#ill probably do Randy soon
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I WILL SELL MY SOUL TO YOU IF YOU DO DS RANDY OR DS BOBBY? MAYBE? PLEASE?
Just recently drew Bobby xD and honestly, this kinda my first time drawing this lil bobcat.
#ill probably do Randy soon#dreamswap#ds bobby#dreamswap bobby#nebula doodles#neb takes art request#mysterious anon#nebula ask
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I think I crack the lore here. Correct me if I'm wrong:
Randy (Rambley) wanted him and his friends to live eternity. With his sickness, he probably didn't have much time left, and whatever shady deal the ompany is doing without Issac's permission, he accepted without regrets. And soon his friends will join them theater they like it or not.
Side note here: I really love your chronicles Au, hopefully we get more wholesome moments.
Woahhh that was a really good guess honnestly!!
One thing Iâm surprised you got right was the fact that Randy is was ill. He spent a lot of his childhood hoping from one doctor to the next because no one knew what he had. But donât worry, heâs all good now! The wonderful Dr. ę¨âąĽâąłÉÄÉ was able to fix him right up!
ALSO something important that I want to clear up about Randy (because I think a good amount of people are under this impression): He 100% did not want his friends to end up the way they did. Iâll admit that heâs still kinda in the wrong with what he did, but he didnât mean for any of this to happen. He just has bad abandonment issues and questionable coping mechanisms. Thatâs all, Iâll say for now đ.
Thank you so much for taking a crack at the Cast Chronicles lore, Anon!! Iâm also happy to hear that youâre enjoying my AU! I know I donât draw all that much wholesome stuff so⌠um take this doodle of Finley angrily munching on a piece of bread (thatâs the only non-angst doodle I got in my drafts đđ).
For those unfamiliar, these characters are part of my Cast Chronicles AU, an Indigo Park AU set in the 1960s. In this alternate reality, the main cast mascots are human employees who worked together at Indigo Park. As the story unfolds, we delve into their roles within the park and the friendships they form. However, things take a turn for the worse when they begin to mysteriously disappear, one by one.
#cast chronicles au#indigo park#indigo park au#indigo park fanart#human au#indigo park rambley#indigo park finley#rambley the racoon#indigo park rambley the raccoon#rambley raccoon#rambley fanart#finley the sea serpent#indigo park oc#artist on tumblr#fun fact about Finley#his second favourite food is toast#heâs basic that way#it used to be his all time favourite#but nowadays he prefers⌠meat
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Imagining a time in which benson and randy where on the closing shift together. Everything went as smoothly as it could during dinner course chris and jess would leave as soon as the manger was out of the lot "I can count on you to clean the kitchen for me right Bradley ;) make me loook good" leaving randy and benson to lock up and clean up.
Benson just doing hes usual slow half ass job cleaning the lobby while randy would take it upon himself to count the inventory. Hes never been assigned it and he really had to teach himself both mangers not caring to but he finds it sorta relaxing sucks now he has to clean thw entire kitchen drive thru and hell late going home.
He already called his mother to let her know and shes not happy about it but he can deal with it later. Getting lost counting all the dry goods in the back. He assumes hes alone in the building besons not rude enough not to say bye but if he finished he probably wouldnt go out of his way to see randy in the back to say bye. And he wouldnt blame him for just leaving.
He would try and grab something from the top shelve but its just to high so hed have to get the stool. Turning to ace his clip board down jumping and stumbling back a bit with a squeak seeing benson leaning in the doorway one arm crossed while he rest his fingers over his chin.
Both are silent for a moment randy getting his heartrate back down taking a deep breath as benson stares before readjusting himself to crosing his arms
"Sorry, bradley didnt mean to scare ya."
"No..no im- its fine. I um.. just thought you already is all."
"I just finished the lobby."
"Okay.. thanks." Randy nods slightly with a quick smile. Bensons eyes flicker like he searching randys face for.. something aniexty spiking he clenchs and unclench his fists " So ill see you monday."
Benson nods slowly watching him with his eyes as he walks across the room to grab the step stool. He purposly avoids eye contact sparing quick glances. Hes never been afraid of benson sure hes intimating with the whole quiet stand offish personality, but hes never given a reason to actually fear him.
"You really gonna clean up after chris and the others?" Benson sighs taking a step towards randy as he climbs up to grab a box half filled with cups. Arms still crossed as he looks up from under his hats visor.
" Um.. I- uh i guess yeah but..but i dont mind" He stumbles off the stool box in hand turning to benson with a shrug.
Bensons takes a deep breath and sighs arm falling to his side as he runs his forehead under his hat. Randy sets the box down and picks up his clipboard he chews his lip as he looks at the sleeves of cups about to open his mouth to say anything something to end this conversation.
"Okay" Benson breaths out readjusting his hat before turning to leave.
Randy lifts his head to watch hin go rolling the pencil betwen his fingers. Hes not sure why his nerves are firing away fighting benson hadnt done anything maybe he sounded slightly irritated but he always did working unless he was saying bye.
He hadnt said bye.
Randy quickly throws the box back on the shelve. Scrambling to grab his clipboard and rushing out of the back as quickly and queistly as he could. He scans the lobby and it looks well as best as it could but turning towards the window.
There still parked next to his car is the yellow buick. But no sign of benson inside or near it. Randys grip tightens on his board knuckles turning white as he tries to shilwd himself from what hes not sure with its filmsy wood.
Suddenly loud rock music starts blasting from the back. Randy turning slowly towards the enterance nerves calming as confusion washes over him. He licks his lips before moving towards the entrance glancing around the corner eyes widening at the sight.
Its benson hes turned hisbhat backwards cigarette resting between his lips as he bops his head to music throwing dishes the sink with little regard and turning on the tap.
Randy fullt stands in the doorway now he isnt even aware of the small smile on his face. Hes never seen benson so .. lively its nice. Warmth spreads throughtout his body snd he shakes his head hes not sure what that was but hell deal with it .. later as well.
Fully stepping into the kitchen area benson noticing him with a nod and raise of his eyes brows. Moving clean dished at least to a bin hes outs on the counter. Taking a deep drag of his cigarette removing it from his mouth.
"Finish counting?" He barely says liuder then the music with slight tilt of his head.
Randy blinks a few times he was so engrossed in watching he wasnt ready to part lf another conversation.
" I-uh yeah.. well no actually. I have to do the freezer and um fridge." He points with the pencil behind benson where the side room breaks off to the doors. " But i just ... i can do all this. Ahem- I dont want to keep you or anything." Hes not even sure if benson heard him over the music hes not exactly shouting.
He swears he can see benson at least grim behind his hand as he brings his cigarette back up for a moment but its gone when he stubs it on the counter and tosses it in the bin. Looking back up with a shake of his head
"Just hurry up so we both can go home Brad" Turning back to the sink and spraying whatever dishes are left. Randy nods even if benson cant see him and quickly rushes to the fridge closing the door behind him leaning against it. All while hearing the muffled music and banging he could only hope is part of the cleaning.
#no included is randy seeing benson clean the grill all sweaty and hot that randy will deal with Later this got away from me oops#the passenger#the passenger 2023#randy x benson#randy bradley#passenger benson#kyle gallner#this was suppose to be oNE PARAGRAPH idea but i will make it a full fic i have so many scenes#ant posts stuff
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đ¤ my intro as slutforspungen đ¤
my name is opal, Iâm 15 years old and from the uk scotland to be specific & i have autism
as you can tell i absolutely love nancy spungen i could genuinely sit and talk about her for hours I find her and her whole relationship with sid to be really interesting, i got into them a few months ago in march because I watched the youtube video elanor neale done on them back in january, but I guess i never started really thinking about them until march not sure what sparked my random thought of them which led me down a whole rabbit hole but iâm thankful it happened I had heard their names referenced before back in 2018-2020 when i was a massive gacha life kid and loved âdevils donât flyâ & âso am iâ which are two songs that reference them obviously, never gave it any thought to look into who they were, i have read deborah spungens book âand I donât want to live this life, a mothers story of her daughters murderâ and i have also read den brownes book âpadlocks living with sid and nancyâ, i love nancy but I half like sid but I do believe they both deserved better and mental illness and drugs were their downfall enough on them i love to read and learn about them, random but i also love kate moss.
iâm also big on tcc (true crime community) my favourite shooting/shooters are columbine - eric harris & dylan klebold, and my favourite serial killers are jeffery dahmer & richard ramirez, I also like parkland - nikolas cruz, oxford - ethan crumbley, academy maniacs, jodi arias, kinda like salvador ramos & adam lanza, elliot rodger, dylann roof (im not racist) also randy stair/andrew blaze and probably more I canât remember right now, iâm about to read sue klebolds book âa motherâs reckoningâ and i know their not tcc but i love bonnie & clyde iâve watched the 1967 movie and have two books on them iâll soon read.
very random i know but I also like kpop and thai bl shows I just have lots of random interests donât judge lol and i love to listen to lots of random music from multiple genres, I love cats to I have a 2 year old cat called alvin after alvin and the chipmunks and a 9 year old white labrador called poppy, Iâm anxious overthink a lot so I struggle to speak to people so i apologise for being dry & iâm homeschooled and i love the 50s - 2000s eras/culture and just everything about those decades thatâs all. đ¤
#nancy spungen#70s#im just a girl#girlblogging#my post#my intro post#my introduction#donât come for me
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random Randolph headcanons
Randolph von Bergliez was born Randolph Lautrec, in 1160, in the Fort Merceus. His father was a blacksmith and worked for Caspar's grandfather, who then becomes his step-father when his father dies of a wasting illness when he was just a boy.
Despite not being his son by blood, (or maybe because of it), the then Count Bergliez treated him very well. He didn't go through the infamous Bergliez training though: Count Bergliez's health was declining and he wanted to enjoy the time he had left. His only taste of real battle before he joins the Imperial Army was the military tactics books his step-father would make him read.
He grew up admiring the man, but also realized with time that his mother and Count Bergliez probably started their affair before his father died and it left a bitter taste in his mouth about loyalty. Even moreso as he realized Flèche was fathered by his step-father.
Initially, he was very excited about having an older brother in Leopold. But the man couldn't trust Randolph's mother any less and refused to even acknowledge him or Flèche after his father died. It wasn't really personal, but if Flèche's true parentage came to light, she could petition for the Count Bergliez title if something happened to him.
He has few memories of being allowed to play with Caspar and his brother as kids, one that ended with Randolph punching Caspar's older brother in the mouth after he called Flèche a bastard baby. Once informed, Leopold didn't get angry with him, but said that perhaps there was more Bergliez in him than he first thought. They weren't allowed to play together again and left Fort Merceus soon after.
He used to play cards and lost a good amount of money to it, which led to people thinking he was unreliable. It was well-deserved, he'd also ruined the engagement his step-father had arranged for him before passing, because he refused to marry for anything but love because of aforementioned issues with loyalty.
He was supposed to join the Officers' Academy but his step-father's death stopped that from happening because most of house Bergliez shunned them, and blocked the large inheritance his mother was expecting.
He joined the Imperial Army at seventeen and quickly rose through the ranks. He and Ladislava became quick friends at that time and she was the one to recommend him to Edelgard when she became head of her personal guards.
Dorothea and Randolph are good friends. They met during the early days of the war and immediately hit off due to their similar goals. She often chides him for not taking the easy way and marrying rich like she plans on doing-- he's handsome enough to pull if off, but he reminds her that she's fighting this war just like he is. She'll perform her most popular songs for his men, which really boosts their morale. She calls him 'Randy', which he absolutely loathes but only tolerates from her. Flèche thinks she's the coolest woman EVER.
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we used to be friends, way before, and like, wow, youve gone so far, proud of you
đĽšđĽšđĽš oh my goodness!! anon if youre who i think you are (i am somewhat confident in my silly hunch), im so happy to know youre still out there even if we dont talk anymore!!! admittedly i have the most terrible memory ever so i barely remember much of our time together (i wish i remembered more!! but as is, i cant even remember the last time i showered lmfao) but since its been such a long time, i hope its ok if i give you a Riley Life Update of the past.. two, three years? <- it feels like it has been longer than that đđ
2020!! i graduated!! i enrolled in school! i girlslayed hard! however due to World Events, i cant go to school in person and am relegated to online classes in my room </3 unfortunately im also in the deepest depths of my genshin phase and ran both my own And denverâs acc. sometimes i paid for her accâs battlepass too it was bad DBDKBFJ
2021! girlslaying starting to fail from burnout and severe depression from being shut in! i passed my first semester exams with flying colors! i failed all but one of my second semester exams. also come january im both afflicted with covid and experiencing a bad bed bug infestation. #girlsuffering. i dropped out in the summer ^_^ this is when the terrible moodswings hit (i thought they were moodswings but as it turns out, i was incredibly emotionally unstable!! more on this later)
2022!! last year oh my gosh! denver and jasper/moth and i started talking about moving in together, which requires me to have money of course. so aprilish i get a job! i work at starbucks! i girlslay REALLY hard. i also start playing ensemble stars (the beginning of my curseâŚâŚ..). come july i had a massive breakdown and almost broke up with denver and our mutual friend group đ it was Bad bad.. but things worked out? <- this experience has led me to believe im probably a bpd haver becos of how wildly unstable i am. fun! crasy asf!
moving plans fall through as summer goes by, im still employed at my job, still havent gotten my license yet but it is ok i will get it soon, and come 2023, moving plans are back on!! hopefully will be seen-through ny the time summer comesâŚ
tldr i have bpd, i dropped out and got a job, im gay a shit over idol bot gacha game, and by summer, ill hopefully be moved in with denver!! yeha those are the important updates! for me at least. randys in college now btw!!! in her sophomore year!! shes incredible truly! she lives on campus so i usually only see her once a month or so but shes literally awesome ^_^
very long update post and i made it all about me đ theres history between us that ive unfortunately forgotten and im sad that ive forgotten (then again i could always read back, but every time ive tried, ive only cringed at myself like OOGH is that me?? sickening) but im really glad to have gotten this anon!! if youre not the person i think you are thats okay and also i am sorry i assumed UEGEJVFDJF i needed this i think to try and reflect back on. the crazy ass time my newrly three years of adult life has been.. im 21 in july!!! crazy as hell!
i also hope the formatting is ok, i try to break up big paragraphs w/o starting a brand new one for the sake of readability <:] i think i mightbe learned that from you? i dont remember though guwbddjjd.. but i think about you on the occasion as i do with everyone ive ever met ever and im glad to know youre still kicking it like i am.. life is rough a hell đ
theres not enough words i can say that can make up for not remembering us too well and also for saying and doing hurtful things to you if theres one thing ive not forgotten, its that i was not a very nice person way back when. but i hope now youre in a better place and you have friends who love you just as much as i did and still do!!
i have to go to work but uuwheuehehhehehrhfht thank you for reaching out anon i hope this post was nice to read and feel free to live in my inbox for forever, even if you wanna stay anonymous forever i dont mind! if youre not the person i was thinking of, rest well with the joy that youve given me a moment to reflect on myself euwhhwrh but if you ARE the person i was thinking of. im sorry i hurt you. and thank you!! i love you!! im glad you were a part of my life. i hope your day is good and your tomorrow is better!! live in my inbox if it pleases you!!
EDIT: FROGOR TO SAY IM PROUD OF YOU TOO đ
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what do you think about klaus & sergeâs dynamic?
okay. going to try and keep this Super brief or i will actually be here for hours
in routes outside of sergeâs, i think theyâre generally really fun together (see klausâ original route, day 11-3 & day 12). and in sergeâs route, they make me feel physically ill /pos. them both strongly blaming serge for what happened to randy, & yet klaus in the end forgiving him, trusting serge with randyâs life in the long term & lizâs life in the short term, And wanting serge to be a prefect alongside him, is incredibly sweet to me. (and, especially in the sequel, none of his support being enough for serge to forgive himself even a Little bit is kind of devastating)
thereâs a lot more i could say about them but iâm so fucking serious when i say it would take me Ages to be done talking. tl/dr: theyâre probably my favorite non-comedic duo in the entire game and i 100% plan to make illustrations (& possibly writing) for them soon!! :33
#wh posting#apologies if this is completely incoherent btw. it is almost 3am and i am Incredibly tired.#also apologies if this is Not what you meant by this ask fdsajdfkh. if you meant shipping i think they could be really neat together!#i may rb this in the morning to either add more thoughts or clarify anything i've said. but for now i am going to sleep ^^#asks!
