#jet mixer

[crystaltcs]

In the realm of industrial processes, achieving optimal fluid mixing is a crucial element for efficiency and productivity. Crystal TCS Pvt Ltd stands at the forefront of innovation, presenting state-of-the-art solutions with their Jet Mixers and Tank Mixing Ejectors. This article delves into the significance of these technologies, exploring their applications, features, and the transformative impact they have on various industries.

If you looking for Jet Mixer or Tank Jet Mixing Ejectors visit or contact us!

Contact us: +91 253-2941600

Visit us:  https://www.crystaltcs.com/jet-mixers.php

[powerblast1]

A One-Stop Shop for all your Workshop Needs

Power Blast Workshop Equipment Trading LLC is a company that provides top-quality workshop equipment and tools to customers worldwide. The company has a wide range of products that cater to the needs of various industries and businesses, from small workshops to large factories. In this article, we will take a closer look at two of their most popular products: Pneumatic Jet Fan and Paint Mixers.

1. Pneumatic Jet Fan

A Pneumatic Jet Fan is a powerful and efficient fan that uses compressed air to generate high-velocity airflows. The fan is typically used in industrial applications to control dust, fumes, and other airborne particles.

What are the Advantages of a Pneumatic Jet Fan?

  High-velocity airflows: The fan generates airflows that are much higher in velocity than traditional fans, making it an effective solution for controlling dust, fumes, and other airborne particles.

· Efficient: The fan operates on compressed air, making it highly efficient and cost-effective to run.

· Durable: The fan is designed to withstand harsh industrial environments, making it a durable and long-lasting investment for businesses.

· Versatile: The fan is available in a range of sizes and configurations, making it a versatile solution for various industrial applications.

 What is the Benefits of Choosing Power Blast's Pneumatic Jet Fan?

· High-quality products: Power Blast sources its products from trusted manufacturers, ensuring that its customers receive high-quality and reliable products.

· Competitive pricing: The Company offers competitive pricing on all its products, making it an affordable solution for businesses of all sizes.

· Expert support: The Company’s knowledgeable and experienced team is available to provide expert support and advice to customers on their product needs.

 2. Paint Mixers

Paint Mixers are industrial tools that are used to mix paint and other materials in large containers. The mixers are designed to ensure a thorough and consistent mix of materials, making it easier for businesses to produce high-quality and consistent products.

What are the Advantages of Paint Mixers?

· Consistent mixing: The mixers ensure a thorough and consistent mix of the materials, making it easier for businesses to produce high-quality and consistent products.

·Time-saving: The mixers are much faster and more efficient than traditional manual mixing methods, saving businesses time and labor costs.

· Improved efficiency: The mixers are designed to maximize efficiency, reducing waste and increasing productivity.

· Durable and long-lasting: The mixers are built to last and can withstand the demands of industrial environments, making them a durable and cost-effective investment for businesses.

 What are the Benefits of Choosing Power Blast's Paint Mixers?

· Wide range of products: Power Blast offers a wide range of paint mixers, making it easy for customers to find the right solution for their needs.

· High-quality products: Power Blast sources its products from trusted manufacturers, ensuring that its customers receive high-quality and reliable products.

· Competitive pricing: The Company offers competitive pricing on all its products, making it an affordable solution for businesses of all sizes.

· Wide range of products: Power Blast offers a wide range of paint mixers, making it easy for customers to find the right solution for their needs.

· High-quality products: Power Blast sources its products from trusted manufacturers, ensuring that its customers receive high-quality and reliable products.

· Competitive pricing: The Company offers competitive pricing on all its products, making it an affordable solution for businesses of all sizes.

· Expert support: The Company’s knowledgeable and experienced team is available to provide expert support and advice to customers on their product needs.

Conclusion

Power Blast Workshop Equipment Trading LLC is a company that provides top-quality workshop equipment and tools to customers worldwide. The company offers a wide range of products, including Pneumatic Jet Fans and Paint Mixers that cater to the needs of various industries and businesses. With its commitment to high-quality products, competitive pricing, and expert support, Power Blast is a reliable partner for businesses looking for reliable and cost-effective workshop equipment solutions. If you're looking for top-quality workshop equipment and tools, consider Power Blast Workshop Equipment Trading LLC for all your needs.

