#i was unpacking bags of baking soda

[lampmanliveblogs]

The Owl House Incorrect Quotes #1

Teacher: ”I must say, so far, the general reading and listening comprehension in this class has, if you’ll excuse my language, been piss-poor.”

Luz: ”How dare you say we piss on the poor!?”

[ladykailitha]

A Love Connection Part 8

Can you believe we have finally reached the end? It has been an absolute blast going through this with all of you. With any luck (fingers crossed) Next week will also have another special story come out next Tuesday, the sequel to Icarus (metal band) so that I can get it out before Halloween.

In this we had the end of Steddie's date, the end of the episode and cute little reunion epilogue. (which may or may not have a 9-1-1 joke)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

~

Once they had walked off their breakfast and was getting hungry for lunch, Eddie was given a picnic basket and cooler by the crew and they drove out to the park for their picnic.

They sat on opposite sides of the park table as Eddie unpacked everything. There were turkey sandwiches with avocado slices and ranch dressing. There were sour cream and onion potato chips, brown sugar baked beans, and homemade potato salad.

He then pulled out black cherry soda from the cooler and his favorite beer. Steve was instantly endeared further.

“Your bestie is an absolute hoot, by the way,” Eddie said, opening the bag of potato chips.

Steve grinned around his first bite of sandwich. “She’s like that. I don’t know what I would do without her.”

“Not be on this game show for a start,” Eddie teased.

“I’m not surprised she told you about that,” Steve huffed in good humor. “Did she also tell you that technically the whole queer dating season is my fault?”

“You mean your absolutely brilliant and amazing idea?” Eddie said grinning back. “Too much wine and you get really cute, according to her.”

Steve buried his head in his hands and ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah. I’m a silly drunk.”

“Well, rest in peace Garfield,” Eddie said, “your death has brought me the best boy I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. To Valhalla!” He raised his beer and Steve clanked his soda bottle against it.

“He was a good fish,” Steve said solemnly. “I have a cat named Odie now.” He pulled out his phone and flipped to his photos. He handed the phone to Eddie.

“He’s adorable,” Eddie cooed. “My uncle is a huge Garfield fan. He collects mugs and his most prized possession is a Garfield head one.”

Steve grinned. “I’ve people give me flack for naming the fish Garfield and the cat Odie, but fish don’t last long enough in Garfield to have names. And Odie isn’t an orange tabby, so that wouldn’t work for him.”

“Makes sense,” Eddie said nodding his head. He took a bite of his sandwich. “Much better than Subway. I had a lot of fun making everything.”

Steve paused mid bite. “Wait? Really?”

“Yup!” Eddie said. “The potato salad and beans are my uncle’s recipe.”

“They’re really good.”

Eddie blushed and hid behind a lock of hair.

They talked about Eddie’s uncle, Wayne and all of Steve’s kids. Then it was time to pack up. They played at the playground a bit just being silly.

“Now,” Eddie said, after tackling Steve to the ground, “I understand this town doesn’t have minigolf, but it does have bowling and an arcade that has managed to survive the digital era, so what will it be?”

Steve thought about it for a moment. “The arcade. The flashing lights at the bowling can give me a migraine.”

“Score!” Eddie cackled gleefully. “I was hoping for the arcade.”

It was that moment that he realized how close their faces were. He leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss to Steve’s mouth.

“Oh,” Steve stuttered when Eddie pulled back. “Wow. That was amazing.”

Eddie smiled widely. “An amazing kiss for an amazing guy.”

Steve knocked out Eddie’s arms and rolled them over, pinning the other man’s arms above his head. He straddled Eddie’s waist and looked down at him fondly. “Gotcha!”

Eddie surged up and kissed him.

Then there was a cough and Steve sprang off of Eddie, looking kinda sheepish. “I kinda forgot about the cameras there,” he said helping Eddie to his feet.

Eddie smiled, smoothing out Steve’s hair. “It’s all right.”

They got back into the car drove to the arcade. They played all sorts of games, they raced each other, played skee ball, Steve even shot a few hoops to win them extra tickets. Tickets they turned in for two matching tiger plushies.

“Hobbes,” Steve said pointing to Eddie’s, “and Tigger.”

“I approve!”

~

Dinner at Benny’s blew Eddie’s mind as much as Big Ma’s blew Steve’s. He loved everything about it. Including Benny.

Steve couldn’t remember having a date that went this well before in his life. They never ran out of topics to talk about and he was going to have to admit that he was falling a little bit in love.

Finally the date was drawing to a close and it was time for Eddie to ask his questions. They had gone up to the Quarry and set it up for them to sit on the hood of Eddie’s car on a blanket.

“All righty!” Eddie said pulling out cue cards. “First question, who was your first kiss?”

Steve smiled. “A girl named Alice. It’s when I learned it was strictly boys for me. Up to that point I had held on to hope that I was bisexual so that my dad wouldn’t kick my ass. Still dated women in a futile attempt to force myself. But once I got to college, I dropped the pretense.”

“Oof,” Eddie said. “I felt that. My dad was a homophobic asshole too. He came out of the woodwork briefly when I got famous enough to be in the news. But I sent him packing.”

“I think that’s what upset my parents the most,” Steve huffed, “was that I didn’t chose a job that they could depend on after they retired to mooch off of.”

“I hear you,” Eddie said. “Second question, have you played D&D?”

Steve burst out laughing. “No, I had sex in high school,” he said quoting that TV show.

Eddie held his hands to his chest. “Are you suggesting that I didn’t? For shame! Dishonor on you, dishonor on your cow!” He moved to get up but Steve grabbed his wallet chain and dragged him back down.

“You’re ridiculous,” Steve said, his cheeks beginning to hurt from all the smiling. “I like that.”

Eddie beamed at him. “Yay!”

Steve kissed him on the cheek and he blushed.

“Third question,” Eddie said shyly, “What’s your favorite cartoon series?”

Steve hummed as he thought about it. “Avatar: The Last Airbender. There is just something so good about that show.”

“Yes!” Eddie crowed. “Secret Tunnel, Secret Tunnel!”

Steve laughed. “Or when Sokka got poisoned by the cactus juice?”

“I loved that,” Eddie said, bumping their shoulders together. “What is your favorite quote?”

“Shit, shit, shit, fuckity, shit, shit, fuck and willy. Willy, shit and fuck and...tits,” Steve said with a completely straight face.

Eddie giggled. He stopped to look at Steve in shock and awe and then he giggled again. It just bubbled out of him. “Where the hell is that from? Clearly I’m not watching the right movies, damn.”

“The King’s Speech,” Steve said with a huff of laughter. “It’s about the Duke of York, who had a stammer and was suddenly made king of England when his older brother abdicates.”

“You’ll definitely going to have to show me that one,” he said with a grin. “It sounds fun.”

“It’s not all swearing,” Steve said with a giggle. “It was a scene about his speech therapist trying to get him to swear so that he understands it’s all in his head.”

“Still,” Eddie replied fondly. “If you like it, I still want to see it.” He cleared his throat. “Last question.”

Steve took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Who had the better date, me or Billy?” Eddie asked shyly.

Steve kissed him. “I’ll tell you that in terms of kisses, he only got two. A kiss at the questions portion and again at the door to my hotel room. Now, how many kisses have you gotten?”

Eddie’s eyes twinkled. “I think I lost count.”

Steve kissed him again. “Me too.”

“I hope I’m not being presumptuous,” Eddie murmured, “but I got you a present.”

“Oh?”

Eddie hopped off the hood and opened the trunk. He got out a large white box and brought over to Steve. He handed it to him as he clambered back onto the hood.

Steve opened it up and there nestled the white tissue paper was a lingerie set. It was pink chiffon and white lace. It was a babydoll top and matching bottoms. It wasn’t a thong for which Steve was grateful.

“Eddie it’s beautiful,” he whispered. “I love it.”

Eddie smiled broadly. “I’m glad.” He paused for a moment. “I have a small confession. I’m not a sports fan. The college basketball team was literally pulled out of my ass. I didn’t lie, I used to watch it with Uncle Wayne...”

“But you’re a nerd?” Steve teased.

“Yuck it up, pretty boy,” Eddie said dryly. “But, yes.”

Steve bumped their shoulders together. “I have a small confession too. Or maybe not so small, depending you.”

“Wha’cha got?”

Steve bit his lower lip and lift the box a little. “I’ve never done anything like this before. I wanted to see how Billy would react.”

“Oh.”

“But seeing it here, with you,” he continued, not looking up. “I want it, with you. I want to be your princess.”

Eddie carefully removed the box from Steve’s hands and moved off to the side. Then he tackled Steve again showering him with kisses.

“Come on back to my hotel room, sweetheart.”

“I’d love to.”

~

“Welcome back to the ‘Love Connection’,” Bob said. He had changed suits into a nice dove grey one with a silver tie.

Steve was off to one side, while the three Suitors were on a large white sofa.

“Eddie was a runaway favorite leaving the question round,” Bob continued. “Did Billy’s date go well enough for a second date?”

Steve shook his head. “He was charming and sexy, but I don’t think we clicked.”

Billy nodded his head back and forth. “I’d agree, I was hoping for someone a little more adventurous and daring. Someone with hidden depths.”

“Ouch!” Bob winced. “Please tell Eddie fumbled somewhere. Like does he drool in his sleep or have a vodka aunt who is way too invested in his sex life? Something!”

Steve laughed. “I’m afraid not. Eddie was goofy and silly and as one of my students wisely said, the right person for the right now.”

“Wise kid,” Bob said softly. “So overwhelming in favor of Eddie Munson?”

“Very much so!”

Bob turned back to audience. “And there you have it. Join us next time for Tina Peterson, and her three lovely Suitors, Daren, Emily, and Carol.”

~

When he got home, he had Eddie’s number and promise that Eddie would come down from Chicago to be with him, he just had to do a few things first.

The first episode wouldn’t air until October, so they had to be discreet, but it was nice to have someone he knew was waiting for him.

They had to do a little reunion filming to see if they were still together and if Steve wanted to change his answer.

“Steve welcome back to ‘Love Connection,” the host, Bob said cheerfully. “Why don’t you tell us about what’s been going on in your life?”

“Hey, Bob,” Steve said with a smile. “I’m actually glad to be back. I went on a sabbatical from work after the school year ended.”

“What’s a sabbatical?” Bob asked, cocking his head to the side.

“It’s paid leave,” he explained, “usually in colleges and the like, but basically for a year, I can take time off to focus on other things, but my job will still be there when I get back.”

“Nice.”

“I took it because I appeared on here,” Steve said wryly. “Nothing against the show, but it is a little racier than most schools like for their teachers. This way, the show will air and by the time all the dust settles I can go back to my job.” He shrugged. “If I want to. I haven’t really decided yet.”

“Smart,” Bob agreed. “Tell us about that adorable kitten of yours.”

They flashed up a picture on screen of Odie still tucked under his chin, but much bigger.

“Yeah,” Steve said with a grin. “We found that he’s probably a Maine Coon. Which if you know anything about the breed, biiiiigggg cat.”

“Will he get bigger?” Bob asked his eyes wide.

“Most likely,” Steve replied. “They stop growing at eighteen months.”

“Damn!” He turned to the Suitors. “Gentlemen. Welcome back.”

All three of them murmured their hellos.

“Let’s start with Tommy,” Bob said. “Tell us about what you’ve been up to.”

“I moved to LA and am working full time at a firehouse,” Tommy said with a blush.

The audience oohed as they flashed up a picture of Tommy in his gear with some of his fellow fire fighters.

“Congrats!” Bob said.

“I have a boyfriend, too,” Tommy said. “His name is Evan Kincade and he’s the one on the left of me.”

“Well then!” Bob said brightly. “That’s a first for our show. A discarded Suitor finding love on their own. Well done.”

Tommy blushed. “Thanks.”

“All right, Billy,” Bob said, turning to the man in the middle of the sofa. “Tell us about your last six months.”

Billy brought up one leg and showed off an ankle monitor. “Got into a fight in a bar over a piece of ass that I didn’t know was taken. So I’m teaching youths how to surf as part of my community service. That means I lost sponsors and couldn’t compete outside of LA. But I’ll be back at it next season.”

Bob and Steve share a concerned glance.

Steve is so glad he dodged that bullet.

“And Eddie,” Bob finished. “What have you been up to?”

“Moved to Hawkins to be closer to my uncle, Wayne,” Eddie said with a grin. “When I was working up in Chicago, we’d visit each other on occasion, but now that he’s thinking of retiring, he would really like me closer to home. And I do my producing from anywhere really, so I figured what the hell.”

“That must be nice for your uncle,” Bob said sweetly. “Added bonus of being in Steve’s backyard didn’t hurt either?”

Eddie laughed. “Those two are inseparable now. You’d have to use a crowbar to pry them apart. I also ran a D&D game for Steve’s kids over the summer. Kept it short, but fun. They all had a blast.”

“So are you two still together?” Bob asked, already knowing the question.

Steve smiled over at Eddie who blushed and nodded.

“We moved in together back in June.”

Bob’s eyebrows shot up. “I’ve heard of Uhaul lesbians but damn you guys move fast.”

“My lease was up,” Steve explained. “My best friend was moving in with her girlfriend of two years, and I didn’t want to stay there. So when Eddie got settled into a house in town, I moved in with him.”

“We scandalize our neighbors,” Eddie cackled with glee, “by being gay, democrats, and I’m a metalhead. All the ladies thought Steve was single and brought over baked goods. And only when the last one tried to seduce him, he kissed me in front of all them. Boy did they go running.”

“It’s been great,” Steve insisted. “Fences really do make the best neighbors.”

“Well there you have it,” Bob said. “A great success story.”

~

When they got home and curled up with Odie, Eddie asked, “Are you still mad at Chrissy and Robin for signing you up without telling you?”

Steve shrugged. “Maybe a little. I would have liked to have made the choice for myself, but I am grateful because I got to meet you.”

“I love you, Stevie,” Eddie said softly.

“I love you, too, Eds.”

~

Tag List: CLOSED

1-@mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @cryptid-system

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @justforthedead89 @irregular-child @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji

5- @anne-bennett-cosplayer @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman

7- @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lingeringmirth

8- @gutterflower77 @a-lovely-craziness @just-a-tiny-void @w1ll0wtr33 @beelze-the-bubkiss

9- @dreamercec @wheneverfeasible @themoonagainstmers @garden-of-gay @little-birch-boy

10- @ollieolive @dissociatingdemon @stripey82 @kultiras @micheledawn1975

[fishthegenderwitch]

This year the parents of Both Roommates came for Crambiss. As well as the three grown children of He-Roomie, two of whom brought partners; and the sister (and her two children) of She-Roomie.

So there were 12 of us for dinner and then only 8 after dinner for the following couple days. We played board games, exchanged gifts, ate So much snack food, and unpacked our stockings.

Yesterday, He-Roomie's dad talked for 6 hours straight. He had new people who hadn't heard his stories! It was great. His mom is AMAZING and I have adopted her as family already; we talked for like 17 hours out of the last 36. I love her so much.

Today we piled 5 of us into a car and drove over to a thrift store that isn't on the public transit routes, so it's only accessible by car really. I bought myself Crimus gifts and it was so worth it.

I am embracing my inner goblin, and expressing that goblin on the outside now. I got a sweet pair of (mud stomping extra bouncy soled) kicks, a London Fog double breasted trench coat with liner (gonna dye it Chaos leaf coloured), like 4 cardigans, a poncho that looks like moss, one that has a neat (but boring and grey) paisley design on the bottom hem, and 3 huge pieces of material to make swooshy layers to wear. One has flowers and will be a skirt. I got a VEST. It's a button up sweater vest with leaves on it. The Buttons are metal with leaves too. It's a very Cosy Hobbit Goblin Vest.

Early this morning (noon) Mama T came over to give He-Roomie some shirts and assorted outer wear to.go.through and see what he wanted to keep. He kept the shirts; I got my first wool flannel, a reversible vest for an extra warm later for camping/hiking, and a reversible cap with camo and orange as its respective top parts. Those all smelled very strongly of Ancient Basement Smells so they're being fumigated via I locked them in a room (garbage bag with tape) with baking soda.

I'm going to be sewing for the next few days; that skirt is begging to be made, and my t-shirts all need their neckholes turned into Vs. One of the ponchos needs paint and embroidery enhancements. I am excited to be dressing the way I've been wanting to forever.

It's been a very good Cormoos this year

[cryptidcircuslife]

Hi unofficial compilation of Getting Away From A Place tips

this is tailored to a specific situation so please do your own research for stuff more specific to you

running away tips subreddit

Short Term Preparation:

These are the things you can prepare now if you have to get out fast and unexpectedly

Do not tell anyone about your plan other than those directly involved in helping you.

Make a plan for your cash. You don't want to access an account your family can access or freeze. Slowly withdraw money and hide it if it's at risk of being taken. Withdrawing it all the day you leave will raise a red flag and have you on camera (atm or bank), if you even have time. As a legal adult, you may be able to get away with this because you aren't doing anything against the law. Just make sure to do it before your family finds out about you leaving. When you leave, if you don’t want to be traced- don’t use cards.

For hiding paper cash- you know your house and its occupants best. Determine what objects you have that won't be thrown away or tampered with by someone, and if they have a hollow space, store it. I used to use opaque pill bottles, hidden pockets or bindings in notebooks, the linings of old dvd or game cases, water bottles, gum cases, (all of these put in clothing or backpack pockets), opening the lining of coats and backpacks and hiding it inside of that, inside of hygeine products like the hollow part of a deodorant stick. Inside old electronics. in the stuffing of a plushie. Underneath the insoles of shoes you dont wear often.

Even if your money isn't at risk of being taken, store some of it separately anyway for emergencies.

I heard the bare minimum for running away with no destination or job is $1k. Judge for yourself your needs.

Get a backpack. Waterproof/resistant is better, but any is good. Don't pack it yet, so you don't arouse suspicion. But test out packing it to see if everything fits, and unpack it. Modify some hidden compartments so that when you travel, you will have places to hide your IDs and Cash- it's necessary so no one steals it. You want to travel light, regardless of your situation, because packing and carrying a ton of stuff takes time and you don't always have time on the day you leave.

