#i love colorado i'm pumped

[dappermouth]

Colorado! Next week I'll be selling/signing prints at Fan Expo Denver (July 4 - July 7)! I'm excited for this show, it’s a fun one. I hope you'll come say hi to me in the artist alley if you're there!

[dyslexicsquirrel]

This is a super rough draft and I'm working to polish it up for AO3 but have some childhood friends who kissed (no homo) second chance romance(?) Harringrove

I haven't posted anything in forever and this idea took over my body so uh I hope you like it? If you don't? Don't tell me lmao

Now I'm thinking about childhood friends Steve and Billy who practice kissing and whatever it's totally not gay. But Steve is like imagining their life after high school together, how they're gonna go to the same college and be roommates. Maybe if they get to kiss sometimes still that would be fine.

He tells Billy about it cause they're best friends and they tell each other everything. He thought Billy was on board. He helped Steve study, made sure he graduated.

So he's a little surprised when he gets to the school and Billy's Camaro isn't there cause he was running late but Billy always did like to make an entrance. Except Steve keeps checking down their row in the stadium and Billy never shows up. Doesn't come running onto the field when they call his name.

When he goes to return the cap and gown and pick up his diploma after the ceremony, the lady at the table check's her list and tells Steve "Looks like Billy picked his up the last day of class."

There's a big hole in the middle of Steve's chest that never really quite goes away. Not through college and parties or meeting his wife and getting married. Having his kids helps a bit but it's always there, sharp and jagged just like the boy who made it.

Steve focuses on work and raising his kids and maybe that's why his marriage falls apart. His wife handed him a big Manila envelope with sadness in her eyes. "You're a great dad and there's a part of me that will always love you, but I don't think you ever loved me, Steve, and I deserve better than that. We both do."

He agreed to everything, got split custody, and moved into an apartment in the city. It was beige and empty, but he covered it with pictures of his kids and ignored the way the hole in his chest started crumbling inward, growing every morning he woke up to silence until he felt hollow.

Steve got the kids for the summer and rented an RV. They were driving to California cause the kids had never seen the Pacific, he told his ex. She shrugged and sent them all off with hugs and kisses on the forehead. If a tiny voice in the back of his head called him a liar, he ignored it.

They ate at hole in the wall diners off the highway, but Steve splurged on hotels with pools cause sue him he was too high maintenance to live without soft sheets and good shower pressure.

Somewhere in Kansas or Colorado, Steve couldn't remember where they were right then, he saw the gas gauge getting low and pulling off at the next exit to find a place to get gas.

Steve almost ran a red light when he saw the sign at the convenience store on the corner. It had his brain lighting up like fireworks, memories of a past he didn't normally let himself think about crashing against the inside of his skull like waves.

There was no way. It was just a coincidence. He made sure the kids were fine and swung into the parking lot after the light turned green. "Dad's just a little tired. We'll find a place to check in after I fill up the tank."

The gas pump was old fashioned, not a single card reader in sight, and Steve shook his head with a chuckle, before rounding up the kids and heading inside. They dumped way too many snacks on the counter when they got to the front of the line. "Can I also get $40 on pump 3?" here told the guy behind the counter who was restocking cigarettes.

Short blonde hair, wide shoulders under a worn t-shirt, jeans so tight they molded to his ass and had Steve biting the inside of his cheek because he was in public, for fuck's sake.

He had to be really hard up if he was on the verge of making a spectacle of himself over some rando in a gas station. A grunt and the guy turned, pinning Steve with the brightest blue eyes Steve had ever seen.

Ones that haunted his dreams. "Billy?" he whispered, wallet slipping out of his numb fingers.

The guy who couldn't be Billy blinked at him, except he said, "Steve."

Robbie tugged on the hem of his shirt. "Who's that, dad?"

"Dad?" Billy repeated, sounding confused and a little accusatory. And seriously, fuck him.

"Just someone I used to know." He needed to get out of there before he made a scene of a different kind by jumping over the counter and punching Billy in his stupid, perfect face. "How much do I owe you?"

Billy's frown deepened. He bagged up all of the snacks, no longer meeting Steve's eyes and said, "Don't worry about it" when he handed them over.

Nope. He was not making it that easy. *You left. You left me. Why did you leave me?* clamored to get passed his lips, but Steve refused to be that pathetic when Billy obviously hadn't cared as much as Steve. He got his wallet off the floor and slapped his credit card on the counter, handing the kids the bags to hold.

Billy rolled his eyes, the way he had whenever they were kids and Steve did something Billy thought was stupid. They stood on silence except for the chatter of his kids and the bell chiming over the door when someone else came in. Steve took his receipt without a word.

"Come on, you two, let's go." He herded the kids toward the door, determined to walk out on Billy the way the other man had walked out on him, but Steve never did have much self control.

Billy was still watching him and their eyes met when Steve looked over his shoulder. "You know a good hotel around here?"

"There's a Best Western a few blocks down. Nicest place in town."

Was he imagining the question in Billy's eyes? Steve didn't know. Grace whined, "Come on, dad," the way only teenagers could and Steve let the door swing closed behind him.

Part of Steve was anticipating the knock at the door after the sun had set and the kids were both curled up in their beds. The other part called him an idiot for still holding a torch for the guy who broke his heart.

The rap on the door was soft, but Steve still jumped, tripping over his feet when he got off the couch.

There was Billy on the other side of the door, a cigarette dangling from his lips, hands shoved into his pockets.

Mindful of his kids, Steve stepped outside, leaving the door cracked behind him, while they stared at each other, the weight of all the years between them.

Billy broke the silence first, pulling the cigarette from his mouth, ash flicked from the tip in a cascade of sparks. "Where's Mrs. Harrington?"

That was about all Steve could take. He shoved at Billy's chest, still as solid as it had been back in high school, the prick. Billy didn't budge an inch. "I got divorced last year."

Billy took a long drag, a quiet "Shit" exhaled on a cloud of smoke.

"Yeah." Steve took the cigarette from Billy like they used to. He hadn't had a drag in years and almost choked.

There was no laughter, no jibe at Steve forgetting how to smoke. Instead, one of Billy's hands rubbed circles against Steve's back. Just that one touch unlocked something in Steve, all the years of longing, of loneliness, of regret. He wrapped his free hand around Billy's waist and tucked his face into the other man's chest.

"Why?" It came out garbled and wet from his tears but Billy understood all the same.

His answer made his tears run faster. But it was okay because size Billy's arms wrapped around him, holding Steve together. "Because I loved you too much."

"You're a fucking asshole."

"I know."

"I loved you too."

"I know." Of course he had.

They stayed like that until Steve got himself back together, the cigarette left to snuff itself out on the concrete. His eyes red and puffy and Billy wiped the moisture off his cheeks with his thumbs.

Steve leaned into Billy’s calloused palms, pulling the scent of Marlboroughs and warm skin into his lungs. He sniffed loud, echoed by the crickets and the distant traffic. He needed to say something or else he’d start crying again because Billy was looking at him the way Steve always secretly dreamed Billy would look at him one day.

He wanted to know what the hell he ‘loved him too much’ to stay meant, but this thing—could he call it a thing? Robin would probably call him a dingus right about now—was too shaky, like a house built on a cliff during an earthquake.

So instead, he said, “You know I meant why’d you pick that name when I asked why, but thanks for the declaration, I guess.”

Steve felt Billy’s chuckle where their chests still touched. “Now who’s the asshole?”

And, okay, Steve really was curious because Billy had to be the one who owned that place and had the balls to slap Pretty Boy on the front of a building.

Which meant he thought about Steve and the nickname he bestowed upon him enough to name his business after him. To have to see it every day and think about Steve.

So he was curious, but not enough to stop and ask when Billy was angling Steve’s head with the hand still holding his cheek to press their lips together.

It had been decades since the last time Steve and Billy kissed and it was still the best feeling in the world. The feeling of a full beard was new, but Billy’s hands felt the same, cradling the back of Steve’s head, the other pressed low on his back.

He still tasted like cigarettes and the mint gum he liked to chew.

Steve didn’t pull away until he heard the bathroom door close inside the room and even then he didn’t go far, pressing their foreheads together so they were still sharing the same air for as long as possible.

“How long are you here for?” Billy whispered, like he was afraid if he spoke too loudly, he would shatter the moment like spun glass.

“Just until tomorrow. The kids and I are going to California for the summer.” Saying it out loud, in front of Billy, made it feel like a dirty little secret. Billy knew why Steve was going there of all places if they way one side of his mouth kicked up. Steve had missed that smirk. He’d missed a lot of things if her were being honest.

“Maybe you can swing back through on your way back.”

The hopeful note Steve heard made him feel bold, reckless. “You should come with us.”

“What?”

“To California. You should come with us. I got an RV so there’s plenty of room. We could take turns driving. Grace and Robbie are cool kids, I swear. I’m realizing now that I said that that it’s kind of weird. Forget it—” His nervous rambling was cut off by Billy’s lips.