[queenpiranhadon]

ᴅᴀʏ ꜱɪx: April 19th

Syn: You make the cake and decorate for the party.

Pairing: Bakugou Katsuki x Reader

A/N: I'm actually really happy about how this event turned out- all the fics written in this collaboration can be read separately, but it's recommended you read them all in order :) The master list is here, go check out the other writers because they're so amazing and talented AUGH.

Warning(s): Cursing (it's Katsuki what are you gonna do), bad baking terminology, maybe ooc idk, reader is referred to as female like once- Kiri calls her ma'am, reader compliments Katsuki's ass lmao, just fluffy in general though, class 3-A, reader is in the hero course.

This was it. Tomorrow, your plan would finally be put in motion.  

It was the 19th of April, and to say the very least, you were stressed.  

Stressed might not be the word for it. More like anxiety, excitement and fear into one overwhelming emotion that you couldn't convey into words. Tomorrow was Katsuki’s 18th birthday. And everything had to be perfect.  

You sat in your dorm room, thumbing the pages of the cookbook you so loving made him, picturing his own rough hands touching the book the same way when you gave it to him. Your heart warmed at the thought- your boyfriend never ceased to give you butterflies, even without intending to.  

Doubt plagued your mind however- what if he didn’t like it? What if he thought it was too dumb, or too simple- should you have done more?!  

No, you scold yourself. You needed to trust yourself. You knew Katsuki well- he excelled in the extravagant, but he still found joy in the smaller things.  

Still... you couldn’t help but worry. This would be a big day for him-a huge milestone. You didn’t want to mess it up.  

Setting the cookbook down, you finally place it into the bag you had for him, jet black with orange stuffing. The small action put the whole situation into perspective for you.  

This was finally happening. 

But you still had work to do today. Pulling out your phone, you open the messaging app, and click on the contact you needed.  

You: Mission Keep Katsuki Away is a go >:) 

Kiri🥊: Yes ma’am >:)) 

Turning off your phone, you pocket it, and leave your dorm room. All that was left to do was the cake.  

After slaving through the school day, you all return to your dorms, with the exception of Kirishima and Katsuki, the former dragging the latter away for something he called “a bro date”. You chuckled at his excuse, and left them to their own devices as you returned to Heights Alliance, sending a text to Kirishima as you walked.  

You: Hey! What’s your status? 

Kiri 🥊: Just got to the bus! I’ll keep him busy as long as I can 

You: Perfect!! 

You: Thank you so much again 

Kiri 🥊: No problem! He’s going to love it, you put so much work into making this special for him :D 

You: Aww...thanks Kiri! Fingers crossed 😭 

You weren’t terrible at baking per se, but you weren’t no Sato. And you would ask him to make the cake himself, but you didn’t want to ask too much of anyone.  

So it was up to you. You wanted to make a small two-tiered cake, it would be enough to feed all of 3-A and hopefully there would be leftovers.  

Sifting through the pantry you found what you needed one by one. Cocoa powder, dark cocoa powder, eggs, milk, butter, flour, baking soda, the list went on. You were making a chocolate cake, covered in dark chocolate ganache, drizzled with caramel. Katsuki wasn’t a big fan of sweets, and you knew that, but cake was cake. You also knew that he secretly did have a sweet tooth so he wouldn’t be too upset. Hopefully the bitterness of the dark chocolate would make the rest of the cake a little less sweet to align with the explosive blond’s tastes.  

Grabbing three large bowls and the mixer Sato let you borrow, you get to work, mixing wet and dry ingredients separately, cracking eggs, melting chocolate, and whisking like your life depended on it.  

While you baked, you popped in an earbud, sweet music, lifting your mood and dancing around the kitchen, in your own world.  

And hour later, the two tiers of the cake were in the oven, (not before tasting the batter yourself of course) and you look around at the kitchen, the adrenaline rushing out of you. It was a mess. The was flour in your hair, on your face, and you’re pretty sure the cocoa powder on your shirt is going to stain.  

You sigh, taking off your earbuds and pausing the music from your phone. At least the cake was done.  

Grabbing the cleaning supplies from the closet, you get to work, making sure the kitchen was spotless so no one (namely Katsuki, for obviously reasons, and Ochaco and the self-proclaimed Bakusquad because they would beg you to have a taste of their own) would know what you were up to.  

