thanksgiving already? Duke waved back to his uncle with a smile. "See you then, Uncle Jim."

"See you at Thanksgiving, Charlie." Duke's aunt called down the hall.

Duke waved back at the two figures at the end of the hall before they disappeared into the front room near the front door. Charlie's own parents were now gone. Charlie would only have Duke's parents for the next few months. Duke's parents came back to the bathroom a few moments later and spent the next twenty minutes cleaning up before both their room and the bathroom light went dark. Duke went to his room but didn't feel the need to change just yet. He wanted to stay up a bit longer and changing into pajamas now meant that the day was over.

Duke turned around in his bedroom for a few moments. He waited until the snores of his parents echoed off of the bathroom walls back towards Duke's room. That's when Duke made his way to Charlie's room. He needed to know if Charlie was the one who had kidnapped those kids. If someone dangerous was living in his house. Duke raised a hand, ready to knock but the door swung open before he could even have the chance to open it himself. It was almost as if Charlie had known that he was there.

"What are you doing up so late?" Charlie asked as he leaned against the doorframe. His hair was now tied back into a ponytail and only his jeans remained. He smelled of something that Charlie could not place but had smelled many times before when passing by the bathroom stalls at school. Duke had immediately forgotten the questions he was going to ask Charlie. "Your parents went to bed like half an hour ago."

Even though it was later than Duke had stayed up on most nights reading books by flashlight or waiting long enough to sneak out of the house and look at the stars. Especially on the night before going back to school. It was only seven at night the light had faded more than Duke would have hoped. He was too scared to admit to anyone that he was still scared of the dark even though he was ten. Charlie's face was hidden mostly in shadows but Duke could still see the contours of his face. Here, he looked like one of the monsters that Duke had imagined crawling through his windows at night.

When Charlie stepped into the light of the hallway, Duke noticed how pale Charlie's skin had gotten. So pale that his white skin had seemed to turn grey. His lips had crusted over. His blue eyes had turned a deep shade of blue.

"I could ask you the same thing." Duke straightened his back as if that would make him taller.

"I was just about to go out for a walk. Do you want to come?"

Duke pondered on it for a minute. "Wouldn't mom and dad be mad at us? We're not supposed to be out past sunset."

"Well I'm going out," Charlie pushed past Duke and towards the front door. "Don't feel like you have to lie for me either."

Millie Report had been told to go straight home after Sunday school. That her babysitter would be waiting for her when she got home. Her parents left on a business trip Instead of picking her up all the way across town, they would just meet in the middle back at her house. After that, they would end up going to the local diner for a late dinner. Then she would be sent off to bed. She had told her parents that she was old enough to make it home. After all, she was nearly twelve years old. The town was small enough that she had eyes on her every time she passed a house and even a little bit past that.

Millie checked her County road J would soon turn into county road K. As soon as it became K, she would take an immediate right. That's what the piece of paper she had in her hands said. Even though she and her family walked to church and back every Sunday, she had never really paid attention to what kind of turns they made. She was always picking up rocks or sticks alongside the road and messing up her pastel-colored dresses. Don't you dare mess up another dress, Millie. Her mother's voice rang out in her head as she spotted another pretty rock on the ground. No. She would keep her dress clean. She would make sure that she could be seen as someone who could walk back home on her own.

The sun had already set behind Millie and the roads were getting darker behind her. The fall air whipped around her and she chastised herself for not bringing a jacket. Each footstep crunched underneath her. The gravel that her parents had told her had once made these roads had turned into dust after years and years of wear. But that was long before she had been born and long before her family had been born.

Millie kept walking on county road J for at least half a mile before someone else appeared in front of her. A dark figure that she had never seen before. She squinted into the distance and tried to make sense of what was right in front of her eyes. She paused in the middle of the road. Her eyes scanned the shadow for a moment before it eventually got close enough for her to see who it was. A young man who she had never seen before. Even in her twelve years of life, she had been introduced to every family that lived in the town. Every face had been burned into her nearly photogenic memory. Though, her way home evaded her every single time she tried to make the walk home alone. What a terrible memory she had then, she assumed.

The man-made his way towards her as if he were going to the church. Millie checked her watch. It was nearing seven at night and in the hour that it had taken her to get this close to home, she knew that it would be closed down by now. She cursed herself for staying back to help out the pastor clean up from the Sunday evening mass. Even if there weren't many children for her to help with Sunday school. A lot of people had already come and gone that morning when most of the town had service. But a lot of people came back just for the fun of it. Even if it was the same service as before.

His body was only lit up by a few lights that the townspeople had put out onto the road so that no one would end up in a ditch. His feet crunched the bits and pieces of old and dried-out wood that had covered the ground. Where could he have been going? He turned his attention to her, his face lit up in flickers by fire that had come out of his lighter. He turned his attention to Millie. His long, gangly face lit up just as much as the light that appeared to come from a lighter. She didn't get a good look at what he was wearing which wouldn't help her if he did anything suspicious.

"Well hello there." His smile had grown inhumanly large. He moved closer to her. His eyes flashed dangerously dark as he flicked the lighter off. "What's your name?"

"M-my name is Millie." Her name felt odd on her lips. She had rarely ever spoken it. Fear flushed her face. She shouldn't have given her name to a stranger."W-who are you?"

"Millie. I like that name."

The man flicked on the lighter once more.

"I asked you what your name was."

The lighter flicked off.

"The name is Charlie. But I ask the questions here."

"What do you...what do you want to ask me?" Millie's voice caught in her throat as she tried to keep her composure.

"Where you're going," Charlie said that in a more matter-of-fact tone than the tone of someone who was asking a question. "What you're doing out alone this late at night."

"I'm-I don't think I should answer any of your questions. My parents said not to speak to strangers."

"But we're not strangers." Charlie flicked on the lighter to show off his inhuman smile, now adorned with rows upon rows of sharpened teeth. Saliva dripped off of his teeth and onto his bottom lip. "We're friends."

"We-we're not friends." Millie took a few steps back. "I should get home."

"Oh no," Charlie dropped the lighter down to the ground. "You should come with me."

Millie tried going around him but he had wrapped around her quicker than she could get away. Her whole body shook as he held her close to his chest. His breath-warm, hot, and sticky-brushed against her neck. Each breath was deep and heavy. He hadn't even said a word before Millie decided that she needed to put up a fight. She kicked and screamed until her voice was raw and her legs were tired. Each kick only brought her closer to him and each scream only came to crush her lungs. Her screams echoed across the trees.

Finally, she dropped her attention down to the arms that restrained her. Her mouth opened and laid a bit down onto his arm. Charlie let out a roar. Millie sprinted off into the darkness. Her heart pounded in her chest as she made her way down to her house. The sound of her heart echoed down to her bones. Her whole body ached. Charlie's footsteps weren't far behind her.

"Don't you dare run from a friend." Charlie's voice was louder than thunder on a rainy night. "Don't you dare run from me."

The footsteps came closer and closer to Millie. Millie had nowhere to turn. Nowhere to hide. The open road is what faced both of them. Her attention was on the road ahead of her and not the road behind her. Nor the road below her. Her foot caught on a stick and she tumbled down into the earth. The dirt kicked up into her mouth. Charlie's hands wrapped around her and flipped her over. His teeth flashed in the moonlight. His face was long and garish. Millie's screams echoed throughout the night. His teeth sank into her neck.

"This morning is a sad day for Archbold Township as we are looking for one of our own. Millie Report has come up missing." The newscaster's perma-smile had faded. "She was last seen walking home from Sunday school at six last night. She took country road J home. She was seen in a yellow dress and a pair of white converse, freshly bought. The police have no main suspects right now but if you have any information on the whereabouts of Millie Report, please contact the police at the number below."

Duke's family always watched the morning news before they headed out for the day. During the week-only in the summer-Duke had to follow one of his parents to work. This week, he was going with his mom to her secretary job it was still too early for Duke to comprehend most of it. His backpack rested on the bench where his mom had put it the night previous. Duke flattened out his jeans a bit as he tried to wipe the sweat that had pooled on his hands. He knew Millie. She went to middle school but her younger sister was in the same class as Duke.

Charlie had been outside that night. Duke had seen him head out but he had never heard him come back inside so he had no idea how long Charlie had been out the previous night. He couldn't be the one who kidnapped Millie. He hadn't even been there a whole day. There is no way he would cause trouble that soon.

Charlie stumbled out of his room and into the living room. He wiped the sleep from his eyes. His jeans were covered in a maroon substance that only Duke noticed before Charlie rushed back to his room to change. His mother and father turned their faces towards the noise but didn't catch Charlie's form. Charlie came out a few moments later with a fresh set of clothes and a smile on his face.

"Neither of you are to leave this house until Millie Report is found, do you hear me?"

Charlie and Duke frantically nodded. Duke's mother turned back to the TV and wrung her hands in worry. Charlie turned towards Duke as he flashed him a deadly smile.

He bowed down to Duke's ear, "Maybe if you took the opportunity to come with me last night, Millie wouldn't have had to run away from me."

#short story #creative writing #short horror story #writblr #writeblr #writblur #author #writers of tumblr #writers on tumblr

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gov-info · 4 years ago

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President Joe Biden Delivers Inaugural Address

Chief Justice Roberts, Vice President Harris. Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, McConnell, Vice President Pence, my distinguished guests and my fellow Americans, this is America's day.

This is democracy's day. A day of history and hope of renewal and resolve through a crucible for the ages. America has been tested anew and America has risen to the challenge. Today, we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause, the cause of democracy. The people, the will of the people, has been heard and the will of the people has been heeded.

We've learned again that democracy is precious. Democracy is fragile. At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.

From now, on this hallowed ground, where just a few days ago, violence sought to shake the Capitol's very foundation, we come together as one nation, under God, indivisible to carry out the peaceful transfer of power, as we have for more than two centuries.

As we look ahead in our uniquely American way: restless, bold, optimistic, and set our sights on the nation we can be and we must be.

I thank my predecessors of both parties for their presence here today. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. And I know, I know the resilience of our Constitution and the strength, the strength of our nation. As does President Carter, who I spoke with last night, who cannot be with us today, but whom we salute for his lifetime of service.

I've just taken the sacred oath. Each of those patriots have taken. The oath, first sworn by George Washington. But the American story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us, on we the people who seek a more perfect union.

This is a great nation. We are good people. And over the centuries, through storm and strife, in peace and in war, we've come so far. But we still have far to go. We'll press forward with speed and urgency, for we have much to do in this winter of peril and significant possibilities, much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build, and much to gain.

Few people in our nation's history have been more challenged or found a time more challenging or difficult than the time we're in now. Once-in-a-century virus that silently stalks the country. It's taken as many lives in one year as America lost in all of World War II. Millions of jobs have been lost. Hundreds of thousands of businesses closed. A cry for racial justice, some four hundred years in the making moves us. The dream of justice for all will be deferred no longer.

The cry for survival comes from planet itself, a cry that can’t be any more desperate or any more clear. And now a rise of political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism that we must confront and we will defeat.

To overcome these challenges, to restore the soul and secure the future of America requires so much more than words. It requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy: unity, unity.

In another January, on New Year's Day in 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. When he put pen to paper, the president said, and I quote, “if my name ever goes down into history, it'll be for this act. And my whole soul is in it.”

My whole soul was in it today. On this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation. And I ask every American to join me in this cause.

Uniting to fight the foes we face: anger, resentment, hatred, extremism, lawlessness, violence, disease, joblessness and hopelessness. With unity, we can do great things, important things. We can right wrongs. We can put people to work in good jobs. We can teach our children in safe schools. We can overcome the deadly virus. We can reward, reward work and rebuild the middle class and make health care secure for all. We can deliver racial justice and we can make America once again the leading force for good in the world.

I know speaking of unity can sound to some like a foolish fantasy these days. I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real, but I also know they are not new. Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we're all created equal and the harsh, ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, demonization have long torn us apart. The battle is perennial and victory is never assured.

Through civil war, the Great Depression, world war, 9/11, through struggle, sacrifice and setbacks, our better angels have always prevailed. In each of these moments, enough of us, enough of us have come together to carry all of us forward. And we can do that now. History, faith and reason show the way, the way of unity. We can see each other not as adversaries, but as neighbors. We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join forces, stop the shouting and lower the temperature. For without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury. No progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos.

This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge. And unity is the path forward. And we must meet this moment as the United States of America. If we do that, I guarantee you we will not fail. We have never, ever, ever, ever failed in America when we've acted together.

And so today at this time in this place, let's start afresh, all of us. Let's begin to listen to one another again. Hear one another see one another, show respect to one another. Politics doesn't have to be a raging fire, destroying everything in its path. Every disagreement doesn't have to be a cause for total war. And we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured.

My fellow Americans. We have to be different than this. America has to be better than this. And I believe America is so much better than this. Just look around. Here we stand in the shadow of the Capitol dome, as was mentioned earlier, completed amid the Civil War, when the union itself was literally hanging in the balance. Yet we endured, we prevailed.

Here we stand looking out in the great mall where Dr. King spoke of his dream. Here we stand, where 108 years ago, at another inaugural, thousands of protesters tried to block brave women marching for the right to vote. And today we marked the swearing in of the first woman in American history elected to national office: Vice President Kamala Harris. Don't tell me things can't change.

Here we stand across the Potomac from Arlington Cemetery, where heroes who gave the last full measure of devotion rest in eternal peace. And here we stand just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people, to stop the work of our democracy, to drive us from this sacred ground.

It did not happen. It will never happen. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Not ever.

To all those who supported our campaign, I'm humbled by the faith you've placed in us. To all those who did not support us, let me say this. Hear me out as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart. If you still disagree so be it. That's democracy. That's America. The right to dissent, peaceably, the guardrails of our republic is perhaps this nation's greatest strength.

Yet hear me clearly: disagreement must not lead to disunion. And I pledge this to you, I will be a president for all Americans. All Americans. And I promise you I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did.

Many centuries ago. Saint Augustine, a saint in my church, wrote to the people was a multitude defined by the common objects of their love. Defined by the common objects of their love. What are the common objects we as Americans love, that define us as Americans? I think we know. Opportunity, security, liberty, dignity, respect, honor and yes, the truth.

Recent weeks and months have taught us a painful lesson. There is truth and there are lies, lies told for power and for profit. And each of us has a duty and responsibility, as citizens, as Americans, and especially as leaders, leaders who have pledged to honor our Constitution and protect our nation, to defend the truth and defeat the lies.

Look, I understand that many of my fellow Americans view the future with fear and trepidation. I understand they worry about their jobs. I understand, like my dad, they lay in bed at night, staring at the ceiling, wondering, can I keep my health care? Can I pay my mortgage? Thinking about their families, about what comes next. I promise you, I get it.

But the answer is not to turn inward, to retreat into competing factions, distrusting those who don't look like look like you or worship the way you do, or don't get their news from the same sources you do. We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts. If we show a little tolerance and humility, and if we're willing to stand in the other person's shoes, as my mom would say, just for a moment, stand in their shoes. Because here's the thing about life. There's no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days, when you need a hand. There are other days when we're called to lend a hand. That's how it has to be. That's what we do for one another. And if we are this way, our country will be stronger, more prosperous, more ready for the future. And we can still disagree.