“Shut up, pretty boy. I’ve been wanting to go to California with you my whole life.” And, oh. Well, Steve was done for. His hands curled into the fabric of Billy’s shirt, holding on for dear life, scared if he let go Billy would disappear. “Besides, I should probably get to know your rugrats before I ask their dad to marry me.”

Steve's eye went comically wide and his heart stopped and that hole in his chest felt like Billy had slapped a patch over it. He wheezed. “Huh?”

“You think I’m letting you go again, Harrington?”

That was fine with Steve.

[mikiemcsmitty]

Fictober Day 1

prompt: "That was good work"

Fandom: Supernatural

Character: Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester

Rating: General

Summary:

Sam's POV: Dean attending Sam's school play "Our Town" (as referenced by Dean in season 1 episode 16)

Dad’s not here.

Of course, Dad’s not here, Sam thought to himself as he peeked out from the curtain. 

Ever since he became a teenager and started developing his own interests, John had started giving him less and less attention. All of his parental attention was reserved for Sam’s more hunting-inclined older brother. 

It wasn’t like Sam was really vying for his father’s attention in the first place; after all, John had no interest in anything but the chase. ‘Finding the thing that killed Mom’ had been his life goal for as long as Sam could remember. There wasn’t really room for John to be a dad to kids who weren't his perfect little soldiers. Dean could play that role well, but Sam… Sam wanted to have a normal life. A life that John couldn’t give him. At 8 years old Dean had to be the one to teach him how to throw a baseball and at 11 Uncle Bobby had to be the one to teach him how to ride a bike. All John did was teach him how to load a pump action shotgun with rock salt. 

Sam was used to being dropped in a random motel in a random state to get through half a semester before being picked up to start over somewhere else. Six months was the longest he had ever been at one school. This new school in Colorado was nothing different. At least it wouldn’t be different if it wasn't his first semester alone, but Sam was starting his sophomore year without Dean. Ever since dropping out of high school to be a full-time hunter, Dean was hardly around anymore. 

With all this newfound free time Sam decided to look into after-school activities to keep his mind off of how alone he now felt. It also let him stay at school longer so he didn’t have to walk half a mile back to an empty motel room so soon. 

Drama club wouldn’t have been his first choice but the kids seemed nice and sometimes they would practice until 11 pm on Fridays so it was perfect for keeping busy. 

Sam had an unnatural talent for acting developed from the years of having to lie to everyone around him including his own father sometimes. This landed him the role of George Gibbs, the male lead of the fall play.

-----

“So how's school going,” came Dean’s voice from the other end of the phone one week prior.

“It’s fine I guess,” Sam said flatly.

“Oh, come on you gotta tell me all the high school drama now that I'm not there to witness it myself.” 

“I… wouldn’t know.”

“Don't tell me you’re spending all your time in the library again.”

“No... Dean look I gotta go–”

“No no no come on Sammy tell me how it's really going.”

Sam sighs. He knew Dean wouldn't understand his sudden desire to act but he opened up anyway. “I joined the drama club…”

There was a pause on the other end. “...I leave you alone for 2 months and you've already gone full-fledged geek.” Even though they were talking on a phone Dean could swear he could hear Sam’s eyerolls. “So are you playing Dorthy or are you more of a wicked witch kind of guy.” 

“I’ll have you know I got the MALE lead roll,” Sam protested.

“Wait for real,” Dean said dropping the mocking tone. 

His sincerity made Sam get self-conscious again. “Yeah… look just… dont tell dad ok?”

“Why not I'm sure he’d love to know how you're doing.”

“If he wants to know he can call me himself…”

Dean nods softly even though Sam can’t see it. “Well look, I gotta go for real now but... what day is the play?”

“It's next Friday,” Sam said with a sigh.

“Alright break a leg.”

-----

Sam looked out into the crowd again watching as other kids' parents filed in. He knew Dean well enough to know he would tell their dad despite his wishes but Sam didn’t expect John to actually do anything with the information. Despite that feeling, he couldn't stop himself from scanning the crowd every few minutes while they waited to start. Sure enough, there wasn’t a single familiar face anywhere to be seen.

When it was finally time to start Sam took his position and waited for his queue. Once the curtain finally rose he looked out and that's when he saw him. Not his Dad but one better. His older brother. Dean Rushed in clearly disheveled from not showering after a run-in with a monster. He was standing in the back and breathing heavily from running to get there in time but that didn’t stop him from waving at his little brother when they locked eyes. 

"That was good work you did out there,” Dean said affectionately while ruffling Sam’s hair at the end of the show. 

"Just you?" Sam asked. He didn't have to specify, Dean knew what he meant. Sam was wondering if Dad was coming or had any intentions of coming.

"Just me," Dean responded.

[claraxbarton]

I've Got My Eyes On.... these 10 dudes this season

The (unasked for) list of the 10 NHL players I'm going to be focused on this season. Check below the cut!

But also!!! Who do YOU have your eyes on this season?! Make your own 10 list!!!! Share!!!! I wanna know!

(In no particular order)

Wyatt Johnston, Dallas Stars, the Puppy

This is the last year of his ELC and the Stars aren't in cap HELL but I have concerns about where they will focus their offseason efforts. But that's not about Wyatt, that's my psychosis.

Wyatt had an awesome second season and I am so pumped to see him on a line with Roope and Robo.

------

2. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, that Old Man

Back for, and I know you're shocked, 8.7 million a year. I have absolutely zero confidence the Pens will make it to the Playoffs but I have SO MUCH WANT for Crosby to be in the Playoffs again.

------

3. Matthew Tkachuck, Florida, Master of Psychological Warfare

He has so many exciting dates around the league! Meeting the Bruins again the same night Florida raises their Stanley Cup Champions banner! Playing against Brady and the boys! Playing against the Oilers! Playing against new captain Auston! It's just going to be so. busy.

Also I want them to win again.

Also. I want him to put up an MVP quality season. For reasons.

-----

4. Jo Drouin, Colorado, the People's Princess

He's back, he's healthy, he's already flirting with Nate nonstop.

I fully expect(want/wish) him to be a point per game players this year. 30 goal season - I'm manifesting, what are YOU doing?

------

5. K'Andre Miller, NY Rangers, the Only Guy on that Team (for me)

Dude, I think he's fire. I think he's got another, like, three levels to his game. Yes, I want the Rags to lose, always. But also... i want K'Andre to have an incredible year and get a great new contract (ideally with another team so I can root for him to win).

-----

6. Joey Daccord, Seattle Kraken, The Mayor

I absolutely adore Gru, but I hope this year has Joey and Gru doing an even split in games with the aim of, you know, Joey becoming our #1.

-----

7. Tim Stutlze, Ottowa Senators, Noodle Boy

It would be so. cool. if he kicked ass this year - metaphorical or literal. I'm actually, very cautiously, hopeful for the Senators this season. I want to see this little German boy score some goals.

-----

8. Leon Draisaitl, Oilers, the other German Boy(Man)

He's got the bag, the babe and the boy. I would LOVE if, as a personal favor to me, the Oilers make a nice long playoff run and then choke so we get Cursed Connor and support German Leon again.

But also I want him to GO. OFF. this season. Please and thanks.

------

9. Pierre Luc Dubois, Washington, 17th time is the charm??

As someone also desperately unhappy at my workplace and about to embark on a totally new career, I really need PLD to like, thrive??? survive??? this season. Please my guy.

-----

10. Quinn Hughes, Vancouver, Eldest Daughter

Another season, another chance for our most depressed child to experience the HORRORS.

I kind of just want to see what the Canucks are going to do??this year?? I don't have confidence or faith but I do want them to do well - just like, not better than the Kraken.

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

[tonksiefea]

How I know You|| Original Fantasy Romance

So this is Chapter 1 of a story I've been working on. It's currently 17 Chapters and counting but I'm hitting that point in my process where I want to delete everything and never touch a computer again so I figured I'd got some reasonable people to tell me I'm right! LOL I kid! Thank you to @soinspiredbyyou Who kindly encouraged me to post it Summary: Raziel "Rae" Marsh is an anxious newly published author who moved to a mountain town to escape her loving but overbearing parents. Things get a little complicated when a Fantasy Writer meets a Forest Ranger who starts making her books seem a little more realistic than Fairy Stories ever should.

Chapter 1

“No. Mom, I'm fine. I promise, I’m doing great. You and dad do not need to come get me. I'm an adult. Yes, I’m eating, no I’m not dating anyone, yes the book tour went fine and the new house is beautiful. I even found a coffee shop to work in.” Raziel, who would not share her full name under penalty of death and instead preferred Rae, loved her mother. She really did. 

Rae got a lot of things from her mother. Her red hair, her green eyes, her freckles, her talent for language, and most of all her overwhelming anxiety and worry for the slightest change to her life. 

