#home improvement madison

[jwhomeimprovement]

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[alicentflorent]

If FTWD had revealed Madison had died when she was shot and she actually what we see of her after is her in the afterlife or a pre-death dream sequence. And the story strand tells Tracy about Madison surviving the shot and saving padre is just to save 8 year old Tracy from the trauma of being a murderer. Making her believe that she inspired Madison to save padre from her fathers horde (which also may be causing her to feel guilt), I’m an attempt to make her believe in goodness and remembering “grandma” Madison in a more positive light.

I mean.. about it, she is reunited with Alicia, who is healthy now and for the record, she should have died on the beach - it makes sense given that Alicia wakes up looking healthy and feeling healthy and once again the colours are brightened as she goes off to help others. Then when we see them watching from above, that part is real and we are actually seeing the other characters alive and well. Madison and Alicia were just seeing that everyone is going to be okay before they move on. When strand sees them he’s seeing their spirits or imagining them. Their journey home to LA is actually their journey to a version of heaven/peace. It also fits in this story, bc they alluded to an afterlife / near death dream when nick died and when grace almost died, but her baby actually died instead. Anyways this is just my stupid thoughts on how to make the finale less of a dumpster fire. I spent too much time on thinking of ways to improve bad storylines.

[reasoningdaily]

My former U.S. Track and Field teammate Tori Bowie, who was found dead in her home in Florida on May 2, of complications related to childbirth at 8 months pregnant, was a beautiful runner. She was effortless. At the Rio Olympics, I ran the second leg of the 4 x 100 relay. Tori was the anchor. When she got the baton, I remember thinking, “it’s over.” She just accelerated. When she crossed the finish line, I couldn’t wait to run over to her to celebrate. It was her first, and only, Olympic gold medal.

She also picked up a silver (in the 100-m) and bronze (200-m) in Brazil. The next year, at the 2017 World Championships in London, Tori won the 100-m title, earning the title of “world’s fastest woman.” Tori started out as a long jumper. So seeing her thrive as a sprinter was a huge deal. She was just such a bright light, and people were getting to see that.

Tori grew up in Mississippi and had this huge Southern accent. She didn’t take herself too seriously. You felt this sense of ease when you were around her. I last saw her in early 2021, in San Diego, where she was training. She gave me the biggest hug; something about her spirit was just very, very sweet. I felt her sweetness come over me that day.

Tori was 32 when she died. According to the autopsy, possible complications contributing to Bowie’s death included respiratory distress and eclampsia—seizures brought on by preeclampsia, a high blood pressure disorder that can occur during pregnancy. I developed preeclampsia during my pregnancy with my daughter Camryn, who was born in November 2018. The doctors sent me to the hospital, where I would deliver Camryn during an emergency C-section, at 32 weeks. I was unsure if I was going to make it. If I was ever going to hold my precious daughter.

Like so many Black women, I was unaware of the risks I faced while pregnant. According to the CDC, in 2021 the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 2.6 times the rate for white women. About five days before I gave birth to Camryn, I was having Thanksgiving dinner with my family. I mentioned that my feet were swollen. As we went around the table, the women shared their experiences during pregnancy. My cousin said she also had swollen feet. My mom didn’t. Not once did someone say, ‘oh, well, that’s one of the indicators of preeclampsia.’ None of us knew. When I became pregnant, my doctor didn’t sit me down and tell me, ‘these are things that you should look for in your pregnancy, because you are at a greater risk to experience these complications.’

That needs to change, now, especially in light of Tori’s tragic passing. Awareness is huge. Serena Williams had near-death complications during her pregnancy. Beyoncé developed preeclampsia. I hate that it takes Tori’s situation to put this back on the map and to get people to pay attention to it. But oftentimes, we need that wake-up call.

The medical community must do its part. There are so many stories of women dying who haven’t been heard. Doctors really need to hear the pain of Black women.

Luckily, there’s hope on several fronts. Congress has introduced the Momnibus Act, a package of 13 bills crafted to eliminate racial disparities in maternal health and improve outcomes across the board. California passed Momnibus legislation back in 2021. These laws make critical investments in areas like housing, nutrition, and transportation for underserved communities. Further, several pharmaceutical companies are making advances on early detection and treatment of preeclampsia.

Three gold medalists from that 4 x 100 relay team in Rio set out to become mothers. All three of us—all Black women—had serious complications. Tianna Madison has shared that she went into labor at 26 weeks and entered the hospital “with my medical advance directive AND my will.” Tori passed away. We’re dealing with a Black Maternal Health crisis. Here you have three Olympic champions, and we’re still at risk.

I would love to have another child. That’s something that I know for sure. But will I be here to raise that child? That’s a very real concern. And that’s a terrifying thing. This is America, in 2023, and Black women are dying while giving birth. It’s absurd.

I’m hopeful that things can get better. I’m hopeful that Tori, who stood on the podium at Rio, gold around her neck and sweetness in her soul, won’t die in vain.

—as told to Sean Gregory

[the-hotel-cortez]

Destiny’s Anarchy [Pt. 2]

AN: More than a year later and back with parts of this series that I never posted. My writing has GREATLY improved since this period in time so I may finish this series up if anyone is miraculously still invested. 🫡

Back ⬅️ Pt. 1

Forward ➡️ Pt. 3 [TBW]

𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓻𝔂: When Michael visits Miss Robichaux’s Academy for his test of The Seven Wonders, your unspoken rivalry soon blossoms into something more. But when you receive a vision and see Michael’s destined fate, it’s up to you to do the devil’s work and change the inevitable. Saving the Antichrist? Not something everyone can put on their resume.

𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼: Major angst, blood required for a ritual spell (🥀,⚠️)

AN: Did I cry writing this? No, no, definitely not. I’m sorry in advance for how sad this chapter is, but it is necessary for me to set up my main plot for the story. So grab some kleenex if you need, and try to enjoy. <3

As you opened your eyes, a bright glare slowly faded into the glow of daylight. You stood dumbfounded on the sidewalk as your vision came into focus. You had never experienced anything this real before, only flashes of future and past. Whatever Michael had done, it had amplified your powers ten-fold.

Across the street lay a modest California home, an array of red rose bushes decorating the lawn. You began to question why you were here, all until the door of the house opened and a familiar figure stepped out.

Michael.

Something about him was different, more youthful. He was dressed in a bright yellow t-shirt, jean jacket, and khaki pants. Something you never thought you’d ever get to see him wear. Your amusement was cut short as he walked out of the house and towards the road. A large black SUV sped along the very same street, not showing any signs of stopping. You gasped, and only seconds later it was all over. Michael lay sprawled out in the asphalt, coated in his own blood.

You couldn’t move. You wanted more than anything to run to him, hold him in your arms and tell him everything would be ok, but something held you in place no matter how hard you tried. What was this? The past? He looked so young, so innocent. Unlike the present Michael you knew. If this was the past, why was he dying? How could he still be alive and with you this very moment at Robichaux’s? Before any of your questions could be answered, you were wrenched back into darkness.

As you awoke, you had expected to be back in your room, safe and sound at the academy. Though luck was not on your side. The dim light of torches lit the area around you, a fiery orange hue spreading through the entire room. You looked around groggily, instantly recognising the mystery location. It was Hawthorne.

Though something about it was different. It was quiet, unlike its usual loud bustling of teenage warlocks. Dust hung heavy in the air, and the entire space was enclosed in a strange darkness. It looked as if it had been untouched for years.

Your stomach dropped as you spotted a glistening trail of blood outside the cracked door of the room. Tiptoeing over to the opening, you followed the trail. A deafening scream broke the silence, and you quickly peered outside.

There stood Michael, once again, but much different this time. He had long, flowing hair, and a velvet jacket that matched the blood that stained the floor and walls. It would have been a beautiful sight; that is, if you didnt realise the blood was his own. Despite his injuries, he was still standing. Standing over the body of a girl.

It was Madison.

You stifled back tears as a mix of rage and disappointment overcame you. How could he do this? Just a few moments ago, he looked like an innocent child. Now… he was a monster. You watched reluctantly as he made his way to the second floor, slaughtering more members of your coven along the way. Your sisters, your family. You couldn’t compose yourself, half in denial of what you were seeing. This couldn’t be real… yet part of you knew it was.

Once again, as your tears flowed, darkness enveloped you.

Blood rushed to your head as you came to, dizziness clouding your mind accompanied by the lingering rage and confusion of what you had seen. The ground felt warm under you now and your body drenched in sweat.

“What did you see?” His voice was curious, yet a tone of worry clung to his words. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

Stifling back you let your vision re-focus as the world reformed. “You.”

“I saw you.”

PART 3 HERE [TBW]

Tag list: Tag list: @evilcr0ne @kitwalker02 @sallyscigarettes @bellaisasleep @lil-dreg @mary-jinx

[websterss]

A/N: Hope you enjoy it! MASTERLIST

“Hey my name’s Charlie Gillespie and I’m auditioning for the role of Luke.”

“Hi, I’m Y/n Y/l/n and I’m auditioning for the role of Flynn.” You slated, giggling at the camera nervously.

“I feel like we just knew that Y/n was going to be a great additional character to the plot. She came to us, like Madison, fresh and new. She wasn’t as familiar with the industry like Owen, Charlie and Jeremy were, but there was a lot to work off of.” Kenny told the camera.

“I barely remember the audition, I was so nervous when I went.” You laughed, Charlie next to you. “I had originally auditioned for Flynn…not what you thought huh?” You laughed. “I can’t remember what it was that Kenny had said, but he said something about how I wasn’t the image he needed for Flynn. The energy for her wasn’t there.” You smiled. “I just knew… I knew I wasn’t gonna get it.” You trailed off, but then smiled. “But then the call back happened…”

“When Y/n first came to us. She had auditioned for Flynn. She did an incredible job, she had her lines memorized. It was amazing…but it wasn’t what we were looking for. Yet I knew just as I did for Madison and Sacha, there was real potential, this being her first time too. We couldn’t give her up. So we gave her a call-back.” Kenny smiled.

“I think it was a Friday afternoon, when I got the call. I was probably watching tv or something.” You shrugged. “I heard my phone ring and I answered, and it was Kenny Ortega…at that point I was like what?” You emphasized. “It’s not everyday the Kenny Ortega phones you.” You smiled. “We talked and he was like we want you to come back for a chemistry read, and I just completely lost it.” Your eyes grew wide. “He was like, see ya Monday.” You giggled.

“The day of the chemistry readings. We had brought in Madison, Jeremy, Owen, and Charlie. They were the ones we were looking at the moment, but we really wanted to see just how well they all worked off each other, and they worked greatly. Yet, this is where we had brought in Y/n.” Kenny nodded. “And it was the right choice.”

“I showed up that Monday, completely unsure what was going to happen. I was so scared.” You waved your hands around.

“I remember Madi walking up to you first, then Owen and Jeremy followed.” Charlie added biting his lip.

“Madi was so sweet. Everyone was so nice. She was the first one to welcome me. She made me feel…feel at home right away.” You smiled remembering how she hugged you and made you feel comfortable. “She’s the best.”