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Misread Details: Robert
CW: Dehumanizing language, BBU blanket warning, serial killer/death talk, descriptions of death/abduction/murder, blood, whumper death, some real vague implied noncon references, creepy whumper, sadistic whumper
Part One: Nanda | Part Two: Brute | Part Three: Robert
The Dark Discovery in Robert Weberâs Basement: Box Boy Killer, Part 3
r/LetsTalkTrueCrime
â˘Posted by u/oshaycanyousee
3 days ago
After Part One, where we learned about the mysterious, but possibly entirely natural, death of Nathaniel âNandaâ Benson, and Part Two, where we saw Henry âBruteâ Hanlonâs double life lead to his untimely gruesome murder, you see the single thread that connects these two men who otherwise never met, interacted, or even shared a single person in common⌠a nameless Box Boy, present at the death of Nanda even if he isnât responsible for it, and the proven killer of Brute.
Itâs my theory that this Box Boy may have accidentally killed his legal owner, Nanda, and then picked up a taste for the act and moved on to taking shelter with those he turns into his victims.
With Brute, he simply didnât know the man had a wife and children and entire other life, and may have assumed no one would come looking for him or recognize his death. With our third individual, Robert Weber, it seems like our Box Boy Serial Killer got in over his head.
I give you⌠the Accidental Vigilante death of Robert Weber.
You decide if our unknown killer is simply the unluckiest guy in the world or a killer who even now may be somewhere living with - and earning the trust of - his next victim.
-
One bright and sunny day in the quaint, old-fashioned California town of Rancherâs Rest, Robert Weber was late for work.
Weber worked in a vehicle repair business owned by lifelong âRRâ resident Randy Niles, who had known Weber since his childhood and had been his boss since Weber was eighteen years old and fresh out of high school.
Niles, who is now nearly seventy-five and still spends his days in the shop with an Australian Shepherd named Cody and a blind pit bull named Sue keeping him company everywhere he goes, stated that Weber had no living family he knew of beyond his sister in Vermont, and he was just about the closest thing Weber had to a relative just from having known him so long.
âHe didnât have too much to do with his sister,â Randy said in an interview with Unsolved Mysteries. (You can see the interview on the new Netflix reboot of the show! Itâs a really good episode, definitely recommend. Itâs how I got into this case in the first place.) âOr nobody, really. Just us at work, the guys at the bar, that kinda thing. He was quiet, kept to himself really. Youâd never just strike up a chat around town or anything. But he got on just fine with the boys here in the shop. He was a bit of an egghead, too, always going on about this thing or that heâd seen on the news. Little⌠odd. Little bit off, you might say. But really, who isnât? In any case, you know, Iâd known him since he was a little boy, so he was just Bobby Weber to me.â
Then, of course, one day Robert Weber didnât show up to work. Randy Niles immediately felt that something was very wrong.
âWhen nine, nine-thirty came and went and he wasnât there,â Niles said, âI knew someone needed to go check on him. Bobby showed up for work right on time or ten minutes early, rain or shine, for twenty years. My first thought was maybe heâd had an accident at home, or some kind of, you know, health thing. Almost never called in sick, took one vacation a year, that kinda thing. So I drove right on over there. This wouldâve been, oh, probably ten or ten-fifteen when I got to the house. Had my dogs with me, and they never did like Bobby much, but as soon as I opened my door and got out of my truck they just lost their damn minds. Barking, growling, Codyâs hackles were up like you wouldnât believe. I know it sounds damn crazy, but Iâm sure those dogs could smell that evil had been done in that house.â
On camera, Niles goes quiet, here, his gaze slipping away from the interviewer as he scratches at the side of his nose. When he looks back, the hint of good humor that seems to be an eternal part of his expression is gone.
âI didnât know what Bobby had been up to all this time. None of us knew. Iâve known Bobby Weber his whole life, and I⌠I had no idea.â
Randy Niles was unable to convince his two dogs to exit the truck, and eventually rolled down the windows to give them some air and a way out if they chose (he is insistent on this point in the Unsolved Mysteries episode - âdonât you dare say I left my dogs locked up in a truck on a sunny day, I sure didnât - Cody even knows how to pull a door handle if itâs the right kindâ) and got out to knock on Robert Weberâs front door.
No one answered.
Niles knocked again. Still no response.
The front door was locked, but Niles was able to locate an unlocked back door into the garage, where he found Weberâs car neatly parked and nothing out of place. However, once he used an interior door in the garage to enter Weberâs home, what he found was so shocking he still struggles to describe it today.
âThe, uh. The first thing I saw,â Niles says in the Unsolved Mysteries episode, wiping at his mouth with a handkerchief, âwas a cage. Big old cage in the living room. Like a kennel for a big dog, Great Dane or something, except⌠except, you know, kennelsâre usually mostly wire, not that heavy. You can fold âem up, put âem away. This was⌠geez. This was pure metal. Bunch of blankets all piled at the bottom, too. Hereâs the-... you know, my mind just didnât want to even make the thought, but I just, I looked at it and-â
In the episode, Niles has to take another moment, here. His eyes grow wet, and his voice is hoarse when he speaks again. âPeople cage. Bobby had a damn man-sized cage in his living room. Thatâs when my stomach just fell out. Even then, though, I couldnât-... I just thought, oh, well, what people get up to in their own homes is their business. But still, I just. I just decided, find Bobby, figure the rest out later. So I kept walking around looking for him.â
Randy Niles continued to call out, hoping to hear Weberâs response, but received none⌠at first. The radio in the kitchen was playing a local public radio station (âBobby always hated the country western and classic rock we played at work, he was a big news man, big into classical, jazz, you know.â)
Niles noticed, he says, that the cage next to the couch had a wooden top, as though it were meant to act as a side table, and on that table was a small woven basket. Inside the basket appeared to be several State IDs and Driverâs licenses. Niles took note of this but his first assumption was maybe that Robert Weber had stolen some IDs or something.
Which was technically true, just⌠not quite the way he thought.
The kitchen, hallway, and all three bedrooms were equally empty of life. Every room was clean, everything neatly in place. Empty bottles of Jameson whiskey, Weberâs favorite brand, were lined up like dĂŠcor along the mantel, and one half-full bottle was next to two clean, empty glasses on the kitchen table.
Even the beds were perfectly made.
The only thing missing was any sign of Robert Weber himself.
The question of Weberâs whereabouts was answered when Randy Niles heard a sound coming from the open door to Weberâs unfinished dirt basement.
âLike a ghost,â Niles said in his interview. âJust this low moaning sound. Hardly even thought of it as human, you know. But I just-... I called out, âBobby? That you?â and the moaning got a little louder, like whoever it was was tryinâ to answer. I could still hear my girls in the truck just going nuts, probably worried about me knowing what they maybe could smell even out there. I figured⌠I figured Iâd best call the cops and get them out here. Seemed like a plan. So I picked up my phone and dialed, and then I headed down those basement steps.â
What Randy Niles discovered in Robert Weberâs basement was a dying man, battered and stabbed eight times, lying in a half-dug grave.
Robert Weber had been beaten with the very shovel that had done the digging. The shovel lay off to the side, caked in dirt and blood. Police would find some of Robert Weberâs hair on it, too. Then, the individual who had beaten him had gone back upstairs - blood smears were found on the railing to the stairs - and taken a kitchen knife out of the knife block on the countertop. A bloody fingerprint was found on the side of the knife block. They had then returned to the basement where Weber was stabbed, almost entirely through the stomach and chest, twenty-six times, until the cheap knife simply broke from the force.
Randy Niles admitted in his interview that he became very ill at this time. âFrom the shock,â He elaborated. âI havenât been able to smell much since I was in a car wreck when I was young, so I didnât smell what-... what my girls probâly smelled from outside, and what the cops smelled. To me, it was just⌠just a little off, is all. It was the sight of it that got to me, not the smell. The sight of the-... the hand.â
Behind Robert Weberâs body, the hand of another person was sticking up out of the loose dirt, as though someone was trying to dig their way out.
âI remember⌠I remember her nail polish was pink. Thatâs when I got sick, actually, was when I saw that hand with the painted nails. Thatâs when it just hit me all at once what Bobby had done.â
Randy Niles went back up the stairs and waited for the cops to arrive. Rancherâs Rest is a small town where everybody knows just about everybody else, and Niles was on a first-name basis with every single police officer he spoke to that day and in the days after. He would learn alongside the investigation that Robert Weber was not simply the quiet, intellectual car mechanic he had always seemed.
Instead, Robert Weber was a serial killer whose potential final victim had managed a miraculous, deadly escape.
Robert Weber never answered a single question about his own murder - he never fully regained consciousness and died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. His injuries were simply too severe. His autopsy showed that the cause of death was a stab wound that went deep into his chest and that he was first stabbed only after the beating with the shovel had taken place. Like Brute, most of his stab wounds were applied post-mortem in a rage rather than as part of the killing itself.
Medical examiners also found scratches on Weberâs face and arms, indicating that he had attempted to defend himself - or someone else had attempted to defend themself from him.
So why was Robert Weber killed, and why was there already a body in his basement? Investigators would piece together the story over the following days and weeks from a crime scene that only seemed to become darker and more baffling as time went on.
Excavating the basement was originally thought to be something that would be brief, but after the first body was removed, another one was found beneath it. Then another off to the side of that. And another, although this was simply bones.
Every time the forensics team thought theyâd found the last human bone, they dug a little deeper or in a new spot and found more.
Eventually, the remains of twenty-two individuals would be removed from the basement of Robert Weberâs home, not including Weber himself. The oldest located victim was identified as Melinda Traxson, an Iowa woman reported missing by her family after she ran away in March of 1996⌠more than two decades before Robert Weber didnât come to work one day.
Investigators are still working to match up every body with a missing personsâ case. For nearly all of them, the cause of death could not be easily ascertained due to the deterioration of the remains, but some showed signs of skull fractures. Identified individuals so far include:
Melinda Traxson, 19, from Iowa, ran away from home in 1996.
Billie Mortimer, 21, disappeared from a day out with friends at Lake Tahoe one year later in the summer of 1997. Her friends went to get lunch from the car after a swim and when they returned, she was gone.
Matthew Ranger, 22, went missing during a road trip to Yellowstone National Park in 1997 (only five months after Billie). His car was found abandoned by the side of the road with a flat tire.
Karl Janssen, 24, a tourist from the Netherlands who was also visiting Yellowstone, disappeared a month after Matthew. Last seen by an employee of the park who witnessed him speaking with another young man and getting into the manâs car. The employee said that the two seemed to be friendly with one another and did not seem like strangers.
Hannah Pointer, 26. She was reported missing in 1999 by her mother after failing to return home from work in Reno, Nevada. This disappearance occurred more than a year after Karl Janssenâs. Investigators would later discover that during this time period, Robert Weber dated a young woman from his hometown and he may not have wanted to risk her finding out what he was doing.
Isaac Jackson, 26, a Rancherâs Rest resident who disappeared after going out to a local bar to see his friendâs band play in 2000. His car was found submerged in a small pond two years later. This is the first time Weber apparently killed anyone close to home. He was actually briefly suspected in Jacksonâs death, as he was the last person noted to see Jackson alive, but was cleared of suspicion at the time.
Dustin Swill, 21, who was driving from Colorado to California to visit his sister who had moved to Berras to work for WRU in 2001. He was last seen in a gas station near Yellowstone, where employees noted he spoke to a man who was smoking outside, who gave him a cigarette. When Swill left, employees saw the man put out his cigarette and leave shortly after. They did not find this unusual or noteworthy at the time.
Maria Vargas, 25, a Rancherâs Rest resident who was reported missing in 2002. Her family is intensely private and have shared few details about her, but it is known that her boyfriend at the time suspected Weber, who had attempted to convince her to leave the boyfriend for him and had apparently threatened her. He remained a suspect but there was never enough evidence to charge him.
Jennifer Striker, 28, from who never arrived for an appointment with a realtor in 2011. The long pause between Maria Vargasâs murder and Jenniferâs appeared to be due to Weber keeping a man named Finn Schneider within his home for more than a year after abducting him, as well as Weber serving five years in prison for a violent assault on a man he believed had sold him a defective vehicle. (Schneider was no longer in the home before the assault and prison time.)
Riley Nievelt, 25, was staying at the Big Meadow Campground with six friends during a weeklong vacation in 2012. She vanished while on a trip to purchase supplies. Her cell phone was found on the ground in the parking lot of the Food Lion in Rancherâs Rest, a short and easy drive away. At this time, with multiple individuals vanishing after being seen in Rancherâs Rest or being residents of the town, police begin to suspect and start hunting for a possible serial killer.
Alexander Peterson, 29, was a long-haul driver who vanished while working. He was last seen at a rest stop in 2014 on the California/Nevada state line, and would likely have passed right through Rancherâs Rest on his journey. He was reported missing by his ex-wife in South Dakota when he did not return as scheduled for a custodial visit.
The most recent victim, and owner of the hand that Randy Niles saw sticking up out of the dirt, was Yolanda Pierce, 26. She was a Rancherâs Rest resident with a troubled relationship with her husband, who had stormed out after an argument and was never seen again. She is believed to have died the same day as Robert Weber.
More remains exist but have not yet been identified. If you or anyone you know has a friend or family member who went missing during this time period in or near Rancherâs Rest, Yellowstone National Park, or Death Valley, it may be worth looking into, as those appear to be Robert Weberâs âhunting groundsâ.
Disappearances in Yellowstone and Death Valley almost always matched up with Robert taking one of his rare weeklong vacations from work.
When investigators located three large diaries hidden inside a locked box in Weberâs closet, the first two fully filled up and the third nearly two-thirds finished, they found an exhaustively detailed record of Robert Weberâs crimes.
In these records, they discovered Weberâs first three victims were killed within 24 hours of abduction, with the rest being kept alive for longer and longer time periods. It is believed all of them met their end in Robert Weberâs basement.
Diary entries included records of two victims who were not a part of the bodies buried in Weberâs basement, both of whom may still be alive:
Finn Schneider, 19, a German tourist who disappeared in 2003 during a visit to Death Valley. Until Weberâs journals were found, it was believed he had perished in the park and had simply never been found. Robert Weber also visited Death Valley during this time. No one linked the two together. Evidence found in Weberâs home after his death, including the aforementioned diary entries and photographs, shows that Schneider was alive in Weberâs home for nearly sixteen months. It is believed Weber purchased the âhuman cageâ that Randy Niles noticed around this time. The last diary entry that mentions Schneider states that he was âtradedâ on June 16th, 2005, to an individual only referred to as âMouse.â What Weber received in exchange is unclear, but he was seen driving a new, custom-painted truck around this time, which he said he bought âfrom a personal adâ when asked by Niles about it. Schneider has never been found. However, his mother did receive a phone call in 2013 from an individual she believes to be her son, telling her that âFinnâ was okay and to stop looking for him.
Our Box Boy, 334235, purchased by Nathaniel Benson years prior, whose whereabouts had been unknown since he murdered Brute Hanlon. Weber believed the Box Boy to be in his early twenties, according to his diary entries, and mentioned that he had picked the Boxie up hitchhiking and had intended to kill him before seeing the barcode on the inside of his left wrist and changing his mind. His diary suggests the Box Boy remained in his possession for roughly a fourteen months prior to Weberâs murder. Police have not released the details of what the Boxie was subjected to during this time, stating only that it is not the publicâs interest for this information to be known, and they would like to locate the missing Boxie and interview him about certain details.
Four murders occurred during the time the Boxie was kept by Robert Weber. Weber noted that âthe dog helpedâ with either murder or burial, suggesting that he may have worked as Weberâs accomplice in his terrible crimes.
Is it possible that they bonded over a shared urge to kill? Did the Boxie start a captive and become a companion?
Weberâs diary contained other disturbing facts, as well:
Weber also noted three failed abduction attempts in detail, in 1998, 2004, and 2017. In each he described with incredible precision of memory the appearances and descriptions of each person he failed to capture. He also appeared to do intensive research using their license plates and other information to find out where they lived and who they were. The names of these individuals have been kept quiet for privacy reasons.
Other failed abductions were noted, about one per year, without much detail. Or at least not enough for police officers to know who they were. Nearly all these failures were in one of three locations: Yellowstone National Park, Stanislaus National Forest and nearby campgrounds, and in or near Death Valley.
The last entry in Robert Weberâs diary was penned the day of his death.