What she did not get from her mother was the woman’s constant insistence that she find a husband, settle down, and start pumping out children like she needed to single handedly re-populate the earth. That part she could do without. 

It was part of the reason Rae had taken the money from her first successful fantasy book, touted to be the next “Chronicles of Narnia”, and moved to a secluded mountain town in Colorado where the population fluctuated between triple and quadruple digits depending on the season. She much preferred the quiet town life to anything else and she was finally able to live her dream of a quiet secluded life as a hermit writer. 

“Mom, I gotta go! I’m walking into the cafe. I’ll call you when I get home. No, mom I’m going to write. I can't spend my whole time talking on the phone. Because, mother, it’s rude.” Rae rolled her eyes as her mother launched into another tangent that would take forever. “Goodbye Mom. I love you.” She sighed and hung up instantly feeling a surge of overwhelming guilt for hanging up. 

She knew her mom meant well and she loved talking to her but right now Rae just needed some quiet. She needed to delve into the world of her imagination and ignore reality for a good three hours or so with a mug of cinnamon coffee so big people would confuse it for a bowl. 

She took a deep breath of the silence and looked down the streets seeing the one or two off-season tourists that wandered through the town for hiking. Summer was about to end but kids were going back to school and this little town was nearly abandoned. Even most of the locals either lived off the land, or worked in larger cities just down the mountain. Somehow, without her mother’s voice in her ear, anxiety started to well up in her. Something else too. 

For the past year, any time she was alone, she got this feeling but any time she tried to pin it down it ran away. She was sick of trying to chase a ghost but she couldn’t quite bring herself to give up on it either. Something in her soul said this feeling was important and that she had to solve the puzzle. She was pretty sick of the urgent feeling in her stomach and right now was not the time. Anxiety she could handle, the other thing could wait. 

Rae walked into the door of the tiny, eclectic, coffee shop and looked around. She had found it the day before, relieved to find a place that wasn’t a chain. If anyone knew how anxious she always was they would have assumed she was the type to order everything on an app and use self checkout. Except there was a certain charm, in her opinion, about having the sort of social anonymity of having a place she was considered a quirky regular. A place where the barista knew her order and the check out guy knew how to bag her eggs just the way she liked. The sort of pseudo social bond that made it so someone would notice if you went missing but you were still a little bit of an enigma. It was part of why she'd picked such a small town. She wanted that place where everyone sort of knew each other.

Rae walked up to see the same woman from yesterday behind the counter wiping  it down and humming to herself. “Hey! Welcome back! So I guess the coffee wasn’t too bad then?” The woman greeted, warmly. She had a sort of spirit about her that Rae hadn’t found at the cafe near her parent’s house in the giant suburb where nothing really felt local, even the local shops. She loved Burbank, but she was thrilled to be rid of it.

“I loved it, actually. Had to come back and try another one.” Her tone was friendly and she was proud of herself for being able to sound confident even if she didn’t feel it with ehr stomach bubbling and twisting and her heart beating a bit too fast.

“You want the Honey Nut latte again then?” The woman asked, turning to the computer.

“Actually I was looking at the Cinnamon vanilla cappuccino.” She admitted. Rae had a huge soft spot for cinnamon. She loved the sweet and spicy mix. It felt sort of fantastical, like the sort of thing a fairy should drink.

“Oh! Good choice! It’s one of my favorites. Biggest cup I can find?” the barista asked, quoting yesterday. Rae was surprised but she supposed in a small town like this new people always stuck out. Not to mention she was the crazy red head with the coffee addiction that spent half her day writing in the back corner and muttering to herself while she wobbled the table. That probably helped make her memorable.

“Please and thank you!” She said brightly as she pulled out her card to pay. The Barista was quick to process the purchase and say they’d call her name when it was ready and Rae nodded turning to the room to get to work when she was stopped short. 

She looked at her table. Her table, she had quickly decided, was perfect.It had a slight wobble to fidget with when thinking and just enough light that she could see but not too much in the sun as to need to take off her sweater and she could angle her computer just so in order to not get glare. Yes, her perfect little table was another part of the charm and allure of this place. Except right now, her table had a man sitting at it. 

There were plenty of other tables, that wasn’t the problem. The thing was Rae was a creature of habit if nothing else. She liked normal and same and comfortable. She didn’t just want any table she wanted her table. 

She was the kind of person that was one mental breakdown away from having the same outfit in 12 colors just because it was comfortable. Finding a new table once she picked one took time, it took effort. Yes, she’d only had that table once but it was her table! Now her choices were go find a new one: torture! Or talk to the man and ask if he could move: torture!

“Iced Cinnamon honey Latte for Liam!” was called next to her and the man stood up. She quickly averted her eyes to look at the menu pretending she was busy. As soon as he was engaged with the Barista she quickly slipped to the table into the same seat she had been in the day before, thankfully not the one the man had been in, and opened her computer.

“I suppose I don’t mind a little company.” A voice drawled over her. It was deep, and sounded like it was amused, and absolutely terrifying. She looked up to see warm chestnut eyes and a beard and shaggy brown hair and sun tanned skin. He was taller than her but not by much. Other than looking a bit ragged he was just a normal, average guy. So why did she get the instantaneous need to flee? Oh yeah, because she stole his table.

“Oh umm Sorry?” She asked, she tried her best to sound innocent and confused. Maybe if she could play it off well enough he’d just give up and move. It was her favorite table after all. 

Mistakes were clearly made when he sat down in the same seat he had left. “My table.” The statement was simple and plain and was accompanied with a rather self satisfied looking smirk.

“No one was here when I sat down so–” Rae started powering up her laptop and pulling out notebooks hoping it would be enough to stake her claim and scare him off. That was until the man pointed to a black bag resting on the seat next to his. “Oh. I must have missed that. Sorry I can–” She started to get up with tense shoulders and probably too perfect posture.

“There’s plenty of space. I mean the table is meant for like seven people.” It was an exaggeration, but not by much. The big, round table had been useful because she had been able to spread out her notebooks and books and still had about half a table left for cups and plates. “Besides, looks like I won’t be here half as long as you will.” He mused.

He gave a slow look over her bag of books and papers and pens and highlighters, it always looked near to bursting at the seams. His look had her blushing from embarrassment. Then his eyes slowly moving over her face like he was drinking in her appearance. His look had her flicking her eyes shyly down to her keyboard and suddenly feeling very warm in her comfy knit sweater. 

“Thank you. It’s just that this is the perfect table. It’s the right distance from the window to get light but not be too warm or reflect on my screen and it’s got a little wobble that I can play with when I’m thinking.” She explained in a rush. Why was she telling him this? Why did she want to tell this guy everything she’d ever thought? 

She fought the urge to look back up to the chocolate eyes of the man in front of her. She did not do relationships. She had knocked aside every single person who had even looked her way for as long as she could remember. This guy wasn’t even her type! Sure he was handsome in his own way, and he had a great voice but she wanted something else. She just wasn’t really sure what that was.

“Good to know I have good taste.” He said with a tone that had her looking up in panic. It sounded so weighty. Was he complimenting her? That was very daring. “In tables.” He clarified like he could read her mind.

“Right.” She said, nodding and trying to remind herself to breathe. There was no way she was letting this guy get to her. She was just a nervous person. So why was this guy so disarming? Why was he terrifying in a totally different way from every other human she’d ever met? Why did she want to know more about him? “You do. So umm… do you–”

“Cinnamon Vanilla Cappuccino for Rae!” The barista called. Rae nearly tipped her chair over when she shot up like a bottle rocket.

“That’s me!” She called. The Barista, thankfully, just smiled warmly and motioned to her with the coffee. Right she had to go over and get it. “Be right back. Can you watch my stuff?” She asked the mystery man as she, much more carefully, picked her way around her bag and towards the counter. 

She felt so stupid. Genuinely, she felt like an idiot. She had just made a total fool of herself and her anxiety was flaring like crazy. Her heart was pounding a thousand miles a second and her palms were sweating and her stomach was even a little nauseous. She took the coffee and the Barista smiled kindly.

“He’s the last new guy, moved in about a year ago. Nice guy but I’ve never seen him talk to the same person that long.” The barista commented. What was that supposed to mean? Was she special?

“Oh. Yeah well I tried to steal his table so...” Rae trailed off awkwardly. Maybe she should just go home and never leave her house again. She took a sip of her coffee and comfort washed over her body. “Wow.” She breathed for the first time in what seemed like forever. “This is great!” she complimented savoring the sweet and spicy flavor that made her feel magical.

“Told you! It’s my favorite. Enjoy.” The Barista turned in a way that clearly dismissed her.

Ok, so she couldn’t leave until she finished her coffee now. She looked around the empty cafe, empty except for her table that had the guy at it. She tried to pick another place to work but every single one just had too many glaring issues. That one really was her perfect table. So she just had to deal with the guy. Besides, something in her told her that if she moved the guy would just follow. A traitorous part of her loved the idea too.