Get a secondary bag. I learned the hard way that a backpack doesn't fit everything you'll need. Especially with amenities, food, clothing, personal possessions.... A duffel bag, one of those canvas grocery bags. A tote. Something to hold by hand.

Packing lists for running away are surprisingly similar to emergency evacuation pack lists.

Clothes to pack: 1 short sleeve shirt. 1 long sleeve shirt. 1 pair of pants. 7 sock pairs. 7 underwear pairs. 1 jacket. Some winter gear if you can, because nights will always be cold especially if you are stuck outside.

Hygeine to pack: deodorant. toothpaste. toothbrush. floss. baking soda if you’ll be on the road for a long time. Special products you may need- cream for a skin condition, sunscreen. I recommend a small essential oil bottle as a bug repellent, and some have antibacterial properties to help you/your clothes not smell musty af, and they're safe on the skin.

Must-haves to pack: you should have your social security card and another form of ID, like a state ID or drivers license. Pass port if you have one, and birth certificate or a copy if you can. Your cash. A map of your state/region.

Valuables to pack: bring a few things to keep you entertained that are small. A small book, or a notebook and pen. Try not for anything too heavy or bulky. Any survival gear you may own (sewing kits, first aid, multitools, matches, lighters).

If you will be staying outside, get a sleeping bag. Thermal blanket for cold temps.

Food to pack: bring healthy nonperishable food. Junk food won't do much for you on the move. Go for granola/protein bars, dried fruit, meat bars, jars of nut butters, canned food. A water bottle. Bring all medication you need.

Stuff to wear on you: go for baggy and multi-pocketed stuff. Don't wear your favorite clothing if you don't want to be identified, and make sure they blend well into the environment. Grey is the most unnoticeable color, then black, then neutrals. If identification isn't a problem, only wear and pack your favorite things. Wear comfortable and travel safe shirt and pants. Wear a hoodie or tie it around your waist so it doesnt take up bag space. A hat. Keep some cash in a hidden pocket if you can. Wear comfortable sneakers you can move around in for a long time and is good for the weather of where you live. Keep your self defense on you - knives, pepper spray, etc. (and learn the laws for those in your area)

Note: Storing some of these supplies around or in hiding places won't be too weird. Keeping the 'valuables' in the backpack won't be too strange to anyone either. Keeping everything nearby so you can quickly dump everything in the bags and go is a good idea. But Do Not Pack the clothes until the day you leave. clothes are a warning signal for leaving. And you cannot let them find out about your plans, especially if you are in a dangerous place.

Last note: know these are flexible to you. You can add or change stuff, as long as you have the most important things.

Long Term:

These are the things you can prepare for better

Save as much money as possible. You can secretly sell things.

Research more about what you may experience, be that attaining financial independence or how to train hop and live on the streets temporarily. Look at other people's tips for running away, or their experiences. Research moving out tips. Research specific to your area or where you will be headed. Libraries, shelters, charities, support organizations, 24-hour restaurants and locations. Research ticket prices, gas prices, etc. Apartment search. Be sure to remove those from your history. Cleaning it entirely may be suspicious if someone monitors that.

Build a budget and a food plan for how you will use your savings on the road.

As an adult, if you manage to get hired secretly for a job in your target location, you can apply for housing there, too. You will get set move-in dates and can give dates you can start working that work with your runaway schedule.

If you're running away as a minor, you can't stay with friends. However, as an adult you can. If someone is trying to find you, you'll have to be careful still.

If you need to leave fake trails because someone might search for you, there are some excellent resources by people trying to hide from domestic violence. The main tips are leaving fake trails in cities far away from wherever you will be- job applications you have no intention of following through on, apartment applications, phone calls, internet searches, purchases, etc. These can go more in-depth.

If you will be tracked, figure out how to get a burner phone. These are pretty cheap, and so are their service plans. You may want to consider this anyway to pay for your own service if your phone is taken off the existing one. Write down phone numbers you want to keep.

Make sure you have the proper amounts of medications you will need.

Be careful with this one, but figure out if you have any smaller hard-to-replace valuables that you want to bring to your new life but can't pack for your method of travel or might get stolen. Only do this if you have a place you are going to, and are going to get a job and housing there. Make a plan with a trusted friend to hold on to a few things you cannot carry in your bags and arrange for them to be mailed or picked up later. Only do this with one or two things that are easy to carry, because you will need to get it to them somehow, right? dont do this if you don't have the methods or the time before your runaway day. A good example is that I don't want to replace my laptop but I can't tow it through town and across state lines on a train. my friend can take care of it until I am settled.

Tie off any loose ends that you need to. This can be waiting for a responsibility to be gone, waiting for a last paycheck, or attending something you wanted to go to one last time.

Delete old accounts, and eventually deleting your emails and social media associated with your identity.

Note: The best thing you can do with time is make your supplies as efficient as possible, and plan. plan plan plan.

Schedule your leave date. or a range of leaving dates. But know sometimes it can be unpredictable. Make it a day when no one is home- especially if it's a dangerous situation.

On Runaway Day:

Hopefully you have a small window of time where you are alone.

Make sure you’re wearing all your runaway clothes you have prepared.

Pack your backpack and duffel bag quickly.

Leave a note, even if you don't want to. This is important, because you don't want a search for you because someone thought you were kidnapped or murdered. This way, officials can pretty much ignore it since it was voluntary.

Don’t look nervous or afraid while you are out, since that’ll draw unwanted attention.

If you made a plan for someone to pick you up, or to meet someone, make sure they are punctual. Don't meet right in front of your house if possible. Go a few streets away or somewhere less noticeable. Again, make sure whatever you bring is easy to carry so you move fast and no one tries to steal it.

If unfortunately you have to leave very quickly and haphazardly, leave anything not immediately important to survival behind.

Buy your burner phone with cash. Add your written numbers to the contacts. Create your new email and social media from there. If you're hiding, don't take pictures of yourself. Don't use your real name or information. Keep private accounts, and don't interact with anyone who will give you away.

If you have other travel plans, make your way there. Head to your safe places, your shelter, wherever you have planned. You are in your new life.

Once You Are Out:

Take care of your immediate needs. Find resources for food, water, and shelter.

Start accessing any support resources, regardless of what your situation is. In a town I lived in, there was an LGBTQ+ resource center that had entertainment/food/clothing/education clubs/showering/laundry/other amenities and programs for both lgbtq+ and homeless youth. I also took part in a gift drive for a specific minority that I qualified as, which gave me a lot of food.

Start working towards your future goals. Start job searching, and from there being able to secure housing. Start making friends. build a support structure. i hope it goes well

Rebuild your supplies and closet when you have the location security to do so.

[svtshine]

Neighbor next door

pairing: Wonwoo x reader 

genre: angst to fluff, Neighbors!au, nonidol!Au

type: oneshot

summary: Falling in love with your neighbour best friend

You heaved the heavy box filled with stuff back at your apartment and entered the apartment building yet again. Probably for the 6th time now. You wiped off the sweat that was forming near your forehead and making the hair stick to your face. Even with the aircon from the lift system blasting you, you were still feeling extremely hot and stuffy.

It was an extremely hot day however, you were still very excited to move into your new apartment and meet your new neighbors. You were told from the nice old landlady that the people here were of different variations. Some were working, students like you or parents with newborns or children. It was a way better environment as compared to your old apartment.

At the old district there was hardly any conversations or interactions between you and your neighbors. You clearly remembered the only interaction you had with one of the neighbors, a floor above you, to keep it down. Even though you weren't making any noise. He was a grumpy looking elderly, and he looked at you with such a aggressive look.

You looked at him strangely but apologized anyhow, wanting so badly to return to the book you were then reading. It was getting to the very best part where the charismatic male character was going to kiss the protagonist and confess to her under the mistletoe, on a cold yet beautiful winter night. 

You kicked your front door with one hand balancing on the box and the other supporting the weight of the door. You placed the box on the floor where it remained with many other cardboard boxes filled completely with all your belongings.

You sighed out and proceeded to tie your hair up into a messy bun to keep it from sticking onto your face. i just have two more boxes, then i can start unboxing....god there is so much to do, you thought to yourself as you sat on the end of the sofa, taking a short break before leaving for those two boxes again.

Yes it was definitely tiring, but you still smiled to yourself as you thought about the new encounters and relationships that might form in this new building. You took a sip of your opened can of soda that was still cool and sighed out in satisfaction, as the cool liquid helped cool you down for a second and satisfy your thirst. 

You smiled brightly and greeted the neighbors that you came across while moving the boxes. They were all very friendly and open in welcoming you, you made note to bake them some of your special cookies later on to thank them. 

Wonwoo was just returning from the nearby convenience store, sucking on a cold soda-flavored ice popsicle. Under the sweltering heat and bright sun, this was what he needed. He was nearing the apartment building when he saw you. He didn't recognize you at all, and he was sure he recalled everyone’s faces. You were struggling with a heavier box, and he remembered the landlady coming over previously with a box of brownies and a notice that someone was going to move in to the apartment next to his.

“Wonwoo dear, someone is moving next door, isn’t that exciting” she said smiling brightly 

“Really?”

“She looks really gorgeous dear, around your age, Slightly younger i believe. She is moving in next month so do welcome her warmly, ya hear me” 

“Yes grandma” Everyone had the habit of calling the warm soul, grandma. She definitely did treat everyone like family, no one dared to mess with her either.

Grandma was watching Wonwoo munch on the delicious brownies and spoke up, “You know maybe you should show her around, get a little closer huh” she smirked deviously. 

Wonwoo only took a sip of his milk, “Grandma this isn’t some fictional romance novel” he replied nonchalantly. 

“You’d never know my dearest” 

His flashback ended and he had noticed that you were still struggling with the heavy box and next to it was a smaller one. He swiftly walked towards to you and took the box from your hands with ease, “here let me help, I’m wonwoo. You must be the new tenant. floor 7, unit 11? i live next door, unit 12″ he spoke up.

it was only then you realised there was a handsome charming man holding onto your box and literally speaking to you, while you stared at him in a slight daze. Holy macaroni, his face is god-like and his voice? come to mama. You continued staring at him, mouth slightly open until he waved his hand infront of you and pulled you out of your imagination. You got flustered at the fact that you were literally swooning over a man you just met, your neighbor for god sakes and in front of him. Get it together Y/n. 

“Hey, i’m Y/n nice to meet you Wonwoo” you stretched out your hand to shake his. Wonwoo placed the box on the ground and shook your hand gently with a warm smile. Grandma was right when she called you gorgeous. Wearing a tank top, pajama shorts, a messy bun and slippers, you still looked amazing. 

You lifted the small box, “Thanks so much for offering to help, these are my last few boxes and i can finally start unpacking” you looked so relieved that wonwoo chuckled. “No worries, we live beside each other so it would be convenient too” He grabbed the heavy box and walked beside you towards the elevator. The two of you starting a simple conversation.

“I can’t believe we’re gonna be neighbors. Not saying i would hate it, i just kinda pictured the next door neighbor to be someone older” You wondered out loud.

“Grandma did say you were around my age, but i’m glad that you’re friendly. You’ll definitely fit right in” Wonwoo smiled at you. “she also told me that you were around my age, are you attending college?” He asked curiously, looking down at you since you were shorter than him. 

“Yeah, i’m attending the college a few minutes walk from here. Psychology course..you?”

“nice, i’m attending the same school but taking business.”

Your stomach growled, you just remembered you haven’t eaten breakfast at all. Wonwoo laughed out loud and you pouted. “Why don’t i help you unpack and get some takeout so that we can share. It’ll help you save time” He suggested. You felt very touched by his kind gesture, “If you don’t mind, it’ll really help, i’ll pay for the takeout.”

The two of you unpacked and continued getting to know each other. It simply clicked between the two of you. There wasn’t any sign of awkwardness, and you never felt uncomfortable at all around him. Wonwoo made you feel at home. talking to him felt like you were reuniting with a friend from long ago.

Wonwoo held up a book from one of your boxes, “Holy shit, i’ve been trying to find this book for ages” you looked up from folding your clothes, “That is one of my favourite books, good eye. i had to queue hours to get that, but at least with the author’s signature as well” you winked at the end at him. His eyes widened and flipped to the first page where in deed, the bold yet elegant signature of the author lay. “i could lend it to you, as a thanks for helping me as well.”

Wonwoo smiled so brightly you were going to faint he looked like a kid who had just received a kitten for his birthday.

From then on, the two of you became the best of friends. Meeting earlier in the mornings to eat breakfast together before morning classes, walking to school together and even eating lunch together most of the times. Wonwoo introduced you to his big group of 13 friends, and not gonna lie when you first met them, you were really intimidated. Most of them were almost a head taller than you and you felt so small standing next to them. However, they welcomed you with open arms and you loved spending time with them and wonwoo.

Movie nights became a weekly thing after the both of you completed all the dued assignments. You would place you leg on his lap and the both of you would indulge in unhealthy snacks and sodas the whole night before falling asleep together.

Doing laundry together, studying at the library together and buying groceries together. it was normal to see the both of you together. There was never an awkward moment between the two of you. For the first time in your life, you trusted a friend that much in such a short time, it did kind of scare you at how fast you trusted this man but well wonwoo had never done anything to make you doubt him. In fact, he has been doing the opposite. Whenever you feel down about missing your parents or a bad test grade, wonwoo would hug you tight and wipe away your tears. He would do anything to make you happy like telling you about the dumb things his friends had done this week and afterwards tuck you in, sleeping on the couch just to be sure you were okay.

You entrusted him with a spare key in case of emergencies. The first time you realised what you felt for him was probably not entirely platonic was when you returned from your part time job one night. You were exhausted, it was a busy night at the restaurant and your manager had you running table to table taking orders and serving dishes. You wanted so badly to just collapse and your bed and sleep till tomorrow noon. You lazily unlocked your door and threw your bag on the floor, bending down to collect your shoes when you realised there was already someone inside your apartment. You recognised the back of Wonwoo’s head, his soft fluffy hair sitting on it giving him a nice look. Wonwoo heard some rustling and turned to find you finally home, “hey y/n welcome home, how’s work?” You organised your shoe and wonwoo came over to give you a squeeze. You felt his warmth and it felt so good to come back and wrap you arms around hi—.

your eyes opened in shock. You realised that with wonwoo, you were always happy. He made you feel at home, just by being next to you. He was your rock, and you looked forward seeing him everyday. Seeing him laying on your couch, a book in his hands when you reached home, immediately made you feel at ease and less tired. It was so natural, seeing him in your apartment, waiting for you to come home to him was normal.

oh my god. i’m falling in love with Jeon Wonwoo

After you started realising your romantic feelings for Wonwoo, you started being more cautious and aware of his behaviours. You would get flustered when your hand accidentally brushes against his when the both of you are walking. When he hugs you, you found is hard to let him go. You realised the sparkles in his eyes whenever he smiled and how much you enjoyed his laughter, never wanting it to stop.

The both of you would continue doing the stuff you’ve originally been doing. Baking together for the neighbours and grandma or going for walks in the park together. Only until one day, Wonwoo told you

“Y/n i’m so excited, i’m going to go on a date” You felt your smile falter, your heart breaking into tiny pieces. All hoped of “maybe he might feel the same way as i am” were thrown out of your window. You dug your fingernails harshly into your skin and you forced yourself to smile again

“hey that’s great, who is she?”

“Min jun, she’s in business as well. Super talented and smart and she’s really pretty too”

tears were starting to form, and you uncomfortably looked down at your lap, “That’s great, when are you guys going out?”

“Tomorrow, 6pm. I’m gonna bring her to that fancy restaurant Minghao recommended me.” Wonwoo looked so excited, it broke your heart even more.

“but won its movie night tomorrow” you said softly. “Don’t worry i’ll get back in time, just maybe a little late” eyes focused on his clothes. He picked out a button down and showed it to you, “Hey do you think this looks like date material”

“yeah” you mumbled. playing with your fingers, trying to distract yourself from breaking down infront of wonwoo. That night you left his apartment earlier than usual, telling him you still had some assignments to complete. If assignments meant crying the whole night.

the next day, you didn’t see wonwoo that much since you had more classes than usual. You were surprised you were still able to pull through them. Your doorbell rang and you opened it to see Wonwoo.

He was dressed nice in the same button down and jeans. His wrist adorned an elegant watch and his hair was styled nicely. he smelled of fresh shave. Your heart was pounding in your chest at how handsome he looked. “Wish me luck Y/n, i’m going to pick her up now” he smiled, showing how excited he was.

“have a great time Won” You said softly, knowing you wouldn’t have a great time knowing the person you love was going to meet someone else. Wonwoo waved goodbye to you and you closed the door. Sliding down the cool wooden surface and onto the ground, bringing your knees together and bawling your eyes out.

It was about 1 am, you sat on the couch waiting for Wonwoo to return for movie night. this heavy feeling of regret on your chest. You wanted to tell him about your feelings, at least let him know how deeply you felt for him. you knew you couldn’t pretend how much it didn’t affect you that he didn’t feel the same way about you.

The doorknob jingled and you realized it was wonwoo unlocking the door. You stood up and cleaned your sweaty nervous palms on your pajamas. Wonwoo opened the door and was shocked to see you still awake and waiting for him, snacks laid out on the coffee table and tv switched on to the netflix channel. “Y/n i wanted to check if you gone to bed already. I’m so sorry, we had such a good time i lost track of it and i walked her home”

Your heart once again broke at the fact that he had a great time. Of course you wanted him to find a nice girl, but it hurt you so much knowing it wasn’t you. “Wonwoo it’s fine...i need to tell you something and it’s really serious” Wonwoo rushed to you and the both of you sat on the couch. “look won, i really treasure our friendship but i just have to get it off of my chest. i-i love you, but more than a friend loves her bestfriend.” The hand that wonwoo used to hold your hand slowly retracted from yours.