NOTE: Weber referred to the Boxie as âthe dogâ in nearly all his journal entries. His last entry went:
May 6th, 20XX: The dog is pissed about something again. Heâs always pissed about something. I think the thing in the basement probably kept him up all night with her caterwauling. He never gets used to the noises they make. God knows I canât sleep either, at least not well. Iâll handle her tonight, have a drink with the dog after, see if that shuts up his nonsense for a while. Note: missed NPR interview with Senator Carlotta Grant on new leg. about the bb prohibition act. Find that on website later.
Found in Weberâs home, in boxes under his bed, were a series of restraints made of leather, high-quality items that appear to be custom-ordered to specific measurements. These included âglovesâ intended to keep someone from being able to claw or scratch in their own defense, five sets of cuffs, a body harness, a leather half-face-mask that police referred to as a âmuzzleâ, several gags, some of which were deemed to be âdesigned to cause injury to the inside of the mouthâ, and âother assorted items for use in torture and tormentâ.
You can find some leaked police docs online that go into more detail, but suffice to say they pretty much match the kinds of âtoysâ found in Nathaniel Benson and Brute Hanlonâs homes, too. And apparently, if you really know where to look, you can find some blurry low-quality photos Weber took, too.
While the items are a bit salacious, they arenât entirely uncommon in consensual relationships, too, so itâs really not clear if theyâre evidence of the Boxie being held against his will or not.
The investigation of the crime scene suggests that at some point after writing his final diary entry, Robert Weber made himself a pizza, which he ate half of and put the rest away in the fridge. His shaving cream and razor were found out on his sink, and Weberâs body was clean-shaven, suggesting he shaved shortly before his death.
He then watched three episodes of Law & Order: SVU. We know this because he texted during this time with his only living relative, the sister in Vermont. Little is known about Weberâs family and childhood, beyond his sisterâs recounting of a quiet, strained home life with an overbearing mother and her mention that Robert endured several head injuries as a child and adolescent, including one that hospitalized him for days.
After he finished watching TV, Weber entered the basement and murdered Yolanda Pierce. It is believed he took the Box Boy downstairs with him, either as accomplice or witness. At some point while he was disposing of Yolanda Pierceâs remains, the Boxie became enraged for one reason or another, beat him with a shovel, got the kitchen knife from upstairs and stabbed him to death, and then left the house.
A neighbor remembers hearing odd noises around 3:30 AM and looking out their window to see a shadowy figure walking quickly down the road, but they werenât able to see well enough to say whether or not the individual matches the description and WRU-provided photos of the Boxie. It does seem reasonable, though, to assume that the neighbor witnessed the Boxie fleeing the scene of the crime.
The Box Boy has never been seen again.
Police are pretty mum about the active investigation into the Box Boyâs whereabouts. I was able to get ahold of one source closely related to a member of the investigative team who said that thereâs just not a lot of urgency. âWeber killed nearly two dozen people, just that we know of,â The source said. âThe cops are a little bit âgood riddance to bad rubbishâ about the situation. Unless the Boxie comes back to RR, theyâre just inclined to let sleeping dogs lie.â
The sense of âlet it be someone elseâs problemâ would be understandable⌠if this Box Boy werenât responsible for one other direct murder, possibly two.
Police believe the Boxie has not left California, and is likely to be continuing to survive by engaging in prostitution or perhaps panhandling or some other hidden way of making money. Unconfirmed sightings have been located in three cities in central California, but all of these are unverified and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Itâs also possible he hooked up with a pet liberation movement group, in which case he may be hiding out in a safehouse, protected from the consequences of his actions by the pet lib movementâs understandable insistence on total secrecy and anonymity for the Boxies they take in.
If heâs an innocent victim of circumstance, thatâs fair.
If heâs a burgeoning serial killer with three victims under his belt and a taste for inflicting terrible violence on those who take him in⌠well⌠anyone who gives him shelter may be next.
Is our Boxie a purposeful killer or just supremely, almost incomprehensibly unlucky? Will he kill again? Was he Robert Weberâs accomplice or his victim?
Will he strike again?
Should there be an audit of WRUâs psychological testing on potential sign-ups to see if, perhaps, a Box Boy-wannabe with an urge to kill slipped through the cracks?
What do you think?
-
@astrobly @finder-of-rings @burtlederp @whump-tr0pes @raigash @eatyourdamnpears @orchidscript @doveotions @pretty-face-breaker @boxboysandotherwhump @outofangband @whumptywhumpdump @whumpfigure @thehopelessopus @downriver914 @justabitofwhump @butwhatifyouwrite @newandfiguringitout @yet-another-heathen @nonsensical-whump @oops-its-whump @endless-whump @cubeswhump @gonna-feel-that-tomorrow @whumpiary
#whump#jameson bb#bbu#box boy universe#box boy#epistolary#epistolary fiction#epistolary writing#sadistic whumper#death talk tw#dead body tw#serial killer mention#description of dead body#implied noncon references#pet whump tw#dehumanization tw#dehumanizing language tw#creepy whumper#horror fiction#horror writing#horror#whumper death#god I want to write about Finn Schneider now#and what he's up to#he is absolutely still alive#whumpblr#whump writing#writeblr#original fiction#true crime fiction
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Randiâs Kustom Kandi! (Comes with free stickers!)
đđ Hello, Iâm a queer autistic low-income artist selling completely customized Kandi bracelets for $1 a piece ! đđ
đ Details and how to start your order below đ
đ˛ COST: Pony bead bracelets, with colors, b&w words, or plain star beads, are $1 each, no taxes, just $1.00 flat. The use of colored letters and iridescent stars are $1.25. As of right now to keep stock up, bracelets consisting of Only star beads arenât available to order. Charm options are not yet available, but will eventually be added, and prices may range. This is all just based on how much it costs to buy the beads to make these bracelets! đ˛
đŚ SHIPPING: Each order will end up with a different estimate for shipping costs, based on where you live, and how many bracelets you order. I ship through USPS and I should be able to ship almost anywhere, but the further away you are, the higher shipping will be. Iâm shipping out of Kansas. Domestic shipping will probably start at around $3 - $8, international shipping will just have to depend. If you want an estimate before starting an order, just give me your address and an idea of how many bracelets you might want, and Iâll get back to you asap. đŚ
đ¤ˇââď¸Â AVAILABILITY: I have a full rainbow array of pony beads including b&w, some neons and pastels too, I have a nice color range of star beads including b&w and transparent, and some iridescent star beads as well, and then for letters I have black on white, white on black, color on black and color on white. A lot of these can be seen in the example image above! đ¤ˇââď¸
IMPORTANT TO NOTE;;; My pony beads are all around 6x4mm, and the letter beads are 6x6mm. This is considered somewhat Small for kandi bracelets. This isnât a choice I made to skimp out, this size is actually more expensive and harder to find than the usual 6x9mm, I just very much prefer this size to work with and wear. Itâs only a tad bit more subtle, but it fits most people a lot better and I would Definitely recommend it for people with smaller wrists or who are just starting out with Kandi.
đ¤ HOW TO ORDER: So basically, how you choose to tell me the pattern you want is up to you, you can draw it out if you want or just try to explain it with words, or whatever else works. Once you explain what you want, Iâll show you what beads I have that match your request, and you can decide what you want out of those options.Â
An example could be; âI would like a bracelet with a repeating pattern of red and blue pony beads, with the word PLUR in black on white letters, and two pink stars on each side, just like this!âÂ
To which I might say; ���Ok, here I have 2 shades of red and 4 shades of blue, and I have plain pink stars or iridescent pink, which ones would you like me to use?â and then Iâd show you a picture of all of these colors for you to decide! Once we have all your bracelets planned out, Iâll ask for a few more details to give you your total price. Then once the payment goes through, Iâll start working! Whenever your bracelets are all complete, Iâll send you pictures of the finished products to make sure you like them (if not Iâll redo at no extra charge). After you give the OK, Iâll ship them out! (You can also ask for some ârandom/surprise meâ bracelets if you arenât sure of any patterns, of course.)
What I have in stock might vary, I will try to update this post as that goes, so please make sure to visit this posts SOURCE instead of a reblog before you start an order to check for availability. Please send your order requests to THIS blog, through PM if you can. If you want an alternate way of communication, contact me however you can and weâll go from there. I have discord, facebook messenger, email, etc. đ¤
đ¤ˇđť WHAT ELSE I NEED: When confirming your order, Iâll need your shipping address. Iâll then be able to calculate shipping cost and give you a full price. (Again, zero hard feelings if you canât afford the price I give, like, bad vibes in the NEGATIVES, been there done that, and Iâll be available if you ever do have the funds, but please understand I canât change shipping costs, I really would make it free if I could.) After that Iâll ask for your paypal and send a payment request, once that payment goes through is when I start your order! Iâll have to ask a few more questions, like your wrist measurements (or an estimate, since the bracelet is made of elastic itâll have a decent amount of stretch, but this may warp how spaced your beads are if itâs too inaccurate.), and iâll need your first and last name (it doesnt have to be a legal name, just something to put on your package). đ¤ˇđť
đŤ SHIPPING TIME: Once again, this will depend on how far you are, and because of c0v1d it may be more delayed than expected. Iâll try to send you a tracking number as soon as your item ships. đŤ
đż CHARMS: If youâd like more options, the best solution Iâve been able to think of for now is that if youâd like, you could surf Ebay, Etsy, Etc. till you find some charms youâd want me to use, and then if youâre okay with covering the cost to get them (typically $5 to $15 for a decent lot) and then waiting a bit extra for me to receive them, I would have no problem using those for you! :) Someday Iâd really like to stock up on popular charms to have more choices available, but I donât quite have the funds quite yet. Thank you for your understanding. đż
đˇ ALLERGY/SENSITIVE SKIN NOTICE: I seal small parts of my bracelets to reduce the chance of breakage. I use a very tiny drop of Loctite Super Glue Gel on the knot. This glue does not keep the beads from moving freely or lock them into place, itâs used sparingly as a sealant. If you ever receive a bracelet that is locked or sticky, I would fully refund you and offer to send another. You can also absolutely opt out of this, Just add âNo glueâ somewhere to your order. Just be warned that your bracelet will be less protected from breakage. đˇ
â DISCLAIMER: Either way, I cannot take responsibility for a bracelet eventually breaking down. Kandi and elastic bracelets in general are a bit prone to snapping, but mostly over time and especially if used in rave settings. I use high quality jewelry elastic from amazon, very high rated and recommended by other Kandi makers, and I knot them 3 times, so mine should last as long as they possibly can. Please make sure your wrist measurements are as accurate as they can be, and please be gentle when taking them on or off, just being careful will help prolong itâs usage by a lot. Now if a bracelet arrives broken, I will of course replace it, no extra charge. â
đŚ STICKERS: Order 5 bracelets and get one free sticker! Order 10 and get two, so on and so forth in a pattern of 5. The stickers are hand cut by me from large books and sheets, so the edges might look odd but the sticker itself should be unharmed. These are completely random, and based loosely around a scenecore aesthetic. Most are pretty âmediumâ sized, but they do range quite a bit. đŚ
â CONTENT: Kandi, scene and rave culture, is in a general sense, a very upbeat and supportive based environment. I do not want to make bracelets with negative messages on them. I will obviously NEVER make any with hate speech or rude remarks, but beyond that, please keep your phrases positive. If you want something thats meant to fight hate, like âkill all n*zisâ or something, I'm not opposed to that as itâs for justice, itâs just that most Kandi is focused on âhappy party vibeâ messages. As far as media or interests, like if you want a bracelet that says âGirâ or â100 gecsâ, or uses ship names, etc. I will not deny you any interest you choose. BUT, I am personally uncomfortable with d.dl/g and wonât make bracelets based on that, nor will I ever make bracelets supporting ped0ph1lic or 1ncestu0us content, including if theyâre based on medias or fictional ships. As far as pride bracelets, I would LOVE to make those for you, and I will Never deny working with your identity, pronouns, etc. once again, unless itâs a p/ed0 flag or something. I will never deny working with any mental or physical disability/illness or other kind of divergency pride. Race and/or religion pride is also great except for âWhite pr1deâ because of the violent connotations behind that concept. NSFW Kandi is fine, cussing is fine, I hope this goes without saying but please only ask for Kandi with a slur on it if you can reclaim that slur, and overall, just be mindful with what you ask for if you plan to wear it in public settings like raves. If you have any controversial ideas you felt this didnât cover, please feel free to ask, I will not get angry at you for your request, even if I have to deny it. â
Thank you for reading! I look forward to doing business with you đ
#jewelry#custom kandi#custom jewelry#scenecore#scene#scene aesthetic#scene kid#kandi#kandi bracelet#independantbusiness#independantartist#bracelets#selling#commission#open commissions#tw flashing lights/ /#also if ur wondering why this is being posted on a total drama island fanblog its simple. it has more followers than my main OTL
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if you ever wanna be in love
Chapter I: Coffee Cures All Ills
a/n: Here it is folks! The first part of a Marcus fic heavily inspired by the Netflix rom-com Set It Up.Â
Itâs more structurally and conceptually inspired and not an exact scene-for-scene remake because a) I was interested in the idea of this not even really being an AU. This is extremely canon-compliant and youâll see more of that as we continue on. đAnd b) because I had lots of ideas that spun off from watching Set It Up that I just liked better for the purpose of this fic. So thatâs what you can expect. Itâs gonna be cheesy and fun and great.
The first couple of chapters are a lot of, well, set up (which has been infuriating). But weâll get into the meat of it soon. My outline says so.
As a side note, a lot of the gifs Iâm going to be using are from the movie, but these are not my face claims for any of the characters. Iâm using them simply for the ~vibe~ of the chapter. Reader is not a small white girl... Or she might be. She is you. Or whatever OC youâd like her to be. Period.Â
And thatâs it. Letâs go, I guess.
pairing: marcus pike x f!reader
word count: 2k (probably one of the shortest chapters weâre gonna see out of the 14-ish lolz)
warnings: none, and i donât expect there to really be any serious ones in upcoming chapters either. this is just fun.
Marcus Pike never wanted to fall in love.Â
Heâd seen what it had done to him in failed relationships including everything up to a failed marriage. Some would argue that it wasnât love then, that love doesnât fail, so it couldnât have been. But he disagreed. He knows it when it hits. It comes on you like lightning, bright and fast. You accept it, letting it run through your veins, and risk suffering a fatal blow to your heart. And it most definitely can fatally fail. It can cause joy and pain in equal measure. Heâd already been struck so painfully once, the blow of the electricity going straight to his heart. He was beginning to hope to the high heavens that he wouldnât be so unlucky as to be struck a second time, just in case it should reach his heart so painfully once more.
Marcus Pike never wanted to fall in love.
He felt that especially strongly as he watched Adrian go through his recent break-up. He felt for his fellow agent, he really did. Adrian was completely convinced Sam was the one, sold to the point of going ring shopping soon. But one brief mention of an engagement sent Sam running for the hills. Heâd been moping around the office for a couple of weeks now and, as much as Marcus understood the pain, he was already really looking forward to Adrianâs rebound or some similar distraction. He was needing his friendâs signature fire back right about now, not to mention his focus. His work had gotten sloppy in this mourning period. He was constantly distracted. Marcus was dreading getting him on this case today, but maybe it was just the push he needed. He hoped. He stepped up to Adrianâs desk, watching the glazed over look in his eye.
âHey, Adrian, do you mind getting a head start on this? Iâd really like you to be our head man on--â he slid the file onto his desk, but was cut short by Adrianâs response. A response that had nothing to do with anything Marcus had just said.
âIâm gonna die alone,â he muttered, hands supporting his chin, elbows on his desk. Marcus let out an exasperated sigh that he didnât seem to notice.
âYouâre not gonna die alone,â he played along once again, rubbing his temple.
âMaybe Iâll go be a monk. They never have to worry about this shit.â
âAn honorable profession.â
âYeah.â Adrian blinked out of his dream-like state. âIâm doing it again, arenât I?â Marcus nodded rigidly. âSorry, Pike.â He opened the file, nodding slowly, âYeah, Iâll get on this.â
âYou look exhausted,â
âI am,â he admitted sheepishly.Â
âIâm making a break room run to get coffee, you want one?â
âPlease.â Marcus nodded his understanding and made his way down the hall to the break room. He doubted a case and a coffee could get his friend back on track, but he could hope, right?