She moved back to her seat and nodded a greeting to the guy sitting there. “Thanks.” She said putting her coffee down and moving to sit. 

“That’ll be 20 dollars.” the guy said with an impish smile that made her stomach flip uncomfortably and had her flopping into the seat she had just been trying to sit gracefully in.

She was a scared wreck 99% of the time but the other 1% of her personality was all redhead. Instantly her face flared red and rage boiled in her blood. “Excuse me?!” She asked, her chin cocked down and teeth clenched almost as tight as her fists.

Instantly his hands raised in surrender but his face was entirely covered in a smug smile. “Joking.” He assured with a wave of his hands to draw attention to his surrender. “Good to know you’re a fighter though.” He commented, taking a self satisfied sip of his own drink.

A fighter? She was not a fighter! She was a runner and a hider or a freezer at best. His words soothed her somehow though. It was like he was seeing someone completely different than who she was but for some reason she really wanted to be that person. “I just couldn’t believe you thought your services were worth 20 bucks.” She countered. “Maybe Five…cents” Was she teasing him? She was pretty sure she was teasing him. Where had she learned to tease random men in coffee shops?

“Ouch.” He said covering his heart like he’d been wounded but his smile was impossible to miss. It lit his face with an impossibly enchanting glow. She couldn’t take her eyes off the way his eyes crinkled in the corners or the way his laugh lines framed his lips. She ripped her eyes forcefully to her coffee and took a long drink of the soothing cinnamon. She hoped the drink would bring some much needed reality to her boggled mind. “I’d be happy to show you just what my services are worth.” He offered and she caught sight of him wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

A laugh caught Rae by the throat and she nearly choked on her coffee as she snorted. Coffee assaulted the back of her throat and splashed all over her computer screen from her coughing. Oh God she looked like an idiot. “Sorry.” She choked out as she put down her cup and desperately tried to get her breathing and hacking under control.

She looked up to see an empty seat where he had been. He was gone. She tried to insist to herself that she wasn’t sad or upset or anything even remotely like it. She was glad that she had her table to herself. The problem was that inexplicable feeling was instantly back. It was like an itch inside of her ear so deep there was no way to scratch it. She hadn’t realized but for those brief moments talking to this strange man, it had been gone. Now that he was missing it was back. She didn’t know what to make of that. It was like her skin was crawling, looking for something. Her eyes darted around the shop, without her permission, to see where he went.

“Don’t go dying on me, now.” His voice pulled her instantly to look next to her. “I know I’m funny but even I’m not that funny.” He joked offering her a napkin. She tried not to feel relieved seeing his face there smiling like he was hilarious. She reached up taking the napkin and wiped her face as he sauntered back to his seat and dropped himself haphazardly into it. 

“It just took me by surprise.” She insisted, not sure what to do with herself. Why was she so relaxed with this guy around? Why had it felt so cold when she had thought he left? 

All this was a lot to think about and she was supposed to be writing. She winced as soon as she looked at her screen and saw it covered in drips of coffee. That was going to be gross to write through all day. She wiped the screen but it just wiped streaks of cream and sugar across the surface.

“Everything ok there, kid?” His voice called for her attention again. Somehow the nickname, which should have been demeaning, didn’t set her anger ablaze again. It seemed so casual, almost natural. Not that the man in front of her could possibly be too much older than she was. She was in her mid thirties and would probably pin him at around forty, maybe younger.

She sighed in frustration at the streaks on her screen needing to be careful of the LCD screen but there was no amount of wiping that would fix this mess. “Fine it just– my screen is a mess now. So it looks like I won’t get any writing done. My publisher will love that.” She sighed, closing her screen probably a touch harder than she should have.

“Publisher?” He asked with a tilted head. He didn’t really look surprised, which surprised her. She could say he looked vaguely curious, but even that was too strong a word for the expression he was portraying.

“Yeah I um,I guess you could say I’m a writer. Or at least I wrote a book and it got published so, write.” She said instantly, self conscious. This was the part that always felt awkward and wrong. Plus it got two reactions, half the people were so excited they instantly wanted to be her best friend and get a free copy, the other half were patronizing and passed the words off as her  bragging. “Now I’m supposed to write the follow up.” She explained awkwardly. “It’s supposed to be a series.” She was babbling again. “About fairies.” She finished. 

God why couldn’t she have written about something so much cooler? Why wasn’t she writing about dragons or werewolves or even bigfoot! Why was it fairies? He would think she was twelve. Why the hell did she care what he thought?

“Fairies are cool.” His voice was so casual she couldn’t stop herself from looking up with what she was sure was a stupid, hopeful face. 

“Yeah. I mean, I’m not talking like two inches tall with butterfly wings or anything. They’re more like elemental forces. They’re mostly warriors and guardians. It’s not as dumb as it sounds, I swear.” She tried desperately to defend her book and let out an awkward laugh. She was trying not to give into the overwhelming shame and embarrassment she currently felt. 

She never talked about her novels to anyone that wasn’t her mother or her publisher. Even her dad hadn’t actually heard much about her book. She’d given him a copy of the first round of printing but it was still sitting untouched next to his armchair in California. This stranger actually looked interested though. Not even complimentary, not amused and mocking. He was just passively curious.

“What’s it called? I’d love to read it.” He said, taking a slow sip of his iced drink. Why was he drinking an iced coffee? It may not be fall yet but the colder weather had already stolen into the mountains enough that she needed a sweater.

“I have a spare copy at home. Maybe I could bring it to you tomorrow?” She offered.

“I can’t be here tomorrow.” Why was she disappointed by that? She nodded, refusing to let her face fall but either she wasn’t as good at hiding her emotions as she wanted to be, or he was more perceptive than average. “I work on call in the ranger outpost up in the national park. I’m on three days off two. But I’ll be here Friday? Maybe I can pick it up then?” he offered. “Buy you lunch to pay you back for it?” He looked hopeful. That was a surprise. The look in his eyes made it seem like he was holding his breath as much as she was.

“Sounds good. I’ll be here.” She agreed with a shy smile. Had she just agreed to a date? Three days from now she had agreed to a date! Maybe it wasn’t a date. Maybe he was just being nice.

“It’s a date.” He commented with a smirk. Ok so definitely a date.

“Yeah!” She shouldn’t be this excited. She was never this excited. She hated dating. Ever since she got dumped at her ninth grade ball for the class siren by the local captain of the jousting team. ‘Real life terms Raziel!’ she chastised herself. She wrote too much. It was the ninth grade semi-formal and the head cheerleader and the captain of the football team, whom she’d had no business dating anyway.

Her mom always warned her about getting too stuck in her stories. They were always telling her if she wasn’t careful she’d never come out. 

“You want me to see what I can do with that screen?” The man’s voice shocked her out of her self-reflection.

“Huh?” Rae shook her head blinking away the voices fighting behind her eyes and flashes of wings and gossamer. 

The man nodded his head to her closed computer. “Your computer screen. I might be able to clean it off.” He offered. “Can’t let you get behind because of my attempted murder.” He joked.

She laughed even though it wasn’t a good joke and nodded. “Sure.” she said, opening the lid. “All yours.” He took a napkin and pulled a bottle of water out of his satchel pouring a bit onto the end and ran it lightly over the screen. 

Rae watched in awe as the streaks cleared up and dried like he’d used one of her screen clothes instead of a napkin and water. “My hero!” She said with a smile looking over to see his brown eyes right next to her. He was close enough to her she could smell woods and smoke and see little lines decorating his face and disappearing into the thick hair of his beard. It was an alluring image to be sure. Almost made her forget to breathe.

“Liam.” His voice was deep and so sexy and horribly distracting. Clearly she was quiet long enough that he felt the need to clarify. “That's my name. Liam.” That woke her up.

“Right! Sorry! Rae.” She introduced in a rush. 

“Short for…?” He prompted. 

“Something horrible.” She informed flatly.

“It can't be that bad.” He insisted with a smile.

“It really is.”

“What Rachel? Rainbow? Ray of sunshine? Raymond?”

“Raziel.” She burst out if only to stop his insane guesses. She stopped short, her eyes going huge when she realized she had just said her most hated name to a total stranger.

“Hm interesting.” Was all he said. “See ya Friday, Raziel.” He said her name quietly with an impish smile. It was like he was keeping her name a little secret between them. Somehow it didn't sound quite so horrid coming from him which really was a magical thing for him to manage.

“See you Friday, Liam.” She couldn't fight the smile. Her phone started to buzz and she looked down seeing her mom's contact and huffed. Her mother could not know about this. That was not happening. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to stop thinking about it but just the image of her mother learning about the coffee shop forest ranger felt like a threat. A threat she didn’t have time to unpack right now. Those chocolate eyes and the feelings behind them would be unfolded at a later date. For now she had other beasts to battle.

“Hi mom!”