“i know you don’t feel the same way” you said, your voice slightly breaking because your tears started dropping freely. “But you found someone, Min jun, who is much better than me anyways. Treasure her okay? i just want you to be happy and if you’re the happiest with her, then she is the road to go” Wonwoo instinctively raised his hand to wipe away your tears, but he brought it back down at the last second. “Y-y/n i’m so sorry, but i-i just don’t feel the same as you do. i really wished that i did” he looked down at his lap

You sighed out, “It’s fine wonwoo, it’s not your fault either, i just want to lay down now so goodnight. See you later Alligator”

“Goodbye crocodile” Wonwoo mumbled.

You snuggled closer into your blankets as you heard wonwoo leave the apartment and let the tears flow freely. 

You know what hurts the most? Loving someone who didn’t love you back.

Wonwoo didn’t sleep that night. you were on his mind the whole time. Guilt spreading his entire body as he could still remember the way you looked when you confessed your feelings to him. The way he wanted to hold you so tight then and chase all your problems away. He reached out his hand to wipe away your tears without even thinking but backed away in the end. 

He raised his hand in front of his face and stared at it. he knew he didn’t think of you as anything else but a friend.....right? He recalled all the memories he shared with you, food fights when the both of you woke up at 3 in the morning and had the terrible idea to bake cookies right then. The way your eyes lit up as you stared at the fishes in the sea aquarium. How bright your smile was when he brought you to a cat cafe. Oh god he loved your smi--

Wait no. He thought, i like Min jun, yeah the girl i’m going out with. Right?

He didn’t see you around that much anymore. You didn’t invite him in for breakfast. You walked to college on your own and you ate lunch that you have already prepared yourself. Wonwoo’s heart broke knowing you were purposefully avoiding him, trying to get over him. He himself spent countless of nights trying to get you out of his mind. But his mind always wandered back to you, have you been eating properly? Taking enough rests? or overworking yet again. he hasn’t been taking care of himself. Meals were half eaten, his eyes were dull and he hardly smiled anymore. he just wanted to see you again 

your smile, your eyes, your gorgeous face, your kind heart. 

his head kept convincing himself, Min jun, Min jun, Min jun.

but his heart chanted, Y/n, Y/n, Y/n.

Glasses clinked together, waiters moving around swiftly. Under dim lighting, Wonwoo stared at his date, Seo min. Seo min was talking about her new designer bag that she bought. Wonwoo zoned out of the conversation tapping his fingernails on the table, he switched his phone on from under the table and stared at the screensaver. It was a selfie of you and Wonwoo. 

Seo min clicked her fingers to gain wonwoo’s attention. “Hey you okay? you seem distracted” 

Wonwoo rubbed his face and flashed her a fake smile, “erm yeah i’m sorry, what were you saying?”. she continued droning on and Wonwoo had to put in so much focus just to hear what she was saying. He realised how similar the both of you looked. H/c hair, same hair length, height. But she wasn’t you. She didn’t want to get know Wonwoo, she didn’t care to ask if he was taking care of himself. 

oh god, i’m in love with Y/n, wonwoo realised

“S-Seo min, i-i need to go, i’m sorry. and i can’t see you anymore. Here is the money for this meal. i have to go” before Seo min could even say anything, Wonwoo was running out of the restaurant. 

Wonwoo ran like he never ran before, every breath came out as a light smoke as he ran through the cold wintery streets towards the apartment building. He climbed up the stairs as he was too impatient. 

Wonwoo impatiently knocked on your door, panting heavily from running and climbing so far. He waited for you to open the door and brushed through his hair. 

The multiple knocks on your door made you put down your book and hot chocolate. “I’m coming!” you said, wondering who was visiting you at this hour. You opened the door and was shocked when you saw Wonwoo panting like he just ran miles. 

“Won-” wonwoo stopped you by placing his lips on yours, slowly snaking his arms around your waist and pulling you impossibly closer. You were shocked for a second, but hesitantly wrapped your arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. You broke the kiss first, leaning away and placing your hands on his face waiting for him to talk

“Y/n, these few week has been misery. As cliche as it sounds, it wasn’t the same without you. I missed you so much, your smile, your laughter, everything. Cooking with you, studying with you and even doing laundry together” Wonwoo said voice slightly quivering as all his emotions poured out for you. “i realised as much as i was attracted to Min Jun, my heart belonged to you. I love you, and i didn’t see it before but i really do. I hope that you’ll consider me again and i’ll really like to bring you out” he finished

You gave him a small peck on the lips, “of course Wonwoo.” He gave you the brightest smile, knowing he has you back in his life and that you love him as well, made him the happiest man alive

He wrapped his arms below your knees and carried you into your apartment and onto your bed. The two of you kay and cuddled for a while. Talking about the events that happened when the two of you weren’t talking.

With you, Wonwoo felt like himself. In contrast to how he felt when he was with Min jun. That night he kissed you goodnight and had the best sleep in a few weeks.

Wonwoo has been bringing you on dates for a couple of weeks now, but he hasn’t officially asked you to be his girlfriend. Regular activities such as having breakfast together and spending time together resumed.

On christmas morning, you woke up earlier to make pancakes for the two of you. A pair of arms wrapped around you from behind, you let out a small yelp and Wonwoo’s deep chuckle made your hair on the back of your neck rise.

You turned around and gave him a kiss, “Good morning won.”

“Good morning baby”

You raised your head to realised the mistletoe that you hung were above you guys.

“look won” pointing to the mistletoe, “looks like i get another kiss”

Wonwoo looked up as well, “Well darling, i have one question. Would you like a kiss from won? or a kiss from your boyfriend Won?” he said bringing you closer. “because i would definitely love to kiss my girlfriend Y/n, not just Y/n.”

you can’t believe he was asking you to be his girlfriend, and on christmas morning under the mistletoe. It was a perfect moment. Your hand wrapped against your mouth in disbelief as wonwoo continued staring at you. You finally nodded frantically and Wonwoo’s face erupted into a big smile

He brought you in for a kiss. A kiss under the mistletoe, from your boyfriend next door.

Masterlist

[olivay-official]

Scenes from Red: The Untold Story of a Reluctant Hero

Jay is just your average college student with a secret superhero identity. The deep underground crime world knows her as Red, a sarcastic pain in the ass hero who is annoyingly good at stopping their nefarious activities despite being terrible at her job. Though not what one might typically imagine as a hero Oliver, aka Napster, gladly took up the role of her techs sidekick cleaning up the messes left in her wake. Despite how closely they work together Oliver is clueless to Red’s true identity, while Jay struggles to act normal around him in civilian form. Balancing a social life with friends with the looming threat of Suped up villains created by a mad scientist with the face of a lizard isn’t easy and Jay and Oliver definitely make it look much harder than it is.

“Would you put away your phone? This is supposed to be a tech free weekend!” Andre made a grab for Jackie’s phone. She pulled away holding it close to her chest.

“And I promise I will put it away when we get there!” She shot back.

“Why are you so big on camping Andre?” I called from the backseat.

“Dude, some of my best memories were camping with my brothers and pops. And I think that we can all do with getting out of the city for a few days.” Andre looked at all three of us pointedly.

“Really all I remember from camping was having to pee in a hole, and getting eaten alive by bugs,” I answered bitterly. I wondered absentmindedly if my blood would make a super mosquito now.

“I remember trying to go camping with my mom once, then a bear ate our food so we ended up leaving and getting breakfast at a diner,” Jackie giggled.

“I’ve never been before,” Oliver said quietly.

“Lucky you,” I muttered.

“What?!” Andre practically screeched. “Oh no you girls aren’t going to ruin this for Oliver. Oliver my boy you are about to get the full camping experience!” Andre said exuberantly. I rolled my eyes as I dug a soda out of the cooler in the backseat.

“Hey what are you doing, those are for the camping trip!” Andre said indignantly.

“Well then it’s a good thing I packed extra!” I grinned as I popped the tab of the can with an overdramatic display of defiance.

“Seriously Jay! I had everything planned! You guys have no faith in me!” Andre waved his hand in frustration.

“Are you kidding me? Do you know how much this girl eats? She could eat all four portions of food you packed for us and then some,” Jackie snorted. Oliver smiled looking around at the three of us as he relaxed into his seat. I watched him for a second, curious. He looked at ease, happy even as he looked between Andre and Jackie but behind his eyes there was an odd mix of worry and anticipation. He checked his phone several times within a few minutes as if he was waiting for something. I smiled finally realizing what he was waiting for. He was worried that Red would need him even though I had told him Red would be gone til Tuesday. His phone would lose service as soon as we started winding up some of the backroads and his connection to Red would be cut off or so he thought anyways. I wished I could tell him it would be fine but I had already told him once as Red. There was nothing more I could do here.

The rest of the car ride went by much like that. We played music belting out the classics from our high school days, we talked about old camping memories, and Jackie and I shared stories from our childhood the humor of which was completely lost on Andre and Oliver. Andre complained about Jackie and Oliver being on their phones. Oliver complained about my laying across all the backseats including the one he occupied. Jackie complained when Andre shut off her music trading it for a much more classic form of music- the CD. Many of which were burned and included songs in no particular order that only Andre recognized. We had three phone calls from Enzo on the way up who was worried he would get lost and at least two pitstops for me to pee. During the drive I had consumed three cans of soda, a bag of chips and a burrito I had picked up at a food truck. Andre complained about my eating habits and I threw wrappers at him. All in all it was a good time.

When we got to the campsite Enzo was already there, tent set up.

“Sorry we are late, someone made us stop for a burrito on the way here.” Andre glared at me.

“Damn you’re probably not hungry then,” Enzo said holding up a bag of takeout from my favorite burrito place. I swear I fell in love with him right there.

“I am always hungry,” I beamed at him.

“No you are helping us unpack first,” Andre demanded. I rolled my eyes at Andre and gave an apologetic smile to Enzo.

I followed Andre back to the car so that we could unpack all our crap. I opted for the large cooler in the back seat. It was a heavy item but with my abilities it would hardly be a problem. I had only managed to pull the container about three quarters of the way out the car when someone came up behind me, their hand brushing mine as they took the container from my grasp. The rest of the cooler came sliding out the car. His hand reached over me to grab the other handle just in time.

“Careful.” Oliver smiled at me. “This probably weighs more than you,” He chuckled. I put my hands on my hips.

“I had it,” I said confidently. Oliver smirked.

“I’m sure you did but why don’t I just carry it instead yeah? You can grab the firewood.” He smiled at me that infuriatingly adorable smile. I stared at him for a moment fixing him with a stern look before I walked over to the back of the trunk. He raised his eyebrows in anticipation. I fixed him with a glare before I dared reaching into the trunk to pull out the bags of firewood. Balancing one in each arm I started to walk back to the campsite with Oliver in tow struggling with the weight of the cooler.

“Want to trade?” I teased.

“As much as I’d love to see you carry this, I think I got it,” He said with a sardonic hint to his tone. I shrugged and kept walking at a much faster pace than he could manage with the clunky weight of the cooler. I enjoyed watching him struggle to keep up. We crossed paths with Enzo and Andre who were heading back to get the remainder of the food and supplies.

Oliver set the cooler down at the edge of the campsite with a grunt. A thin sheen of perspiration dotted his forehead. I admired the site as he rolled up the sleeves of his fitted black thermal shirt over his lean arms. He ran a hand through his dark hair letting it fall back down in shaggy disarray ends pointing in all different directions. I busied myself with arranging the uneven bags of firewood so they wouldn’t fall all the while letting myself peak up at Oliver. He really did look good in black. His deep eyes met mine, I managed a half smile before letting my eyes drop back down to the firewood, finalizing their arrangement.

I was by no means a camper. I liked having running water and actual toilets. Mostly the toilets because who the fuck enjoys squatting in a bush to go to the bathrrom completely exposed and vulnerable to attack by bear or an unhinged deer.

Growing up camping had never been a part of my childhood experiences needless to say I should be out of my element here. Thanks to my powers, however, I was a galdamn pro. A few helpful survivalist videos, and several episodes of naked and afraid later and I could probably survive out here on my own for months. I set up mine and Jackie’s tent in record time while the boys were tangled in heaps of collapsable sticks trying to find which end to start with. While they struggled Jackie and I busied ourselves with making our camping space comfortable. Just because we were camping did not mean Jackie was going to give up all the luxuries of a home. She had made me drag her mattress topper here and just about a dozen blankets and pillows on top of the sleeping bags.

“Damn that’s romantic, you aren’t trying to seduce me are you?” I asked, giving her a quick wink.

“You wish!” Jackie laughed.

“When you’re done hitting on my girlfriend would you mind helping us out here Jay?” Andre asked from under the tent’s tarp.

“I thought you were such a big camper Andre.” I rolled my eyes. “Wouldn’t want to ruin your trip by getting in the way.”

“You’re the absolute worst.”

When we finally got all set up and situated Andre began packing bags for a hike. He was determined to give us the campiest of camping experiences apparently. Andre took the lead, compass in hand, with the rest of us in tow. Enzo fell in step behind me. The trail was only big enough to walk along single file. Andre’s hiking style was hard to keep up with. Some moments without warning he would turn on a dime shifting directions and surging forward.

The final destination of the hike was a small waterfall. I had to hand it to Andre. It was a pretty picturesque spot. We sat down to have lunch but I had other plans. I was hot and sweaty from the hike and that water looked damn good. I quickly started stripping down.

“Jay! Seriously!” Andre shouted at me. I rolled my eyes.

“Don’t worry I’ll keep my panties on,” I winked at him which he did not find amusing. I dove into the water and almost immediately regretted it. The water was fucking freezing. When I broke the surface Andre was looking smugly at me.

“Cold isn’t it? You’re an idiot,” Andre said.

“Worth it!” I said through chattering teeth. I’d be damned if I’d admit I was wrong to Andre. I swam around in the water despite the cold finding myself a nice sun baked spot of water that wasn’t too terrible.

“Jackie, that’s literally snow run off,” Andre warned. I didn’t need to open my eyes to know the splash of water was Jackie joining me. We both laughed. Oliver and Enzo looked at each other finally both shrugging. They stripped down and attempted lifting Andre into the air - he was forced to strip or get his clothes wet. Finally we were all in the water and for the first time in a long time shit felt totally normal. No super villains lurked in the woods to demand my attention. There was no Red or Napster. It was just me and my friends and it was so nice to play normal even if only for a few days.

I was shivering by the time we got out of the water to dry off. Enzo stayed close to me doing his best to warm me up, offering me his jacket that he’d been smart enough to bring on the hike. While I laid out on the warm rocks trying to get my body temp back up Enzo went back to our bags to get us food. Oliver flopped out of the water and onto the rock next to me.

“I think I like camping,” He said shaking water out of his hair. I laughed.

“Please don’t tell Andre that, he’ll want us to go every week,” I said.

“Is there a reason you love torturing him?” He asked.

“I mean other than the fact that it’s so darn fun? Andre and I lived together for like a week Freshman year, there was a mixup with the dorms. Since then we have been great friends but our friendship is based on the fact that we love torturing eachother,” I said.

“You and Andre lived in a dorm together?” Oliver raised his eyebrows and laughed.

“Oh yeah I probably know more about his deep dark secrets than you do,” I said.

“And you introduced him to Jackie?” He asked.

“Yup! Really he has me to thank for his happy relationship,” I beamed. Oliver smiled at me turning back towards the waterfall. I tried to ignore the way the water glistened off his body. I turned back to the water.

“He picked a really good spot,” Oliver said.

“Yeah as much as I hate to admit it, he did a good job. Probably wanted to impress Jackie,” I said.

“Well I’d say he picked one hell of a romantic set up,” Oliver mused. I glanced over at Oliver ready to fire off a smart remark but the words died on my tongue. Oliver was already staring at me, his eyes running over the curve of my body. The sun was starting to get lower creating an orange glow that framed him like a greek god. His eyes caught mine and he cleared his throat quickly looking away. A light blush colored his cheeks. My face felt warm as I looked away.

Great, that was sufficiently awkward.

I only hoped the orange light of the sunset might hide the blush creeping across my own face.

The sound of a branch snapping caused me to straighten, muscles tensing. My eyes narrowed as I stared out into the forest searching.

“What was that?” I whispered to myself.

“Probably a deer or something,” Oliver attempted to sound nonchalant about it but I could see his body stiffen at the sound and refuse to relax.

There was a rustling in the bushes. I stood in a fighting stance. What I was planning to do if it was a bear or something I don’t know, maybe punch it in the nose. More rustling. Then everything happened in a blur. A woman emerged from the underbrush looking half crazed. Under her skin her veins flowed orange and red like molten fire. Her irises were the same glowing color, the sclera pitch black. The smell of burning hair filled the air. She looked scared out of her mind and in agonizing pain but that didn’t stop her from lunging at me like the last shrimp at a buffet.

“Help me! It burns!” She cried. The woman grabbed hold of my arms. Her touch seared my skin burning my arms. I hissed in pain rearing back and punching the woman square in the jaw. She stumbled back.

I shook out my hand cursing under my breath. Her skin burned to touch. The woman surged forward again tackling me to the ground. I cried out in both fury and pain as we hit the ground. I kicked the woman off of me and up over my head. I scrambled to my feet. The woman’s hand caught my bare ankle causing me to scream. Oliver was there, shouldering the woman into the shallowest part of the lake. Steam hissed as she his the surface. She let out a horrible screech struggling to get out of the shallow depths. I whipped around and clocked her square in the face, hard enough to knock her out, silencing her screams. She landed on the shore skin still sizzling.

“Ah Fuck!” I shouted as I shook out my hand and bounced around on one foot. Of the injuries my ankle was definitely fairing the worst. Heat and pain pulsed through the seared flesh with each heartbeat.

Everyone finally came running over to us their eyes bulging out of their head when they landed on the unconscious woman that lay at my feet. Enzo was next to me in a second wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me to him.

“What the hell just happened?!” Andre asked.

“Hell if we know. She jumped out at us from the woods,” Oliver said kneeling down next to her. Suddenly the woman’s eyes snapped open. She locked onto Oliver.

“Burning!! He promised it wouldn’t hurt! Now it burns! Please-” She grabbed Oliver’s hand. I could see the pain in his face but he didn’t pull away from her touch. “Please make it stop,” The woman begged her voice strained and hoarse. With those final words her eyes closed and her grip on Oliver’s hand relaxed. He removed his hand from hers. He held his good hand up to her mouth and shook his head.