My fellow Americans, in the work ahead of us, we're going to need each other. We need all our strength to to persevere through this dark winter. We're entering what may be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus. We must set aside politics and finally face this pandemic as One Nation. One Nation.

And I promise you this, as the Bible says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” We will get through this together. Together.

Look, folks, all my colleagues I served with in the House of the Senate up there, we all understand the world is watching, watching all of us today. So here's my message to those beyond our borders. America has been tested and we've come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again. Not to meet yesterday's challenges, but today's and tomorrow's challenges. And we’ll lead, not merely by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.

We'll be a strong and trusted partner for peace, progress and security. Look, you all know, we've been through so much in this nation. And my first act as president, I’d like to ask you to join me in a moment of silent prayer to remember all those who we lost this past year to the pandemic. Those four hundred thousand fellow Americans, moms, dads, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends, neighbors and coworkers. We will honor them by becoming the people and the nation we know we can and should be. So I ask you, let's say a silent prayer for those who've lost their lives, those left behind and for our country.

Amen.

Folks, this is a time of testing. We face an attack on our democracy and on truth, a raging virus, growing inequity, the sting of systemic racism, a climate in crisis, America's role in the world. Any one of these will be enough to challenge us in profound ways. But the fact is, we face them all at once, presenting this nation with one of the gravest responsibilities we've had. Now we're going to be tested. Are we going to step up? All of us? It’s time for boldness, for there is so much to do. And this is certain, I promise you, we will be judged, you and I, by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era.

Will we rise to the occasion, is the question. Will we master this rare and difficult hour? Will we meet our obligations and pass along a new and better world to our children? I believe we must. I'm sure you do as well. I believe we will. And when we do, we'll write the next great chapter in the history of the United States of America. The American story. A story that might sound something like a song that means a lot to me. It's called American Anthem. There's one verse that stands out, at least for me, and it goes like this:

The work and prayers of a century have brought us to this day.

What shall be our legacy? What will our children say?

Let me know in my heart when my days are through.

America, America, I gave my best to you.

Let's add. Let us add our own work and prayers to the unfolding story of our great nation. If we do this, then when our days are through, our children and our children's children will say of us: They gave their best, they did their duty, they healed a broken land.

My fellow Americans, I close the day where I began, with a sacred oath before God and all of you. I give you my word, I will always level with you. I will defend the Constitution. I'll defend our democracy. I'll defend America and I will give all, all of you. Keep everything I do in your service, thinking not of power, but of possibilities, not of personal interest, but the public good. And together we shall write an American story of hope, not fear. Of unity, not division. Of light, not darkness. A story of decency and dignity, love and healing, greatness and goodness. May this be the story that guides us. The story that inspires us and the story that tells ages yet to come that we answered the call of history. We met the moment. Democracy and hope, truth and justice did not die on our watch, but thrived. That America secured liberty at home and stood once again as a beacon to the world. That is what we owe our forbearers, one another and generations to follow.

So, with purpose and resolve, we turn to those tasks of our time. Sustained by faith, driven by conviction, devoted to one another and the country we love with all our hearts. May God bless America and may God protect our troops. Thank you, America.

#Inauguration #BidenInauguration #PresidentBiden #Potus

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everydayanth · 4 years ago

Text

4th of July

I have such a hard time with patriotism.

Here’s the thing, though. In my personal life only, it was always an amazing holiday. My dad always had one job lined up every year, the Hollyhock Lane Parade. It was in the nice part of town where all my friends lived, old-Dutch money mansions complete with Omas, perfect lawns, and a CRC on every corner. My dad had grown up in that neighborhood and it was always a magical day.

Strangers knew who I was and old ladies told me stories about my family or said nice things about my grades or whatever. The statue of liberty costume went to a local girl of promise, and I got to dress up like a colonial dork. There was plenty of diversity in as much as my other musketeers were brown and black boys and Lady Liberty was often brown and black (though I’m sure that’s through my little-kid ignorance lens, I don’t know what they had to accomplish to get to wear the foamy star crown). There were free popsicles and a giant potluck, and a big party in the back of the lane that actually was covered in hollyhocks, with a balcony of a mansion serving as the stage for live music.

My parents didn’t fight because my dad had work and it was a big job, could feed us for a month or payoff the credit card debt that had gotten us through the winter.

After that we went up north to my aunt and uncle’s house. There was a giant carnival if you walked through the park and over the river a few minutes. There was more free food, tons of family games, a hot tub. We dressed up, my mom even bought us the $5 Target shirts some years to match, which felt real good because we only ever got one new outfit per school year, everything else was hand-me-downs from cousins and siblings. It was a rich town, the carnival was always tons of fun and because my dad was feeling good about the big show, my mom would let him come later (he doesn’t get on with her family), just in time for sparklers, which meant no big family fights! It was magical.

Later, in my teens, my dad got a new gig at a huge festival. He’s really an amazing producer/sound engineer, he just grew up in an area of analogue specialists and a network of people twice his age, so adapting to the digital age was fine regarding the tech, but much harder for him with people and growing his own business. I would spend all morning helping him set up, all day wandering Lake Michigan beaches, hanging out with friends or sisters, enjoying the concerts and shows and food, then packing up after the massive fireworks. New location, same big event where my parents didn’t fight and I felt special and part of something bigger.

But as I grew up and went to school and moved away from my role as free-babysitter and pressure of female work, like washing the dishes and making the food and not running around too much (it was a fine line and seemed to be more about noise level of children than me being a girl), I started to question all the celebrations. As I learned more about histories that had been glanced over, or lost in the wave of constant information, I had to confront those big questions, like what does it mean to be American?

I moved away from the idea of patriotism all together. I became infatuated with leaving or not being part of this white American identity that I’d grown up with. They were competing identities, the country Poles vs the city Dutch immigrants, but they were at peace on this one day a year because they were all celebrating the same idea of a better future, of freedom, of hope.

But I’d seen the cost and I didn’t want any part of that celebration anymore.

I finally voiced this aversion to a group of POC friends (I’m mentioning it because it matters). I wasn’t seeking validation, but to relate and convey that I understood the harms of America, but you know, in the end, now that I look at it, maybe there was a selfish hope of validation. I can validate my own personal experience though, 4th of July, with the exception of a handful of bad years was a happy holiday, and remained the exception within my own family history.

But talking with these friends revealed a bigger problem in my thinking. It was the 4th and we were all sitting in a parking lot hill overlooking the bay in San Diego. They pointed out that several of their parents still chose to come to America, that it still had something, or an idea of something, that they wanted to be a part of, and that was why they went out and celebrated the 4th. It wasn’t about the foundation of America, it was about the collective ideal of freedom and hope we share. Others, whose families had a much more torrid history here, agreed.

I had to look at myself then. Was I not celebrating the 4th in an attempt to distance myself from the idealized form of American history, or was I trying to get brownie points as an ally? I don’t know, but I do know that, especially with Juneteenth so close, and the conversation about an inclusive holiday to celebrate the end of slavery acknowledged by the US government, that the 4th can serve a similar important purpose. NOT as a replacement, but together, Juneteenth celebrates a moral victory for America, and freedom for much of Black America, while the 4th celebrates the one core value we share as Americans, and a hope to build a better country.

I’m slowly realizing that there is a middle. Being overly patriotic is problematic, especially given its associations with white supremacy groups and fascism. But being anti-patriotic, maybe that’s a rejection of building something altogether. We can be ashamed of where we came from and still look forward together, in the face of political dichotomies and racism and history. We can acknowledge that past together and build a better future with one simple value in common. Not in the way that weaponizes freedom as the preferences of the majority, but in a unity that acknowledges the tragedies of our past and seeks to build a better future together for all Americans. A place to build a national identity of inclusion, awareness, hope, and growth, to redefine the default identity of American away from the overly patriotic denialist rhetoric that seemingly occupies it.

I’m still developing my view on this. I’m still conflicted at the red, white, and blue decorations, at the association of the colors with racist agendas and classist oppression, at the ignorance and denial of the tragedies of America. So while we’re in quarantine here, I will cheers you with a cheap champagne and one of those free rocket-pops (I dunno, it’s what we called them), I’ll even stir them together because my sister might be a genius, and watch Hamilton on my sister’s account like the American I am. Because no matter how Dutch or Polish my families were, they shared the American part, and maybe I can celebrate that as a start to something better.

Thank you, to the resilient, determined, and honest Americans who are pushing to make us better, who are confronting racism and supporting change in BLM, Indigenous rights, and LGBTQ+ policy and civil rights. Cheers to you, thank you for being American.

#4th of july #independence day #patriotism #still growing

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thecompostpile · 4 years ago

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Ice Cream Essay 5- Fuck Cops Eat Ice Cream

It was just something a friend told me in passing. They had worked at an ice cream shop one summer just a way to make a little money to buy weed and gas. Working with ice cream, from what I’ve heard, isn’t a very glamorous job but I imagine there are worse summer jobs. That will be a conversation for another time. This story goes to a time we were just hanging out smoking and shooting the shit. He told me a story of why his day had been crummy.

“I made this cop an ice cream cone and he just walked out with it. Didn’t pay, didn’t tip nothing.”

“Wait no way”

“Yeah it was so fuckong weird. He didn’t even ask if it was free he just walked out with it.”

That was probably the better part of a decade ago and I don’t think about this story a lot. At the time it was important to me though. I was in the middle of getting a political science degree from a liberal arts college in upstate Connecticut and it was being broken down in front of me why cops were bad. Here was another small but perfect example of why cops scared the ever living shit out of me. Cops have no shame. If they want ice cream they literally just take the ice cream and walk out. And what are you supposed to do? Call the cops.

The police force in this country is completely unchecked. It’s disgusting. A mad dog so insane with hate and rabies it doesn’t remember cuddling with anyone on the couch it only wants to bite anyone that comes near it right in the leg. This is the case for as long as I have been politically conscious but it has been happening much longer than that. I was in college when Freddy Gray happened, I had been in a jail cell around the same time police murdered Sandra Bland. I argued in my class about how Eric Garner being choked out on the street was unconstitutional with a conservative freshmen who I would bullshit with. His argument still sticks in my brain.

“He was murdered for selling cigarettes on the side of the street.”

“Well it is illegal.”

That’s what the other side of this thinks. He was a smart kid in a sense that he understood things and could speak elegantly. BUT how fucking stupid do you need to be to say that. Is it even stupidity or is it just pure cold hearted hatred. The man was choked out on the side of the street. I’ve wandered off here though. I am trying to keep the ever consistent theme of fuck cops and fuck every bootlicking chump that likes cops.

Let’s bring this back to ice cream. So this pig just thought it was okay to walk into an ice cream shop, one that he was supposed to both “serve and protect”. Let’s say he ordered a hot fudge sundae with some nuts, whip cream, a cherry. He’s a fat cop obviously with a stupid 90s tv dad walrus mustache. He’s a slob so some of the hot fudge dribbles onto his chin while he takes the first bite. Then on his heels he just turns and slides out whistling while he doesn’t hold the door for a lady with a stroller.

A cop in my town starts off at 59,000 dollars a year so he certainly has the money to pay for this ice cream. But you know maybe he comes in a lot right, he has something worked out with the dipshit owner who licks boots as much as he licks ice cream. To not even tip for your free ice cream though is so fucked up.

Note: tip at least a buck for your ice cream people. More if you can.

It was free, you paid nothing for it. At the very least acknowledge the labor that went into it. Cops aren’t workers though. They are the state mandated protection of only rich white people and stolen property. We absolutely need to abolish the entire police force. There is no other option; it is rotten to its core.

Now let us just quickly think of what would happen if that police officer was in the store and a black man did the same thing, walked out with ice cream for free. There is a highly likely chance the black man would be shot. Black men have been shot for much less in this country. At the very least the man could be arrested, placed in jail and lose his right to vote once out. What makes this cop special that he is allowed to break the law.

There is a system behind it too. The Frank Capra ideals of an old timey america. The 50s when you had the milk dropped off, took a date for an egg cream at the drugstore, hot rods and segregated schools. Cracking a joke with your high school buddy who was one of the cops in town but never did much but twirl his baton around and whistle. Then if something surprising would happen his eyes would pop out of his head. You know the America everyone loved. Jimmy Stewart is there laughing it up with someone he hasn’t seen in a while. You only feel that way because you aren’t Emmit Till though.

There is this patriotic ideals behind loving these dumb moron cops. It could come from wearing it like a badge of honor that you are not considered a criminal to them. That is an optimistic outlook though when the real answer is more than likely just racism.

How else could a man just grab an ice cream and pretend it was free to him. Think of the other things this person must be able to do with his god complex given to him because of a badge. How any stupid fucking bully is able to go to school for six minutes, promise to beat up and harass black people and other people of color to keep a billion dollar free labor industrial prison system going, can just put on a ugly light blue button up shirt and some shinny badges that mean nothing and now they think they can do anything they want.

Some stupid asshole was just farting up his police car by himself and laughing is bored enough to harass a black women with a tail light out. When she is tired and sick of his obvious bullshit that she has been aware of her entire life, he is too dumb to realize that his wife is mad because he forgot to flush his turd down the toilet. Then when he doesn’t like her response he can arrest her. What scares me about police videos is how powerless it looks. There is no arguing with these gooey cupcake batter mother fuckers. They do whatever they want. They walk in order ice cream and walk out without paying for it.

This becomes even more terrifying when you see they are killing people on the streets. They are killing children on the streets. They are tear gassing protestors. Shooting rubber bullets at journalists. That same cop who stole ice cream, is fine using his badge and light blue shirt to walk out with free ice cream, breaking the own rules set by capitalism he was set to enforce. Obviously he has on reason for breaking other rules set up by capitalism. He has no rules he will do whatever he wants. Kill, beat and humiliate anyone he wants. Take whatever he wants and walk out a free man, ice cream in hand, hot fudge on his chin.

#ice cream #acab #cops #fuck cops #ice cream essays

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cuzloki · 5 years ago

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Right Place, Right Time

Requested by: @kaylamarie306-blog

REQUESTS OPEN

‍Steve Rodgers x Reader

Prompt: alternate universe; reader and Steve were once engaged. They grew up in the same town and have known each other for ages. When their engagement is called off, suddenly years later they meet again.

A/N: I got more writing done tonight than I thought I would so I'm going to post this in atleast 2 parts. I love getting feedback on my writing too because I'm new to this! Please feel free to comment or send me a message

Part 1/?

ENJOY!!

It had been 3 years since y/n saw Steve. The last time you saw his blonde, perfectly messy hair matched with the deepest blue eyes you could ever imagine. Now he's standing in your aunt's house on Christmas day. I guess going back to where it all began might help sort out your racing thoughts.

Y/n and Steve grew up together in a small town in the middle of no where. Farm country no where. Your family had owned a ranch, complete with cattle and horses. They had gone to school together since they were 3 but never really interacted or gave each other the time of day. That is until the summer when y/n turned 17. A beat up blue pick up truck pulled down the little dirt road to your house. Y/n was in the middle of feeding the horses. The truck was unfamiliar and got your attention as she grabbed a hay bale and tossed it into a wheel barrow.