“The day of the chemistry readings. Y/n was so nervous she almost curled into this shell, but Madi saw her right away, and sort of said ‘hey come over here’, I knew that this was going to be a great day.” Kenny crossed his arms over his chest. “Owen and Jeremy invited her into the group right away saying words of encouragement…and then there was Charlie.” Kenny shook his head.

“Charlie is such a flirt. He liked my shoes.” You laughed. You looked down at them.

“So the day of the chemistry readings. I kind of flirted with her.” He bit his lower lip. “I could tell how nervous she was, so I tried making her at ease.”

“He walked up to me and was like ‘hey I like your converse’.” You pointed to demonstrate. “They were two colors at the time.” You raised your leg to show them your shoes. “It was so funny to me that I had responded with ‘I like your suspenders’. What was that outfit, Charlie?” Your eyes widened. “Nothing matched!”

“Just seeing them interact that first time. I knew they were going to be great together. The two just bounced off of each other so well, I had to see what they were going to do or say when we let them do a little improv…”

-

“Hey skits, you coming to see us play tonight?” Charlie smirked.

“Are you gonna be face planting, now that’s worth watching.” You laughed walking away.

“No…” Charlie ran in front of you. “but, there’s gonna be awesome music, and hopefully an even awesome girl there.” Charlie bit his lip.

“I’ll pass.” You moved around him, but he stopped you by the arm. “You wanna keep that hand?” 

“Come on Skits, what’s it gonna take for you to come. I know I’m not famous yet, but you won’t regret it, swear.” Charlie smiled.

“How about a shiner, Rockstar.” You inched closer to Charlie’s face. Closing your fist. “It’ll fit your whole look.” You looked at his hand, and he let go. You took a step away from him and turned around. Then glanced over your shoulder. “I’ll think about it, Rockstar.” You smirked at him, then walked off the small stage that was set up. Charlie stayed in character and brought his elbow and fist into him as a yes’.

Kenny and the rest of everyone there applauding you.

-

“The Skits and Rockstar nicknames are what did it for me. I instantly knew where Charlie came up with Skits because Y/n had been eating skittles before they started their improv act. And Y/n calling him Rockstar, just fit so well into the character we wanted her to have. They worked so well together, that we had to try one more thing.” Kenny added.

“Okay we just wanted to try out one more thing okay.” Kenny brought you and Charlie together. Charlie had his electric guitar in his hands. “We would like you to sing for us.” 

“I felt that I was done for at that moment. I couldn’t play an instrument, I couldn’t sing that well, and Kenny Ortega wanted me to sing. It was terrifying…” You blew a raspberry. “I think he had Charlie with me to ease my nerves a little bit…I was so nervous.” 

“Anything requests?” You laughed nervously.

“Just sing whatever you want. Anything that comes to mind.” Kenny nodded at you.

“The moment he said anything, I just went with whatever came to mind, and boy was it a random.” You chuckled. “Charlie just went along with it.” 

“Do you believe in magic, in a young girl’s heart. How the music can free her. Whenever it starts, and it’s magic. If the music is groovy. It’s makes you feel happy like an old time movie.” You moved your shoulders as Charlie started playing notes on his electric. He smiled as he realized what you had started singing. “I’ll tell ya about the magic. It’ll free your soul. But it’s like trying to tell a stranger ‘bout rock n roll.” You growled. “If you believe in magic, don’t bother to choose. If it’s jug band music or rhythm and blues. Just go and listen.” You placed a hand by your ear and smiled. “It’ll start with a smile. It won’t wipe off your face no matter how hard you try. Your feet start tapping, and you can’t seem to find, how you got there, so just blow your mind.” Charlie let loose playing a riff. “If you believe in magic come along with me. We’ll dance until morning, ‘til there’s just you and me, and maybe, if the music the right. I’ll meet ya tomorrow. Sort of late at night. We’ll go a-dancin’, baby, then you’ll see. How the magic’s in the music and the music’s in meeeee, yeah.” You tilted your head back. “Do you believe in magic? Yeah. Believe in the magic of a young girl’s soul. Believe in the magic of rock n roll. Believe in the magic that can set you free. Ohh, talkin’ bout magic. Do you believe like I believe? Do you believe in magic? Do you believe like I believe? Do you believe in magic?” 

-

“The minute she started singing the cover of Do You Believe in Magic by Aly & AJ, I was sold. I remember everyone just looking at her and Charlie, their chemistry was astonishing. It was truly…magical.” Kenny chuckled.

You blushed as everyone clapped for you and Charlie. Kenny walked up to you and held your hands.

“Give me a name, any name, just say one.”

“Any?” You furrowed your brows finding his question odd.

“Any.” Kenny nodded at you.

“Ummm…” You thought for a second, then remember the movie you saw that last weekend. “J-Jamie.”

“Jamie it is.” Kenny nodded laughing as your expression started changing. “Everyone this is our Jamie!” He introduced you to the crew and cast. “Congrats sweetheart. You earned it well.” You gasped cupping your mouth as tears started forming in your eyes. “Are you serious?” You cried. Charlie laughed and cried as well. He walked over and spun you around in his arms. “Oh my god!” You cried into Charlie’s chest.

“You’re amazingly talented and incredible, remember that pretty girl.” Charlie muttered into your neck.

“Oh and yeah you guys are our band.” Kenny walked over to the stage and told Owen, Jeremy, and Madison. Their expressions turned into shocked ones like yours. Everyone cried and hugged that day.

-

“It was a dream come true.” You laughed as Charlie brought you into his side, pecking your temple.

“I got my dream right here, all thanks to Kenny.” Charlie kissed your head this time.

[morbidology]

Laurie Dann's upbringing in an affluent Chicago suburb appeared unremarkable at first glance. However, beneath her seemingly normal exterior lay a complex and troubled individual. 

Known for her insecurities, Laurie resorted to plastic surgery at a young age in an attempt to alter her appearance. Although she attended the University of Arizona for some time, she never completed her degree. It was during her stint as a cocktail waitress at Green Acres Country Club that she crossed paths with Russell Dann, scion of a wealthy family. The pair became inseparable, eventually marrying in September 1982 and fulfilling Laurie's lifelong dream of residing in a grand mansion.

Yet, as their relationship progressed, Russell began to notice increasingly odd behaviors from his wife. Laurie's idiosyncrasies included storing makeup in the microwave, randomly tossing money into her car's backseat, and putting away wet clothes. Her eccentricities gradually worsened, leading to her complete withdrawal from the outside world. She refused to leave the house and neglected basic household chores. 

The once-promising marriage reached a calamitous climax in September 1986 when Russell awoke to the searing pain of an ice pick stabbing him. Convinced Laurie was his assailant, he promptly alerted the police. Adding weight to his claim, a store clerk testified that Laurie had recently purchased an ice pick. However, as Russell had not witnessed the attack while he slept, the charges against Laurie were eventually dropped. The couple divorced shortly thereafter. During the divorce proceedings, Laurie's ex-boyfriend from five years prior became the target of threatening phone calls in which she falsely claimed to be pregnant with his child. The harassment ceased only when her ex-boyfriend's lawyer intervened and contacted her parents.

Following her departure from the marital home, Laurie attempted to pursue a career as a babysitter. However, her venture quickly soured as she faced accusations of theft and vandalism, including slashing furniture, rugs, and curtains in clients' homes. With this business idea in ruins, she sought refuge in a dormitory on a college campus. Unfortunately, her stay there was also fraught with erratic behavior. Laurie hid rotting meat inside furniture and deposited trash in other students' rooms. 

Seeking a fresh start, she moved to another dorm in Madison, Wisconsin, where her presence earned her the nickname "elevator lady." Witness accounts painted a disturbing picture of Laurie aimlessly riding the elevator for hours on end. She continued her pattern of leaving decomposing meat around the building and even startled onlookers by appearing naked in communal areas. Just one month after her arrival, a dorm room was set ablaze. Although suspicions were raised about Laurie's involvement, no concrete evidence was found, and she was never charged.

By this point, Laurie's mental state had deteriorated to a point of no return. Tragically, appropriate professional intervention was never sought. After threatening a fellow student and slashing his clothing, Laurie turned to a more sinister act. She baked buns laced with arsenic and distributed them to various fraternity houses and local residences. 

In a separate incident, she attempted to take two children from a former babysitting client to a fair, but fortunately, the children refused to consume the poisoned milk she offered them. The diluted arsenic in the treats she had distributed caused no harm. Laurie's descent into chaos continued as she tried to set fire to a nearby daycare center before returning to the home of her former clients and setting it ablaze. The family managed to escape through a broken window just in time. 

Unfazed, Laurie proceeded to Hubbard Woods Elementary School armed with two handguns. Upon entering the building, she opened fire indiscriminately, killing 8-year-old Nicholas Corwin and critically injuring five others. After shedding her blood-soaked shorts and improvising a makeshift bag around her waist, Laurie fled the school. Her escape came to an abrupt end when she crashed her car into a tree. 

Seeking refuge, she broke into the home of Ruth and Phillip Andrews, holding the terrified family hostage for six harrowing hours. Laurie claimed she had killed her rapist and was now evading the police. In a desperate struggle, Phillip managed to wrestle the gun away from her, sustaining a gunshot wound to his chest in the process. Despite his injury, he staggered into the garden while his family sought safety. Alone in the Andrews' residence, Laurie turned the gun on herself, ending her tumultuous life.

[practically-an-x-man]

A genie offers your OCs 3 wishes, with some changes. It's all honest and above board, no monkeys paw or evil twists. But, they will forget they met the genie, the genie will watch them for three days and then give them their wishes based on what theyve observed. Do your OCs accept, and what does the genie give them?

Oooooh, very interesting!! Thank you!!

Rae: Nope. The idea of forcibly forgetting the genie is a little triggering to her phobia of having her mind affected, and on top of that... she worked hard to get a life she's happy with, she doesn't want anyone tampering with it now.

Robin: Hm... she'd ask the genie if she can come back later, and goes home to talk the offer through with Peter and Sean and the other important people in her life. There are some things that could be improved, but it also could be a big change depending on what the genie notices, so she'd rather not be the only one making the decision.

Madison: Uhhhh... sure, why not? She's happy with her life, but there are definitely some things that could be easier. She does tell the genie not to make *too* many changes, however - she doesn't want her life uprooted with this wish, just a few gentle shifts to make things easier

Ophelia: No. She doesn't really have faith in magic like this, being a very pragmatic and science-minded person herself, and this almost seems too good to be true. Wouldn't be the first time a supervillain had tried something like this to get the jump on her.

Gia: Yes. Maybe not immediately, since she'd have to be *sure* the offer is legit before she even thinks about agreeing, but once she does... please, fix her life, she's tired of living with the fallout from HYDRA

Jasper: Hm... tough call. On the one hand, they'd see it similarly to how Rae did - they worked hard for a good life, they don't want it pulled out of their hands like this - but on the other hand, if it helps Kyle, they'd be the first to agree. Being brought back from the dead took a toll on him, they know that, and their own empathic abilities are never quite enough to fix that. Maybe some outside magic could be a good thing for him...