[meeko-mar]

Y'all there was a TORNADO today while I was at work(not literally at my work, but several miles North East of it and if I hadn't been away from my phone, I could have gotten some sick pics of it)

It's only exciting because I've never seen a real live tornado before so this is Baby's First Tornado for me

But also good because no damage reported, as far as I know, it seemed to be out in the open? So pretty much get to admire how cool nature is.

Coworker says because of our location we of course don't get the Big Nasties that you see in tornado alley, ours are more the little practice twisters just as the storm cells come off the mountains.

[foreverdolly]

I-

When u said that u were working on a cowboy fic, i've never screamed that much in my whole life. I woke up my mom with my loud scream (it's currently 11pm here). I'm such a whore for cowboys, so when u said that u were working on cowboy x austin oh my days 😥 ur work >>>

Btw sorry for my bad english (i'm french!)

Love yaa 💗

your english is amazing ! never doubt yourself. i read this perfectly. i never would have known that english wasn’t your first language !

i love that ! hahaha ! apologize to your mom on my behalf. hopefully the upcoming fics will have you screaming again though !

cowboys, when done right, are sexy as hell. this fic is going to be set on a ranch in colorado. this man is going to h.o.t, taking care of his land and looking after his animals. rough, calloused hands and all. and the accent. we can’t forget the accent. born and raised out in tennessee, but moved in his young adult years to start cattle farming.

i’m so excited to post it soon ! thank you so so much ! i’ve been a little self conscious of my writing over the last few days, hence why i haven’t posted anything in a while. i feel like the quality of my work has been kinda dropping. sorry for the lack of content ! i swear that when i do start posting my bigger fics, it’s going to be one after the other. i’m genuinely pumped to share these upcoming stories with you guys !!

love you too, angel !

[the-paris-of-people]

Can we talk about "good friend Eleanor" moments a bit? The way she made Trent realize that he was having a loser reaction to his bsf getting in college and that little moment where she told Devi "for the record sherman oaks devi is great too" or something like that when she was putting herself down while talking about des. Idk it was just very sweet to me. The friend group is so cute they're all good to each other (most of the time).

I absolutely love Fabiola, Eleanor, and Devi all together as friends and it warmed my heart to see them all stick together this season without much conflict between the three of them. I'm SUCH a UN stan. I adore when Eleanor yelled at Trent and made him get it together and thought it was super sweet she was also part of Paxton's college reaction video (which omg Trent being distraught at Paxton's Arizona admission gave me actual life) The Sherman Oaks comment was so sweet too. I also love when Eleanor and Fabiola were so upset about Devi potentially going to Colorado (Eleanor in particular I love her because she's so EMOTIONAL and she feels so much about her friends) and pumped their fists (at first) when Devi said she didn't want to miss any more milestones with them. Other UN moments I loved was Fabiola going with Devi to tell off Des (though 40% of that was to see Addison but still! she's so supportive) And Fabiola confronting Ben about he didn't like how he was mean to Aneesa and Devi in the past. These girls are the best and I just adore their life long friendship and I'm so curious how in season 4 they will navigate saying goodbye!

[the-hoarse-bard]

Yes Man was very forthcoming with the plan to take over Vegas. We'd need to get the chip to him, upload his AI onto it, and then knock off House somehow and use the chip to replace him with Yes Man. As we stepped out of the Tops, though, we were stopped by a man with an oddly large hat. "The eyes of the mighty Caesar are upon you. He admires your accomplishments and bestows upon you his Mark. Come to the fort. We have something you'd want." He handed me some kind of medallion on a necklace.

At a second glance, I recognized the man. The cold eyes and voice trying way too hard to come off as calculated. It was Vulpes, the same legionary I'd encountered at Nipton. Luckily for all involved, he ran off before we could kick his ass. I also realized he probably meant they'd captured Benny. Boone turned to me, "You'd better go alone. Don't know if I could stop myself from opening fire on that many legionnaires." I told him to wait at the Lucky 38 in that case. It'd be just ED-E and me, it seems, and we hit the road.

The Fort was across the Colorado river, and only accessible via Cottonwood Cove south of Novac. Soon enough, we found ourselves back at the 188 without much worth mentioning. It was sunset by the time we got there, and I'd ordered a gecko steak for dinner from the bar. Then, I took notice of a strangely dressed woman standing around one of the tables and decided to strike up a conversation. I do love ED-E, but he's not much fun to talk to.

The strange girl spoke first as I approached, "No offense, but you look like you've travelled a long way down some bad roads. Where'd you come from?" I told her I'd come from Goodsprings, which was, well, half true. She seemed surprised, "Really? Huh, you have come a long way, then. Never been there myself, but I've met a few traders who've passed through. Well, welcome then. I'm Veronica, I live in a hole in the ground." I gave her a look, and she clarified, "Well, a bunker. I like it my way better." I told her that explained why I hadn't seen her last time I'd come through the 188. As we were talking, my steak arrived.

I asked what she was doing out here instead of in her bunker as I cut my steak, "Well, I'm not there much anymore. Usually out here, picking up supplies. I think my family prefers it that way these days. Someone's gotta pick up the groceries, you know?" I nodded as I was still struggling with the tough reptile meat.

Veronica was quiet for a moment, then asked, "So, hey. Can I ask you something on the level?" I looked up at her as I finally finished cutting through the gecko steak, "I had a run=in with a group calling themselves the Brotherhood of Steel. Pretty strange bunch. You know anything about them?" I chewed on my steak as I thought, and responded that I did. They had a reputation behind them of violence, but if you didn't have any dangerous tech, they'd probably leave you alone. She looked relieved, "Oh, good. I can't afford anything like that anyway. Say, where are you headed anyway?" I told her I was on my way to meet an.... Old friend. She responded, "Must be a pretty interesting relationship to bring you all the way out here." I nodded, not wanting to get into the whole Benny story.

I finished up my dinner in short order, when Veronica spoke again, "I'll be honest. You're the first person I've met out here who looks like they can handle themselves. I'll be honest, there are places I want to see that'd be dangerous to go alone. What do you think? Maybe we could travel together." I thought about it and sighed, asking what she was hoping to see, "Nowhere in particular really, just hoping to see more of the world. Get a fresh perspective, see if there's anything I could learn from." Seemed reasonable enough, and I asked what she could bring to the table, mentioning she didn't look like much, "Well, good, that was the look I was going for. Just trust me, you'll be glad you brought me along..." I raised an eyebrow. That was a bit ominous, but judging her by her meager appearance would be a misplay.

I told Veronica she could come if she wanted, and she pumped her fist, "Yes! Don't worry, if I turn out to be a burden, we can split up any time. No hard feelings. Oh! And I should probably mention... I asked you about the Brotherhood of Steel because... I'm one of them." I gave her a shocked look, the Brotherhood hadn't been seen around here in years, "I asked because I had to know how you'd react when I told you. We've made a lot of enemies over the years. You still okay bringing me along?" I told her it was actually comforting knowing she had some kind of combat training, and she pulled out a power fist and slipped it onto her right hand and said, "Thanks for taking a chance on a young girl from California with stars in her eyes and a pneumatic gauntlet on her fist."

That business settled, the sun had set, and we found some spare beds to go to sleep for the night.

[samgirard]

Hi! I'm a bit new here, but what was the drama that went down between duchene and the avs when he was insisting on a trade??¿

oh buddy you’ve asked me to tell you a tragedy

when the avs picked him first in 2009, dutchy was so excited he pumped his fist on camera. every prospect says the team they’re drafted to was their favorite growing up, unless they’re being honest, but matty duchene had receipts and a room full of posters of his childhood heroes joe sakic and patrick roy—who would become his gm and head coach respectively in due order.

he was colorado’s golden boy for years, their top line center and their internal salary cap that drove ror to buffalo. they could blow up the whole team, except for the boy who loved it.

never meet your heroes though, and never let your heroes coach you, especially if your hero is patrick roy. roy came in hot and he got results, getting the avs to the playoffs for the first time since dutchy’s rookie year. but roy as a coach could be described a bit like torts is now, but with even more of a fondness for tyranny. he was temperamental, and punishing, and not afraid to call out his players in public. this was exemplified in 2016, when he went on a tirade about dutchy celebrating too hard after getting his 30th goal after a stint of injury to the press.

things broke bad shortly after that, and years of missing the playoffs, when roy resigned abruptly. the story of patrick roy taking his toys and going home to be king of his own little castle in the q is another long story i’m less equipped to tell. the gist of it that a month before training camp, roy left and took his whole staff with him, leaving sakic and bednar to pick up the pieces.

we don’t like to talk about the 16-17 season as a fandom, and for good reason. it was the worst season in franchise history, starting off bad and ending worse. this was cemented in a lot of people’s opinions when ej, then unquestionably this avs’ best dman, took a shot from tyler seguin to his leg and crumpled to the ice, breaking his fibula and taking any hope for the rest of the season with him. dutchy, seeing this and having made the playoffs twice in his career, asked for a trade the next day.

he knew this wouldn’t be a popular decision in the locker room to say the least, and immediately cleared out his stall and started changing in the player’s room, an arrangement that lasted through the rest of the season and into the next. when ej came back, he, gabe, nate, and tyson made a promise to each other to stick with the team as long as they had a choice.

duchene was finally traded during a game against the isles before they were meant to go to stockholm for the nhl global series to the sens via the preds, netting sam girard, vlad kamenev, shane bowers, andrew “hamburglar” hammond, and the first round pick that would become bowen byram for his trouble. he would still go to stockholm, but for the other team, and get his first two wins against them in sweden. “i just wanted to play playoff hockey,” dutchy said, before the sens crashed and burned and the avs made the playoffs in the most dramatic fashion possible, as they do.

it’s been two years and three teams for dutchy since then, and he’s had a taste of playoff hockey with the jackets—although the avs still won one more game than he did. there’s a lot to respect about what duchene did for this team, and he’s still more av than he is anything else, but the way he left was awkward and messy and it’s been that way ever since—his first actual game back at the pepsi center, he got a pa announcement instead of a video tribute, and he gets as many boos as he does cheers. off the ice, he still trains with nate and crosby when he can over the summer, and he went to gabe’s wedding, but there’s nothing that motivates this team more than absolutely clowning matt duchene on the ice

[abelia-z]

It was a tight fit in the car with him and Koya, not to mention all our stuff.