A tall, muscular blonde in jeans and boots stepped out of the truck. He was beyond handsome in every sense of the word. You looked up at him, pretty certain he didn't know you were there. Much to your surprise, he smiled and waved at you as he walked up onto your porch and knocked on your front door. Your dad answered the door and they went inside. You were confused by this handsome stranger but went back to feeding the horses. You were in a paddock with your horse Gunnar when you dad and the stranger came out. "Y/n, you've met Steve Rodgers haven't yea? You've been in the same classes for years!“ your dad asked you as you pulled your work gloves off and shoved them into your pocket. You gave the stranger, now identified as Steve, a once over releiving that you did in fact know him. Steve reached his hand out towards you " Hey y/n! I don't think we've met formally but my name is Steve. Nice to meet you!" you politely shock his hand and gave him a shy smile. " I've definitely seen you around town!" y/n giggles, knowing full well that everyone knew everyone in this town.

As it turns out, Steve started working on your family ranch. He ride the horses, cleaned the stalls, roped the cattle, etc. You had both become friends rather quickly. Being the same age and having a lot of the same interests, such as animals and art. Things changed one Saturday night. The animals were all fed and you offered to stay out and help Steve get all the animals settled for the night. " Everyone is where they belong. Fed and happy" Steve reports as he puts a pile of buckets down next to you as you were resetting the grain for the next morning. " They must love you now." you teased rolling your eyes at him with a giggle. There was a comfortable silence between the 2 of you as you finished up the barn chores for the night. You had turned to turn off a set of lights, only to catch you foot on a random bucket that had been left behind. You started to fall, cursing your clumsy feet but before you hit the hard ground you were wrapped in muscular arms. You opened your eyes, noticing that you hadn't slammed yourself off the concrete and look up to meet Steve's blue eyes. "Careful doll. Don't want you getting hurt on my watch." he winks at you with a smile. You playfully wack his chest with your hand as you both giggle. "I'm fully capable of watching myself, thank you Rodgers" you commented back at him. You both seemed to realize at the same time that Steve's arms were naturally on the smalls of your back and your hand were just resting on his chest. Before you could even finish your own thought, he leaned his head down and quickly pecked you on the lips and seemed to scan your face for a reaction after. You put your hand on the back of his neck pulling his head back down to your height smashing your lips into his again. Only this time, it was clear to both of you that you were more than just friends.

Steve had become really close with your family working on the ranch for the past 3 months, so when you 2 started dating, your family was over joyed. I'm pretty sure they had a pool of how long it would take you guys to get together already. Your first date was a romantic trail ride followed by a cute picnic that Steve had made. You two just clicked. It worked. But you were 17 and he was 18. Was he your forever and always.

Fast forward a year, you and Steve have been together a little over a year and things were fantastic and they continued to be fantastic. Make out sessions turned into sex in the hay loft. Which more often than not was where you would both escape to.

You and Steve had been dating for 3 years now. You were 20 and he was 21. He proposed under a starry sky on a beautiful summer night. You were over the moon! Happy tears were spilling as you jumped on him and said yes a million times while he was spinning you both around. That night had been one for the books.

Fast forward 5 months into the engagement and that's where things get rocky. Y/n and Steve were picking out the venue, the flowers, the cake. Everything to the last detail was being throughly planned and prepared. Y/n and Steve had joined some neighbors on a cattle drive (A/N: for those who don't know, a cattle drive is basically a bunch of people on horseback moving cows from pasture to pasture so they don't kill all the grass in one or another or if they need to be moved for milking and what not. The horses are used to corral the cows. Super fun! Anyways...). Steve rode a horse named Patriot and you rode your horse Gunnar. The riding was so fun. Chasing after the calves who had driffed to far from the herd. You when after a calf that had ran up a hill behind some brush. You slowly got a rope around her cute little neck as you cooed at the baby animal. You got back on Gunnar and started trotting back to the group. What you saw stopped you dead in your tracks. There was a bleach blonde barbie type riding behind Steve on Patriot. What in the hell!? You were gone 2 minutes chasing a calf and your fiance somehow caught a cowgirl wanna be. As you got closer to them you noticed her hands snack around his waist, hanging on for dear life. You let the calf out of the rope and watched as it trotted back to its mother. You walked over to your fiance with a fake smile plastered on your face. "Who's the barbie doll, Steve?" you ask as you get closer to them. "oh hey hun! This is Bindi. She needed a ride back" Steve answered with a super innocent sme on his face. You knew him well enough to know he was just trying to be polite. You rolled your eyes and made a comment somewhere along the lines of not bringing a horse to a cattle drive being a real dumb blonde moment. Things only got worse when you got back to the ranch. You and Steve had put the horses away in their stalls and were taking their saddles off. Bindi was still there! Like a leach on Steve's side. You brushed Gunnar in his stalling,knowing you needed to calm down before putting your saddle away. Putting your saddle away meant walking by her. Deep breaths were taken. You finally decided you were calm enough and closed the gate to Gunnar's stall. You grabbed the saddle and turned the corner to the tack room. As you turn the corner, you drop your saddle on the floor with a loud thud. Bindi had Steve pinned up against the wall. Her lips locked on his. He immediately pushed get off upon hearing my saddle crash onto the floor. You start running towards your house. You make it inside your room and lock it in record time. Steve pounds on the door trying to get you to come out or let him in. You just curled up on your bed. Crying. Angry tears? Sad tears? Betrayed tears? How about all 3 at once. You knew he could hear you crying as he slid down the other side of the door, and sat on the floor against your door. "Please darlin' it wasn't what it looked like. Please let me in. Let's talk this out. Please. I love you y/n" Steve cooed from the other side of the door. You stayed quiet just needing time.

#steve rodgers #steve rodgers imagine #steve rodgers x reader #captain america x reader #captain america #marvel one shot #marvel imagine #marvel request #chris evans

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rosecorcoranwrites · 6 years ago

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Editing Advice Part 1: Continuity

Although I said I wouldn't be giving writing advice on this blog, I never said anything about editing advice. Plenty of people give (unhelpful, short-sighted, or far too niche) writing advice, but few focus on the crucial final part of the writing process, and yet, editing is what gives a lot of writers the most trouble. I personally love editing far more than the initial writing stage and so am here to offer my advice in not one, not two, not even three, but four—yes four!—blog posts!

First, let's look at continuity, in three categories: Time, Place, and People. Technically, you ought to keep continuity in mind throughout the writing process, but it's still easy to forget one or two things. Thus, when you finally decide "I'm going to edit this WIP!", you need to double check that everything is consistent, not just from a plot standpoint, but from a spacial, chronological, and personal standpoint as well.

Time

This includes character ages (especially in flashbacks and exposition), the beginning and endings of school years, the seasons and their weather patterns, moon phases (especially when writing about werewolves), times of day, how long it takes for events to happen (a wound to heal, DNA to come back from the lab, traveling from point A to point B), historical matters (phraseology, having characters use things that hadn't been invented yet, people in the middle ages eating potatoes, etc.) and so on.

One time, I was reading a WIP where their main character's (or MC's) sister, who was twelve, was being discussed. The MC said that her sister had been dating someone at the same time the MC was first learning to use her magic powers. Fine, except that later it was stated that she first learned to use those powers five years ago. Which would make the sister seven at the time. Ain't no seven-year-old datin' nobody. The author of the WIP had just forgotten that all the characters ages would change, not just the main character's.

In my own writing, I had to be very careful in Outcast Shadows, because two groups of characters were in two locations doing two things: Group A was traveling across a continent, while Group B were hanging out in a single building in a single city. But they had to meet up at the end of the book, under specific circumstances, so I had to make sure that both storylines took the same amount of time. In the first draft, Group A took far longer than Group B, which was disastrous! I had to go back and, first, measure exactly how long it would take Group A to do all their traveling and find things for Group B to do that made sense for the story to fill up that specific amount of time.

As careful as I was in Outcast Shadows, though, I completely forgot that Misha left a certain location a day earlier than everyone else in Recast Light—and this was after four rewrites. I had to account for what he was doing for an entire day, which meant rewriting several scenes. It ended up working out in the end, but is a cautionary tale I won't soon forget.

Place

This includes anything spacial, such as the layouts of rooms, buildings, cities, and continents; the blocking of character movements; light sources; the configuration of the the solar system; and so on.

For example, if your character was flat on his back a few sentences ago, but now he's standing, were we ever told that he got up? Did your characters, while touring the lower rooms of a castle, ever climb something in order to get to that second story room where they end up (mine didn't, in the first draft of Miscast Spells!). If your scene takes place in a dark and dingy torch-lit tavern, how can your characters notice tiny details, or are you picturing the scene as brightly lit as it would be with electric lighting?

Obviously, some of this can be fudged a bit—I don't think anyone but me cares about how scenes are lit—but some of it can't. And readers will notice. There was the famous case of Larry Niven's Ringworld, in which a character is teleporting east in order to extend his birthday, but of course the earth rotates east, meaning he would actually be moving later into the day, or even into the next, rather than earlier. So many readers noticed that Niven actually corrected it in later editions. Then there is Stephanie Meyer's Breaking Dawn, in which the Cullens have a house on an island off the west coast of Rio de Janeiro which, you know, doesn't have a west coast. These authors had professional editors who didn't catch these mistakes, so you can't rely on other people to notice continuity errors for you. Do your own research and know the layout of your own setting, especially if it's the setting we all live in.

People

This category includes what your characters have, what they know, and who they are.

For what they have, consider clothing and accessories, weapons, and useful items. If they don't have an umbrella, but it's raining in your scene, do they just stand there in the rain? Do they like it? Aren't they cold? If your character has some huge rucksack full of gear, they should always have that rucksack full of gear unless we can assume they left it in a safe place; if they're traveling from one end of the continent to the other, mention how heavy that rucksack is from time to time, and consider where it is during a fight or action scene (Are they still carrying it? Do they drop it? Do they pick it back up when they flee?).

Another thing that characters can have is injuries, which, unless magically healed, have lasting effects. If your character got punched in the face yesterday, they should have a bruise show up in a day or two, and last for about a week (she writes, realizing that she has had a character bruise far too fast in her own published book!). If your character has lost a lot of blood, or broken a bone, or received a concussion, all of that needs to be taken into account in the coming chapters. Again, this can usually be solved by a quick mention that such and such still hurt, but injuries will also impact how much traveling and fighting your character can do, so keep that in mind, too.

Be mindful, also, of what people in your story know, including POV and non-POV characters. A pet peeve of mine is when authors in multi-viewpoint narratives slip up and have the viewpoint character be privy to what other characters are thinking when there is no reason for them to know that. Then there is the opposite problem, typically in first person present tense stories, where, in order to have exposition, the MC will randomly be thinking about information that everyone in the setting already knows. It would be like reading a novel set in our world and having the first person narrator think "243 years ago, America declared independence from Britain, which it had formerly been a colony of. This was followed by what is known as the Revolutionary War, where the Patriots, on the American side, fought the Red Coats, the British soldiers". No one thinks that way, because they personally already know it; who are they explaining it to, themselves? Find a more natural way for this information across to the audience. Maybe the character is arguing about it with an friend or is helping a younger sibling with their homework. For this sort of thing, dialogue is definitely your friend, but still, double check to make sure this seems natural.

Finally, think about who your characters are, as opposed to who you wanted them to be. Characters change and grow over the course of writing, and what you might have considered in-character when you were outlining the novel might be out-of-character now. Consider your character's emotional reactions, moral choices, word choice, and so on. Never let an intended message be a reason to railroad a character into some preconceived destiny. Take the time to look at your character, not as a writer, but as a reader.

This last bit of advice holds true for all parts of editing. Think about how you would view your story as a reader. While beta readers and editors are helpful, you can't put everything on them (especially considering that there are published stories with continuity errors). Think about what a reader might nitpick, and what they might not care about. I suggest caring about it anyway, because it's your story, and it should be the best you can make it. Polishing your story into its bright and shiny best self is what editing is all about, and we've only just begun!

#editing #editing advice #edting tips #writelr #writeblr #writing advice #writing tips #continuity errors #continuity editing #continuity #errors #editing process #writing process #writing #writing resource #editing resource #writing blog #editing for continuity #editing errors

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superdigo-blog1 · 5 years ago

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12 baby outfits for every occasion you can get at Carter’s

12 baby outfits for every occasion you can get at Carter’s (Photo: 12 baby outfits for every occasion you can get at Carter’s)

— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.

Best Baby Hair Oils

Whenever a new year rolls around, I immediately find myself evaluating my wardrobe. What kind of pieces do I want to keep as we move into a new year, and in this case, a whole new decade? Do I get rid of some of my many black sweaters (never), or buy a new pair of cute but ultimately weather-inappropriate shoes (extremely likely)?

It makes sense to take stock of your wardrobe as a new year dawns, and why shouldn’t that extend to your kids, or even those of your friends and family? We all know someone that’s having a baby in the new year. Whether you’re shopping for your own kids or buying up some baby shower gifts, get moving on keeping the babies in your life cute and seasonally appropriate in these 12 seasonal looks from Carter’s.

1. For the baby that stayed up to watch the ball drop (or at least wanted to)

This onesie is ideal for ringing in the New Year (or sleeping through it). (Photo: Carter's)

Sometimes, in order to hang with the adults, you need to be the best dressed in the room, and what’s better than wearing a onesie? Give your favorite tiny night owl this starred black and white onesie, which will work perfectly for New Year’s and will (hopefully) make you smile when you’ve gotten up in the middle of the night—again.

Reviewers noted that this onesie runs a bit large, but suited their bossy night owls very well.

Get the Night Owl Side-Snap Cotton Sleep & Play for $7.99

2. A cuddly sloth set your loved one will love

These PJs are perfect for Valentine's Day. (Photo: Carter's)

Valentine’s Day is cute in a way not too many other holidays are, so it’s fair to say that giving a gift that’s very cute wouldn’t be out of the question. Anyone you give this adorable sloth Valentine’s Day pajama set to will adore it—who doesn’t love sloths?

This interchangeable four-piece set features Valentine’s colors and some sweet, three-toed friends—what’s more, there are two versions available, so you can select the exact color design you want.

Get the 4-Piece Valentine’s Day Sloth Set for $21.60

3. A seasonal dress with prehistoric pizzazz

This adorable dress comes in two designs: dinosaur and flowers. (Photo: Carter's)

It’s crazy how often dinosaurs crop up in kid’s clothes designs, but it’s not without reason; you’ll keep any baby occupied in this dino-covered dress, which is perfect for spring photos or concerts. The print is dynamic and includes fan favorites (read: personal favorites) like triceratops, brachiosauruses, and more.

Combine this dress with these unicorn boots for a perfect getup to wear during spring showers.

Get the Floral Dinosaur Sateen Dress for $20.40

4. A bunny suit for the most enterprising of egg-seekers

Does your baby love the Easter bunny? Why not dress like him? (Photo: Carter's)

Picture it: Easter morning, a very cute child in this floppy eared jumpsuit, and the aforementioned rain boots. It’s almost too cute to think about. This bunny suit is a perfect pajama option or great for running around the house, and the sherpa material ensures that it’ll keep your giftee very cozy and comfortable.

Reviewers bought this bunny suit in every season, and many noted how soft it was.

Get the Bunny Hooded Sherpa Jumpsuit for $16

5. Koala overalls for the cutest aspiring tree climber you know

Can you help but smile when looking at that precious koala face? (Photo: Carter's)

May is crazy between last-day-of-school events, fluctuating temperatures, and graduations galore. Most people are looking for a quick, cute option that babies can stay in all day. Never fear, this adorable koala onesie is here. With a neutral palette and short length, reviewers noted that this set is perfect for summer weather, and is easy to take on and off, so even the most active babies will love it.