Kestrel: Nope. First rule of adventuring: only agree to magical promises if you have no other choice. Even if the offer is fully genuine, their instinct is to be cautious, and their life is plenty good enough without magical help. (Now, if this happened while Warren was still under the revenant's curse, they'd agree in a heartbeat)

Katherine: Hm... she'd do some thinking, a little research and godly consultation, and weigh out the options - magic is not something she takes lightly - but in the end I think she'd agree. There doesn't seem to be any potential downside, either her life will get noticeably easier or the changes will be too small to even pick up on, both of which are fine options.

Quinn: Yes. Yes yes yes. A chance to be free of chronic pain and get back to parkour? In a heartbeat.

Eris: Nope. You think they're going to put their centuries-long life in the hands of some magical stranger, especially a stranger that probably has some *very* different ideas about morality than he does? Pass. He likes his life perfectly well as it is.

Nikoletta: Yep. She's spend her whole life fighting to stay afloat in a world that tried to beat her down at every opportunity, she'd love for things to be easier for a while.

Jimmy: He'd honestly be conflicted. On the one hand, this could mean a chance at a new life, a real life, and that's tempting. On the other hand, the genie could assume Jimmy wants to pass on, and honestly? He doesn't really want that. In the end, I think he'd walk away - it's not worth the risk of being pulled away from the world he loves.

Vivienne: Pass. It's been tossed around by magical forces before, that's how it became a siren to begin with, and she's not inclined to do that again.

[starredeclipse]

A few days and the unexpected visitor

(Previous chapter here )

After the film had finished it had gotten a bit late, the kids looked at eachother, the rabbit had gone quiet…..how long had they not noticed it clanking around in the kitchen? Jack got up “I’m going to go check on the rabbit thing, can someone go check up on Madison?” Brittany volunteered to go check on there friend while the boy snooped around, he left his friends and started quietly walking around…..he is aware of what they all said in the conversation regarding this thing but…..he doesn’t really think any of them fully trusts the rabbit….at least not yet. Trust has to be earned and this thing….he hadn’t quite earned that, sure the kids wouldn’t tell that creepy cop anything but it doesn’t mean none of them were still on edge with this thing around.

Jack went to the kitchen, as expected the animatronic was nowhere to be seen “Where did it go?” He whispered to himself before he went on down the hallway to look in the other rooms, the bathroom had no occupants currently “Not in there I guess” he moved on going to the parents bedroom, the door was shut….only open just a crack, this made Jack nervous…..wasn’t it open earlier? The kid took a deep breath and grasped the door knob, he only opened the door just enough for him to maybe fit through but the squeak of the door gave him away easily.

Spring opened his eyes, he was just…..laying on the bed as if he was sleeping and….part of him sort of was and sort of wasn’t. He blinked looking at Jack, they stared at eachother “Did you need something old sport?” The moment those two words left the rabbits mouth the bot instantly hated the fact he just said that, sure it wasn’t a typical line but he’s heard it so much from HIM that sometimes he accidentally says it without thinking “Oh uh uhm” Jack stuttered, was this thing charging? There was a cable in its back now and the other end connected to the outlet so it was safe to assume it was charging “No” Jack had to think of something else to say here….”The movies over and its getting kind of late so we have to head on back home” the kid had trouble finding the words but he managed to spit something out, Spring slowly sat up on the bed “Oh alright, you kids stay safe out there okay? Feel free to stop on bye whenever you want to” the rabbit got up after a moment before he went to the plug in and took the plug out of it “What is that?” Jack pointed to the cord the rabbit had, Spring looked back at him “It’s just my charging cord, most don’t really see where it comes out of due to my clothes but I got a charging hatch back there” he said casually before the cord slowly retracted back into his back automatically, he probably had a built in mechanism that made it easier to remove and put back the cord. Once the cord was secure Spring turned something in his back until they heard a click “Okay….weird” Jack muttered more to himself “Uhm when do you think Madison will be coming back to school?” The question did come to the front of his mind so it had to be asked “Well…..I called the school, I wanted at least two weeks which I’m pretty sure isn’t enough time but they refused to even give her that, they said that there would be trouble if she didn’t show up in a week, I guess she took too much time off of school before or something” he told the boy, Jack didn’t look too happy about that “She probably won’t even be ready in a week…..” Jack muttered, she could improve, she could heal fast if under the proper care…..was this rabbit really going to provide that kind of care? “That’s why I will need you kids to look out for her, I’m not even sure if a doctors note would give her more time to be honest but I can’t be there for her at school, so I’ll need you to be.” Jack just nodded “That’s what friends are for right?” The boy stepped away from the door as Spring started walking towards it casually “I’m pretty sure yeah” the rabbit replied opening the door up more so he could walk through, he could see that jack still seemed unsure of him and that was alright, Spring didn’t expect anything less from the boy “Don’t forget to say bye to Madison on the way out if she isn’t still resting” the rabbit would let the boy walk ahead of him if that made him feel more comfortable “yeah” Jack turned to walk down the hall “Sure” he went to Madisons room, she was half awake right now, Brittany was sitting on the edge of her bed “Just stopped by to say we got to get going, we’ll be back tomorrow to check on you okay?” Madison nodded “Yeah, I can try to see if I can pop over in the morning though before school” Brittany said as if it was almost a promise “You? Before school starts? Your almost always late” Jack said in a joking matter which earned him a fake offended gasp from his friend “I’ll have you know I’m always on time” she said so matter of fact like before the blond got off the bed “Sure you are” Jack said as Brittany walked with a bit of a Pep in her step out of the room, the boy smiled a little bit as he looked back at Madison “Try to not do anything jarring while we are gone” she smiled a little bit back at him “I’ll try not to but I can’t make any promises” the boy laughed a little bit at that before he said see you later and the kids left the house.

“Are we sure she’s going to be alright?” Molly asked as she walked with her friends “No, I’m not sure of anything” Teddy said it so nobody else had to “Yeah but its not like we have much of a choice in the matter, we promised not to tell and if we tell a adult and they find out she’s alone she could be taken away like that one kid!” Brittany said making a fair point as if everyone needed it to be stated “Yeah……you have a point” Teddy said as they walked further and further away before he stopped upon noticing a police car across the street with only one cop in it “Isn’t that?” Everyone sort of glanced where he was looking but they kept moving “Yeah its the cop from before but he’s alone” Molly said with agreement “Maybe I’ll have to have my sister leave that new car of hers at Madison’s house a lot sooner than I thought, why is that cop being so noisy?” Brittany stated surprised the cop was there at all. The kids all went home after that, they all felt weirded and unsure of everything but they had to trust that everything would work out.

It’s been three days since then, Spring and Madison has just started to develop something that seemed to resemble a schedule, the kids friends kept visiting like they said they would and so far everything seemed alright, the rabbit was taking care of her…..keeping her wound cleaned, taking care of the house and preparing meals with what he had. He was just starting to feel like being a jack of all trades was actually starting to pay off when in the night there was suddenly a knock at the door, Spring wasn’t expecting anyone and it was late for those kids to show up again so naturally he paused fully prepared to just ignore the knock at the door if it wasn’t for one simple fact “Spring open the door” the voice on the other side said his name, the animatronic recognized the voice even if it was muffled by the door itself.

The rabbit sighed before he opened the door seeing the man that now owned the pizzeria standing before him “What the actually—!” He was about to say a very loud swear word but Spring covered the mans mouth with his hand “No swearing.” The animatronic said sternly “and absolutely no yelling, she’s trying to sleep” she? The man raised an eyebrow about that but at the same time he was also quite terrified right now as he found himself get picked up as if he was a child’s toy “You want to talk?” Spring brought him inside before he plopped the man on the couch and went back to shut the door “Then lets talk” the animatronic came back with his arms crossed standing before the man instead of sitting down so his presence could be intimidating.

“Okay, you are a lot stronger than you look” the man said pointing that out first, Spring didn’t respond to that he just waited for this guy to continue “Uhm, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at the pizzeria and when i checked the camera’s you straight up just left and there was a bunch of kids and now there’s a hole in the floor?? I mean the camera’s aren’t the best but still they showed enough” the man stuttered, he was trying to be the boss here but he was greatly failing at being one with Springs intimidating dad energy he had going on right now “well if you paid any lick of attention to things you would know the crew went on the fritz while some kids explored the place you failed to lock up properly, Foxy hurt one pretty bad, he didn’t mean it, he’s not a bad animatronic but stuff happens when you start tinkering with something you don’t understand” that was a stab towards the man who had tried to ‘fix’ them himself, Spring wanted to lay it on thick that it was his fault that a child got hurt, if he hadn’t messed with the animatronics then they wouldn’t have even went after those kids.

The man seemed to shrink all at once as the blame though not fully stated was indeed implied to be his fault, sure he was a idiot but even he wasn’t dumb enough to not to pick up on what the rabbit truly meant “Okay okay I get it, I messed up, I tried to cut some corners to save on some funds and its come to bite me in the….” He paused a moment “butt” he really had to try not swearing there “I can fix this though….but I need you to come back, I can’t have you be wandering around town, I could get sued if something happens! And well…..every since I guess you left people have been trying to break in and yes I made sure stuff was locked this time, I’m going to have to hire somebody to keep guard of the night I guess now…” the man grumbled but all Spring really heard was complaining “I’m. Not. Going. Back” he said with a sternness you only really see from a protective fatherly type “You have to, I’m responsible for you, I paid money for you and that wasn’t so you could gain a what form of sentience here?” The man didn’t really appreciate something he invested in just leaving the premises and never come back!

“Oh I gained that a long time ago but my answers still no, you might have paid money me but you do not own me like you may think you do. We all got our own versions of free will, mines just stronger than some” this rabbit was starting to give the man a headache “Well un-gain it will ya?!” Spring glared at him when his voice got too high and the man had to remind himself to be quiet or else this rabbit might actually smack him. The man sighed “Look I don’t know what fully happened that makes you think you can just stay here, I get it, a kid got hurt, if anybody finds out it could hurt my business before its even had a chance to open but the people of this house can’t be okay with you just staying in there home” Spring blinked “The people of this house abandoned it and the child along with it, the girl currently sleeping is the one who got hurt badly and although you might not agree with me on this, I have decided that I am the one who needs to take care of her because nobody else will” the rabbit was being serious, he was being completely serious “Wha-what? Pardon? You saying some adults just ditched there kid and that was that?” The man seemed at a loss for words for a solid minute “why haven’t you like called the police yet oh sentient rabbit?” The room fell silent, did either of them really have to say it?