The cakes were done by the time you finished, taking them out of the oven and sealing the two layers together with some ganache.  

You had asked Mr. Aizawa to reserve Gym Gamma for you previously, getting his permission to decorate the space for the party, and so you made your way there now, deciding to decorate the cake in the Gym itself so you wouldn’t have to move it afterwards.  

You got Ochako to float the cake and the toppings for it to the gym itself, so in the meantime, you busied yourself with setting up all the food- something you didn’t want to do yesterday as it would’ve gone stale.

You recruited the help of Kaminari, Sero, Mina and Kyoka to help you carry everything- including the mini fridge you saved up to buy to store the food and drinks overnight. You’d take them out the next morning.

When you got there, you were surprised to see Midoriya, Todoroki, Tsu, Iida, and Momo there alongside Ochako who explained they all wanted to help. 

You feel your smile stretch across your face, happy to see so many people who wanted to give Katsuki the best birthday ever.  

Splitting up the work, Midoriya, Todoroki and Iida went to go find the plates, cups, bowls, and cutlery you bought with Mitsuki - something you thought may have been overkill, but she had planned everything down to a T.

The others flitted around, either helping to put food or drink items into the fridge, or checking to make sure nothing happened to the decorations overnight.

You took to decorating the cake. Pouring the ganache over the first tier, you used it as an adhesive of sorts and you lifted the second layer on top of it. Once you did that, you poured the remaining ganache over the entire cake, evenly, so it created a pretty coat on top that you were sure it would add a nice crunch to the cake itself.

You groaned, stabbing your spatula into the quickly hardening ganache, having to ask Todoroki to heat it up every few minutes so that it wouldn’t harden completely- an annoyingly tedious task, but you knew Katsuki hated the taste of frosting- so hopefully he would appreciate the favor.

You waited for it to harden, then adding drizzles of caramel everywhere, and strategically placing strawberries where you could for a refreshing change in flavor.

And then lastly, adding thin golden candles to the cake, ten on the bottom row, and seven on the top. Momo created a special candle shaped like one of his gauntlets that you put in the center of the circle of seven candles on the top. And finally, you were done.

Momo made another contraption for you, a tall glass dome with temperature settings that you would put on the cake to prevent the strawberry from going bad overnight. After setting the cake on its stand, you put the dome over it, thanking Momo for her help.

It was then when you received two texts.

You open the first one, snorting when you read what it has to say.  

Katsu 💥🧡: Oi, I know you’re up to something- Shitty Hair just dragged me to the damn movie theater to watch some stupid Crimson Riot movie. 

You: Aww it couldn’t have been that bad!! 

You: Can’t the all mighty Lord Explosion Murder God Dynamight survive a short movie date? 

You: Plus I told you- I'm not up to anything lmao 

Katsu 💥🧡: I call bullshit 

Katsu 💥🧡: Plus that movie was three damn hours- short my ass 

You: To be fair, you do have a nice ass 

You: I KID I KID  

You: But I promise you’ll get extra cuddles when you get back my big baby 

Katsu 💥🧡: Fuck off 

Katsu 💥🧡: Meet me at my dorm after dinner

Katsu 💥🧡: And don’t think I’m letting at comment about my ass go 

You can’t stop the amused smile from spreading across your face as you check the other text message, one from Kirishima this time.  

Kiri 🥊: Hey! We’re about 15 minutes away- we'll be back around 18:32 PM 

You: Kiri jesus christ- you tell me this now?! 

Kiri: Sorry!! 

You put your phone down, yelling at everyone to finish up and get back to the dorms as soon as possible, people scrambling around to put the finishing touches together before bolting out of the gym, you along with them.  

Thankfully, you all made it back in time, flopping down on the couches just at the door opens to reveal a beaming Kirishima and a grumpy Katsuki.  

The latter raises an eyebrow at all of you, sending a narrow-eyed glare at you. 

“Why’re ya so outta breath?” He grunts suspiciously and you chuckle sheepishly in return.  

“Mina challenged Kaminari and Sero to go a piggyback race against Todoroki and Iida.” You laugh, the lie rolling off your tongue as the others nod in agreement. 

“We totally won.” Sero says smugly, and Todoroki sends him a confused look.  

