#i just need dorothy and alex to be friends at this point

[coffeefiction]

What if-

So we know that Megatron and Dorothy are friends right? And by the looks of it, he is regarded as family.

My headcanons for the Malto Family and Megatron is that they know how to speak Tagalog.

Alex knows it since he is Filipino. The kids kinda has a hard time with it since they are still learning, Dot probably knows how to speak it because she probably learned for her husband

Megatron on the other hand ,oh he uses it on a basis to Dorothy to talk slag about some people.

Megatron probably knows a ton if cuss words too, and he doesn't really speaks Tagalog, he only does it when he is heavily pissed or talking shit.

Plus points if bots can't understand what he is saying until they download the language module for Tagalog.

Like imagine-

Megatron: *minding his own business*

Megatron: *hears something breaks*

Megatron: puta, OPTIMUS YUNG MGA ANAK MO!! (Bitch, Optimus, your kids!!)

Optimus: *in a different room* huh???

______________________

Megatron: Hay, hindi ko talaga alam kung anong nasa kukuti ni Prime, hay nako. (Hay, I don't know what Prime is thinking)

Dorothy: you tried talking to him? Baka you just need to tell him how you feel

Megatron: I did, pero I realize na it's pointless.

--------------------------

Megatron: *being a protective dad/uncle to the younger bots and the kids* Threaten my kids again at uupakan tagala kita, tarantadong gago.

__________________

Megatron: *looking at Mandriod and thinking to himself* Ang pangit niya ah....

idk, I like to think that Megatron probably knows Tagalog.

[practically-an-x-man]

18, 20 for Jimmy, B, C and F for whichever couple you want to talk about, and 🔥 and 🌍 for you please!

Thank you!! I think I'll go with Maddox (Madison x Alex) and Kysper (Jasper x Kyle) for the couples' asks, just to introduce you to a few more OCs :D

OC/Ship Ask Game: Firsts

18. First example of real character growth along their journey

I think one of the first big examples we see from him is a few chapters into HIYH - he starts to open up a bit more about his emotions, particularly in his feelings towards the people around him, which is something he's not used to doing (since during his life, he was forced to hide so many of his deeper emotions)

20. First time they felt accepted/welcomed by another character

During his life, he made friends with a few of his coworkers in the aviary, named Dorothy and Marie. Dorothy was a married woman in all the time he'd known her, but Marie at one point tried to pursue him romantically... which led to Jimmy, in an unprecedented act of courage for him, admitting that he was gay to the both of them.

He expected them to react negatively, as was the time period, but they were actually very accepting and even posed as beards for him and his partner Robert at times (as you can see at the start of my fic Francesca).

It was really the first time in his life that anyone had just taken that information in stride - even his parents, while they didn't turn their aggression against him, were incredibly stern about him keeping that information hidden and refused to speak about it.

B. First impression of each other

Maddox: Alex thought she was a very attractive, very interesting person right from the start, and her sharp, intense personality made him feel like he could play off her without needing to turn it into some big emotional thing (boy, was he wrong). Madison was a little annoyed at first, though that was mainly circumstantial - the X-Men and Brotherhood had both crashed the campsite she was living in at the time, and she really wasn't intending to break up a mutant fight OR play host to a clowder of X-Men after the battle ended.

Kysper: Kyle was intrigued, and felt an immediate pull towards them (though that led to a bit of confusion, since he'd never had a queer relationship before and wasn't sure what that meant about his own orientation - he got past that, don't worry). Jasper thought he was cute and charismatic and started crushing hard right away, though at the time they were also drowning in embarrassment from having literally crashed into him and spilling his coffee.

C. First physical contact (handshake? hug? something else?)

Maddox: At the start, Madison was not a physical contact person in the slightest. The first physical contact they really had came several days after their first meeting - the Brotherhood had come after Madison for revenge for that first battle, Alex was the one to answer the door to the X-Mansion and carried her down to the infirmary after she fainted from blood loss.

Kysper: Technically speaking, Jasper crashed into him face-first while on roller skates. And if that doesn't count, Jasper nearly went down (buying Kyle a replacement for the coffee he spilled: roller skates plus slick floor tiles...) and Kyle caught them before they could fall.

F. First date

Maddox: It took a while (MAJOR slowburn here), but when they finally did have their first date, they went out to a throwback diner for milkshakes and cheesy fries - super chill, super low-key, very casual.

Kysper: The exact opposite of a slowburn. They got into a discussion about their favorite coffee shops while Jasper was replacing Kyle's spilled coffee, and it led to Kyle asking Jasper out to the Café Du Monde for a "comparison"

🔥 - First time writing romance/spicy scenes, and how you felt about it

Honestly, when I first started writing, I was kind of awkward about that. I knew what I wanted to convey, and it wasn't an issue of imagining the romantic/spicy scenes, but one of my biggest little cringe points when I read is a poorly-written romantic/intimate scene and it made me hesitant to write the same types of scenes while I was still learning to write.

My first fic still featured a romance, and there are a few distinct romantic moments there, though I think my hesitance does shine through when you compare it to some of my more recent works. In a way it almost works at times, since the characters are meant to be a little awkward and inexperienced themselves, but I still think I could do much, much better now if I rewrote it (but who has the time for that?)

🌍 - First attempt at worldbuilding, or a notable piece of worldbuilding you're proud of

I've definitely gotten more adventurous with my worldbuilding as I've gotten more comfortable with writing (one of my fics, Taking Flight, features a whole conlang structure and several fictional cultures!), but I've always put bits and pieces in there, I think. I don't remember what all the specific details were in my first fic, but I did a fair amount of worldbuilding surrounding my main OC and her history.

[kawaii-disgusting]

Tf Rare Pairing Fest - Cooking together

Hashtag/Twitch (Earthspark), 600-ish words, General rating (but 18+ blog so minors please don't interact), Humanformers AU

CWs: sibling incest

Summary: Twitch and Hashtag chop vegetables together.

@tfrarepairing

It was a little frustrating having Hashtag staring over her shoulder as Twitch tried to cook dinner.

Alex and Dorothy were out for a date night, so she was the one making dinner. It wasn't too bad as Mo was at a friend's sleepover and Thrash wasn't feeling well so he was just going to get some canned soup after everyone else got their dinner. So she was only cooking for five.

But it was awkward trying to chop vegetables with Hashtag hovering behind her.

Eventually, she put down the knife and turned to her.

“Do you need anything, or…?”

“I just didn't feel like being alone right now, so I thought I'd come see what you were doing.”

Hashtag seemed anxious about something, and Twitch felt bad about being so annoyed.

“Why don't I move to the table so we can sit across from each other, instead of you hovering over my shoulder.”

“I can help if you want.”

Twitch was a little anxious about letting Hashtag help, since she could burn water. But cutting vegetables shouldn't be too risky.

“I'll get out the other cutting board.”

Twitch brought the cutting boards, two knives and vegetables to the table and took a seat. When Hashtag took a seat opposite of her, Twitch handed her a very sharp kitchen knife, blade pointed down and holding it by the tip of the handle.

“Be careful with it, that one is sharp.”

Twitch placed some carrots in front of Hashtag as well.

“And be careful not to let your fingers get under the blade. The same amount of force needed to chop a carrot is the same amount of force needed to chop off a finger.”

“Where'd you learn that?”

“It's what dad said when he taught me knife safety.”

Twitch picked up a paring knife, and then looked up to see Hashtag with her phone out.

“Google says it's much harder to chop off a finger than it is to chop a carrot. Fingers have tendons and flesh and bone and all.”

Twitch shrugged.

“Either way, just be careful, okay?”

Hashtag nodded and put her phone down.

Twitch started to cut some small peppers, while looking up at Hashtag every so often to make sure she didn't accidentally hurt herself.

Hashtag seemed to have no issue chopping carrots, though.

As Twitch watched while she cut and gutted peppers, she felt the knife cut into the tip of her finger. She made a pained hiss as she looked down at where had nicked her finger.

“What was that about being careful you had said earlier? And knife safety?”

Hashtag had a slightly smug grin.

“Shut up.”

Twitch averted her gaze from the other as she grabbed a napkin to press to the cut.

“Lemme see it.”

Hashtag grabbed Twitch's hand and looked at the cut. After a moment of hesitation, she put Twitch's finger in her mouth and gently sucked on it.

This surprised Twitch, who was now very flustered.

After Hashtag took Twitch's finger out of her mouth, she looked at it and it was still bleeding.

“Huh, that always works on tv and such. Stay right here, I'll go get you a bandaid.”

Twitch was frozen for a second, stunned, as Hashtag rushed off.

She looked down at her finger, still bleeding.

When Hashtag got back, Twitch was washing her cut at the kitchen sink. 

“It's still bleeding quite a bit.”

When Twitch removed her hand from the water, Hashtag grabbed it and patted her finger dry with a towel. And then gently bandaged Twitch's finger, kissing it after.

Twitch was flustered again.

“Why don't we finish up the vegetables, and then when I'm stir frying you can hand me what I need? Usually Thrash helps me when I cook, but he's probably contagious.”

Hashtag giggled.

“I'd love to.”

---

More of this ship because god I love them together so much. Favorite terrancest ship.

[searchingforatrail]

Title: Ares and the Scars that Make Him Summary: Dorothy tends to Megatron's wound following his torment under Mandroid. It gives him an opportunity reflect on the fact that some humans are worth fighting for, and that he is still worthy of love. No matter how undeserving he beliefs himself to be.

[original ao3]~~[twitter]

“On the ground, Megs. Where I can reach you.” Dot instructed as she shuffled with her power tools, surveying the wound as best she could from where she stood, “We need to get that fixed before it leaks more energon.”

The old war lord complied, his frame groaning beneath the pressure as he articulated himself onto the ground. Living metal croaked through the movement, and protested at the unnatural vulnerability of the position. It had only been hours ago that he’d been strapped to a cold metal table, defenseless and flat on his back.

Dorothy leaned a wooden ladder against his uninjured side and proceed to crawl onto his chassis.

He willed his battle protocols to go offline, and fought the instinctual warming of his canon. His processor knew the human currently crawling over him was a friend, but his body told him otherwise. Usually he had control over himself, but this ..this was different.

Whether or not she noticed it, Dorothy did not say.

She simply hauled the remainder of her power tools onto his chassis, sorting through them and smiling when she found what she needed. It was a propane torch. How ironic.  She steadied the propane torch just above the deep gash. Megatron made it a point not to look. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Dorothy with patching him up, but his latest ordeal with humans and medical equipment had made him squeamish. He clenched his servos, fully expecting to feel the searing pain he’d been subjected to earlier. Yet he was met with a numbness where agony should have been.

Oh, yes, Alex had turned off his pain receptors for him, hadn’t he? When they’d dragged him to the Malto farm after he’d refused  G.H.O.S.T medical attention. How did he forget that?

“Ready, Megs?” Dorothy asked, flipping the welding mask over her eyes, igniting the flame. Megatron responded with a slow nod, “Tell me when you want me to stop, okay?” He fought the urge to scoff. He wasn’t going to break under pressure, he hadn’t before and he wouldn’t now. And yet she had been concerned. Of course she would be. She was there too. He suddenly felt stupid. Dorothy did not think he was weak. She was just concerned.

“I will.” He responded dryly,

She bore the flame upon his frame. He dampened the audial nearest to her, instead listening to the array of sound happening around him.

The cows in the pasture. The sound of shouting humans, jovial cries of cheer and excitement. By Megatron's count, there were three more sparkl–Terrans added to the original two, in addition to Dot’s existing fleshing children.

" I heard what you said to Optimus after the fight," Dot managed through her deep concentration, "about bearing the scars."

He was surprised he’d even heard Dortohy’s words given his dampened audial.

Megatron raised his helm, catching Dorothy in the eyes. Or at least attempted to. While the welding mask was lifted, she didn’t exactly look at him. He felt his spark ache. She was hurt.

"I didn't know human hearing was so sensitive." It went unspoken, but the I ever intended for you to hear that was as clear as if he'd said it aloud.

"There's surprisingly a lot you still don't know about us," Dorothy mused, pulling back and admiring the metal seal over Megatron's injury, "like how much we care about our family. That includes you, Megs."

Megatron brought two servos to the scar, vents catching as he brushed against the metal.  The old mech squeezed his optics closed, and exvented. It would leave a mark, a deep one. But the worst of it had been welded and fixed.

He extended a servos, allowing her to climb onto his palm and gently placing she and her tools on the ground.

"I…I am trying to understand Dorothy. Your kindness has been invaluable to me." He adjusted himself, and let his back rest against the barn wall. This place was beautiful, clearly remodeled to be a permanent home for the Terrans Dorothy loved so much.  

He looked at the bizarre string lights that hung like earth ivy, draping over the small table full of toys, wooden carvings, and items belonging to all of her children.

Each Terran had their own designated corner in the barn, each adorned with accents unique to them. Nothing like the barren quarters G.H.O.S.T had provided him, nothing like the cold, merciless room he had on the Nemesis.

This was warm. This was full of love. Dorothy and Alex's love. Love that threatened to ensnare him. Just like Optimus's.

And Megatron was undeserving and scared.

He felt himself shifting uneasily underneath Dorothy’s gaze, as if his silence was admission to the thoughts locked deep in his processor. Dorothy has a way of unraveling his emotions like a piece of wire in a tangled set. When she pulled at him, it was near impossible to gather himself together. That’s why he was here in the first place.  He wondered if humans were secretly telepathic.

"You don't act like it, Megs. I know things aren't easy for you, but you're not alone."  She said, sadly, “We worry about you, you know. The kids love you, and I do too. If anything ever happened to you..”

Dorothy looked away, extending them both a small reprieve.

"Do you…talk to Optimus?"

And she took it away immediately, twisting a knife in his spark. Optimus and his inability to empathize with any of Megatron's grievances was not a subject he wanted to breach.

And yet.

"I would have more luck speaking to a wall," he mused dryly, "his blinding optimism continues to be the wedge in our relationship. And he was not always like this. It is…concerning.”

Dorothy drew her lips together tightly, arms crossed as she considered his words.  If there was anyone who knew of his complicated relationship with the Leader of the Autobots, it was Dorothy. And perhaps Alex, but just by proxy *.

To his relief Dorothy did not pry.

“Come over for dinner then? At least once a month?” She tried, gently kicking his pede, “stop going at this alone.”

In the past she would have suggested he speak to his old comrades, visit them in prison at least. But they’d both learned the hard way that he was not welcome there.

“I will take you up on that offer.” Megatron muttered, standing to full height. He online his pain receptors, astounded by how little the injury hurt, “And thank you, for everything.”

“Of course, and Megatron. Please remember, people love you. Okay. People who would be very upset if anything happened to you,” she reminded as she headed towards the large doors, “feel free to stay in the barn if you want. The kids will love to see you when they’re back from their game.”

Megatron’s gaze followed her as she left. He was glad she granted him the small mercy of not forcing him to stay for dinner, but knew it would come eventually. His frame ached to transform and take flight into the air, to leave this place and its love behind. But he stopped, sliding back down against the barn wall. His Decepticons might hate him, and Optimus may be an enigma, but he still had this.

And no matter how undeserving he believed he was, it was undeniably his.

[alanis-altair]

Yeah, yeah - I know. Another Peaky Blinders post, but I'm obsessed; who cares?

I reaaaallly need to draw attention to the soundtrack of Peaky Blinders. I mean, HAVE YOU LISTENED TO IT?!?

IT'S PERFECT! no one can change my mind, try me. I, myself, realized how brilliant the soundtrack is after recognizing that they put a song of the Arctic Monkeys into the playlist.

I MEAN?!? The Arctic Monkeys, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Arctic Monkeys. I confess, I love them wholeheartedly. They're like one of the most British bands I know and they're sound fits the series just perfect. The slight rasp, the deep bass sounds and this rough tone. It's like Peaky Blinders was made for the Arctic Monkeys and the Arctic Monkeys for Peaky Blinders.

I think the first song I recognized was Danny Boy by Johnny Cash, who by the way is also a perfect match for the series with his melodic voice, but after hearing If You Were There, Beware, Dance Little Liar, Only Ones Who Know and finally One For The Road, Arabella and Do I Wanna Know? my heart burst because I love both so much, the series and the Arctic Monkeys. I think that's what they call an overstimulation of joy.

But it continues. I recognized fucking BLACK SABBATH in Peaky Blinders. This is just awesome. Wow. Ozzy fucking Osbourne was BORN IN BIRMINGHAM, so his accent is exactly the one all of the characters use in the show. How could one series put more love into a soundtrack while handling to sound SO badass, atmospheric and sad at the same time?

Apparently, we're not done yet, friends. Ok, listen. Obviously the series soundtrack also features Queens Of The Stone Age. I want to point that the band helped the Arctic Monkeys write some of their songs?!?!?!?!

Aaaaand The Last Shadow Puppets OBVIOUSLY contain Alex Turner who is the fucking lead vocalist of the Arctic Monkeys.

Plus, The 1975 is also featured. Their music is quite similar to the Arctic Monkeys.

You see what I mean? This soundtrack is not just SOME soundtrack. It's really clever and just brilliant. So we'll composed, wow.

So again, let's take time to appreciate whoever chose the songs for Peaky Blinders. Because of this excellent choice, I decided to listen to the whole soundtrack and got even more surprised.

To share my discovery with you, I created a list of my favorite songs out of every season. Enjoy and listen to those masterpieces, especially when reading Peaky Blinders OneShots or thinking about the show. You'll feel it, I promise. Now, go on and bless your ears.

Season I

Jack White - Love Is Blindness

Dan Auerbach - The Prowl

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand

The White Stripes - St. James Infirmary Blues

and many other Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and The White Stripes songs

Season II (the best soundtrack in my opinion)

Arctic Monkeys - If You Were There, Beware; Dance Little Liar; Only Ones Who Know; One For The Road; Arabella; Do I Wanna Know?

PJ Harvey - Is This Desire?; To Bring You My Love and a lot more, she's awesome

Johnny Cash - Danny Boy

Season III

Arctic Monkeys - Dangerous Animals; Crying Lightning; Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair

Radiohead - You And Whose Army?; I Might Be Wrong; Life In A Glass House

David Bowie - Lazarus

Queens Of The Stone Age - Burn The Witch

PJ Harvey - This Is Love; Red Right Hand

Season IV

Radiohead - Pyramid Song

Laura Marling - Red Right Hand

Jarvis Cocker/Iggy Pop - Red Right Hand

Foals - Snake Oil

Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes - Devil Inside Me

Johnny Cash - Further On Up The Road Ep3

Salvages - Adore

Season V

Bob Dylan - Ballad Of A Thin Man

Anna Calvi - Wish; Ain't No Grave; Papa Pacify

IDLES - Scum; Divide & Conquer

Joy Divison - Atmosphere

Black Sabbath - War Pigs; The Wizard

Radiohead - Climbing Up The Walls

Johnny Cash - Ain't No Grave

I don't remember the season anymore so here you go

The Score - Glory; The Fear; Stay

Barns Courtney - Glitter & Gold

Dorothy - Raise Hell; Wicked Ones

SUR - LEAN BACK; MAKE IT TO MORNING

The 1975 - People

Imagine Dragons - I'm So Sorry

The Last Show Puppets - Bad Habits

Royal Blood - Come On Over

[angelisverba]

did you miss me, angel?

in which y/n knows there’s something wrong with Harry, but it feels too good to care.

pairing: y/n and vampire!harry

word count: 13k+

warnings: mentions of smut, slight angst

note: this is the first time i post my writing on tumblr so please go easy on me :) also, this is unedited and a little but rushed .... but i hope you enjoy it!

It started with the unusually sharp canines

But they were just teeth, and on that night, y/n wasn’t looking for teeth. 

Hell, she wasn’t looking for anything on that Halloween night when she walked into that diner with a flickering light, dressed in that angel costume. All she wanted was a strawberry milkshake after the disastrous night at a haunted house she’d spent with ‘friends’. 

Those same friends who drenched her get up in ice cold water, making the fuzz of her halo compress and her white leotard stick rigidly against her tummy. With the help of her tears, her glittery pink eyeshadow has spread all over her cheeks and nose, making it seem like she had a constant blush going.

 And her hair? Oh, her hair was the only thing that had stayed intact. Shirley Temple’s synthetic blonde curls that bounced with every step she took, and jiggled sadly when the waitress asked her if she was alone. 

“And what can I get for you tonight honey?” asked that same waitress, pen poised uselessly on her notepad because all y/n wanted that night was:

“One strawberry milkshake,” and she added a pathetic little ‘please’ quietly.