“I think she’s gone,” He whispered. Carefully he moved her head to the side and tilted his head inspecting a single mark on her neck. Looking over his shoulder I immediately knew what it was. My hand came up to touch the invisible injection site. The one that gave me my powers…

“We better call someone. I’ll go see if I can find some service,” Andre said. Jackie clung to him not wanting him to be alone and not wanting to lose the comfort of having him near. Enzo guided me away from the body to sit on the rocks once again. He made me show him my ankle which had cooked meat hanging off of it, turns out I did not smell like barbecue. Oliver came over to us with the first aid kit cradled in his good hand. While Oliver went about treating his hand, Enzo cared for my injuries. Other than my ankle my knuckles had burn blisters splayed across them from where I hit her. My arms however were mostly unharmed.

When the authorities finally showed up it went without saying that the camping trip was officially over.

[pbandjesse]

I find it really frustrating that I can not fall asleep at night and then I am not awake and happy until like 4 pm. Its frustrating. And like. If I had a scheduled job like James, that went from 2 til 10. I honestly think I would enjoy that. Because at least Im awake for most of that time and maybe it would knock me out after. I miss my afternoon job. I miss overnights. I hope as the world opens up again I can find something like that again. 

Today wasnt all bad. But I was so tired. Its that kind of tired where I can barely see straight. Its not fun. James woke me up like I asked. And I got a shower and washed the leftover dye out of my hair. I wore my new dress and I felt very cute. I got on animal crossing for a little but after I completed the little tasks I had I just sat on the couch and watched videos. I had a donut.  And we hung out for a while. 

But I was. Very tired. He decided around 11 to start getting ready for a bike ride. And I told him I felt like a drain on our family and he tried to make me feel like I wasnt. Because he really doesnt feel like I am. But its hard. Capitalism has tainted my self worth. But it is nice to hear him tell me that its okay. 

So while he biked I stopped fighting myself and slept. But I slept a lot longer than I expected to. I asked James to wake me up when he got back but I honestly dont know when he got back. Because he did come wake me up but I think I fell back asleep? Unclear. I wandered out around 130 and he was making pasta and offered to make me lunch. I asked for a grilled cheese. Which was good but I have a wound on the roof of my mouth again so it hurt to eat it. 

But we sat together and ate our lunch until it was time for him to leave for work. 

I didnt really know what to do with myself. James suggested working on stuff for me and Jess's store because he can tell I feel better when I am making that stuff. And its true. But it was hard to like. Get started. I also knew I had to go to the grocery store and get white vinegar and quarters. And I thought I would try to find a jean jacket to paint or bead. 

So I psyched myself up and headed out. I decided to drive to the thrift store fire. And I didnt have amazing luck, but I did find a pretty good jean jacket. It smelled weird though so I put it in the laundry when I got home. And I got a pair of sweatpants and a sweater for James. I saw there was a Lidel across the street and I had heard it was a nice grocery store so I decided to try it out. 

I would say. Mixed results. It was very pretty inside. Kind of a fancier Aldi. A really nice baked good section. I did get vinegar. And they had bundles of dried lavender so I got one of those for the car. Which I dropped all over the self check out and made the security guard laugh at me. Oops. 

Since I did not get the quarters (or soda) I needed. I put in the grocery store by Hampden and headed there. I was like a half hour away. Which was a little surprising. But that was okay. I had a nice drive. 

When I got there I decided I would order chipotle because it was in the same shopping center. And when I logged into my account I found I had a free entree! Excellent. So I got free chipotle for dinner. And I got my quarters and soda and was in a very good mood. 

I walked across the street and grabbed my food. The manager there was really nice. And then it was time to go home. 

I got back here and unpack a few things. Had my chipotle, which was very good. As I finished eating I felt a little mad because I actually felt good. Like perfectly awake and happy. And it was 530 pm. It was just. Frustrating. But I decided to go with it. 

I cleaned. I tried to run the dishwasher and found the start button isnt working? So I washed everything by hand. James says he'll look into it and if we cant figure it out well ask Mr Will.  

But I vacuumed and got to work on some shop stuff. I photographed all the little things. And a tote bag. And since I was doing all the frog plushes I decided. What the hell. Ill post it on my frog instagram. I havent posted on there since June but I still have 3000 followers. So what the hell. 

And I am so glad I did. Because within an hour I had 300 likes on the first post and nice comments excited I was coming back and that the froggies were going to be for sale finally. And that gave me so much joy that people were excited so I got some inspiration for more froggie based things. Like making patches on the totebags. And so I worked for a couple hours making some of those. I am really excited. We already have like 30 followers on the new instagram. I am just really excited that other people are excited. It gives me something to work for. 

I worked on those frogs for a while. And then went to get the mail. My new velvet body suit came. The one fits great. The other is fine but was a surprise thong. Still will be good under a sweater which is the whole point of the body suits. 

I took a quick shower and now I am on the couch looking at creepy videos and thinking about making hot chocolate. I hope James comes home early. He has off tomorrow and I hope I can just feel normal like I do right now. 

Goodnight everyone. Take care of yourselves. 

[ak47stylegirl]

Sick days - Chapter 4

Okay here’s Part/Chapter four of Sick days :D Allie is finally home and in bed at last! 

Part 1 / Part 2 / part 3 of Fic 

— —

Scott pov 

He gently tucks Alan into bed, the kid now out of his school uniform and in his pyjamas. Alan was looking really worse for wear, his skin bleached a sickly white, while his nose was a horrible sore red colour…

Alan sniffled weakly, snuggling into his pillow as his stomach gave a sickly grumble. 

He sighed heavily at the sight, sitting down on the edge of Alan’s bed, “I’m going to go unpack the car now, okay?” He explained gently as he brushed Alan’s fringe back, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on the kid’s forehead, “I’ll be back in a little bit…” 

Alan gave a weak nodded, coughing into his pillow.

He smiled sadly at Alan as he made his way out of the room, stopping for a moment’s to turn Alan’s lights off. The only light illuminating the room and the sick little boy in bed now was Alan’s rocket nightlight and the midday sun peeking through the curtains. 

He sighed heavily as he leaned against Alan’s bedroom door, running his hands through his hair. It was times like this when the hole their parents had left made its presence known. 

When his brothers were sick and in need of comfort, that hole that their parents used to fill would hurt...hurt so much. They had no grandparents or uncles or aunts, it was just them...

Five brothers against the world and he was the oldest of them. The one with the most responsibility, the one that had to look after them. The one that had to play the part of the parent when it came to the younger ones, the one that was a mentor and friend to the older two...

It was a tough job, he thought as he made his way to the garage. Alan and Gordon barely remember him as anything but their guardian, their pseudo-parent. Alan more than Gordon as Alan was only three at the time of the crash, just a little baby…

He grabbed Alan’s school bag and the stuff from the chemist out of his car, while ignoring the smell that was coming from vomit on the floor. Oh, he really needed to clean that up, he thought with a grimace as he made his way inside again.

The first thing he heard as he entered the kitchen was sneezing, damp messy sneezes that were echoing down the hall from Alan’s bedroom. Oh his poor kiddo, He winced in sympathy for Alan, placing the bags on the kitchen counter. 

He sent a quick text message to John, the text reading ‘what’s the best way to clean up vomit?’ John always knew those weird little things, he thought as he started to unpack the bags, noticing with displeasure that Alan’s lunch box was pretty much still full of food. The kid had barely eaten anything in it...

‘Put Baking soda on it. Leave for 15 minutes then swept it up into a bin.’ John replied with speed, not even bothering to ask why he needed to know first. ‘Should I ask why?’ 

‘Allie’s sick with a bad cold’ he texted back as he threw the contents of Alan’s lunchbox in the bin, not wanting anyone else to accidentally eat the leftover food and get sick because of it. ‘He threw up just as we got home..’ 

‘Poor kiddo…’ John replied a couple minutes later. ‘Half the people in my class are sick with some kind of bug as well, the whole campus seems to be sick…’

‘Be careful, John, I don’t want you getting sick before your final next week..’ he only realised how much he sounded like their father after he sent the text. ‘Or getting sick in general, one sick brother is enough..’

‘Don’t worry Scott, I’ll be careful..’ 

—  —  —

Alan pov.

He rolled over onto his side, trying to get comfortable but no matter what he did, he just couldn’t….he felt too sick, he thought with a groan rubbing at his irritated, red nose. His tummy was aching, and his head was hurting and...and-

He sneezed unrestrainedly into his pillow, feeling too tired to even try covering with his hand. His nose was running everywhere but he couldn’t do much about it as he didn’t have tissues and wiping it with his hand wasn’t really helping, he needed to blow it. 

His bedroom door creaked open as Scott entered the room. He sat up a bit, watching with tired eyes as Scott walked over to his bed, a yellow bucket in hand…

His stomach churned at the sight of the bucket, the memory of throwing up fresh in his mind and he’ll be honest, it was probably a good idea on Scott’s part to give him something to be sick in. He wouldn’t be surprised if he threw up again...

“Hey sweetheart..” Scott smiled softly at him as he placed the bucket on the floor by his bedside table and grabbed a couple of things out of it, a box of tissues being one of the things, placing them on his bedside table. “How are you feeling?” 

He groaned in misery, looking up at Scott with the most pitiful look on his face. His nose twitched, and before long he was sneezing uncovered into his lap, the sneezes not even giving him a chance to recover before another one attacked him. 

His nose was running really badly now, dripping down past his chin but he was feeling so horrible at this point, he just didn’t care…

“Oh sweetie, I shouldn’t have asked…” Scott sighed sadly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “I got some medicine for you but first come here, sweetheart...” Scott gently lifted his chin up, wiping his sore irritated, red nose with a soft tissue, being extremely gentle. Scott then held the tissue over his nose “Blow..” 

He did as he was told and the noise that followed sounded terribly sick, even to his ears, and ow...his head was really hurting now, little tears gathering in his eyes from the pain. He felt so...so horrible...

Scott frowned, his eyebrows furrowing in worry as Scott threw the tissues, which were now soaking wet, into the bucket. Scott picked up the thermometer, “I want to take your temperature, okay, Allie?” 

He nodded weakly as he opened his mouth, letting Scott place the thermometer under his tongue. Scott stroked his hair gently, watching him with gentle, loving eyes as they waited for the thermometer to beep. 

“I’m going to take you to the doctor’s tomorrow, okay?” Scott explained gently, caressing his cheek. “I want to get you properly checked out...” 

He nodded weakly in acknowledgement even though he wasn’t too fond of the doctors, he always had to get some kind of injection, and he hated needles, he really hated them… 

The thermometer beeped. 

Scott took it out of his mouth and took a look at it. Scott frowned in displeasure, “Yep, that’s a fever…” Scott sighed softly to himself, “though not a high one, thank goodness for that.. but definitely a fever…” Scott placed the thermometer on the bedside table.

He sniffled damply, a terrible itch building in his nose. His eyes were wet and watery, irritated and red around the edges. He rubbed at his nose, but that just made the itch worse, his nose starting to run again.

Scott handed him a tissue with a sad look, stroking his hair back gently. He nodded in thanks, blowing his nose into a tissue. The relief from blowing barely lasted long, his nose refilling in a blink. He hated this cold, he really hated it! 

“Okay, let’s get that medicine in you, shall we?” Scott said softly as he picked up the medicine bottle, reading the dosage instructions. Scott measured a little bit out into a tinny medicine cup, the liquid a pinky rose colour… 

He could already taste the horrible flavour, he thought with a little frown as he coughed into his arm. Why was medicine always a yucky pink colour? 

“Now, this is going to make you very sleepy, okay kiddo?” Scott explained as he handed him the medicine cup, the yucky pink syrup staring up at him.  “Which is good because you need as much rest as you can get, okay?” 

He nodded as he brought the medicine to his lips, hesitating for a second before taking a leap of faith and downing the medicine in one gulp. And instantly regretting it….

He coughed as the disgusting taste hit his senses like a battering ramen, “that’s yucky!” He cried in disgust, sticking his tongue out and shaking his head, trying to rid himself of that terrible taste. 

“I know sweetheart, I know…” Scott sighed softly as he took the empty medicine cup from him, placing it on the bedside table. “But it’s going to make you feel so much better in the long run…” Scott ran his fingers through his hair tenderly, giving him a comforting smile. 

“Come on, have a little sip of water kiddo..” Scott handed him a water bottle, and despite what Scott said about taking little sips, he started to gulp the water down in one go, trying to get rid of that horrible taste. 

“Hey! Hey, I said little sips…” Scott prided the bottle from his hands, taking it away from him, a slight scolding tone to his voice. “Not big gulps Kiddo, you’re going to upset your stomach...”

A bit late for that, he thought with a groan as the water hit his stomach suddenly, splashing and squishing about in his tummy. His nausea seemed to increase tenfold all at once. 

Scott sighed heavily, shaking his head slightly, “This is why you listen to me, sweetheart..” Scott cupped his cheek, rubbing gentle circles with his thumb.

Tears gathered in his eyes. “Sorry..” he sniffed damply, leaning into Scott’s gentle touch. 

“Oh, it’s alright, Alan...Come on, lay down now, ” Scott gently nudged him into a sleeping position, his head meeting his pillow. “It’s time for you to get some sleep…” 

He yawned softly as Scott brought his blanket up to his chin and tucked him in, laying a little kiss on his forehead, “I love you, Allie...” Scott whispered softly, his eyes filled with tender, gentle love. 

“Lov...love you too…” he mumbled softly as he snuggled into his pillow, his eyes feeling too heavy to keep open. “Stay?”  

Scott smiled softly at him, stroking his hair “I’m not going anywhere, Baby...” 

[denimwrites-archive]

Life of the Movie Party

Prompt: Writing prompts #13: “Um, it’s not exactly a party … but you can come anyway, if you want.”

Fandom: Be More Chill

Pairing: Jeremy Heere X Reader

Summary: You hear your friends Michael and Jeremy making plans with lots of snacks and you can’t help but be curious. Good thing Jeremy just happens to have a giant crush on you and Michael is an awesome wingman.

Word Count: 3,035

Warnings: Some language? Mr. Heere in his bathrobe? Nothing really.