***
If you had to listen through one more of Wendyâs mood swings, you might just scream. You love the girl, you really do. Sheâs your friend and the best boss you couldâve asked for, but Lord Almighty, had she been in rare form. Some days she was perfectly fine, strutting around like she didnât care that her asshole boyfriend Daniel gave her an ultimatum instead of a ring on their last anniversary. Other days would see her doing a complete 180, shutting herself in her office and weeping into suspect files. Your least favorite days, though, were days where the heartbreak made her angry, where thinking about Daniel saying âItâs me or your jobâ made her border-line vengeful. But, unfortunately for you and the rest of the team, he wasnât around to take the beating.
You couldnât say you entirely understood. The short catalog of even shorter flings that you boasted brought largely apathy rather than heartbreak. You couldnât say youâd ever been in love like Wendy had been. Youâd never felt anything quite that strong-- and thank goodness for that. It wasnât something you particularly looked forward to, at least, not the way youâd seen it lately. It was an uncontrollable force, dangerous and all-consuming. You liked control, liked being in your right mind. If love was to take up it's unfortunate residence, you could only hope it was for someone worth losing your mind over. You hadnât seen anyone of the sort so far.Â
Unfortunately, it was already too late for Wendy Harrod. The already intimidating head of the Jewelry & Gem Theft Program in Texas was in rare form. You watched as an HR intern ran from her office in near tears. Poor Randy. Her sharp âcome inâ in response to your knock on her door made you wince.
âHarrod, I have the results of that house search you requested if you--â
âNo, no! Absolutely not, I cannot handle this right now,â she was absolutely raging, leaving you grasping at straws for a response.Â
âI-- Uh-- Of course. Iâll just leave it right here whenever--â you placed it gently on the end table by the door before being interrupted again.
âUghhhhh,â she groaned out before flopping into her desk chair, the red leather creaking as she let sit spin her around once, âIâm sorry. Iâm being mean.â There was your Wendy.
âJust a little.â
âSorry, sorry. Bring that here please.âÂ
âWhat can I do for you? As your friend, I mean. You--â you weighed your words carefully as you hand her the report, âYou havenât quite been yourself sinceâŚâ you stopped that thought, âWell, lately.â She sighed, shaking her head.
âI donât know. I donât know what I need,â she began to skim the report before looking back up with you with a tight lipped smile, âMaybe a coffee? For the more immediate problems anyway.â You laughed.
âNow that I can do. Iâm headed there now. Break room coffee ok?â
âThatâd be perfect.â
âThe usual?â
âThe usual.â She yelled after you as you walk down the hall, âYouâre an angel!â
She wasnât gonna be saying that when you came back without coffee.Â
The sign on the coffee pot reading âout of coffeeâ was going to seriously ruin your reputation and Wendyâs sensitive mood. You ran through the options: you couldnât leave to get her a Starbucks; there were some bottled iced coffees in the fridge, but Wendy hated them; you could wait for someone to make a run at lunch and pass on the order, but this was too urgent. Then it hit you. Everyone knew the sixth floor had the better coffee stock anyway. The art freaks loved their fancy stuff. You could always just waltz down a floor and snag two cups from their stash. 5 minutes in and out. No harm done, no questions asked.Â
Or so you thought.Â
The sixth floor break room was already occupied when you walked in, finding another agent also brewing a morning cup in a single cup coffee maker.Â
They really did have everything here: multiple pots, another much fancier looking machine that looked like it might come to life and attack at any moment, recyclable coffee cups, every type of creamer. You name it.
Youâd have to sneak over here more often.
You stepped up to the larger coffee pot, rinsing out the carafe before reaching for the container of grounds. Empty.Â
They had everything here. Except coffee.Â
Was the whole damn building in a coffee famine? You didnât have time to check.
âNo, no, no, no,â you panicked, frantically searching the cabinet for another container. In your peripheral you could see the other agent look at you like youâd grown two heads. You couldnât be bothered with his judgement, but you met his eyes to ask, maybe a little too frantically.Â
âIs that the last of it?â you questioned, eyeing the cup he was brewing.
âWell, yeah, sorry.â It was obvious he meant it, but apologies were not what you were needing right now.
âShit.âÂ
âWithdrawals?â he laughed a little at your panicked state, but it wasnât demeaning. He was genuinely amused, and maybe a little concerned, but it made you narrow your eyes at him all the same. You were not in the mood for the mocking, no matter how light-hearted it may be. No matter how much it was softened by the bright smile next to you.
âItâs not for me. Itâs for my boss. My very upset boss who needs just one small ounce of joy in her life right now. The kind of joy that can only come from the fueling of her caffeine addiction, so if I could please just have that cup?â You blinked at him innocently, but his dark brown eyes widened as he shook his head
âWhat? No. I have a friend who needs this. If I donât bring him this, he wonât be working for the rest of the day.â
âIf I donât bring my boss a cup of coffee in the next two minutes, I will probably not be working again. Ever. I will be dead. Do you want to be complicit in a murder, Agent--â you glanced at his badge, âPike? Can you really live with that?â
âYouâre awfully dramatic arenât you?â
âI wish it was an exaggeration.â He inspected your badge then too.
âJewelry and Gem Theft. Floor 7, right? What brings you down here to steal our coffee?â The argument was pointed, but his demeanor was anything but. He was smiling, enjoying this. A little too much, you seethed. You couldnât stand around arguing all day.
âWeâre out too.â
âTry another floor?â
âTime is of the essence here, Art Squad.â There was no room for addressing him politely now, he was riling you up on purpose.Â
âIf you didnât stand here arguing with me you couldâve tried another floor by now, Jewels.â
He must think heâs so clever.
âPlease. This is DEFCON 5.â
âYou do know DEFCON 5 is the good one, right?â
âYou know what I mean. Please.â He looked at you and then the newly brewed cup, biting the inside of his cheek, thinking through the problem.
âTell you what. I am willing to split this if you are. Maybe itâs enough to fix both of them.â The crease between his eyebrows was deep as he studied your face, âI know Adrian is too out of it to notice heâs getting jipped, not sure about your boss.â You shrugged.
âWendy will manage. Itâs enough to keep her from throwing something at my head next time I walk in.â He dutifully split the coffee between two of the recyclable travel cups and handed one to you. You took it gratefully.Â
âI hope this keeps you from⌠Dying? Whatâs up with that anyway?â Youâre not sure what made this person that was essentially a stranger so interested in your life, but something about it feels nice.
âShe had a really bad breakup: anniversary, thought it was going to be a proposal, instead it was him being a piss-baby. Sheâs a little all over the place right now. Theyâd been together for years and now thereâs just⌠A hole. She doesnât know how to deal with it.â Pikeâs nod in response is emphatic, giving the cup in his hand a little wave.
âSame with him. Terrible breakup. He didnât see it coming at all. She broke up with him on a voicemail⌠Then moved. âCourse it just put him in this crazy funk, though. Doesnât wanna work or do much of anything. No violence. Yet. But itâs sad to see.â You winced.
âThatâs a rough one. Best of luck with him, Art Squad. Thank you. I owe you one. Seriously.â
âYou definitely do, Jewels.â His smile is blindingly bright as he jokes. It makes you smile back.
âSee you around.â
series taglist: @whiskeyslassoâ @ahopelessromanticwritersworldâ
forever tags:Â @acomplicatedprofessionâ @hdlynnâ @makaela27 @space-floozy @catfishingmoralesâ @ithinkhesgaybutwesavedmufasaâ @princessbatearsâ @synystersilenceinblacknwhite @findhimfivesâ
#im not in love with this first chapter but hey!#gotta start somewhere#marcus pike x reader#iyewbil#bri writes
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This list consists almost entirely of newer fics, so please show them some extra love and leave a kudos, and even a comment if you have the time. Itâs important we also give the newer, unknown authors a chance so they keep having motivation to write more amazing stories for us all to read <3
Are you afraid of God? by @lightwoodsmagic l 53K l Supernatural Elements
It was supposed to be simple; bring us the boy, wipe away the debt. Watching Harry now, beautiful and almost untouchable where he stood against the railing, it seemed clear to Louis what he shouldâve known from the moment he saw him. It was never going to be simple. âDo you think itâs possible to redeem everything that weâve done?â Louis moved, desperate to be closer, the siren in the background obvious that everything was about to fall apart again. âI donât know if thereâs any point.â Harry kept his gaze on the burning city, eyes weary but bright. âAre you afraid of God, Louis?â âNo, but Iâm afraid of you.â
A Bioshock Infinite AU where nothing is ever as it seems, and time is always irrelevant.
I'm a Rocket Man by @adoredontour l 47K l Road Trip
All he could hear were the faint sounds of Pina Colada coming from the radio and his own heart beating erratically against his chest.
âOops,â he heard coming from the other side of the front window. He quickly pushed the grey rubber towards the back of the car, the rubber of the thing groaning and squeaking as he did so. Finally, after wrestling the thing away from him, Harry came into view, face pressed against the other side of the window.
âHi.â Louis smiled, looking towards Harry, eyes curious. He almost got lost in the way Harryâs face was so cutely pinched, green eyes glowing in the sunlight. He was brought back to reality when Harry tried to move, causing the grey whatever it was to push against Louis again. âWhat the fuck is this?â
âUhh... itâs Randy?â
or, Niall is an investigative journalist, Liam is his biggest fan, Zayn is just along for the ride, and Harry probably isnât an alien. A roadtrip au no one asked for.
Take A Chance On Me by @peachypetalhazz l 39K l University
When Harry receives two tickets to see one of his favourite bands, he'd expected that his best mate would accompany him. However, it is soon learned that the intentions behind this so-called gift were far more wondrous than he initially thought.
with no way out and a long way down by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed l 31K l Royalty l Soulmates
Prince Harry is ten when he receives his soulmark.
Just Let Me Adore You by @chloehl10 l 26K l Kid FicÂ
When Louisâ daughter presents him with a Christmas gift far beyond the price range of a four year old, he jumps to the worst of conclusions. Heâs pleasantly surprised when he finds out how she isnât as naughty as he thought she was, and who came to her rescue.
Lovin' you is a gift by @goldbootsandvans l 25K l Fake Dating
With his 28th birthday approaching, Louis was looking forward to celebrating in New York City with an all-expenses paid trip. He just didn't expect to spend it with an escort when he suddenly finds himself single a few days before it. A Pretty Woman AU.
Forever And Always by @jacaranda-bloom l 25K l Vampire Harry
âRight,â Harry says and slaps his hands down on the kitchen benchtop. Now he just has to get home, find this poor Niall guy who is currently camped out in his body, and have them swapped back. What could possibly go wrong?
OR the one where Harryâs neighbour is a crotchety old witch who hates vampires, Niall is the unsuspecting human who ends up inhabiting Harryâs body, and Louis is the caseworker who is assigned to swap them back. How it ends up a love story is anyoneâs guess.
Bare Essentials by @onlyforthebravee l 14K l Stripper Harry
Harry works at Bare Essentials as a stripper, but when he loses his first job, he decides to start doing the VIP's, which is how he meets Louis, who is as mysterious as he is fascinating.
i took my love (take it down) by @leedsau l 11K l Historical
âYou know youâre crazy right?â Louis says one afternoon while theyâre out on a stroll with the twins. All-day Harry had been trying to get cozy with him. He was the one who suggested that they walk to the town square together because he wanted to pick something up, and Louis was the one who made the twins tag along with them as a buffer.
The annoyed look on Harryâs face as he told their parents the plan was almost enough for him to call off this whole thing and just say he was feeling ill and needed to lay down (Louis wouldnât put passed Harry to try and nurse him back to good health which would mean being in close proximity to each other that so idea was squashed). So he watched Harry suck it up, broke the news to the twins and now here they are walking.
Harry threw the leaves heâd been throwing around, at him, making them laugh. He gave Louis a funny look. âHow am I crazy?" He asked, "Is it because I know what I want and I go after it.â Harry gets in Louisâ face, he can feel his heavy breathing on his lips. âOr is it something else?â
Wildflower by @halosboat l 10K l Florist Harry
"So, since you're an expert on the whole flowers thing, what kind of flower do you think I'd be?
"Would fit you," Harry amends, "and that would be sunflowers."
"Okay... and why sunflowers?"
Harry gazes down at him, running his fingers through Louis' soft fringe.
"Simple, because the sun follows you wherever you go."
The one where Harry works as a florist at Wildflower and Louis is a customer who keeps coming back.
temporary fix by @onlyforthebravee l 2K l Bartender Harry l PWP
Harry meets his one time Idol, Louis Tomlinson, while he's working at the bar one night. Louis takes him home.
Again, if you read, please remember to leave kudos and/or a comment so we keep motivating our lovely, talented writers and make them feel valued
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Goodbye April & hello May!
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel & Iâm running toward itâŚ
April seemed to drag on despite the days flying by. Does that even make sense? Like Iâve mentioned before, my days are filled with homeschooling, home projects, mask making, and reading. Iâve been doing my best to fill my hours to ease the COVID-19 anxiety.
I received the notification that I will be returning to work next week, which was welcome news. Iâm ready to get back a little bit of normalcy in my life. Thankfully, our library system is reopening in phases. Our first phase will be employees only (3-5 employees in the building at one time) and offering curb-side service to our patrons. As of now, we will not open our doors to the public until June 1st at the earliest. At that point in time, we will be limiting the number of patrons allowed in the building. It is definitely going to be a learning curve to see what my new work normal is going to entail. Iâm looking forward to adapting & rising to the occasion.
Âť Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis
As per usual, Mindy McGinnis puts out another harrowing YA book. I love survival stories, so I enjoyed this story about a girl that has gotten lost in the woods. Be Not Far From Me was uncomfortable to read at certain points.
Âť Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker
*3.5 Stars*
This was a sweet story about two kids that form a friendship while hanging around an abandoned lot. The first half of this book didnât grab me and moved far too slowly. I enjoyed the second half of this book a lot better than the first half.
 Keeper of Lost Cities (Keeper of the Lost Cities #1) by Shannon Messenger
An awesome MG fantasy! I cannot wait to continue on with this series. Iâd recommend this to fans of Harry Potter.
 Separation Anxiety by Laura Zigman
*2.75 Stars*
I read this for one of my book clubs.  I think the author was attempting to write a book that would charm readers with eccentric characters & a humorous plotline, but donât think it delivered. Instead of being funny, the story felt odd & forced.
 A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry
I think the author did a tremendous job writing a book from a wolfâs perspective. You can tell the author did extensive research into wolves & their behaviors. While I think this animal perspective was very well done, I didnât think the plotline was all that entertaining.
 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz #1) by L. Frank Baum
Iâve decided to challenge myself to read more childrenâs classics in 2020.  To kick start this challenge, I started with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This was a delightful read! I was surprised to learn that the slippers were actually silver instead of ruby red⌠mind blown!
 SHOUT by Laurie Halse Anderson
This is a must read for fans of Laurie Halse Andersonâs Speak. While you donât HAVE to read Speak to read SHOUT, I feel like it makes a bigger impact if you read Speak prior to this. If you didnât know, SHOUT is Andersonâs memoir told in verse.
 Loveboat, Taipei (Loveboat, Taipei #1) by Abigail Hing Wen
*4.5 Stars*
This is a guilty pleasure type of read. Actually, it reminded me a bit of Crazy Rich Asians a bit. It is a tad racy for a YA book⌠So Iâd probably recommend for older YA readers that are 16+
 Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2) by Shannon Messenger
I am LOVING this MG fantasy series. While these books are a bit chunky, donât let the page count deter you. I flew through the first two books in this series this month. Also, Iâm happy to report that this second installment does NOT suffer from âsecond book syndrome.â
 Nooks & Crannies by Jessica Lawson
Nooks & Crannies is an excellent MG historical mystery. Some of the elements of this story gave me Matilda mixed with A Series of Unfortunate Events vibes. The audiobook is well narrated.
 The Penderwicks (The Penderwicks #1) by Jeanne Birdsall
This is the perfect book to pick up during the summer months. It really gave me modern Little Women crossed with The Secret Garden vibes. The ending was so heartwarming it almost brought me to tears.
Goodreads Challenge Update:Â 46 books!
*I know it says 47, but I finished The Last (Endling #1) on May 1st*
March 2020 Reading & Blogging Wrap-Up
April 2020 TBR
Childhood Classics 2020: TBR
Most Anticipated Books of 2020 (May â December)
Mini Book Reviews: April 2020 â Part 1
Mini Book Reviews: April 2020 â Part 2
If you were ever curious what a bookwormâs quarantine stress shopping spree looks like, here you goâŚ
 The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising #1) by Kiersten White
There was nothing in the world as magical and terrifying as a girl.
Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdomâs borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solutionâsend in Guinevere to be Arthurâs wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young kingâs idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevereâs real nameâand her true identityâis a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.
To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the oldâincluding Arthurâs own familyâdemand things continue as they have been, and the newâthose drawn by the dream of Camelotâfight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land. Arthurâs knights believe they are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere knows it will take more than swords to keep Camelot free.
Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?
 Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
The story of a deaf girlâs connection to a whale whose song canât be heard by his species, and the journey she takes to help him.
From fixing the class computer to repairing old radios, twelve-year-old Iris is a tech genius. But sheâs the only deaf person in her school, so people often treat her like sheâs not very smart. If youâve ever felt like no one was listening to you, then you know how hard that can be.
When she learns about Blue 55, a real whale who is unable to speak to other whales, Iris understands how he must feel. Then she has an idea: she should invent a way to âsingâ to him! But heâs three thousand miles away. How will she play her song for him?
Âť Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her fatherâs inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of povertyâuntil Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold.
When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Starykâgrim fey creatures who seem more ice than fleshâMiryemâs fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar.
But Tsar Mirnatius is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power, and love.
Channeling the vibrant heart of myth and fairy tale, Spinning Silver weaves a multilayered, magical tapestry that readers will want to return to again and again.
Âť Girls Like Us by Randi Pink
Set in the summer of 1972, this moving YA historical novel is narrated by teen girls from different backgrounds with one thing in common: Each girl is dealing with pregnancy. Four teenage girls. Four different stories. What they all have in common is that theyâre dealing with unplanned pregnancies.
In rural Georgia, Izella is wise beyond her years, but burdened with the responsibility of her older sister, Ola, who has found out sheâs pregnant. Their young neighbor, Missippi, is also pregnant, but doesnât fully understand the extent of her predicament. When her father sends her to Chicago to give birth, she meets the final narrator, Susan, who is white and the daughter of an anti-choice senator.
Randi Pink masterfully weaves four lives into a larger story â as timely as ever â about a womanâs right to choose her future.
Âť The Island of the Sea Women by Lisa See
Set on the Korean island of Jeju, The Island of Sea Women follows Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls from very different backgrounds, as they begin working in the sea with their villageâs all-female diving collective. Over many decadesâthrough the Japanese colonialism of the 1930s and 1940s, World War II, the Korean War, and the era of cellphones and wet suits for the women diversâMi-ja and Young-sook develop the closest of bonds. Nevertheless, their differences are impossible to ignore: Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, forever marking her, and Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will inherit her motherâs position leading the divers. After hundreds of dives and years of friendship, forces outside their control will push their relationship to the breaking point.
This beautiful, thoughtful novel illuminates a unique and unforgettable culture, one where the women are in charge, engaging in dangerous physical work, and the men take care of the children. A classic Lisa See storyâone of womenâs friendships and the larger forces that shape themâThe Island of Sea Women introduces readers to the fierce female divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives.
Âť The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf
A music-loving teen with OCD does everything she can to find her way back to her mother during the historic race riots in 1969 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in this heart-pounding literary debut.
Melati Ahmad looks like your typical moviegoing, Beatles-obsessed sixteen-year-old. Unlike most other sixteen-year-olds though, Mel also believes that she harbors a djinn inside her, one who threatens her with horrific images of her motherâs death unless she adheres to an elaborate ritual of counting and tapping to keep him satisfied.
But there are things that Melati canât protect her mother from. On the evening of May 13th, 1969, racial tensions in her home city of Kuala Lumpur boil over. The Chinese and Malays are at war, and Mel and her mother become separated by a city in flames.
With a 24-hour curfew in place and all lines of communication down, it will take the help of a Chinese boy named Vincent and all of the courage and grit in Melatiâs arsenal to overcome the violence on the streets, her own prejudices, and her djinnâs surging power to make it back to the one person she canât risk losing.
Âť Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai
Nadiaâs family is forced to flee their home in Aleppo, Syria, when the Arab Spring sparks a civil war in this timely coming-of-age novel from award-winning author N.H. Senzai.
Silver and gold balloons. A birthday cake covered in pink roses. A new dress.
Nadia stands at the center of attention in her parentsâ elegant dining room. This is the best day of my life, she thinks. Everyone is about to sing âHappy Birthday,â when her uncle calls from the living room, âBaba, brothers, you need to see this.â Reluctantly, she follows her family into the other room. On TV, a reporter stands near an overturned vegetable cart on a dusty street. Beside it is a mound of smoldering ashes. The reporter explains that a vegetable vendor in the city of Tunis burned himself alive, protesting corrupt government officials who have been harassing his business. Nadia frowns.
It is December 17, 2010: Nadiaâs twelfth birthday and the beginning of the Arab Spring. Soon anti-government protests erupt across the Middle East and, one by one, countries are thrown into turmoil. As civil war flares in Syria and bombs fall across Nadiaâs home city of Aleppo, her family decides to flee to safety. Inspired by current events, this novel sheds light on the complicated situation in Syria that has led to an international refugee crisis, and tells the story of one girlâs journey to safety.
Âť The Two Princesses of Bamarre (The Two Princesses of Bamarre #1) by Gail Carson Levine
Twelve-year-old Addie admires her older sister Meryl, who aspires to rid the kingdom of Bamarre of gryphons, specters, and ogres. Addie, on the other hand, is fearful even of spiders and depends on Meryl for courage and protection. Waving her sword Bloodbiter, the older girl declaims in the garden from the heroic epic of Drualt to a thrilled audience of Addie, their governess, and the young sorcerer Rhys.
But when Meryl falls ill with the dreaded Gray Death, Addie must gather her courage and set off alone on a quest to find the cure and save her beloved sister. Addie takes the seven-league boots and magic spyglass left to her by her mother and the enchanted tablecloth and cloak given to her by Rhys â along with a shy declaration of his love. She prevails in encounters with tricky specters (spiders too) and outwits a wickedly personable dragon in adventures touched with romance and a bittersweet ending.
Âť The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre (The Two Princesses of Bamarre 0.5) by Gail Carson Levine
In this compelling and thought-provoking fantasy set in the world of The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Newbery Honor-winning author Gail Carson Levine introduces a spirited heroine who must overcome deeply rooted prejudiceâincluding her ownâto heal her broken country.
Peregrine strives to be the Latki idealâand to impress her parents: affectionate Lord Tove, who despises only the Bamarre, and stern Lady Klausine. Perry runs the fastest, speaks her mind, and doesnât give much thought to the castleâs Bamarre servants, who she knows to be weak and cowardly. The Lakti always wage war, and the battlefield will give her the chance to show her valor.
But just as sheâs about to join her father on the front lines, she is visited by the fairy Halina, who reveals that Perry isnât Latki-born. She is a Bamarre. The fairy issues a daunting challenge: against the Lakti might, free her people from tyranny.
Âť A Crack in the Sea by H.M. Bouwman
An enchanting historical fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Thanhha Laiâs Newbery Honor-winning Inside Out and Back Again  No one comes to the Second World on purpose. The doorway between worlds opens only when least expected. The Raft King is desperate to change that by finding the doorway that will finally take him and the people of Raftworld back home. To do it, he needs Pip, a young boy with an incredible giftâhe can speak to fish; and the Raft King is not above kidnapping to get what he wants. Pipâs sister Kinchen, though, is determined to rescue her brother and foil the Raft Kingâs plans.  This is but the first of three extraordinary stories that collide on the high seas of the Second World. The second story takes us back to the beginning: Venus and Swimmer are twins captured aboard a slave ship bound for Jamaica in 1781. They save themselves and others from a life of enslavement with a risky, magical planâone that leads them from the shark-infested waters of the first world to the second. Pip and Kinchen will hear all about them before their own story is said and done. So will Thanh and his sister Sang, who we meet in 1976 on a small boat as they try to escape post-war Vietnam. But after a storm and a pirate attack, theyâre not sure theyâll ever see shore again. What brings these three sets of siblings together on an adventure of a lifetime is a little magic, helpful sea monsters and that very special portal, A Crack in the Sea.
Âť The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westingâs will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual strangerâand a possible murdererâto inherit his vast fortune, one thingâs for sure: Sam Westing may be dead ⌠but that wonât stop him from playing one last game!
Âť Ballet Shoes (Shoes #1) by Noel Streatfeild
Pauline, Petrova and Posy are orphans determined to help out their new family by joining the Childrenâs Academy of Dancing and Stage Training. But when they vow to make a name for themselves, they have no idea itâs going to be such hard work! They launch themselves into the world of show business, complete with working papers, the glare of the spotlight, and practice, practice, practice! Pauline is destined for the movies. Posy is a born dancer. But practical Petrova finds sheâd rather pilot a plane than perform a pirouette. Each girl must find the courage to follow her dream.
Âť Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
Trees canât tell jokes, but they can certainly tell stories. . . .
Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood âwishtreeââpeople write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Redâs branches. Along with her crow friend Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Redâs hollows, this âwishtreeâ watches over the neighborhood.
You might say Red has seen it all. Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Redâs experiences as a wishtree are more important than ever.
Âť The Library of Ever (The Library of Ever #1) by Zeno Alexander
With her parents off traveling the globe, Lenora is bored, bored, boredâuntil she discovers a secret doorway in the library and becomes its newly appointed Fourth Assistant Apprentice Librarian.
In her new job, Lenora finds herself helping future civilizations figure out the date, relocates lost penguins, uncovers the city with the longest name on Earth, and more in a quest to help patrons. But there are sinister forces at work that want to destroy all knowledge. To save the library, Lenora will have to test her limits and uncover secrets hidden among its shelves.
Âť Chains (Seeds of America #1) by Laurie Halse Anderson
As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fightâŚfor freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.
From acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson comes this compelling, impeccably researched novel that shows the lengths we can go to cast off our chains, both physical and spiritual.
 The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind and gentle. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster named Glerk and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, Fyrian. Xan rescues the abandoned children and deliver them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey.
One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this enmagicked girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. To keep young Luna safe from her own unwieldy power, Xan locks her magic deep inside her. When Luna approaches her thirteenth birthday, her magic begins to emerge on scheduleâbut Xan is far away. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Soon, it is up to Luna to protect those who have protected herâeven if it means the end of the loving, safe world sheâs always known.
The acclaimed author of The Witchâs Boy has created another epic coming-of-age fairy tale destined to become a modern classic.Â
Which books did you read in April?
Have you read any of the books I read or hauled this month? If so, what did you think?
Did you buy any books? If so, which ones?
Comment below & let me know đ
April 2020 Reading & Blogging Wrap-Up + Book Haul #BookBlogger #Bookworm #Bibliophile #BookHaul #Reading #Books #WrapUp Goodbye April & hello May! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel & I'm running toward it...
#Bibliophile#book blog#book blogger#Book Chat#Book Haul#Book Nerd#Book Talk#Book Worm#Bookish#Books#Bookworm#Reading#Wrap Up
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November 8
(There's a lot of padding in there.)
I have no free time today in front of a keyboard so I should be writing. Or working. Or listing all the things I forgot as I was half-heartedly packing. Or listing all the things I need to do before I leave so Mom isnât disgusted when she comes to take care of the cats (Clean The Toilet). I managed to overpack without buying anything new but predictably, am not happy with any of it. This is one of my least favorite qualities about myself. Mom always hated shopping for jeans with me but I find my resistance to packing is incredibly annoying. Iâm good at making sure the laundry is done so all of my options are open, but terrible at knowing what I will want to wear once Iâm wherever.
I also managed to completely overlook shampoo and body wash on my first round of packing, which doesnât bode well.
Is there some kind of rule against contractions I donât know about? Word keeps putting blue squiggly lines under my contractions as if I donât know what they are. I understand that writing all the words out will boost my count, but itâs not how people tend to talk.
Among the amenities at the retreat center where Iâll be this weekend is a working farm with baby animals. Yes, please, I would like to play with all of the baby animals. When life is complicated and ugly, baby animals are easy and adorable. My sister will be jealous when she sees the pictures with which I intend to spam her.
My sister is one of my best friends and Iâm grateful for her every day. Iâm not sure she would have chosen the way our lives have played out this far, but she is also unmarried and child-free (that part Iâm pretty sure sheâs okay with). If she dates, she doesnât talk about it much with me, but I havenât seen her in a relationship in over ten years. It was a brutal one. First love, first boyfriend, first break-up all in her mid-20s. Although my romantical adventures have been largely, um, unsuccessful, I am glad I got used to the idea of heartbreak young. (Even the song that turned me from a pop princess to a rock goddess was âBringinâ On The Heartbreakâ [MTV was born when I was in eighth grade and was my obsession for the next five years.])
Def Leppard is how I met my first boyfriend! We were in ninth grade, he was in my homeroom (both of our last names start with âHâ), and he was wearing a tour shirt promoting the bandâs second album. I was entranced. âYouâve seen them?â (Wanders off down a Randy Rhoads rabbit-hole.) I remember the conversation included something about Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads; either heâd seen them or was supposed to right after Randy died. Wikipedia tells me that Def Leppard opened for Ozzy at Merriweather, which is probably where A saw them; Randy Rhoads and all. (Now I am irrationally jealous at missing a show 38 years ago.) Thatâs probably where he got the shirt that made me talk to him; the shirt I made him leave with me when he moved away.
I should probably blame all my romantic misadventures on Def Leppard. They were a âheavy metalâ (The lead singer joked âlight alloyâ) band that appealed to a slightly rougher crowd than I hand previously hung with. A introduced me to drinking beer in the woods by the elementary school (I was all of 13 or 14). The cops came and we ran to his apartment â his bedroom was on the ground floor and we climbed in through the window. We made out for a while to the Scorpionsâ âLovedriveâ. A was a bad boy, and it took me a long time to get the taste for them out of my mouth.
A called every few months and my stomach would do flips at the sound of his voice. Did he ever actually say he was coming back for me or did I just make that part up?
My next boyfriend showed up when I was a senior and wreaked havoc on and off for the next seven years. He was a serial cheater and a pathological liar against which I had absolutely no defenses. I was a goody-goody. Teacherâs pet type. There was a pivotal moment one adolescent summer when the decision I made set the course for the rest of my life. I was hanging out in town with one of the tougher girls and her friends, trying to figure out how to smoke, and noticed it was 9:15. Curfew was 9:30, and I was easily a mile from home. I knew that showing up late would mean trouble. Was I going to say âfuck itâ and keep hanging out?
I ran my ass off to make it home on time. Goody-goody. This probably kept me out of a lot of future trouble.
I fell hard for S â he was charming and charismatic and sang âDixie Chickenâ and made me laugh. He went to the Catholic boysâ school and was friends with my friend MBâs older brother. By that time I was solidly British pop new wave with some hard rock on the side (much like MTV itself). For the next absurd amount of years either he cheated on me or with me â he knew I would always be there. Until the night when he told me that he knew I was never going to find anyone who loved him like I did and he was ready to commit, but he had to tell me something first. His ex was pregnant and it was his. That was it for me. Finally. âDixie Chickenâ still gets me, as does the taste of Marlboro Reds and Bazooka bubble gum. (I started smoking when he broke up with me the first time.)
After my first college boyfriend (a good guy who is still married to the woman he dated after we broke up), I decided I wasnât going to let anyone get close anymore. I was done with love; I was going to be one of those distant women who could never be possessed and never get hurt. I imagined veils and fog. If it was good enough for Stevie, it was good enough for me. At that time the idea of âif you want what someone has, do what they doâ didnât include the caveat of perhaps âasking if it was what they wanted and would they make the same choices again.â (Iâm not saying Stevieâs not happy with her life, but 30 years ago she may have gently steered me another way.)
My old team leader just came by to chat and now my roll is slowed. She and I have worked together since I started here 17 years ago. My mind is starting to wander since Iâm out of here soon.
I do want a partner â for practical reasons as well as romantic ones. I hate thinking that all the good sex is behind me, for one thing. It would be awesome to have help around the house â to have someone motivated to get something done when I just canât get it in gear. (Much like this writing day. It was so easy yesterday!) (Five hundred more! Push through!)