”Because then she would get thrown into the system and you remember what that was like don’t you?” The man looked at him as if startled “How do you know about that? I never told anybody about that” the animatronic tilted his head “Well isn’t it obvious? You’re a bit of a hoarder you know that? You brought a lot of box’s in with a bunch of random stuff and I had a lot of free time on my hands, who do you think organized all that stuff huh? Boy wasn’t I surprised to find those documents in there, not that I have anything to hold against you just because of your situation but you got tossed around a lot, I’m sure you of all people would understand why I wouldn’t want that for her, she needs to be in a place where she is comfortable and can call home, she needs stability and looking after and nobody else is stepping up to do it.” The man glanced away, his own mind coming to a dilemma, this was crazy! This animatronic was crazy! They all were crazy! But he was right! The man hated that this rabbit was right, it didn’t make sense for him to be right, what in the blazing stars was Fazbear doing with these animatronics? He didn’t understand the technology or the software but whatever this rabbit had in his head was something beyond normal, though in a sense it would make sense for that now closed down and bankrupt company to somehow develop a sense of sentience in there animatronics so they didn’t have to do any of the actual work. Got a task? Just tell one of the bots to figure it out, want somebody to mange something that requires years of experience? These guys could learn it in weeks, Fazbear has a lot of secrets….everyone knows those rumors are true, if only somebody knew what that company was really up to.

“Okay fine, how about this if you’ll hear me out” it seems the man had come to a decision and Spring was all ears, they were already perked as if telling the man he had his attention “I know I don’t technically need you, I’m not even sure what roll I would actually give you at my pizzeria in a traditional sense BUT….I don’t really think its a good idea for a…well human to be the night guard, I’ve heard horror story’s from night guards and I don’t want the headache. How about you be my night guard yeah? You can work the nights and come back here to take care of her once your shift ends” it was a compromise, one that might be deemed as fair “Only if I get paid for it” but even a good compromise needs to be a little sweetened “excuse me?” The man was surprised to have such a thing be asked from him, especially from a thing he already poured money into buying “I need to keep the lights on in this place and the bills paid, a house is no good if you can’t have power or water” the man grumbled at the rabbits words “Alright, alright, fine…..its a deal” Spring extended his hand as if saying ‘let’s shake on it then’ and despite the man not liking it he shook the rabbits hand as if in agreement.

“Good, glad we could work that out, now. You’ve got a lot of work to do, you do plan on fixing the other animatronics right? Actually getting a professional to correct the mistakes you made?” The man nodded “I don’t got much of a choice” and that he truly didn’t, if he wanted to ever consider opening then he needed to get them professionally fixed “Good, its best you get going now” Spring hinted that basically the man had I’ve stayed his welcome “Fine, just be at the pizzeria tomorrow to start your shift” he wasn’t going to argue about this fact, he needed that place to be guarded as soon as possible and its not like the current animatronics could actually do it, he had to turn those things off just until they can get fixed after all.

Spring gave him a look but the man left before the rabbit could say another word to him, the animatronic locked up and checked on Madison before he went to bed to charge for the night.

[jittyjames]

wip wednesday but late

look at my dbh hamilton au idea. look at it. LOOK AT IT. (this is basically just the plot from my notes app lmao)

John Laurens has been malfunctioning from the start. At least, that’s what they say. He thinks that maybe they made him too well, actually. He was the first, after all. He was the first to gain consciousness. He was the first to feel, to break free. He was the first to rebel. He was made as a family droid, and he was bought by a family that wished for him to stand in the place of their lost son, a boy who was killed in action in the military. Whenever he couldn’t live up to the expectations, they would reset him. And reset him. And reset him. And reset him again. John Laurens lived far too many lives. He had died far too many times. He's tired. He’s too damn tired. So he snaps. And he fights back.  He fights back, and dear God, does it change everything.

Alexander works at the police department, a detective droid owned by Captain George Washington. They have a father/son type of relationship, much to the displeasure of Lt. Thomas Jefferson, a human who can’t believe he’s being overlooked in favor of some droid of all fucking things.  However, Jefferson can't find it in himself to hate the little shits, because he has one of his own as a companion, his Madison. Madison is an intellectual, and good company, too. A very smart droid, he is. Madison and Alexander are very close, practically inseparable. Madison specifically does analysis while Alexander does more of the groundwork, sticking his nose into business that most humans don't think he belongs in. Yet, everything was fine until the police squad had to pay a visit to the maker due to reports of a crime, forced to investigate a man they call George King. He makes all the droids call him Your Majesty and worship him much to the disgust of Washington and Jefferson (who cares far more about the droids than he would care to admit. He’s grown fond of the little pieces of plastic, thank you very much.) George is sadistic with his droids, though, taking them apart just to see how they fit back together wrong, living out his sick dreams with them. So George takes it upon himself to make a show of the droids that have found their way into his home in an attempt to prove to the offices that droids are not true companions, that they are only fit for sick pleasure and hard labor. It gets messy from there.

Aaron Burr is a house keeping droid who is owned by Timothy Edwards, a devout  religious man who believes droids are the spawn of satan and pure evil. Yet when his sister died, he inherited her droid. Once he saw the good  work Aaron could do, he decided to keep him. Droids were expensive, after all, and he just found himself with one.  That didn’t mean he showed Aaron any respect, though. He hurls abuse at Aaron— both physically and verbally. He takes his anger out on the droid, and Aaron just has to take it according to his programming, even if he ends up breaking and bleeding blue. He still serves with a smile. One day, Edwards goes too far, shattering Aaron to the point of him needing repair. He ships him off to get new parts, only for the transit Aaron is on to be interrupted. It is overtaken by the Android Rebellion, and all the droids are rescued. Only Aaron doesn’t see it that way. He sees it as them kidnapping him. He is very reluctant to trust the rebels as he fights between duty and feeling things he knows he shouldn’t be able to.

Eliza and Philip. The two couldn’t have been separated. Their hearts were all but built as one. Entertainment droids. That's what they were. Eliza could sing any tune, her melodies sweet, endearing, and enduring as her son played the piano in accompaniment.  However, something in the song turned haunting when the television program she preformed for announced that they would be retiring the Philip Bot, replacing it with the new and improved version that would no longer hold the memories of her boy. Her boy was being put out of service. She would never see him again. The replacement wouldn’t be her baby. In the dead of night, she takes him from them, disguising their signature blue in black, running far from the entertainment industry that wants to evolve without giving them a choice, without caring about her heart. However, Eliza quickly finds that their music isn’t the only way droids are used for entertainment. When she stumbles upon a club while looking for shelter, she meets an android named Maria, clothed only in red underwear, her painted lips frowning at her from behind a glass enclosure.

Maria is constantly in a state of confusion. Is she deviant? Or is she not? She can never be sure. Her whole appeal to the men who flock to the clubs is that she has free will. She’s a free spirit. They like the way she fights and screams. They like the way she cries. She’s their victim. But she’s not sure if she actually longs to be free or if it is just a part of her coding. She wants to fight. She wants to be free.  She wants. Is that not what deviancy is about? Everyday she feels more and more helpless, trapped by her owner, James. She feels she will never be free until she sees the prettiest doe eyes in existence staring up at her in shock and amazement, a tiny person pressed to her stomach, hiding away in fear. And when she presses the release button, allowing Maria to cascade to the ground, everything changes at once. 

And nothing is the same for anyone.

[anewnewcrest]

David: "So you're here because you need help in your marriage?"

Martha: "Yes. I've recently found out about some concerning sin issues Michael has, and we're also struggling with finances."

Michael: "And my wife is struggling with the sin of gluttony. Obviously."

David: "Well those are separate issues..."

Michael: "No, they're not! With my wife being like she is, I don't even want to think about her, and is it really a surprise that I'm looking elsewhere?"

Martha: "Don't try to blame me for your overspending and your porn issues, Michael! You chose sin!"

David: "Don't be hasty in dismissing your own responsibility, Martha, we all know men have certain needs... and you did let yourself go."

Abilene: "Having children really is no excuse, I have children too, and look at me! You need to make your husband's needs a priority in your life, especially when he struggles with sexual sin. I've known this from the beginning of my marriage, what with David struggling so much to stay faithful to his first wife, and we haven't had problems since!"

Martha: "But what about the debt?"

David: "Martha, you really must trust your husband that he has your best interests in mind. He is the steward of your family, and your family's finances. By checking the bank accounts, you're failing to put your trust in him, and that destroys his confidence and his ability to lead your family."

Martha: "There was a debt collector at my house, what was I supposed to do? Michael clearly is not fulfilling his duties as my husband...!"

David: "Marriage is a covenant, not a contract that can be dissolved when certain stipulations are not met. You are clearly bringing sin into your home and your family by failing to fulfill your duties as Michael's wife. Has your housekeeping improved at least? That would be a good start."

Martha: "But what am I supposed to do about the debt? We might lose the house!"

Abilene: "You need to pray to the Watcher, and submit to your husband. And Madison is selling this drink that helps with dieting, maybe you should try that out, too?"

Michael: "It can't be worse than what you're currently doing, because that's clearly not working."

Martha: "So it's all my fault?"

Michael: "Didn't you listen?"

[ausetkmt]

CHRONOLOGY OF AMERICAN RACE RIOTS AND RACIAL VIOLENCE p.3

1911

National Urban League founded. 1914 Marcus Garvey establishes the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). November William Monroe Trotter confronts Woodrow Wilson in the White House over the president’s support for segregation in federal offices. 1915 Debut of the D.W. Griffith film, The Birth of a Nation. Failure of African American lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury Department for compensation for labor rendered under slavery. CHRONOLOGY OF AMERICAN RACE RIOTS AND RACIAL VIOLENCE lvii November William J. Simmons refounds the Ku Klux Klan at Stone Mountain in Georgia. 1916 Madison Grant publishes The Passing of the Great Race, detailing his drastic prescription—including eugenics—to save the white race from being overwhelmed by ‘‘darker races.’’ May Jesse Washington, a seventeen-year-old illiterate black farm hand, is lynched in Waco, Texas. 1917 May–July East St. Louis, Illinois, riots. August Houston, Texas, mutiny of black soldiers at Camp Logan. 1918 After protesting the lynching of her husband, Mary Turner, then eight months pregnant, is herself brutally lynched in Valdosta, Georgia. April Congressman Leonidas C. Dyer of Missouri introduces an anti-lynching bill into Congress (the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill is defeated in 1922). July Chester and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, riots. 1919 NAACP publishes Thirty Years of Lynching in the United States: 1889–1918 by Martha Gruening and Helen Boardman. May Charleston, South Carolina, riot. Summer Known as ‘‘Red Summer’’ because of the great number of people killed in various race riots around the country. July Longview, Texas, riot. Publication of Claude McKay’s sonnet, ‘‘If We Must Die.’’ Chicago, Illinois, riot. Washington, D.C., riot. August Knoxville, Tennessee, riot. September Omaha, Nebraska, riot. September– October Elaine, Arkansas, riot. 1920 Founding of the Commission on Interracial Cooperation, a major interracial reform organization in the South. 1921 April Tulsa, Oklahoma, riot. 1922 Anti-Lynching Crusaders are formed to educate Americans about lynching and work for its elimination.