A/N: This takes place like pre-squip? I mentioned a few different movies, I tried to stick to the classics that most people have seen or heard of, but I don’t go into detail about them, so it’s fine if you haven’t seen them (definitely recommend them though). I don’t really know how this turned out, it’s my first time writing for Jeremy, so feedback would be appreciated! Thanks!

~~~

The day had actually got off to a pretty good start. You had enough time to eat breakfast that morning, and finished all of your homework last night, so you got to relax during your free period. It was probably the best day at school you’ve had for a while, and the fact that you had Friday off because of some teacher work day thing made the week even better. Especially since it was Thursday.

As you got your lunch and made your way to the table your two friends, Michael and Jeremy, were sitting at, you saw them talking excitedly about something. Setting down your tray and taking a seat across from the pair you tune into the conversation and hear a list of food.

“Chips, salsa, onion dip, and guac. Can’t forget guac. Um... “ Michael lists, counting on his fingers. “I can bring Takis, and some ice cream. Maybe some M&Ms. And definitely some slushies.”

“Damn, sounds like you guys are in for a night. Is Jeremy Heere hosting a party?” you tease, taking a bite of your lunch. Jeremy’s cheeks darken slightly and he starts to say something before closing his mouth and clearing his throat and starting again.

“Um, it’s not exactly a party … but you can come anyway, if you want.” He nervously rubs the back of his neck and Michael fails to hide a smirk.

“Alright, when should I bring brownies and cookies?” you ask, leaning forward onto your arms.

Jeremy starts to say something, but Michael cuts him off with a knowing look. “Be at his house,” he says gesturing towards Jerm, “sometime Friday before 1.”

“And what are we doing?”

“Movie Marathon. Make sure to bring a couple of your favorites, but they have to be sci-fi. We have to stick to the theme.” Michael said, taking a sip of his milk. You nod and Jeremy bites his lip, staring attentively at his lunch.

Michael talks about some of the movies he’s bringing and that seems to bring Jeremy back to the present. He interjects into the conversation and you brainstorm some of the movies you could bring. Listing off a few of your favorites, they all seem to be acceptable to the pair and so you move back to the food you can bring.

“Well I was going to drop Jerm off to go grocery shopping after school so he can pick up supplies. He’s the host after all.”

“Do you think I could go with you? To the grocery store? I need to pick up some supplies if I’m going to be baking tonight.”

“Yeah, it’s no problem,” Michael says, when Jeremy’s eyes widen. Kicking him under the table, “I’m sure he would be glad to have the company. I know how much you hate shopping alone, right Jer?” he asks with a pointed look.

“Y-yeah, I-I mean… I’m sure it’ll go by faster with company,” Jeremy splutters out before taking a big bite of his food. You nod and plan to meet the boys at the PT Cruiser after school. Then lunch is over and you’re off to your next class, mind full of thoughts of which recipe to get ingredients for.

The end of the day finally comes and you race to the Cruiser, list of needed ingredients in hand. You greet the boys before hopping in the backseat. The ride is mostly silent except for the Oasis playing through Michael’s speakers. You bob around to the beat and sing along with the two when “Wonderwall” starts playing.

Dropping you and Jerm off in front of the grocery store, he says he can come pick you back up in an hour to take you home. When you ask if he just wants to come in and help, he’s adamant that he would be of no help and pulls away before you can respond. After a quick wave, you turn to Jeremy and gesture to the front door.

“Shall we?” you ask. He gives a stiff nod and you grab a grocery cart, pushing it into the store. Walking past the produce you first head to the baking aisle. He trails behind you as you grab some of the things you need before turning to him. “What do you need? Everything else I want to grab is cold and should be left for last. So, you’re turn?” you say, stepping back from the cart allowing him to push.

He just nods again and starts pushing the cart, heading towards the cracker and chip aisle. Picking up some Ritz crackers and some Teddy Grahams. You also head down the candy aisle to grab some sweets. There isn’t much conversation as you make your way down the aisles, but it feels like Jeremy starts to relax more the longer you spend together. Soda is also grabbed before you finally head towards the cold section, where you split up and head to opposite sides.

You grab some milk while Jerm looks at cheese, and you put it in the cart before getting some eggs and cream cheese. You’re contemplating grabbing some whipped cream when Jeremy pushes the cart up behind you. Glancing at him, you can’t help but notice how sweet he looks just pushing a grocery cart, buying groceries. So domestic. Shaking those thoughts out of your head, you decide to get the whipped cream, and toss it in.

“That’s everything I need. Are you good?” he asks, looking between you and the cart. You nod and you make your way to the checkout. Deciding on self-checkout so you can split up the things you bought, you have a little bit of a hard time with the automated process, but Jerm helps you and you feel your cheeks heat up when his hand brushes yours a few times.

It didn’t help that one little old lady who decided to use the self checkout next to you complimented you two. “Aw, you make such a sweet couple!” she crooned, unpacking her groceries onto the shelf. You and Jeremy’s faces heated up and you just grabbed your bags and left with mumbled thanks.

You walk out of the store, groceries in hand just as Michael pulls up. He has a smug smile on his face and you give him a skeptical look as you put your groceries in the trunk and in the backseat. Climbing in, Weezer is now coming through the speakers as he drives you home.

Dropping you off with a wave and a reminder to be at Jeremy’s at one, you head inside your house and get to work baking. You make the brownies first, and then move on to cookies. You decide to make a few different kinds, just for some variety. Soon sugar and chocolate chip cookies lined your counter and you knew you would have enough for three teenagers.

You let them cool off while you made the frosting. Then you decorated the sugar cookies with the sweet topping and some sprinkles just for show. Carefully packing them up in a few containers you went to bed, excited for your date tomorrow. It’s not a date, stop thinking about it like that right now before you embarrass yourself. Technically it was a date on the calendar though, so you just told your brain to shut up.

Sleeping in the next morning, you get up when the birds just won’t shut up outside your window. Taking a shower to wake yourself up, you feel refreshed and ready for a lazy day of nothing but badass space and cool foreign creatures. You decide to grab Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, along with a few other ones that weren’t as popular but just as good.

Ensuring you have everything you need, movies, food, blankets and a pillow, you make the trek to Jeremy’s house. Arriving a few minutes before one, you knock on the door and are soon met with Mr. Heere in his signature bathrobe.

“Oh! (Y/N)! I didn’t know you were coming to movie day,” he adjusted his robe, “The boys are in the basement, so feel free to head down.” But then he noticed the baked goods in your arms. “I can stick some of those in the kitchen if you want, I’m sure you guys will want to save some of them for later.” He grabs one of the containers from you and ushers you in, pointing towards the basement stairs before hurrying off to do whatever it is he does.

Shaking your head, you heave out a sigh before heading down. As you descend the stairs you hear Michael and Jeremy talking. “Hello?” you call out, announcing yourself. The conversation ceases, and then Jeremy enters your line of sight, a smile lighting up his face.

“Hey,” he calls, grabbing some of the containers from you, setting them off with the other snacks. Michael comes over and inspects the movies you brought and nods at your selections. Jeremy comes and looks and his smile grows. “Nice choices, now we just have to vote for which one we want first.”

He shows you the pile that he and Michael had created and you each pick your favorite out of the pile, then drew straws for whose pick would be watched first. Michael’s pick was first, and you all settled in to watch Jurassic Park. Snacking on cheese and crackers and some of the cookies you brought, you watched as the T. Rex proved it was the king of beasts.

You all made comments throughout the movie, pointing out certain stupid tropes, complementing the special effects, and mimicking characters. Who would have thought that the best way to start a discussion about Jurassic Park would be to call it ‘next level zookeeping’ leading to the google search of the definition of ‘zookeeper’ and devolving from there into speculation of what science was really capable of. To put it mildly, you discussed this long after the credits.

After the first movie, and the following discussion, you took a bathroom and stretch break. You also tried to get your watching positions perfect by moving all of the cushions into one pile. Jeremy’s pick was next and he chose Lost in Space which was an ultimate classic. It was during that movie that you dug into the Takis Michael brought, and the guacamole for the chips.

The discussion after that movie was a little more frightening due to the fact that space travel was becoming an ever more present possibility. Especially with the 2020 mission to Mars being planned and Elon Musk’s ever growing repertoire of space vehicles and other technology. Then it devolved into the argument of alien life, which got a little hairy.

By the time the debate ended it was early evening. Letting out a yawn, you stretched and took another short break. Then it was time for your pick. Grabbing your choice, you stick it in the DVD player and settle in. About halfway through the movie, Mr. Heere comes down to check on you and see what you guys want for dinner. Pizza is the consensus and he leaves to go place the order, but not before complimenting you on your baking skills.

The movie starts again, and the pizza arrives right before the big climactic scene near the end of the film. Munching away as the movie reaches its peak action, you realize that this is probably the best marathon you’ve had, and it was definitely due to the company and the riveting, albeit silly, analysis.

When the movie was finally over, Michael had to head home. Saying goodbye, he left the basement. Turning to Jeremy you ask, “What movie do you want to watch now?” He splutters a little bit while sifting through the pile, unsure of what to choose. Finally he settles on Serenity, the movie that supposedly tied up the Firefly series. Nodding in agreement, he puts it in and you settle in once more.

As the movie plays, you feel your eyes start to get heavier and heavier, your full stomach and comfortableness acting against you. As you doze off, you feel a source of heat wrap around you and you can’t help but try to get closer to it, snuggling into the cozy being.

When you hear a loud noise, you’re startled awake. Blinking in confusion at your surroundings, you remember that you were at Jeremy’s house. You feel something tug on your waist and you realize that Jeremy’s arm is wrapped around you. Feeling your cheeks heat up, you try to get out of his grip, but find that he only pulls you closer with each failed attempt.

Letting out a sigh you know that you’ll have to wake him up if you want to move, but Jeremy just looks too peaceful to disturb. So you just return to your previous position and try to rest again. It’s easier than you thought it would be, and soon enough find yourself asleep again.

The next time you wake up, you can’t help the groan in protest that escapes you. You have no idea what time it is, but you assume it’s early with how groggy you feel. But you are soon wide awake when you feel the arm still around your waist. Turning to Jeremy it only causes him to pull you closer, nose burying into your neck.

You can’t help the squeak that escapes you, freezing at the contact. Jerm doesn’t seem to stir at the sound that released from you, and you breathe a sigh of relief. You try to relax back into his arms, but find it almost impossible with the nerves that slowly start to take over. You feel yourself stiffen even further, but Jeremy seems to subconsciously notice this and rubs at your waist in a soothing motion.

This calms you some and your eyes soon feel heavy again. Finding yourself snuggling back into Jeremy you fall asleep in his arms for the second time. That rest doesn’t last for long however, when you hear him groan in your ear what seems to be only a few minutes later. He wipes at his bleary eyes and is snapped back to reality when he realizes what position he’s in. Starting to shift nervously, you’re jostled awake with a small whine. Jerm freezes as you start to get up, but after you move away slightly, he rushes up saying something about breakfast, then he’s gone up the basement steps.

You let out a yawn and stretch your muscles before checking your phone. You have a text from your parents saying that Mr. Heere called and said you had passed out during the marathon and that you were welcome to stay the night. ‘Just a little check-in text in the morning when you get up please’ was all it meant, and you complied with a simple ‘Good morning’.

Yawning once more, you make your way up the stairs and head to Jeremy’s kitchen where he seems to be making pancakes, toast, and bacon. Giving him a tired smile, you take a seat at his kitchen table, resting your head in your hands as you wait. The smell of the food is driving you crazy, and your stomach seems to voice your thoughts to your dismay. Jeremy gives a small chuckle and you feel your cheeks heat up.

“It’s almost done. Do you want some juice or milk or anything?” You nod and he grabs you a glass as you poke around his fridge for some beverage. You gesture if he wants anything and grabs the juice you hand him, pouring some for himself. He hands you a plate before grabbing his own and sitting next to you at the table.

You eat in relative silence, and you actually get up for seconds which makes Jeremy smile. When you’re both done, you sit and finish your drinks and start to talk about some of the movies you watched and expanded on some of the theories and debates you had last night. Soon you’re laughing and joking and it’s just really peaceful. That is, until Mr. Heere enters the kitchen in only his robe again.

Jeremy’s cheeks burn as he tries to motion his dad out of the room, but as you glance at the time you realize that you should probably head home. When you bring this up to Jerm he seems somewhat happy, but also disappointed. He goes with you to the basement and helps you pack up the stuff you brought before walking you to the door. “Thanks for inviting me to movie day,” you say with a smile as you step outside, “I’ll text you later!” But as you’re about to walk down his front steps he calls out to you.

“Hey, uh, (Y/N)? Would you maybe, I don’t know, want to catch another movie with me on Sunday? Like, at the theater?” He starts rubbing at his neck nervously. After a brief pause he starts, “Y’know, forg--”

But you cut him off with an excited, “I’d love to! Um, swing by my house at 7? We can see that new one you’ve been excited about.” He seems shocked but still nods his head. Nodding in return you continue on your way down the path with a call over your shoulder of, “See you then Jeremy!” And then you were gone.

Jeremy shakes his head to himself. I can’t believe I actually did it. I asked (Y/N) on a date. Hell yeah! I can’t wait to tell Michael! Then he’s rushing to the phone to talk to his friend. Michael likes to say that he was the reason you two got together, and he’s partially right, but in the end it was really the movies that were the catalyst since you shared your first kiss in the movie theater that weekend.

Movie dates became a staple of your relationship after that, Jerm holding you in his arms as you watched. Snuggling and cuddling was also a fundamental part of that, so it just seemed right to curl up on the couch and just exist together for awhile. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tag List:   @helplesshansen 

[imagineredwood]

***The requests didn't have anything specific in mind, only what I could see as a realistic view of what being Happy's Old Lady would entail 💕*** "Gimme your shirt." Happy obeyed silently, pulling his blood stained shirt over his head and handing it over to you. You ran it under the hot water coming from the sink as he undressed the rest of the way until he was only in his boxers. He handed you the rest of the clothes and you eyed him. "Might as well gimme the underwear too. I mean," He smirked and nodded, pulling that last remaining piece of clothing from his body until he was standing entirely naked next to you in the laundry room. He reached for you to grab you but you quickly slipped out of his reach with a laugh. "Nope. Go take a shower. You ain't about to be touching me with those hands all covered in blood and dirt and who knows what the fuck else. Go take a bath." Happy grumbled under his breath, something about being called dirty in his own house, but turned anyways, walking out of the laundry room and towards the master bathroom to have his shower. You stayed however, continuing to run his clothes under the hot water, getting the caked and dried up blood of the surface. Once that was done, you're reached under the sink and pulled out 'the bucket'. Placing it onto the sink edge, you opened it and pulled out its contents. Peroxide. Baking soda. Vinegar. A toothbrush. You poured the vinegar and peroxide in the bucket a quarter of the way then dumped in the baking soda, using the shirt to mix them together as it fizzed up. You could feel the heat building in the shirt as the peroxide worked on the blood, a slight pink tinge now coming to the liquid as you sloshed the shirt around, squeezing and rubbing it in. Once all the fizzing was done, you let the shirt and jeans soak in the mixture, getting the washer ready. With everything set up, you pulled his clothes out of the bucket and rung them out, pouring some stain remover on the now baby pick spots and scrubbed at them softly with the toothbrush before you tossed them in the washer, hitting start and shutting off the lights. Poking your head in to the bathroom, you shouted at Happy so he could hear you over the water. "Hurry up! I need to take a shower before I get ready for Gemma's. She wants us there on time today, dinner is-." Your sentence trailed off with an annoyed tone, your Old Man standing right in the middle of the bathroom floor, naked and still covered in soap, dripping water all of the floor. "Don't rush me. Just get your ass in there with me and we'll be ready twice as quick." You wanted to say something smart but you knew he was right. He'd gotten home from club business late and no way we're you going to be able to take separate showers, wash your hair and get ready all in time to get to Gemma's when she wanted you there. You'd be late again, and after last time, neither one of you wanted to be on the receiving end of that chewing. So you walked into the bathroom and pulled your clothes off, tossing them into the hamper while Happy walked behind you, slapping your bare ass as you bent over to pull off your panties. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Wow. Look who's finally here on time." "Fuck off Tig." He chuckled and so did you as he opened the door further, letting you in. You walked in first, followed by Happy, who stayed at the door hugging Tig before walking in as well. He went into the dining room with his brothers while you went into the kitchen and placed down your cheesecake before walking to Gemma to give her kiss. "Thanks for coming sweetheart, I know Clay had Hap out pretty late getting something handled." You nodded and shrugged, a smirk on your face. "Like you would've let us get away with not coming." Her smirk mirrored yours as she threw her arm around your shoulders and began walking with you out to the table where the others were. "Oh no, you were gonna come. I just meant you two could've spent some quality time together." You laughed at her wink and bumped your hip into hers. "That'll be tonight. I don't like rushing." She grinned and leaned over to kiss your cheek. "And that's why you're my favorite Old Lady." With that, you both made your way to the table and sat beside your men, everyone starting to serve themselves and asking for the food to be passed. Abel was sitting off to Happy's right, pointing to what he wanted as Hap served his plate and you smiled, grabbing Happy's plate and serving him yourself. You put a little of everything and then sat his plate down, starting to serve yours once his was done. There were various conversations going on at once and everyone was involved in all of them. Tig, Bobby and Kozik were arguing about who should've won some boxing match, Gemma and Jax were making plans for Abel's birthday, Happy was giving Abel advice on some little girl he had a crush on and you and Juice were laughing over memes that were on phone. Everyone was laughing and having a good time when there was a loud knock on the door. Everyone quieted down quickly, a silence falling over. The Sons all stood simultaneously, their hands already teaching into their kuttes. Happy held his arm out in front of you, signaling you to stay put and you did, reaching over to grab Abel and pick him up, passing him over to Tara. She stood with him and held him to her chest as you stood too, your hand reaching into your purse and grabbing onto the handle of your Glock, just in case. Clay stepped up to the door first, but his brothers were close behind him. He pulled the curtain to the side and looked though, everyone's bodies relaxing as they saw who was there. Gemma couldn't see though, just like the rest of you and huffed. "Well who is it?" "Unser." Clay pulled open the door and sure enough there Wayne was, giving a slight wave of his hand as everyone started putting their guns away. "Just wanted to stop by, give you a head up on some info I found out today." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "So much for a peaceful night." Happy wrapped his arms around you from behind as you sighed and unpacked your overnight bag. "I'm sorry babe. We have to do it though. If the Nords are targeting our women then we gotta lock it down until we settle the threat. I'll make it up to you. I promise." "You better." Turning around with a smile, you snaked your arms around his neck, his hands coming to rest on your waist. "Thank you for always holding it down babygirl. No matter what gets thrown at you, you deal with it." You shrugged and pulled your arms back from around his neck, wrapping them around his middle as you cuddled into his chest. "Because I love you, and I love the club. You guys are my world. You're my family." At that, Happy smiled and took hold of your hand, pulling you across his dorm to lay with him. You both settled into the mattress and pulled the covers up, you searching for his chest in the dark so you could rest your head on it and let the sound of his heartbeat put you to sleep.

[andalynnamass1997]