Iâm already annoyed because Iâm not going to get my active minutes in today. Itâs hard to be compulsive and unmotivated at the same time. I hate the feeling of being rushed â of not having enough time to get everything done. I want to get on the road before 4:30 because itâs Friday rush hour and Iâm going around the beltway but I also want to clean the bathroom, scoop the litterboxes, and collect all of the paraphernalia Iâve forgotten to pack. It will be ridiculous if I have to level up a suitcase to go to a yoga retreat. Which is going to be interrupted by my service commitment, which is my decision, but ugh. I would prefer not to.
Iâve had an absurd amount of coffee today! The ideas should be flying out of me!
But where does a forty-ten-year-old meet people if not at work? There are people in all the meetings I go to but hardly any Iâm interested in dating. My current working theory of relationships is that you should to the things that interest you. Whomever you meet along the way will have at least one interest in common. The problem with this theory is that carried to its logical conclusion, Iâve been in the wrong place for the past blah blah years. I must not be doing what I should be doing if Iâm not meeting people Iâm attracted to.
I mean, I know itâs all a crapshoot and our lives are run just as much by chance as by anything else. I canât even complain about the cards Iâve been giving because I am way privileged. Thatâs something it took me way too long to figure out. I am a white woman who has always been housed and clothed and fed. Iâm cis, Iâm mostly heterosexual, and my body still does almost everything I ask of it. I have very little room to complain. I know that complaining about mental illness is something of a luxury â look at all the things going right that would otherwise take priority.
I have to thank the Internet for introducing me to people I would have never met otherwise. Yes, there are many cons to this big-data-driven lifestyle and I panic when my smart phone stops working. Social media absolutely has its negatives, but the people that Iâve met there are none of them. I met my first collection of Webpeeps thanks to FARK.com, but it was LiveJournal and Tumblr that expanded my world view.
(Does one last sentence complaining about being short on word count count as more words? I feel like itâs been all stops and starts today after the Randy Rhoads rabbit hole.)
(P.S. Iâm ready to go - plus one big bag - at 3:50. I am the worst.)
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too high (canât come down) by @danfanciesphil
Suspending himself 7,000 feet above the rest of the world seems likely to be a sure-fire way for Dan to escape normality, and isolate himself for the foreseeable future. The Secret of the Alps, a small hotel tucked into the side of the Swiss mountains is too niche for most avid adventurers to have heard of, making it the perfect place for Dan to work as he sorts through his problems. Unfortunately, privacy is a coveted thing, and as Dan soon finds out, the hotel harbours one guest who values it more than most.
Rating: Explicit Tags: Enemies to lovers, snow, mountains, skiing, hostility, slow burn, secrecy, longing, repression, nobility, classism, cheating, eventual sex
Ao3 Link
Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Mona looks up from the desk as Dan walks through the door; heâd been hoping to avoid her, but quickly adjusts his expression into the neutral one heâs been subtly practicing on the long walk back to the hotel. Phil is a step behind him, and as they cross the threshold, Dan ensures there is a reasonable distance between them as they make their way over the lobby towards her. Phil must be aiming that disarmingly brilliant smile at her, because sheâs wearing a stunned expression like she had earlier.
âYouâre back,â she says, standing from her chair. âWas it allâŚâ Her dark eyes flick between the two men. â...okay?â
âNot sure whether Dan has a future career as a navigator, but he did well enough,â Phil replies smoothly. He begins shrugging off his coat, and Mona practically leaps out from behind the desk to take it from him. âThanks,â he says to her, which again must be a rarity, judging by her startled responding stare. âThink Iâm gonna hit the gym,â Phil says, the epitome of cool and casual in contrast to Dan, who is a perpetual rattling bone-bag of nerves. He spins to face Dan, tossing him the briefest of glances. âThanks for that, Dan,â he says; if thereâs a hidden meaning in those words, only Dan could ever know it was there. âSee you later.â
He turns away again, as if theyâre no more than mere, forced acquaintances. Dan nods wordlessly at Philâs disappearing back, knowing that if he tried to match Philâs nonchalance verbally heâd likely end up blurting that they just became the newest Mile High Club members to poor, unsuspecting Mona. Phil heads for the stairs, and Dan forces himself not to watch him go. Instead, he focuses on removing his own jacket.
|Unfortunately, almost the second Phil is out of earshot, Mona pounces on him, eyes wide and curious. âWas that truly awful? Iâm so sorry, Dan, when I gave you the day off Iâd no idea that heâd ask you to-â
âItâs okay,â Dan assures her, âit, uh, wasnât that bad.â
Monaâs forehead creases beneath her fringe. âBut youâre still not fond of him, I take it?â
Dan clears his throat, avoiding her eye. All he can think about is the sight of Phil on his knees in the cockpit, eyes glazed, lips stretched around him.
âOh no,â Dan croaks in the least convincing voice heâs ever heard leave his throat, âheâs still a wanker.â
Mona, mercifully, doesnât seem to notice the false note in Danâs voice. Her mindâs probably still on other things. It occurs to Dan that he hasnât properly asked about her time away, and feels guilty.
âMight want to avoid slating the guests quite so loudly,â Mona replies, trit-trotting across the lobby to hang up Philâs coat. âAs itâs your day off I suppose I can let it slide. Youâre a free citizen today.â
âMona,â Dan starts, ferreting about for the right words to say, âI just wanted to say - Iâm really sorry. About your grandmother.â
She stops, hands still on the coat as she hangs it on the rack. She turns to face him slowly, a sad smile trickling across her face. âThank you, Dan.â
An awkwardness descends upon the empty lobby; Dan has never known what to say in situations like these, and if the silence stretches on much longer, heâll likely just shove his foot right in the middle of it. Luckily, Mona is much better at this kind of thing than him. She smooths down her skirt, then heads back for the desk in a clear âtime to move onâ action.
âOff you go, then,â she says briskly, at once the manager again. âPlenty of the day left to spend without forced quality time with your nemesis.â
Dan's responding smile is both grateful and likely reeking of admiration for her professionalism; he hopes she can see that. He nods at her, and heads for the mezzanine stairs.
*
Itâs just after one oâclock, and Danâs lurking outside the gym, trying to make a mental list of reasons not to go inside. So far heâs got:Â
1. Phil might accidentally hit him again.Â
2. Phil might not-accidentally hit him again. (Sure, he didnât seem pissed off with Dan when he had his mouth around his cock, but Philâs got the temperament of a bitch on heat - who knows if something or someone has triggered another bout of moodiness).Â
3. Someone else might be in there. (As Dan is quite obviously the least likely person to go into a gym willingly, it might be a bit difficult to explain what heâs doing there to anyone else).
And thatâs it. Heâs spent the last half hour in the kitchen, receiving a grilling so thorough from Louise that he feels a bit like the toast sheâd made for him. Sheâd pelted questions at him about the flight, so invasive that Dan almost felt like sheâd somehow been there, watching through a camera in the cockpit, and was subsequently trying to catch him out.
âHow many engines did it have?â
âDid you land smoothly?â
âWhat colour were the seats?â
âHow fast did you go?â
âWas there turbulence?â
âWhat did you talk about?â
On and on and on. Dan never had to lie to her exactly, but in omitting the most significant part of the trip, he created an air of secrecy, heâs sure. So, heâd wolfed the toast and tea down as fast as possible, then scarpered. Of course, there arenât many places to scarper to in this small hotel, so Dan had gone up to his room for a while. This turned out to be a bad idea, as being on his own meant that he was free to loop the sensation of Philâs mouth on him over and over, until he was so horny he could barely think straight.Â
To make it worse, heâs all too aware of that âdebtâ he owes Phil. It presses deeply into the walls of his brain, whispering insistently into his eardrum, detailing all the many ways he might repay that debt, and urging him to do it sooner rather than later.Â
So now, riled up from being isolated for a few hours with his own randy brain, Dan has - probably ill-advisedly - come downstairs to find the person who put him in this position, in the hopes of⌠well. Heâs not going in with any pre-existing expectations. Thereâs a fifty-fifty chance that Phil will have flipped into dick-mode again and will sock Dan in the jaw before he can so much as lay a finger on him.
With a sigh at his own weak-will, Dan mentally flushes his list of reasons not to, and pushes open the gym door; heâs sort of been willing Mona or a guest to round the corner and discover him, force him to turn tail and relax into a non-incriminating activity elsewhere. But no such luck.Â
Phil is lifting weights, sat on a bench, one arm curling upwards as he pulls the barbell towards him. Heâs got headphones in, and his forehead is furrowed in concentration. He finishes his set and places the barbell down carefully, flexing his fingers. He gets up, oblivious to Dan watching from the doorway, and goes to retrieve his towel, slung over a chair near the mirrors.
His back is to Dan now, but his front is visible in the mirror, allowing Dan to surreptitiously study every inch of him. His white shirt is practically sopping, clinging to his spine and chest. Heâs been raking fingers through his hair, perhaps to keep it out of his eyes, and itâs so damp itâs stayed in position, slicked back like heâs one of the T-Birds.
He passes the towel over his face, murmuring along to whatever song heâs listening to. Heat crawls over Danâs skin as if heâd been working out right alongside Phil, though of course that thought is laughable. He knows he should make a sound, alert Phil to the fact heâs here, watching, but he wants a few moments longer to justâŚ. look. So often Phil will make some sarcastic, wanky remark that cuts through the atmosphere and ruins everything. When heâs quiet, heâs gorgeous, and nothing spoils it.
Before Dan can make a decision about whether to intrude, Phil reaches for the hem of his t-shirt, and lifts it off completely. His torso is shiny with perspiration, lean and toned. Itâs not a six-pack reveal, just delicious, firm muscle coating every inch of his chest and back. Dan lets out a breathy noise, feeling a zip of pure lust whip through him. Luckily, Phil is still ignorant to his presence, airpods in.
But Dan is unable to remain still any longer. He treads further into the gym, letting the door swing shut behind him. It makes enough of a sound to have Phil looking up, catching Danâs eye in the mirror. He throws the towel to the floor, the hint of a smile gracing his lips. He pulls one airpod out of his ear, then the other, putting them in his shorts pocket. Â
âSpying on me?â
Dan can feel his heart picking up speed as the tense, sharp atmosphere settles around them. The air smells like sweat and rubber; Dan imagines he can taste Phil on his tongue, rushing into his lungs with every breath he takes. He inches closer, not really aware of telling his feet to move.
âMaybe I wanna work out,â Dan replies shyly. He notes that despite the fact Phil clearly has a change of clothes in his gym bag in the corner, heâs making no move to re-dress.
Philâs mouth twitches. âNeed a spotter?â He reaches for his water bottle, the fluorescent light rippling over his damp shoulders. âSomeone to stretch you out, maybe?â
He lifts the water bottle to his lips and drinks; Danâs never thought of Adams apples being particularly attractive, but realises now, watching Philâs bob up and down the length of his long, bristled throat, how mistaken heâs been. He licks his lips, suddenly parched.
âYou know you said, earlier,â Dan says, the sight of Phil this way already loosening his tongue. He imagines his pupils are dilated, blown into black holes by the pheromones he can feel misting from Philâs skin. âThat youâd let me decide when toâŚâ heâs inched his way into Philâs personal bubble now, which heâd never normally do so boldly, but he canât seem to make his feet behave. âWhen to repay you?â
He can feel his own flush, creeping across his cheeks, down his neck, but he ignores it, hoping Phil doesnât mistake it for nerves. His hand reaches up without permission, pressing the pads of his fingers to Philâs bare chest. Amusedly, Philâs gaze drops to the place their skin meets, then lifts it back to Danâs.
âI think I vaguely recall,â Phil says; if Danâs not mistaken, thereâs a faint blush skimming his cheeks as well, though thereâs no way to know if thatâs from exercise. âYou want to⌠go upstairs? I can meet you in your room-â
âNo,â Dan interrupts, a bit too loudly. His hand slides up Philâs chest, over his shoulder. Itâs damp and unnaturally warm. âToo far away. Too many obstacles.â
He pushes insistently against Philâs chest, making him take a step backwards, until heâs against the mirror. âDan,â Phil says, chuckling, âIâm all sweaty, let me at least-â
But Dan canât take a second more of waiting. He leans in to push his lips against the acres of exposed skin in front of him, right above where Philâs heart pounds. He can feel the reverberations of its rhythm beneath Philâs sinew and bone; itâs electrifying.
âOh, I see,â Phil purrs, much lower, hands coming up to skim over Danâs arms, âyou like it.â
Dan pauses, looking up at him. He feels caught out, exposed, like Philâs suddenly revealed heâs a furry or something. He tries to look like the idea is absurd, that heâs completely in control of himself, but Philâs smile has turned wolfish, poised to pounce on the vulnerable area heâs revealed.
âDâyou like it when Iâm all hot and sweaty, Dan?â
Danâs stomach tightens, and he feels his erection stiffening beneath his jeans. He wishes he werenât so easily affected by this wanker and his precision-bladed words, but itâs useless to pretend.Â
âMaybe,â he allows himself to say, the admission rippling a wave of heat over his body, deepening the blush no doubt. To distract himself from his own embarrassment, Dan smooths his hands down through Philâs thin pelt of chest hair, then leans in again, this time to bury his face in the crook of Philâs neck. It makes Phil jump ever so slightly, evidently not expecting it. âYou just smell so good,â Dan whispers, eyelids fluttering in pleasure as he breathes in - it smells like sex, if heâs honest, but a headier, sweeter, richer kind. Heâs never felt so affected by scent before, like itâs dispersed in the air around him, like itâs on his tongue, filling his lungs. He imagines clouds of it permeating his brain, puffing up wild thoughts, making him want to shove his hand into Philâs shorts and drive him to ecstasy. âLet me-â
He cuts himself off, licking up Philâs neck, one hand reaching up to burrow into Philâs hair. Heâd been right, itâs almost wet from perspiration, staying in whatever position Dan scrunches it into. Philâs neck tastes of salt, and something sweetly-sour but delicious, so Dan licks again, from collarbone to ear, and Phil groans.
Itâs the best sound Dan has ever heard. Philâs hands are on Danâs hips, pulling him closer, allowing Dan to feel how hard he is through the thin material of his shorts. Dan pushes into it, lets their groins align and skim against each other, sparks of pleasure firing through him. Dan drags his mouth over Philâs throat, letting the faint stubble scratch over his chin, and then he bites down, right where shoulder meets neck, into a thick squeeze of tight muscle. Phil moans again, a hand bracing the back of Danâs head.
âDan, wait, donât- ah fuck-â
Not listening, Dan continues to bite, to suck, to lave his tongue over the spot heâs chosen, imagining the bruise heâll leave there, and how it will remain, violet and crimson, on display for everyone. Phil whimpers, his other hand slipping round to grab at Danâs ass, to pull their crotches together even more.
Itâs then that the unmistakable sound of voices are audible, getting closer, and Phil pushes Dan backwards, perhaps with a little more force than necessary, Dan canât help but think. He stumbles, steadying himself on the punching bag, breathing hard. Both of them look towards the door, terrified, and Phil grabs for his gym bag, pulling out a clean t-shirt. Dan only has time to wipe his mouth, then stick a hand in his pocket to try and hide his erection, before the door swings open, and in walks Mona with three strangers.
âAnd this is our gym as you can see- oh! Mr Novokoric, Iâm sorry I-â She stops, catching sight of Dan, bright red and breathing hard, trying and probably failing  to act nonchalant as he leans against the wall. âDan. What are you doing here?â
âOh, um, j-just, um-â
The end of his sentence avoids his grasp, so Dan is more than grateful when Phil jumps in to save him. âI asked Dan to help me train,â Phil says - thankfully, the breathlessness of his voice could easily be attributed to strenuous physical activity. âTo time me, and check my technique and, uh, that kind of thing. Had him do a few exercises too, as you can see.â
He laughs, slightly off-kilter; Dan tries not to look at Phil, sure that if he did, Mona would see the lust in his eyes. Mona seems to buy the excuse anyway, as she turns back to the three strangers at her rear, smiling. âDan is our concierge, and Mr Novokoric is one of our guests.â She turns to Dan and Phil. âThe Fitzgerald family arrived just a moment ago. They won a three-night stay here through a competition arranged by our British booking agency, isnât that lovely?â
Something about the way she says it seems tense, as if itâs the least lovely thing she could imagine. In another circumstance, Dan might find this amusing.
âNice to meet you,â Dan manages to blurt, lifting his hand in a wave.
âYeah,â Phil agrees, âpleasure.â
âDonât I know you from somewhere?â asks the middle-aged ginger woman, presumably Mrs Fitzgerald, who is dressed in pink floral thermals.