Y/n waited with her head down, fingers picking at her cuticles, or at the tattered red leather seat. She didn’t look up when heeled boots and a long coat walked past her because how could she? How could she look up when her eyes were clouded with tears, and when they spilled out they no doubt worsened her appearance. God, she was so embarrassed and that only made her more upset. She was so stupid to have gone along. She should have stayed in to studying for her math exam like she was planning to when Alex and his stupidly cute crooked smile asked her if she wanted to tag along with him and his friends. Why did she think she was ever going to end up with a boy like him? Pull it together, y/n. Quit crying. 

Still, she didn’t look up. She hung her head like a dying flower. In that diner, with the lightbulb that wouldn’t stop flickering, and the refrigerator that buzzed a little too loudly. In that diner, with the chairs by the counter that squeaked with every move, and tables that were sticky with maple syrup no matter how many times they were wiped down, y/n was still the brightest thing there. Still so terribly sad, so sad that she sobbed, and her curls moved with every jolt of her shoulders, but still so terribly bright. 

Because her tutu had sparkles in it, and her little white dorothy shoes were the purest shade of white there could ever be. And because her eyeshadow had glitter in it and now it was all over her face. Her face that glistened pink with glitter and tears. Truly a sight to see, when that same heart shaped face lifted to drink from the strawberry milkshake that  had been set down in front of her by the waitress looked at her with pity when she’d said she was alone.

Truly a sight to see, when that same girl with lips puffy from nibbling at them in order to keep her sadness in, wrapped those same lips around the red and white paper straw, and hallowed her pink cheeks because the shake was thick and it was taking a lot from her to even get a sip. 

A sight to see when this girl made the mistake of looking up, after she had spent all that time looking down, and connecting eyes with the most handsome stranger she had ever seen, sitting three booths down from her. Connected eyes while her cheeks were hallowed and oh so pink, eyes red, and puffy red lips. 

Truly, a sight to see because her eyes widened, and she sputtered out the little she had managed to get out of that ridiculously skinny straw, so that it was smeared all over her bottom lip. She scrambled to get a napkin, to stick her little fingers in the napkin dispenser, only too find it completely empty because what little had been inside it was spread and crumpled all over the table. She plopped down into her seat with a huff, and brought those same fingers up to her lips, and scooped up the mess in the space between her lower lip and chin while thinking about the man she had just seen. 

He’d looked straight into her eyes when she glanced up. And even though y/n was seated three booths away from him, his emerald green eyes hypnotized her like he was a snake charmer, and she a hopeless cobra. The man, and a man clearly from the rugged stubble on his chin and upper lip, held a newspaper in his hands, his face tilted down towards it, but eyes locked on hers before she had even seen him. A stray piece of hair dangled between his eyes victoriously, having managed to escape from the rest of his loustorus chocolate curls. His sharp jaw clenched, and y/n saw a muscle flex in the small moment she had observed him. 

He’s mad, she thought, I’m disturbing him. And she knew this because his eyebrows were pulled tightly together, his own pink lips tipped downwards, and his broad shoulders heaved up and down slowly, like he was trying to control himself. 

Y/n instantly blamed it on her obnoxious drinking. She’d been making noise right? And he’s clearly trying to read his newspaper. Here you go again y/n! This is why Alex and his friends fucki-

“Y/n? Is that you?” 

Y/n’s back instantly straightened ,and her eyes to widen. She feels her heart starts to pound, and her palms start to sweat, and holy shit why is Alex here? 

“I thought this is where you had run off to.” He slides into the seat opposite her, blocking her panicked stare with the stranger three booths away, who’s jaw only clenched harder when her eyes connected with his again.

“Go a-away, Alex.” Y/n stammered, her throat knotting and eyes welling.

“Oh, come on, y/n.” Alex flashed her a crooked smile, but it was no longer cute to her and all she wanted to do was punch him in the face. “The guys are waiting outside, let’s go.” Then, Alex got up, and grabbed her tiny wrist in his hand, and tried to pull her up. Y/n yelped and attempted to pull her hand back.

“Let me go, Alex! I’m not going back with you.”

“Quit being fooli-” Alex only pulled her harder, and spoke through gritted teeth, no longer caring about whether he hurt her or not. He tugged her so hard, y/n’s body ended up on the checkered floor, full-on crying at that point, sprawled on all three’s because her wrist was in Alex’s grasp.     “I believe the lady said to let her go.” rumbled a deep, sultry voice. And Alex did let her go, not willingly, but because he ended up on the floor next to her, nose bleeding.

“Excuse me!” The waitress that asked y/n if she was alone, yelled at them angrily for causing havoc during her shift. “Take this outside or I’ll call the-” She had the phone raised threateningly but,

“No need, Brenda. This man was just leaving.” And y/n looked up to find the source of the voice, once again locking eyes with the handsome stranger who sat three booths away from her. He was looking at her with so much intensity, she didn’t see Alex leave. 

He didn’t outstretch a hand to help her up. 

No, he picked her up from her position on the floor, and sat her back on the booth. 

Once again, y/n found herself looking down at her lap, this time cradling her left wrist because it was already swelling from the impact it had taken upon bracing her weight against the floor. Her translucent white leggings were torn on her knees, and dirty on her shins. A straw wrapper was stuck to her ankle.

“Are you going to drink your milkshake, little angel?” said the same voice, this time almost crooning at her in the same british accent that had kicked Alex out of the diner. Slowly, y/n listed her gaze, moving from her hands, to the edge to the table, to the bottom of the milkshake glass, and traveling from the hands that were clasped together, to the silver cross on a chain around his neck, to his lips, and finally… to his eyes. 

Eyes that looked at y/n with such gentleness, she could almost feel the caress against her skin. 

“I asked you a question, darlin’” he rasped, leaning on his elbows and coming closer to y/n, wraps her arms around herself and ducks her head again. “‘Is not nice to ignore a person they way your doin’” he said, his burning gaze warming y/n’s blushing cheeks.

“No,” she mutters, choking on her words and feeling a burning behind her eyes. She was going to cry again. She had no reason to cry, yet to her, it seemed like she had every reason to. She was alone at a shitty diner, her craving for a milkshake gone sour and her wrist hurt like a motherfucker. 

“What was that?” the man says. 

“I said,” y/n’s voice cracks, and what little reserve she had left come crashing down. “I d-don’t w-want it a-anym-m-ore.” She’s hiccupping on every word, and her tears are trickling streams down her cheeks.

“Alright, no more cryin’, angel.” His hand twitches, like he wants to reach out and hold her, but something’s holding him back. “You’ve been cryin’ since I got here. What’s got you so upset?” 

Y/n looked up again because his voice is just so soft and smooth it reminds her of a rich cup of hot chocolate on a rainy day, and she saw his hand twitch. She has his hand twitch and even though he was a stranger, she still wanted to be comforted. 

She looks up with wide teary eyes, and the man in front of her gives her a smallest of smiles. So small, it almost appeared to be a wince, like he didn’t know how to curve his lips up in that gesture.

And that’s when she sees them.

Two small, pointy white teeth. But she blew it off because even her own were slightly sharp, and because that smile stopped her heart. This man, that had sat in front of her, was intimidating, serious, and she didn’t know him. But at the same time, he took her breath away because he was simply ethereal. From his attire, to fine to a diner, all the way down to his perfectly placed mole on the right corner of his mouth.

“I don’t even know you.” She says, her voice small and head tilting sideways, a curl swaying between her eyes like his stray curl.

“‘M name ‘s Harry.” Harry leans back, resting his arms on the booth behind him. His coat opens up, and y/n can see that the red shirt he was wearing was hardly buttoned up, and the cross necklace he was wearing rested teasingly between the divot of his strong pectoral muscles.  “Wa’s yours, angel?” He said to her, his voice as close to a cat’s purr as it could be, and it made y/n visibly shiver. This made him smirk wide, one corner of his lips pulling up higher than the other. 

He knew exactly what he was doing, and y/n knew that he knew exactly what he was doing. And frankly, this may have excited her just a bit. Only because the boys she had been with earlier that night were pieces of shit that didn’t know what they were doing, and while this man could be a serial killer, y/n was far too physically and emotionally exhausted to care about the rules. 

“Y/n.” She sniffled, her tears slowing down but her heartbeat accelerating.

“Well, y/n, I’m all ears if you would like to talk about what made you cry.” With a long, slender, finger, he pushes the nearly untouched milkshake towards her, and y/n reaches out with shaking hands to take a harsh slurp while avoiding Harry’s pressing green eyes at all costs. 

And so she did.

She told him about Alex, and the way he had seemed so sinceres, and how she thought that for once a boy was actually into her. How it all went town hill, and how they drenched her completely in ice cold water. How she walked in the cold that dried her all up, and ended up in this diner. 

Somehow that turned into a nightlong conversation of anything and everything. Y/n got to hear this stranger laugh once, and it was truly the most beautiful thing she had seen and heard in her entire life. His laugh sounded like suppressed sunshine. Like it didn’t get to be heard so often. The corner of his eyes crinkled lightly, and his eyelids closed together like half-crescent moons. He belted, opening his lips wide enough that y/n could practically read the ‘ha 's off his lips. And his teeth, slightly crooked white teeth; his two front ones noticeably larger than the others, like a bunny’s. Also like a bunny, his nose that twitch each time he tried to suppress his smile. 

Eventually 3am came around, and Harry stood abruptly, saying that he had to leave and a quick ‘it was nice talking to you’ in the middle of y/n telling the story about how she bypassed 10th grade english by comparing everything  to current world events. 

Y/n sat there, stunned, embarrassed, and slightly angered. She asked for the check after a few minutes of basking in his rejection, only to be told by the waitress asked if she had come in alone,

“The gentleman already paid for it, honey.”

Then it was his skin. 

Exactly three weeks later, y/n found herself napping in a ring of hazy bliss. After an exhausting five hour expedition, y/n made it to the clearing all the way at the top. 

She’d been a usual at the riverbed hike for two years now, and one of the rangers who worked at the reserve had told her about the meadow with glowing blue flowers. He’d even given her a map and a list of animals and insects to watch out for. 

So, she’d made a day out of it. Made sure she was up to date with the material she needed to know for her classes, and told her roommate where she’d be and to please not have sex on her bed. All she had taken with her when she departed at 6 am that day, was a thick sleeping bag, a net long enough to encase her whole body, and a basket of food. The rager told her there weren’t any bears in the area, all other animals went in their holes for the night, and the ones she needed to watch for weren’t native to the area. 

She was careful on her climb. Not to brush against poison ivy, or poke against any sharp looking twigs. Her footing was sure, and her energy ready to be depleted. In the end, her passage through the steep and shady trails amongst the trees had been worth it, because at the top, was the most beautiful field of budding flowers. 

The clearing occupied the entire tip of the hill, so the only thing there was to see was the sky and the trees around the open, grassy fields filled with flowers that looked like closed blue poppies. There was a single, massive willow tree, right dead center of the plane, with leaves that hung like long sleeves that kissed and teased at the ground.  Underneath this tree, y/n set up her small campsite. She laid out a thin sheet, and on top of that her pink sleeping bag. 

Completely, and utterly salivating from how hungry she was, y/n sat in a spot that wasn’t largely populated by flowers, and set the net around her so she wouldn’t have to worry about swatting flies away from her food. The net was almost tent like, so she didn’t have to worry about ants either because she would be completely encapsulated by the material. 

She pulled out her phone to quickly check the time, because it was really useless for anything else, with there being no signal and all. 11:55 am, reads the clock. She tossed it to the side, and began to take the items out of her basket. Crackers, cheese in the shape of a circle coated in wax, apple slices, pasta, and pre-opened bottle of champagne that had collected moisture on the outside of the green glass. Y/n had taken advantage of this break, and packed a meal she’d always wanted to eat in a place like this. Her cheese and champagne hadn’t gone bad because she had packed it in a separate compartment that had a cooling lining. 

She ate her pasta, a recipe that she perfected her last year of high school with the help of the culinary arts teacher at her school, and sipped on her champagne. Sweet bubbly tones of pink alcohol rested on her tongue for a moment, before flowing enticingly down her throat. This was chased by the apple slices, and tiny chunks of creamy cheese.

In that moment, she was in heaven. The sun shined on her face, dancing on her nose, and kissing the space between her eyelashes. Her fingers traced the petals of the flowers next to her, feeling the cool, waxy feel of the leaves that hadn’t yet blossomed. There, amongst the wild green grass and in the middle of her third glass of bubbly, she laid in her little net tent and fell asleep with a sweet taste on her tongue. 

For hours she dreamed of green irises and teasing pink lips in the afternoon sun, her plans for reading the tattered romance novel she picked up at the used bookstore completely vanished. In her sleep, she was unaware of the bunnies that came and sniffed at her little cocoon. They stood on their hind legs, and placed their pink paws on the net, barely making a dent as their little noses twitched eagerly and their ears perked on full alert. 

In her sleep, she laid unaware that the handsome stranger who had sat three booths away from her, lurked in the trees and watched her chest rise and fall peacefully. 

His white shirt was once again, barely even buttoned and tucked in to his brown trousers. His hair was tousled, and that damned lock of hair kept getting between his eyes while he tried to watch this angel sleep. 

A creep, he thought to himself. I’m a creep. Leave, Harry. You have absolutely no business here. 

Oh but I do, crooned the devil on his left shoulder. Just look at her. So pure. So innocent. And she looks so fucking pretty, and all I want to do is move that piece of hair away from her luscious lips so it doesn’t flutter this way and that everytime she breathes out. 

Harry wanted to hold her every time her breathing hitched, and fucking shit he didn’t know why because he didn’t even know the girl. 

He needs to leave. Before it’s too late and before she yells bloody murder when she find out what he really is, because that’ll really break his-

“Harry?” she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and blinked more than she needed to because holy shit, what is he doing here. “Is that you, Harry?” Y/n frantically pulled down the zipper of her net, and scrambled out to search through the trees across the clearing because she really thought she’d seen Harry. 

And she was right. It was Harry. 

Harry who stood clad in a white shirt and fitted black pants, leaned against one of the trees. 

He looks better than last time, she thought to herself. Hadn’t he heard her? There was no other noises that the chirping of birds and she’d spoken loud and clear. Was it the champagne playing out her wildest dreams?

No, no it had to be him because he moved, and walked towards her swiftly. Y/n was frozen in place by his dominance. He held himself tall and proud, his shoulders and legs moving a way that said ‘do not get in my way’. 

But he stopped in his tracks right before the fading orange light of the sunset hit his skin. He looked down at his shoes, the tip of his red pointed loafers gleaming in the sunlight. 

She watched him as he shook his head at himself ludicrously, and stepped with confidence out into the sun.

What she saw made her gasp. 

His skin. He’s an angel. He’s an angel and I’m dead. Because only angels glow like that. Harry’s skin looked like millions of diamonds were penetrated into every pore of his skin. A hazy, white light exuded off of him, making him look like a god in a renaissance portrait. 

“Harry, you’re glowing!” She gasped, eyes and jaw wide open.

Harry threw his head back and laughed at her, the skin of his neck glimmering invitingly. “Angel, how much did you have to drink?” His lips curved upwards, exposing his sharp teeth, and with gleaming skin… no. 

Y/n looked at the basket inside the tent, the champagne bottle tipped to its side, next to where her head rested. Empty. She drank the entire bottle? No..no,no she swore there was still more than half left when she fell asleep.

“I-I don’t even remember…” she trailed off, completely lost in thought.

“Enough to black out huh?” He stood right in front of her, and y/n can’t catch her breath because Harry’s glowing and she doesn’t remember drinking an entire bottle of champagne. She looked up at him, and her nose nearly touched his lips. “So, what are you doing up here all by yourself?” 

Y/n’s ears started to ring in that moment, and maybe it was the fact that Harry’s a beautiful creature standing oh so very close to her, or she was too high up and had too much to drink, but everything went black and her body sloped to the ground.

    She had no idea how long she was out, or how she got back into her little tent, and this time Harry was lying next to her. And he was staring at her. He was on his side, chin resting on his palm, eyes searching hers the moment she woke. His profile was illuminated by a bright blue light. Was he glowing blue now? Holy shit, Harry glowed.

    “‘Sabout time you wake up,” he rasped. “You’re gonna miss the blooming flowers.” 

    Y/n got up from her position on the floor, amazed because her head didn’t hurt and she wasn’t sore anywhere. That must have meant that harry caught her when she fell, and carried her into her tent and then laid beside her because she was 100% sure she was nowhere near the tent when she fainted.

    What is going on?, she thought to herself. Why is this man, who abruptly left her in a diner, here, at a place that really hard to get to and also extremely off the radar. And why was he beckoning her out of the tent with his eyes, that looked as mad as the day she met him? Had she done something wrong again? Did she snore while she was unconscious? This was supposed to be a time for her to relax and get away from all her problems. Now, here she was, with one of her problems standing right in front of her.   

    “C’mon now, love. “ Harry’s bends down to the entrance of the tent, where y/n is sitting looking confused and he’s looking passive. He holds his hand out to her, and to his slight surprise, and hers too, she takes it and lets him lead her out of the net.  

    “Harry, what are you doing here?” Y/n questioned him. 

    “Was just taking a stroll around the area,” He says, his eyebrows forever drawn over his eyes, and lips slightly pursed.  

Around the area? It took y/n 5 hours to get here, and she’d seen no one else around taking a ‘stroll’. 

She was just about to ask him rapid fire questions about why he was following her, and who was he and what did he want and why did he leave that day at the diner, but he placed his forefinger and thumb on either side of her chin, and directed her face to the blue light. 

Just like the ranger had said, all the flowers were blooming underneath the moonlight. Different shades of blue, magenta, and purple surrounded them both; buzzing to life with a soft hum. Lightning bugs traveled from flower to flower, feasting on the luminescent petals. Roots in the ground radiated through the dirt, connecting like streets in a city. They all flowed in the same direction, leading up to the willow tree, whos leaves lit up like led light strips. 

Y/n had never seen anything like it before. She was sure that it wasn’t real.

“Oh, but it is.” Harry whispered in her ear, his stubble tickling her cheek. When had he gotten so close? Did she speak her thoughts without realizing it? As quick as he’d gotten close to her, Harry distanced himself, and walked back to the tent, to grab the few apple slices she’d left on her plate. Y/n watched him pick up the now-brown fruit, and as he offered them to her with a stony expression. “Here, you must be really hungry.” 

“I-I don’t want it.” She was caving in on herself, scared.  Because she realized that up here in this serene atmosphere where there was no one else but him and her, anything could happen and no one would know. And she didn’t believe him one bit, that he’d been up here on a stroll. 

Harry must have sensed this, because he sighed in defeat and said “Have you got a bone to pick with me, darling?” He rearranges his stance, spreading his legs shoulder width apart, and folded his arms across his chest in a way that made his biceps bulge against the white longsleeve he was wearing. “‘Cause the look you’re giving me is awfully mean.” He stepped closer to her. Closer and closer until y/n had to crane her neck to look him in the eyes. Wisps of his chestnut hair tickled the bridge of her nose, the collar of his shirt brushing against the skin of her neck, making goosebumps prickle and the hairs of her neck stick straight upwards. 

Truth was, y/n didn’t have a single mean bone in her body. And the ‘look’ she was giving was anything but mean, no, if anything Harry was the one with the fierce look. She was cowering, intimidated, afraid. This could go a million and one ways, and all the ones y/n was thinking about weren’t happily ever after‘s. 

“N-no,” the poor girl was shaking, like the thinnest leaf amidst a tornado. “I-”

“What is it?” Harry smirks, reveling in the power he had over her. “Cat got your tongue?” Their tension was thick, the blooming flowers already forgotten. All she could think about was how similar their position would look to the couple on the cover of her romance novel, if only he would put his arm around her waist, and lips on her throat. She thought about the way his lips were close to hers she could feel their warmth. The way his eyes were boring into hers with such intensity, asserting the fact that he’s the one in charge. The one in the highest position, and she could try her best to overthrow him but she would always be vulnerable. With his eyes, he laid her bare, reading her all the way down to the tips of her toes. 

This? 

This frustrated her. So much so that she stomped like a child who had been denied dessert as their meal, and stormed back to her sleeping bag underneath the canopy of the glowing weeping willow. It wasn’t until she got to her spot by the large roots and heard the leaves rustling as their indication that someone else had gone through them, that she realized what she did was stupid and childish and Harry could easily follow her. 