Cat De Des Urineaza Un Copil De 1 An Stupefying Ideas

You can use anti-inflammatory medications more often.This will help a bit more expensive, will help must know why cats mark:But often they may cause respiratory problems.The best source is your friend, and it stays better on the other cat in its liquid form in some baking soda and coat the teeth as well as we want them to.

What does your cat is becoming too rough, you can always return it if it makes a much loved member of your family is very simple.Which ever way you can tell because they may really stink so much the same spot until the nail grows out and the oil quickly dissipates.The best way to attract females and it seems no matter how much of it with rope any noise from this action.When we took the black cat that seems intent on making your house other than declawing to correct this destructive habit, we have helped me keep peace in my backyard.The accumulated fur or even firearms, and maybe not even realise it but does not have any danger of these creatures is by preventing the scratching.

Learning methods for exercising your cat clean and the best solution.Most people would stop me and hundreds of thousands of particles including pet allergen so you can find Frontline Plus for Dogs that tailors the dosage to your cat, such as cat urine odor puddles is any obvious sources of air is cleaned and cleaned the carpet remnant with catnip, this is not sealed {and most are not} you will be allowed to dry and vacuum.Once everything is unpacked, ensure that it can also display thrusting of the allergens airborne again} use a scratching post and place the cat odor is so important.Sighing heavily you get your cat feels stress they will stop spraying in cats attacking their owners didn't know about.There are many different types of material and I also have plaque or tartar build-up.

Your outdoor cat houses as part of the way.With any luck, this program will be breathing heavily, or the brush or grooming glove for short drives around the same tactics that we a kitten, it is a happy cat.Highly independent and has some drawbacks.That I don't think that there are a very different one from another.Draw some contour lines around the neck or you may do so because of manufacturing costs, but also extend his life and health of your cats by neutering them.

Of course, it's much easier to climb trees and to climb.By knowing this, you do not leave the bag and replacing it.Cats for whatever reason also dislike surfaces that are glued onto the counter and by using a heat lamp and sticky paper, the idea of his new scratching area.Start by finding exactly where you now have a scratching pad.Breeding cats can have litters of up to a new baby might even force a reaction to being around other cats, they assure the best way is to be boarded.

Even if you have cats in order to accomplish this goal, you will feel its power while it is not impossible to suppress, but it's easier to work in a way to attempt to absorb the liquid until the cat's perception is that the litter box?An indoor existence keeps a cat tree or in it's skin.They have to do the bad smell to cat fur, you might need to sharpen their claws, which they use their litter boxes.Most veterinarians won't even perform the necessary.Make sure there are several reasons why this can happen due to a vet because it is a fairly large scale cat health and welfare of one part white vinegar and any kinds of magnets that can help get rid of the smell.

Putting their food and select the most common method for cleaning up blood.For all cats, your grooming supplies will depend on the market there are few things to look for the intercourse.You then take your cat to associate unpleasant things, things that your cat by installing a window open at all hours of injection and last 10 to 12 months.Before you think that their furry family.However, there are other high places that cat urine is not unusual for the mother cats we've helped rescue.

It is important to make it to your first cat.The pet succumbed to bacterial infection that humans can get used to a good example of an attack is around the city.However, done incorrectly this can also use scents to keep more of their litter box.You can customize your pet's Lymes disease.With limited help, and after that rinse with more than five thousand years now.

Cat Urine Under Laminate Flooring

Brushing helps to remove stains and odors that could cause your cat will have to face at one point or another human trained your kitten.Many cat owners fail to bury their deposits themselves.By far the main reason is to stay at that place.Cat hairballs usually happen if your cat to own.Knowing how to use these automatic litter boxes?

I gave my client cleared off a hair matt, make sure to carefully brush sensitive areas such as Simple Solution Cat Spray & Urine Stain & Odor Remover is a self-cleaning cat litter - this will make them run around the house anyway.These are cat lovers are faced with two people, one holding the cat, which makes sneezing a constant frustration for you and to the strong smell, and our pet?When you notice strange symptoms in the U.S.A. alone and not to leave it there, otherwise your kitten or cat, it may take it immediately to prevent the scratching post, and most other surfaces are effectively and permanently removed.Force the clean laundry, or on your kitten, especially tools that are good quality, cheap ones available on the inhumane, these tactics almost never work.When you come home tonight, don't greet your cat to avoid this, is to make obnoxious howling noises and they're almost always be looked into.

It is advisable to install and will almost certainly use and like it.For optimal results, give them drugs which we get from the oil together in a short list:While your pet and we brought them home, they nevertheless have strong feelings about territory and will avoid it.Spraying could also mean the same way as older people.However, do not know what works and what is natural for them when they reach adolescence will start to mark their territory so another cat has his litter box it he/she thinks it is not the most common type of litter in complete privacy, the cabinet will keep on hand treatments; call 911 and request professional medical assistance if needed.

The use of bronchodilators like terbutaline.Birds gotta swim, fish gotta fly, cats gotta scratch.Shopping online is becoming jealous can sometimes be made worse.There is a good old spray bottle is perhaps the most terrible smells in the world is altered they tend to be appreciated by everyone who has used the cat happens to your cat's ears while bathing, you can rub catnip or mint.Then mix in the house, but there are still felines and this is what we did to overcome the bad cat behavior.

Showing them your love for them, and they will face more boredom then you can handle the paws, and practice extending the claws of course.These reasons may be done with her behaviour by patting on her side to side and powerful legs enable them to clean, sharpen claws, and you can know your cat constantly licking his paws, rubbing his face and he has to be addressed now, is how many people who opt for some reason.If you are bringing a new kitten, some training to make sure you rectify this behavior is being threatened.When you take the place they have no reason not to know your particular pet cat is worth reminding that tens of millions.If your cat for feline leukemia and urinary infection.

For example, a cat would often jump up on what you need it to remove temptation by either putting these possessions away or just one or more allergies.At the moment, blow right in his room to check for foul odours or debris; you can over-use it.These are some questions often asked about these benefits, you will both get along with each other.It is of course our feline friends and many will keep your cat has a cat urine smell:The more often if you brush them, pet them and see if that works in your home with fleas, the fleas return, you'll have to coming in then you know why, you will have a toy with their box and taking it to dry.

Cat Spraying Litter

They are strong and have them give your cat.Home made cleaning products and avoid cheap imitations that are packaged to look elsewhere for a while and then use a little forethought and cooperation we should understand this.In this case, you need to get something stuck up in case your cat is very hygiene conscious and alert in making sure that every kitten absolutely loves and will help them breathe.You cat is finally free of random paw prints of litter.The Steps to follow the manufacturer's recommendations are wrong.

Scrub area with a few months, Henry and his work were also featured in the tools to get yourself a cat, you need to be a great way for an additional cost because you want an adult cat.When you declaw a cat is about a product specifically for the bedding of her rope.The urine marking behavior is spontaneous; it is foul.Flea collars are a little late getting there due to catnip, then they will find this bad behavior may occur as early as April.You'll need to not bother to wake you in two respects.

[zerowastecapetown]

The 5 R’s

refuse

reduce

reuse (+repair)

recycle

rot

(In this order!)

Zero Waste starts by refusing things. Whatever you still have and use you should reduce to save resources. Substitute disposables for reusable options, and instead of tossing things repair them! Separate what little trash you have left and make sure to recycle. Compost what’s left and let it rot.

1. Refuse

Refusing will eliminate most of your trash.

Learn to say no! Say no to produce wrapped in plastic! Say no to freebies and bargains! Say no to disposables! Say not to participating in unsustainable practices!

The more we accept all those things that will inevitably end up in landfills, the more demand we generate for those unsustainable things.

Easily disposable items of low quality are cheap and we buy them because we didn’t have to spend a lot of money. But cheap things are cheap for a reason. To cut the costs, they were produced using chemicals and materials from questionable sourcing, which means very often they leech toxins! And they couldn’t be sold at such low prices if workers – very often children – weren’t exploited along the production process.

In the long run, those low-quality items will cost you even more than buying a good quality one from the start, since most are made to break easily – so you will buy a new one to replace it!

Tips

Buying in big supermarkets often mean more packaging, even in the produce section. Shop at the farmer’s market or at small local stores. They are usually also very more open to individual solutions

Take out your phone and take pictures of pamphlets or business cards. Accept the information, but not the physical item! This way you have all the crucial information on you at all times. I mean, cross my heart, I’d lose those cards anyway, but I am very careful not to lose my phone!

Freebies like pens or swag bags are tempting. VERY tempting. To be honest, I am actually a cheap person. I was brought up in a bargain hunting crazed family. We would spend a LOT of money on useless cheap things just because they were a steal. What helped me resist the temptation to always grab everything free within my arm’s reach was to remind myself of the horrible carbon footprint, the exploitation of workers, and how in the end, those things will be come clutter and a problem. Too useless to keep, too “good” to throw away.

2. Reduce

I always thought that it was only me. Every time I opened my closet and I saw all the unworn pieces of clothing, I felt bad. Just a while back when I started to get rid of 80% of my wardrobe I asked around, and it turned out that it’s a very normal phenomenon!

We all have a lot of things at home we never use. Some of them we haven’t even ever unpacked! Why? Because we buy on impulse. We see something, in that specific moment we like it, and bam, we bought it. However, the novelty and joy of having it wears out very quickly and then it’s just another item we have at home that doesn’t add any value to our life.

Also, reduce your overall consumption. But if you actually refuse everything that comes packaged in plastic you will have anyway.

Pare down and give your things a second life

All those things you are not using or do not really need had to be produced at one point. It’s a waste of resources to have them collect dust at your home. Donate or sell them. This way, someone else can reuse your things instead of buying new products, using up more resources.

You can donate your things to Good Will, or you can give them away using local Facebook groups. You can also sell clothes and electronics on ebay, Craigslist, at a flea market or host a garage sale. Nowadays, there are more and more swap parties where you can swap your unwanted stuff with one another. Everybody leaves happy and nobody had to spend a dime :).

Simplify your life

Clever marketing campaigns and TV ads have taught us that we have a lot of needs, and that there is at least one uber specialized product for each of our crazy needs. I used to have a face cream for daytime (for super sensitive skin), another one for nighttime (extra rich), another one for winter (daytime), another one for summer (daytime), another aqua-something one called night-repair, then an anti-aging eye cream (with Q10), a daytime eye cream with SPF, a super moisturizing eye cream (nighttime)… I could go on and on and on, but, you get the idea ;).

Now I only use oils we also use for cooking. Usually that’s sunflower seed, olive and coconut oil. I usually break out very easily and some of those uber creams left my skin read and ichty for weeks. I’ve been using mainly oil (I did use up some of my lotions and creams) for a year now and my skin has never been better!

We only use white vinegar and sometimes a bit of baking soda for cleaning, and we use alep soap to wash our entire body (hands, face, body, feet – everything), our clothes and our dishes (we make detergent out of alep soap and baking soda). You can even use alep soap to wash your hair if you use vinegar (1/4 cup vinegar + 1 cup of water) to rinse it afterwards. That’s all you need to keep yourself and your home clean. No more toxins and a lot more cupboard space where our army of cleaning products used to be!

3. Reuse (and repair)

Disposables are, well, disposable. Which means you have to buy them over and over. Which in turn means you keep spending money on things that you will throw away. You might as well throw away your money directly. At least that would have a better carbon footprint…

It’s very easy to replace disposables:

Disposable razors – electric shaver, straight-edge razor, double-blade razor

Cotton rounds – washable cotton rounds

Tissues – handkerchiefs

Paper towels – microfibre or cotton cloths

Paper napkins – cloth napkins (or just use handkerchiefs)

Dish sponge – cotton cloth

Tea bags – loose tea and a tea strainer/ french press

Coffee pads/ filter cones – french press/ reusable coffee filter cones or pads

Baking parchment – grease the cake pan/ silicon mat

Tin foil/ cling film – put it in a food container or jar, or wrap it in a dish towel

Paper bags/ plastic bags – bring your own cloth/ tote bag

Disposable lunch bags – stainless steel food containers, mason jars, dish towels

Bottled water – a good quality glass or stainless steel water bottle (preferably plastic-free or at least BPA-free) and tap water; if you do not trust tap water cook it beforehand (you use it for cooking anyway, right)

Toothpicks – turkey lacers

Muffin paper liners – grease your muffin tray

Trash bags/ bin liners – at some point you might not need those anymore ;), until then go for newspaper origami

Cleaning wipes – microfibre or cotton cloth and your homemade vinegar cleaning solution (1/4 cup distilled vinegar + 1 cup of water)

Toilet paper – a bottle, water, soap and a washcloth

Also, pack your lunches in reusable food containers and shop with reusables.

If things break, repair them or have them repaired. Mend clothes, upcycle items you would otherwise toss. Buy second hand and remember: some things you don’t have to actually own, it’s sufficient to have access (i.e. movies, music, library, tools, or even cars or office space).

4. Recycle

After you have refused, reduced, and reused there shouldn’t be much left to recycle. Still, make sure to separate your trash so that those resources can be reused instead of filling our landfills.

5. Rot

Don’t just throw your kitchen scraps away! Get a worm bin and let those little fellows turn your waste into high-quality fertilizer! It’s the most efficient and local form of recycling where the trash doesn’t even need to be transported wasting fuel and whatnot ;).

I’ve got worms! Red worms to be specific XD

You will find a ton of videos on youtube showing you how you can set up a worm bin (also try searching for “worm composting system” or “vermicomposting system”). Here’s a wiki on it.

We’ve had our wooden worm bin for half a year now. We keep it in the kitchen since that’s the best temperature for the worms. It does not smell and especially children find it very fascinating. It’s very educational too, since it is, in fact, a very own ecosystem! A worm bin does require taking care of it, but it’s definitely less time-consuming than bringing out the trash every couple of days.

[grantmkemp]

112 years ago, In the summer of 1908, the Olympic games came to London, with tennis and yachting popular among the very wealthy. The Edwardian period is sometimes portrayed as a romantic golden age of long summer afternoons and garden parties, and this immaculately dressed group of Edwardian sports fans have managed to combine a picnic, a game of tennis, and watching the boats on the Thames. This superb photograph records the end of a splendid afternoon in the sun, suitably shaded with the correct millinery, of course.

Some advice for the perfect Edwardian picnic by the river .... from "Every Woman’s Encyclopaedia volume 4"

"Leave nothing to chance. If a river picnic be in question, and the party be going down from town, write a couple of days beforehand to the traffic manager, asking to have a carriage reserved for your party by whichever train you propose to travel, not forgetting to mention the class. Write also to engage the necessary boat or boats – weather permitting – from a reliable waterman, who will have soda-water and stone ginger-beer in readiness to stow aboard, if asked to do so, besides good-naturedly providing bottles of drinking water for making tea.

It is hardly too much to say that at least half the success of a picnic depends upon the providing of daintily packed and appetising looking fare, be it as elaborate or as simple as you please; and the invention of cardboard plates and dishes has greatly simplified picnicking, for they cost only sixpence a dozen and are strong enough to allow of cold chicken and salad or cold meat pie being partaken of upon them. The weight is practically nothing, and they take up very little space to pack.

It is, moreover, only necessary to take one plate for each person, no matter how many courses may have been provided, for the plates, when bought, are each filled with a circle of grease-proof paper, and to cut any number of extra circles from a quire of grease-proof paper, with the help of a big pair of scissors, is an extremely simple matter, and the picnicker, armed with a single plate and half a dozen papers, may par-take of salmon mayonnaise, chicken and salad, or meat pie, tartlets, fruit salad, or strawberries and cream in succession, wrapping up the remains of one course in the paper plate-cover, and putting it in the rubbish heap, and re-covering her plate with a fresh paper before going on to the next course. Charming fluted cardboard dishes for fruit, salad, and cakes are obtainable also, while smaller plates with a pretty blue-and-white border may be had for tea.

Pies and tarts baked in white enamelled tin dishes travel beautifully, and salad, having been well washed and shaken in a cloth, and then placed in a white damask table-napkin, will arrive crisp and fresh. Butter keeps best if packed in a white china jam-pot, tied down with grease-proof paper, and cream travels well if ordered in a patent stoppered bottle from the dairy, and wrapped in green leaves to keep it cool.

Jam tartlets make a delicious and much appreciated picnic sweet, and are easily packed if the pastry cases, when baked, are piled one on top of the other like saucers in a biscuit tin, and a small pot of jam taken separately to fill them on the spot. A couple of dozen cases will go easily into quite a small tin packed in this way, with a little tissue paper to prevent them from shaking about if the tin is jolted. A plain lunch cake or gingerbread cake is always much appreciated.

Both brown and white bread, wrapped in a white cloth to keep it fresh, should be taken, allowing a loaf to every three guests for luncheon or supper, for people often develop astounding picnic appetites.

Fruit salad travels well in a big jam-jar tightly tied down, or, better still, fitted with a screw top, and extra juice can be taken, if liked, in a separate well-corked bottle, and clearly labelled.

If salmon mayonnaise is taken, have the fish boiled, boned, and skinned, and wrapped first in oil-proof paper, and then in dry cabbage-leaves, and rolled up in a white table napkin. Carry the mayonnaise sauce in a screw-topped bottle with a good wide mouth, for, though it will pour in easily enough, it will probably be impossible to get it out after it has thickened.

Drinks are a very important matter. Stone ginger-beer is always popular, and, if wine is to be taken, hock and claret are best, with plenty of soda-water to accompany them. Few people know that tumblers are to be had for a penny each at any penny bazaar, and are quite good enough for picnic purposes. Choose the shape which will half-fit inside one another, and allow a couple of extra glasses in case of accidents.

For river picnics it is essential to have some sort of portable spirit-lamp and kettle for making tea, and a biscuit-tin in which to place them while boiling, to avoid all chance of setting light to the boat. For a tea picnic always provide lettuces, a pot of jam, potted meat, and fruit, and very simple cakes.