I sighed, stretching my neck as I drove, softly humming along with the radio. We had hardly said anything to each other when we woke up this morning, but he had volunteered to read the map for me so I didn't have to keep stopping to check where we were supposed to turn.

We had made it to Wyoming a couple hours ago, and I was planning on finding some gas in Glendo.

"So, what did you do before all of this?" He asked, apparently deciding the scenery outside wasn't enough to hold his attention.

I shuffled my shoulders, "Not much, was trying to get into an overseas language program."

"What kind of program?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him shift to fully face me.

"Um... A Korean language program. You take the program in Korea at one of their universities with a student visa,"

"Oh, Korean? What got you into that?" He grinned toothily at me, "Kpop, right?"

I rolled my eyes, "Sure, I like the music. I also like the food and shows."

"That's a given. Were you hoping to find your own kdrama love story over there?" He laughed.

"Nah, I just really thought the language was pretty. I had been trying to learn it on my own for a couple of years but never got very far. So I figured going to the actual country might help. Immersive learning."

"Huh," Was all he said.

Tapping my fingers on the steering wheel I asked, "What did you do?"

"I was an influencer," He said simply.

"Oh? What kind of content did you make?" I didn't know why I felt embarrassed, maybe because he was somebody before social currency stopped meaning anything.

"Oh, uh... Thirst traps, I guess," He mumbled, "I'd just post stuff and people liked my face or my body and I gained a following."

I blinked at the road before awkwardly saying, "Like... modeling, right?"

He brightened, "Yeah, I got a couple modeling gigs out of it."

"So you must of had a big following then,"

"Yeah, a couple million."

I nodded, "Makes sense, you have a nice face."

He laughed, "You think so?"

"Totally," I slowed down to weave around a couple cars abandoned in the middle of the highway, "You even pull off the face tattoos."

He snorted, "Thanks,"

I blushed, trying to figure out if that was a weird thing to have said, "Um, so."

"So?"

"I thought most influencers moved to LA or something. What were you doing in Colorado?"

"I mean, not everyone moves to LA."

I bit the inside of my cheek. Admittedly, I didn't know anything about influencers . Embarrassed again, all I said was, "Oh."

"But yeah, I had moved there." He ran a hand through his hair, looking a little pained, "I was only in Denver for this clothing brand event. Then, all the planes got grounded. By the time I said fuck it and tried to get a rental car to just drive home, there weren't any available. I was stuck and everything just kept getting worse."

I pressed my lips together, "I'm sorry, that must have been scary."

His head popped up and he blinked at me before finally saying, "Yeah, it really was."

We rode in silence a bit more before I found a gas station I decided to try. I tried the pump just to say I did, before I walked into the gas station.

Raiden followed close behind.

[wittywitchybitchy]

Falling Leaves

A Full Moon Playlist for November 2022

A Full Moon Playlist for November 2022

I make a playlist every month of songs that I'm listening to a lot, and then revisit them on the full and new moons of that month next year! These songs can give you a glimpse into my November 2021, where I was clearly in a poppy and generally good mood! Keep reading for notes on why this song is on the playlist and/or a lyric quote that speaks to me.

1 - How It Ends by DeVotchKa

And you already know Yeah, you already know how this will end

2 - Thank You For The Music by ABBA

Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing Thanks for all the joy they're bringing

3 - Lil Bit by Nelly and Florida Georgia Line Discovered this song via the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the only Thanksgiving tradition I care about.

4 - Gimme more by Britney Spears There's a lot of Britney on this playlist and here's why: I went to a roller skating event in honor of Britney winning her court case and finally being free. These are all songs I skated to while there. :-)

5 - Footloose by Kenny Loggins

You're burning, yearning for some Somebody to tell you That life ain't passing you by I'm trying to tell you It will if you don't even try

6 - Calling All the Monsters by China Anne McClain

If you're only dreaming Why I hear you screaming?

7 - Du hast by Rammstein I host trivia weekly at a dive bar in a nearby mountain town and whenever a song I play while I host gets a good crowd reaction I add it.

8 - My Own Worst Enemy by Lit

It's no surprise to me, I am my own worst enemy 'Cause every now and then, I kick the living shit out of me

9 - Timber by Pitbull and Ke$ha

It's goin' down, I'm yellin' timber

10 - All The Small Things by blink-182 There was no way for me to know at the time, but this song always plays at Colorado Avalanche games during the 3rd period when the Avs are winning. It became the anthem of their Stanley Cup run, so I guess you could say this was foreshadowing.

11 - The Anthem by Good Charlotte Heard this one at an Avs game and the crowd was feeling very musical. It was a fun sing-along.

12 - I'm a Slave 4 U by Britney Spears #FreeBritney

13 - That's Not My Name by The Ting Tings

They call me quiet But I'm a riot

14 - Lucky by Britney Spears #FreeBritney

15 - Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People

He's got a rolled cigarette Hanging out his mouth, he's a cowboy kid

16 - ...Baby One More Time by Britney Spears #FreeBritney

17 - Carried Away by Passion Pit

I don't really know you And I don't think I want to But I think I can fake it if you can

18 - Fancy Like by Walker Hayes and Ke$ha I low-key love the original Fancy Like so I was just really excited to hear Ke$ha guest on a single version

19 - Circus by Britney Spears #FreeBritney

20 - I Don't Want It At All by Kim Petras I've been listening to Kim Petras for YEARS and was very excited to see her perform at the Macy's Parade.

21 - Are You Happy Now? by Michelle Branch This time last year I'd finally achieved a lot of goals I'd set out for myself, but I'm the kind of person who is just never satisfied and needs to seek out new goals once I achieve them. So this song really resonated with me a year ago, and it resonates with me now.

22 - The Killing Moon by Echo & The Bunnymen

Fate Up against your will Through the thick and thin

23 - Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

I raise my flags, don my clothes It's a revolution, I suppose We'll paint it red to fit right in

24 - Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day

As my memory rests But never forgets what I lost

25 - The Girl from Ipanema by Stan Getz, João Gilberto, and Astrud Gilberto The "office manager" has her office right across from my cubicle and she was listening to this song one day last year. I love this tune, but also I had yet to realize I did not like her.

[the-firebird69]

Alabama subsequently fell and most of what he's talking about is ruined we're going to raise Galactus there and Galactica it's different ones but we're going to raise them and we're going to put new capitals in I'm going to start doing that in states to control them and doing it now

Thor Freya

I have several of the Midwest and they already have new capitals. The move in on others and we take them over I'm going to do this now.

Frank Castle Hardcastle

There's a huge discrepancy between what's going on here right now and what's being told and you're having a say it so I'm having them play after you personally

Hera

Tons of threats on him so again the negate them all it's a lot of work and we're going to take care of it

I'm ordering all up and we're going to pump out of this stupid state we're going to take everything out of it again it's huge assholes please don't just like 5 seconds of air and take it all out

Thor Freya

Issuing the order now

Olympus

[trulyowenfree]

Why Norwood Fisher might think I'm the Devil!