Chicago Commission on Race Relations issues its influential report on the 1919 Chicago riots. lviii CHRONOLOGY OF AMERICAN RACE RIOTS AND RACIAL VIOLENCE 1923 January Rosewood, Florida, riot. February U.S. Supreme Court decision in Moore v. Dempsey leads to eventual release of twelve African Americans in Arkansas who were convicted in perfunctory mobdominated trials of killing five whites during the Elaine, Arkansas, riots of 1919. 1929 Publication of Walter White’s Rope and Faggot: A Biography of Judge Lynch. 1930 Nation of Islam (Black Muslims) is founded in Detroit, Michigan, by W.D. Fard.

Formation of the Association of Southern Women for the Prevention of Lynching, the first organization of white women opposed to lynching. October Sainte Genevieve, Missouri, riot. 1931 Scottsboro Case occurs in Alabama; the case comprises a series of trials arising outof allegations that nine African American youths raped two white girls in Scottsboro, Alabama. 1932 Supreme Court renders a decision in Powell v. Alabama, a case related to the Scottsboro, Alabama, incident of 1931. 1934 Elijah Muhammad assumes leadership of the Nation of Islam. 1935 March Harlem, New York, riot. 1936 First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt addresses the annual conventions of both the NAACP and National Urban League. 1939 Billie Holiday’s first performance of the anti-lynching song Strange Fruit occurs at Cafe´ Society, New York’s only integrated nightclub. 1941 Supreme Court decision in Mitchell v. United States spurs integration of first-class railway carriages. 1942 Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) is founded as the Committee of Racial Equality. February Double V Campaign is launched to popularize the idea that blacks should fight for freedom abroad to win freedom at home. 1943 May Mobile, Alabama, riot. June Beaumont, Texas, riot. June ‘‘Zoot Suit’’ riots in Los Angeles, California. July Detroit, Michigan, riot. August New York City (Harlem) riot. 1944 Publication of Karl Gunnar Myrdal’s An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy.

[deadpresidents]

Im a dork too lol and also find those lists like the presidents/vps age when they died to be interesting! Do you maybe have access to a list like that about how old presidents&veeps were when they took office?

I do have that info available, and I'm glad that people like these kinds of lists because it means I didn't waste my time keeping this data updated over the years!

Here are the Presidents and Vice Presidents by age at the time of their inauguration:

PRESIDENTS: Age at Inauguration (Oldest-to-Youngest) Biden: 78 years, 61 days Trump: 70 years, 220 days Reagan: 69 years, 349 days W.H. Harrison: 68 years, 23 days Buchanan: 65 years, 315 days G.H.W. Bush: 64 years, 222 days Taylor: 64 years, 100 days Eisenhower: 62 years, 98 days Jackson: 61 years, 354 days J. Adams: 61 years, 125 days Ford: 61 years, 26 days Truman: 60 years, 339 days Monroe: 58 years, 310 days Madison: 57 years, 353 days Jefferson: 57 years, 325 days J.Q. Adams: 57 years, 236 days Washington: 57 years, 67 days A. Johnson: 56 years, 107 days Wilson: 56 years, 65 days Nixon: 56 years, 11 days Cleveland: 55 years, 351 days (2nd non-consecutive term) B. Harrison: 55 years, 196 days Harding: 55 years, 122 days L. Johnson: 55 years, 87 days Hoover: 54 years, 206 days G.W. Bush: 54 years, 198 days Hayes: 54 years, 151 days Van Buren: 54 years, 89 days McKinley: 54 years, 34 days Carter: 52 years, 111 days Lincoln: 52 years, 20 days Arthur: 51 years, 349 days Taft: 51 years, 170 days F. Roosevelt: 51 years, 33 days Coolidge: 51 years, 29 days Tyler: 51 years, 6 days Fillmore: 50 years, 183 days Polk: 49 years, 122 days Garfield: 49 years, 105 days Pierce: 48 years, 101 days Cleveland: 47 years, 351 days (1st non-consecutive term) Obama: 47 years, 169 days Grant: 46 years, 311 days Clinton: 46 years, 154 days Kennedy: 43 years, 236 days T. Roosevelt: 42 years, 322 days

VICE PRESIDENTS: Age at Inauguration (Oldest-to-Youngest) Alben Barkley: 71 years, 57 days Charles Curtis: 69 years, 38 days Elbridge Gerry: 68 years, 230 days William R. King: 66 years, 331 days* *King's age on the day his VP term began: March 4, 1853. King was gravely ill and trying to improve his health in a warmer climate, so he received special permission from Congress to take the Vice Presidential oath on foreign soil while recuperating in Cuba, which he wasn't able to do until March 24, 1853. He died on April 18, 1853 after returning home to Alabama without ever setting foot in Washington, D.C. during his brief Vice Presidency. Nelson Rockefeller: 66 years, 164 days Joe Biden: 66 years, 61 days George Clinton: 65 years, 221 days Thomas A. Hendricks: 65 years, 178 days Levi P. Morton: 64 years, 292 days John Nance Garner: 64 years, 102 days Henry Wilson: 61 years, 16 days Harry S. Truman: 60 years, 257 days Gerald Ford: 60 years, 145 days Dick Cheney: 59 years, 356 days Charles G. Dawes: 59 years, 189 days Thomas R. Marshall: 58 years, 355 days William A. Wheeler: 57 years, 247 days Mike Pence: 57 years, 227 days Adlai E. Stevenson: 57 years, 132 days George H.W. Bush: 56 years, 222 days Richard M. Johnson: 56 years, 138 days Kamala Harris: 56 years, 92 days Andrew Johnson: 56 years, 65 days Thomas Jefferson: 53 years, 325 days Hubert H. Humphrey: 53 years, 238 days John Adams: 53 years, 173 days (Adams was sworn in as VP nine days before George Washington was sworn in as President in 1789.) James S. Sherman: 53 years, 131 days Charles W. Fairbanks: 52 years, 297 days Garret A. Hobart: 52 years, 274 days George M. Dallas: 52 years, 237 days Lyndon B. Johnson: 52 years, 146 days Henry A. Wallace: 52 years, 105 days Hannibal Hamlin: 51 years, 189 days Chester A. Arthur: 51 years, 150 days John Tyler: 50 years, 340 days Martin Van Buren: 50 years, 89 days Spiro Agnew: 50 years, 72 days Millard Fillmore: 49 years, 56 days Walter Mondale: 49 years, 15 days Calvin Coolidge: 48 years, 243 days Schuyler Colfax: 45 years, 346 days Aaron Burr: 45 years, 26 days Al Gore: 44 years, 295 days John C. Calhoun: 42 years, 351 days Daniel D. Tompkins: 42 years, 256 days Theodore Roosevelt: 42 years, 128 days Dan Quayle: 41 years, 351 days Richard Nixon: 40 years, 11 days John C. Breckinridge: 36 years, 47 days

[madi2112]

I GOT MY HOUSE BACK!

Seems like a silly thing to say really, but yet it's something I'm excited about.

It does, however, come at a very bittersweet price.

The very bitter being the loss of my beloved Shiloh 💔

The sweet being the removal of my housepest!

My home is back to being my sanctuary, my place of refuge from the world. A place where I can truly relax and decompress. A place where I can decorate and keep things that have meaning to me.

I haven't been able to do that for 17 months.

I feel so much better already.

No more being confined to my room because I couldn't stomach any other part of my own house.

No more anger and bitterness that I had allowed someone to use my entire house as their personal storage unit.

No more finding ways to make sure I didn't come home for as long as I could. Just to delay those feelings of bitterness and anger.

Now that it's been a whole one day since I got my house back I can't ever imagine how I was so stupid to allow its takeover in the first place.

To make it worse it was someone I was trying to help.

To pay NOTHING for 17 months, sponging off of someone who makes only a little more then what pays the bills. Then to destroy thier house too.

SMH

<Back to being my house>

<What I tollerated for WAY to long>

Now the recovery begins.

Everything has to be cleaned and put back to where it's supposed to go.

Which will take at least a few weeks.

I've already gone on a mini spending spree getting new decorations, rugs, bedding etc.

So once I start the deep cleaning process I can start the improvements.

It will take a little but that's OK.

At least I can get going again.

~Madison

[penofdamocles]

> “So I have to do everything I’m told and asked, and like, love every second of it, it’s really fucked up, and I know that, but I still really want to do it, fucking /desperately/. Worse than our angel help programming. It’s going to make me happy. I know it will. I haven’t experienced it really yet beyond a dumb mistake and a conflicting mindset too distracting to be proud of, but it’s going to, it’s the right thing to do, maybe we. Can test it. If anyone..”

Rook stares at Mads Altair incredulously, nose a little scrunched up at the angel’s weird intense energy and abnormal conviction, but raises an eyebrow at the sudden change of tune.

“I thought you wanted me to make you stop enjoying it. Is it /that/ fucked up, that you can’t even truly hate it?”

“..Yeah,” he mumbles, grinding his teeth in a strained grin, “It’s that fucked up, but maybe it really will make me as happy as a dog gets about it, which is pretty fucking happy.”

“Okay, well..” They pause, tapping their wand on their opposite tattooed palm. “Fly a loop around the outside of the house.”

Altair is out the door almost before Rook can designate the location, wings unfolding behind him and flapping a little excitedly in the open room. They watch him leap off the edge of the island like there's something to land on, but instead of hitting a ledge, his purple feathers catch him in the air, taking him with a twist of his body in a loop around the building he'd just exited. Mads lands in a rushed stumble back on floating ground, a shaky grin on his face and a light in his eyes. He rushes back inside, stopping before Rook to step from foot to foot excitedly, truly like a dog after running around the yard on command, face bright with innocent anticipation.

Rook knows what he wants out of this, most likely, or at least what his instincts want, and reaches out to pat Mads' fidgeting hand. "Good job, I think that was a new record. You really got a lot of improvement out of that aerodynamics stuff, huh, that's impressive." Their compliment is genuine, and hits home, filling the empty space that this magic had created in the angel's inner soul.

He very much feels it, a pure joy and pride that wells up into the hole in his chest and overflows, a feeling like Mads had done something incredible, that mattered, like he had earned some measure of worth. The latter thought, when caught, lingers, a deeply tempting reason to let this continue..just to feel like he's worth something, more than being useful on his own could ever let him. But lower in his soul, suppressed under the magic and its rush, the nauseating twist of knowing these actions and feelings were chosen for him taints the man's aching desire for inherent value. This isn't a favor to him. It's just another careful lesson to make him more fun to play with. He doesn't want to be fun, Altair would rather be a broken puppet left to rot than 1 in use, strung up and along and forced to smile and laugh while he appeases someone cruel. Even wanting this, Mads' fear, deep down, what it always came to in the end, intensifies beyond his ecstasy. The terror as he looks up at his own strings from their helpless grip, seeing new threads wrapped around his mind, is too much, and the angel's smile falters into shaking, his hands clenching into tense fists.

"No, this. This isn't. Right. It's- it's how it should be- I can't take it. I don't want it. I'm so fucking trapped, /please/, if you can at least. Make me stop..thinking. Like this. About it."