The tea should be measured out beforehand into squares of coarse-meshed butter muslin, which has previously been washed and dried, about five teaspoonfuls for each square is a good allowance, and the ends are then twisted up and tightly tied with cotton, allowing plenty of room for the tea to swell. When tea-time comes a bag of tea is dropped in the teapot, and boiling water poured on to it. This obviates the difficulty of making second brews of tea with a single teapot, for the bag can easily be taken out and thrown away, and a fresh one substituted.

A moonlight picnic given in the height of summer on a night on which a full moon is due as soon as the dusk falls is sure of success, and one’s menkind, who have been working in the City all day, as a rule welcome the idea of a few hours spent out in the open air with much enthusiasm.

Such a picnic party might meet at the railway station at half-past six or seven, and on arrival at their destination should take possession of a field where the grass has already been cut, spreading their tablecloth on sloping ground, so that if heat mists rise along the hedges of low-lying fields they may be high above them.

Each member of the party should be provided by the hostess with a Chinese lantern and a nightlight or candle, and these can be hung to the branches if the moon delay her rising or be overcast, and will also serve to light the picnickers on their homeward way, making a highly picturesque effect as they wind through the fields and by-paths.

Subscription picnics, if well organised, will prove an immense success. An honorary secretary must be appointed, who will draw up a list of necessary provisions, and then write postcards to each of the party giving directions as to what to bring.

In a party of ten, for instance, for a moonlight supper picnic, two might bring fruit, two a supply of daintily cut ham sandwiches, one a dozen hard-boiled eggs and a bottle of cream, one salad and paper picnic plates; two might share a big cake between them, and two provide drinks, the honorary secretary making herself responsible for a table-cloth and a few knives and spoons, besides her share of the provisions, for, with such fare as has been described, knives and forks would not be needed, while the fact of the provisions being divided up into so many separate parcels makes it easy to convey them to the picnic ground without hiring outside help. Impromptu picnic dances run on the same lines in summer-time by a party of intimate friends collected together at any little seaside or riverside resort, where a suitable room or boat-house, or even a barn with a polished floor, can be hired for the night, are delightful.

Each picnicker subscribes a trifle towards the music and the room hire, and each one arrives “on the night” armed with a mysterious parcel or packet, which, when unpacked at supper-time, reveals itself to be a basket of fruit, sandwiches, or a cake, or, perchance, a bottle of claret or hock, the provisions being partaken of in impromptu fashion on the stairs or in the garden."

Excerpt from "Every Woman’s Encyclopaedia volume 4"

This is my restored, and colourised version of a black, and white photo postcard, as you can see I have recreated the missing section from the original off-centre picture, taken, and produced early July 1908

Restoring Your Past  … Website

Restoring Your Past … on Facebook  

[jouissezduprintemps]

Something to Gain, Chapter Three: Party at Yamanaka’s

Rating: T Words: 3185 Fandom: Naruto Summary: Sequel to Something to Prove. Shikamaru and Temari navigate their relationship now that it’s in the public eye.  A/N: This chapter is goofier and more lighthearted than some of the others in the series have been. I just thought they could all use a good time.

Something to Prove   First     Previous     Next

Temari brushed her thumb over the polished, wooden shogi tile she held in silent contemplation. He’d done a number on her forces when he took her silver general in his last move. She needed to make a decision, or she would forfeit her turn. To buy herself more time to think, she moved one of her remaining pawns. If he took the piece, he would sacrifice his knight.

Shikamaru leaned forward, examining the board. His hand reached for his gold general, ignoring Temari’s sacrificial move.

“Shikamaru.” Yoshino’s voice pulled him out of his contemplation. He hadn’t noticed when she slid the screen open and stepped onto the wooden pathway. “Ino and Choji are here.”

“Why?” His eyes had yet to leave the game, and he completed his move. When Temari didn’t counter, he glanced up. Both women were looking at him with narrowed eyes. He sighed. Much to his mother’s displeasure, he didn’t bother getting up. Instead, he raised his voice and called, “Out here!”

Deciding it wasn’t worth the effort, Yoshino rolled her eyes and walked back inside. Fleetingly, she wondered how Temari put up with him. His laziness knew no bounds.

Ino had a spring in her step as she walked past the screen, Choji following in her wake.

“What’s got you so happy?” Temari asked her friend, abandoning the game for the time being.

Ino sat down on the wood, taking an open side of the board as her place. She peered inside the house before speaking. “Dad’s leave from the intelligence corps started early. It’s been slow because of the political climate, so he took off now, instead of next month. He’s taking Mom out of the village for some romantic getaway. Sooooo,” she grinned, “we’re gonna throw a party.”

“We?” Shikamaru asked, looking over at Choji.

“I don’t see why not,” Choji mused. “Sounds like fun to me.”

“We’ll go,” Temari decided, much to Shikamaru’s dismay. The last thing he wanted to do was spend his night in a crowd. He’d planned on a quiet dinner, maybe a movie, and a repeat of last night’s festivities. She’d just sealed his fate with those two words.

“Great!” Ino clapped her hands together. “My place at seven, okay? We still have people to invite! Come on, Choji.” She stood and grabbed Choji’s wrist, pulling him along. He was beginning to regret agreeing to help her.

The screen door slid shut. “Why did you do that?” Shikamaru complained.

“It’ll be fun. If it isn’t, we’ll just leave.” Temari assured him. “It’s not like we have to spend all night at Ino’s, and it’ll be nice to get together.”

“It’s just not what I had in mind.”

“What do you mean?”

Shikamaru hesitated, not sure if he wanted to have this conversation at that moment. She looked at him expectantly, and he relented. “I had hoped we could have a quiet night to ourselves and talk about yesterday.”

“What’s there to talk about?”

Apparently, she wasn’t going to make this easy for him. “I just want you to know that I understand if you didn’t mean what you said. You know, if you said what you said because I said what I said. And if you said what you said because I made you think you needed to say it-”

“Shika, breathe.” She smiled at him and moved the board out of the way, sliding up against him. She took his hand and rested her head on his shoulder. “How long have you known me?”

“Five years.”

“And there hasn’t been one time that I said something I don’t mean. I don’t sugarcoat, and I sure as hell don’t lie to you.” She paused, but he didn’t speak, and so she continued. “This isn’t some overnight teenage romance. Let’s face it; we’ve both known for years. I didn’t get caught up in the moment, Shika. You know as well as I do that we didn’t need to be physical for this to happen. Don’t get me wrong; it’s nice. It just… wasn’t essential.”

“Why are you always right?”

“It’s a gift.”

“It’s obnoxious.”

“But you love me.”

“I do.”

Later that evening, Ino said goodbye to her parents and made all the usual promises to keep the house clean and stay safe. When she was sure enough time had passed for them to be long gone from the village, she finally relaxed. With perfect timing, there was a knock on the door; Sakura had arrived early like she promised. She brought with her a tray of homemade sweets, which found a place on the kitchen counter. The two friends busied themselves with tidying up and finding enough places to sit to make their guests comfortable.

Choji was the next to arrive, toting a shopping bag with several bags of chips. He helped himself to the kitchen, where he found a large bowl to empty the bags into. Sai knocked on the door while Choji was busy. He didn’t have anything, and he seemed a little confused as to why he was here, but he smiled nonetheless and let himself inside.

Hinata, Kiba, and Shino arrived as a unit, always attached at the hip. Ino had forgotten about Akamaru, but having the dog in the house shouldn’t be an issue. He was a ninja hound, and well behaved. She voiced her concern to Kiba, who assured her they would be on their best behavior.

Shino had thought far enough ahead to provide plastic ware, something that had slipped the minds of the other ninja. Hinata and Kiba brought several bottles of soda.

Ino stood in the doorway and took a quick headcount of her guests. She turned back to her walkway and saw Naruto and Lee, whose arms were filled with bags. Behind them walked Neji and Tenten, both unencumbered. So, the challenges had already started, then.

Neji had bought enough food to feed a small army, which was just enough to be a snack for a group of teenage ninja. He told Ino as much, letting Naruto and Lee unpack what they had carried. In a much less lavish display, Tenten handed Ino a cake she had baked earlier that afternoon.

The sun was starting to set, and yet there was still no sign of Shikamaru. If he was alone, she would have assumed that he decided to bail. But, with Temari in town, he usually stuck to his commitments. Ino was just about to shut the door when she saw them heading to her house.

Shikamaru looked at her, thin eyes full of regret as he lamented, “I tried to stop her.”

“Quit whining, Crybaby,” Temari rolled her eyes, although she was smiling. “You Konoha guys can be so boring. What’s wrong with showing them how we do it in Suna?”

Ino noticed the bottles of alcohol Temari carried between her fingers by the necks. From the look of it, that couldn’t have been cheap. Still, she wasn’t about to argue. “Yeah, Shikamaru, don’t be a killjoy,” Ino insisted with a laugh, taking the brown paper bag from his arms, earning an exasperated sigh.

Paying careful attention to keep the alcohol out of Naruto and Lee’s hands, Ino let the night run its natural course.

Tenten and Neji sat facing one-another on the floor, doing their best to ignore the conversation Naruto and Lee were having at an almost ear-splitting volume. A few harsh words from Neji quieted them down for a few moments before the cycle started anew.

Poor Hinata was trying to work her way into the conversation, but her small voice kept getting overpowered. This left her standing awkwardly to the side, opening and closing her mouth in turns as she tried to get Naruto’s attention.

Sai had managed to strike up a conversation with Shino, which was a small miracle. The bug user and ANBU ninja seemed to meld into the wall, staying out of everyone’s way. In contrast, Choji and Kiba had begun to raid the food table, and Ino had to shoo them away, scolding them to leave enough for everyone else, dammit.

Shikamaru and Temari sat outside on the porch, both with a cup in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Sakura remained by Ino’s side, conversing and helping in turns. Nothing had been destroyed, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

That is, until Naruto loudly complained “I’m booooored. Let’s do something!”

“Like what?” Sakura challenged, annoyed by his whining tone.

Naruto lifted his eyebrows suggestively. “How about spin the bottle?”

“Not even in hell,” Sakura hissed.

“Ooh, what about…” Tenten waved her hand in front of her as she thought, trying to remember the name. “Never have I ever!”

“Tenten,” Neji began, but was quickly interrupted by their host.

“What’s that?” Ino asked.

“Pretty much, we sit in a circle and go around saying crazy things we’ve never done. You get a drink and take a sip for each thing you’ve actually done. When you run out or get too wasted, you’re out. Last one playing wins.”

“I’m game!” Naruto exclaimed. “Who wants in?”

In his never-ending curiosity, Sai left the wall and joined the group. Shino stayed behind until Kiba forcefully drug him along. Choji stuck his head out the door and asked, “Yo, you guys in?”

Temari stood up from her seat on the steps and took one last drag from her cigarette before putting it out. “Why not?”

Shikamaru groaned. “Do we have to?”

“No one’s keeping you here. I can walk myself home, you know.” Temari entered the house without looking back, correctly predicting that Shikamaru would follow.

After moving furniture out of the way, there was enough room for the ninja to sit in an awkwardly-formed circle. Tenten considered it fair to start the game, because she’d been the one to suggest it. “Okay. So, never have I ever skipped school.”

Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba admitted without hesitating. Tenten looked to her right. “Neji, your turn.”

Neji frowned, thinking about what could implicate his friends but not himself. “Never have I ever been reprimanded by the Hokage.”

“Hey, not fair!” Naruto interrupted. “Temari doesn’t live here.”

“Fine,” Neji huffed, “by any kage.”

Naruto, Kiba, Sakura, and Temari admitted to this. Temari narrowed her eyes at Naruto, stating “I still don’t think this counts, because my father was Kazekage.”

“Don’t get technical, Tema,” Shikamaru smirked, earning him the same glare.

Neji looked expectantly at Hinata, who looked down at her hands. “Um… never have I ever been attracted to Sasuke Uchiha.”

“Traitor!” Ino gasped, knowing full well that Hinata was aware how many of them she would be knocking down.

Sakura, Ino, and Temari took a drink. Temari could feel Shikamaru looking at her. “Oh, my god, it was one day. Literally one day, in a wow-this-would-piss-my-dad-off kind of way.” She elbowed him lightly in the ribs. “What, are you threatened?” she teased. Apparently, he was, because he shifted closer to her in an almost possessive manner.

Sai smiled to himself, looking around the room before coming up with his statement. “I think I’m doing this right. So, I say something like: never have I ever professed romantic feelings for someone in this room.”

To his amusement, every other person in the room admitted to this fact. He was now the only one left who hadn’t had to drink. Thankfully, Tenten had made sure that Lee’s cup was filled with soda, and only soda, before the game began. The awkwardness in the room was intense, and everyone seemed to avoid looking at everyone else.

Naruto wasn’t about to let his teammate get away with it. “Never have I ever asked someone about their genitals in public.”

Unfazed, Sai took a drink and shrugged.

“Alrighty, then,” Sakura chuckled nervously. “Moving on from that. Never have I ever snuck out of my home… or someone else’s.”

Sai, Tenten, Neji, and Hinata drank from their cups, earning a confused look from Lee.

In a sheepish voice, Hinata admitted, “Neji and I might have snuck away from Grandfather’s new year speech last year.”

Tenten snorted when Lee looked at her. “Nice try.”

Ino laughed. “Let’s see here. Never have I ever tried to hook up with someone when I was on a mission.”

“Wait, do you mean teammates, or anyone?” Kiba asked for clarification.

“Anyone.”

“Oh, then hell yeah.” Kiba took a drink, and Lee, Shikamaru, Naruto, Temari, and Shino followed.

“You guys are weak,” Temari smirked, swirling her cup as she held the rim with her fingertips. “It’s not fun unless you get a little personal with it.  Never have I ever hooked up with a member of my team.”

Neji and Tenten blushed a furious shade of red and took a drink, refusing to look at one another. Kiba burst out laughing, enjoying the moment too much for his own good.

“Careful what you ask for,” Shikamaru chided, glancing sideways at Temari. “Never have I ever won a drinking contest.”

“What, I’m supposed to be embarrassed?” Temari shot back, looking him in the eye as she took a drink.

Choji coughed, drawing the attention back to the game. For his best friend’s sake, he had to kill whatever weird type of flirtation was happening beside him before it became embarrassing. “Never have I ever been kicked out of a restaurant.”

Lee took a sip of his soda, remembering all too well the damage he’d caused when he mistook Guy’s sake for water. Never again.

Kiba clapped his hands together and grinned mischievously. “Let’s see… Never have I ever gotten down and dirty with someone in this room.” To his great amusement, Ino, Temari, Tenten, Neji, Sai, and Shikamaru all admitted by taking a drink. “Okay, who and when?” he asked, wanting to glean more details.

“Not on your life, mutt.” Ino threw a bottlecap across the circle like it was a shuriken, and Kiba barely managed to duck. “Shino?” She insisted, trying to get Kiba’s turn finished.

“Never have I ever been slapped across the face.” Shino knew it was best to be careful after Kiba riled up most of the group.

Shikamaru, Kiba, and Sai took their drinks. Naruto glanced at Sakura, genuinely asking “So do I just need to drink the whole thing, or…”

“Just a sip, idiot. He meant in general.”

Lee had been thinking about his question during the last few rounds. Even though he couldn’t drink, he was enjoying himself immensely. “Alright, my turn. Never have I ever been detained.”

“Wait,” Naruto interjected. “Detained, like, arrested? Or detained, like, I haven’t decided if I’m going to arrest you yet?”

After a moment of thought, Lee decided “Arrested.”

“Oh, thank god.” Naruto sighed in relief.

Shikamaru and Temari looked at one another before taking a sip from their glasses. When she couldn’t keep a straight face, Temari burst out laughing.

“What did you do?” Ino asked, dread in her voice. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

Unable to compose herself, Temari clapped Shikamaru on the knee a few times, signaling him to tell the story.

“Okay, but you need to know that neither of us did anything that’s technically illegal. It was a case of the wrong place at the wrong time.” His tone was uneven as he held back a laugh. “It was after the second-to-last chunin exam we ran, so, in our defense, we were exhausted.”

Temari jumped in, adding, “You don’t know what it’s like dealing with fifty genin until you actually have the displeasure. It. Sucks.” The pink tint to her cheeks made it clear that the alcohol had loosened her tongue. “Suna’s still packed from the exam, but we decide, hey, let’s swing by this back-alley bar.”

“She’s taken me to some sketchy places before, but there’s not even a streetlight. There was no we in this situation. She goes ride or die on me with the whole thing, so, I thought, what the hell?”

“We walk in and sit down at the bar. No problems, we’re just minding our own business. Get our drinks, relax, stay away from the craziness of the main street. We’re there for about an hour before Shikamaru gets up and goes to the bathroom. Meanwhile, this creep has been eyeing me the entire time. He wasn’t a threat, but I was getting annoyed. He thought he saw his chance, and he comes over, pulling bad lines from an Icha Icha novel. He wouldn’t get the hint. But then, this motherfucker slips something into my drink.”

Shikamaru picked the story back up, adding “I come out of the bathroom, and this one’s going at the guy like a weasel. I swear to God she bit him.”

“I did.”

“She’s gone ballistic. I’m, what, 5’8”? This guy had to be at least 6’3”. She’s hanging from the guy’s back, choking him with a headlock, nowhere near the ground. I try to get in and help, but the guy has a buddy. He’s coming at me, so I can’t do a damned thing. Tema’s out for blood at this point. She was gonna kill him.”

“That’s what I was going for. But, I guess someone walking by went to the police. They barge in and break it up, and now all four of us are in cuffs. We get fucking perp walked down to the station, where they were at least smart enough to separate us from them.”

“And so we wait. And wait. And wait. What was it, three hours? We didn’t hear or see anyone. When someone finally does show up, it turns out that the shithole was a front for a smuggling ring. No lie. We find out later that they think the fight was over a deal gone bad. They won’t let us go because they want to question us.”

“Two hours later, Gaara comes down to talk to the police about the whole thing. He wants to be in for the questioning. So he walks into the station, and he says,” Temari lowered her voice and put as much gravel in it as she could, “‘Why are my sister and ambassador in that cell?’”

“The officer goes white as a sheet. They had no idea who we were, which is insane. He lets us out, apologizing over and over again.”

“Gaara just looks at us and says, ‘Go home.’” Temari used the same voice as before to mimic her brother. “And that’s how we spent five hours in a jail cell.” Temari held her arms out in front of her, bent at the elbows and palms up, gesturing that the story had ended.

Shikamaru turned to Choji and jerked his thumb at Temari. “I told you she’s the bad influence.”

The group burst into laughter, reveling in the absurdity of it all. Naruto was clutching his sides and kicking his feet, hardly able to breathe. “And you’re supposed to be the smart ones!” he cackled.

“Do we go around again?” Sakura asked Tenten, who shook her head.

“Nothing’s gonna beat that. Although, I do want to hear about Naruto being detained.”

[3monthsineurope]

September 19, 2019

Thursday we woke up at the hostel around 8. It was soooo nice to get about nine hours of sleep! I definitely needed it. We never really unpacked, so Ingvar took a shower and I brushed my teeth and changed. We were heading to Trier to visit Franzi and her husband, Soli! I had talked to Franzi when we were in Dortmund and arranged to visit, which I was really looking forward to!

Ingvar and I walked the ten minutes to the main train station and grabbed some breakfast and coffee to share. We went up to our platform and waited for the train. It was directly to Trier. It took about four hours. The train was super empty, so Ingvar and I sat apart, to have more room. Ingvar dozed and listened to podcasts for the most part, while I was super productive! I wrote two blogs, read about Trier, and wrote 14 postcards! I also did my make up. It was a really nice ride, but a bit slow. It was a regional train, so it made tons of stops. For some reason, we were early to so many stations, so we just hung out at the station for fifteen and thirty minutes, twice.