  Well, after that random roadside run-in with Johnny Knoxville (see my last blog entry), you can bet I was ready and gunning! With game stickers in hand, and the tie-straps of my backpack (it's an old olive-green canvas military one) halfway undone, so I could get into it quick. Even though it's not what I expected when I went to LA, or certainly not what I went there for, serendipitously meeting one mega-celebrity had me vow silently to myself...that the next one wasn't gonna get away so easily. After such a huge 'defeat' I decided very firmly, that if I ran into any more celebrities on that tour, like Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, or even Crispin Glover...then I was gonna make darn sure that I at least got a book into their hand. And hopefully even tell them something about my TV and Movie ideas. Though of course...I also really didn't think any of that kinda stuff was gonna happen again. Not to goofy old me anyway. But, if you are a True Fighter like I am, then every defeat you get handed is only an excuse to fight harder, and so that's exactly what I did. I hit those sweet old LA streets the very next day! Right back out there, trying to make my own Luck! And I even put that lucky Devil Pin on my hat (the one I found on the train down from Seattle) to see me safely through the city. This time I caught the train out to Santa Monica, and planted stickers all around the college. Then I hit the library and handed out some more fliers until the cops started looking my way, and you can say whatever you want about the folks in Los Angeles, but most of them are at least half-friendly. I mean, nobody threw the fliers back at me or anything, but no one really seemed like they cared a whole bunch either, and I even found a few of them cast down onto the ground around the corner, like brightly colored leaves that had just fallen off the Give-a-Damn Tree. So of course I picked them up, because nobody likes a litter bug...and they also have a link to my website, right there on the front. Next I rented another scooter and cruised down the beach-path through Venice, and on to Marina Del Rey, where boy-oh-boy do they got boats! My skull and crossbones stickers didn't look out of place at all either. Not there among all the sailboats and mega-yachts. Like any minute now a group of Real Pirates might shamble down the sidewalk and invite me out to lunch or something. Or maybe even rum, but I only drink coffee now.

I stopped off at the library there too, and people seemed very responsive when I told them about my books and handed them a flier. People who live on boats tend to be a literate lot, since cruising often has a bunch of down time to it, and books don't eat up your batteries. So a well stocked library is a fine addition to any good vessel, and especially books about pirates and treasure, or even just a few short sea tales, or traveling to another country. After Marina Del Rey I headed back to Venice, and my dear readers...I have to tell you...that place is kind of a Heartbreak now. It used to be one of the most magical parts of the Los Angeles metro area, or am I wrong? More than many other places in the City of Angels...Venice will make you feel like any second you might become famous. Like any given moment you and Roller Skate Guitar Guy might end up on the big screen, or that some big producer might spot you loitering by old Muscle Beach and ask you to be in their film. And the Boardwalk... But now...in late 2018...the whole neighborhood smells like some kinda' thrown-away-dirty-hippie-super-polluted-gutter-punk-Hemp-Fest; with two-block long piles of garbage, and super depressing homeless encampments in almost every alley. Even all along the main sidewalk at the beach, like nobody cares at all anymore, or like The Desolation has just gotten so far out of hand now, that there just is no way to ever catch up again. Like there really never was a way to take care of everyone, and we are all on our own now. Welcome to Hell. And don't get me wrong either, I'm not against Marijuana legalization or even Weed itself, but when it's all you can smell all day, and there are kids and families around, but so many crowds of heavily unwashed people (who are obviously the ones smoking it, right out in the open)...well...it just doesn't have the attraction it used to for me. Which is totally fine actually. I've been meaning to quit anyway, and the outside thought that it might lead me (back) to a life on the streets someday...is a clear and easy deterrent. Nobody wants to be a smelly old street bum. No matter how high or drunk you get all day. But I was just being dramatic above. Ganja by itself will probably never force a person out into a life of blatherskite level homelessness, but it's still a good idea to be careful. I bought myself a new hat from one of the vendor booths along the main drag. A distressed-looking ball cap with the big brown bear from the California flag riding an even bigger bright green surfboard. Then I went to find myself something decent to eat, away from all the smells and commotion. Which wasn't as hard as I am making it sound really, because Venice, California is still one of the hippest, coolest, and most interestingly flavorful places on the planet, so I ducked into one of the many colorfully decorated breezeways off the main boardwalk and found a cute little one-of-a-kind coffee shop to get a sandwich from. Two fried eggs on good wheat toast, with broccoli sprouts and feta cheese...and yes oh yes I poured a whole bunch of hot-sauce on there too. Then, what was shaping up to be a super-fine day turned into an even brighter one, because when I stepped back out into the courtyard a long thin and lovely Mocha-skinned lady was sitting at one of the tables underneath a brightly colored canvas umbrella, and she smiled really wide and toothily at me when I looked her way, so I walked right over and sat down next to her. I guess I must have looked like Mr. Confidence about the whole thing too, because she even cleared all her papers and books over to one side of the table, just so I could put my plate, cup, and backpack down. But, if you've ever read anything else I write, then you know darn well I was actually coaching myself through each and every played-out moment, like: “Oh man, you're doing good, Free...don't screw it up. Just keep your cool and do not let her know how fine she really is. Holy crap! Look at those...cheekbones. Ah ha ha ha!!” (Look, I'm really only asking your opinion here, but do you guys think it means a person is clinically crazy...if they laugh out loud at their own jokes---but only inside their own head...a lot? OK...maybe even all the time. Well? Huh? Does it? Wha'd'ya think? And...what about if it echoes?)

Her name was Nadia and she said she lived over in Inglewood, but liked to come out to the beach to visit her mother in her condo. She reminded me of a dancer as we talked, with quick graceful movements of her long lovely hands, and an evil-sweet toothy smile that could melt the paint right off a gas pump from fifty yards away. Nadia smelled like some kind of bright purple flower too, so I leaned in close as we spoke, just to breathe in as much of her as I could. And she didn't seem to mind at all. “So what brings you out here to LA? You come down to try some of this Cali bud? Shit'll knock you right out if you ain't careful...” “No honey, I'm visiting from Colorado, and we have all the Weed you could ever ask for. It's like going to Baskin Robbins or something; 33 flavors in every store. I'm actually out here on a book tour, to promote my new Treasure Hunt Game. I write coffee-table adventure books, and if you solve the puzzles inside...you could be the first to find my Hidden Pirate treasure.” I took out a copy of the first book, and I even had a couple copies of Three Short See Tails with me too, so I laid them out on the table for her to look through, while I bragged about myself some more. But don't be trying to judge me for it either. You would have pulled all the stops out for this girl too. I mean it y'all...she was fine! And the sizzling hot idea of me scoring even one of her Cappuccino kisses made it seem like the whole rather uphill tour might just pay off after all. Yes! “So you're a real shipwreck treasure hunter? Wow! Man, my horoscope even said I was gonna meet somebody interesting today, but I didn't know it was gonna be someone like you. This must be our lucky day.” The way Nadia looked at me right then, with just a bit of flush to her cheeks, and dilated auburn eyes, let me know she really meant what she said, so I took her beautiful brown hand and moved myself even closer, suddenly feeling a whole lot warmer in the cool December air. “I actually have to get going right now, Babe. I'm out here today doing a bunch street-level promo work for my website, and I want to cover as much ground as possible before dark. Sunset comes kinda early this time of year, though not nearly quite as bad as up in the mountains, but I want to try and hit the gym before dinner too. Do you think maybe we could meet up later? If you're not busy...” “I actually am busy tonight.” As she picked up my phone and started typing her number into it. “I have my kids this evening, but we could go out tomorrow night if you are still around. I'd love to show you all the local sights.” She gave me another one of those smolderingly fantastic LA Woman looks, and let it linger even longer just to punctuate her last sentence, so my dumb old heart fell right into it. Pounding so loudly now at the thought of what 'sights' she might have been exactly referring to, that I was totally sure sweet Nadia might even hear it. So I gathered up all my things as calmly as I could and excused myself quickly, before I fumbled and failed, but then made sure to steal a kiss from her velvety fragrant cheek as I walked away. Just in case it was all a dream. Out on the sand again, I ran into a regular looking middle-aged guy running an expensive looking metal detector back and forth across the golden cinnamon sand. We met over by the graffiti walls, near Old Muscle Beach. I stopped him to talk, and he was very friendly, especially when I told him about what I was out there doing, and that I was a detectorist too.

“Yeah, I actually live up there in Ventura, but we come down here on the weekends and do really well sometimes. One weekend me and my partners found six-thousand dollars worth of jewelry. Not too bad for only the cost of a tank of gas! But I sure would like to get down there to Florida some day though. I bet I could really clean up.” I asked him (I think his name was Jonah) if it was OK for me to put a picture of him on my blog, and he said it was no problem at all, so here you go sir, and Good Luck: Next I stopped by the book-store in Venice, to try and consign my work, but the buyer wasn't in so I made my way over to the Santa Monica Pier, sticking my skull-and-crossbones Treasure Hunt stickers everywhere I went in between. On the backs of signs, on light-posts, dumpsters, newspaper stands, and especially onto any pieces of graffiti I really liked. Though of course one has to wonder at the possible efficacy of a sticker-marketing campaign...in a place so very sticker-polluted as Venice. Like everybody who has access to a printer and a pack of label-paper tried to leave their mark at one time or another, but at least I'm not the only one. Santa Monica was totally crowded that day too, since it was a Saturday. Just imagine a half-crushed case of sardines thrown down into a trash compactor, then getting squashed by some gigantic falling boulder. I mean it. We could barely move! And then a box of canned peas and carrots showed up on the very next train. So it was packed! I put up with it long enough to fight my way out to the end of the pier. And I was lucky enough to spot a long silver sea-lion playing around in the foam while waiting around for a fish. The ocean was green and cool-looking, with long strands of red-blue Kelp undulating around the barnacle crusted pilings, and the sounds of carnival rides and screaming children hung in the air like diurnal sonic fireflies. If there even is such a thing.