“Angel,” Harry’s voice is much softer now, his arrogant tone completely gone and replaced with a worried one. “What is it?” 

“I don’t know!” Tears began to well in y/n’s eyes, because she really didn’t know. She didn’t know of the uneasiness of her stomach had to do with nervousness of what could happen in a place like this, where no one would be able to hear her scream for miles if it ever did come to that, or if it had to do with this- this feeling she felt every time she thought about him, about their moment at the dinner. “I don’t know what it is and that’s what makes me upset.” 

She didn’t. She was a jumble of tingles and stomach drops because Harry was confusing her so much in that moment and oh god she can’t breathe. Her chest was moving up and down, going through the motions, but she wasn’t getting any relief; like her throat was a punctured straw and what she needed was escaping through that hole before if reached her pulmonary system. Puffs of air were coming out of her open mouth, her shoulders haunching, and her hand coming to rest on her chest before she dropped to the floor on all fours, Harry immediately appeared next to her side. He placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing them back so her back would straighten out, and pulled her from the waist so she would sit on her butt. 

“Breath with me, y/n.” Harry wrapped his hands around her waist, making it so her chest was flush with his front. “Listen to me, feel my breathing, okay? Match my breathing now, darling.” But it didn’t work. The only thing his proximity did was alter her senses even more; make her heart palpitate at the higher than higher rate it should’ve been. Black began to spider out from the corners of her eyes, fading in on her vision, disabling yet another one of her senses because her ears had been ringing and she could hardly hear what Harry was saying. 

And this is another thing. Y/n didn’t know what to call it in that moment, but it blew her mind. 

    “Close your eyes,” He whispered into her ear. “Listen to the waves,” And they weren’t anywhere near any waves, but when y/n closed her eyes, instead of being met with the black and blue dots behind her eyelids, she saw the most beautiful beach. White sand, as soft as the tufts of hair on the cat she stopped to pet on the street that one time. Silky and smooth between her toes and against the bottoms of her feet. The sky was the color of a peach; a mix of oranges and light pinks with dark red sat the edges, clouds the texture of the fuzz on the fruit’s skin.  Water, the clearest baby blue she’d ever seen, transforming into white of the sea foam tips of the waves.

    Y/n could hear the waves. A soft whisper of shh-ahh and trickling of water retracting from shore. The bubbling fizzles of sea foam melting into the creamy sand. She wanted to run through it, to feel it sloshing against her skin, but… something was holding her back. A grip around her waist that didn’t budge the first two times she tried to go to the calling shore. The third time, she struggled against the bond, she was let go and met with a bit of a trip from the power she had used pushing against the force. She picked herself up, and bounded towards the calm waters.  

She stood alone, getting closer and closer to the water and letting it touch the tips of her toes, expecting to feel the cool yet scratchy graze of the salt water mixture, but instead she feels... grass?

No, this can’t be, she thinks to herself. Y/n even bends down to touch the water, she’s watching it touch her fingers but she could not feel a thing. 

     Why couldn’t she feel anything? It was like eating with a burnt tongue, you put food in your mouth but didn’t taste anything. 

“What the hell?” she said to herself, standing up straight to asses the situation as best as she could. 

“It’s not real,” grumbled a familiar deep British voice. To her left, was Harry. “Come back to me, now, y/n.” His curls were floating in the chilly breeze, wisping and warping around his face, his open shirt moving the same way the waves were. 

    Y/n closed her eyes again, breathing deeply, not understanding what he was saying and ready to argue, but when she opened her eyes, she was back under the canopy of the weeping willow, illuminated by the glow of the flowers behind the curtain and the fluorescent stems of the hanging leaves. Harry standing no more than five feet away from her, leaning against the wide tree trunk next to here, where she stood on a patch of mossy grass. 

    “You’re a real doozy when you’re tipsy y’know tha’?” He’s picking at his lips with his ring-clad fingers, pulling at his bottom one and letting it pop back into place. “Y’alright now?” Not unlike the first time they met, he asked her what happened because ‘darlin’ it looked like you were seeing’ something tha’ wasn't there’.     And y/n, blinking out of her little day-dream (though it was hardly day-time) said, “I could’ve sworn you were telling me to ‘Listen to the waves’” She dropped her voice down a few octaves, and dragged her tongue to mimic his british rasp, “and when I opened my eyes, I was at the beach.” Harry gave out a low ‘huh’ upon watching her blearily slump against the trunk of the willow while she explained that she envisioned.

    “No darling,” He assured. “I got you to calm your breathing down, then you practically yanked y’self out of m’grip. Then you walked o’va to that patch o’grass r’there, and gent down to touch it.” Harry shrugged carelessly, and crouched down in front of her, watching her through hooded eyes as she stared off into space again, in complete disbelief at what had just happened because first she could’ve sworn Harry was glowing, and now this? 

    “Was’ this?” Harry grinned provocatively, holding the romance novel in his hand, waving it in y/n’s face and successfully managing to snap her out of her reverie. “Didn’t spot you for the clinch novel type. Thought these w’just fa’ women in th’middle of crisis.”

“Hey, give me that!” Y/n scrambled up from her spot, and launched herself at Harry who was still crouched and didn’t have much balance. When the girl reached for the novel, he pulled back from her grasp, causing her to place her hand on his bare, cold chest, and he to fall backwards, in turn causing her to fall with him. 

Y/n somehow ended up straddling him, her chest heaving as she saw where her hand was. On. His. Bare. Chest. The other in between his head and the hand that held the book. Her focus was no longer the book, but how smooth and hard Harry’s skin felt underneath the part of her hand that wasn’t touching the silk shirt.  Peeking just barely from the buttoned part of his shirt was a patch of inked skin that gleamed at y/n enticingly. Almost instantly, she had to suppress the urge to pull his shirt down to see the rest of the tattoo.

    Ever so slowly, she trailed her eyes from his chest, to his inviting neck, and then to his lips. Pink lips slightly parted, realising short puffs of air that matched her own. She saw the sharp incisors that caught her attention at the diner; teeth as white as milk, and sharp enough that y/n thought they could puncture skin. 

    Then y/n’s eyes slitted from his lips, to his eyes, that bore themselves into hers. The usually emerald green irises were now a stormy dark green, the color of the forest on a cloudy day. 

    “I think,” Harry rasps, his hot breath hitting y/n’s lips like vapor from a hot cup of tea. “He looks a bit like me.” His wrists waves the book slightly, and she drags her eyes from him to the cover photo. The rogue, holding the maiden, wore an outfit exactly like Harry’s in that moment, had the same jawline that clenched when it saw her cry that day at the diner. Lips heart shaped and pink like taffy. Muscles that bulged but not as dramatically as most men on the cover of these novels. A curly head of brown hair that flowed freely in the wind of the pirate ship.    

    And vibrant green eyes that were slightly hooded as he teasingly traced those taffy lips on the woman’s neck, who, judging by the look on her face, was clearly enjoying it. 

    “Did y’choose this one because y’missed me, angel?” Harry teased, smirking deviously at her rapidly reddening cheeks. 

    “N-no I didnt.” She tried to push herself off of him, but Harry was quick to drop the book and use that hand to wrap it around her waist, and pull her back down with enough force to knock all the way down. So her chest was tight against his, her stomach against his own, and she could feel the muscles rippling as he pushed himself up with his free hand. 

    “S’not nice to lie, darling.” Y/n wasn’t sure if Harry could hear how her heart sped up every time he called her ‘darling’ or ‘angel’. Or if he could feel the butterflies fluttering madly in her ribcage, fueled by those pet names. “Tell,” He brought his face closer to hers, “me,” Closer, so the tips of their noses were touching. “The truth.” His eyes locked on hers, searching for an answer, for approval. “Did you miss me?” This time, it wasn’t just his breath that she felt fanning on her the span of her lips and chin, but she could smell mint on his tongue. Every movement that his lips made, she felt it, caressing against her own. 

    Y/n swallowed thickly, her hands grabbing fistfuls of Harry’s silk shirt, not caring if she wrinkled it or not because whatever happened next, whether he kissed or humiliated her, she needed to brace herself. 

    “Yes,” She breathed, “I missed you, Harry.” 

    And that’s all the answer Harry needs to press his lips against hers, both of them feeling as if stars are colliding as their lips did. Their lips brushed against each other softly, gently, like butterfly wings fluttering; coming just close enough that he could inhale the gusts of air that left her lips.  Harry was reveling in how warm her lips felt against his; how sweet the remnants of champagne and apple and just her, tasted on his tongue. He couldn’t get enough of it. He needed more. More explosions, he needed the galaxy to combust and he wasn’t going to get that with the playful licks they were exchanging. 

    So he pressed harder against her mouth, mushing his against hers like he wanted to destroy them. She reciprocated his harshness, not caring about the scratches Harry’s stubble left on her skin, her hands moving to frame his face, loving the feel of his smooth, milky skin. Her tongue fought against his, tasting the mint and champagne? Subtle traces of champagne lingered on his tongue, his tongue that licked into her mouth like flames. The hand was wasn’t holding Harry up, grasped the back of y/n’s neck, as if to keep her from escaping. 

    Their dance went on for a few moments, until y/n needed oxygen. She pushed on Harry’s chest a few times because he just didn’t want to unlatch from her. When they both did separate, Harry’s eyes stayed closed until she spoke again.  

    “Did you miss me, Harry?” Y/n panted, searching Harry’s eyes, wondering why he still had that stony expression on his dreadfully handsome face. She hummed when Harry’s eyes opened, quirking an eyebrow up at him, giving him a sated puffy-lipped smile. 

    Harry smirked at her, “I missed you, little angel.” He fixed his grip on her waist, and lifted her so he could turn their positions. She, lying beneath him, and he, hovering above her. “Now give me another kiss.” And she did. She returned her hungry licks for hours, and eventually her lips went numb from often they were rubbing against Harry’s, and how cold it was getting. 

“Harry,” she said amidst kisses, “it’s getting-” Harry groaned in protest as she separated herself from him, “cold. Let’s get in the sleeping bag.” 

    He quirked a brow at her this time, “You want t’get into bed w’me, dove?” Y/n’s stomach somersaulted at the name, a pink blush like the smeared pink eyeshadow, spreading on her cheeks. 

    “You’re a real scoundrel, you know that?” She tucked her head into the crook of his head bashfully. “M��cold.”

    “Alright, lets go to my place then.” He sits up, with her on his lap. She slides down his torso and she becomes hyper aware of the fact that her crotch was against his. 

    “You’re place? Right now?” Y/n asked, trying not to let her emotions show through her tone in anyway. 

    “Yes.” He nods. “When I said I was taking a stroll, I wasn’ lying.” 

    So, Harry picked up her things with one arm, and held her close to him with the other. Though, she wasn’t getting any warmth from him, because he was cold to the touch as well. Y/n followed him through the now dimming flowers, and out into the trees where he had been watching her sleep. They made what seemed like random twists and turns, and at one point they climbed over a large oak tree that had fallen over. Harry grabbed y/n by the waist and helped her down while she suppressed a blush. 

    Covered in a ring of trees, was Harry’s house. A cozy little cottage with curved cedar shingles on the roofing and a red brick chimney. She definitely hadn’t expected a cobblestone trail leading up to a white-clapboard house shrouded with rose shrubs, and windows, windows everywhere. It was a small quaint place, with a white picket fence that was useless in the middle of the woods.

    “Welcome to my home.” Harry opens the little gate proudly, sending y/n a cheeky wink.

    “It’s very pretty,” she comments. She liked the little swinging bench on the  porch. The hanging plants, and the red frame around his door.     When Harry opens the door, a cinnamon smell wafts from the inside. Harry sets her stuff on the floor, stepping aside to let her come in. He flips on a switch next to the place where he hung keys and coats, and the inside lights up. A golden gas lamp illuminated the living room softly, splaying over the brown couch covered in fluffy throw blankets. Bookshelves in the place of where a TV would’ve hung, pots of flowers on lampstands, pieces of framed artwork on the walls.  

    “Wadda’ya think?” He said. 

    “I love it. It’s cozy, and it smells,” She inhales deeply, the scent of cinnamon and bread filling her lungs, “delicious.” 

“It’s pie. Baked it this morning.” His hands disappear into the pockets of his black pants. And he adds,  quietly, “Let’s get you to bed, and I’ll let you have some tomorrow. How’s that sound?” 

“Okay,” y/n murmurs. Harry takes her by the hand, and leads her up the stairs and into the last room in the short hallway. 

Harry doesn’t turn on the light this time, and let’s go of y/n’s hand to light a candle. He sets it on what she assumes is the bedside table, and in the dim light, she watched him remove his shirt, the silk material revealing his tattooed skin. There were too many to count, but enough to look at. 

“S’not nice to stare.” Harry gave her the shirt she was wearing, standing cockily with the other hand on hooked on his belt loop. Even though y/n had been caught, she didn’t remove her wandering eyes, trailing consistently over the butterfly on Harry's very sturdy abdomen, so appealing, the few sparse hairs that grew coarser as they reached his zipper leaving her tongue nearly lolling out of her mouth. 

With shaking fingers, she reaches out for the shirt, clenching the material in a tight fist like she had when she braced herself for Harry’s kiss. 

“Thank you,” she mumbled shyly, awkwardly shifting her weight from one foot to another, waiting for him to take a hint and turn around. 

“Want me to turn around?” She nods in response, biting her lip as she salivates at the way his back muscles flex with every slight movement. It takes her a moment to avert her eyes from his statue-like body, and discard her soft sweater and shorts for the silk shirt 

Her skin feels like it was being bathed in cool water, the shirt moving freely, just like water. 

“All done?” Harry’s voice bounces from the wall in front of him, to her burning ears. She was done, realizing that the shirt only just barely went past her butt, stopping mid thigh, and there were no buttons , except for the three going up to the valley of her breasts. 

“Yes, all done.” She says, voice wavering nervously, because she hoped that… “do you have a spare room?” 

“Baby,” There go her inhibitions, “you’re sleeping with me.” Harry cooed at her, his thumb coming to swipe gently on her cheek, and he kissed a soft spongy kiss on her nose. 

“A-are you sure? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable with me in your space or anything lik-” Y/n began to rant, her fingers swiping her hair behind her ears. 

“Y/n, I thought you’re be comfortable sleeping with me,” he pouts, eyes looking into hers and his thumb still lightly rubbing the space underneath her lashes. “But if you want me to sleep on the couch, I’ll do that. You just have to sa-”

“Okay.” She interrupts, breaking eye contact with him and staring down at the floor, at his muscular legs that were still covered in black material.  She yawns, gets into his bed, and because she no longer knew what morals were, she didn’t care that the shirt moved freely up to the curve of her back, giving Harry a clear view of her underwear covered bum.  

There’s a distinct tearing sound, as Harry rushes to remove his pants and climb into bed with an astonished y/n.  A primal look of hunger nests deep in his eyes, clawing out as he places his hands on y/n waist and sits her on his lap to continue what they’d paused in the field of glowing blossoms. He didn’t start off slow like before, instead pressing his mouth so hard against her pliant lips that their teeth bumped against each other and their noses rubbed against each other in a harsh Eskimo kiss. His hands knew little to no boundaries, coming to instinctively rest on the part of her thighs that came just before the back of her knees, pulling her impossibly close to him; so close in fact, that y/n could feel his erection pressing, rutting against her pulsing center. An action that elicited a mewl from her, and a feral groan from Harry.  Underwear, was the only thing separating them; keeping Harry from finding closure to his erratic thrusting against y/n, who in return, returned an equally desperate friction against his cock. Grinding, to put it in words, so close to ecstasy because Harry knew that y/n felt that she couldn’t have sex with him yet but they had to do something despite the fact that she still had her doubts; she’d just met the guy and she was questoning her sanity as it is because she’s one step away from sex with a man who’s last name she didn’t know.

“That’s it, baby.” Harry grunted into her mouth, swallowing each and every moan that left her lips. Smacking lips, heavy breathing, and rustling sheets were the noises that bounced off the room. 

“Harry, I-I’m,” Staccato ‘ah-ah’s left her busy lips, hips bucking at their own accord and her mind completely blank because the only thing she wanted was sweet release. Pink cotton panties completely soaked through, the scent of her arousal wafting and filling his nostrils and all he can smell her tangy aroma. 

“I know baby. I know me-” BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three hard knocks on the door startled and separate them with a wet suckle, both of them turning to look with wide eyes at the opened door of Harry’s dark bedroom. Their hips were still unconsciously sliding against one another, y/n turning to dig her face deep in Harry’s neck because ‘Harry please I’m so close’.  Begrudgingly, he turned to place her on her back, flat on the bed so he could see who in the world is at the door at this ungodly hour.

“I need to go see who’s at the door, darling.” He sponges kisses on her neck, his nose inhaling deeply in the soft juncture of her jaw, whining because he’s so fucking hard it hurts and she smelled like honey and roses and all things pure in the world. 

Unwillingly, Harry leaves his (not so much anymore) little angel on the big bed, spread eagled with roses blooming on her cheeks, eyes blinking mawkishly because she was still twitching with not yet there ecstasy. Her lips swollen and shining with Harry’s spit, buzzing with sparkling electricity that she felt when he touched her; looked at her. She’d come to the conclusion that Harry’s character consisted of serious and salacious looks. And based on the awkward smiles he’d given her when they first met at the diner, he didn’t do it often, so she didn’t take it personally because he was being so cold with her. Actually, she was relishing the attention she received from him, the lingering touches, the flashes of something in his eyes. But there’s a factor of missing identity that she couldn’t quite put her finger on, it’s what held her back from pressing on the matter. Because she was scared of what could subjectively be a deal-breaking answer. She was on a never ending see-saw with herself, loving the feelings that ignited within her, and wondering what could be the missing puzzle piece to this man who she didn’t even know. Jesus Christ, what are you thinking? This man could be a-

“Zayn, I’m not going to ask you again, get the fuck out of my house!” Harry’s angered voice and travels from downstairs, all the way up to is room, where y/n jumps up into a sitting position and reaches to cover herself with a pillow because someone is bounding up the stairs, making them rattle and shake from the rapid pace, opposed to Harry’s and y/n calm walk.

“Oh, Harry…” taunted a second voice, this one jovial and not as deep as Harry’s, with a european accent, but more on the hippie side.  “You know the rules man, if Cal-”

“Don’t you dare say his name!” Harry’s roaring at this point, completely enraged and then another set of stomps catched up the ones that were coming up the stairs. Y/n was listening to this interaction, and slowly inching closer and closer to the headboard with her knees pulled tight into her chest, toes the only thing peeking out from underneath the pillow she clutched. 

“Let’s see whoo you’ve got-”     “Walk AWAY, Zayn!” 

“Pent up all alone-” Then a heavy thudding noise accompanied with a disgruntled ‘nugh’ and a distinct noise of a body rolling down the stairs. The second voice is silent, and Harry is breathing wetly, as if there were strings of saliva between his tongue and lips and drooling down his lips like a dog’s agitated maw. He murmurs a broke ‘fuck” and the steady rhythm of feet up the steps continues. 

“Baby? Baby? Y/n,” Harry steps through the door, shoulders heaving up and down radically, nostrils flared, and just like she’d imagined, strands of spit connecting the side of his lips that were pulled back to reveal nearly each and every one of his teeth. Blame it on the dim like, sure whatever, but in that moment, his unusually sharp incisors extending at least an inch from the gums like the infamous folklore being of the undead. He tilted his head away from the light with crazed eyes, searching for y/n in the sparsely lit room. 

She sat up a little, Harry’s wide eyes immediately snapping to hers and his body jumps to action. Faster than she could blink, he appeared next to her and picked her up, his shirt bunching up to her stomach, exposing the little white bow on the band of her underwear, and Harry’s still-hard member twitches in his underwear. His biceps straining and stomach muscles clenching as he picks her up from the bed, the pillow still in her arms.

“Y/n, honey, we need to go,” Harry rushes out, breathlessly. “We need to leave, c’mon, let’s-lets get you home.” And he takes her out of the room in his arms, y/n looking at him still muddled in the state of pending euphoria. 

“What- What’s going on?...” That’s when she saw the body. Slumped on the stairs was amale’s figure, lying on his front with his head tilted to the side so y/n could see that he had a bloody nose and blood trailing down from his a cut on his thick eyebrows, coating his thick lashes and onto his exotic lips. “Harry!” she gasped. “ What?..” 