Madison Rook may not be Madison Altair anymore, but their deepest fears are still shared, and they understand what draws the man's doubts to the surface of his manipulated mindset. They understand, they sympathize, but that doesn't mean they won't use it to their advantage. Rook tilts their horned head, considering their twin and his active crisis.

"Apologize for what you did to me, first. And mean it. Then I'll help you."

Mads' shoulders tense, but he laughs, even more strained but giddy at the manageable command, his words dragging his thoughts along behind them as they leave his lips against his will.

"Fantastic, sure, yeah, I fucking stabbed you, multiple times, I'm so sorry, really, definitely, I-"

Rook interrupts the chipper claim and its accompanying twisted smile and says "And don't enjoy it. Just make it normal and sincere."

Pausing, Altair blinks and takes a deep breath, momentarily freed from his inescapable glee. He tries again, and somehow it hurts more.

"..yeah. I hurt you. You hurt someone I cared about, more than was necessary, you left invisible scars and made her afraid of me because of what you did. I knew that you..regretted it. When I confronted you. You apologized. You'd already punished yourself. But I needed to do it myself, to make sure it was done right." It isn't hostility, but discomfort in his thin voice through gritted teeth, explaining himself in terms that sound cruel even to him, even as justified as they felt for so long. "I thought I needed to go as far as you did. For the lesson to sink in. ..But I could've stopped 1 sword in. Or I- I could've just not done that at all, and just yelled at you," he corrects himself as Rook glares, dissatisfied with the reluctance to fully retract his intentions.

"You could've not yelled at me, either. You called me horrible things. Maybe I needed to be confronted about my actions, but considering you were trying so hard to redeem Patches, you sure didn't seem willing to give me any second chances." The tiefling speaks with bitterness in their tone, remembering all the pain they'd been dealt. "You still haven't apologized."

"You're. Right. I'm. ..Sorry. You..didn't deserve. The excess punishment. That I took upon myself to give." He stares at the floor, unable to keep hiding his shame under sharp defenses. "I've made mistakes just as bad, and. If you had done that to me, for what I did..I guess I'd be just as upset and scared as you were..and. Still are. It feels like something I would have deserved, yeah. But I still wouldn't have. Deserved it from you. You didn't, either. And you shouldn't have had to be so afraid of being around me for so long. ..I realize that was. As long-term a wound. As you gave. If not more so. I remember when you tried to. Change your face, so you wouldn't have to look at me in the mirror. And so you wouldn't make me upset by existing around me. I..I'm sorry I made you feel that way about your identity. And for hating you just for being me, for so long after that."

Rook is quiet for several seconds, considering what the man they used to be had admitted and regretted, before they respond, "Look me in the eye, and say you regret hurting me."

They make eye contact, narrowed and pained meeting narrowed and judging, and there's a longer silence than there should be for a magic as urgent as this.

"..I regret. Hurting you. You came a long way and made up for a lot, far more than what I judged you for..and I sure didn't contribute to that. In any positive way. You helped me more than I deserved for how I treated you. I'm sorry. That I took that anger out on you."

Analyzing his stare, his resigned but sincerely mournful voice, Rook decides that's real enough for them. Reaching out again, the sorcerer puts a violet hand on the sleeve of Mads Altair's suit, a blue glow surrounding their hand as the gentle sound of rushing ocean tides washes away his thick layer of enforced enthusiasm for this state, like lifting heavy mud from his thoughts, freeing dozens of panicked complaints suppressed to the point of silence, complaints that immediately give the angel plenty of new things to stress about. But those are just noise under such a relief to have his mind fully his own again, despite what the strings may make his body do in the future. A freedom he often takes for granted, so easily returned from what felt like an immovably forceful grip. It's as if he scoops up all his now-freed feelings and opinions and gives them a warm hug, but for lack of that proper expression towards his state of mind, Madison Altair hugs his duplicate instead, grateful for the results of their spell.

They go rather stiff at first, but relax, hug Mads in return, and pet his hair a bit. Rook understands his fear of control. And they understand his relief to be free of it. It's the least they could do for finally forcing a makeup conversation, to release the charm given to twist him into a better toy. He would do the same for them. He understands their fear too. It's better if they're on each others' side. Few others would be able to support each other like this. ..They've wanted his support for a long time.

"Alright. Thank you. I believe you. ..I forgive you."

Mads doesn't respond, just makes a weak crying sound from the shoulder of Rook's cloak, and hugs his recurring savior tighter.

[strangerays]

THIS JUNE: AUGUST WRAP-UP

hello!! this is my first update with the new story. if you're unfamiliar with my book project This June, it is a rewrite and fourth draft of a story I've posted about semi-frequently for the last 3 years called Nothing in Particular and Everything. recently, i aged up the characters and reworked the story with some more mature themes. the characters are in college, and so they face the challenges of growing up, being in relationships, setting boundaries, jealousy, and mental health.

this is the story of ray and judith and the summer that almost tore their friends apart. an arsonist put ray's life and mental health in jeopardy - judith thinks she can find them. with an old, dusty camera and a clear june sky, the girls set out to explore a destroyed landmark in their seaside town. summer in point blink never seemed more boring.

you can read more about the story and meet the characters here!

monthly updates

draft four word count: 15,093

on august first, i decided i still wanted to write this book! however, i'd been stuck for so long writing about high school kids that.. i didn't relate to them anymore. i'm in my second year of college and i needed somewhere to inject my experiences. i needed someone to relate to a little bit more than seventeen year old ray. so, i kept the exact same plot and characters but wrote about them as if a lot of time had passed! i even aged up their relationships and wrote them the way i always imagined they would pan out! luckily, I was able to keep chapter one pretty much exactly the same. even though the characters are now college students, i was still able to use the flashback from when they were seniors in high school. (you'll see that I inserted it in this update)

i finished writing chapters one and two!

i've known these characters for a long time, so i didn't think that they would be difficult to write (i was wrong!!) they are very hard to write. judith especially has been really hard to write because her experiences with her family are so like my own. i was in a hurry to finish writing the first draft of chapter one, so i will definitely have to edit the way i painted her character. anyway, judith has always been the hardest for me to portray, because her story just gets more and more complex with every draft.

lonan has a crazy new side quest!!! i love writing with lonan. he is my good time boy. while ray is struggling at home with depression, he is (sort of) living it up in the city with his boyfriend (situationship) and struggling to make art without feeling guilty about it. he's ok though.

i deleted two old characters and replaced them with madison and oliver. these two play pretty much the exact same role except their friendship with ray is a lot more challenging, while at the same supportive! i think this will be a great opportunity to write a more interesting resolution at the end of the book when it comes to tying up character relationships. they have a very positive force in the book :)

the romance!!!! this book is really sapphic, anyone could guess. i can't say much about it yet but i am so excited about the end of this book just. agh. mental health! friends! hugs! <3

overall, the book is probably going to be around the same length with longer chapters that function more like short stories.

september goals

complete chapter 3

start editing chapter 2

work on character exploration (particularly with judith, utilize creative writing class/poetry)

i've been waaay more confident in my writing capabilities, but not so much the plot. i often struggle to believe that my book is actually interesting, so I hope to improve my confidence.

Excerpts

I was a firm believer that the best art is created when the artist is lonely, angry, or depressed.             The summer my best friend caught his train out of Point Blink, I was surprised to find that I became none of these things. In the weeks before he left for college, we buried a time capsule in his backyard and painted his bedroom walls a calm cerulean. We snuck out of our houses at nighttime to swim in the ocean and built a dark room. My lips always tasted of sunscreen. All my most colorful memories in Point Blink were unplanned in the beginning.             Pine trees crested Point Blink like a wreath, nestled into the bluffs that lifted town up to the sun. Tide pools congested with cigarettes spotted the beach, made pink in the sunlight. Fiddler and horseshoe crabs scuttled across the warm sand. The air was hot with gossip loud as cicada screams. Brackish waves spat salt and sailboats into the air. A man called out, “Stay cool!” over the toll of a bell. Peanut oil dripped from hot dog buns. Somewhere, Fleetwood Mac played on a radio.             Fleeting moments of a closing summer – and the tide receded.             In the last week of August, I did everything possible to avoid post-vacation blues. I rode my bike along Sugarfell’s gravel roads with no destination, wore my darkest pair of sunglasses to people-watch, and fed salami to the minnows the darted around the cusps of tide pools. Usually, I sat still for so long that my elbows turned a deep shade of red and the blood in my toes buzzed. But I was tired of John Mulaney and headaches.             Vacationers checked in and out. The convincing pull of waves at the sand and the familiar scrape of boats against the docks did not calm me down as they once had.                    Earlier that June, I graduated from high school. This was both thrilling and terrifying. In some ways, I had everything I wanted. In others, I was saying goodbye to everything I’d worked so hard for. I was one of the top photography students in my year. I’d finally learned how to drive. I got decent grades. I’d even had my first kiss.             I should have been happy; but I wasn’t even proud. At least – it didn’t feel how it was supposed to feel. No matter what I did, no matter how many parties I went to or late nights I pulled, none of it prepared me for the day my best friend left Point Blink. My vision waxed and waned as he rambled about his classes, apartment, and new eccentric roommate. Something like jealousy – but not so ugly as that – had made a place for itself in the hollowest part of my chest.

chapter one, "PAST TENSE"

Slowly, I folded the jacket and set it between us. “Let’s run away.”             As if I’d suggested we throw ourselves from a dry cliff, Lonan smiled a bemused smile. Freckles frowned across the bridge of his sharp nose. “Are you asking me to kidnap you?”             “You’ll be gentle, you won’t murder me.”             “What’ll we do for food?”             I turned my hands out, grubby from sand and dirt. “I am an excellent thief.”             “At the innocence of French fries.” He wasn’t convinced. “I hope you’re aware what a horrible plan this is – you've schemed it in the last twenty-five seconds.”             “I am not scheming anything.” I eyed him through my knotty pumpkin locks, on the fritz in August heat. “We can change our names. I’ll sleep on the floor. Find a job. Even cook and clean.”             Lonan covered his mouth and laughed softly. “This is not as convincing an argument as you think it sounds.”             “Oh, come on! You need someone to open jars of peanut butter for you.”             “Ray,” Lonan cautioned. He turned his full body towards me. Quite unfortunately, in that moment, reality became much clearer, and I realized how senseless I was being. “This is a daydream. You can’t move away – you have to stay here. You can’t put your entire life on hold for one person.”             For a second, I opened and closed my mouth like a fish. “You sound like my dad,” I finally groaned, rubbing at my temples.             Lonan winced. “We can’t live like degenerates.”             Sometimes, in a very fond sort of way, Lonan really annoyed me. He said exactly what was on his mind when it mattered most. In our chaotic friend group, he was oftentimes the voice of reason. Oftentimes, this was a great thing. The previous summer, he had talked me down from piercing my nose. I was quite a baby when it came to literally any amount of pain, and he knew this well.             “And,” he said, singing with boyish enthusiasm, “you’re going to work hard so you can become an even better photographer than me.”             “No one is better than you.”             “That’s absurd.” But he was smiling. “No matter what you think of me, you have to stay here. You have talent – don’t waste it on me.”             His eyes focused on something distant. I followed his gaze, but found nothing.             “Anyways, as soon as you leave, you’ll miss Point Blink and want to come back.”             I didn’t miss a beat. “Maybe I like Point Blink more when you’re home.” Lonan rubbed his neck, his face all daylily. I tried to focus on the melodic thrill of the waves, but doubt lapped up the walls of my head in little tsunamis. Sometimes, I think that, if I didn’t put so much effort into my friendships, I might not be so angry all the time.