And it sure is funny how the dank and briny smell of the sea goes so perfectly well with the savory floating scent of hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy. Sorta like mermaids and pirates holding hands. They're not even of the same World really at all, but still somehow just seem naturally made for one another. The sun was getting low in the sky by that time, so I walked into the shopping district on the bluff, to go get some weight-lifting in before dark. I'm not a beef-head or anything either, in case you were wondering, or a gym-nut, health-freak, or even all that into the whole thing really, but I started going to the gym last winter (in Colorado) to keep from falling asleep when the sun went down (at 4pm), and fell totally in love with what a half-hour-a-day on the weights does for my overall energy levels. Plus I have a few deep nagging joint-injuries, from being a construction worker most of my life, and whatever beneficial chemical it is that weight-lifting releases into my body...does absolute wonders for all that stuff too. So yes, I highly recommend it, and especially after you work at a physically demanding job all day. Because then you get the real benefit. Going to the gym, or running, biking, surfing, or even playing sports after you bust your hump outside all day...is like putting the icing...on a steak. Plus, higher-end public gyms generally have really nice showers and saunas in them too, so I walked out of there feeling like a Movie Star or something. Ready to take on the World...again!

The cool evening air felt amazing on my clean and freshly-worked body, while the wafting smells of food and cigars decorated the Santa Monica streets, and I was breathing it all in deeply. I stopped at a food vendor across the street in the park on the high bluff (forgot the name), then leaned on the cement balcony and watched the lights out on the pier as I devoured three more very heavenly tacos.  I walked toward the train feeling very satisfied, and was just about to call up Nadia to make the whole day complete, when I looked to my left and noticed a couple walking leisurely beside me, which seemed out of place in the Saturday evening bustle. The man turned towards me a bit so I could see his face better, and I couldn't believe it! It was Norwood Fisher; the bass player and founding member of Fishbone!! “Excuse me sir, is your name Norwood?” “Yeah, that's me.” He replied with a wry little smile. His date was a cute and tiny surfer chick, with shiny blue eyes and a bob-style haircut. She seemed especially amused that her date was getting recognized, so they stopped right there in the middle of the sidewalk, just to talk to me. I immediately pulled up my shirt-sleeve, to show him my Fishbone fore-arm-tattoo, and told him “My name is Truly Owen Free, and I've been a Fishbone Soldier (it's what they call their fans) for a really long time now. We've actually met before. A couple times, and in different towns around the country...but I'm sure you meet a lot of people....” “Well alright! That's very cool man! What you up to this evening?” “Oh I'm just out walking the city and promoting these books I've been trying to write.” As I reached for my trusty backpack. “Would you mind if I gave you one? I think you'll like it.” I handed him a sticker too, then pulled out a copy of How I Became a Real Pirate, and he took that graciously too, but I have to go ahead and tell on myself again, when I say that I was making another mistake right there. And it was because of that stupid Starstruck thing again. Norwood Fisher is one of the most down-to-Earth Rock Stars you could ever want to meet, but for some stupid reason I was getting nervous while I talked to him. I guess part of it is I feel weird for treating someone special, but I was also interrupting his date. It was all inside me though. I was the only one having a problem. If I had been paying better attention I would have realized he was ready to have a real conversation, and was genuinely interested in what I had to say, but of course I assumed otherwise, and I really can't tell you why. But I did manage to spit out, “Yeah, I'm on a multi-city promo tour for my two new books. I'm riding the trains around the country and trying to generate some sales. Grass roots style! Street level.” “Well that's the way we do it!”, as he turned the book over a couple times, to check out the cover. The copy I gave him was the older out-of-print version too (see my Amazon account); with the black cover and only the skull and crossbones on the front, and the somewhat-sinister sub-title that only comes with the full-length novel. And I don't know if it was the very piratical cover that spooked him, or if he was picking up on my nervous vibe, but when Norwood looked up again...he gave me a cock-eyed taken-aback guard-dog look, like he wasn't too sure about me now. Like he had noticed something new about me, which he hadn't seen before, so maybe now he better put his guard up. And of course that just made me even more nervous, so I said “Thank you Norwood. Hope you enjoy it, and there's links to my site inside. You guys have a good night.”, then walked away quickly, before I made it worse. I walked backwards through the crowd, away from the train (?!), so I could cross the street and not seem like I was following them. But then when I started walking up the opposite side, I looked over...and they were walking parallel to me across the busy street. Norwood just happened to look my way at the same time too, and we even met eyes...so now it looked even more awkward! Like I was stalking them, and trying not to look like it! Celebrities are so weird. Of course I called my friend Terrence back in Tarpon City, just as soon as I was on the train. He's the only other person I know who is as big of a Fishbone fan as I am, so I just had to let him in on the story. “Are you serious? And you met him in LA?! Oh man, you are out there living life, my brother Truly! I wish I could be out there with you. And you say you even gave him one of your books? That is amazing. I bet he's gonna like it.” “Yeah Terrence, I can barely believe it just happened, and I was there. I totally screwed it up though. He was being really cool, and I think he even wanted to keep talking, but then I made him nervous or something. And I totally gave him the wrong book too. I gave him a copy of the pirate one, but should have totally given him Three Short See Tails. It even has Fishbone glyphs in it, from my tattoo, but I got all nervous again. I'm such a Starstruck little kook!” “Ahhh, don't be so hard on yourself buddy. At least you're out there trying, and it sounds like luck is on your side, if you ask me. Maybe you'll run into him again, or even somebody else. So you should just keep right on doing what you're doing. But hey listen I gotta run. I'm at work right now, and somebody might have a heart attack if I don't pay attention to these monitors, so let me get back to you later. Good to hear from you, bro. Keep on truckin'!”

But you know I still beat myself up, all the back to my vacation rental, which was really just a bunk in a tiny bedroom...with four other people in it. Not even a hostel really. Just some guys house he was paying off by running an Air-BnB mill. Pretty good trick really, and you would probably meet all kinds of people. Hmmm... I got back to the room about eight, and was feeling so low I decided to call it an early one. I put my bag in a locker and was just about to hang my hat up when I noticed the shiny red Devil Pin winking at me in the lamplight. “Oh! That's probably what freaked him out! Norwood saw the black sinister book cover, and the devil pin...and thought I was The Devil himself or something. Especially with my weird old name, and especially here in LA. 'Cuz I'm sure The Devil has a house around here somewhere. Probably a few...” Fishbone has some pretty strong ties to the Gospel community, and are known to be mostly good and spiritual people too, so maybe Norwood thought I was some kinda evil weirdo trying to get at him. Or at least that's the best I could figure. And that really sucked. What another major fail! Just trying to do something good, but I ended up freaking out someone I wanted to get closer to. Dammit! I vowed right then and there...to go to the very next Fishbone show and explain myself. But if you are an adventurer too, then maybe you should check out my armchair treasure hunt. Bet you can't crack the code. Copyright 2020 Truly Owen Free. All rights reserved. Read the full article

[emeebee]

Dude those quilts are pretty cool! I really love that Gandalf one. The belt is so unique??? And I see what you mean about that last one. There is so much artistry that's hidden in the quilt. How much of the solar eclipse will you be able to see tomorrow? I'm a few miles from the path of totality so that's gonna be cool! Do you have any exciting plans for this week? School starts back up for me, but that's not exactly exciting lol. Stay awesome! ~PHP

Re solar eclipse: I honestly don’t know? I’m a bit too far south for prime viewing but there was talk last week of sneaking up to the roof at work to look at it. But I honestly don’t care that much? Which is probably more due to ignorance than anything else. But. 

I am gonna try to go over to a friend’s house sometime this week - they normally host game night on Saturday’s but didn’t hold it yesterday and I’m feeling really antsy and lonely and moody and I just want friends and they seem to like me and miss me so HOPEFULLY. And then on Saturday is the work day up at the cabin. I say cabin and people thing “Colorado. Cabin! FANCY!” It isn’t. It’s, like, 100-200 square feet and has an outhouse and a water pump and no electricity or phone signal. But ‘we’ are gonna put in new floors. I say ‘we’ because my dad’s whole side of the family is invited and we will probably end up with 10-20 people up there and I’m certainly not planning on sardine-ing myself into the tiny cabin with people with tools. But there’s also going to be lunch and family fellowship and I don’t know? But I’m pretty sure my presence is expected so. 

I always loved the start of school. That first week of new classes and school supplies and people and in college new dorm room set-up... And then after the newness wore off it was boring. But. Good luck! Study good! Be educate! Very!