Phil swallows, ducking his head. âUh, not that I know of-â
âOh my God, youâre that Princeâs feller, arenât you?â
Nausea creeps up Danâs throat, sensing Philâs discomfort. To his credit, Phil sends the woman a charming smile, then nods. âI suppose I am.â
âBlimey, mate,â huffs the balding, crooked-toothed man beside her, stepping closer towards Phil as if heâs after a better look, âbloody mad what you did the other day, werenât it? Bet that didnât go down too well with your hubby!â
Philâs cheeks redden, and he looks to Mona for help. She jumps to attention, obviously incensed at the audacity of these people. Dan has half a mind to yell at them himself for daring to bring up such an obviously touchy subject with someone theyâve only just met - luckily, Mona gets there first.
âExcuse me Mr Fitzgerald, but I rather think we should leave Mr Novokoric to his training now, if youâll just follow meâŚâ she begins ushering them gently but firmly back through the door. The third stranger, a girl of about sixteen with fading blue streaks in her hair, stares wide-eyed at Phil as sheâs hurried back out of the gym. Mona, the last one to leave, mouths âsorryâ at Phil, guiltily, and then pulls the door shut behind her.
Philâs hand falls from his neck, where heâd been covering what Dan now sees is a bright, and extremely obvious hickey. âShit,â Dan says, stepping closer to look. Phil takes a hasty step backwards then, so Dan pauses, unsure. âAre you okay?â
Phil shakes his head, contrasting with his quick answer of, âfine.â
âIâm sure Mona will have a word with them about not bothering you-â
âYeah, Iâm sure,â Phil interrupts tersely. He starts packing things into his gym bag, then pulls his phone out of one of the zipper pockets. âFuckâs sake,â he mutters. âCanât I ever get a break?â
Dan doesnât need to ask whoâs been texting and calling him. âI shouldnât have, like, tried to- yâknow.â Dan blushes, once again an animĂŠ schoolgirl, flustered in front of her Senpai. âWith you, in here of all places. Iâm only making things worse for you. More stressful. If weâd been caught-���
âHm?â Dan notices belatedly that Phil is barely listening, too engrossed in his phone. He glances up, catching Danâs eye briefly. âForget it. My fault too.â He pockets the phone with a deep sigh, then hitches his gym bag onto his shoulder. âIâve gotta go shower. Iâll catch you later.â
*
For the fourth time in under five minutes, Dan switches the channel, landing on something resembling a soap, in Swiss French. A couple are fighting, pummelling each other with gentle fists, which quickly descends into a furious, passionate make out session. Irritable, Dan changes the channel again.
In the next moment, Mona is snatching the remote out of his hand. âI want you to have an enjoyable day off, Dan, but there is a limit. Other people tend to prefer watching more than a few snatched seconds of a programme at a time.â
Guiltily, Dan turns to see that heâs not the only one in the lounge; heâs somehow blocked out the sight of the three Fitzgeralds sat crossly behind him at a table. Dan sighs, struggling out of the beanbag chair.
âSorry,â he says, smiling sheepishly at the Fitzgerald family. âDidnât think anyone else was here.â
âWhatâs the matter?â Mona asks quietly, walking beside him as he ambles towards the kitchen, hoping to beg some snacks off Louise. âAre you in a mood because Mr Novokoric made you help him with his training?â
More like because that âtrainingâ came to an abrupt and frustrating end, Dan thinks privately, but nods anyway at Mona. He canât think of a different excuse. âYeah. Itâs okay though, Iâm just grumpy. Iâll go wallow in my room so I donât disturb the other guests.â
He leans through the serving hatch to peer about for Louise. Sheâs knelt on the floor in front of the freezer, rifling through the drawer for something.Â
Mona thumps Dan on the back and calls out, âLou, get this boy something fruity and alcoholic, please.â
Dan turns to her, surprised. âItâs five-thirty.â
âAnd, for the hundredth time, itâs your day off. Relax. Go read a book. Listen to loud music. Heck, go in the hot tub. And for Godâs sake, have a drink so youâll stop moping about.â
She gives him one last warning look before bustling off, leaving Dan alone at the serving hatch to watch Louise prepare some sort of cocktail. âOooh, what about a tequila sunrise?â she asks, sounding so excited by the prospect that Dan hasnât the heart to refuse her.Â
âSure,â he replies, surrendering.
âSounds good,â a second voice says from somewhere behind Dan, and then Phil is next to him, still tapping at his phone, âIâll take one of those too, please Lou.â
Danâs eyes bore into the side of Philâs face, but he doesnât look up from his phone screen. He flicks a glance at Lou, who has her back turned to both of them, pouring measures of various liquids into a cocktail shaker.
âGood shower?â Dan asks; it comes out a bit more spiky than he means it to.
Philâs mouth twitches, but he still doesnât look up from his phone, the asshole. âSomething wrong?â
âNope,â Dan replies tightly, fingers drumming on the counter of the serving hatch. âYou just focus on texting your doting husband back.â
Phil lowers his phone, turning to face Dan. Heâs wearing that irritating, amused little smile again, the one that Dan could honestly punch him in the nose for. âYouâre mad at me.â
Dan rolls his eyes. âWhen am I not?â
âFunny, considering Iâm the one whoâs been blue-balled twice today,â Phil points out, quite rightly. Dan pinkens, eyes darting to Louise, who mercifully is still way across the kitchen, out of earshot. âWhat exactly do you have to be annoyed about?â
âI- Iâm just- we were in the middle ofâŚâ Dan watches Louise carefully, lowering his voice even further. âStuff. And you justâŚâ
Louise begins walking over, two tall glasses in her hands, each containing a gradient of liquid in orange and red. Sheâs given them a paper straw each, a slice of orange, and even one of those little paper umbrellas.
âThere we are boys, two tequila-â she breaks off, smile slipping. Her eyes are trained on Phil, who doesnât seem to have noticed, too busy taking the drink from her, looking pleased.
He plucks out his umbrella so he doesnât poke himself in the eye, then takes a long sip through the straw. âUnngh, delicious Lou. I didnât know you could make cocktails.â
Dan watches Louise worriedly as he takes his own drink, heart pumping harder as her lips purse, her eyes harden. Sheâs seen something, Danâs sure of it, and he dreads to think what kind of incriminating thing Phil has done to make her so-
And then, in an instant, Dan remembers. âShit,â he whispers, without meaning to, and Louise turns the full force of her glare onto him.
Phil, totally oblivious beside him, turns back to his phone screen, beginning to back away. âThanks. See you later, then.âÂ
Before he leaves, he aims a final smirk at Dan, then tucks the little lime green umbrella behind Danâs ear, winking. Honestly, he could not have picked a worse moment to do something so uncharacteristically flirtatious. Dan winces, trying desperately to think of some excuse that Louise might buy, but the words evade him, as they always do.Â
Nevertheless, he tries: âBefore you say anything-â
âWhat was the purpling monstrosity on that married manâs neck, Daniel?!â
Dan cringes from her anger. âUm, he fell?â
âNeck-first? Onto your mouth?â
Dan blushes, sipping the drink just for some way to avoid her eye. âItâs not that bad,â he tries, shrugging as if he truly believes it, âitâs just a little hickey.â
âYou really think Iâm dumb, donât you,â Louise scoffs, then leans through the serving hatch to smack him on the back of the head.
âOw!â Dan shrieks, spluttering on a mouthful of tequila sunrise. âLou, for Christâs sake, I donât think youâre dumb!â
âThen stop lying to me.â
âOkay, okay, jeez!â
Louiseâs attention is momentarily pulled away, to somewhere beyond Dan, so he turns, meeting the shocked expressions of the Fitzgerald party, intently watching their squabble. Louise gives them a gap-toothed grin, then says, under her breath, âget in here now, Casanova.â
Reluctantly, Dan does as heâs told. He makes sure to take a large mouthful of the drink before stepping through the kitchen door, to prepare himself for Louiseâs telling off. He stays near the door even so, poised to escape if she starts threatening violence.
âI donât know what to tell you, okay?â Dan says in a quieter voice, âI donât even understand whatâs going on between us-â
âSo there is something going on?â Louise presses, arms crossed over her chest.
Dan hesitates, sipping more drink, then nods. Thereâs no point in trying to hide it any longer, sheâs too suspicious, and besides Danâs going mad not being able to talk about it with anyone. Phil is utterly infuriating, and confusing, and so hot that Dan canât think straight. He needs a confidante, and with his limited options, heâs happy to have Louise over Mona or Kaspar.
âJesus, Dan,â Louise says, falling against a nearby counter. She removes her chef hat, fanning herself with it. âIâll give you this - things have never been so exciting up here, and thatâs entirely thanks to you.â
âYouâre not mad?â Dan asks timidly, sucking delicious juicy tequila through his straw.
Louise turns to him, wide-eyed. âOh, Iâm furious. This is completely reckless, and incredibly dangerous - youâd be better off snogging a mountain lion, honestly. What are you thinking?â
âI donât think I am,â Dan admits, sipping, âthinking, that is. He makes me so⌠mad. We whip each other up into a frenzy and then itâs like all sense flies out the window.â
âSounds... hot,â Louise says reluctantly, which makes Dan laugh.
âWell, yeah. But not very practical.â
Louise blows air upwards, seeming to actually consider Danâs problem, for which heâs grateful. Perhaps honesty is all she needed to quell her fury over the subject. In an abrupt move, she pushes off the counter and goes to where sheâd been preparing the cocktails, starting to pour more measures of ingredients.
âI need one of those, donât judge me,â Louise says, not turning around, âand for Godâs sake donât tell Mona.â
âIf I swear not to, can I have another one too?â
She laughs. âIâll make a pitcher.â
Dan slurps the rest of his tequila sunrise down a bit too easily, and feels the rush of sugar and alcohol make him light-headed. He swirls the ice in the bottom of the glass with his straw, sighing. âGod, Iâm a dumbass, arenât I?â
âWell yes,â Louise replies, then shakes the concoction for a bit in her extra large cocktail shaker, leaving Dan to chew on her concurrence, âbut I mean, your actions arenât completely incomprehensible, I suppose, given your position. I mean, thereâs no denying heâs gorgeous. And rich. And he has that whole âI hate everyone - but not you!â thing going on.â
Dan nods miserably, holding his glass out when Louise reaches for it. âHe seduced me,â Dan whines.
âOh, no, donât try playing the victim with me,â Louise admonishes, pouring out a vat of cocktail into a glass jug. âYouâre not playing innocent in this, Iâd imagine, or heâd have the sense to resist your skinny little bum.â
Dan frowns, mildly embarrassed, though the alcohol is working very well to combat it. âI donât know what Iâm, like, doing though.â
Louiseâs expression turns sympathetic, and she pours more tequila sunrise into Danâs empty glass, bringing it to him. She puts an arm around his shoulder for a brief moment, squeezing tight.
âDan, if he were a single man, Iâd be all for this,â she says, her voice gentle. âI know heâs a bitch sometimes, but I love that man like a son.â She pinches his cheek, a bit too roughly. âAnd youâre alright too, when youâre not moping.â This makes Dan smile, but itâs sad and half-hearted. He slurps his drink. âThe two of youâd drive each other nuts, thatâs pretty clear,â Louise says, âbut itâd be exciting and passionate. And that can be the foundation of a good relationship.â
âYâknow, heâs probâly gonna divorce Nikolai,â Dan tries, though it sounds pathetic even as he sounds it out.
Louise sighs, then goes to pour herself a drink. She only fills the glass halfway, presumably because sheâs still got to make the guestâs dinner, and Monaâs likely buzzing about.Â
âIf you believe that, Dan, Iâm happy for you,â Louise says. âBut really, if youâre completely honest with yourself, do you actually think itâll happen?â
âItâs not because of me,â Dan insists, feeling petulant. âHe was unhappy anyway.â
Louise downs her half-glass of cocktail in one go, then quickly rinses out the evidence. âTrue, but Nikolaiâs kept him this long, hasnât he? I donât know all the incentives of being married to a billionaire, but Iâd imagine thereâs a few reasons Phil hasnât tried to break it off before.â
Dan wants to argue, to insist that Phil isnât materialistic like that, that he wouldnât stay with someone that makes him miserable for money or security. But honestly, Dan doesnât know if thatâs true. He barely knows Phil, even now, which just makes reflecting on their actions over the past few days even scarier. Heâs gambling so much - his anonymity, his safety, Philâs marriage, Philâs reputation - on someone he doesnât truly understand. Someone that half the time seems to not even want him around.
More tequila sunrise sucks up through the straw, blurring Danâs anxious brain.
Louise brings him the jug of cocktail then, handing it to him with a sad smile. âI think you need to have an evening to yourself. Think about everything. This likely wonât help,â she says, gesturing to the jug, âbut it might prompt some self-reflection. Just donât tell-â
âMona, I know,â Dan mumbles, already headed for the kitchen door.
âActually,â Louise says, making him pause, âI was gonna say Phil.â
*
Three-quarters of a pitcher of tequila sunrise and an indeterminable amount of time later, Dan is laid flat on his bed, feeling quite drunk and very sorry for himself. His phone is doing a lousy job at providing a soundtrack with its crappy speaker; he wishes he had whatever Phil has going on in his room - some sort of fancy phone-controlled surround-sound contraption - to blast the new Liâl Peep & Fall Out Boy song that seems suspiciously appropriate for his situation, but heâll just have to make do with what heâs got.
He picks up his phone to find heâs been called twice by his mother, and it only makes him feel even worse. He canât phone her back now, drunk and miserable about the situation heâs so foolishly gotten himself into. How could he ever explain, to her, that heâs not only run away and fucked up his life, but also potentially now someone elseâs? His mother should forget all about him really; she should just adopt Beth as a replacement daughter. Dan always had the strange impression that his mum liked her more somehow, found it easier to make polite smalltalk with her about the dinner and the sales at clothing stores than she found it to have a single conversation with Dan.
He rolls over onto his side, heart squeezing. Thereâs a knock at his door then, but he ignores it. He wants to be alone, to fall further into this black hole of melancholy and curl up there, possibly until he slips into blissful unconsciousness.
âDan?â
The voice is coming from the other side of the door. Dan thinks he could probably place the voice if he concentrated, but heâs not interested in anything but his Twitter timeline right now. Even that isnât loading properly due to the terrible hotel WiFi, which he guesses is his punishment for behaving like such a twit. Really, what has he been thinking, of late? Louise is so right to have called him out on his idiocy today.
Sleeping with a married man - itâs something he never dreamed heâd do, and here he is, willingly discarding all conscience with the excuse that Nikolai is âa bit of a dickâ.
Suddenly, a message pings at the top of his phone. He manages to press it, blurry though it seems, and the chat box pops up.
Unknown Number Why arenât you answering the door?
Dan frowns, mind whirring.
Dan Whoo is this s?
Unknown Number Seriously? Who else would it be?
Dan Phill?
Thereâs no reply for a few seconds, and then Danâs phone starts to buzz. His eyes widen, alarmed, and then he realises heâs being rung. He manages, somehow, to answer, and jabs at the loudspeaker button because lifting the device to his ear requires a touch too much effort.
âWhat?â he says aloud.
âDan, answer the door,â Philâs voice says; if he listens hard, Dan can also hear him speaking out in the hall.
âNo.â
âWhy not?â
âHowâdâyou get my nâmber?â
âFront desk,â Phil replies, like itâs perfectly acceptable to just steal someoneâs contact information from a database.
Dan snorts. âStalker.â
âWhy wonât you open the door?â
âBâcause,â Dan stresses, frustrated. He rolls over, and the ceiling tilts, like a see-saw.
âBecauseâŚ?â
âCanât see you,â Dan sighs. âDangârous.â
Thereâs a quiet from the other end of the line. âAre you still mad at me?â
âAlways,â Dan replies. âYou canât come in. We canât see eachâther.â
âAre you... drunk?â
âVery.â
âRight, Iâm coming in.â
âNooo,â Dan protests weakly, letting the phone drop to the bed. He hears, in the background, a noise like a door opening, and sighs, admitting defeat. He should have had the sense to lock it before he drank so much delicious cocktail. âDick-face.â
âAh,â Phil says; Dan rolls over very slowly, trying not to churn the contents of his stomach. Phil is stood at his chest of drawers, on top of which is the nearly empty jug of cocktail. Thereâs about a glass-full left inside. âWell, mystery of Danâs inebriation solved.â
âThereâs some left,â Dan says aloud, reaching out a hand for the jug, âgimme.â
Phil is smiling in an upside-down way. He lifts the jug to his mouth and drinks some, but somehow it doesnât tip all over the floor. âGod, thatâs too nice. Tastes like fruit juice. Louise is a lethal barmaid, I need to remember that.â
Belatedly, Dan realises that the reason everything looks topsy-turvy, including the shape of Philâs usually visually pleasing mouth, is because heâs laid on his back, staring at Phil the wrong way round. He sits up, too quickly, and squeezes his eyes shut as the room lurches with him, somersaulting forwards.