“But-”  

Kaminari cuts him off, slinging his arm around the heterochromatic eyed boy nonchalantly. “It’s not winning if you use your quirk Todo-bro.” 

Katsuki rolls his eyes, all interest in the conversation out the window, as he starts making dinner for everyone, something he started doing a while ago when he lost faith in 3-A's ability to not burn the kitchen down.  

After you all settled down and ate, you and Katsuki returned to his room, making yourself comfortable in his bed as he joins you, pulling you close and letting his sore muscles melt into your embrace.  

You, however, couldn’t force yourself to relax, your body buzzing with excitement as tomorrow would arrive.  

Taglist ~

@gina239 @azzo0 @slayfics @peachsukii @cashmoneyyysstuff

@xbabyd0lli3x @lowkeyremi @starieq @angels-fantasy

@ah-mya @food8me @katsuisbaby @meowze4r @bigsimpo343

@seonne @wheezdostuff @berryvioo @icedemon1314 @mystic60

@kit-katsukii @stoned-anime-babe @kukikoooo

@le000xxgrd @tr-mha-fan

[fandomnerd9602]

Just One

Female!Tony Stark x Reader

For Ms Antonia ‘Toni’ Stark, the genius billionaire philanthropist and founding member of A Force, there was a lot supposed to be ‘just one’s when it came to you.

Just One Meeting

She hated having to meet potential candidates for test pilots. Toni found most of them to be more narcissistic than her, if that were even possible. If Toni had it her way, she’d be testing her own jets and planes. They’re hers after all.

And then you stepped through the door, humble yet confident. Your eyes were focused on two things: the job and how her eyes were your favorite thing to look at. Other pilots would try to quickly get her in the sack. Not you. You were respectful of her and her authority.

Toni was never one to fall in love. And then she fell flat on her face in love with you.

Just One Drink

It was supposed to be a company mixer. Toni tried to take her mind off of you. It was illegal, you were an employee of hers. But you were so perfect.

She tried to drink the problems away. But that just led to her being hunched over a toilet with someone keeping her hair out of her face as she vomited.

“It’s okay Toni” the voice reassured her, “I got you”

It was you who was there for her. You and Rhodey helped care for her that night and with the hangover the following morning.

Toni couldn’t help but smile.

Just One Kiss

It was supposed to be just one. One kiss to silence the feelings. Well…so she thought. One kiss led to another. Next thing you and Toni knew, you were pressing each other against every wall possible, slowly making your way towards your room. Her lips on yours, it was everything you dreamt of.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” You ask her. “I don’t want you to think-“

Toni giggles, “I know what i want and what I want is you”

Toni never felt so loved. So taken care of, even the following morning. You held her hand as you drank coffee together and talked about things you wanted to do.

Toni saw a glimpse, a hope, she could get used to doing this with you. Every single day of the rest of her life.

She knew you were a keeper.

Just One Date

It was just one date. One date to find out if you and her were really compatible. Well one date became several. And several become multiple.

Toni found that her favorite kind of date was just cuddling with you on your couch and making out while listening to AC/DC. You can tell a lot about a person by their taste in music…and just their taste in general.

Just One Dance

It was just one dance. An important one though. You and her swayed to the music out on the dance floor.

“You look beautiful, my love” you complimented her on her wedding dress.

“You look so good I wanna tear you out of yours” she purrs in your ear.

“Later, darling” you whisper back to your bride.

Just One Little Hospital Visit

It was a pleasant little surprise. Or maybe not. Toni really wanted one and so did you.

Toni was tired, sweaty, and worn out from the labor but it was all worth it as the doctors laid yours and hers little baby girl on her chest.

“Hello Morgan” Toni smiled at her baby. “I’m your momma. You just got the world’s coolest set of parents”

“She sure did” you chuckle as you hold Toni close and kiss her forehead.

Just One Move

Toni wouldn’t tell you where she was taking you and Morgan. All you knew was the biggest smile was on her face. The look of giddiness was so priceless.

Toni led you and Morgan to your new home. A two story cabin near a pristine lake.

“Welcome home” she smiled before pulling you into a hug. She whispered in your ear, “and once Morgan is asleep, you and I can ‘christen’ every single room”

Your mischievous wife topped it off with a little smirk and a wink. Why did she have to look so hot when she does that?