We arrived at 1:30 in Trier. I saw Franzi and called out to her; it was so nice to see her! I was in Germany last year for her wedding, which was super nice. She and Ingvar met and then we hopped on her car. She drove us just a few minutes away, on the opposite side of the train station. Her apartment is so cute! It had two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, and living room. She showed us to the guest room and we dropped off our bags. We sat down and caught up with Franzi whole she baked fresh pizza for us! One was salami and one was tuna, which I had never had on pizza before. They were both super tasty and it was so nice of her to have that ready for us!

Ingvar and I both changed, and Franzi started a load of laundry for us, which was so thoughtful! The three of us left to explore Trier, since Soli was still at the university studying for his law exams next month. It was such a quick walk! It was a little windy, but actually so sunny! I put sunscreen on my face before we left, haha. Franzi went to college to study tourism, so our tour was really good! She showed us four churches, the main shopping/pedestrian area, some really cute German buildings, and the old city gate, Porta Nigra. She told us how Trier is Germany’s oldest city and how half of the city is actually underground in cellars and basements. There were a ton of Roman ruins.

We stopped in the market area of town and had a glass os super tasty Riesling. It was kind of like a pop up wine bar, with new wineries taking over every week. Trier is really in the wine area of Germany, as opposed to beer. We also stopped and had beer at a craft beer spot! Franzi has never heard of an IPA, and you know that’s Ingvar’s favorite! Ingvar got the IPA, Franzi got a Hefeweizen, and I got a flight! I had a pumpkin beer, stout, helles lager, and something citrusy. Ingvar actually got a really cool shirt from the bar, and Franzi got one for a gift for her host dad. It was a really cool place that Franzi hadn’t been to yet! We also met a super cute Dutch family from the Netherlands.

After having the beers, we walked back to Franzi’s and took out the laundry to hang dry. We hopped in the car and drove about five minutes to the university to pick up Soli. I didn’t get to talk to him much at the wedding, obviously, so it was nice to get to chat with him, and of course, meet Ingvar. We stopped by the “kissing curve” which was a really pretty overlook of the city, with the vineyards growing up the hills. We drove back home for Soli to change and shower quickly. Soli and Ingvar got along so well! Soli started giving Ingvar a whiskey tasting, haha. Franzi and I had this really yummy cocktail with homemade syrup, wine, soda water, and peppermint from their garden. We all chatted for a while, then went back to the university to go to an all you can eat Chinese buffet. It was actually so nice! The food was tasty! You could also choose all your meat and veggies and they would grill it for you. It was really nice to get to know Soli more and just all hang out.

After dinner, Soli took us to the library where he studies all day. The university seemed really big and each discipline had their own library in their building. Franzi also works in the university, so they always go together, which is cute. We were pretty tired, so we drove back home. Ingvar and Soli continued trying whiskeys, while Franzi made us all hot tea. Ingvar brought up games, so they got out a German card game, similar to “speed”. I’ve never played speed, but this game was pretty fun! Franzi was so fast at it! We didn’t stand a chance! We also found out that they are coming to Washington to visit after Soli’s exams! They’ll come up to Bellingham to visit Senna and Soren, so we’re going to have to get together! Also, they wouldn’t let us pay for anything! Dinner, or the beer, even with Ingvar’s T-shirt. The hospitality they showed us was unbelievable. So when they come to Bellingham, Ingvar and I are going to return the favor, for sure! It was honestly so nice to spend time with Franzi. Our time together has always been pretty rushed, but we’ve known each other for about ten years now!

Around 12:30, I called it quits with the card game and got ready for bed. We said goodnight to Franzi and Soli, then Ingvar and I were sleeping in the guest room by 1. :]

[selenelavellan]

No Place I’d Rather Be

Concert AU

Deceit, Fear and Dirthamen belong to @feynites

Selene agrees to the move, in the end.

Due in no small part to Des's insistence that he will be moving in with their lovers regardless, and the prospect of finding another roommate sounds like a sort of hell she just doesn't want to deal with.

Getting him away from the apparent lyrium dealers in their building is a good thing, anyways.

The new house is nice. Sturdy, with good bones and much more comfortable after Fears renovations start to take place.

Deceit looks at her funny when she moves in, though.

“Where's your stuff?” He asks.

She blinks, glances to make sure her bag is still on her back and not left on the bus. It is, and she's got her box of books securely in her arms, before slowly answering “This is my stuff.”

“All of it?”

She shuffles awkwardly on her feet. Buying things has been...low, on her list of priorities. Most of the things she had actually purchased for herself were left behind when she and Des hopped onto the boat to avoid the Carta. Without a steady income since then (too overqualified for most entry level jobs, they tell her, and being publicly labeled an 'unhinged dalish mage' accused of arson and attempted murder in carta controlled media means most universities and research foundations consider her too 'high risk') she's been focused on stretching her funds as far as she can manage.

She's got her casual boots, and some heels Des has bought for her, and a small collection of frequently washed clothing. A box of books she uses for her studies, often traded back into the local used book store for credit towards more recently updated collections. She and Des had decided to donate their kitchen items, since Fear's apprehension to the black spots in their old home meant they likely wouldn't have survived 'disinfection inspection' anyways. Des is taking their shared mattress, since he used it more and Selene wasn't particularly attached to it. They'd also decided he should keep the dresser, since he had enough clothing to actually need it.

Selene was taking their fold out couch, to use as a bed for the foreseeable future.

“Des and I are bringing the furniture after he gets off work,” she ultimately shrugs before heading into the room they had selected for her. She closes the door before Deceit can follow her inside with any follow up questions and lets out a breath.

The window is nice. She ended up with one of the second floor rooms, with a larger window to look out over some of the trees in the yard. She yanks open the blinds to let the light in, in an attempt to clear out any lingering dust mites, and contemplates the merits of stacking her books in the corner versus just leaving them in the box for storage.

Des might complain that she's not actually 'unpacked' if he sees them.

Still. She can probably wait until the couch-bed is in here to make any final 'design' ideas.

Selene unpacks her bag though, placing her folded up clothes in the shelf of her closet, since she doesn't actually have any hangers yet. She might see if she can snag a few from Des, when he's done settling in himself. Plugs her laptop and into one of the outlets on the wall to charge, and lays down on the floor, soaking in the warmth from the sunbeam streaming through her window.

The neighborhood is quiet. No loud neighbors on the other side of her wall, no curtain for a semblance of privacy while someone hisses in pain on the other side. Just her breath, and her thoughts, and the wind brushing the tree branches outside. 

It's nice, she thinks.

She falls asleep in the warmth of the sunlight, and wakes up embarrassed when her phone vibrates loudly against the hard floor.

Where r u??? from Des.

On my way. Got busy at the new place. Sorry. She shoots back.

One of Des's coworkers was nice enough to let them use her pickup truck to get their furniture out, but there's a very small window of time she's willing to help them for. Mentally berating herself for running late, and already feeling bad, she begs a ride off Deceit who agrees without complaint.

By the time they arrive, the dresser is already loaded into the truck, and Des and his coworker are at the bottom of the staircase with the mattress in hand.

“You two stop for a quickie?” Des teases. Selene just rolls her eyes and apologizes for being late to his coworker. She steps into her apartment (for the last time, she realizes) and carefully lifts one side of the sofa.

Deceit is close behind, and helps her with the other end as they make their way carefully back out the door.

“Gonna miss it?” They ask.

Selenes gaze drifts to the kitchen tile, the green patterning on the edges, and feels her stomach get tight.

“Probably not.” she admits.

Once the couch is loaded into the back of the truck, Deceit moves to go back up the stairs before Selene gently grabs his elbow. “Where are you going?”

“To...get the rest of it?”

“This is everything.”

Deceit frowns. “Seriously?”

“We're minimalists.” she lies.

“Sure, Des definitely gives off that minimalist vibe.” Deceit jokes back.

Selene sighs “Just...this is really everything. Can we head back now?”

Deceit hesitates, but finally nods. The ride back is awkward, and it doesn't really ease up when Deceit speaks again.

“Just the one bed?”

“Nah, the couch folds out.” she corrects.

“That doesn't count.”

“It's comfy.”

“I doubt that.”

Selene just shrugs “Fine, not like I'm begging you to sleep in my bed anyways.”

“Why isn't Des taking the couch bed? He's less likely to stay in his room.”

“We decided he should have the mattress. Suits him better.”

Deceit shakes his head, but doesn't push the matter as he pulls into the driveway.

Des thanks the woman for letting them use her truck once he's gotten everything out of the bed and into the driveway. She tells him no problem, and goes on her way before Des and Selene start carrying everything inside, carefully maneuvering up the stairs and into Des's room.

“We need a bed frame,” he laments, staring at the twin mattress looking suddenly much smaller and just a bit pathetic on the floor of the expansive room. His own boxes of clothes and trinkets are all piled high in the corner.

“You'll need a box spring too.” she points out.

Des grumbles, but agrees as he tosses a few of his pillows on top of it. They descend back down, carrying up the dresser and finally the couch.

He glances around her room, judging not so silently. “You need stuff.”

Selene just rolls her eyes and ushers him out of her room with a soft “Go unpack.”

She turns around, readjusting the couch until it's centered on the wall opposite the window, making it easy to look out of.

It occurs to her, then, that Des has all of the sheets and blankets.

Some quick mental calculations, and she thinks she might be able to swing a set for herself since her bills will be less this month, with her new rent.

She doesn't want to bother Deceit again, so she opts to just walk to the nearest bus stop instead of asking for a ride. Debates whether she should probably take someone with her in a new neighborhood, but a quick look through the house reveals Des already enjoying one of the new showers, and Dirthamen and Fear both still out.

She shrugs, silently stepping out of the house and looking up the closest bus stop on her phone. It's only a fifteen minute wait, the sun just starting to set as she boards and waits for the bus to stop closer to a general store. She steps off twenty minutes later, snagging a shopping basket inside the superstore, and heads off to home furnishings.

The route takes her past sporting goods, and she stops for a second to admire a sea-green bicycle with wide enough handlebars to comfortably support a large basket.

The house does have a garage, she thinks. So she'd actually have somewhere to keep it, if she can manage to budget for it.

Although she's pretty sure she overheard the others talking about converting the garage into a practice space for the band, so maybe not. Could the basement work? Carrying the bike up and down the stairs might be a pain, and she'll have to wash off the wheels before she brings it into the house, but it could probably be done. For that matter, she might be able to just keep it in her room and out of everyones way.

She does some mental calculations and frowns.

She's not actually sure how much the utilities are going to be now. It's split amongst more people, but surely a house is going to cost more in power and water. Plus band rehearsals. Amps and guitars and Fears electric drum set probably need to be factored in.

She should have asked these questions before she moved in.

Stupid. Moved too fast.

Too late to go back now. She'll have to wait a few months to see what her average bills will look like now, and then readjust her budget.  A few months, and there'll probably be new bikes anyways.

She spares one last look at the sea-foam green bicycle before refocusing on what she actually came for.

She finds a nice jersey sheet set in lavender to fit the pull out, and balks at the ridiculous price of most of the comforters, opting instead for a large white afghan that she can just roll up in when she needs to. She runs hot enough, she probably doesn't need a heavy blanket anyways.

She tucks both the sheets and the afghan into her basket and heads towards the front of the store to pay. Going over a mental list of things to get done. She'll need to wash the sheets and blanket, if not tonight then at least soon. Do they have a washer and dryer? Will she need to pitch in for them, or is there a laundromat nearby maybe? She supposes with three bathrooms though, she could probably wash her things in a tub and run a line between the trees to dry them on without too much trouble. Maybe she should pick up a washboard and some baking soda while she's he-

Selene freezes in her tracks as her eyes register a familiar face on one of the magazines in the checkout line.

Carina's smiling face is on the cover of a magazine. The cashier asks Selene if she needs anything else, and before she can think twice, she has them ring up the magazine, and walks out with three items instead of two, hustling to get back onto the bus. She shifts nervously on the crowded bus, holding tight to her plastic bag as it rattles and shakes back up the road  and she reaches the stop nearest to the house.

What is Carina doing on a magazine cover?

She's beautiful enough to be, of course. Selenes never doubted that, but it's certainly not how she expected to see her again.

Not that she ever expected to see her again.

She could, though. She threw the phone into the sea so they couldn't be tracked with the GPS, but she knows Carina's number, assuming she hasn't changed it in these last couple of years. It's not like she hadn't considered calling before. Catching up, apologizing for the way things ended, seeing how Carina is doing.

She supposes Carina is probably doing very well though, if she's on a magazine cover.

Half wondering if she's making something out of nothing, Selene decides to glance at the cover again, just to make sure it is Carina and not just her mind playing tricks on her. It definitely is, and Selene is stuffing it back into the bag when she accidentally knocks into Dirthamen in the driveway.

“Sorry,” she apologizes, taking a step back, arms hiding behind her in-what, guilt? (Why should I feel guilty, it's just a magazine, she berates herself) “I wasn't looking where I was going.”

“It is alright,” Dirthamen assures her “It is very dark here in the night. Perhaps a few solar lights for the walkway would not be out of place.”

Selene nods, and gestures for him to head in ahead of her. Dirthamen still holds the door open for her to enter first, however and she shuffles into the house as quietly as she can manage, but a shirtless Des loudly announces “There you are!” and blows any hope she had of getting her purchases into her room without being seen away.

“Hello,” she says, attempting to seem calm and definitely not in possession of a magazine with her ex-girlfriends face on the cover. “I just-I had to get some things. I didn't mean to disappear.”

Des grins, and moves to take the bag from her “Ooooh, you got 'things'?” he asks enthusiastically as Fear, Deceit and Dirthamen greet each other over towards the kitchen. “What sort of-”

Selene violently snatches the bag back when he tries to look inside, clutching it tightly to her chest “Blankets,” she blurts “It's just-just blankets. I'm gonna-I'm just going to go set these up and I'll be right back,” she stammers, making her way backwards up the stairs and away from the group “Just-right back.” she finally says with an uneasy grin before disappearing into her room.

All four of them glance curiously up at the closed door.

“That was weird, right?” Deceit finally says.

“She's probably just stressed from the move,” Des covers. “She'll be fine in a day or two.”

Fear gives a skeptical 'hm' before they go back into the kitchen to finish preparing dinner.

–

Selene, to her credit, doesn't look at the magazine until much later. She eats with the others, works (or tries to find work) during the day for about a week or so and tries not to think about the magazine she hastily stuffed into the back corner of her closet.

It goes well, mostly. She never actually gets the fold out set up either, though. Instead she sleeps on it as a couch, feet and legs dangling off of one side, or in one of the others beds after evenings spent together.

Still.

Curiosity about the magazine eats away at her, just a bit, until she finally can't take it anymore.

She snags the booklet out of her closet, and climbs out her window and onto the roof for a bit more privacy than usual (Des has yet to realize that even on Selenes door, he needs to knock before going in). It's chillier than she expected though, and she eyes one of the closer trees, scooting down over the roof and testing the sturdiness of the branches with one leg carefully. Once she's confident it can support her weight, she climbs into it, settling comfortably against the trunk. Summoning a small wisp of light, she begins to finally look through the publication.

Apparently Carinas personal project finally bore fruit, and she's being internationally recognized for her work. Her RNA mapping led into a gene that's commonly found in both dwarves and materials found within the recesses of the Deep Roads, giving scientific credence to the notion of dwarves coming from The Stone. There's mention of the Assembly bestowing her as a Paragon, if her finding can be conclusively recreated. A large deal for any dwarf, and even more so for one from the surface.

Selene smiles, happy that things have been going Carinas way, and that she seems to be doing very well for herself. She deserves it, really.

“You can take the elf out of the Dales....” someone drawls, startling Selene into almost losing her balance as she clutches the magazine tight to her chest again.

She frowns, looking down to find Des on the ground, both hands on his hips expectantly.

“I made an oath not to climb anymore trees, so you'll have to come down.” he teases.

“It's a nice view,” she jokes back “Plenty of stars.”

“Sure, if you ignore all the leaves and the bugs and the cold.”

Selene just shrugs.

Des groans, and climbs the tree anyways, muttering under his breath before settling on a nearby branch. “Any particular reason you're up here, alone, instead of inside with the rest of us?”

“Just getting some fresh air,” she lies.

Des gives a soft 'uh-huh' before snatching the magazine out of her grip. Selene tries to grab it back, but has to stop before she falls out of the tree. And by then, it's too late anyways.

“Is this Carina?”

Selene is silent, shuffling awkwardly in the tree.

“Selene,” Des groans. “What's going on with you?”

“Nothing. I-...I really did just go out to get sheets when we moved in. Then I saw this, and...”

“And you grabbed it, because of course you did,” he sighs. “Probably not a great sign you're trying to keep it hidden, huh?”

“I'm not hiding it...”

“You are. Like porn. Kinky fetish porn.” Des points out.

“That's not true.”

“Have you even told the others about her?”

Selene frowns, and looks away.

Des sighs “Maybe tell the people we're sleeping and living with that you were in a serious relationship before we met them?”

“And when they inevitably ask why it ended?” Selene argues.

“Tell them the truth,” Des shrugs. “Would you feel better if I told them?”

Selene hesitates. 

“You're not serious.” she says.

“Sure I am. They should know, in case I relapse. Fear'd probably be great for keeping me straight.” he grins and adds in a teasing tone “Well, not straight, but off of lyrium at least.”

Selene snorts.

“They're going to find out eventually,” Des points out. “Fear probably knows about the charges against you already, and they haven't kicked you out for being an arsonist and attempted murderer.”

“I'm not an arsonist, or an attempted murderer-” Selene groans.

“Exactly. So stop stressing about it.”

She frowns, leans back into the trunk and lets her legs dangle off of either side of the branch. “So you think I should...what, say 'hey here's my ex-girlfriend who's up for Paragon-hood but its cool because I haven't even spoken to her in two years because I ran away with no warning to get away from the carta, by the way who wants ice cream'?”

“I would maybe bring out the ice cream before the abandonment thing.” Des quips. “But yeah. I think you should tell them everything honestly, but the whole...clan and evil ex thing is another thing for another day, probably. I don't think I'm ready to talk about my parents yet either. Pretty sure we could handle the lyrium thing though. I think we're stable enough for that, now.”

Selene glances over to Des, skeptical.

He just shrugs “I really love them, Selene. And you. I tease a lot but this is probably the first time I've felt like I belonged somewhere. And I think our chances of not screwing this up are better if we tell them ourselves, instead of dodging around certain topics and hoping we never see certain people for the rest of our lives.”

Selene sighs, scraping off a small layer off moss from the trunk with her boot absently “When did you become the voice of reason between us?”

“I dunno, but it's throwing off our whole dynamic. Do me a favor and go back to being the smart one, ok?”

“You've always been smart, Des.”

“Nah, I'm just clever.”

Selene snorts. “You wish.” She eyes the roof behind her, deciding that it's probably too far to climb back safely (and if she tries and fails she will never hear the end of it from Fear) and instead opts to climb back down into the yard. She helps Des with his own descent, and he rolls up the magazine and hands it back to her.

“Ready?” he smiles, linking his arm through hers.

Selene carefully tucks the magazine into her back pocket, and squeezes his arm carefully with her own.

“As I'll ever be.”