Get the 2-Piece Striped Tee and Bear Shortalls Set for $21

6. A swim set with a perfect theme

Whale on a shirt for babies? Yes please. (Photo: Carter's)

I’m pretty biased on this one. As someone with a deep love of all things cetacean, this swim rashguard set had me in absolute tears. The adorable shirt and trunks duo is perfect for any beach vacation, or even just days by the pool, dreaming about white sand and distant whale spouts.

With a UPF of 50+ and long sleeves, this set will keep your favorite little guppy protected from the sun and free from skin irritation.

Get the Carter’s Whale Rashguard Set for $30

7. A mix-and-match set that’s perfect for tiny patriots

Are you really celebrating the Fourth of July if you're not wearing red, white, and blue? (Photo: Carter's)

There’s nothing more American than red, white, and blue, but it’s also nice to have options. This three piece set lets you choose which of the three classic Fourth of July looks you want to highlight, and will also keep your kiddo cool and comfortable in the summer heat.

Get the 3-Piece Floral Little Short Set for $19.50

8. Overalls for end-of-summer picnics

Do you think my mom would get another pair of matching overalls with me? (Photo: Carter's)

Overalls are back, baby. As someone who had matching overalls with their mom when I was a baby, I couldn’t be more thrilled to see this look making it big again.

There’s nothing more summery than a pair of denim overalls, and this classic OshKosh pair boasts a short length and sweet striped straps. With a white tee underneath and a gingham blanket on the ground, this classic look is sure to make grandma and the Gen Z cousins smile.

Get the Patch Denim Shortalls for $17

9. A cardigan for the kid who loves “The Land Before Time”

What's cooler—the hoodie, or the spikes on the hood? (Photo: Carter's)

As a Libra, I’m partial to September for a lot of reasons, but the main reason comes in cable knit, turtleneck, mock neck—you get it. Sweater weather is the best weather, and this sweet dinosaur cardigan is a perfect whimsical neutral for a month that moves from hot to cold in the space of minutes. Reviewers loved the texture of this sweater, noting that it was soft and lightweight enough to be a great layer.

Get the Dinosaur Hooded Cardigan for $14.40

10. A Halloween costume that should be worn year round

This works as both a Halloween costume and frankly, a great outfit for grocery shopping. (Photo: Carter's)

Why be a unicorn for Halloween when you can be a unicorn of the sea. Narwhals are perfect creatures, and your baby giftee can be too in this narwhal costume, complete with striped lavender shirt and leggings and the cutest little tail. I can’t begin to describe how much joy just this image brought me.

Other versions of this set are available with sloth, dragon, and panda themes. Why not collect them all?

Get the Little Narwhal Halloween Costume for $15.99

11. A bodysuit to amuse every football fan at Thanksgiving

Pass the pigskin! Oh no wait, that's a baby. (Photo: Carter's)

This, admittedly, made me chuckle. Dress up your favorite tiny sports fan in this amazing football bodysuit. Made of soft cotton rib and sporting long, cozy sleeves, pair this bodysuit with these turkey socks for a look that everyone will be giving thanks for.

Reviewers loved this look for football season and remarked on how soft it was. There are also versions of this look on Carter’s website that are team specific, so check it out if you’re trying to foster early team devotion!

Get the Football Collectible Bodysuit for $6

12. The cutest, coziest set for opening presents

Keep your baby as cozy as this polar bear in a scarf. (Photo: Carter's)

As an adult, my Christmas morning look has really gone downhill from my baby days. What’s the fun in a morning of opening presents if you can’t hang around in your pajamas all day? This wintry two-piece polar bear set will keep your baby warm and cozy, and is neutral enough to be worn every day, not just once a year. Be warned—these pants are so soft, your baby might doze off mid-unwrapping.

Get the 2-Piece Polar Bear Sweater & Fleece Pant Set for $13.99

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.

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amandaanderson2012-blog · 5 years ago

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Getting Pets to Okinawa

I went through so much stress while trying to figure out how I was going to get our two dogs over to Okinawa by myself. I wrote down my whole personal process of flying Air Mobility Command (AMC)/Patriot Express so I could ease the minds of any others who have to do this!

Obviously my experience is unique to me, but for the most part, I hope that my advice and experience can be useful for others during their process.

To start, click here if you need to learn all of the required steps and documentation needed for your pets: Importing Pets to Japan and also a cheat sheet: Importing Pets Sequence

** One thing that these documents don’t tell you, is that if you are flying AMC/Patriot Express, you do NOT have to submit an advanced notification form to Japan. Some people recommend it anyway, because it can’t hurt! In case something were to go wrong and you end up having to change your flight plans to a commercial flight, submitting the Advanced Notification Form would be beneficial. That being said, I didn’t submit one but that was my personal choice! **

** There are several different names for the military flight that you will take, AMC or Patriot Express, are what I most often heard. For this post, I will be referencing the flight as “AMC” because that is what it is labeled as and referred to at the airport. **

The AMC flight only leaves from the Seattle/SEATAC Airport in Washington. I did delayed dependent travel due to finishing school in Minnesota. Since I was flying after my husband with our two dogs, I had to travel solo and figure this out. We couldn’t afford to commercially fly our dogs from Minnesota to Seattle, so I rented a car and drove out there.

***If you are in this situation (with pets + luggage), you NEED someone to come with you to help! I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the help of a friend who came to assist me.

If you are renting a car: The car rental return location is not connected to the airport. It’s not far, but still...after returning your rental, you will need to take the shuttle bus from the car rental return location back to the terminal. I had a friend who lives near the Seattle airport, meet me when I got to the terminal to help me with my unloading process (two large suitcases, a carry-on, two large dogs + their two large kennels!) - Picture will be seen below -

Once at the departure location, I asked one of the volunteer workers for a large cart to load up my dogs kennels and luggage on. My dogs are large so I needed a longer cart to fit both kennels on and then I loaded my suitcases on top. After unloading my car, my friend stayed at the terminal with my dogs and luggage while I went to return my rental. Just follow the signs for “car rental return” out of the airport and it’ll lead you right to where you need to go. I just had to pull up, tell them my name and they asked if I wanted a printed receipt or email copy. Then I walked to the shuttle bus to return to the terminal.

While I was doing that, the volunteer worker at the airport terminal led my friend and pushed my cart of belongings to the USO. This is where I met them when I got back to the terminal.

The USO is on the Mezzanine level, just one level up from the ticketing/check-in counters. If you don’t know what the USO is, in basic terms, it’s a lounge for military members and their families to stay while waiting for flights or travel arrangements.

There are elevators or stairs that you can use to get up there. The USO is on the complete opposite side of the airport than the AMC departure spot is. When you drive up to the departures, AMC is the very last drop off spot at the end. The volunteer workers work for tips so I gave the guy $10 for pushing my things up there. Once at the USO, my friend left and I checked in at the front desk. All of the people working there are so friendly and helpful to answer any questions.

I arrived at the airport really early, I checked into the USO at around 6:30pm Wednesday night. (With the flight not leaving til 0850 Thursday morning).

Since it was a “flight night”, the lady told me that I wouldn’t be able to store my dog kennels in their luggage room because there would be so many people coming in that will need to store their luggage in there. So I left my dogs in their kennels right outside to the left of the USO entrance and sat with them out there on the bench for pretty much the whole night.

The nice thing about where the USO is located, is that there really wasn’t anyone up there in the hallway unless they were other military members/families coming in. So it was pretty quiet up there and I was able to leave my dogs out there if I wanted to go into the USO to get some food or drinks.

Side note!! I believe that at certain times of the day/night on overseas flight nights, the USO limits the people allowed in. So if you’re not active duty or traveling on orders, you might not be able to come in.. just so you know! Some people got turned away when they came by due to flight delays for their leisure travel and just wanted somewhere to hang out while they waited.

I was able to let my dogs out and just have them hang out with me outside of their kennels as long as they were leashed. This was nice, so I could let them stretch out and interact with them before the flight where they’d be kenneled for long hours.

There are two locations, one on each end of the airport outside the check-in counters, to let your dogs go to the bathroom. It’s a very tiny area it was mostly dirt/rock with bushes on it so it’s not the nicest place. But luckily my dogs aren’t too picky on where they go potty, so they were fine. There is a poop bag dispenser and garbage can put there in case you need to pick up after them!

While I was waiting, I decided to go down to the AMC (Air Mobility Command) office which is located against the back wall on the baggage claim level. There was a lady named Heather working and she gladly looked over my dogs’ paperwork to make sure I had everything I needed. That gave me piece of mind to know I would be okay.

0200 was when the check-in process started. One of the USO workers was directing people to make their way down to the check-in desk. I went down at about 0300, and again I needed a cart for my dog’s kennels. The USO has carts that you can use but make sure one is available for you. The airport worker wouldn’t let me keep my original cart upstairs with me, so I had to find a different one for checking in. At that time of the morning, the airport volunteers are not there, so it was really hard for me to find another cart (since they lock them all up). So if a USO worker can save a cart for you, have them do that! That will make your life easier if you have big kennels to haul.

Once I got downstairs with my dogs in their kennels and my luggage stacked on top, there was a lady specifically checking pet paperwork and kennel requirements. I hadn’t even gotten in line yet and she came to me to take my pets’ information.

This is the information that she needed from me:

Passport (the one issued by military aka No Fee Blue Passport)

Copy of official orders

Web orders (USMC)

Area clearance

For my pet paperwork, this is what she asked for:

Health certificates for pet (copy)

FAVN report for rabies titer (copy)

Rabies certificates signed by vet (copy)

**She did not want my dog’s original signed paperwork, she wanted COPIES ONLY**

Make sure you have several copies of everything. I had 5 copies of each piece of paperwork, plus the originals. Also, double check to make sure all the information about your pet matches correctly for each piece of paperwork. Make sure the microchip numbers are correct on each document!

She provided me with a plastic sleeve to put the pet documents in and it sticks to the top of the kennels. I had brought with gallon sized ziplock bags for this reason, but they provide you with them. I guess it doesn’t hurt to be over-prepared!

The price of taking your dogs is supposed to be determined by their weight... well, all she did was ask me how much each dog weighed with their kennels. So I gave my best estimated guess (100lb & 80lb) so it was $250 per dog for me.

From the AMC website, this is what the pet travel fees are:

A combined weight ≤ 70 lbs will be charged as one piece of excess baggage ($125).

A combined weight of 71-140 lbs will be charged as two pieces of excess baggage ($250)

The lady took my credit card right there and came back with my receipt to sign.

The AMC website can tell you all necessary requirements for your pet travel either in cabin or cargo. If they are traveling cargo, here’s what I found:

hard sided kennel

Ventilation on at least 3 sides (I purchased my kennels from Amazon) Link here: Aspen Pet Porter

The size I got for both of my dogs were the 70-90lb size, so they have enough room to stand completely up with 3 inches above their head/ears, lay down comfortably and to turn around in the kennel. Those are requirements from AMC when choosing a kennel. My shepherd/lab mix is a little bit too tall for the 70-90lb kennel (she fit fine, but did not have enough room above her head when she stood up according to the AMC requirements). So, instead of paying twice as much for the next size up in kennels, my dad helped make a kennel height extension with some 2 by 4 pieces of wood! We saved a lot of money by doing this.

More requirements:

Metal bolts to fasten the kennel together (my kennel came with metal bolts but plastic nuts that screwed on.. so I went and bought my own nuts and bolts at Home Depot.)

Make sure you have a bolt for every hole! The only issue I ran into during my pet check-in, was that she told me I needed a bolt in each hole in the back of my one dog’s kennel (Picture below).

I had a bolt in the two outer small holes, but not in the middle one... I figured it would be fine, because it’s not like my dog was going to escape! Lol. But luckily I was overly paranoid about things going wrong, so I had packed extra nuts and bolts! Phew! :)

Zip ties - they require you to zip tie the doors of the kennels before flight (I bought the reusable zip ties, so they don’t have to be cut... but they cut them off anyway when we landed in Yokota, so it doesn’t have to be the reusable ones!)

**please confirm with AMC to make sure what the up to date requirements are!! What I am listing is from my experience, and I have not recently looked what the updated requirements may be!**

Things that were not technically required, but recommended (and everyone with a pet had these) are:

Clip on dish that went on the inside of the kennel door. Link: Clip on Dish

Large non spill water containers that I zip tied from the outside of the kennel doors (giant hamster water things) I got mine at Walmart! Link here: Pet No Drip Water Bottles

Puppy pee pads - set on the bottom of the kennel and then a blanket on top (also bought at Walmart). In case your pet does have an accident, you can take these out when you stop and hopefully it will soak most of it up!

Once the lady took my paperwork and I paid for the dogs, I went in line for the luggage drop off. There is a separate line for families and for single military members during the check in process. I probably waited in line for an hour and a half. They weighed all of my bags, my carry on and personal item together and then my two check bags together. You are allowed two large checked bags not to exceed 70lb each. The weight of your carry-ons doesn’t matter, just the dimensions. I was told my carry-on needed to be no larger than 9x14x22” for total of 45inches. He also asked me how much I weigh.. lol. I was told that they just want to know the estimated weight of the plane when they get done, I guess?

Once I got my bags taken and I was checked in, I was told to keep my dogs with me until 0600 and I was to bring them back down to that same location where I checked in. So for the time being, I pushed them back upstairs to outside the USO and just hung out again until I had to bring them back.

At about 0530, I let them out to go potty one last time, and then pushed them back down to the check-in place. There are workers there to direct you on what to do. At this point is where I put the zip ties on and sat with them until they told me we could go. It was time to say goodbye to my pups until our first stop :(

Then the lady said we could go to the security line. The line wasn’t too bad. There are multiple security checkpoints. The lady told us to go through the security line near Jet Blue, which is towards the middle of the terminal.

Once I got through security, my gate was S12. (I don’t know if this is where the AMC flight leaves every single time or not, but this is what my experience was). You need to go downstairs to the tram that will take you to the S Gates. After getting through security, you will be at the A gates, the tram first stops at the B gates from there (which is where the AMEX Centurion Lounge is right across from gate B3.. for any of you AMEX platinum card holders! You can get into the lounge for free and get free food and drinks!) The tram then next stops at the S gates where you will get off at.

We started the boarding process around 0800. My flight was scheduled to leave at 0850. They boarded families with small children first, then higher ranks, then they called people by rows. Service members need their ID and boarding pass, family members needed their passports and boarding pass.

Flight:

The first flight is about 10 hours. After not sleeping for like 24 hours, I was ready to sleep on the plane!! The seats are nice and they recline significantly so you can relax. They have little TVs that you can watch movies or shows on and they provide you with: pillow, blanket, ear buds, two meals and drinks.

I slept for the first 7 hours of the flight lol... so I missed the first meal but the second one was good. I ate the chicken parmesan with noodles and vegetables. Also they had bread and butter, crackers and a cheese slice, potato salad and cheesecake! It wasn’t too bad considering it was prepackaged airline food!

We landed in Yokota first, we got off the plane as they told us to, right off onto the tarmac. Once inside the small airport they gave us directions of what to do/where to go and what time to be back. They then let us pet owners let out our pets for about a half an hour. There is a small fenced in grassy area that you can put them in to go to the bathroom and stuff. They also provided water in bowls which was really nice!