Just One?

It was one morning as you were playing in the field close to the cabin with your daughter Morgan. Toni walks up to you with a familiar sway in her hips.

“Hey you” she purrs.

“Hey gorgeous” you respond as your wife wraps her arms around your neck.

“We did agree on just one right?” She asks with a mischievous grin as she smacks you playfully with a pregnancy test.

“What?! You’re-?!”

Toni laughs as she nods up and down happily. She kisses you and hold onto you tightly.

[facts-i-just-made-up]

How to turn my hair black.

My own personal jet-black hair dye recipe:

1 Part Paper Ashes

1 Part Llama Bile

2 Parts Charcoal

4 Parts Bigfin Squid Ink

0.0125 Part Vantablack

0.125 Part Stuart Semple's Smegma

334 Parts Garnier Blue-Black Hair Dye #18

Mix in an industrial cement mixer for 72 hours while reciting the pledge of allegiance backwards then once your hair is cut off, place it inside the mixer for another 48 hours. Boil the mixer in tar, then bury it for seven years encased in the linens of an ancient mummy. Once disinterred, your hair will have turned black.*

*Works nearly 15% of the time.

[thewritingofspencerrose]

mclaren masterlist : masterlist

Monaco to Indy

saturday, may 25th, 2024 : monaco

liked by patriciooward, landonorris, and 101,349 others

etta.norris split custody weekend 🧡💛 good luck to team mclaren here in monaco (landonorris) and to my boy and arrow mclaren in the states at the indy 500 (patriciooward)!

patriociooward mi amor, really that photo?

patriciooward miss you endlessly!

etta.norris miss you more patito 🧡

alexanderrossi etta, begging you to come and pick up your boyfriend

etta.norris sorry rossi! you have custody this weekend, remember?

landonorris ha! take that patriciooward! i get ettie this weekend!

patriciooward rude.

"Fuck!" My brothers voice calls over the radio, voice indicating all the attitude his colorful language emphasizes, pulling into the pits. Qualifying is over, and Lando is just out of reach of the podium spots at a track where qualifying is everything and overtaking is nonexistent.

His car is rolled in, hands already removing his steering wheel and placing in on the nose of the car.

Lan's helmet is off next, being handed over to one of the engineers before he's approaching where I stand with Jon. "The pace wasn't there."

"We know," I am quick to assure, more than aware that if I don't, he'll spiral away before he can even hand off his gloves. "You pushed to get everything from the car that you could."

Lando throws his arm over my shoulder, sweaty and heavy but no where near uncomfortable enough to complain about. "How's Arrow doing stateside?" He asks, eyes on the monitors in front of us, picking apart each and every lap he completed.

"Good, Pato called just before quali. From the sounds of it he's a contender to win this weekend," My smile wouldn't dim even if I wanted it to, the idea of him pulling off an Indy 500 win.

From the moment I met Pato at the Mclaren mixer just after his signing, he followed me around like a puppy, and I found it adorable.

And it took me a total of three months to realize I was falling for the man with the infectious personality who didn't seem to waiver, even with my brother and Danny Ric threatening him at every chance they get.

And here we are, a year together later, and I'm split custody between two Mclaren teams.

"I'm sure I could get Max to let you borrow the jet."

What have I missed?

"What?"

Lan's eyes meet mine, matching hues meeting, as he smiles. Not out of joy, but smiling all the same.

"The chances of me making the podium tomorrow are slim. If you catch a plane now you can make it in time for the Indy, surprise your boy."

"Lan, it's your weekend-"

"This isn't a custody battle," He interrupts before I can even finish. "This is the biggest race of Patricio's year and he might win it. Go be his lucky charm or whatever," He's still smiling, and for a moment I can't help but admire my brother for the kind human he is.

But I can't help the smile on my face as I think over the idea.

"I'd have to text Elba."

"Text her, I'll ask Max about the plane." This is why he's my favorite human.

My arms wrap around him, pulling his sweaty body into a tight hug. "Thank you, Lan."