“It’s alright, angel. Don’t worry about that.” Harry turned her away from him, but she managed to twist her head to look over his shoulder at the slumped body that was getting smaller and smaller as Harry bent to pick her things up from next to the door, and walked out. “Just a prick that doesn’t know how to mind his own business. He’ll be awake soon and he’s not here for tea,” Before she knew it, Harry was carrying her out the door and rounding the corner of the house. The cold breeze hits y/n legs and the sides of her arms, and she could only imagine what Harry , who was only in his underwear, was feeling. 

She didn’t have time to admire the scenery of his home, because she was put in the passenger seat of an all black car with dark tinted windows parked behind the cottage. 

“Put the belt on love,” Hands unnecessary thumbed at her thighs, eyes searching hers for… for… for what? Heart shaped lips gaped open and closed like a guppy fish, trying to tell her something but not being able to find the words.

“Harry, is everything alright?” She asked, still clutching the pillow to her chest. Her kept flicking from Harry’s still pink mouth, and his frantic eyes that seemed almost.. scared. He was scared. 

He hesitated a bit before responding. Opening and closing his mouth once more before nodding and murmuring, “Yes, angel. Everything’s fine.” and he smiled sadly at her, lips curling inwards.

He closed her door, and curved around the front of the car, placing a ringed hand on the hood of the car; the same hand who rings, just a few moments ago, had sent cold shivers to her hot clit. The thought brought warmth to her cheeks, and she buried her nose into the pillow to avoid staring at Harry while he hurriedly put on a pair of dark green tattersall pants and dragged a zipper over his hard male heat. 

The car purred to life,and Harry crushed gravel underneath the car's tires and he quickly pulled out of the driveway. Speed pushed y/n into her seat, and Harry looked over at her like she’d forgotten she was there, he blinked at her, and then turned his attention back to the oddly straight road. One hand on the wheel, and the other, pensively running a forefinger back and forth his bottom lip. 

Harry was out of his mind with worry. Worry over why the fuck Zayn was at his house. Over what would happen when he returned. Worry over what he would say to y/n when he left her at her doorstep and never saw her again. And worry over what in the hell he was going to do with himself because he was sure that by now, the head of his dick was an angry purple, and it hurt like a-

“Harry?” The sweet voice he learned to treasure over such a very short time, called to him. “What happened back there? Is this like, I dunno, a mafia thing? He’s the money collector, and that’s why you had to leave? Or was he-”

Her wild imagination humored him, and he gave her the smallest of smiles, a faint smile like the one he’d given her that time at the diner. “No, darling. M’not a bad guy. I promise.”     “Yeah, that exactly the kind of thing a bad guy would say.” she scoffed, turning her attention to the passing scenery. 

“‘Think that if i wanted to something t’you, ‘would’ve that time at the diner, don’t you think?”  She’s quiet. Doesn’t say anything to Harry’s response. Doesn’t do anything , at all. Like she didn’t hear him.

“Why did you leave?” She’s still looking out the window when she talks, so her voice is muffled. “That night at the diner. You left so quickly, I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.” 

Now Harry acts like he didn’t hear her. 

“Hmm?” She hums expectantly, suddenly turning to face him. She knew she was prodding, but she longed to hear any kind of explanation. 

“Had something t’do,” He’s voice was quiet, almost at a whisper, and his slowed words muddled together even more in his british drawl. 

“At 3 in the morning?” Y/n squeaks, her tone going high enough that it cracks. 

“No, at 6 actually. And it’s a three hour drive to where I was goin.’”

Her heart was pounding; blood roaring in her ears. She couldn’t tell if he was lying or not. But did it matter? All she wanted was any kind of explanation, and she’d gotten it. So, she slumped defeatedly back in her seat, deflated that Harry hadn’t tried to apologize for his inconvenient timing; didn’t offer any kind of expansion on his explaining. 

Y/n spent the rest of the ride scowling; glaring at the passing trees. Angry for letting herself get caught up in this situation, for not questioning anything earlier. But how could she? There was something about Harry that reeled her in like a fish to a worm on a hook. Hooked. She was hooked on him. Couldn’t get enough of him. She figured that he was the burning light mosquitoes were attracted to, and she was the stupid bloodsucking bug. And she was bound to get burnt. Maybe this was a sign, that the next he popped up unannounced, she was to run and yell bloody murder. Because even though she was just about to let him take her a million ways and one, it wouldn’t ever be. It was completely illogical; crazy, in fact, because she had just met this guy once before. 

But it all felt so familiar with him. That’s why she didn’t hesitate to do anything. It felt like maybe, if the concept is true, she’d known him in a past life. Because his touch didn’t feel like just a superficial human tissue to tissue contact… no, it felt like it was his way of communicating all the things he couldn’t say out loud because he was scared to. 

His grip on her thighs wasn’t just an ‘i want you’ it was a ‘please stay, and let me show you how much i need you’. His featherlight touch to her cheeks was his was of saying i don’t want to ever hurt you. His lips told her this is how you make me feel. 

And y/n… adored his attention. His stern lingering gazes. Call her easy, but this man was a god and he was looking at her. How could she say no to that? Not when dickheads like Alex were throwing ice cold water at her on a breezy October night. Not when she was all alone in a makeshift paradise and so drunk out of her mind she imagined him glowing. 

“We’re in the city, darling. I need y’to tell m’where y’live.” Harry’s murmur was just barely louder than the engine smoot rev. 

“On Yves and Smith. Laymane’s Apartment Complex.” 

Harry didn’t take that long because he was already on Yves Street, and they were a block away from Smith. He pulled to a stop in front of the the red-brick building, and reached behind her chair to pull out her basket, that had everything arranged neatly inside. When did he even have the time to do that?

“Thank you,” She said, looking past Harry, at the apartment’s front steps like she was dreading stepping through the door. Which she was, she knew that once she got out of the car, she’d never see him again. Harry watched her, taking everything in, and imagining what could have been. “You wanna come in?” Immediately, she knew it was a bad idea because her roommate is nosy, and she’d make them both uncomfortable. 

But Harry shook his head, and with pinched eyebrows, he said “No, I’ve got a problem to tend to.” He looked away from her then, clenching his jaw so hard the side of his face contorted. 

“Right,” She went to remove her buckle, and paused slightly before she clicked the red ‘push’ button. Y/n placed the pillow that was no underneath her basket, in the backseat, and she opened the door. Turning back to look at him once more, was when Harry leaned across the console, took her face in both of his hands and gave her the softest kiss yet. Even that, stirred the heat that had not yet quelled. 

“Goodbye, angel.” Touching his forehead against hers once, and kissing her nose, her cheeks, her eyelids, Harry’s heart began to burn. It took his breath away, and he turned away from y/n and towards her apartment to bite on his knuckle and squeeze his eyes shut. It felt as if someone was driving a red hot stake into his heart, twisting it as it drove into his chest. What the?...

“Bye, Harry.” His chest flared with heat at hearing her honey lips murmur his name for the last time. Then it all stopped the moment she closed the door of his BMW.

Harry stayed a few moments longer, to watch her legs as she curved the hood of his car, and climb up the steps. Her- his shirt rode up in the subtle wind, and flashes of her butt winked at him cheekily. She wasn’t even trying and Harry still found her attractive. He had to refrain from stepping out of the car and holding his shirt down for her all the way up till she was inside her home. 

Y/n realized, when she was unlocking her door, that she hadn’t thanked him for paying for her strawberry milkshake.

“C’mon y/n! What’s the worst that could happen?” nagged her roommate, Megan, who held a glimmering golden dress to the length of her body, twisting and turning in front of the mirror. 

“Oh, please don’t try and get in my head right now,” y/n begged. “I barely have room for myself in here.” 

It was 6 pm on New Year’s Eve, and they’d both been sent an open invite to their mutual friend Adam’s houseparty. Y/n wanted to stay in and spend the night with her new romance novel and a heavy heating blanket but, Megan was dragging her to the party because she claimed that all y/n ever did these days was go to school and come home. She was lying on her roommates bed with her chin on her palm, when Megan set the dress on her bed, and began to drag y/n by her ankles.

“Then let’s get some of you out of your head and out of this apartment. Y/n you need this.” Megan stopped pulling, and turned her over to shake her by the shoulders. “If you go to this party,” Her eyebrows wiggled like a walking caterpillar, “I’ll do our laundry for a month and buy that ice cream from the asian market you like so much.” 

“HA! If you washed my clothes, all my whites would end up colored,” Y/n poked her tongue out at her roommate, and let her push her into her room. 

“You got anything good in here?” Megan opened the mirror door to y/n’s closet, and started going through every hanger. “Or am I gonna have to let you borrow- Holy shit y/n! When did you get this?” 

Megan holds up the fine piece of silk y/n had shoved into the very back of her closet. Harry’s white shirt.  

After going weeks without seeing or hearing from him, y/n kept the shirt, and hid the painful reminder that she had spent one intoxicating night with the most attractive man she’d ever met. She thought about him every minute of everyday, and ever dream of every sleep she ever takes. Heck, her heart burns and yearns for him so badly it physically hurts. Like she was being lit aflames from the inside; red hot fire licking every artery, every vein. Sometimes it got so bad she doubled over in pain, retching breathlessly. 

She tried to forget about him, but he was everywhere. In the pie that Megan brought home a week after y/n didn’t get her promised pie. In the cross at the altar at church every sunday. In the cups of hot chocolate she had to stop drinking because they reminded her so much of his hair. In her fucking toothpaste for christ’s sake. And in that stupid shirt that she slept with for the first week because it smelled like him. Cinnamon and vanilla and something earthy that was just him. 

“This is GUCCI Y/N!” Megan squealed, shoving the fabric in y/n’s face,and when she tries to take it back, Megan pulls away from her. 

“Give it to me,” Y/n said, getting off her bed and chasing Megan, who ran to the other side of the room.     “No, if you want this back,” her friend wiggled her eyebrows again. “Come to the party with me.”

Without hesitation, y/n agreed because that shirt was the last she had to prove that her enchanted night wasn’t all a dream. “Okay, okay. I’ll go. Now give it back,” 

“Nuh-uh” Megan ran into her room across the hall from y/n, and locked the door before she could get inside to chase after. She begins to panic, hoping that Megan isn’t doing anything stupipd with one of her most prized possessions.

“Megan, that shirt means a lot to me. Please be-” She has a hand raised to start banging on the door, but Her roommate opens the door with a big smile.

“Don’t worry babe, just using it as insurance,” She pats y/n’s shoulder and walks back into her room. “Now let’s get you ready.”

 It was 10pm when they arrived at the house, which actually turned out to be the entire top floor of a really nice apartment building downtown. Adam had decorated the place himself, and you could tell by the bean bags, lazy boy chairs , and plaid couch that were strewn everywhere. A long table in the center of the room was set up with plates and utensils at every chair, wine bottles and glasses lines up in a straight row all the way down the table. There seemed to be one bottle for every person, and more by the amounts that were set in the table at the entrance. A calm yellow glow of mood light from strips of fairy lights surrounding the room was an odd combination with the awfully loud guests, some already clearly piss drunk. 

Upon arrival, y/n had been immediately separated from  Megan, who was gone before y/n could turn and mutter something sarcastic about the party into her ear. Adam had greeted her quickly at the entrance, giving her a bottle of 5% strawberry cider complete with a pastel pink ribbon at the neck. The gangly, freshly 21 year old, looked frazzled, turning his head this way and that every time his name was called because last minute decorations were still going up at the photobooth section. 

“So glad you could make it,” Adam distractedly pressed a kiss to her cheek while he hugged her, yelling to someone about how ‘the only kid in the room was Charlie at he was 16 so if you don’t play some real fucking music-’

“Yeah, me too,” Y/n said quietly, almost to herself because Adam had walked away to snatch the bluetooth speaker from the guy with lousy taste. Seconds later, a trendy hip-hop song blared throughout the entire floor. 

Desperately, y/n searched the place for someone, anyone, she may have recognized at the stupid party. If I had just been able to stay home… she puffed her cheeks, and blew air out from her lips wistfully, the cold bottle of cider helping the dread weigh her down.  

She figured she’d take the bottle of strawberry bubbly, and go up the stairs she’d spotted in the corner of the room. The quick but seemingly endless walk that required her to walk in front of the heavily populated lounge areas, and the section of the room where a golden curtain and sparkly 2019 glasses were being passed around, brought rosy tint to her cheeks. Even though she knew that no one was lookinng at her, and once she passed the door to go up the steps, no one would even miss her, she was still embarrassed to be potentially seen walking by herself, dressed in a lousy last minute mint green slip dress (the same dress that reminded her of Harry’s eyes), at a New Year’s Eve party meant to congregate with others; to celebrate another year. And while that’s usually something she was good at, getting piss drunk with others at holiday parties, this was the one year that she was dreadfully sad. A shadow of loneliness loomed over her shoulder wherever she went, reminding her that she was painfully alone. She could’ve been surrounded by people, laughing with others, or even making out with a guy a year younger the back of her Human Interactions class, but that same damned black hole would still be at the pit of her stomach, draining away any sort of ‘happy’ that she managed to get. 

The poor girl was miserable. And up on that rooftop that overlooked that nightlife of the city, while she unwrapped the pink foil on the bottle of champagne all alone on New Year’s Eve, it all accumulated like a rolling snowball, and hit her like a truck. Barreling towards her at full force, and she had no way to escape from her sorrow. It really felt like she was all alone in the world; that everyone avoided her like she was the plague even though it was the other way around (she the one who boarded up her house). 

She sipped away at her problems, and they collected on her tongue with the taste of fermented strawberries. Her “problems” fizzled in her tongue and down her throat, bitterly sizzling and air bubbles popping in her esophagus. 

Maybe it was the cider that caused an acid reaction, and initiated the burning that crawled all the way to the center of her heart. But y/n knew better. She knew these came regularly, and stronger when she missed him. And when they came and she remembered, the pain only increased, almost suffocating her. This was one of those times, where she remembered him, his eyes popping into her mind, and she grabbed the railing because it hit her so hard she almost fell over. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” with one hand, she held the rail that overlooked the city, and with the other, she clutched the bottle to her chest; kneading with earnest, trying her hardest to dissolve the knot of fire that has developed in her heart. 

“You alright there, babe?” Red sneakers appear in y/n’s line of view, and the guy who they belong to crouches down in front of her and titles his head at her. He’s got blue eyes and soft looking caramel hair swept to the side. His lips are a little on the thin side, adorned by scruff on his jaw. “Want me to get you anythin’?” He’s got an accent faster and chirpier that Harry’s, y/n thought. Big mistake. 

She falls completely to the floor, vision almost going black because she wasn’t getting any oxygen. Y/n’s body started to convulse, her back arching and hands wildly pulling at the collar of her dress.  They had never been this bad. 

“It burns,” She was yelling now, gasping for air with eyes so wide it looked like they were going to pop. 

“Shit, fuck, uh…” whispered the blue-eyed boy. “I’m going to get cold water,” he was talking aloud to himself, because y/n was unaware of everything going on. The only thing she knew was the pain in her chest. 

When the blue-eyed boy disappeared down the stairs, another ,more malicious voice is audible, this one reaching y/n’s struggling ears because this voice she knew. This voice she had heard somewhere before. “Finally, ‘thought the chap would neva leave.” An arabian nose and thick eyebrows make their way into her line of rapidly fading view. 

It was him. It was the guy at Harry’s house, the one knocked out on the stairs and he was picking her up.  He was carrying her somewhere, whistling as he does so. By now, the pain has lessened, and y/n is more alert than before, her head hung limp on this man’s shoulder, who smelled like the old spice her middle school boyfriend used. 

“What’s happening?” She said groggily, going to rub her eye, but poking herself with the open bottle of champagne that she was still holding on to; some of it has slipped down her green dress. 

“Ah, you’re awake,” the man looks at her, and then y/n remembers his name. Zayn, I’m not going to ask you again, get the fuck out of my house! Zayn. “Good, good. We’re gonna have some fun. Well, I’m going to have some fun.”

Y/n tried to push herself off and away from him by shoving his chest, but her efforts were to no avail, he didn’t even budge; like he was made of stone. 

“Let me go, Zayn!” She huffed.

“So you do remember.” He laughed, a deep resonating cackle. They were heading down the stairs, but instead of going towards where everyone else was, Zayn made a left turn down a dark alley. The darker it got, the more y/n could see that his eyes…. His eyes shined red like a lighthouse. An otherworldly aura about him, that shook y/n to the core. This man, well to put it simply, she knew, a tug in the pit of her stomach, wasn’t human. And when he suddenly stopped and bent his head to sniff at her throat, the sound of a knife taken out of his sheath evaded y/n’s ears, and she knew that Harry wasn’t human either. 

 She knew why Harry knocked Zayn out, when he  sunk his teeth into her  with a low ‘you smell delicious’. A pinch, like thick needles sliding into her skin, caused her to drop the bottle of champagne onto the floor. 

Y/n tried, she really did, to push Zayn away. But he had positioned her so she was standing, and his forgein strength tied her to his body with a single arm, and the other held her head in such a way that made it each for hm to lick and bite. The girl was stuck in a permanent state of ‘deer in the headlights' shock, frozen on the outside but writing frantically on the inside. Why couldn’t she move? MOVE Y/N! 

A tingling sensation spread all from her toes to the top of her head, a honey daze of warmth that made her slump in Zayn’s arms. Oh she liked this, the soft stage of your feet going numb is what she was feeling. Vibrations, waves, currents-

“Zayn, I fucking warned you,” Harry.  Holy shit whatever this was, she hoped it kept going because she swears- “You’re going to wish you died the first time,” 

It was Harry. Harry standing not even two feet away, green eyes glowing like headlights; beams. Harry has the same expression on his face as when Jordan Belfort yelled ‘MY KILLAHS!’ to all his employees.  A crazed snarl, and he was lunging at them like those wild cat documentaries shots, where the mountain lion is jumping in slow motion for the poor and soon to be dead deer. He pounced on the side of Zayn’s body farthest from y/n, yanking Zayn’s head back by the hair on the nape of his neck to pry him away from her neck. She gasped wetly mewling and gazing at Harry with a ‘not quite here’ look in her eye. Harry wrapped an arm around y/n’s waist, hoisting her over his shoulder and out of Zayn’s hold like a sleeve. 

“Haaarryy!”  she slurred, slinging her arms around Harry’s neck, while he held Zayn up against the wall in a chokehold. “Missed y-you,” y/n’s hiccuping, as if she had drank the entire bottle of cider that had crashed onto the floor. “Not now, y/n.” Harry looked into her eyes sternly, threatening her to even try  and disobey him. “Go back to the party, I’ll be out in a bit.” He was shunning her, chastising her like she’d been a bad child. In her spurious state of inebriation, y/n pouted and huffed, even stomped a little, but listened to Harry nonetheless and skipped towards the bright light of the party. 

The blue-eyed man, who was actually short (her height actually) walked past her without a second glance, head directed straight on with a purpose. Y/n, adopting a la la la  attitude, simply shrugged and went back into the remarkably loud  party, and sat down at the head of the still empty table, and poured wine for herself with the bottle that was on the table. 

“Y/n?” Megan appeared next to her, gasping and squealing obnoxiously. “Y/n! You little slut, that is a mean,” hiccup, “h-hickey.” Megan took the sit next to y/n, and snatched the bottle away from her, slurping straight from the mouth ungraciously. 

“Y-you,” hiccup, “left m-me.” Y/n pointed a finger at Megan, her voice small but accusing. 

“I-it’s” hiccup, “only b-because, Conrad said that h-he,” hiccup, “would show me a good time. B-but, it t-turns out that all he,” hiccup, “wanted was a bl-blowjob.” 

“Who’s,” hiccup, “the s-slut now?” Y/n giggled, twisting her neck in a way that showed off the large purple splotch, and stretched the sore skin in a manner that caused her to whimper an ‘ouch’.

“Neither of you,” interrupts a deep voice that causes them to look up and see Harry standing with the same expression y/n had seen on him when she saw him at the diner. Furrowed eyebrows, clenched jaw, cold eyes and a glimmer of something in them. “It’s not nice to insult each other the way you’re doing.” He looked at y/n while he spoke, gazing at her so intensely, she wiggled in the cushioned seat. 

“She started it,” Y/n whined.

“Well look at her n-neck!” Megan leaned onto the table, and began to mutter something else, but fell face first onto the plate and started snoring. 

“Why don’t we get something on tha’, hmm?” Harry picked y/n up by the waist, and left his arm hooked on her waist while he looked for the restroom. 