Seconds later, thereâs a dip in the mattress to his left, and then a cool hand slides down his back. âNoo,â Dan says, swatting in the direction he knows Phil must be, eyes still closed. âYou have tâgo.â
âWhy? Are you feeling sick?â
Dan heaves a dramatic sigh, letting his eyes flutter open at last. The room has gone from spinning to a gentle rocking, but oh no- Phil is way, way too close. Heâs right here on the bed, thigh pressed against Danâs, in those stupid silky pyjamas, and his glasses are on, and-
âDan?â
âNo!â Dan exclaims, shifting away from Phil. He almost falls off the bed entirely, but Phil catches hold of his arm. âNot sick. âmâfine. But we have tâstop.â
Philâs amused expression creeps over his face. âStop?â
âStop⌠foolinâ around.â
The amusement melts away, leaving a guarded stare in its place. Phil lets go of his arm. âOh. Why?â
Dan splutters; how can he even ask that question? âBecause iâs wrong! Youâre married.â
âYeah, I know that, Dan.â
âWeâre cheating! Weâre adulter-er-ers,â Dan wrinkles his nose - that didnât come out quite right, but he thinks the point still came through. âDonât you feel bad?â
Phil reaches up and removes his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. âDo you wanna get into bed, maybe?â
âAre you listeninâ tâme?!â Dan finds the nearest object he can - a stray pillow - and whacks Phil with it, feebly because his arms have gone noodly. âIâm sayinâ we canât do thât anymore-â
Phil wrestles the pillow off him, then whacks him right back. âI mean get into bed because youâre wasted, Dan. Iâm not trying to seduce you.â
âOh,â Dan mumbles, feeling his rapid breathing slow. A traitorous part of him aches in disappointment, but he squashes it down.Â
Phil places the pillow back in its position at the top of the bed, neatly. Heâs silent for a minute, and Dan wonders if heâs actually pissed him off. Then Phil says, âif I wanted to seduce you Iâd just have to get on the floor and do a few push ups, work up a sweat-âÂ
And Dan lunges for the pillow, but Phil is too quick for him, and tackles him to the mattress before he can get to it. Dan groans - the force of Philâs bodyweight barrelling into him when heâs already verging on queasy is not conducive to his slowly receding inebriation. The room spins again, and Phil leans up, propped on one elbow, laughing.
âAsshole,â Dan mutters, eyes slipping closed.
The darkness of his lids helps a little, mostly because seeing Phil so smiley and loose and happy is both disconcerting and totally wonderful. Itâs best to just avoid looking altogether, so neither of the feelings can win out. Phil prods him in the stomach, disturbing what feels like a whirlpool of tequila and grenadine, and Dan tries to blindly smack him in the face - heâs unsuccessful.
âSo, what happened?â
Dan frowns at the question. âWhat?â
âBetween the last time I saw you and you drinking your bodyweight in hen-party special?â
He feels Phil moving around, rustling and jostling in a most irritating manner; when he opens an eye to see what the hell heâs doing, Phil is peeling back the covers of the bed, and plumping up the pillow. Something is stuck in Danâs throat.
âLouise,â he sighs, giving in. He tosses an arm over his face so he wonât be able to see Philâs reaction. âShe saw your neck.â
âMy neck? Oh.â He stops plumping. âShit. I didnât even think about it-â
âYeah, well. She probâly wouldâve found out anyway. Sheâs been like a bloodhound.â
Phil doesnât say anything, so Dan lifts his arm, opens his eyes, then props himself up onto his elbows, studying Philâs expression. He looks troubled but not angry, as Dan thought he might be.Â
âWould you get in, please?â
Unsure and anxious in the aftermath of what heâs just said, Dan does as heâs told. Heâs still in his jeans, so he unbuttons them quickly and shucks them off, throwing them aside without looking Phil in the eye. Then, he climbs into the space Phil has peeled back for him, and lets Phil pull the covers over his body.
âWhat did she say?â Phil asks once Danâs tucked in. He dithers at the bedside, clearly not too sure of what to do himself.
âSaid I was an idiot, basicâlly,â Dan admits. âThat Iâm in over my head with you and your sitch-ation, and I should stop bâfore I get in trouble.â
Phil lifts his head to meet Danâs eye, something strange and curious caught in the dip of his inner eye. âAnd what did you say?â
The question seems to come out of nowhere, flicking Dan in the forehead. He blinks, trying to remember. âUh. Not sure. Think I babbled a lot. I was kinda terrified.â
Philâs mouth twitches. âSheâs a scary lady when she wants to be.â
Dan lets the silence blanket them - he wants the attempt Phil made at light-heartedness to recede, because his next question is serious, and he needs a real answer. So, he waits, and then opens his mouth for the tequila to push the words out of his throat.
âDo you really not feel bad about whât weâre doing?â
Phil sighs, mussing up his hair with both hands. He walks around to the other side of the bed, and then - rather pointedly, Dan thinks - flops down onto it. His head turns, staring straight into Danâs eyes. âNo, I donât.â
Thereâs such raw honesty in the glaze of Philâs eyes; even through his drunken haze, Dan can tell heâs not lying. âHow come?â
âDo you know how many reports there have been of Nikolai cheating on me in the last three months?â
Dan grimaces, tearing his eyes away. âSo youâre gettinâ back at him? I diânât sign up tâbe your ammu-nish-on in some emotional battle-â
âThatâs not what you are,â Phil interrupts, suddenly stern. He takes a breath, catching himself, but the outburst is already hanging, pointed and tense, in the air between them. âIâm not in a battle with Nikolai. Nothing about what Iâm doing with you feels like fighting. It feels like giving in.â
Dan turns, sluggish heart pumping faster. âGiving in tâwhat?â
A silence stretches, and Dan half wishes Phil wouldnât answer at all. He shivers, suddenly feeling the cold of this room - he doesnât think the radiator is on. Phil should get under the covers, heâs probably even colder.
âIâm not sure yet,â Phil says eventually, seeming to choose his words with care. âDoes it feel⌠wrong to you, then?â
Dan hesitates, thinking of the ways Phil touches him, firm and desperate, but gentle too - reverent, even. Phil handles his body in a way nobody has ever dared to, taking note of the âfragileâ labels, but not being deterred by them, not afraid to peel them back to get at whatâs underneath. He unfurls Dan methodically, without hesitation, seeming to know every place he wishes would be kissed, caressed, before Dan can show him. Itâs utterly seductive, impossible not to crave. In a sense it feels wicked, to want something so selfish, so pleasurable, but thatâs nothing to do with Phil. Itâs more about Danâs insecurity, the way heâs been taught not to indulge himself, or want things out of his reach.
âNo,â Dan decides, the word leaving his lips shakily. âIt feels likeâŚâ his eyes fall closed, picturing Philâs kiss against his jaw. Without meaning to, his head droops towards his shoulder, then further, until itâs resting on Philâs. He yawns, suddenly exhausted.
âWhat does it feel like, Dan?â Phil whispers, sounding desperate again. âTell me.â
âIt feels like... Iâve found something⌠hidden. A secret thing, all fluttery and impossible. Anâ I donât want anyone else tâsee.â Dan can feel, somehow, through the shifting of his muscles, that Phil is smiling, laughing at him - heâs not making enough sense. Itâs not coming out how it should, his words arenât doing a good enough job at describing. Dan huffs in frustration. âWhen you touch me,â he perseveres, fumbling in the dark, cobwebbed corners of his brainâs romance sector for appropriate adjectives, knowing theyâll never quite fit. âIt feels like⌠for a moment, youâre all mine.â
Philâs breath hitches, Dan can feel the stutter of his lungs. Heâs still for a while, and then draws a deep breath, shifting Dan until theyâre both under the covers, Philâs arm across him, Danâs back to his chest.Â
âHey,â Dan says, seconds away from slipping under. âThought we said no spooning.âÂ
Phil laughs, lightly, breath tickling Danâs ear. âI donât think either of us are very good at keeping to our word.âÂ
(Chapter Fifteen!)
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Request info!
I usually have requests open because i love drawing southpark stuff and I'm pretty much always drawing anyway?
But uh there's no guarantee how soon I'll get around to doing your request
I'm also totally up for kin related requests! Im a big Firkle kinnie
Types of request: drawings and edits
(Edits take longer to make)
I'm more likely to finish a request sooner of it's
Goth kids related (especially if its Firkle/fike or Pike)
Mike
Butters/bunny, Stan/style, clyde/cryde/cryle, Jimmy, Tweek
I have a right to refuse request if they make me uncomfortable and I am iffy on kyman but ill probably? Do it? If your request involves the adults i might not :/ Especially if it's Randy or Mr.Stoch
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Oops... guess who has played n loved smile for me...? Yuup!
So i put my sona as flower kid! But I do have an idea for the being a habitician.. and ill be posting the as being at the habitat
Warning spoilers ahead! Im on mobil so the whole "keep reading" doesnt show up on the app. Which is dumb.
Kenaz (yay blatant self insert) 1st shows up after Trencil's 1st quest after the flowers are but in and can be seen sitting by him just a bit beyond the dusk flower. Kenaz just like the silent compainionship and flowers.
When talked to they are happy that flower kid has put the flowers in the courtyard, it makes it look nicer. Then asks if you can keep an eye out for something.
If no: "O-oh ok... I didn't mean to be a burden."
If yes: The player would be asked if they find an inhaler that it is theirs. They have looked everywhere for it and are getting nervous about not being able to breath if the PSA's get any spookier.
Player will then get asked "Youre probably woundering why I dont get a spare huh?"
If no: "Oh cool! It's a bit embrassing to explain anyhow."
If yes: "I only need it if I have to do a lot of running or if I get very scared... Luckly I dont have to run form much in here.. haha." Suggesting that they are running more form emtional issues rather then actual threats in the outside world
Fun fact about me: I thought the asthma kid having an attack when being very scared was just a joke rather then an actual thing until I meet my coworker who semi accidently scared me into an attack one day! (He ment to scare the hell out of me yes. He did not mean to give me an asthma attack tho.)
The inhaler is found between the two carla's stands in Ronbo's carnival. Its easy to find and pick up.
Kenaz is over joyed when you give back their inhaler, but when asked where you found it and motioning to the carnival Kenaz gets a bit sheepish and mentions that they must of dropped it when they got spooked by the game attendent carla while checking out the foritune teller stand. (And yes that carla always spooks me because I will forget they are there. Be looking for something only to be scared when they flail their arms >((( )
After giving back the inhaler Kenaz will give you a sunflower seed that has a blushing smile on it as a thank you. [Note this will not bring Kenaz to full joy]
Planting the sunflower seed will show a cute happy sunflower.
Bringing back the Sunflower will bring them to full joy as you actually took the time to grow it and give it to them... they will give you another seed incase you find joy in seeing the flower when you go to bed and wake up... just dont tell Dr. Habit that they are doing something to help cheer fokes up aswell. This is to suggest that, like flower kid, Kenaz likes to bring joy to the people around them but after Dr. Habit's passive agressive to out right mean comments they are to scared to do so.
If you thought it was the end... hehe your worng ;)
If (or should I say when) you punch Kenaz for Tim tams quest they will give you a stunded look and if they were full joy before the blue sparks will vanish. They will give "...." as the dailogue for the rest of that day. They next they will vanish.
Kenaz will appere in the lougue the next table over form tiff back in the simlar position when 1st meet and with a drink. Talking to them "Wh..what do you want?! Havnt you hurt me enough?! I thought you were my friend!"
If no: Kenaz's unicorn horn will light up with magic while Kenaz looks hateful "Magic can do a lot of things... but I dont think you want to find out what it will do to you." If you talk to them again you will be teleported in the acid pool in the boiler room. If you go back to try to talk to them again you will get "No! I dont want to talk to you again!" And you will be sent to the boiler room again. You wont beable to talk to kenaz again til the next day.
If yes: Kenaz will go silent for a moment and ask if your here to apologize.
If no: Kenaz will simply ask you to leave then.
If yes: Kenaz will ask why you punched them. When showed Tim Tam's photo Kenaz will say "Oh. I see. You really out to cheer everyone up huh... I never did understand why hurting others in any way makes people happy." There will be a silence and the blue sparks will come back "Thank you... I'll be down here for a bit, but I promise it wont be for to long.... I rather not be like the ["two" if Parsley is down there. "Her" if its just jerafina]
Kenaz will be back in the loungue again the next day. Happy as before.
Kenaz will actually appere after your conforntation with Dr. Habit.
Bad ending: Kenaz will be by the gates looking towards martha. They stop you for a moment giving you that sollum face just like Dr Habit had "He didnt deserve that." Its all that kenaz will say.
Good ending: Kenaz will be with Kamal. "He cant be to far gone! I cant... I wont believe it! Please... help me just make one more creature happy..." this is clearly driected at kamal. (I just thought it would of been nice for him to be hesitating weather or not he could... try again with dr. habit. Leaving it vague for a friendship or a relationship and having flower kid giving that things can be worked out and bounds can be mended but you wont know unless you tried)
Fun facts!
When using the microphone on Trencil so Trevor can hear the vampire admission Kenaz's sprite will switch to a silent laughing pose for a bit. If spoken to "Poor Trencil... Dont worry ill make sure he wont get swamped by tge soon adoring fans."
Kenaz's sprite will switch to a spook pose when ever Marv apperes form his pond... keep making Marv appere will make Kenaz move over by Dallas for a day. When spoken to kenaz mentions they cant take being spooked for a bit and thought they dont care for the "photo girl"s babbling they dont mind painting stuff with dallas for the day.
Kenaz's collage image is a bush (and yes i mean bush) of static with sunflowers on it.
Photos!
Dallas: "Nice guy! He's fun to doodle with form time to time"
Jerafina: "I would like her more if she drank less."
Kamal: "I think hes as sweet ask his cramal teeth!<3"
Lulia: "I cant stand her. So self centered."
Millie, Tim Tam, Putunia: "Brat *hiss*"
????????: "I.... Uh... I....oh! You shouldnt just uh... going around showing people this... the photo girl wouldnt like it.."
Nat: "I wish she would come down and hang out with her father and I more... She seems nice"
Randy: "I hope he was able to get a new jar of pickles. I beat his last one open on him but Dr.Habit made him shower and change cloths.... What? I wasnt sure how else to open it and cover him with pickle juice!" (And yes I didn't know there was another way while playing the game until I looked on the wiki... sorry Randy :( )
Tiff: "...................I miss her lovly voice and she has such a lovly face... I could... I... Wh-Wha-What?! St-Stop loo-looking at me li-lik-like that!"
Trencil: "The most chill floating cape you will ever see :)"
Trevor: "For a kid that says hes a werewolf he doesnt smell much of a dog *chuckles*"
Paintings:
Super hero: "Hm... I always wounder if they are really the good guys..."
Werewolf: HISSSSSSSS
Floral: "Thats lovly... but not my kind of flowers. Fits you wounderfully tho!"
Habits 1st dairy page: Kenaz will look stunned and then sad (wont loose blue sparks) "I thought I had gotten rid of this... I wasnt sure if Dr. Habit would really want people to know this when I found it. Listen flower kid. I dont think hes as scary when hes in his right mind... But its clear that hes not there right now. If you have to fight him... please only use as much as nessary. Kindness goes far more then violence ever will... by the way... have you seen the art gallery? Makes you wounder why some people are ever allowed to have parents huh." Kenaz will continue to look sad if you talk to them again they will go on "Nothing messes with kids more then psyical or metal abuse... huh flower kid?" This isnt a nood or shake question just something to ponder on.
Ah... I didnt mean for this to be so long but i simply love this game and love dr. habit. I wasnt sure what to make of him until i actually meet him in game. I think him with a little smile and his hair tied up is just so adorable and my heart goes out to him, and any other adult thats had neglectful and abusive parents. Making friends is hard espically when no one ever shows you how to make ones who are truly... dear true friends.
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