"Anytime, Ettie Mae, any time," He returns, curls brushing against my head as he pulls me close.

sunday, may 26th, 2024 : indianapolis

liked by mclaren, maxverstappen1, and 136,028 others

etta.norris shhhh no one tell pato! i made it for the final ten laps, and could not be prouder of my boy! let's go number five! (shoutout to landonorris and maxverstappen1 for getting me here on time)

maxverstappen1 anytime kid! enjoy the race and good luck to patriciooward

zakbrown you surprised me too! biggest papaya supporter there is!

etta.norris you know it!

landonorris glad you made it! zakbrown look after her for me!

zakbrown i'm sure pato has it covered, but i'll keep an eye!

etta.norris are we forgetting that i'm 21?

landonorris no you're not, you're fifteen and a little rebel

He had been ahead. He was in first for so long.

And then Josef popped up, not out of nowhere but still in surprise, there's nothing that can be done to soothe my heart. My nails are getting sorter and shorter by the second, heart beating out of my chest until the crowd cheers out, all of the air leaving my body.

Pato was so close, yet not close enough.

Zak's hand lands on my shoulder in an attempt at comfort, but all I can focus on is my boy making his last lap, Josef celebrating just in front of him as they lap around to the pits.

Here he is, pulling in, and stopping, making no move to get out of the car. Pato simply leans forward, body wracking with what I can only assume to be sobs as Zak and I approach.

Zak goes in first, patting him on the back and whispering something, whatever it is earning a soft nod before Zak's eyes are meeting my own, his head ushering me over.

"Patito?"

In our time of knowing one another, I don't think I have ever seen his head move as fast as he does, tearful eyes being the only thing clear through his helmet that is still on his head, body scrambling to leave the confines of his car and tear off his helmet, tossing it to Zak.

And I'm right here to catch him when he manages his escape, throwing himself into my arms, hugging me with his entire being.

"You're here," he whispers, fingertips digging into my sides as I run my own through his sweaty hair. "You're actually here."

"I'm always going to be here," Is what my heart inspires me to respond, kissing the side of his head. He's pulling back though, arms still around my waist as his watery eyes look me over.

"You were supposed to be in Monaco, Lando got you this weekend," He doesn't sound upset at my spontaneous arrival, but rather entirely confused.

My thumbs brush across his cheeks, wiping away the tears that have been shed. "He realized he wouldn't be making the podium," Is the beginning of my explanation. "After quali, we knew. So I texted your sister to see if she could get me a ticket, and Lando texted Max to get me on his jet. It was all Lan's idea, honestly."

He pulls me back into his arms, a sigh leaving his body as he deflates.

"Remind me to thank your brother. You're exactly what I needed."

[hangon-silvergirl]

The HellCheer Holiday Mixtape

OH HEY. I'm a sucker for a festive fandom, so behold my seasonal challenge TO YOU: The Hellcheer Holiday Mixtape!

For 12 days starting December 13th, express your Freak and Cheerleader affections as inspired by holiday music prompts (if one so titillates you), and in whatever medium you please!

Guidelines:

There are no constraints on your level of participation; do it all, do some, do none, doesn't matter; JUST HAVE FUN

Same goes for themes and subject matter; just please respect the rules of content curation and slap on appropriate tags. We observe DLDR in this house

Except, uh, whatever you post should be, you know, festive. And tie back to the prompt at least tenuously

Late posts count!!!

Tag your contributions with #hellcheerholidaymixtape (so I can see them and share them)

Share on any platform you like, but x-post here bc I'm only tumblin'

Don't be shitty (for this quest in particular, but also generally speaking)

All songs are on the Spotify playlist:

If you have thoughts, concerns, or questions, my ask box is open!

Prompts below!

13 December

"Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)" - The Ramones

"Jingle Bell Rock" - Hall & Oates

"Run, Run, Rudolph" - Bryan Adams

14 December

"Hard Candy Christmas" - Dolly Parton

"Another Lonely Christmas" - Prince

"It Must Have Been the Mistletoe (Our First Christmas)" - Barbara Mandrell

15 December

"Do They Know It's Christmas?" - Band Aid

"Christmas in Dixie" - Alabama

"Let's Party" - Jive Bunny & the Master Mixers

16th December

"Christmas In My Heart" - The Jets

"Thank God It's Christmas" - Queen

"Silent Night" - The Hooters

17th December

"Wonderful Christmastime" - Paul McCartney

"Santa's Beard" - They Might Be Giants

"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" - U2

18th December

"Funky, Funky Xmas" - New Kids On The Block

"Hazy Shade of Winter" - The Bangles

"Merry Christmas, Everyone" - Shakin' Stevens

19th December

"Christmas Wrapping" - The Waitresses

"It's Christmas All Over the World" - Sheena Easton

"2000 Miles" - The Pretenders

20th December

"Fairytale of New York" - The Porgues (ft. Kirsty MacColl)