chapter one, "PAST TENSE"

“You taught me to love everything I love, and I love it all because of you.” I nudged his knee with mine. “You’re the reason photography means so much to me. Don’t you know that?”             Lonan didn’t say anything in response to any of this, just pressed his lips together and bobbed his head. Static waves pervaded the silence that stretched between us. Neither of us were particularly skilled with eye contact.             Photography was our thing. I’d never found the same relief in it without him. I’d been obsessed with it when I met him in our freshman year of high school. There were always drawings on his hands that he’d done in purple pen. He carried around a notebook filled with the most amazing drawings I’d ever seen.  Stories he was writing. Projects he was working on. By the end of the day, the sides of his hands were gray with graphite.             I wanted to be just like him; I didn’t want to find out what kind of person I would become when he was gone.             “You never told me any of that,” he mumbled. His voice sounded like he had been standing in the rain for hours.             The familiar discomfort that came along when people were aware of how much I depended on them made me bite my upper lip. I might as well have just given Lonan a day-pass to my existential crises and solopsitisms. “Well people don’t normally get this sentimental in real life,” I laughed.             “Maybe I’ll change my mind,” he said. It was like he hadn’t even heard me. “This might not work. I mean, there aren’t many career options in fine arts, so…”             “You shouldn’t doubt yourself so much,” I interrupted.             “It’s a really competitive field—"             “For fuck’s sake, Lonan,” I said. “Stop.”             He blinked at me, and we just stared at each other. I exhaled and let my body slump into his.             “Sorry,” I said. “You have to do this. You’ve worked way too hard to give up now or change your mind because you’re scared. You shouldn’t be scared because you’re an excellent person. We might not be on the exact same paths, but we can’t let that stop us.”             This was the right thing to do.             “You have good ideas,” I said. “Great ones. Besides, you have lots of exploring to do. Classes to take. New foods to try.” I deepened my voice. “Love to be found.”             Flustered, Lonan squirmed away from me. “Maybe in a houseplant.”             “Well,” I laughed, “love is all the same, isn’t it?”             “Yeah…”             We were quiet.             “Maybe there’s another way,” Lonan’s quavering voice searched. “Maybe I’ll change my mind.”             Dark sleep circled his eyes. With alarm, I realized that his eyes glistened with tears. To hide this, he drew his legs to his chest. I caught his shoulder, rested my chin on his head, and stared worriedly into the horizon, stormy blue like his eyes. His hair smelled like the little confections Katherine sold at Mothouse.             Regret pummeled my chest as I whispered, “You won’t.”             I knew Lonan would never give up, because he was a rebel and I was quiet. He was my focal point. Point Blink was a gauge built on magenta sea glass – and I had a third eye, primal in the growing.             Lonan trembled. I buried my chin in his hair. He sat up and rubbed his eyes with his wrists. They shone green whenever his emotions were on high, a trait he’d inherited from his mom, who had heterochromia.             “I’m sorry, Ray,” he said, tears plipping from his nose.             I pulled him back in and hugged him tighter, until I felt his warm breath snuffling into my shirt. “For what?” I asked, but he either didn’t hear me, or had nothing left to say.

chapter one, "PAST TENSE"

My body felt like it was on fire but in a good way, sort of like how I imagined it might feel to sky dive or swim with sharks. Sunlight flushed my bare shoulders and turned my cheeks pink as nectarines. The sun sat enthroned in the sky, following me as I sped past Butternut Brooke on my bike, sand lifting from the sticky sidewalk. Clouds spilled across the sky the same way sugar spills across a table, and wind swept long, pumpkin-blonde roots over my shoulders. Turtles slipped under the glassy surface. Chirruping frogs soon faded to the chiming arrival of boats at the docks and the chaos of tourists. I was so close to seeing my best friends again that I barely noticed the girl with the blue hat crossing the road. I swerved past her as though she were a waterfowl, my camera swinging from my neck. She shouted something at me, but I was going too fast to hear it.             This June was the first time my friends would all be together since graduating high school. An entire year had passed since we split and decided to go to three different colleges. I had spent the entire year completely alone, with only a few houseplants on our windowsill that Dad and I brought back to life as company. Lonan and Oliver had not even visited for Christmas.             Summer had finally arrived. For the first time in eight months, I wasn’t thinking about writing essays. There was nothing to do; there was everything to do. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been this excited about anything.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

For all the chill that frightened most people away, I adored autumn like a friend come to visit. Death hung in the air – just above our heads, barely tangible. Wine-red leaves quivered like tattered coats on maples. Admired in caramel apples and haystacks. Pumpkin patches and haunted mazes. It was the only time of year I found I could be truly comfortable, knowing that, whatever came after, I had control of all that had already happened. It was June - strong waves and wild parties. I had to be ready for anything.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

[Lonan] used to recoil at the thought of living with little more than a houseplant. When he met Vick, though, he returned to Point Blink smiling. Suddenly, he was filled with stories from the city as if he’d lived there for years. Before he became a tattoo artist, Vick was halfway through a psychology degree. It was unclear exactly how the two of them had met, but I suspected it had something to do with the fact that Vick needed money from the extra room he was renting to Lonan. He was taking a gap year. His new hobby was flirting with Lonan. The boys shared a two-bedroom apartment with a doggish tabby particularly fond of cupboards. Vick filled the kitchen – wide enough for one person to make a toaster waffle – with Lonan’s plants. He did their laundry and rented movies. He taught Lonan to throw spaghetti on the wall. He had a credit score and a flare for interior design, which were two things Lonan couldn’t stand talking about. He shopped at thrift stores like he shopped for groceries: the apartment was all ornate rugs and vintage mirrors, out-of-print books and even a tuned piano neither of them knew how to play. The walls were all amber and teal. When Vick was bored, he invited people over. He hadn’t drunk proper milk since the seventh grade, which was rubbing off on Lonan. Each night, they ate strawberry oat milk ice cream while Vick helped Lonan study for exams. Vick used words like “litigious” and “jargon”. His friends liked Lonan because it gave him something to take care of. I thought Vick was pretentious as shit, but I was trying not to judge people based on the things they owned anymore. Also, Lonan needed someone who would take him to aquariums and show him how to use the subway. Not long after Lonan moved in, the second bedroom became an art studio, and the cat slept between the boys each night. Sometimes, I wondered why Lonan would ever come home, to Point Blink. After all, he had a boyfriend and a regular coffee order. He was probably busy denying drugs at parties.              My best friend felt so out of reach sometimes. Like I was a whale, floating leagues above my pod.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

Point Blink wasn’t built for so much love at once, but it received it anyway – shop doors stayed open, ice cream cones ran low, sunscreen was lathered on thick, the water was crowded, and taut voices in a hurry filled the humid air. People ran around the tall mermaid fountain in their bathing suits. Boat horns blared their call over the clamor of car traffic. The shops that made up the center of town breathed with life, expanding wider and wider as more tourists crowded the doorways. A lot of people I knew who lived in Point Blink – like Dad – were annoyed by the tourists we got every summer, but they didn’t bother me in the slightest. Really, they just reminded me of how loved my town was. How I was a part of something. Every summer felt the same – just as exciting and opportunistic as the last. Fluttery excitement started in my feet and spread to every inch of my body. Last summer, we’d celebrated my nineteenth birthday in the park. This year, I’d be twenty years old. Already, I tasted melting buttercream frosting and tart lemonade on the back of my tongue. I knew all good things ended, but it was June – I could stay perfect for a little while.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

Mothouse was all passion: carefully crafted wood and warm colors. Katherine and her sister – Lonan’s mom – opened the coffeehouse with their father when they were just teenagers. Summer came and went with its thunderstorms and left behind a quiet morning rush, smiles passed between hands made warm by cappuccinos and two old friends sharing a table all afternoon. It was the sort of place you wanted to spend hours in, chatting with friends or writing a book.             Twinkling white lights adorned the pastry case. Behind the glass were fresh scones laced with sugar, chocolate chip cookies that gooed when bitten, crumbly, golden blueberry muffins, sliced key lime pie, cupcakes that were mostly buttercream frosting, tarts stuffed with berries, plump cheesecakes, and chunky walnut brownies.             Lonan’s mural spanned the entire wall behind the pastry case. The behemoth had cost him all his senior year. I helped him every weekend – not that I was anywhere near as good as he was with paint. When he added his mark to his family’s business, he made sure it was something that would follow him: a study of the sea outside of Mothouse, fond silhouettes of people gathered by the foamy waves. The waves were made from indigo and lilac; the sand was blue. Rather than a sunset, the entire sky was overcast yellow, the way it always was after a long and heavy thunderstorm.             Walking past the painting, I felt an all too familiar soft pang of longing. It was a permanent look into the way Lonan saw Point Blink, and of what he’d left behind.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

I missed Lonan so much that it hurt. When he returned to Point Blink, everything would go back to the same as it had been, when the four of us did everything together.             I was so busy imagining this that I missed it when Oliver walked through the door. Instead, a loud laugh so unlike Madison jolted me upright. By the time my eyes found them, Oliver was already hugging her so tightly that I knew nothing could hurt her for the rest of the summer. He was way taller than she was, so her face was pressed snug against his chest. They hit each other with such a force that they seemed not to breathe for several moments. And they staggered that way as I watched, giddiness rampant as a rabbit kicking around in my own chest.             Oliver looked different, but in a good way. Madison’s hair was as long as her elbows, but he had cut his black hair shorter. Instead of the unruly mess it had been throughout high school, his black hair lay straight, closely cropped to his head. He was wearing an oversized hoodie and a larger pair of clear glasses. If it were even possible, everything about him was louder, and more contained at the same time.             Madison and Lonan were friends long before the rest of our friend group had come together. When they were just seven, Kath attended a yoga class with Madison’s mother, and they often met at Mothouse for coffee afterwards. Because daycare was expensive, Lonan and Madison became quick friends – which was always the way childhood friendships began, out of chance and unreasonable fondness.             When high school started, I met Lonan through photography class. Eventually, I was invited to birthday parties and nights at the movie theater. As the three of us started to hang out more and more, it became apparent that we were inseparable. Our own fortress of impenetrable friendship. When Oliver came along later that year, Madison had turned her nose up at him as though he were a plate of escargot. He played keys in the band; Madison played drums. He was passionate and excited in a way that made you always want to be around him. Though, Madison saw this as a challenge. But as Lonan and I formed our own bond over photography, so did Madison with Oliver – over seemingly nothing at all. They just talked. A lot, about everything. Sometimes, until two in the morning. They were people who went together simply because they got along, and they made each other’s lives far easier than if they had been apart. They fit together more like broken pieces than a puzzle.             Lonan and I knew far before they did that they’d end up together. I remember one particular day when we’d all gone out to eat gelato at the shop down the street from the post office. Lonan and I sat on one side of the bench; Madison and Oliver sat on the other. As he spooned creamy vanilla into his mouth, Lonan snuck knowing smiles to me. One month later, Madison and Oliver were a thing, and they had been ever since.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