You can leave your stuff on the plane, bring any money or whatever if you want snacks at the vending machine inside. Not much for options. For pets - just bring their leashes and extra zip ties to re-fasten their kennel when you put them back in. I gave my pups plenty of water and a small amount of food to hold them over for the remainder of the trip. They did really well! No accidents in the kennel and they both seemed happy and normal! Phew!! What a relief, they were my number one concern in this whole process!

The layover was about 2 hours and then we boarded again and headed to Iwakuni. This flight is only about 1 hour and 45 min. I was surprised because we were able to let our dogs out on this stop as well! For over an hour! They had a grass area outside for them to be at and a spicket to give them water.

There was a Japanese man at a food truck outside so you could buy some food and drinks. I got myself a hot dog and a soda :)

Then off on our last flight, to land in our final destination: Okinawa!

We landed on Kadena Air Base, went through customs and then to the baggage claim. My dogs were already there waiting for me. You will see a counter where the pets are, with base veterinarian staff. I handed the base veterinarian staff my official paperwork for them. This is where they take the original copies of everything, including your pet’s Health Certificate. They will have you sign some forms, and tell you everything you need to know. You have 72 business hours to take your pets into the vet on Kadena Air Base to get looked over.

I landed in Okinawa on Friday night, so I didn’t take my dogs in until Monday morning. They have specific walk in hours for people who are there to have their pets get their initial inspection done. There is a long wait time, so get there early if possible! You’ll need another set of copies of your paperwork for the base vet as well. Make sure you have plenty of copies!!

My pups are now officially done with quarantine and they are doing well.

It was a lot of stress to deal with, but so worth having them out here with us for these 3 years! I hope this post helps anyone who is stressing about the process of PCSing with a pet!

Thanks for reading!

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washingtoncapricorns · 6 years ago

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How we got here (Andre Burakovsky Smut)

This is a long one. Just to point out this is a friends to lovers story and at first the reader dates someone else. But don’t worry. It has a happy ending and more plot than I originally thought.

Andre had been my best friend my entire life. When he moved to the US, I wasn’t far behind him. I had been swimming for the national team since I was 13 and was finally heading off to college. I got a scholarship to the George Washington University in Washington, DC to swim and study international diplomacy. Andre got drafted to the Capitals the summer after I committed to GW. He had already been in the US for a year playing in Erie. Fate brought us back together in DC and I couldn’t be happier.

Four years earlier-

The first half of the school year, Andre was playing for the Hershey Bears and I was busy with getting adjusted to my new life as a student athlete. As I was gearing up for championships, Andre got called up to the NHL. He needed a place to stay until he could find his own, so I took him in. He slept on an air mattress on my dorm room floor until Tom Wilson took him in.

My parents were coming over to watch me compete at the Patriot League Championships. As a freshman, it was a pretty big honor to be the number one seed in the league for any event, let alone 3 events. I was the favorite for the 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle. I was on the national team back in Sweden and was hoping to make it to the NCAA championships as well.

“I wish I could come cheer for you,” said Andre sadly. “I might be able to make it to your 1000 free final.”

“Andre,” I replied with a smile. “Go play hockey silly. Our seasons overlap. You have gone to every home meet you could make. That’s more than enough.”

“Fine,” he huffed. “But if I can make it I am going to.”

Andre ended up getting there in the middle of the 1000 free final. I was on lap 6 when he ran through the doors, still in his game day suit. I ended up winning the final and setting a meet record. When I got out of the pool, I looked to the stands and saw Andre, Tom, and Mike Latta all cheering for me.

I had about 20 minutes before the award ceremony so I texted Andre and my family to come say hi in the lobby.

“Y/N!” Andre cheered running up to me with his arms open.

“You know I just got out of a pool right,” I smirked. “If you hug me you’ll ruin your suit.”

“I don’t care,” he smiled. “You did so well.”

“Are you going to introduce me to your friends?” I asked looking towards Tom and Mike who were smirking suspiciously.

“Oh right,” Andre chuckled. “Y/N this is Tom Wilson and Michael Latta. Mike, Tom, this Y/N my best friend who just happens to be an amazing swimmer.”

“We’ve heard a lot about you,” Tom said with a smirk.

I greeted my parents who then said hello to Andre. I had to go back for the award ceremony and then I was planning on going to dinner with my parents and Andre in Arlington. I accepted the awards for all of my events. I won all of them and was headed to the NCAA championships in all of them. I had a lot to be excited about and was so happy to be able to spend time with my family and lifelong friend.

My phone rang and it was my national teammate and mentor Sarah Sjostrom.

“Hey Sarah!” I said excitedly.

“Congrats on the fantastic meet,” she said.

“Thanks,” I replied. “I miss you! We’ll have to hang out when I get back.”

“Yeah,” she said. “Do you think you’ll get on the worlds team this year?”

“I hope so,” I replied. “I want you as my roommate if it works out like that.”

“Definitely anyway, congrats,” said Sarah.

I got changed and went to meet my parents and Andre who were waiting for me in the lobby. Andre suggested one of our personal favorite Italian restaurants: Mama Lucia. It was a great time and I am happy that I could spend time with some of my favorite people.

The next day my parents were headed back to Sweden. Andre and I were sitting on his couch since it was both of our off days. I knew we wouldn’t get to spend as much time together coming up with my training and championships and Andre’s season wrapping up and heading into play offs. His head laid in my lap as I ran my fingers through his hair absentmindedly.

Since I moved to DC, I was starting to wish that Andre and I could be more than just friends. We already spent a lot of time together and I wanted to see where it would take us. I wasn’t sure how to bring it up since I didn’t want to lose my best friend of so long.

3 years earlier:

I had just started my sophomore year of college. I still had a massive crush on Andre but never acted on it. He was still my best friend but he had been going out with a lot of different girls lately. I became closer with the guys since I was over at their apartment frequently to hang out with Andre. Recently though it had been Mike who was inviting me over.

Mike was a bit older than me. He was 24. I was just turning 20. However, he was young at heart and started to become head over heels for me. After turning him down all summer long, I decided to give him a shot.

I could tell Andre wasn’t completely ok with me dating one of his friends, especially one that was 4 years older than me. Mike was a great guy and never pushed me into anything.

Mike, Tom, and Andre came to as many of my swim meets as they could manage, and I came to as many of their games as I could. Eventually the media found out about Mike and I dating so that was a new struggle we had to manage. Honestly, it went over really well with everyone. When Mike was younger, he had a few too many wild times and I was the girl he was finally starting to get serious about.

The WAGs had officially adopted me as their youngest member. Tom’s girlfriend Taylor was my best friend of the group. Liza (Nicke’s girlfriend) loved me to death though. Her and Amelia (Marcus Johansson’s wife) were so excited that another Swedish WAG had joined the club.

Mike was the first man I fell in love with. I never thought it would happen but he snuck his way into my heart. The night I realized I loved him was an incredible night and one I will never forget.

I had just finished up at a swim practice and was trying to make it to a game against the Penguins. I literally rolled out of the pool still in my suit, put on my parka and ugg boots and ran straight to the metro. I made it to the stadium with 5 minutes left in the 1st period. The October night was chilly and by the time I made it to the family box I was freezing.

“Jesus, Y/N,” commented Lauren Oshie. “You didn’t even change to come here?”

“No I told Mike I would try to come so I wanted to be here in time to support him,” I explained shivering.

“Do you have dry clothes?” Liza asked.

“Shoot,” I exclaimed as I realized I had just shoved everything into my locker back at the pool.

“I bet Mike wouldn’t care if you wore his gym shorts and hoodie,” Liza explained. “Let me call the equipment manager to go get you into the locker room to look for them.”

Soon enough the equipment manager came up to get me and handed me a towel for my dripping hair.

“So you’re the pretty swimmer Andre and Mike are always going on about,” he chuckled.

“Yeah,” I blushed. “That’s me. I’m Mike’s girlfriend.”

“He did well for himself,” the equipment manager chuckled. “You seem well grounded. And you are an athlete.”

I heard the buzzer for the first intermission ring as the manager unlocked the locker room door. Soon enough entering behind me were the gigantic sweaty Capitals coming into the locker room.

“Why soaking wet, Y/N?” Ovi asked in his broken English.

“I got out of the pool and came straight here,” I chuckled.

“Y/N,” Mike exclaimed. “Why are you in a swimsuit still? I told you to shower and take your time.”

“I wanted to be here,” I said smiling. “Now can I have some clothing. I left mine in my locker in my rush to get here.”

“Of course,” he smiled handing them to me. “I’ll see you after the game.”

I exited the locker room and headed straight to the bathroom to change into the Mike’s dry clothing. I headed back up to the box in just enough time for the next period to start.

It was a rough loss, especially to the Penguins and that yellow croc wearing pretty boy, but I realized how much Mike meant to me. I had to tell him that I loved him and how much he meant to me.

After the game, I waited outside the locker room with the other WAGs. Mike came out with a sad look on his face, slightly perking up when he met my eyes. He came over and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

“Michael Latta,” I sighed. “I love you. You’re the first man I have ever loved.”

Later that year:

I was in Budapest at World Championships when I got the call. I knew Mike had the possibility of being traded but I never thought it would happen.

“Y/N,” he said. “I was traded.”

“That’s ok,” I said. “We’ll be fine.”

“Look,” he replied. “I don’t want to do the whole long distance thing. I can’t promise to be faithful to you and be across the country. I’m sorry, I need someone who is physically around.”

My heart dropped.

“Whatever Mike,” I yelled. “I wish I never met you.”

My race was next, and I had to get in the right mind frame. This was the 1500m freestyle final. I knew I wasn’t going to beat Katie Ledecky, but I wanted to at least finish top 5. Somehow I managed to come in third, but by the time the race was over my goggles were filled with tears.

I stood on the podium, trying to smile getting my medal, but I couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks. Anyone else would have thought they were tears of happiness. But Sarah and my coach knew me well enough to know that I was destroyed inside.

Before I even got my tech suit off, Andre was calling me.

“Y/N,” he sighed. “I know those were not happy tears on the podium. What did he do?”

“He told me he wouldn’t do long distance because he couldn’t promise to be faithful with me not physically there,” I sobbed as the flood gates opened.

I told Andre that as soon as I got out of my suit and packed my stuff that I would get on whatever busses it took to get back home. He bought me a plane ticket and told me he would pick me up at the airport.

The strongest competitor I faced, Katie Ledecky, came into the locker room as I hung up the phone.

“Hey,” she said. “I just wanted to tell you that you had an incredible race. I’m so sorry that you are having a rough time right now. Again, congrats on the medal and feel better.”

Those words stuck with me. I packed my things and headed off to the airport. I sent Sarah a text telling her I was leaving, and that I would see her at national team training in Stockholm.

When I landed in Malmö, I was emotionally exhausted. The border agent helping me at customs recognized me and congratulated me on winning the bronze medal I was declaring. I smiled slightly as I held it together as I spotted Andre waiting for me.

I finally fell apart again, in the middle of the baggage claim area of a crowded airport.

2 years earlier:

After the worst summer emotionally of my life, I was in the best swimming shape of my life. I spent all my time in the pool, crying as I stared at a black line for hours. Andre had been my friend through the whole relationship with Mike, but now that it was over, we started to get back to our original closeness. I couldn’t have asked for a better friend than him.

When Andre and Tom decided to rent a townhouse, I decided that I wanted to move into their extra bedroom. I didn’t want to live in DC all by myself and my best friends on the swim team graduated. Tom and Andre welcomed me with open arms.

We didn’t talk about Mike. It was forbidden in the house. Tom and Andre were pissed that he treated me that way but Tom wasn’t surprised. As soon as I got back into DC, TJ and John were at my door promising to hit Mike into next year whenever they saw him on the ice.

I was working hard in the pool, and was the favorite to win all the distance freestyle events in the Patriot League and break the league records in some of them. I was named one of the captains of the team. My team had been watching me at world championships and cheering me on from home. I had kept in touch with some of them over the summer but many of them were oblivious to the fact that my bronze medal winning race was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.

Hockey season was starting up. The team was away on their first road trip of the season, so the WAGs decided to have a get together celebrating everyone being back. We all went over to Nicke and Liza’s house. I came straight from practice so I didn’t even bother to change out of my swim suit since I knew we would all be in the pool.

“Y/N,” Liza greeted. “It’s so good to see you! How are you doing?”

“I’m ok,” I said. “I’m not great but I’ll get there.”

“I completely understand,” she smiled leading me out to the pool with the rest of the wives.

“The men have all decided that Latts is an asshole and that you are worth penalty time,” Lauren chuckled.

“We knew when we saw you on the podium, sweetie,” Liza explained wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “Just know that you are always welcome with us. Girlfriend or just close friend of Andre and Tom.”

“I love you guys,” I said hopping in the pool.

The night was filled with laughter and stories of our summertime. Haley Backstrom, Lyla Oshie, and Lucca Carlson, all wanted to play with me in the pool. I happily played along with them and socialize with the ladies as well. It was getting late as we all said our goodbyes. I got back to the apartment and laid down on my bed, when I got a text from Andre.

“I miss you. Can’t wait to have movie night when I get back.”

I smiled knowing that Andre wanted to hang out with me. I knew I wasn’t an easy friend to have, especially after my summer from hell. I was so happy to have my best friend. I thought about the crush I never really shook. I knew Andre would never hurt me like Mike did, but I wasn’t about to make the first move.

After the Friday evening get together with the ladies, I spent the rest of my weekend between the pool and hanging out with Liza. She liked having me over and I liked spending time with her and the kids. I decided to ask her about what I should do about Andre.

“I think I want to give us a shot,” I explained. “I don’t know if he feels the same way though.”

“Trust me sweetie,” she reassured. “He does. He was over here last week asking Nicke for advice on how to show you he won’t break your heart.”

“Really?” I questioned.

“Yeah,” Liza said. “But you aren’t supposed to know about it.”

Late Sunday night, Andre and Tom got home from their trip. I was asleep by the time they got home, but I vaguely remember Andre coming in and kissing my forehead before he went to his own room.

It was finally time for our movie night. Andre wanted to watch a scary movie. I of course did not. However, Andre convinced me that he would make sure to check under my bed for ghosts.

The movie ended up being anything but scary. It was stupid and horribly done. We stopped watching halfway through and just talked.

“How has swimming been going lately?” Andre asked rubbing my ankles.

“It’s great,” I said. “I’m right where I want to be.”

“Y/N,” Andre sighed. “I need to confess something.”

“Sure,” I replied.

“I want to love you like you deserve to be loved. It broke my heart to see you so broken,” he said taking my hands in his. “I want to be more than just your best friend. I want to be your boyfriend.”

“I would love to be your girlfriend, Andre,” I replied. “Just please, don’t break my heart, because I don’t think I can survive that again.”

“I promise,” he said.

Transitioning into a couple was smooth. Not much changed other than the fact that Andre and I were touchier. We were taking things slow, but we were definitely falling in love.

It was the last game before the holidays. Andre and I were staying in the US this year for Christmas. It was the first time we weren’t going home for at least a few days. Andre scored 2 goals and I was so excited. After the game, I congratulated him.

We barely made it in the door before I was ripping at his suit. Andre picked me up and carried me into his room.