“Where’s Zayn?” asked y/n, stumbling on her feet giddily, staring at everything she passed, the vase on the stand, the couples making out, the generic picture frames, the couples making out. 

“Tha’s none of y’concern,” He turned into the restroom, and sat her down on the toilet seat. Closing the door for privacy, he took her hands into his face and quietly watched her for a moment.

“You know Harry?” A dopey smile spread across her lips, eyelids drooping halfway closed. “I know what you are.” 

“Do you, angel?” Harry’s thumbed caressed the soft skin underneath her eye, a movement of instinct that he didn’t even have to think about doing because it happened on its own. 

“Like it when you c-call me that.” Y/n whimpered, and turned her face into Harry’s hand like a kitten looking for more pets. 

“Tell me what I am.” Harry said tenderly, encouraging her to answer by guiding her face to his. “Tell me what I am, angel.”

“V-vampire.” She blurted, “You’re a vampire. Why didn’t you tell me you’re a vampire?” 

“I thought it would be better that way, darling.”  

“Better? Feeling my heart burn isn’t better.” She pouted. 

“What did you say?” Harry’s demeanor perked up like a dog who’d been asked if he wanted to go outside. His eyes looking from her right to left one, searching for an answer. 

“I SAID… I said my heart burns.” Y/n was slightly irritated that Harry had asked her to repeat herself. Because hadn’t it been perfectly clear what she’d said? And why was she so tired? 

“Your heart burns?” He asked, trying desperately to keep her awake, because he has felt the same exact burning in his heart during the time she was away from her. In fact, he’d gone through a spasm just moments before he arrived on the rooftop to send Zayn to hell. 

“Yeah,” hiccup, “That’s what I said.” She nodded pitifully, lips curving upwards. 

“My heart… burned, too.” 

“You missed me?” Y/n said excitedly, her heart beating faster at the thought that Harry may’ve missed her to. “Because it hurt whenever I missed you.” 

“Baby, I missed you, so much.” And Harry kisses her. He leans in to close the gap between them, smashing his lips against hers with all the emotion that had pent up within him throughout the past weeks. 

“I’m so mad at you.” Y/n says when they break apart, “Why didn’t you tell me?” Her eyes were shining with unshed tears, the same tears that spilled on her pillow the nights after Harry said goodbye to her. 

“I almost did. That time at the diner, I left before the sunrise so that you didn’t see my skin glow. And that time in the field, it wasn’t the champagne. I drank it before you woke up. And then at my house? I almost sunk my teeth into you, just like Zayn did. And when he came in, he came in ready to drain you because he finds you just as delicious as I do. I thought you’d be safe if I never say you again after I left you at your doorstep, but I was so stupid for that.” He says, pressing his forehead against hers, and mawkishly rubbing his nose senselessly against hers. 

“...Would’ve liked it better if you bit me.”

Harry inhales, in disbelief that after all he had said, this is what she came up with as a response. “Oh, don’t say those kinds of things to me, baby. You don’t know who’s cage you’re rattling.” At her whiny and desperate words, his dick twitched with a sudden surge of heat, hardening rapidly at y/n’s words.

“Wanna rattle your cage always, Harry.” She placed her forehead on his chest, rubbing her lips on his collar bones back and forth a few times. “Please don’t leave me ever again. Think I’ll die if you do.” She yawned, and fell slack against Harry’s chest. 

And Harry? Harry stood in the restroom of a college student’s New Year’s Eve party, cock hard in his pants, completely bewildered that y/n had murmured those words to him. But, he hugged her to his chest and said, “I’ll never leave you again, my sweet little angel.” And he wouldn’t. Because after putting off staying with her, and seeing what the results were, he’d never leave her side again.

STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO!

much love, -abigail

[tinydooms]

I really love all the detail & research you put into your Mummy fics, the dedication you have really pays off! If you don't mind answering, I have a couple questions about your process. First, I noticed the timeline of your fics is shifted so the events of canon take place in 1922 and not 1926. What led you to this decision? Second, how do you research travel times in this era? I have some ideas for stories as well but I feel lost trying to figure this out realistically. Keep up the great work!

Thank you!! Ask away, I love talking the mechanics of writing. 

I changed the timeline from 1926 to 1922 for reasons both practical and selfish. Practical: the second film takes place in 1933 and there is no way for a couple who met/got together in 1926 to have an 8 year old child. And yet that is canonically how old Alex is in The Mummy Returns. So 1926 doesn’t work on that front and it needed to be pushed back a bit. I also disliked the concept of Evie immediately becoming pregnant and so in my ‘verse she and Rick are together for a few years before Alex comes along. 

Now for the selfish (selfish?) reason: if the events of the story take place in 1926, Rick and Jonathan are just a bit too young to have served in WW1 and I very much wanted to explore that as a characterization for the both of them. I based Rick and Jonathan’s ages off of the actor’s ages; John Hannah was 30 and Brendan Fraser 28 when they filmed The Mummy, so if they were the same age in 1926, Jon would’ve been born in 1896 and Rick in 1898, which would have made them 18 and 16 in 1914, respectively. It doesn’t work for them being active servicemen; they were just a bit too young and couldn’t be at the battles I wanted them to be at. So I changed the timeline. 

Also, the discovery of King Tut’s tomb was in November of 1922 and there’s a throwaway line in “The Lovers” (not yet posted) that alludes to this. 

Selfish and practical. 

As for your second question, to research travel times in the first part of the 20th century, I turn to literature, both of the time and as historical fiction. Namely, I’ve looked at Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie, both of whom use travel in their books and comment on the length of time spent on trains and ocean liners. I’ve also drawn on Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell novels, which play a lot with international travel, and Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody adventures, which take place in Egypt between 1882 and the early 1920s and which include frequent mentions of how long it takes to get from Point A to Point B. There are also ways to find contemporary train time tables online, and I will admit to a certain fascination with the Golden Age of Travel that takes place between World Wars and have looked up a couple of books on it from the library. All of these provide information. 

Also, when in doubt, you can get an idea of how long it would take to get from Point A to Point B on foot using Google Maps. Then fudge the details a bit if your characters are on camelback. 

Basically, I do a lot of research. When you’re writing anything, research is your friend. It probably won’t surprise you even a little bit that I used to be a Humanities teacher and taught a twice-semesterly Research Methods module wherein I made my students research a topic to death. It was fun. :-)

THAT SAID: If you have story ideas that you are excited about and want to write, write them and don’t sweat the details. Half the time you can fudge the small stuff. “A two week ocean voyage” is plenty of information; we don’t need “it was exactly 11 days from Paris to Egypt” unless that 11 days is essential to the plot. And if you don’t know at first, write it anyway, then go back and look up the details. Don’t let the fact that you don’t know everything stop you from telling the story you want to tell. 

[nxsmss]

Movies I watched in February

fyi, I have zero knowledge on how to professionally rate or review a movie. I am not gonna pay attention to every little detail. these rating are simply based on how much I enjoyed/liked the movie

Follow me

Unhinged

In Time

Avengers Age of Ultron

Songbird

Star Trek

Step up all in

Project Almanac

Ant Man

Space Sweepers

Christiane F.

Jurassic World

Jurassic World the fallen kingdom

1. follow me

A social media personality travels with his friends to Moskow to capture new content for his successful vlog. Always pushing the limits and catering to a growing audience, they enter a cold world of mystery, excess, and danger. 

starring: Keegan Allen, Holland Roden, Denzel Whitaker, Ronen Rubenstein, Pasha D. Lchnikoff

the end was very predictable and i pretty much already knew halfway through the movie what was gonna happen. but it still was quite thrilling and I did enjoy watching it

6.5/10

2. unhinged

After a confrontation with an unstable man at an intersection, a woman becomes becomes the target of his rage. 

starring: Russel Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Gabriel Batemen

hm idk, I didn’t really like it, my sister didn’t really like it but my mom did, I think. it just seemed so, no overdramatic but just too much in a way

3/10

3. in time

In a future where people stop aging after 25 and need to buy time to live, the rich become immortal while others cease to exist. So, Will is on the run with a hostage in a desperate bid to survive. 

starring: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, Olivia Wilde, Alex Pettyfer

yes, such a good movie. Ireally like the concept. can recommend

7/10

4. avengers age of ultron

When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it’s up to Earth’s mightiest heroes to stop the villanious Ultron from enacting his terrible plan. 

starring: Robert Downy Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johanson, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Paul Bettany

hell yes, one of my favourite marvel movies. Wanda and Pietro.. Hawkeye.. all the little jokes throughout the entire movie and of course the scene where everyone tries to lift thor’s hammer, what’s not to love about this movie

10/10

5. songbird

In 2024 a pandemic ravages the world and it’s cities. Centering a handful of people as they naviagete the obstacles currently hindering society: disease, marital law, quarantine, and vigilantes. 

starring: K.J. Apa, Sofia Carson, Demi Moore, Bradley Whitford, Peter Stromare, Alexandra Daddario, Craig Robinson

I really enjoyed watching this. yeah sure, the ending was obvious but I was still glued to the screen. I also felt super weird watching this, kinda surreal because we are basically living a more harmless version of this rn. I really liked seeing sofia carson in such a movie, I’ve only seen her in the descendants so this was a bit of a change haha. I’m not that big of a fan of kj but he was great as well and i really loved his characters style.

7/10

6. star trek

The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father’s legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time. 

starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Carl Urban, Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood, Zoe Zaldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin

I put it on because I wanted to have some background noise while playing sims but I ended up playing like 20 minutes and then just watching the movie haha I forgot how good it was, and the others as well, aaand I totally forgot carl urban was in it, so that was a little surprise. anyways, can recommend watching them if you’re into sci-fi action movies but at the same time, if you’re into that I’m pretty sure you’ve already watched them.

7.5/10

bonus: I also watched star trek beyond the other day but this time I was barely paying attention so I can't really say too much, but it's also quite good👍🏻

7. step up all in

All-stars from the previous Step up installments come together in glittering Las Vegas, battling for a victory that could define their dreams and their careers.

starring: Ryan Guzman, Briana Evigan, Adam Sevani, Misha Gabriel Hamilton, Sephen Stevo Jones, David Schreibman, Mari Koda, Alyson Stoner, Izabella Miko

definetly one of my favourite dance movies. highly recommend it!! I’d like it more without the romancde but it’s fine, I guess, I can live with it haha and the last performance... wow just wow that’s all I can say to that. y’all go watch it

9/10

8. project almanac

A group of teens discover secret plans of a time machine, and construct one. However, things start to get out of control.

starring: Jonny Weston, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Sam Lerner, Allen Evangelista, Virginia Gardner

okay... I did enjoy watching it! the beginning was a little slow imo but then it just got more and more intense which was kinda nice. god, at some point the main guy kept making the wrong decisions and that was very frustrating to watch. the ending was alright, spoiler ahead (I guess) I would have liked the ending more if it was the exact same as the beginning, meaning that the movie is just one big time loop and the events from the movie were about to repeat themselves. but that's just my opinion🤷🏻‍♀️

6.5/10

9. ant man

Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his Mentor Dr. Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Michael Pena, Bobby Cannavale, David Dastmalchian, T.I.

another one of my favorite mcu movies. it's just fun and easy and doesn't have a lot of pain in it. the giant ant it's my favorite part haha I want it as a pet

9/10

10. space sweepers

Set in the year 2092 and follows the crew of a space junk collector ship called The Victory. When they discover a humanoid robot named Dorothy that's known to be a weapon of mass destruction, they get involved in a risky business deal.

starring: Song Joong-Kim, Kim Tae-ri, Seon-kyu Jin, Hyang-gi Kim, Richard Armitage, Ye-Rin Park

I really loved this movie. I cried like 6 times haha, which came unexpected. (or maybe it's because I'm suppose to get my period any day now) I did not think I was going to enjoy this movie as much as I did, at all. it was fun, it was exciting, it was sad (even my dad said that) the plot was good, the visual effects were amazing, it did feel like I was watching this movie for like 5 hours but not in a bad way and I am now kinda emotionally attached to the characters haha (I might do a rewatch). another thing I really liked was the language/synchronization. in the original version they speak mostly korean and english but also some other languages and it's the same in the synchronizations. the dialogue of the main characters is in the language you pick but every other character (I guess) is a different language and I absolutely love that. I highly recommend watching this!!

also, its was super weird seeing Richard Armitage not as a dwarf hahaha

10/10

11. christiane f.

A teen girl in 1970's Berlin becomes addicted to heroin. Everything in her life slowly begins to distort and disappear as she befriends a small crew of junkies and falls in love with a drug-abusing male prostitute.

starring: Natja Brunckhorst, Thomas Haustein, Jens Kuphal, Christiane Reichelt

I binged the series the other day and after the last episode this movie was in the "watch next" thingy idk and I thought "well, why not" and watched it. good movie, definitely!! I really liked that they didn't show the highs of doing heroin but focused on the negative effects it has on someone and what it's doing to your body. it is a super realistic but very very dark movie. the actors were all about 15/16 years old and looked very young which was a good and kinda disturbing thing because christiane and her friend were like 13/14 when that all happened and it made you realise that there were kids doing all that stuff

9/10

12. jurrasic world

A new theme park, built on the original site of Jurassic Park, creates a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur, the Indominus Rex, which escapes containment and goes on a killing spree.

starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty simpkins, Nick Robinson, Irrfan Khan, Vincent D'Onofrio

13. jurassic world fallen kingdom

When the island's dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.

starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Isabella Sermon

I am tired and don't really want to say all that much other than both of them are very good and I do like them. good action/adventure movies. can definitely recommend them. I definitely like the first one more because it feels like (just a little bit) that the main story in the second one is the same as in the first one, someone creates a new dinosaur species to make more money and something goes terribly wrong along the way. but it's still entertaining!

jurassic wolrd: 7.5/10

jurassic world fallen kingdom: 7/10

[rachelkaser]

Stay Golden Sunday: That Was No Lady

Dorothy dates a married man and struggles with her conscience. Blanche tries to sell Rose her car.

Picture It...

Blanche interrupts Rose and Sophia’s game of Trivial Pursuit to say she’s buying a new car. She can afford it if she can sell her old car -- and, as Sophia points out, Rose needs a car. Blanche is initially resistant, as she doesn’t like the idea of selling to a friend. But she does come around to the idea and offers it to Rose. Rose initially says the car isn’t her type, but Blanche offers to let her have it on a trial basis for two weeks, and Rose accepts.

ROSE: What the heck? You only live once. Might as well be daring! SOPHIA: Rose, it’s a used car. It’s not a seat on a space shuttle.

Dorothy, meanwhile, enters and effuses about her date with a gym teacher named Glen O’Brien. She’s very excited, though she doesn’t know him very well. Rose relates how she was hit with love at first sight for her future husband Charlie, when they were 7 and 8, respectively. He had a small insurance stand, and Rose bought a policy for her wagon. When it was promptly demolished by hogs offended by the smoked ham she was hauling, Charlie paid for a new one out of pocket. The other three Girls can only look on in bafflement.

Weeks later, Dorothy is with Glen in a hotel room. She’s floating on air with happiness, and Glen professes his love for her. Everything seems to be great -- maybe too great. Dorothy asks him to go away to the Bahamas, and Glen says he can’t do it. His whole demeanor changes, worrying Dorothy. He finally confesses the truth: He’s married. Dorothy is shocked and horrified, accusing Glen of lying to her. He tries to justify why he’s still married, but Dorothy doesn’t listen and storms out.

BLANCHE: Oh Rose, wake up and smell the coffee. An auto mechanic is the last person to take a car to. They only make money if they tell you there’s something wrong with it. ROSE: Oh that’s a good point! SOPHIA: . . . Boy I wish I had a car to sell.

Later, Rose complains to Blanche that her car is making funny noises, which Sophia says sounds like a bad sign. However, Blanche talks Rose out of going to a mechanic. Sophia is amazed at Rose’s naivete, and leaves the room. The phone rings, and Rose initially thinks it’s Glen and harshly tells him off -- but it turns out to be an official from the school district, offering Dorothy a teaching job.

Dorothy isn’t ready to go back to work, as she misses Glen. Rose and Blanche play angel and devil on her shoulders, respectively: Rose thinks she needs to stay away from Glen, as he’s married. Blanche, meanwhile, thinks Dorothy should seize happiness with him, even if it’s not in the most moral of ways. The phone rings again, and this time it is apparently Glen. Dorothy turns him down, to Rose’s approval. Rose and Blanche go into the kitchen, and Dorothy immediately calls Glen and asks to meet him.

ROSE: A motel, Dorothy? A cheap, tawdry, bare-bulb den of iniquity? DOROTHY: We didn’t drive to Sodom and Gomorrah, Rose.

Dorothy returns from her date in the middle of the night and instantly gets defensive when she encounters Rose. She confirms to a judgmental Rose that she and Glen went to a motel. Blanche finds them both in the kitchen, and they continue to argue about the morality of what Dorothy’s doing. Rose is still harsh in her judgement, and Dorothy says at least Blanche can relate. But Blanche can’t: She’s never been with a married man. Sophia enters, having overheard, and firmly tells Dorothy she should have more respect for herself than to be a side piece.

Later, Sophia is rocking out on the lanai to a censored song. Rose comes running in, frantic. Blanche also enters and confesses the truth about the car: It’s a piece of junk, and she was hoping to pawn it off on Rose for full price to pay for her new car. Rose says it doesn’t matter now: The car’s been stolen. When Sophia points out the insurance will reimburse Blanche the full price for the stolen car, Blanche is ecstatic. Dorothy enters and Sophia chastises her again. Dorothy begs her mother to leave her alone, as she’s happy, but Sophia doubts that, especially as Glen isn’t going to leave his wife.

ROSE: Blanche? Was the gist of what you were saying before that you intended to cheat me? BLANCHE: Cheat you? Rose, you just analyze everything to death!

Dorothy is in a motel room with Glen (the same motel room from the last time we saw Glen, strangely), and tells him they need to talk. She says she doesn’t want to be the Other Woman, and Glen isn’t willing to divorce his wife, so the relationship isn’t going to work. Glen continues to try and justify staying in his marriage, but Dorothy says he’s trying to have it both ways, and that’s not fair to her. She tells him she’ll hurt after this, but it’s the right thing to do, and walks out.

Dorothy returns home and tells Sophia, asking if her mother’s still angry. Sophia says she wasn’t angry, just concerned to see Dorothy in so much distress. Blanche and Rose return, and ask if Sophia and Dorothy want to go cruising in Blanche’s brand new car. Dorothy initially says she just wants to relax after the day she’s had, and the other Girls agree. After three seconds of silence in the kitchen, Dorothy’s had enough.

DOROTHY: Boy, this is DEPRESSING. Girls, let’s go cruising. BLANCHE: Hey, I know a place where guys wrestle naked in the mud!

“Another date with Mrs. O’Brien’s husband?”

Episodes that deal with the Girls struggling over moral issues are a thorny one, because Golden Girls can -- and does -- handle such quandaries well. This episode, however, isn’t a particularly engaging one. It’s not a total letdown, as it’s saved by the B-plot and Sophia being the voice of reason for everyone involved.

The whole quandary at the heart of the episode is basically, “Dorothy sees married man, tries to make it work, and then realizes it’s not worth it.” If you want to see a nuanced take on infidelity . . . I don’t know, watch The Women, or something, because that’s not what this is. It boils down to Dorothy realizing that the arrangement is too morally wrong for her, and that’s basically it.

DOROTHY: His name is Glen O’Brien. ROSE: Where’d you meet him? SOPHIA: His name is “O’Brien.” Two-to-one, she met him at a gin mill.

Dorothy realizing that Glen’s absolute refusal to leave the wife he claims to no longer love is incredibly unfair to her is a good moment, but the process it takes to get her there is plotted strangely: She insists, right up until the final moments of the episode, that she’s not going to stop seeing Glen and that she’s comfortable with doing the “wrong” thing for the sake of her own gratification, but then switches in those final moments. Sophia keeps insisting Dorothy’s morally conflicted about it, but she denies this right up until the end. It’s not that I don’t buy Dorothy’s internal conflict -- I just would have appreciated it if she herself acknowledged it at some point before the break-up.

Rose and Blanche representing the different moral stances on the matter is also a little unusual. While Rose is coming at it from the morally correct stance, the show makes her judgmental attitude unbearably smug, possibly to make it a little more understandable when Dorothy ignores her. It’s also strange that Blanche is so insistent that Dorothy continue the affair when she later admits she’s never had one herself and didn’t think a married man would be worth the effort -- oh, and it’s also a little mean that Dorothy and Rose just assume Blanche has at some point slept with a married man.