"Sleigh Ride" - Air Supply

"Put a Little Love in Your Heart" - Al Green & Annie Lennox

21st December

"Christmas in Hollis" - RUN DMC

"Mistletoe & Wine" - Cliff Richard

"Father Christmas" - The Kinks

22nd December

"Driving Home for Christmas" - Chris Rea

"She Won't Be Home" - Erasure

"The Power of Love" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood

23rd December

"Christmas With The Devil" - Spinal Tap

"Things Fall Apart" - Christina

"Peace In Our Time" - Eddie Money

24th December

"Last Christmas" - Wham!

"Merry Christmas, Baby" - Bruce Springsteen

"Santa, Baby" - Madonna

[trulybetty]

dec' x 02 - baking

Prompt: baking Pairing: frankie morales x gn!reader Word Count: 502 Warnings: none, just more domestic fluff AO3: Linked

x. masterlist

Frankie, with his background in engineering and a penchant for precision, was already reading through the recipe you had chosen when you stepped back into the kitchen, his brows furrowed in concentration. He was a man who liked instructions, and clear guidelines he could follow, and was approaching the task of helping you with your annual holiday baking with the same eagerness to learn and excel that he did everything else.

“Okay,” Frankie began, looking up from the recipe. “It says here we need two cups of flour. Do we have a measuring cup?”

You laughed as you reached around his waist to the drawer behind him, scooting him aside to open it. Pulling out the set of metal measuring cups, dangling them from the hook of your finger they swung back and forth as you presented them to him. Only for him to take them and then examine them like they were intricate tools from his own toolkit.

“Then we’re going to need to sift the flour into that bowl,” you said, pointing at the mixer on the countertop behind him.

Frankie nodded, his gaze fixated back on the recipe again as if they were the blueprints of some intricate machine. “Sifting. Got it.” 

His hands, those of a man familiar with both the delicate components of any aircraft engine and the demanding physicality of military life, picked up the sifter with an almost reverent care. 

Leaning back on the counter you watched as he measured the flour, levelling the cup with the back of a knife — precision in every movement.

You couldn't help but smile. It wasn't every day you got to see a man who’d jumped out of airplanes and commanded operations with unwavering focus fussing over a cup of flour.

Frankie eyed the mixer like it had shown up overnight and wasn't a staple fixture in your kitchen. A slight furrow creased at his brow. “Creaming means...?”

You fought back a laugh, you knew he was deep into this task as there was no way Francisco Morales would ever let a possible innuendo like that slip by without comment.

You stepped closer, your proximity to him not unwelcome, and showed him how to use the mixer. “Just like this,” you said, guiding his hands to add the butter cube by cube. “It aerates the butter and will make the cake light and airy.”

As he caught on, you could see the familiar spark of understanding in his eyes, the same spark you've seen when he's solved a complex problem or pieced together a challenging puzzle. 

“So just like ensuring the proper airflow in a jet engine?” he commented with a smirk on his lips making you laugh.

“I'll have to take your word on that Captain,” was your response as you leaned around him to drop in a teaspoon of vanilla.

Frankie's laugh was a rare sound that very few truly got to experience, but there it rang out in the quiet of the kitchen, warm and deep. He placed a kiss on your forehead with a squeeze of your hand before he turned back to the task at hand. The two of you stood watching as the mixer whirled in the bowl as the butter and sugar transformed into a creamy, pale cloud.

[rottenpumpkin13]

How would a pool part with everyone go?

The Pool Party From Hell

• They rent out the rooftop terrace for Kunsel's birthday pool party. (Kunsel can barely swim btw. This is red flag #1)

• I would say red flag #2 is Zack and Cloud dragging in a whole Kalua pork while chanting "Pork par-tay!" but it's actually the birthday cake Roche brought in that reads "Happy birthday Knussel"

• Lazard shows up to wish Kunsel happy birthday but stays around to chaperone after he overhears Cissnei ask Angeal when the live ducks are coming in.