“Hang on,” I said. “I need a minute.”

“Ok,” Andre replied. “Y/N, I know he was your first. I know he didn’t go slow. I know you deserve better than anything he ever did.

“Andre,” I whispered with tears in my eyes.

“I never felt more sick than the night you first slept with him,” he whispered. “I knew you were hurting; I knew he was being way too rough. It took everything I had not to stop him.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” I sighed. “It’s not supposed to feel good the first time.”

“No but he shouldn’t have fucked you,” Andre replied. “He should have made it special. I don’t want to fuck you, Y/N. I want to make love to you. Will you let me have your first time making love?”

“Yeah Andre,” I answered wiping my tears. “I want you.”

With that Andre kissed my lips gently. I closed my eyes and reveled in his soft slow pace. I never knew that just kissing could get me so worked up. Andre slowly moved his kisses to my neck. He was spending time making sure he kissed every part of my exposed skin.

“Can I take off your clothes, min kärlek?” Andre asked partially in our native tongue.

“Ja tack,” I responded.

Andre slowly worked my clothing off my body, taking time to press kisses to each new patch of exposed skin. When I was finally naked, I shivered at the way he looked at me.

“You look like home,” he sighed. “I never wanted anything more than I want you.”

“Then take me,” I whispered leaning up to kiss his lips.

Andre then sat himself between my thighs. I looked down at him nervously.

“Andre,” I said. “I, it’s just, I never had anyone put their mouth there.”

“Then we’re both in for a treat äskling,” he whispered.

I tried to relax as Andre kissed up both of my thighs slowly. He breathed in deeply, nostrils flaring, as he gazed into my eyes. He spread me outer lips with his thumbs and delved his tongue between my folds. I jerked almost violently, moaning out in pleasure.

Andre smirked and pulled me closer, locking his arms around my hips to keep me in place. My hands flew to his soft brown curls as he ate me like a starved man. I had never experienced anything more wonderful than the feeling of his soft tongue and lips. I felt myself approaching the edge. Andre seemed to realize it too, and sucked me hard.

I cried out and nearly ripped his hair out. Tears rolled down my cheeks as he continued to lick me through my orgasm. When he finally came back up my body, his thumb wiped at the tears on my cheeks.

“I have never felt anything so amazing in my life,” I said honestly.

“Good,” Andre said with a smirk, “I plan on spending a lot of time eating your delicious cunt.”

I shivered at his filthy words.

“I need you,” I whined.

Andre slipped 2 fingers into my entrance. He got a concentrated look on his face.

“I’ll go slow,” he said. “Can you grab a condom from the drawer beside you?”

“Actually Andre,” I whispered shyly. “I kinda want to feel you cum in me. I want this to be different. I got checked for STDs last month and I’m clean. Plus, I have the implant.”

“Oh fuck, yes,” Andre moaned. “Tell me if you need a break. I love you and I want to make you feel amazing.”

I kissed him gently on the lips, “I love you too.”

With that, Andre pushed in gently. I could feel every ridge and vein in his cock. He stretched me more than I had ever felt before. It was delicious. The heightened sensitivity from my first orgasm had me clenching down hard. I knew it wouldn’t take long and I would be gone again.

Andre rolled his hips against mine at a slow, but deep pace. He was hitting all the right spots inside me. He brought his thumb to rub at my clit to help me along. I was clenching hard and I knew that at any second I would fall over the edge. And fall over the edge I did.

I was blissed out through my second orgasm and Andre still hadn’t cum.

“Don’t worry äskling,” he groaned. “I’m right there. I’m gonna fill y-.”

With that he spilled inside of me. The feeling of warmth pushed me over the edge yet again. I blacked out from the pleasure.

When I came back around Andre was cleaning his dripping cum from between my legs with a wash cloth.

“Did you enjoy that?” he asked with a smirk.

“Enjoy would be the understatement of the year,” I chuckled.

June 7, 8:25 pm:

My boyfriend won the Stanley Cup. I cannot believe this is happening. After all the hard work and disappointment these boys have been through over the years, I couldn’t be prouder. Andre took his lap with the cup as I was walking down towards the ice with the rest of the families. Alexandra, Anna, and Andre’s mom walked in pace with me. Andre’s dad walked behind us.

Down on the ice, Andre hugged his mom, then both of his sisters. Then came his dad. Then came me. My hug was the longest and turned into a passionate kiss on the lips. I had never been more proud of anyone. I now understand what Andre meant when I won the 1000yd free at NCAAs.

“When your partner achieves their dream, you are proud because you were there for the sacrifice.”

Andre sat me down lightly on my feet. A recent college graduate, I was exhausted from all my finals and walking across the stage yesterday morning. The room started to spin around me as Andre got down on one knee.

“I have an important question to ask,” he said smirking. “Will you marry me?”

“Of course I will!” I squealed as the tears ran down my cheeks.

My Stanley Cup Champion was now my fiancé and there is nothing in the world I could want more than him right now.

Present Time:

The summer in Malmö is going fantastically so far. I made the world championships again, and this time Andre was coming with me. The wedding planning was already coming along. I had decided to turn pro in swimming so I had new endorsements and meetings to go to. Andre and I became Sweden’s power couple.

I decided my next big goal in swimming was to make an Olympic team. I made the team last time, but was sidelined with an injury.

Andre and I were going to buy a house in DC. I was so happy that my dream life was coming together. I felt solid in our relationship and I can’t help but think of the journey that got is here.

Childhood friendship, teenage angst, moving to America, heartbreak, and finally where we are now.

#andre burakovsky smut #hockey imagine #hockey smut #nhl smut #nhl imagine #its a long one #i hope yall enjoy #i enjoyed writing it #jules writes

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cloneslugs · 6 years ago

Note

oh fuck u sent me multiple so demo/engie/medic/scout and also u can do the one i already sent

ty i love you

Demo

favorite thing about them

he’s super fun!!! but also really smart and caring and just an all around cool dude he’s like B) !

least favorite thing about them

this isnt about him personally lol but like official stuff(comics) lighten the fuck out of his skin and its like. dont

favorite line

i didnt even see this question when i first did this wtf but uh all his “i love you” esque lines are really excellent

brOTP

exclusing soldier lol!!! probably sniper or engie!!

OTP

soldier :’)

nOTP

besides scout & pyro & just like. looking at just the mercs no one really demo deserves love

random headcanon

he likes turtles a lot & just reptiles/amphibians in general just in a kinda neat/favorite animal type way nothing special, he gets around with engie and sniper and they all get drunk and they talk about cryptids, he has a super big heart he loves love, outside of the battlefield he’s pretty apprehensive and cautious moreso than lots of the others at least, he doesnt push himself to be it often just bc he doesnt like leaderly positions but he defo has one of the more valid voices of reason amongst all of them, he loves to help and just listen to people he’s always ready to offer you a drink and take a load off and just talk things out & he’s super chill and easy to talk to anyway, he comes off as really lazy but he can jump up and make do when he needs to

unpopular opinion

idk whats considered popular or not on here lol but like!! he’s not just stupid silly drunk man he’s actually got heart and is pretty intelligent & like probably one of the better off mercs if he wanted himself to be

song i associate with them (this is literally the worst question im so bad at this if i dont have lots n lots of searching time and also i forget all music ever)

cheap thrills - sia

favorite picture of them (sorry 4 bg edits im doing what i have on hand lol)

hes so fucking happy i love you!!!

Engie

favorite thing about them

he’s my fucking husband he makes my heart fucking soar!!! he’s a quiet little sweetheart and he’s just really smart and nice and has morals iusdahui

least favorite thing about them

fucking nothing you animals

favorite line

all his fucking nerdy engineering lines are so fucking good ;____; he’s so smart and passionate god“i love engines! pinion shafts! flanges. mitigating shock loads. but most of all: i love winnin’!” “they won’t know what hit ‘em! though it’ll likely to be bullets. statistically speaking” theres more but im like ;___; just thinking about him ah

brOTP

medic babey!!!!!! i have a thing for shitty best friends that tire each other out (especially on one side) but love each other at the end of the day and are just ride or diepyro also but for completely different reasons :-)

OTP

spy is fucking excellent -.- dont @ me

nOTP

soldier lol (excluding pyro & scout)

random headcanon

i think all the mercs are autsitic but engie is one of my fucking fav ahhhhh, he and medic info dump for hours especially where their special interests overlap and it gets really boring if youre not one of them lol, he loves learning but he hated school so much ):, he has pretty bad anxiety but only under certain circumstance, he’s kinda jealous that spy gets to automatically be seen as a paternal figure bc of scout and he kinda wishes he could settle in like that but he also doesnt think he’d be very good at it for a very prolonged amount of time, he loves math!!!! he loves numbers a lot he associates it with lots of fun and colors and just !!!!! wow wow!!, he has really really really high empathy when it comes to machines and stuff, he loves dogs especially smaller ones, he really loves to fidget w/ tools and stuff bc he always has one on hand and theres lots you can do with some of them, he’s really lazy and has a hard time applying himself sometimes

unpopular opinion

the comics really brush him aside i need to see him more please for the love of god he’s just as interesting as anyone else also fat engie is the only valid engie & also soldier/engie is fucking forced and weird idk where it comes from except they wear hats lol & also people call engie short but if you dont make him 5′00 give or take 3 inches youre doing it wrong and i cant stand by it

song i associate with them

this is like. also a soldier song for me lol but Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect - the decemberists

favorite picture of them

ms pauling and medic!! his buddies :) also i just love the shadowboxers art

his fly costume makes me so ;___; i love you little man

also i hate to default to beard engie but this is literally the sexiest man alive

Medic

favorite thing about them

i have a thing for shitty men with halfway decent hearts but are trying(sometimes) okay like okay he’s so chaotic and bad but ;___; i love you

least favorite thing about them

this mostly applies to his Meet the vid but he comes off as really apathetic and cruel? i think in everything else he comes off as a bit nicer if not absentminded and not too socially aware which is :)

favorite line

bro when he warns heavy about that gun in the comix? gay rights U__U also the like “you can take the brain out of the criminal and put it in a pumpkin, but you cant take the criminal out of the brain in the pumpkin” or whatever shit sir i love you

brOTP

engie baby!!!! i also really like spy & sniper bc im weak for shitty support relationships i think med just works really good w/ everyone really in some way

OTP

heavy baby!!!

nOTP

all of the mercs are fine (excluding the usual lol) but like cHeavymed people are freaks die

random headcanon

he has really poor eating & sleeping habits he almost relies on everyone else to keep him alive, he’s autistic & he’s jewish but not really practicing, he pulls & tugs on things when he’s stressed, he’s actually really smart medically he just doesn’t like showing it/messing w/ people (it makes some of the smarter mercs nervous lol), when he gets bored & has nothing to play with he digs for drama he loves to start unnecessary arguments that have no value whatssoever, he’s scared of dogs, he only trusts sniper & maybe heavy to handle his birds if he were to die, heavy & archimedes are like mega comfort objects(?) for him !!, he’s kinda really bad at showing he likes/cares for people, this goes especially hard on engie ):, he has a really big sweet tooth, he cant cook, he doesnt ever censor himself and can be pretty rude, he’s an open book and has no sense of integrity, he got super attached to heavy right off the bat for seemingly no reason and it was just super awkward lol, he gets distracted really easily and drops projects too often when he gets bored/forgets, his room is a mess he doesnt know how to do chores, he’s trans and hasnt done anything to medically transition but he handles everyone on team who is

unpopular opinion

he’s not a fucking sociopath lol like he has a heart and cares he just has a hard time differentiating right from wrong and doesnt think things out i love you

song i associate with them

this is my emo music time i keep changing this but im gonna go It Was A Swift Not A Swallow - Crywank

favorite picture of them

i cant pick between these two he’s saving his fucking boyfriends life & also the 2nd he just looks so peaceful and :)

Scout

favorite thing about them

he’s a sweet boy!!! he just wants friends and he’s stuck with a bunch of middle aged men we have to love his endurance also he’s a little baby faced menace i love you

least favorite thing about them

in the canon i ignore lol.. too straight we cant have that

favorite line

all his lines talking about how the group of them are all best friends and stuff??? i love that

brOTP

sniper !!!! also spy also everyone

OTP

no one really lol pyro is like. the only one im comfy w/

nOTP

sniper lol if we’re talking popular things & all the rest of the mercs really

random headcanon

he’s a super sweet boy who loves everyone on the team, he warmed up the fastest out of all of them and became super attached!!, he really wants a base dog, he really likes to spend time with everyone and listen to them talk like he loves sitting with engie and having him explain nerdy engineering nonsense that he’ll never get but he tries to but its just fun seeing how excited the other person is!!!, he became super close to sniper right off the bat for some reason which is weird bc scout can talk forever and sniper doesn’t know how to hold a conversation for more than 5 minutes but they like hanging out even if it gets tiring, he lives off of sugary drinks medic keeps telling him to stop, he loves to hang out w/ spy and they get on each others nerves but really enjoy it at the end of the day, he has little to no sense of boundaries, he loves to give hugs!!, he really tries to engage with everyone’s interests like i said he just loves making/seeing other people happy, he loves being part of big groups it always just feels like a big family to him

unpopular opinion

he gay :)

song i associate with them

the calculation - regina spektor

favorite picture of them

trans rights!!!

Soldier

favorite thing about them

he is a sweetheart he is my big stupid husband and we both love raccoons =.=

least favorite thing about them

the patriotism…… we arent having that

favorite line

he’s literally so fucking funny especially all his things w/ merasmus and just. everything

brOTP

excluding demo uh !!! SPY!!!! :D

OTP

demo :)

nOTP

engie x.x

random headcanon

he’s super sweet !!! he loves his friends so much, he loves to show off his raccoons to everyone :), he bonds w/ sniper over wildlife(raccoons), everyone has a lot of patience w/ him bc he struggles to communicate things a lot and kinda needs his time to get points across, he’s actually really observant and it would be really good if he just didnt jump to wild conclusions based off of it all the time, he’s really conscious of his actions and how they affect others like he’s kinda violent impulsively but hes taken note of who is and isnt okay with it or who’s okay w/ him saying what in front of them, he’s really protective of his friends!!! he knows theyre capable but he loves looking out for them, he loves to drag them off on fitness expeditions/training but he tires out before a good number of them/gets bored, he wakes up the earlies he loves the mornings, he can cook but nobody knows it, like scout he loves to indulge in what other people like but he’s more handson he loves to screw in screws for engie or hand medic tools or read out loud to spy or heavy or show sniper things he catches/turn over rocks with him, he loves medics birds but doc wont let him touch them ):, he wants to get a base dog too, he has no volume or tone control, probably the best hugger, he’s kinda shy about personal things like himself in general or being trans & liking guys he’s actually pretty decent at keeping personal things to himself not that he wouldnt share it just feels weird,

unpopular opinion

he’s not just like shouty mean stupid man,,, he’s actually really sweet

song i associate with them

rejoice- AJJ

favorite picture of them

i have worse naked honey pics but this is fucking it lads gay rights

#im like. digging thru my tee eff 2 playlist on spotify this is hell #asks #tf text #sorry this is long lol i feel like im leaving out so much #also shout out to cecil youre the only valid person out here #triplecrossed #if i missed anything kick me #these make me so happy to do i love talking and talking and talking about my interests

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utterlymydump · 2 years ago

Text

People Long Forgotten - Musings on Transport

An ode to 12th September 2022 (A thought dump of sorts)

It’s Monday.