There’s one omission that’s so glaring by its absence that I can’t help but feel a scene or line was cut somewhere: You’d think that, at some point, Sophia would call Dorothy out on the fact that, as a victim of a cheating husband herself, she should be the last person to try to justify an extramarital affair. Even just a single mention of Stan’s name would have been a very effective way of Sophia getting her point across, but it doesn’t happen, and I don’t for the life of me know why.

SOPHIA: So you started up with your married man again. DOROTHY: How did you know? SOPHIA: I’m the Amazing Kreskin. I was listening at the door. DOROTHY: Oh Ma. SOPHIA: Oh, I can’t put my ear to the door, but you can put your--DOROTHY: Ma!

It’s a shame, because the hypocrisy is what makes Dorothy the perfect protagonist of this episode. Her very first spotlight episode was her tearing into her ex-husband for his blatant infidelity, and yet she’s doing everything she can to justify being the Other Woman, trying to find a way to reconcile her morality with her emotions. It would have made the ending, in which Dorothy realizes that she wants to be better than her ex-husband, mean so much more.

For the record, this episode doesn’t do Dorothy any favors by the way it characterizes Glen. Maybe the actor, Alex Rocco, just lacks the necessary charisma -- when this character comes back played by Jerry Orbach in a later episode, it’s much more obvious why Dorothy is attracted to him. Or maybe it’s just a matter of time constraints: Here the character gets maybe three lines of dialogue before he confesses and starts trying to justify himself, and I don’t know if even Jerry Orbach (or any actor, for that matter) had enough charisma to make that work.

Something about the way Glen is written is just... slimy. While he professes to love Dorothy, his dialogue is just littered with manipulative bullshit. When he first tells Dorothy the truth, she immediately gets mad at him for lying to her, and he says, “I couldn’t lie to you. That’s why I told you.” Dude, you did lie to her -- you dated her for three weeks before you told her you were married! Then, when Dorothy breaks up with him, he says, “Please think about what you’re throwing away,” implicitly making her the bad guy who’s ruining the relationship, when he’s the one who’s creating the problem by trying to have his cake and eat it too.

BLANCHE: What’ll you give me for it? ROSE: Oh I couldn’t buy your car. It’s not my type. I want a car that says, “Practical.” Your car says . . . “Available.” BLANCHE: Well just take off my personalized plates.

I do like the B-plot of the episode, because it does exactly what a B-plot needs to do in a serious-ish episode like this: It adds levity and makes the final scene after the painful break-up funny, so the episode ends on a light note. I mean, there’s no rhyme or reason to Blanche saying she knows a place where men wrestle naked in the mud, but goddamn do I need that laugh by that point.

This is also one of the better episodes when it comes to balancing all four Girls evenly across both plotlines. Blanche and Rose are equally preoccupied with the B-plot, while Dorothy gets the lion’s share of the A-plot. In previous episodes, when this has been the case, Sophia’s gotten short shrift, usually consigned to a handful of lines -- though usually, they’re all the best ones.

In this episode, however, Sophia’s the connective tissue that ties the two plots together, being the rational one to point out the problems with Blanche and Rose’s car loan, and also being the voice of Dorothy’s conscience. It’s also one of the first episodes that really makes use of Sophia as an older mother/mentor figure to the other Girls.

One thing to note is how this episode has been edited strategically for copyright reasons: In both the Hulu and Amazon versions of the episode, they’ve carefully cut around Sophia rocking out on air guitar to a particular song on the lanai, probably because neither company owns the rights to the song she’s singing along to. For the record, it’s “Purple Rain,” by Prince. Here’s what the scene looks like on the DVD release:

I really wish they hadn’t cut this part out of the episode, even if I understand the underlying copyright reasons, since it’s actually very appropriate. “Purple Rain” has lyrics about not wanting to be someone’s “weekend lover” and how the singer “could never steal you from another.” I know that’s not what Prince said the song was about, but with a strictly surface listen, it sounds very apropos to the episode’s story. Also, the part where Dorothy expresses her frustration with Sophia by twisting the volume knob all the way up and blowing out Sophia’s ears is pretty hilarious, not going to lie.

By the way, there’s also a weird subtitle censor in the Hulu version of this episode. Blanche in the opening scene quotes her great-grandfather as saying two things you never sell to a friend are a car and a slave -- “because if either one of them quits working, you’ll never hear the end of it.” Hulu changes that second word to “sleigh,” which I found amusing.

Episode rating: 🍰🍰🍰 (three cheesecake slices out of five)

Favorite Part of the Episode:

BLANCHE: Oh honey, you’ve been hit by the thunderbolt. Love at first sight! It happened to me once. SOPHIA: Once? You’ve been hit by more lightning than the World Trade Center. ROSE: I was hit by the thunderbolt once. SOPHIA: Probably a direct hit to the forehead.

[an-earp-in-national-city]

Supercorptober 2020

Day 12: Dress Up- I’m sure this was supposed to be interpreted as ‘fancy’ dressing up, buuut going a different route, because Halloween.

“So you’re really not going to tell me what you’re drsssing up as?” Kara asked, ducking under the punch this weeks alien threw toward her head.

“I told you, it’s a surprise Kara. But I promise, you’ll love it.”

“Lena, it’s a CatCo Halloween party. Don’t go overboard with it.” She lashed out with her cape, pulling the alien down.

“I’m not going overboard, I swear.” The comms cut out for a second, garbling the rest of Lena’s response. Kara sighed. They needed to get that fixed before someone missed something important while on a mission.

“Lena, we need to convince J’onn to let L-Corp replace these old things. Your tech would never interrupt us like this.” She waved the DEO agents over for them to take over. The alien wasn’t going anywhere.

“That can be the first thing we do in November. Deal?”

“Maybe not the first thing, but it’ll be on the list.” Lena laughed and Kara smiled at the sound, “Do I need to get you anything to eat before I go to the party?”

“No Kara. Alex brought me some leftovers. I’ve got a few things to finish up here and then I’m heading straight to the party.”

“You sure? I can go anywhere.” She made sure the agents were alright before taking off and heading in the general direction of home.

“Kara, dear, I am alright. Get yourself something and I’ll see you in a couple hours. I gotta go. My next meeting starts in a couple minutes.”

“Fiiine. Love you!”

“Love you too.” She kept smiling as she flew. It was still so strange to hear Lena say it, but she was so happy that they’d finally, finally figured this out.

“Kara? You all good? I thought you were heading home.” Alex this time.

“I’m good Alex. Just going the long way. And grabbing one last thing for my costume.”

“Of course you are. I’m sorry I can’t make it to the party tonight. Did I mention that already?”

“Alex, you get to take your son trick or treating. I’m almost jealous of the free candy he’s going to get.”

“You’re Supergirl you weirdo. You can probably get Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory if you wanted it.”

“You really think so?” Alex laughed at her (in a nice, sisterly way of course).

“That or your girlfriend would buy it for you. Either way, candy isn’t something you should have any trouble getting your hands on. Have fun at the party for me.”

“Will do. Make sure there’s some licorice in that bag by the end of the night.” Kara hung up this time, flying up higher where the signal wouldn’t reach. Another thing Lena’s tech would be able to do. She flew at a normal speed, stopping at a small craft store for the last thing she needed. Pretty sure she made that little old lady’s day when she let her take a picture.

The party had already started when the elevator finally opened. Whoops. The braids had been a little harder to get done than she’d thought. But she’d done it.

“Dorothy Gale?” Winn asked, sitting at his desk, a lightsaber propped up beside him.

“The one and only. There’s no place like home right?” She spun around a couple times, holding the basket carefully.

“Sure. When it’s Krypton maybe. Did you ever actually visit Kansas? Because it’s Kansas. I don’t think I need to say more.”

“Hey, Clark grew up there and says it is wonderful. That’s not a conversation we are having right now though. Is Lena here yet?” She listened to everyone milling around, searching for the familiar heartbeat, one of a kind laugh, anything the indicate Lena was waiting for her.

“She’s here, yeah. Just not on this floor. She asked me to tell you to head on up to the roof.” He pointed to the ceiling as if she didn’t know which way to go.

“The roof? Why?”

“Trust me Kara. It’ll make sense when you see her.” She took some of the candy on his desk before speeding off. She impatiently tapped her ruby slipper on the floor as the elevator went up. She could’ve flown up there, but with so many people around, it really wasn’t the best idea. But as she went up, she finally heard it. The steady heartbeat of the woman she loved.

She shoved the door open and skipped the last few stairs entirely, jumping past them to land on the helicopter pad. She was going to just run up to Lena, but her silhouette made her pause. She was standing sort of close to the edge, a cape gently blowing around in the breeze.

“Lena?”

“Not tonight. Tonight, it’s Supergirl.” Lena turned around, smiling widely, putting her hands on her hips. If Kara didn’t have super vision, she might’ve actually believed that the woman standing there was Supergirl. Albeit, before she got her new suit. Kara beamed at her, choosing to walk over.

“It certainly is. Where’d you get the suit from?” She wrapped her arms around Lena, resting her chin on her shoulder.

“Brainy. He kept it for ‘posterity’ and I convinced him it’d be fine if I borrowed it for a night.” Lena rested her hand on Kara’s and turned her head, kissing the tip of her nose. Kara shifted a little, circling around so she and Lena were face to face. She leaned forward, resting her forehead on Lena’s. Lena leaned into it, a small smile on her face.

“Well isn’t Brainy such a good friend. But to really get the full Supergirl experience, we’ve gotta do this.” She stepped backwards, pulling Lena with her. Lena reflexively put her hands around Kara’s neck as they fell backwards. Kara let them fall just a little bit before straightening out, the cape flowing behind Lena. Lena laughed, letting go to spread her arms out. Kara kept her hands on Lena’s waist, titling her head a little to make sure she didn’t fly them into a building.

“Can we go higher?”

“Of course we can go higher. Hang tight.” They both knew that wasn’t entirely necessary, but that didn’t stop Lena from moving her arms back and pulling herself closer. Or Kara from moving her hands to Lena’s back and linking fingers as she angled them up.

They passed the last skyscraper and Lena surprised her with a kiss. That was one way to get her to stop what she was doing. They hovered, spinning slowly. Kara kissed her back.

“Happy Halloween Supergirl.” They said at the same time.

[fnafimagines]

𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 (𝐅𝐍𝐀𝐅 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑)

C H A P T E R  O N E

What is this fanfic about?

(Your Name) (Last Name) is a prodigy detective in a small town in Maine. She is assigned to a cold case that is more than 20 years old.  The details of the case are minuscule. Residents pass superstitions around like wildfire.

She assigned to the night watch at the pizzeria. What will she find? But more importantly, what is the truth?

Want to read more?

Wattpad or Quotev

The intern rapped his hands against the firmly-polished mahogany door. His hands combed through his swooped blonde hair as he heard a soft voice say, “Come in.”

He opened the door, wincing at the slight squeak the hinges gave. His stance relaxed as he saw the woman give him a kind smile. “What can I help you with, Phillip?”

“Well, Ms. (Last Name), we have another case we need you to work on,” He stated firmly.

“Okay, show me what’ cha got,” She chided. Her bright (e/c) eyes dimed as a thin case file was slammed on the desk. She lifted one of the folds only to find a maximum of three pages hidden underneath. She sat straight up as she looked at the intern.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, Phillip.” The blonde man straightened his stature as he looked at the woman. Her demeanor had turned cold, her expression turned sour. He was completely knowledgeable of her slight no-shit attitude.

She just sighed as Phillip stayed there, more frozen than Antarctica in winter. She was completely done with being undermined in this department. She had skills, but they had always set her up to fail. 'I am a prodigy, damn it!'

She looked up at the boy and groaned. “What’s the mission?”

He straightened. “You’ll be a night watchman at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. You need to find out why all these nightguards are disappearing.” His voice became strained as he looked at her. Her face was pale and her body stiffened. Everyone had heard about the rumors around that place. It was enough to make the prodigy detective shrink in her seat.

“You. Want me. To go there. With no backup?” At this point, she had gotten out of her chair and had backed him into the wall. He shakily nodded his head.

“U-Unless you don’t want to.” He stuttered. She just sighed and shook her head.

“Don't’ worry about it. I’ll handle this.” She walked over to the coat-rack next to the door. She grabbed her coat and hat and put her hand on the doorknob. Pausing, she turned back to look at the intern, one hand on the knob, the other gripping tightly to the file.

“Make sure they know I’m doing this. Alone.” The intern winced as the door slammed shut.

You shivered as you walked back to your apartment, your coat tightly wrapped around you. Your mood turned even more sour than before, as you had forgotten your knitted hat at home. The hat you were wearing was only for fashion-sake.

You looked in a frozen puddle on the ground.

“I even look like a detective! Why can’t they see that?” You stomped, making the puddle shatter into a mixture of beautiful shards. You could see multiple of you as your face burned in anger. You started to speedwalk home. You looked down at the case file. 'I wonder what’s in this thing?'

You walked into the lobby, being looked at by strangers and neighbors as you walked into the elevator. You didn’t blame them, though. You looked like a wet cat. You pressed the button for your floor, but then noticed a tall, older man standing next to you.

He had scruffy brown hair and some stubble growing on his face. He stood a little too close for comfort to you, despite there being ample room in the elevator.

“What floor are you going to?” You asked politely.

“Number 23,” He responded. You pressed the corresponding button and then moved slightly away from him. He chuckled, seemingly noticing your discomfort but doing nothing to erase the tension. Instead, he decided to engage in a bit of small talk.

“My name is David Miller. How about you ma'am?” He asked politely. You smiled uncomfortably.

“My name is (Your Name) (Last Name). Are you new here? I’ve never seen you around.” You asked.

“I am indeed new here, ma'am. Just moved here from the next town over.” He adjusted his sleeve cuffs absentmindedly.

“Oh! What do you do?” You said, your smile becoming a bit more genuine.

“I’m a technician at a pizzeria. You might have heard of it. It’s Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.” You froze. ‘I could be talking to a suspect!’ You instantly went into detective mode.

“Really? That place is pretty creepy. Don't you think?” He just chuckles.

“It is, but you get used to it. Now, what do you do?” You adjusted your coat as you cleared your throat.

“Well, I got fired from my last job and am looking for another one.” You lied. He just looked at you and gave a slightly creepy smile.

“Well, we do have an open position at the restaurant.” You made a fake excited grin.

“Really! What is it?” You chuckled. “I’m kind of desperate for a job if you didn’t notice.”

“It’s the nightshift. Kind of perfect if you ask me. You get to watch over the robots for a few hours at night and then have the whole rest of the day to yourself. It must be magnificent.”

“Whoa, that sounds perfect. I usually want to spend the day with my friends anyways. That’s actually where I’m going! I’m visiting a friend of mine, Alex. He lives here.” You lied.

Alex was your neighbor and a good friend of yours. He was intelligent but could be slightly wimpy. You slyly smirked to yourself. You honestly didn’t want Dave to know that you lived here.

“Ooo! A boyfriend, perhaps?” Your face turned scarlet as the man chuckled.

“No way! I mean, he’s cute and all, but not my type.” Dave chuckled.

You both were interrupted by a chime, signalizing that it had hit your floor. You turned to Dave and gave him a polite smile.

“Here’s my stop! I’ll see you around!” You stepped out and gave a friendly wave.

“Of course, ma’am.” You turned around and the elevator closed. When he knew you weren’t looking Dave gave a horrific grin.

“Foolish girl.”

You couldn’t believe you might have gotten a lead suspect already. Dave was creepy and not good at hiding his serial-killer esque personality. You had a feeling he might be behind this whole 'nightguard going missing' situation but weren’t one-hundred percent sure.

But you knew you could get the job easier. Maybe the man could even assist you. You took out your keys, finally recognizing the headache you had from the cold weather. You’d have to take some medicine for that later.

You opened the door and hung up your hat and coat, only to find a furry friend nuzzle your feet. You looked down and smiled.

“Hello, Milo.” You smiled down at your tabby cat. He nuzzled into your leg as you grabbed him and brought him up to your face and smiled.

“Did you miss me?” He meowed in response, jumping from your hands to the top of your head, where he curled up into a ball. You chuckled and walked into the kitchen to get yourself some water. You struggled to reach the glass cups in the cupboard and decided to just go for one of the plastic ones in the drawer. ‘Why do the cupboards have to be made for tall people!’

You walked over to your cabinet to look around for the ibuprofen, sighing and just closing the cabinet, only to find the ibuprofen on the counter. ‘Okay, first the cupboards. And now my damn medicine is bouncing around like the Annabelle doll!’

You popped the child-safety cap off of the container and poured some tablets into your hand, accidentally getting too many. You put all but two back and then swallowed them, instantly washing the dryness down with a cold cup of water.

You walked through the hallway to get to your dainty little bedroom, ignoring the creaks in the floorboards as you observed some of the pictures on the wall that your parents had sent you one lonely weekend. You remember that you still had most of the older photos in the closet, basically just dumping them there until you got the time to sort through them all.

‘I’ll go through them after this whole Fazbear business is done,’ you decided to yourself. You walked into your room, covering your ears as your door slammed against the wall. You groaned. You jumped onto your bed, cozying up into the comforter. ‘Yeah, I should probably take a shower.’

Your eyes squinted as you opened the call app on your cell phone. Your phone shined as you went to turn down the brightness.

You looked at the number you had to enter. ‘1-888-FAZ-FAZBEAR.’ You slightly hesitated before you finally pressed the call button. Your heart pounded faster as the phone rang out in your silent, empty apartment. Milo nuzzled into your leg as you sat crisscrossed on the couch. You rubbed your temples as you put a pair of reading glasses on. The frames were black, a staple fashion piece if you had to say so yourself. They gave you an intelligent and cunning look.

You were interrupted from your thoughts by another voice coming out from the other line.

“This is Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. How may I help you?” a sweet older woman asked.

You got out your notepad and pen and started jotting down about this woman. ‘Maybe another suspect.’

“Hi! My name is (Your Name) (Last Name). I’m was looking at the open position that you guys have online. The night shift, I think it was?” You said kindly.

The woman seemed to pause as her voice turned to a whisper. “Are you sure you want to do that, sweet pea? The night shift doesn't seem like a job for such a sweet-sounding young lady.” You internally scoffed at the seemingly sexist remark, but you knew she was just being polite, so you put on your sweetest voice.

“Don’t worry, ma’am. I can handle it!” You heard her sigh.

“Okay, I’ll get you an appointment with my husband.”

‘Oh shit!’ You weren’t just talking to anyone. This was Dorothy Emily, the owner’s wife.

Your voice practically grew three times sweeter. “That would be amazing, ma’am! Thank you so much. “ You could practically picture her frown.

“No problem, dear... How’s tomorrow at 10?” Your grin grew wide.

“Perfect! Thank you again.” You were about to cheer.

“Goodbye… dear.” The line hung up as you dialed down your cheer, your face contorting from happiness and excitement into a look of terror. ‘Why did that sound so… ominous?'

You brushed it off as you looked down at the kitten sleeping in your lap. You kindly smiled and pet his fur, hearing an almost silent purr come from the content kitten. You then looked up at the tons of papers and notes you had compiled about the case. One, in particular, sparked your interest. It was a fairly old newspaper, but its words spoke volumes about what you could be going up against.

“Kids vanish at local pizzeria – bodies not found. Two local children were reportedly lured into a back room during the late hours of operation at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza on the night of June 26th. While video surveillance identified the man responsibly and led to his capture the following morning, the children themselves were never found and are presumed dead. “

“Police think that the suspect dressed as a company mascot to earn the children’s trust.”

“Five children now reported missing. Suspect convicted. Five children are now linked to the incident at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, where a man dressed as a cartoon mascot lured then into a back room. While the suspect has been charged, the bodies themselves were never found. Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza has been fighting an uphill battle ever since to convince families to return to the pizzeria. ‘It’s a tragedy.’”

“Local pizzeria threatened with shutdown over sanitation. Local pizzeria, Freddy-Fazbear’s Pizza has been threatened again with shutdown by the health department over reports of a foul odor coming from the much-loved animal mascots.

Police were contacted when parents reportedly noticed what appeared to be blood and mucus around the eyes and mouths of the mascots. One parent likened them to ‘reanimated carcasses’.”