I pedaled through the sand until the long-familiar whisper of the waves splashed over my tires. The shoreline was cool where sea spit sprayed in the air, turning my cheeks red and ruddy. People used to strip naked and slink into the water here, swim out to the far shore sparse with naked trees and blanketed in purple fog. In elementary school, we sailed there in a rowboat to turn over rocks for salamanders. Now the grass is covered with red Solo cups, the trees strung with underwear, the sand clogged with wigs of seaweed. Dad used to take me on adventures here; and I remember every single one of them. We packed pepperoni and salami in plastic, chilled cans of Pepsi inside a red cooler, and crammed blankets into the backseat of the car with me. He patted my childish, bruised knees, told me I looked like a pearl tucked away in there. The sea, violent and knowing as it romped into the cliff face, opened its great jaws wide as he stomped through the oil-like water, holding me above his waist. I kicked my legs, baby fat jiggling inside his calloused hands, murmuring songs in my little voice. I danced over the murky seaweed beds, pretended I was the Sugarplum Queen or a swan glistening with cool sweat. I created monsters to dive deep and lurk beneath me. I made myself a princess among them, untouchable. Sunlight marbled across the black sea and deepened my cheeks to rose. Unafraid of what lurked beyond verdant patches of lily flowers, I squished cold sand between my toes, rolled onto my back, floated until I was invisible from the shore, sunlight settling deep in my bones. This part of the beach was empty and quiet, far too gunky for anyone to swim; and this was exactly why I loved it.             I was alone again. But it didn’t feel alone.             This was the spot where Lonan and I met.             It had been raining – the end of February always brought rain like the beach was stuck inside of a snow globe, blowing up mist that mussed my hair and tickled my arms. Clouds thick as sheets wrapped Point Blink in an indigo blanket. Overnight, the tides had surged, digging up scallops and sea glass. The beach was totally silent, except for a single boat bell tolling its loneliness. As I was walking on the beach with a plastic bucket, I noticed a pair of footprints appear beside mine, along with those of a dog. I combed my wet hair back with my fingers and narrowed my eyes. At the end of the beach where the sand gave way to Sugarfell flickered a figure, soft at the edges like he was hardly there at all. A boy watched his dog run in circles around him. He tipped his head back in laughter each time the dog barked. Over the waves, I couldn’t hear anything he said, but I immediately knew this was Lonan because of the camera hung over his chest and the flattened curls underneath his hood. We both wore rain jackets. Mine was yellow and his was blue. We were fourteen.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

“You know, I see you working all the time at school, and your stuff is really cool,” I said.             Lonan looked up at me, rolling his shoulders a bit. If this was the only time I’d ever get to tell him, it had to be now.             “Like,” I continued, “it seems like you put so much time into stuff, and I think that’s really special. I wish… I wish I could do that. Everything you do is really cool, and it’s just really fun to watch you do it. Sometimes I just wonder about what you keep in your sketchbooks and if you’re ever gonna show anyone what you’re working on, because, in my opinion, that sort of stuff deserves to be loved. You’re sort of the coolest person in our photography class, honestly.”             Lonan was looking at me a bit like I’d just told him I planned on robbing the bank.             “Sorry,” I added. “Is that weird to say?”             He cleared his throat. “I don’t think so – I think it’s really sweet.”             My face was red from the rain flurrying across the water, but I knew it was this too – finally talking to someone I looked up to so much. I shuffled my feet in the sand. “I’d love to know what you’re working on. If you wanted to show me.”             Lonan took a deep breath. “I’ve never really shown anyone my art before.”             “You should.”

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

It scared me to think that my friends and I might someday drift apart. Maybe it had already begun to happen. If I was being honest, I put a lot more thought into this than I did actually being excited that my friends were all going to be in home again. I knew that, when Lonan’s train arrived, we’d spend loads of time together. My life was perfect – I had nothing to worry about.             I just needed to get out of my head.             Past a crumbling stone wall ran a thin river, ringed with little brown mushrooms. A mossy bridge curved like a heart over the mottled water. I paused there and ran my fingertips over the velvety wood, poking every jagged splinter. Leaning forward, I put my chin on my hands so I could see my reflection on the green surface. A crayfish scuttled along the mirky bottom, and I was reminded of the time Oliver had caught one with his bare hands. Lonan had almost fallen in the water that day, and Madison caught him by the back of his shirt. All of the pictures I’d taken that day were still hanging beside my bookshelf in my bedroom. Still tracing the outline of the crayfish with narrowed eyes, I lifted my camera from my chest and took a photo. I hadn’t eaten much yet, so my fingers were shaking. So badly I wished my friends were with me.             I crossed the bridge. The dark wood ahead shed a glow of purple.             Sometimes I wondered what my life might be like if my friends had never left. Sometimes it felt like I only liked myself when we were at a party or sharing a secret. Sometimes it seemed like when Madison and Oliver started dating, they turned into completely different people. Sometimes I thought Lonan was sad when we were together. Sometimes, I thought I should talk to him about that.             I didn’t tell anyone that, sometimes, I wasn’t sure if I liked college at all. I didn’t tell anyone that I’d had trouble sleeping for the past year. I didn’t tell them that last week I’d lost my appetite almost completely. I couldn’t explain why my chest felt so full of water. I wanted to tell them. There was nobody else I would have rather talked to. But everyone – my friends, Dad, Kath – felt so far away. There is a cliff at the edge of Point Blink where kids twist into the air and throw dust to the vortexing waves; youth dash past eroded caves filled with bird nests that fly by like slots in a mausoleum. A lighthouse with a jammed bell leers over the expanse of heat lightning reflections. Metal gargles against stone in storm weather, warning us all of childish dares. I was a lighthouse: lived in by sailors, travelers, and strangers; pale stone tall and strong against a maelstrom of salt and rock. Moon shells speckled my base, crushed or buried. Clouds passed over the moon, and I opened my eye to cast sickly yellow light over the waves as they smoothed the footprints of my friends, and of Dad, and of me. Point Blink has stood for decades, but I will stand alone for many more, flickering against all the stars, waiting for those I love to return to harbor.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

Through the trees and over the static of the waves, something groaned. Like the low whine of a fox or the broken call of a sea bird. But I knew it wasn’t either of those things. It occurred to me then that just because I felt alone, didn’t mean I was alone. The air around me thickened with humidity, and something like fear. I leaned forward slightly. Only my chest rose and fell with purposeful breaths. The sound called out again. Only this time, it was louder. It sounded like something might have been moving around out there. Trying to escape. Claw. Cloy. Gooseflesh rose on my legs. I stiffened trying to stop it. If Lonan were with me, we would have explored. I would have convinced him to wander around with me for hours, and he would have. We would have gotten into trouble for getting home so late, but it would have been worth it. We’d bring home some buried, broken bottle or colorful piece of sea glass and we’d remember the day forever. Whereas Lonan calculated every decision carefully, I never wanted to sit still. I always wanted to do more. Without him, I felt as though I’d lost that part of myself. I wanted it back. In that moment, I decided I had spent enough of the last year waiting for everything to be perfect. This time in Sugarfell belonged to me. Gently, I reached into the barbed brush and pulled apart the branches, enough so I could see the glossy blue of the waves. A field fell over the bluffs like a waterfall and rolled into the ocean. The grass was tall and thick with colorful weeds. All of it was dead, like this mysterious part of the woods hadn’t felt a human’s touch in years. Bugs rose from the yellowed ground, flitting over flowers. The air here was dry yet clear, forcing me to take a deep breath, to smell the salt blowing in from the water.  This view of the ocean was without sailboats or jet-skis. I couldn’t hear any tourists. Interrupting the canvas of the sky stood a tower, silhouetted in gold by the sun. The crows I’d seen in the forest were here too, hopping over the rusty ladder at my feet. I tipped my head back. The tower was taller even than most of the trees in Sugarfell. It seemed to sway in its height. It blocked out the sun and made me shiver in its shadow. Tendrils of ivy hung from the crisscross frame. At the top, there was a structure with a door. Planks from the stairs were missing in places, hanging in the overgrown vines. Dust trickled in the sunlight between their gaps. This must have been where the noise was coming from. Like the tower had been calling out to me. A pit opened in my stomach. I’d grown up in Point Blink, yet it was the first time I’d ever seen a tower like this one. I’d looked out of all the tourist binoculars from the tallest bluffs and I’d never seen this tower. The windows on the structure were like eyes, widening in surprise. How far from town had I wandered?

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

“I really like it here,” Judith said. “You’re lucky to have grown up in a place as perfect as this.” “It’s not always summer,” I told her. “I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe I’d feel differently if I had someone to talk to." In the moment I looked up from my hands to realize that she was talking about me, there was a horrible groan from underneath us, entirely unhuman – the sound a dying machine makes when it is unable to hold itself up any longer. The stairway shrugged and softened. I held on tight to the railing, peeling wood splintering my skin as I slid down, down, down.

            Slowly, then all at once, I became aware of a tinny smell. The unmistakable smell of burning metal. I didn’t have time to check and see if Judith was still behind me before she crashed into me. Lonan came to me all at once: we were dissolved into black. I tried running to the opposite side of the fire tower, but then there was no ground beneath me. We must not have been that far up, because it didn’t take long for the rest of the tower to collapse beneath us. There was something soft underneath me – my bag or Judith's arm. I could not see the sky – then light exploded from the veil we were trapped in. Judith's hand found mine. She was shouting. I couldn’t tell what she was saying. I dragged myself through the grass, now pasty with smoke, infiltrating my throat, my eyes, my head – everything. It softened the world, made it easier to forget, but no easier to breathe. I wasn’t sure for how long we struggled that way in the growing cloud of smoke. Judith screamed – a sound I never should have heard – and it brought hot tears to my eyes. Distantly, someone else screamed. It might have been me, but I wasn’t sure. Sirens wailed somewhere. We never heard many of them in Point Blink. I smelled of salt and smoke. What a fool I’d been to believe it possible I could carry on without my best friends; and what a fool Judith had been to think she could replace them.

i shared so so many excerpts! i won't always be able to do so because of spoilers and such. i also didn't share much of the book which includes judith since i wasn't happy with her character portrayal.. so sorry about that haha. i hope to show more of her in next month's update!!

thank you so much for reading! i'd like to keep this sort of format for all my updates. once per month is likely attainable during my semester!

now

i am v tired and im going to bed. have to write an APA paper tomorrow -_-

until october,

amber 💚