I don’t have academic lessons but I’m learning to drive. The journey to the driving centre is a long one so I leave my home 2 hours early. I’m in casual wear. Really casual wear. A red school T-shirt and white pants, a strange sprinkle of accidental patriotism in the middle of September.

I tend to turn my brain off whenever I travel from place to place, even when all I’m doing is waiting for the bus. At the back of my head, I notice 2 people talking to each other and pay no heed until something in my brain suddenly clicks.

7 or 8 years ago, I had a crush on a neighbour whom I remember always wearing yellow, down to the shorts he wore (that looked suspiciously like boxers but what do I know? We were both 11). I enjoyed playing games with him and the way we would bounce off each other’s ideas. Though, we slowly drifted and stopped talking because of school and our separate hectic lives.

Or at least, that is what I like to tell myself. I stopped hanging out first because I fell for one of those Love Percentage Calculator pranks that may or may not have exposed me. Long story short, our mutual friend sent the link to the calculator to me and I maybe imputed my now ex-crush’s name and the results were sent to my mutual friend who proceeded to text me about it. The conversation went along the lines of:

Mutual Friend: “WHAT”

Me: Oops

And then I never dared to show my face. I’m not even sure if that mutual friend told him about it. Fast forward to when we were 13 and he began dating his next door neighbour. Which sounds cute in theory but they broke up within a few months. Such is the longevity (or lack thereof) of Secondary school relationships.

Now here they were, barely recognisable and looking so different from their tween selves. Conversing. With the girl’s hand clasping the hand of her current boyfriend. It was an amusing sight to see, knowing part of their history. To an unassuming person, they’re just people who are talking.

I don’t think they noticed me or recognised me. My ex-crush glanced my way and we didn’t even make eye contact. Interesting how life works out: While I no longer talk to him or recognise him, I sincerely enjoyed hanging out with him and I hope everyone is doing well.

***

Driving is an extremely stressful affair for me. I’ve never been able to handle stress well. Unfortunately, stress appears to be counterproductive to the art of driving because the car can smell your stress. The steering wheel is so stiff and only reacts well to gentle caresses as you turn it. The acceleration pedal gets mad if you step on it with force, only choosing to listen when you apply the pressure of a tiptoe.

I suspect that I need to be constantly sedated to soothe my nerves, but that ends up being a whole other problem because being calm makes me sleepy, which definitely does not mix well with driving or studying or… anything for that matter (Unless you are going to bed for the day).

***

I spent a total of $6 on public transport on Monday with a grand total of 4 hours of travelling. Most of the time, I tell myself that I will be productive on public transport but then I just don’t do anything. I don’t even use my phone or listen to music. I tend to look out of the window and let my mind wander. Half the time, it doesn’t wander. It stays put. I hate noise but the white noise of public transport is surprisingly comforting and allows me to zone out in peace.

I had dinner with my friends but they ended late so I waited at the MRT station for close to an hour. I wasn’t mad at all though, I enjoyed doing my work against the backdrop of the dinner rush. When they finally appeared, I got spooked and jumped from my seat because of how immersed I was.

And as I took the bus back to my hall room, minding my own business and feeling the urban sadness of the quiet buildings and the full moon, some guy sat beside me and man-spreaded so hard it ruined my vibe.

Booooo.

***

Here is a joke I came up with while doing my readings on Romans:

I guess you can say that Octavius “ceased” (seized) power in Caesar’s name!

(Coincidentally, Caesar’s power also ceased.)

Badumtzz

***

Disclaimer: I use my platform to write whatever is on my mind and my opinions may differ from yours. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments! However, I would encourage civil discussions so that we can all learn from one another. Thank you!

#reflection #introspection #personal essay #life #journal

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ben243s-transformation-stories · 7 years ago

Text

Sam’s Dog Summer

“Sam, What do you want to do for the summer?” his mom asked. It was the last week of his sophomore year in high school, and sam wasn’t interested in any of the typical summer programs. “Mom, I want to spend the summer as a dog. Your dog.” he replied. “What?!?!” his mom could not believe her ears. “I’ve always loved dogs, and want to see what it would be like to be one. Besides, all of my friends will be gone and camp is so boring. “ he told her. Sam’s mom thought for a moment. Did he really want to do this? is he just testing me? “if you really want to do this you must remain naked the whole vacation, eat out of a dog bowl sleep on a dog bed use the bathroom outside like a dog obey my commands and no t.v. movies or video games.” she offered. She figured he would never agree with the inclusion of no tav. and video games, but he responded, “Fine, lets do it.” A couple of days later Sam's mom took him to the pet store to pick out his collar, leash, bowl, and toys. “Are you sure you want to do this?” She asked him. “Never more so” he replied. He looked carefully knowing the collar would be the only thing he would be wearing for the next few months. He hoped it would be a warm summer. Sam picked out a collar and leash combo with a patriotic motif. It was red white and blue and covered in flags. He picked out a shiny metal bowl, which his mom had engraved with his name. They picked out some squeaky toys, rawhide chews, and a big bag of dry dog food. Mom picked out a dog house for rainy days. Before they left sam had an ID tag made with his name on it for his collar. While sam was at school for his last day of 10th grade, his mother had a privacy fence installed around their backyard, and found a nice shady spot for the dog house. When Sam walked in from school he headed straight to his room. He found all of his clothes boxed up and a dog bed in the middle of the floor. All of his other furniture was gone. “Good you’re home.” his mom greeted him. “Strip!” she ordered. “But I have to go to the bathroom” he protested. “After you’re naked and outside Dog” she told him. Sam remembered the agreement and quickly stripped off his shirt, pants, shoes, and socks. He hesitated about his underwear, but shed that too after a moment. His mom looked him up and down, this was the first time she’d seen him totally naked for a long time. She snapped the collar around his neck and led him out the back door. “ Your toilet awaits.” she announced. While sam was exploring the backyard, his mom scooped his clothes up and locked them away. “Well this saves on a summer wardrobe” she thought. Sam walked around the yard for a while enjoying the breeze on his bare skin and penis. Soon the urge to pee hit him and he decided to pee where he was standing. it felt strange to be peeing in the yard and yet somehow liberating. he decided to checkout his dog house next. He found it was just roomy enough for him to lie down in. Next to the dog house was a bowl of water. he stuck his head in and tried to drink. it took a lot more effort than he thought it would. After lounging in the sun for a while his mom called him for dinner. “Come sam, Dinner, Good Boy!” sam got up and ran into the house as fast as he could. The instant he walked in the door he could smell the steak and french fries that his mother had cooked. He was starving. She led him to the kitchen and said “Here’s your diner”. and showed him to a bowl of dry dog food. The dog food nuggets were a huge let down after smelling the steak. The dog food tasted awful, but it was all he was fed so he ate it anyway. “Lets see how long he keeps this up” thought his mom as she watched him over her steak. Sam spent the rest of the evening lying on the floor of the living room as his mother watched CSI, as dogs aren’t allowed on the furniture. Secretly his mom thought this was a strange way for her son to want to spend his summer, but enjoyed seeing him completely helpless and dependent on her. She decided to put him out one last time before putting him to bed. This time sam had to do both so he ended up squatting on the lawn. When he came back in, she led him up to his dog bed and left him there for the evening. As she tucked herself into bed, she thought maybe this wont be so bad after all. Sam certainly seemed to be enjoying it. It took sam a while to fall asleep, partly from newness of the bed, but also due to the giddiness of the whole situation. He had never expected his mother to agree to it. Sam Slept in, and when he got up he remembered the best dreams he had ever had. He also had the biggest erection he had ever had. He waited for it to go down, but he had to go to the bathroom so he found his mom to let him out. She looked at his erection and smiled as she opened the door. She watched him from the dining room window, and saw that he had no embarrassment about being naked, or using the yard as a toilet. After finishing her breakfast Sam's mom took a tennis ball out with her and asked sam if he wanted to play fetch. He nodded his assent, so she threw the ball. Sam ran after it. when he reached it he reached down to pick it up and his mother said “Not like that, dogs pick them up with their mouths.” Sam instantly bent down and scooped up the ball in his mouth. He carried it back to his mom. They continued to play this way for an hour. She noticed that he started panting. That was a nice touch. She couldn’t help but stare at her sweat covered son as he chased the ball across the yard. After a hard morning of play, Mom brought him in for lunch and watched as he ate. “You know, if you’re going to be a dog, you should be walking on all fours.”. “OK mom, whatever you say.” he replied and dropped to his knees. They played most of the rest of the weekend and mom petted Sam's back enjoying him more as her pet than her son. When the week started Sam’s mom had to go back to work so sam was told he would be spending the day outside. It was nice and sunny so sam was thrilled. He gulped down his breakfast that morning and ran out the door to explore the back yard. Work was boring that day, and when she got home she found sam sunning himself in the yard. Sam had hardly noticed the passage of time, he had been chasing birds and the occasional squirrel and had thought that this was how he should be spending his his life, not sitting in a boring classroom. She walked out and patted him on the stomach, and led him inside. She fed sam a special treat of beef with his dog food which he lapped right up. As the weeks progressed Sam's mom noticed that he seemed to be taking to this dog thing better that she thought he would. If anything he almost seemed to be acting more like a dog than a boy with each passing day. Mom was a little concerned, but found herself liking the way he was acting and wishing she could keep him this way forever. Sam's mom did some research and found places where people enjoyed acting like animals and found there was a vet in her area who sometimes saw people like that. She decided to make and appointment for sam for the weekend. The vet agreed to see them, but only late at night when the office was closed for his “regular” clients. Sam's mom found a robe and made him put it on for the ride even though he resisted. “I’m a dog” sam thought. “Dogs don’t wear clothes.” the instant they were in the office sam shed the robe and licked the vet. He did a full examination, and declared that Sam was fit and asked his mom if she wanted to have him vaccinated. “I sure do. I would also like to have him microchipped in case he ever gets loose.” She replied. “Of course, just fill out this paperwork” said the vet and handed her a stack of forms. While Sam's mom was filling them out the vet filled several syringes and proceeded to inject sam with the fluids. He whined a little but took them well. “Good Dog!” the vet praised him. “He’ll be a little sore for a couple days but should be all right. Here are you rabies tag and a tag for the id chip.” “Thanks. now I can get a license for him.” Sam's mom told the vet. Sam sat on his haunches on the exam room floor and found he only vaguely understood what they were talking about. Something told him he should understand more, but he knew his mother only wanted what was best for him so he didn’t let it worry him. “Would you like to have him neutered?” the vet asked. Sam's mom thought for a few minuets, but then decided “Not yet, thanks.” “Ok, lets settle up the bill and get a copy of the records for you.” the vet said. Mom paid and tried to get sam to wear the robe to the car. He refused and since it was dark his mom just let him walk to the car in all his naked glory, hoping no one would see them. The drive home from the vet was peaceful, as it was late and not many cars were on the road. Sam’s mom (Owner?) reflected back on how the summer had played out so far. She had enjoyed talking and spending time with sam, but he had always spent most of his time watching tv or playing video games. Although they no longer spoke (everyone knows dogs don’t talk) Sam was spending more time with his mom and they seemed to be connecting in ways they never had before. She looked in the rearview mirror and saw sam sleeping on the back seat of the car. His legs were waving like he was running and he was moving his rear as if he had a wagging tail. Then next morning Sam's mom got a call from one of her friends that he was going out of town and wanted someone to watch his dog. Sam was sitting on the floor staring up at her with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. “Would you like a friend to play with?” She asked him. “woof woof woof” he replied. She told her friend she would love to watch his dog and he could drop it off before he left. When Ryan dropped off Fangs, Sam was still in the backyard. “I hope he doesn't give you any trouble this week. Just feed him and let him out and everything should be great.” He instructed. “have a great trip” Sam's mom told him. After he left she brought sam in and let them greet each other. They sniffed and licked at each other. Sam's mom couldn’t tell the difference between the dog and her sons behavior. The two spent most of the week chasing each other around the yard, rolling in the mud and even shared a rawhide chew before heading off to dinner. When Sam's mom saw them covered in mud, she had to hose them down before she would let them into the house. When Ryan picked up fangs the next morning, Sam's mom decided to confide in him as they had been flirting across the fence for months. “Sam told me he wanted to spend the summer as my dog. I could hardly believe my ears when he said it. I thought he was crazy, but he’s taken to it like a fish to water.” “That's odd, but why are you telling me this?” Ryan wondered. “We’ll I’m going to have to go to a conference for work, that I can’t get out of. Would you mind watching him for a while?” She asked. He readily agreed since she had watched fangs for him and they had gotten along so well. Sam's mom dropped him off early the next morning so she could catch her flight. Ryan took one look at Sam and smiled. “I’ve got big plans for you this week.” Ryan spent the next few hours watching Sam to see how far he had taken to his new roll as a dog. Sam's behavior was almost exactly what you would expect to see from an average dog. He tried to talk to him but anything more than basic commands were met with a puzzled look. “Good“ Ryan thought. “His mom will be pleased when she gets him back.” Sam's sleep was uneasy and he awoke feeling tired. when Ryan greeted him in the morning he sensed that something was different. “So you want to be a dog do you?!?” he asked. “your vet and I have been talking, and we have an appointment set up for you. I think you’ll like the results.” The vet was normally closed on Sundays but had come in early to set up for the special procedures that Ryan had requested. “You’re sure you have the ok to do this?” the vet asked. “yep heres the form” Ryan produced a form on which he had forged Sam's moms signature. “Very well, I’ll get started in a few minuets. let me set up a few last things.” Ryan had requested that the vet remove most of his fingers and thumbs, neuter him, and attempt to graft a tail unto him. This first round of surgeries would produce a dramatic result and make sam feel more like a dog he was becoming. “The surgeries went well, and you can take him home in a few hours. I suggest you set a place where he can sleep in a comfortable position for the next few days. If he takes well to this, we can do the next round in a few days once he's had time to heal.” the vet instructed Ryan. He also handed him some bottles of pills for the pain and to prevent an infection. When Ryan finally took sam home, he was still groggy from the anastesia and was heavily bandaged around his waist and hands. Ryan could see a long furry tail sticking out from under the bandages. “The perfect touch” He thought to himself. It would be several days before the bandages would come off and he could see how well the surgeries went, but so far Ryan was pleased. When sam came to, he knew something was different but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. The vet had given him enough pain killer that he had a nice buzz. The vet had also decided to forgo the typical lampshade collar, as Sam's teeth weren’t sharp enough to damage any of the incision sites. Ryan walked into the room to refill the food and water dishes that sam and fangs had been sharing, and when he saw that sam was awake, he smiled. “Glad to see you’re finally up” he said. Sam Tried a wag and felt something flopping against the floor. Looking around he saw a tail swishing weakly behind him. Something in his mind said “But I don’t have a tail?”. When sam tried to rise he felt a jolt of pain in his hands- no now definitely paws. He looked down and saw they were very different than he remembered them. Sam realized he was very hungry and gingerly maneuvered himself the few steps to the food dish. He was happy to see the softer moist food instead of his normal dryer fare. He ate as much as he could than he drained the water dish. Ryan was pleased to see him eating, But was distressed because he had hoped to get one more surgery done to Sam's hind legs to make it easier for him him to walk and some facial surgery in an attempt to give him a snout. Sam's recovery had taken longer than expected and his mother was due back soon. Ryan wondered how she would react to the changes. He felt that she would have some trouble accepting them, but knew that he could sweet talk her into accepting them. He had been watching them since they moved into the neighborhood, and had gotten to know both in ways most people never do. He had only recently started flirting with Sam's mom in an effort to get himself into their lives. This twist had been exactly what he had been waiting for. He had known of Sam's request long before he had asked for dog sitting help. He had parked his car in the airport lot and caught a cab home. It was fairly expensive, but well worth it. Ryan had hastened the mental transformation with hypnotic suggestion, which sam had proved very susceptible to, but the majority of the change had been done by sam himself. This was truly the way he felt he should be though sam would never have been able to put it into words on his own. Sam grew stronger over the next couple of days and when the bandages were fully removed he seemed to be able to move without pain. His tail still seemed kind of weak but he was gaining control quickly. Ryan made sure sam was clean and neat in preparation for his mom to pick him up. When she saw him she nearly fainted. When she left she had left her son, and was now picking up some strange cross between the man and dog. Secretly she had hoped to keep him this way, but she was not prepared to take such drastic steps. “What have you done to him?!??” she demanded. Ryan replied “I have only helped him become what he was truly destined to be.” Sam's mom was furious that she had not been consulted, but was not upset with the results. “now I can keep him with me forever” she thought. She had already started selling off his clothes and stuff and had made a tidy sum. Acting as indignant as possible, she grabbed sam and dragged him home. She wasn’t thinking too clearly and didn’t care if anyone saw them. Ryan was smart enough not to try to stop her or follow. “Give her a day or two, and she’ll see that this was a change for the better.” he thought to himself. He watched carefully through the window of his house to be sure they would be all right. Sam's mom considered her possible courses of action over the next few days. While she was sitting in the chair, sam came over and put his head in her lap. He let out a small whine to get her attention, and she soon found herself scratching his head and petting him. There was no way Sam could return to school. It was due to start in a few days, so she would have to withdraw him. She hoped she would not have to explain too much, maybe just home schooling would be a good explanation. What was she going to do about Ryan? She was still mad, but she was deeply attracted to him. Whenever she tried to complain to him she fell under his spell and just started agreeing to whatever he wanted. Before she knew it, she had withdrawn sam for school (the classes were over crowded already and the staff seemed happy to have one less student to worry about. Sam's mom and Ryan had also scheduled sam in for his second round of surgeries since he was already half way through. Ryan had even convinced her to let him move in to “help take care of Sam after the surgeries.” Sam's recovery seemed to go much quicker this time with both of them nursing him back to health. He took to the leg modifications like a fish to water. He seemed to move around more easily and had less trouble with things getting in the way when he relieved himself. The vet had proven him self to be a prodigy with how smoothly everything went, and how few scars and how small they were. As she watched him running through the yard with fangs playing, she was happy that she had decided to go forward. Once the surgeries were complete sam could almost be mistaken for a normal dog. There was still a problem with giving him a coat of fur, but he had a nice snout, and with a few modifications his tongue hung out. The vet had warned that he would have to learn how to talk again, but sam hadn’t said anything but “Woof Woof” since the summer started. He now had control over his tail and could wag it as well as any other dog. He and fangs had become great friends, almost like they were from the same litter. Behaviorally Sam was now fully canine. There was no human left and sam seemed quite happy with his new life. As the weather stared to turn colder sam spent much more time inside with his two masters and friend. Life could not be better, Sam's mom thought and had convinced herself that Ryan's ideas and surgeries were for the best for sam. She was impressed with the results. and knew that this was how things should be. They finished getting rid of all of Sam's human stuff and used the money to pay off all of her bills. This gave her and Ryan more time to spend together. Ryan turned his attention to Sam's mom, and thought “I wonder how she would like to be a dog?”