“Local pizzeria said to close by years end. After a long struggle to stay in business after the tragedy that took place there many years ago, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza has announced that it will close by year’s end. Despite a year-long search for a buyer, companies seem unwilling to be associated with the company. ‘These characters will live on. In the hearts of kids - these characters will live on.’ -CEO”

Either the pizzeria never closed, or it had a reopening. But this was suspicious for several reasons. First of all, you had looked through there code and saw that they would clean up to the premise of a crime scene before police got there. That was probably why they put you on the case. ‘They probably put me on the case because of my prodigy skills.’

Okay, okay now. Stop being cocky. You would have to see what all of this was about at your shift. You looked down at the sleeping cat. ‘Tomorrow.’

You grabbed a soft knitted blue blanket and finally, after a long day of paperwork fell asleep.

[cover2covermom]

Hello bookworms!

Today I am here with my March reading & blogging wrap-up.  As I’m sure you all can relate, March was a LONG month.

Let’s get into what I read & blogged in March…

March 13th was the day my entire life came to a halt.  This was the last day of school for my children, and the last day my library was open.  Since I live in Ohio, we’ve been practicing social distancing for close to a month now.  Ohio acted early in response to COVID-19 and seems to be faring better than many of the states surrounding us.

I have so much to be thankful for during this difficult time…  So far my family has avoided illness since we’ve been able to “shelter in place.”  My extended family has also managed to stay healthy, even my mother & sister-in-law who both work in the health care field.  Unfortunately, I have had a few friends fall ill, but thankfully they have recovered.  I still have my job, and am still receiving my hourly wage for all hours I would have worked had the library not shut down.  My husband is able to work from home during this time.  I fully realize how fortunate we are.  My heart aches for the world during these times of uncertainty.

What have I been doing over this month at home?  I’ve been helping my children while they are distance learning, spring cleaning my house, reading middle grade books, doing webinars, and making cloth masks to donate to local essential businesses & health care providers in need.  Basically I am keeping myself as busy as possible to keep anxiety at bay.

» The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

A collection of deliciously dark short stories are inspired by classic fairytales & folklore.  I LOVED these stories!  They gave me Neil Gaiman vibes, so if you are a NG fan, I’d recommend these stories to you.  I also adored the illustrations throughout that really enhanced the story.

» What If It’s Us? by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

This was a sugar sweet YA romance.  If you enjoyed Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, you’ll also enjoy this one too.

» The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

*4.5 Stars*

One of the best thrillers I’ve read, and I’m not a big thriller fan.  I did see one of the big twists coming, but it did not hinder my enjoyment.  I’m sure this will be turned into a movie at some point.

» Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts

*4.5 Stars*

This was a lovely historical fiction about Maud Gage Baum, wife of the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – L. Frank Baum.  I have never read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but this book made me want to read it ASAP!  This was a wonderful book to read for Women’s History Month!

» Girls Resist! A Guide to Activism, Leadership, and Starting a Revolution by KaeLyn Rich

This was a wonderful field guide for teens (and adults) to become involved in activism.  I found the information to be very practical, informative, and accessible.

» Beyond the Bright Seaby Lauren Wolk

This was a beautiful MG historical fiction book about identity & family.  I am a sucker for eccentric characters and unconventional families, so this book hit the right notes.

» Far From the Tree by Robin Benway

Far From the Tree is a beautiful YA contemporary about adoption, family, identity, and love.  Told in 3 different perspectives, I enjoyed the journey & development of each of these characters.

 » You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P! by Alex Gino

After reading George, I knew I wanted to read more of Gino’s work.  You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P! centers around Jilly, a young girl who is learning about hearing difficulties and ASL after it is discovered that her baby sister is hearing impaired.  The best part of this book was learning more about the deaf/hearing impaired and the difficulties that this community faces in a world that is geared towards the hearing.  The hearing impairment representation was well done and handled with care.

» Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove #1) by Shelby Mahurin

While I can definitely see why people are loving this book, it came up a bit short for me.  The storyline focused too heavily on the romance.  This isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the romance, just that I don’t care for fantasy books where the romance is the central plot.  The world-building was also lacking.

» We’re Not From Here by Geoff Rodkey

Don’t let the fact that this is a MG sci-fi fool you.  This was a powerful social commentary on immigration & the ways that media can skew perspective.

» The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan

I was pleasantly surprised with the depth to this book.  The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali  tackles heavy topics like problematic family dynamics, homophobia, discrimination, arranged marriage, cultural differences, identity, etc.  I loved seeing all the Bengali culture woven throughout the book – food, dress, customs, etc.  I had a few complaints with regards to the plot, Arianna’s characterization, and how things were tided up a little too nicely, but overall a solid read.

Goodreads Challenge Update:

Technically I was at 35 books at the end of March, but I had already logged two books for April by the time I took a screenshot of my Goodreads challenge.

February 2020 Reading & Blogging Wrap-Up

March 2020 TBR

Teen Librarian Archives: February 2020

Mini Book Reviews: March 2020 – Part 1

Mini Book Reviews: March 2020 – Part 2

Mini Book Reviews: March 2020 – Part 3

Which books did you read in March?

Have you read any of the books I read in March?  If so, what did you think?

Did you buy any books?  If so, which ones?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

March 2020 Reading & Blogging Wrap-Up #BookBlogger #Books #Reading #Bookworm #Bibliophile Hello bookworms! Today I am here with my March reading & blogging wrap-up.  As I'm sure you all can relate, March was a LONG month.

[drsilverfish]

DrSilverfish S9 Meta Masterpost

Blog housekeeping cont!

S9 was a bit of a hot mess of a season, in my view, summed up by this quote from my 9x08 Rock and a Hard Place meta-review:

“If you are going to use sexual dub-con as a “metaphor” for Dean’s control of Sam [the Ezekiel/ Gadreeel possession by trickery, and all its season’s assault/ dub-con mirrors] and yet you insist on mixing that with sex jokes and the sexualisation of violence via the camera, an unholy mess is pretty much to be expected...”

Nevertheless, there were some lovely gems of episodes in the season (as well as plenty of queer subtext) and I enjoyed meta-ing it, notwithstanding the grossness of the larger theme. These shone through, for me; Beren’s first episode Heaven Can’t Wait (9x06) is stlll one of my top SPN episodes of all time; Glass’ deeply touching Bad Boys (9x07) was illuminated by Dylan Everett’s excellent performance as young Dean. Robbie Thompson also delivered an awesome happy ending for Charlie Bradbury with her queer Dorothy in Oz, in Slumber Party (9x04) which I insist on considering her true exit from the show (yes, this blog is still repressing Dark Dynasty 10x21 hard). Plus, Robbie’s Metafiction (9x18) was a glorious meta goldmine (I continue to miss Robbie and Edlund in the SPN writers’ room, among other things for their sense of meta fun).

Also, now, looking back on the season from the vantage point of being several years into the future, it is apparent that (however unpleasant it was to live through it at the time, and despite its often problematic execution) what the writers’ room set out to do in S9 was hold up to the light, via the Zeke/ Gadreel possession metaphor, the tragic toxicity of Dean and Sam’s co-dependency. This was a season in which Dean’s care-taking of Sam (a historic responsibility thrust upon him as a child, through no fault of his own) became a violation. The tragic consequence of which, was Dean’s desertion of his angel, whom his heart had wanted so much, and for so long, to have by his side (witness Dean’s long search for Cas in Purgatory in S8 and his “Nobody wants him here more than I do, Okay?” in 9x04) just when (fallen and newly human) Castiel needed him most. 

Yes, Carver took us down a dark road, into the roots of the Winchesters’ psychic dysfunction in S9 (the Mark of Cain narrative of S10 and 11 being the cumulative consequence) so that Dabb could, from the turning point of 11x23, bring us back up, gradually, towards the light. 

S9 Meta

1) 9x01 I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here - Who is Ezekiel, Angel of Death?

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/63578850731/who-is-ezekiel-angel-of-death

2) Who is on the Chessboard in S9? Heaven and Hell and In-Between

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/63742883512/who-is-on-the-chessboard-in-season-9-heaven-and

3) 9x02 Devil May Care and the Metaphysics of Violation (CW: for discussion of rape)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/64225291819/spn-9x02-and-the-metaphysics-of-violation-tw-for

4) 9x03 I’m No Angel 

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/64899857448/drsilverfish-peruses-im-no-angel-9x03-spoilers 

5) Queer Subtext in 9x03 and Its Problematic Execution

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/65335878559/queer-siubtext-in-9x03-and-its-problematic 

6) 9x04 Slumber Party Meta-Review

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/65562193440/drsilverfishs-slumber-party-9x04-review 

7) Dorothy and Queer-Coding in 9x04 (response to an ask on the previous meta)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/65605250789/miles-to-go-before-i-sleep-drsilverfishs-slumber 

8) Dean and Cas and the Violence of Intimacy

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/65880351538/art-by-barbara-kruger-no-homo-fist-bumped-the 

9) Sam, Dean and Man’s Best Friend With Benefits

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/66177750491/sam-dean-and-mans-best-friend-in-9x05-spoilers 

10) “Bestiality” and 9x05

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/66316186054/bestiality-and-9x05-response-to-an-ask

11) Dean and Ezekiel

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/66573033478/the-path-of-the-righteous-man-is-beset-on-all

12) DrSilverfish’s Heaven Can’t Wait Destiel-Centric Meta-Review (9x06) 

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/66932619155/drsilverfishs-heaven-cant-wait-destiel-centric

13) Nobody Said it Was Easy/ Oh Take Me Back to the Start  - DrSilverfish Meta-Reviews 9x07 Bad Boys

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/67596701624/nobody-said-it-was-easy-oh-take-me-back-to-the

14) Damn Straight Between a Rock and a Hard Place - DrSilverfish 9x08 Meta-Review

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/68292904893/damn-straight-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place

15) Losing Paradise: DrSilverfish’s (Destiel-Centric) Holy Terror 9x09 Meta-Review

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/69016033105/losing-paradise-drsilverfishs-destiel-centric

16) Supernatural 9x09 The Little Things (Set Dressing Narrative)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/69166320221/supernatural-9x09-the-little-things-spoilers

17) Hail Castiel, Full of Grace: A Meditation on the Nature of Grace in the SPN Universe (9x09)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/69291532196/hail-castiel-full-of-grace-meditation-on-the 

18) 9x10 Road Trip and Noir Cinematography

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/76258139601/dean-winchester-walking-away-from-his-brother-and

19) Abaddon and the Femme Fatale (9x10 Road Trip)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/79204466961/victoriavantoch-abaddon-in-9x10-road-trip

20) 9x10 Road Trip - Dean and Cas as Shirley and Laverne

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/81787352715/spn-queer-subtext-instance-no-29996-oh-just

21) A Discussion on Bees, Cain and Castiel with @isthemachinesinging and @x-cetera (latter deactivated) (9x11 First Born)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/74885442456/isthemachinesinging-x-cetera-the-beekeeping

22) Sharp Teeth (9x12) Quick Review

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/74906805501/sharp-teeth-quickie-review-supernatural-9x12

23) DrSilverfish’s Destiel-Centric Captives Meta-Review (9x14)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/78134538414/drsilverfishs-destiel-centric-captives-review

24) So Many Queer Subtext: DrSilverfish Meta-Reviews #Thinman (9x15)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/78828364438/so-many-queer-subtext-drsilverfish-reviews-spns

25) 9x16 Blade Runners Illuminated by Blade Runner (1982)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/80113492162/how-does-the-spn-9x16-episode-blade-runners

26) The Curse of “Old Donkey Teeth”: DrSilverfish Meta-Reviews 9x16 Blade Runners

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/80310421877/the-curse-of-old-donkey-teeth-drsilverfish

27) The Jawbone of an Ass: Dean as Sampson (9x16)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/80414070819/the-jawbone-of-an-ass-dean-as-samson-spn-9x16

28) Demons Walk Among Us: DrSilverfish Meta-Reviews 9x17 Mother’s Little Helper

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/80978944870/demons-walk-among-us-drsilverfish-reviews-spns

29) Metatron’s “Metafictional” Spell: The Ingredients (9x18 Metafiction)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/82933467509/metatrons-metafictional-spell-the-ingredients 

30) 19x18 Metafiction - The Trench-Coat and Free Will

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/82948619070/9x18-metafiction-the-trench-coat-and-free

31) Metatron and Robbie Thompson’s Metafictional Send-Up of TPTB (19x18)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/83026009934/supernaturals-metatron-has-been-painted-thus

32) What Makes a Story Work? Robbie Goes Meta in Metafiction (9x18) (endnote discussion with @newyeardad )

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/83116451392/mixgoldenphoenix-newyeardad-what-makes-a 

33) Metafiction’s Subtextual Boner, FYI (9x18)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/83202304892/metafictions-subtextal-boner-fyi-spn-9x18 

34) Note on Castiel/ Jesus Parallels in S9

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/83245109970/tw-this-is-a-scene-from-9x03-im-no-angel

35) Spec on Dean Going Full Dark-Side (9x18 Metafiction)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/83307390112/why-was-metatron-using-a-very-supernatural

36) Metatron Links Cas to Bisexual Poet Muriel Rukeyser (9x18 Metafiction)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/83318897321/muriel-rukeyser-the-us-poet-metatron-quotes-to

37) “Vampiric Stockholm Syndrome”: DrSilverfish Meta-Reviews Alex, Annie, Alexis, Ann (9x19) 

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/83659732157/vampiric-stockholm-syndrome-dr-silverfish

38) The Godfather with Fangs Lacks Bite: 9x20 Bloodlines

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/84346671959/the-godfather-with-fangs-lacks-bite-spn-9x20

39) 9x21 King of the Damned and Addictions

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/85142976459/spn-king-of-the-damned-9x21-and-addictions 

40) 9x21 Gematria and Jacob’s Ladder

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/85543224799/jacobs-ladder-by-william-blake-1805-in-9x21 

41) DrSilverfish’s Network Advice for an SPN Spin-Off

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/85926475349/drsilverfishs-network-advice-for-an-spn-spin-off 

42) S9 “Love and.... Love”

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/85936817759/castielandmoriarty-its-killing-him-to-say

43) DrSilverfish’s Destiel-Centric Musings on Do You Believe in Miracles (9x23)

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/86535731704/drsilverfishs-destiel-centric-musings-on-do-you 

44) Beheadings, Democritus, and S9 Demon!Dean Foreshadowing

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/86543231314/democritus-meditating-on-the-seat-of-the-soul 

45) Crowley, Queer King of Hell and Seducer of Dean Winchester

http://drsilverfish.tumblr.com/post/86731441939/crowley-queer-king-of-hell-and-seducer-of-dean 

[pghbabesonbikes]

Frigid Bitch 2019 Results

Frigid Bitch - back for year 6!

Continuing tradition as probably the biggest ladies/non-binary bike race in the universe with over 100 riders, this year’s Frigid Bitch expanded with first-time-ever-offered pre-registration and MORE PODIUMS. Held at Threadbare Cider in Spring Garden, at 10am on Saturday, February 16th, 2019, racers started flooding in to stock up on gear, check out the competition, and pick up their maps & manifests.

As always, there is a one hour window for racers to frantically plan their routes, forge alliances, and make friends. A few local ladies’ racing teams showed up in force, and some veteran Frigid Bitch ride-or-die gangs side-eyed up their matching kits and focused efficiency with determined fuck-it, let’s-do-this attitudes. New racers met riding partners on-site, and a handful of volunteers showed up to take in the crowd before heading out to their no-longer-secret positions.

A quarter to go-time, everyone was hustled outside to unlock their steeds and gear up for the start line.

THE CHECKPOINTS

Grandview Overlook Every year, for the out-of-towners, suburb queens, commuters who never stray from the beaten track - there’s always one checkpoint that everybody knows how to get to. Not that we’d make it easy! Pittsburgh’s famous overlook is a slag up Mt Washington, and with the main thru way closed, racers had to either bump it up via shattered sidewalks, or find away around. Volunteers were ready with a toast at the top!

Fineview Overlook In a city of hills and bridges you’re gonna have a lot of overlooks … Grandview’s much lesser known cousin on the Northside had racers figuring out how to find their way above the ballfield. Anyone who actually followed the map to this checkpoint found themselves climbing one of the toughest Dirty Dozen Hills….oh, did we do that? Whoops!

Herr’s Island Keep following the map in the other direction, and it’d take you down Rialto St (another Dirty Dozen Hill! Who drew this?!) and across the 30th St Bridge to Herr’s Island, haven of local crew teams and isolated Pgh elite. Everyone knows it’s there; most cyclists have zero reason to ever trek over. On the far end of the island, through some woods & down some steps to a gravel lot in a crumbling wall, volunteers were waiting with a camp fire to check off numbers of the racers who hiked-a-bike or threw down and hustled on foot.

5 Points Speaking of hike-a-biking, the furthest checkpoint from the start was tucked away in Pgh’s mountain biking mecca, Frick Park. There’s only one spot in the woods where 5 trails spike together in a star formations, colloquially known as…. FIVE POINTS!!! Entering the trail from Beechwood Blvd in Squirrel Hill, anyone who made it this far had to off-road their ride down dirt paths and over exposed roots. But hey, there was hot chocolate at the bottom! 

Murray Hill Not far from 5 points, Murray Hill Ave gave everyone the opportunity to experience off- roading on a one of the most quintessential Pgh urban this-is-actually-still-a-road terrains (second only to massive potholes): brutally steep cobbles!

Iron Eden Metal Works Oh, but there were potholes. Snaking the back way up & down bombed-out Sassafras St, nestled in the shadows of the Bloomfield Bridge, lies a two-tiered & strange-looking structure. ~By night!~ a times-past underground venue in the woods, ~by day!~ a rustbelt relic: Iron Eden!

Bonus checkpoint feature:  ~ * g l a m o u r   s h o t s * ~

The Hot Metal Bridge It’s a classic. Need we say more?  

The Boob Mausoleum Probably the most infamous tomb in the Allegheny Cemetery, the WHITE mausoleum features a bafflingly intense commitment to full-blown Egyptian theme&decor. Stationed just outside the crypt’s brass-cast pillar-flanked doors, 2 ~prominent~ sphinxes stand guard over the venerable (?) White family portal. Stationed just outside the sphinxes….Frigid Bitch BEACH PARTY!!

Mohawk St Finally, last in line but top of the list as far as checkpoint shenanigans go; bomb down Fifth Ave from Pitt campus and right before you hit the Birmingham Bridge, there’s a set of city steps that ascend into the woods of West Oakland. They spit out at Landslide Community Farms and a pink jersey barrier where volunteers waited with a camp fire* and a case of PBR. They’d set up a beer chute along the top of the stairs and stood in suspense while racers ran up the steps, not taking the bait. Finally, the vet bitch gang of Alex K, Katherine J and Frankie M threw their bikes over their shoulders, rushed the chute, grabbed a beer, cracked it with their teeth and chugged on the way up.

*if you missed the campfire, it’s because the fire dept showed up to put it out. See? Shenanigans!

Once the clock struck 2, everyone had 1 hour to race back to Threadbare. Bikes were slammed into the temp parking, road shoes clacked across the parking lot, the doors were thrown over and spoke card numbers hollered at the waiting table-side officials.

P A R T Y   T I M E

Pizza was eaten, cider was drunk, war stories were exchanged! Multi-year Bitch Queen Elise R regaled audiences with a story that started as a complaint that she couldn’t run any red lights on the North Side because there were too many cops around, then perked up with details about bombing down towards an intersection from Mohawk, where a white SUV veered into the corner of the intersection, blocking traffic for Elise & her crew to blast their way through, waved them past and yelled “YEAH FRIGID BITCH!!!”

Podiums

For the first time, the Frigid Bitch podium split into multiple categories. Singlespeed, Mountain Bike, Masters, and Out-Of-Town were added in addition to the all-encompassing Women & Nonbinary Open Field. Check back next year; more are comin!

Fixed/Singlespeed 1. Alexandra Korshin 2. Rachel Thompson

Masters 1. Louanna Bailey 2. Frankie Montenegro 3. Kelly Haderly 4. Monica VanDieran 5. Jen Damon 6. Suz Falvey

7. Christa Ross 8. Stacie Truszkowski 9. Barbara Jensen 10. Sarah Crawford 11. Simone Riddle 12. Suzanne Kinsky 13. Athena Marsh 14. Cynthia Billisits 15. Suzie Silver 16. Heather Mccracken 17. Jolynn Gibson 18. Kelli Jones 19. Dorothy Voelker

Mountain Bike 1. Suz Falvey 2. Vincent Zeng 3. Nikki Turner

Out Of Town 1. Jane Hodge 2. Caitlin Woodson 3. Sara Khalil Open Field Results! 1. Elise Rowe #10 2. Shaena Ulissi #18 3. Caryn Willis #73 4. Anna Bieberdorf #114 5. Katie Webber-Plank #93 6. Julie Grove #91

7. Louanna Baily #15 8. Lydia Yoder #50 9. Lindsay Dill #28 10. Alyssa Crawford #62

11. Jessie Appleman #87 12. Ania Jaroszewicz #6 13. Amy Wincek #111 14. Emily Palmer #54 15. LaurynStalter #79 16. Mary-Wren Ritchie #86 17. Alexandra Korshin #69 18. Frankie Montenegro #44 19. Katharine Jordan #78 20. Lan Tran #89 21. Naomi Anderson #107 22. Alexandria Shewczyk #29 23. Jaime Martina #26

24. Megan Andrews #43 25. Cansu Ozen #39 26. Sara Horsey #75 27. Shequaya Bailey #7 28. Kelly Haderly #84 29. Megan Sybeldon #46 30. Allison Glick #104 31. Acadia Klain #37 32. Robyn Brewer #34 33. Anna Barensfeld #52 34. Kelsey Kradel #83 35. Monica VanDieren #4

36. Jen Damon #80 37. Suz Falvey #88 38. Christa Ross #82 39. StacieTruszkowski #102 40. Greta Daniels #60 41. Elizabeth Salesky #33 42. Barbara Jensen #41 43. Sara Madden #92 44. Vanessa Jameson #110 45. Jane Hodge #112 46. Sarah Crawford #90 47. Rachel Dingfelder #59

48. Mary Kate Minnick #27 49. Caitlin Woodson #13 50. Simone Riddle #64 51. Sara Khalil #94 52. Suzanne Kinsky #71 53. Taylor Wescott #35 54. Kathleen Blackburn #49 55. Athena Marsh #57 56. Riesa Lirette #14 57. Vincent Zeng #32 58. Anna Faber #47 59. Erin Potts #51 60. Molly Orzechowski #666 61. Jenna DeVivo #23 62. Laura Watson #99 63. Ngani Ndimbie #108 64. Rachel Thompson #113 65. Alexandra Falk #81 66. Cynthia Billisits #48

67. Sarah Martin #97 68. Laura Everhart #53 69. Bonnie Weibel #61 70. Mary Jackson #65 71. Leah Nicolich #103 72. Charlie Eddington #106 73. Catherine Armbruster #42 74. Paula Zamora #16 75. Ramona Stanley #38 76. Morgan Sulik #21 77. Anusha Simha #119 78. Yvette Aban #58 79. Hwa Han #63 80. Sarah Scherk #101 81. Hayes Indigo #1

82. Milo Spiders #100 83. Jenna Geiman #22 84. Hannah Berg #31 85. Suzie Silver #56 86. Julie Mallis #36 87. Morgan Tunstall #30 88. Heather McCracken #45 89. Shannon Frishkorn #115 90. Jamie Parke #66 91. Kate Bechak #105 92. Jaclyn Sternick #74 93. Jolynn Gibson #40 94. Maureen Duncan #9 95. Kelli Jones #12 96. Sarah Pearman #96 97. Lauren McKenna #17 98. Jennifer Ross #20 99. Kimberly Garrett #98 100. Chen Li #55 101. Rachel Shockey #25 102. NickyTurner #95 103. HEather McClain #109 104. Emily Voelker #24 105. Nicole Toney #68 106. Jenny Bender #67 107. Shelby Schmidt #72 108. Dorothy Voelker #19 109. Elizabeth LeDonne #77

Prizes

Were there enough prizes to go around? Were people bugging the f out over how awesome they were? We’ll let these photos speak for themselves.

The Best Part

The Frigid Bitch has always been a race to promote empowerment in the cycling community, to show that underrepresented groups of people can kick just as much ass as the status quo, and to support organizations that in turn provide for  others in need. To that end, funds raised via registration fees and anonymous pledges have always been given to the Greater Pittsburgh Women’s Center & Shelter. Over the past year, another organization has provided immeasurable support for the founders of the Frigid Bitch in their hour of need. This year’s race raised $730 for the Women’s Shelter and $400 for the Women’s Law Project. It couldn’t be done without the support of our racers & our community.

THANK YOU for another great year! To all of our sponsors, who are solely responsible for the joy fest you just witnessed above! To all my lovely volunteers, without whom this race would never get off the ground, and who pull out all the stops to make this the funnest goddamn alleycat in the whole universe. Thank you to my photographers, without you no one would ever know how fucking awesome this event is! Thank you to my little brother, who always finds the time to churn out another amazing race flyer! THANK YOU TO MY TEAM OF LADIES who helped me throw this race! Without you, Frigid Bitch #5 would have been the last of its kind! Thank you Di-ay, Elise #1 & Elise #2, Kat, Mattie, & Kaylin! Thank you Pittsburgh for being the only city I’d ever wish to be from! I’LL BE BACK!

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

[someguyscaliforniavoterguide]

Select L.A. County Races - November 2018

Select L.A. County Races

Broadly speaking: vote for the Democrat. I am not going to give super detailed explanations for a lot of races unless they are warranted. Where they are, I have footnoted them. I live in the East Valley so a lot of what I looked at was Valley related. I also looked into Santa Monica because Measure SM is a big deal.

State Board of Equalization 3: Tony Vazquez

In 2017, the State Board of Equalization was largely stripped of its powers and duties and gutted from 4800 staffer to 400 staffers. Still, it remains a constitutionally mandated agency that administers Property Taxes, Alcoholic Beverage Taxes, and Taxes on Insurers programs. The point of the board is to ensure that taxes are assessed fairly statewide. Yeah, it’s weird. Anyway, the GOP candidate in the race has used his platform to attack the SB60 Gas Tax (more on this later). Forget that. Tony Vazquez is a former Santa Monica mayor and while his platform for the BOE is thin, it’s better than actively destructive.

Los Angeles County Sheriff: Alex Villanueva

I’m not thrilled about either candidate in this race, to be honest. Both have ties to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) but both pitch themselves as reform candidates who will address years of endemic abuse and corruption within LASD. Neither seems to be up to the job. I’ve heard some people say that Jim McDonnell, the acting sheriff, should be given a chance to put his mark on the department. I have also watched as rank and file have swung to Alex Villanueva as McDonnell has tried to enact reforms. McDonnell has ties to the former sheriff, Lee Baca, who was convicted of obstructing an investigation into jail abuses by the LASD. McDonnell has endorsements from politicians but Villanueva has the support of the local party clubs. It’s really a coin toss for me, but since I’m picking, I guess I’ll go with Villanueva - he’s the slightly more outside candidate for now, and I’ll keep an eye on this for 2022.

Los Angeles County Assessor: Jeffrey Prang

Jeff Prang is endorsed by Kamala Harris and is the incumbent assessor. His opponent is literally listed with the name John “Lower Taxes” Loew on the ballot and couldn’t even get a website together for this election. This is a pretty easy call.

Justice, California State Court of Appeal; Second District

Electing judges is dumb but since we do it, here’s some thoughts. Look: these are all qualified and smart jurists. I base my endorsements here on a mix of reviewing various endorsements with a critical eye to judges who score too high on conservative groups’ questionnaires about judicial philosophy. The L.A. Times endorses “yes” on all these candidates as a show of judicial independence, but I don’t hang with that. Judges make political choices and while I believe we shouldn’t have the power to vote on them, if we do then we might as well use that power to vote for judges who reflect our Democratic values. Certainly the GOP votes for judges that will enact their visions.

Division 1

Helen Bendix: No

Victoria G. Chaney: No

Division 2

Elwood G. Lui: Yes

Victoria Chavez: No

Division 3

Luis A. Lavin: Yes

Hamlin Dhandina: Yes

Anne Egerton: Yes

Division 4

Thomas Willhite: No

Nora Manella: No

Division 5

Lamar W. Baker: Yes

Carl Moor: Yes

Dorothy Kim: Yes

Division 6

Arthur Gilbert: Yes

Martin J. Tangeman: Yes

Division 7

John Segal: Yes

Gail Feuer: Yes

Division 8

Tricia Bigelow: No

Los Angeles Superior Court

Personally, I feel too often we see prosecutors elevated to judgeships, it’s like a pipeline from the DA to the Superior Court. To me, it’s best that a candidate have some sort of judicial experience before they get the post - as a Judge Pro Tem or as a mediator of some kind. All respect to my prosecutor friends out there, but being a judge is a different job. That said, if nobody in the race has that experience - a not uncommon event - it’s worth looking at what else they bring to the table.

Los Angeles Superior Court, Office 4: Veronica Sauceda

Los Angeles Superior Court, Office 16: Patricia “Patti” Hunter  This is the one judicial race that I really want to highlight. Hunter’s opponent - Sydne Michel - has a lot of ties to the gun industry. Her kid and her dog are both named after guns, her husband is an NRA lawyer, and the pro-gun website calguns.net made it clear that voting for her was important to advancing their interests. Vote for Hunter here folks. We don’t need pro-gun voices packing our courts.

Los Angeles Superior Court, Office 60: Holly L. Hancock  I like that Ms. Hancock is a Public Defender - we don’t see enough PDs become judges. 

Los Angeles Superior Court, Office 113: Michael Ribons

California State Senate

SD 18 – Bob Hertzberg  Sen. Hertzberg was officially reprimanded by the California State Senate in March of 2018 for his habit of hugging colleagues and constituents. In accepting the reprimand, Hertzberg stated ”I understand that I cannot control how a hug is received, and that not everyone has the ability to speak up about unwelcome behavior. It is my responsibility to be mindful of this, and to respect the Rules Committee's request to not initiate hugs." SD 20 – Connie Leyva SD 22 – Michael Eng SD 24 – Maria Elena Durazo SD 26 – Ben Allen SD 30 – Holly Mitchell SD 32 – Bob J. Archuleta SD 34 – Tom Umberg

California State Assembly

AD 36 – Steve Fox AD 37 – Monique Limón AD 38 – Christy Smith AD 39 – Luz Rivas AD 41 – Chris Holden AD 43 – Laura Friedman AD 44 – Jacqui Irwin AD 45 – Jesse Gabriel AD 46 – Adrin Nazarian AD 47 – Eloise Reyes AD 48 – Blanca Rubio AD 49 – Ed Chau AD 50 – Richard Bloom AD 51 – Wendy Carrillo AD 52 – Freddie Rodriguez AD 53 – Miguel Santiago AD 54 – Sydney Kamlager AD 55 – Gregg Fritchle AD 56 – Eduardo Garcia AD 57 – Ian Calderon AD 58 – Cristina Garcia AD 59 – Reggie Jones-Sawyer AD 62 – Autumn Burke AD 63 – Anthony Rendon AD 64 – Mike Gipson AD 65 – Sharon Quirk-Silva AD 66 – Al Muratsuchi AD 70 – Patrick O’Donnell

U.S. House of Representatives

CD 23 – Tatiana Matta CD 25 – Katie Hill CD 26 – Julia Brownley CD 27 – Judy Chu CD 28 – Adam Schiff CD 29 – Tony Cardenas Post-2016 I have often wondered what it would take for me to vote to give a seat up to a Republican - is there a figure as odious as Trump in the Democratic party? This is the race that currently comes closest for me. Tony Cardenas - my rep - has been accused of rape and is facing a civil suit from a Jane Doe; he has denied the charge and asked for a House ethics investigation. I’m begrudgingly going to vote for him, but I am hoping he either a) clears his name in the next year, b) steps aside, or c) is faces a legitimate primary because the Dems have to do better than having an accused rapist on the ballot in 2018.  CD 30 – Brad Sherman CD 32 – Grace Napolitano CD 33 – Ted Lieu CD 34 – Jimmy Gomez Kenneth Meija is a longshot Green candidate in this district - I don’t like his take on SB1 and his call to repeal it, but I would imagine a lot of people I respect might disagree with me on him overall.  CD 35 – Norma Torres CD 37 – Karen Bass CD 38 – Linda Sanchez CD 39 – Gil Cisneros CD 40 – Lucille Roybal-Allard CD 43 – Maxine Waters CD 44 – Nanette Barragán CD 47 – Alan Lowenthal

County Measure W: Yes

This is a 2.5¢ per acre parcel tax on impermeable land (i.e. the parts of land that doesn’t absorb water) to raise funds that will be used to fund projects to capture stormwater, clean it, and percolate it into underwater aquifiers. This money would double the amount that the County Flood District (if you’re in L.A. county you’re almost definitely in it, unless you’re north of Palmdale) captures and help us reduce dependence on water from outside sources.

L.A. City Charter Amendment B (Public Bank): Emphatically Yes

This charter amendment would give the city the power to establish a public bank. A public bank is a government owned bank that holds the city’s deposits and can be used to make loans to projects the city supports. North Dakota has a public bank that is extremely profitable and which funds public works projects throughout the state. Additionally, debt service payments and institutional fees can be reduced when the city has its own bank, saving us all in the long run. To be clear: Amendment B would not actually establish a bank - this would take legislative action and involve a lot of detailed analysis and rulemaking. This is just the first step in a long process, but a necessary one.

L.A. City Charter Amendment E (Realign City Election Dates): Yes

This amendment would realign the city’s primary dates to match state primary dates, lowering costs and reducing voter fatigue. We should do this.

LAUSD Charter Amendment EE (Realign LAUSD Election Dates): Yes

This amendment would realign LAUSD’s primary dates to match state primary dates, lowering costs and reducing voter fatigue. We should also do this.

Burbank Measure P (Sales Tax for General Fund): Yes

The city will experience a $20M revenue shortfall, this is a 0.75¢ sales tax to close that gap. Yes, sales taxes are regressive, but until we address Prop 13 its one of the few tools cities have to close budget gaps in California. Vote yes or get ready to see local services cut.  

Burbank Measure QS (Parcel Tax for Schools): Yes

A parcel tax differs from a property tax in that the parcel tax is applied based on a characteristic of the land while a property tax is based on its value. Here, Burbank proposes to tax each piece of improved land at 10¢ per square foot to raise $9M for schools. On a side note, this will require 2/3 of voters to confirm.

Glendale Measure S (Sales Tax for General Fund): Yes

Much like Burbank, Glendale proposes a 0.75¢ sales tax to generate about $30M annually. Vote yes or get ready to see local services cut.

Santa Monica Measure SM (Require Supermajority Council Approval for Floor Area Ratio and Height Limit Changes): NO NO NO NO

This Charter amendment would require 5 of 7 council members to approve any changes to the downtown community plan for ten years. Folks, this is slow growth nonsense. The city charter already requires a majority vote to approve any changes, requiring a supermajority simply makes it more difficult to address any projects that might be slightly out of compliance. Don’t make it harder to build things.

Santa Monica Measure TL (Term Limits for Council Members): No

This would limit any council member to three terms, whether consecutive or not. I just fundamentally disagree with the idea of term limits, and encourage you to vote no on this.

[thatsjustsupergirl]

3x16: I JUST HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS

Cookie Girl was a nice fakeout for the people who didn’t get spoiled on Pestilence’s identity, RIP Cookie Girl

Imra is borrowing Alex’s murder eyes in this episode and boy oh boy do I love a good ideological conflict

I give Imra major props for pushing back against Kara since we know she admires her a lot

“That’s not normally how I operate, either.” ... oh look, foreshadowing

Brainy’s sad little admission about how he had to hide so he wouldn’t scare people, and Kara’s bemused “huh” in response, was a subtle touch on the passing/not-passing topic that’s come up repeatedly since S1

Lena just casually has equipment for electroshock therapy laying around in her lab and I have so many questions

🎵 hello darkness my old friend... 🎵

Nice detail with having Kara not wear a respiratory mask and J’onn choosing to hold one to blend in with the humans

Mean Doctor never actually touched Winn???

“You, I believe.” Thus continues the trend of very powerful aliens correctly assessing Alex Danvers as either an equal or a threat

Way to not incite a panic, Imra

I give both Sam and Lena lots of points for their determination, but I take points off for how VERY FUCKING SKETCHY this all is

Imra after she finishes her transfusion before Mon-El: “You always were a little bit slow” WAY HARSH TAI 😂😂😂

Look at this nice Danvers sisters scene talking about how Imra’s being irrational, it’s like they want us to make some kind of connection here 🤔

Alex to J’onn and Kara after they realize they haven’t found the suspect: “It’s Winn.” POOR CHOICE OF WORDS, KIDDO

oh my god the part where Winn messes with Brainy while Kara and Alex go along with it and giggle in the background is my new favorite thing 😍😍😍

J’ONN IS KIND OF LAUGHING TOO??? SPACE DAD OMG

and then Alex steps in like the responsible big sister she is and puts an end to the joke before it can turn mean, what a good

And here we have another episode poking at the "surrender” theme, which also came up in 3x14

MY FAVORITE ALIENS ARE MAKING JOKES ABOUT A SPACE MOVIE

oh look, the plotline with J’onn and his father is still relevant

“You break through the impossible every day.” SPACE DAD IS THE BEST DAD AND I LOVE HIM

um, I also love this marital spat that is both about Mon-El’s feelings and not about him at all? This argument was nicely set up and actually shows not only how well Mon-El and Imra know each other, but how much they genuinely care about each other too

Why is Brainy wearing his disguise on the Legion ship

ALEX!!! 😱

btw J’onn did you really have to say “keep holding on”

J’ONN AND JAMES FIST BUMP

This conversation between James and Winn both hurts me and makes me love it because how often do you get to see dudes express sad emotions and talk about their friendship and cry like this on an action show

I have watched this phone call between James and Lena three times now and I still can’t decide if she actually knows that “sick” means "dying of alien plague,” because she sure didn’t seem too concerned

Sam believes in Supergirl toooooooooo 😭😭

Whoa there, Ms. Only-I-Can-Save-You

Like, her fear about people going all Cadmus on Sam is reasonable, but the fact that she won’t even trust her own friends is a little worrying

Social media is a short-lived trend, say our aliens from the future, to which I say: SURE HOPE SO

ngl, when I realized Pestilence was planning to take down insurance company executives I was about 54% willing to let her

Grace: NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED

Also this surgeon god complex does not bode well for Lena’s attitude earlier in the episode, whoops

Imra’s powers are pretty darn cool

“Stronger together” clearly setting up to be our theme of the season

KARA IS WORRIED ABOUT ALEX! ALEX IS WORRIED ABOUT KARA! ALEX GOES STRAIGHT FROM BEING WORRIED ABOUT WINN TO CALLING HIM A SUCK-UP AND I LOVE THESE KIDS!

That Space Dad hug and adorable kiss on the head plus tucking Alex’s head under his chin OMGGGG 😍😭😍😭😍😭

lack of J’onn and Alex scenes was like #1 on my list of criticisms from last year and if this was not among your favorite moments in the episode why are you even here get out

The scene with Kara and Imra discussing whether or not Kara’s taking the right approach here is fab and sowing the seeds for Kara to experience the self-doubt that Jindah prophesied in 3x11

which was intentional, since Imra specifically brings that episode up when she explains what she saw when Psi got into her head

IMRA’S SISTER NOOOOO RIP PREYA

“I would probably do the same thing if Alex were gone.” “No, you wouldn’t.”

I love that this comes right on the heels of Kara saying that she always follows her instincts, and yet *SOME PEOPLE* don’t believe that she means what she says here... 👀🤔

LMAO LENA’S GUILTY-AS-FUCK FACE IN THE BACKGROUND AS KARA REALIZES THAT HER LAB IS SOME KIND OF WEIRD MEDICAL EXPERIMENT PRISON

Kara could see the funky invisible forcefield thing! NICE DETAIL

Uhhhh, how exactly does Lena have liquid kryptonite to just run into Sam via special IV and why is she not concerned about the potential toxicity of it?

All the people whining about Mon-El being “too powerful” or whatever bullshit should really either watch the show properly or shut up, because they deliberately showed him being knocked down by the Worldkillers multiple times in this episode while Kara and/or J’onn were perfectly fine.

Huh, so Purity doesn’t really hurt J’onn, but Reign does. Interesting...

Oh, look, this whole screw-up with Lena, Sam, and Kara is exactly what I said would happen because it’s the plot of Wicked and they’ve been running Wizard of Oz parallels this entire season

Coming up next: DOROTHY NEEDS THOSE RUBY SLIPPERS!