#dog transformation

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paigerambles · 6 years ago

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYLEIGH!! (PT. 7) --- THE FINALE ft. TMY @lists-andrandomshit

“God, you’re no fun when you’re tense!” ( Marlene & Rita )

“If that’s your way of offering to give me a hot-stone massage, you don’t have to be so coy about it. I’m all yours, Marlypants.”

“You’re crude and unprofessional.”

“I don’t care, it was riveting.”

“Oy with the poodles already.” ( Bernie & Robin )

“Oy with YOUR poodles already.”

“Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole.”

“Aye, maybe if we were actually in a car but the chances of me falling off the back of this broomstick are high so hear me complain. I am your music, ye bass!”

“I think I’m adorable” ( Bernie & Rita )

"Mhm, you and the rest of the year it would seem.”

“I wish I couldn’t feel a damn thing.”

“Yeah... Me too.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t hung up the “Hang in there” kitty poster yet, Amos.” ( Bernie & Amos )

"I suppose there really is no way I can convince you to genuinely participate in my pity party, is there? Fine, fine, save the sarcasm. I’m hanging in. But starting next week, we’re doubling practice and no amount of pouting or cute little smiles will change my friend. Probably.”

“Please accept this sandwich as a gesture of solidarity.”

“Thank you. I love you.”

“I found a liquor store, and I drank it.” ( Nate & Rita )

"Yeah, I can see that. You do remember that you have things to do, right? Lectures to give? I'm all for rolling into class late, hungover and in recycled eyeliner but I look hot doing that. You just... Okay, you still look totally, unbelievably hot but that is so not the point. Obviously something is going on with you Nate so quit being so me about it and just spit it out. Or, at the very least, don't throw up on the couch."

“I’m not going to die in a hospital where the nurses aren’t even hot.”

"Oh my god, you're not going to die, you big idiot! Stupid."

“And you’re… well, I’m sure you have a wonderful personality, dear.” ( Leone & Danny )

"Wow. You really are an arsehole... Excuse me, I need to go wallop my best friend over the head for being fucking batshit enough to put himself anywhere near...all of this."

“Daniel, we’ve talked about this. Personal space?”

"Personal space? You do remember what we were doing, together, not ten minutes ago? I'm down for giving you a refresher but like, it just happened. You remember."

“Hey, assbutt!” ( Luke & Dirk )

“Mate.”

“Well boohoo, I’m sorry your feelings are hurt, Princess.”

“You ate my fucking guitar, you absolute wanker. Joelene. JOELENE. Right, you know what? Me and you. Right now. Square the fuck up, Cresswell.”

“We’re all going to hell. Might as well enjoy the ride.” ( Robin & Dirk )

“Mm... Yeah, no. Nope. We still have to tell Krys what’s been going on.”

“I’m the oldest which means I’m always right.”

"Wit? That's the literal worst excuse I've ever heard in all my puff! I demand a recount! There's no way you managed to beat me six and a half times at this game, man. This is injustice in action! I'm calling my union rep and there's nothing you can do about it. Know your rights."

“Hey, switch seats.”

"Could you just like, go over there and talk to her? Please? You're going to break your neck staring even I do switch seats with you."

“You don’t have to be ruled by fate. You can choose freedom. And I still believe that’s something worth fighting for.” ( Molly & Mary )

"You know how effective it is to tell a patriotic Scot that they can choose freedom... But, Moll, you have your kids to think about. They need their mum more than this war needs more canon fodder, more death to report on the front page in a long list of death. I- You know I'd want to help. You know that but they're not winning. Can't you see that? The world is falling apart and soon all we're going to have left are our lives. You saw what- what Mulciber did to me in school, surrounded by staff, by- by the most powerful witches and wizards and he just got away with it and that was all for just being born. Being muggelborn. A mudblood. So no, just no. Don't fight, live. Choose to live, Moll, please."

“I swear the next person who ask’s me if i’m okay, I’m going to start throwing punches.”

"Not if I start throwing them for you first even if there is a certain beauty to the thought of a pregnant women throwing fists. Trust me, I get my hands on Lockhart and there won't be anything left for you."

“You are so fucked!” ( Molly & Gilderoy )

"Why did you have to have so many brothers!?"

“Seriously? Fuck you.”

"Ah, well, if you'll recall it does turn out that we, technically, did...not do that so. It would be a fresh experience, at least."

“I don’t trust people.” ( Emmeline & Robin )

"Yeah, me too. I mean, well, I trust Dirk. And Bernie. Oh, and Krys! My dad like, obviously and mu--- I mean, yeah me too. You just... All your points are special."

“And in the middle of it, as grateful as you are, the reality starts creeping toward you like the tide, and it’s the first time you have the thought… ‘what do I do now?’”

"That is so deep. You're so pretty."

“The day started with bagels, but that abruptly changed.” ( Emmeline & Ciara )

"You don't have to talk about every single run-in with me like it literally ruined your whole life, Vance. You already stole my fiancé, you won--- you don't have to pile on any more of your crap, okay? Okay. I hope you and your kid are doing just super with Death Eater daddy in tow."

“Did you commit a felony and write a book about it?”

"You really don't think a lot of me, do you?"

“If you look down, that’s where you go.” ( Gideon & Gilderoy )

"Is- Are you... Please, refrain from hitting my face, I beg of you."

“I’m hiding in the bathroom.” ( Kahlan & Logan )

"Right, aye. I can see that... Well, I can see your feet at least and you've another thing coming if you think I'm squeezing into that cubicle with you so could you just come out. Please. If you need me to scowl in someone's direction until they cry, it's fine. I'll do it but it smells weird in here and the last time I crashed a bathroom I walked in on a mermaid having a bath."

“Did anything good come of this? Not really. But I’ve learned something encouraging: I’m very hard to kill.”

"Kahlan..."

“I just…. I – I need you to believe me, okay?”

"Of course I believe you. You could be talking the awfyest shite and I'd still believe you. Okay? I'm here."

“Don’t be afraid of it. Don’t play defense.” ( Everleigh & Logan )

"Listen woman, it doesn't matter how many times you tell me not to be afraid of it, you keep your tail over there while you're in a mood. There's no telling how it'll act out at me."

“That’s a question that’ll haunt me for all my days…”

"You just can't ever make it easy, can you?"

“Catch me. Come on, catch me!”

"I'm not an Olympic athlete, Everleigh. Some of us actually have to put a bit of effort into swimming, we can't just go flapping our fins and away we go. Just- Give me a minute."

“You don’t have bargaining power here.” ( Jamie & Patrick )

"Jamie, please. Sit yourself down before you trip on your big boy trousers."

“I like destroying lives.” ( Kyra & Avery )

"Okay."

“Ah. You lied just then.” ( Travers & Ciara )

"You would know, wouldn't you, Travers?"

“Where are they? Why are you in this alone? Where are your friends?“ ( Veronica & Dolohov )

"I don't have any friends, Veronica. Not anymore and you very well know that. Things... Things are progressing too fast, falling apart at every turn and it's only a matter of time before half of us end up dead and the other locked up in Azkaban. You knew this was coming, Veronica. My fate was sealed from the moment I was born and we were doomed from the day we locked eyes. This is goodbye."

“There’s no law that says you can’t just hit him in the head.”

"Veronica, please. I would hardly waste the energy."

“I realize what I did was wrong.”

"Oh my, I may need to sit myself down. Did Veronica Alona Wilder just admit that she was wrong? Say it ain't so."

“And that’s your fault? That’s not your fault!” ( Veronica & Lucinda )

"I don't know, Roni! I- He's my father! Mine. And he's out there doing- doing god knows what... Killing people. Our classmates, kids... He sleeps in my home, he- he's my daddy and now it's like I don't even know him. Or anything! How can I not feel like this is my fault? How could I not have noticed? I- I just---"

“Is this self-imposed punishment? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

"Ron, don't! You know exactly what I did and with that a-hole... I will literally never live down making out with a 6.5 on a miracle day! I don't even want to look at myself right now."

“Any time you want to run away from home, you can come live with me.”

"I love you, Veronica."

“How’s this for hubris?” ( Delilah & Heather )

"Delilah! Will you just--- Stop it. Stop! Enough of all this- this crap! We need to sit down and have a real damn conversation about what's going on before we can't anymore. You need to start taking this seriously. I am trying to help you. I am trying to save your life, don't you get that? Don't you have any regard for your life? For me? I am your sister."

“Even by teenage girl standards, I would appear to be irrationally angry at nothing in particular.”

"I'm not going to comment."

“Did it take a lot of soul searching to get you there?” ( Sam & Dean )

"Can you quit busting my balls, please? I already said I was sorry for being an ass. You want me to beg? Grovel? Do a little dance? 'Cause... Yeah, I'm not gonna dance but I am sorry."

“If what happened last time were to happen this time…”

"Sam, relax. Nothing's gonna go wrong. I've got your back and you've got mine- that's all we need."

“Dean, sit the fuck down.”

"You... Sit the fuck down."

“You’re playing without the weapons you need to win.” ( McGonagall & Danny )

"Is... What does that mean? I mean, I'm into it but... What does it mean?"

“Listen, it’s not a big deal, but from what I saw out there, I think you’re having a small breakdown.” ( Paige & Dolohov )

"I believe you may have just earned yourself 'wife points' for such an observation."

“Do you know how many witches were burned in Salem? None. They didn’t burn witches, it’s a myth.”

"... Yes, well. Thank you for that riveting fact but we really do not have to fill every second of silence together."

“You think what I need right now is a therapist?”

"You are married to me, are you not?"

“Old man, do you really not recognize sarcasm?” ( Yvonne & Danny )

"Hey! I am only like... One... Two--- Not that older than you, young lady!"

“You’ve gotta do it. Not doing it is insanity, you must be able to see that.”

"Alright, alright! You're overwhelming me with your love and support here, Yvonne. Back up about a hundred feet before you do something wild like leap into my arms and kiss the crap out of me. Wink."

“I’m saying it can’t fucking happen again.”

"It won't! It- Look, it was a one time thing. Leone isn't even--- Please don't tell Nate."

“You’re gonna have to pretend I didn’t tell you.” ( Darlene & Danny )

“Whoa, hold up. You- I thought you only spoke French!?”

“New information has come to light, now I see that that was stupid.” ( Brutus & Avery )

"You're always stupid."

“You were wrong, but it doesn’t matter.”

"Dude. I'm not wrong, you just don't want to recognise just how right I am. Cut the mudblood loose, you're embarrassing the team. I only tell you this because I love you and it'd suck if I had to kill you."

“You know what makes me feel okay about losing? Winning.”

"Do you ever stop for like, a minute? Have a nap or something. Damn. You're so fucking dramatic."

“When was the last time you slept?” ( Brutus & Mary )

"None of your goddamn business."

“I’d always figured sophistication would be easy to learn if I ever needed it.”

"You're a monster. You disgust me."

“Ask around about me.”

"I know everything I need to know about you and if you know what's good for you, you'll get lost."

“I promise you, it couldn’t matter less.” ( Alecto & Amycus )

"You think that about everything, sis."

“You look like the cat that ate the canary and then told the canary’s parents about it.”

"What? I'm not allowed to look pleased? You're always so suspicious. Relax Alecto, I'm only having my fun. Perhaps you should do the same."

“Well, I’m gonna blow them up, I am literally gonna use explosives, and scatter the remains in the sea.”

"You're so fucking creepy."

(x) (x)

#kayleigh #listsandrandomshit #IT IS DONE #IT IS DONE 2 YRS LATER DANG!!!!#for ref k's bday is in NOVEMBER

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