• Oh yeah, speaking of Cissnei, her and a bunch of other Turks showed up too (Cissnei is besties with Kunsel and the others tagged along).

• That being said, Reno showing up with a water gun called "The pulverizer 5000" then shooting a geyser at Cloud, who's thrown into the pool, is red flag #3.

• Angeal: WHO'S PLAYLIST IS THIS? THEY'VE PLAYED WAP ON LOOP FOR 20 MINUTES NOW

Kunsel: Excuuuse me for wanting to listen to real music on my birthday.

• Genesis is the designated drinks mixer. He's working the bar in nothing but board shorts while chatting up the pretty girls who come by.

• The prettiest girl (Sephiroth) comes by, plops himself at the bar and puts his head down. (He's also wearing nothing but board shorts and the girls' eyes are immediately on him

Sephiroth: I'm not having fun.

Genesis: Can't see how. If I were you I'd be canon-balling into the pool, playing soccer with Zack or ...... *he squints at something in the distance* what's Cloud doing?

Sephiroth: Reno blasted him with the pulverizer so he's making him eat it.

Genesis: Or helping Cloud assault Reno! See? Endless fun to be had.

Sephiroth: It's hard for me to let loose.

Genesis (💡): I've got just the thing that'll help you!

• Genesis immediately turns around and starts concocting a bright red drink.

Sephiroth: I'm not sure alcohol will help me. My body has a hard time reacting to alcohol the way it's supposed to.

Genesis: Don't worry! That won't happen with this drink.

• He slides the neon red shot toward Sephiroth.

Sephiroth: What is this?

Genesis: Don't worry about it. Just drink it.

Sephiroth: ???????

Genesis: *groan* Just drink it!

• Sephiroth apprehensively downs the shot in one go.

Genesis: So? Do you feel any different?

Sephiroth: Not really.

Genesis: Don't worry. It'll hit.

Sephiroth: Yes, but how long will it take to—(⊙‸⊙)

Genesis: Did it hit?

Sephiroth: (⊙‸⊙)

Genesis: It hit.

• Meanwhile the live ducks arrived and are swimming around the pool while half the people play Marco Polo and the other half dance.

• Reno got ahold of the aux cord and is now playing his lewd music on full blast while Lazard and Tseng stand at the bottom of the stage screaming "TURN IT OFF"

• Reno's response? "What? I can't hear you the music is too loud!" *Said while cranking it up louder*

• Zack tried to pet a duck, angered it, and now Elena and Angeal are trying to pull it off his face. Cloud is actively filming and laughing.

• Shotgun and Balto (turk) start pouring gallons of soap into the pool to make it foam up.

• Red flag #4 is Roche rolling in a jet ski on some wheels in hopes to use it in the pool.

• He never gets to do that though.

• Hurricane Sephiroth rips Rude's glasses from his face, puts them on, then canon-balls into the water with Genesis. Both are clearly beyond drunk when they start sparring right there in the pool.

• All hell breaks loose after that.

• One thing I will mention is that Genesis and hyper-drunk-Sephiroth end up with their arms around each other screaming the lyrics to Mamma Mia (Abba).

[blainesebastian]

it’s my party (and i’ll cry if i want to)

words: 1,829 ship: austin butler x reader summary: (anon request): angst and drama but ends well notes: thanks for the request! hope you enjoy :)  warnings: none tag list: @killerqueenfan, @karamelcoveredolicity, @elizabethrosecresswell, @gigisworldsstuff

You’ve called him three times and at this point, another time seems like overkill.

You’re usually not a person who overdoes it and granted, even this feels a little tame. You’ve called him over the span of a few hours, not all at once. It’s just, you had a bad feeling ever since you woke up this morning that things weren’t going to go your way. It’s your birthday, you were already a little apprehensive about celebrating it because nothing ever seems to go as you want it to, and when Austin promised he’d be home at a certain hour to celebrate, you took him at his word.

You know that dating an actor isn’t always smooth sailing, you know that he is sometimes, at the last minute, drawn into things he can’t get out of. Meetings, dinners, parties, events, mixers, whatever—you accept that, you understand, you’ve never put any pressure on Austin to somehow dip out of responsibilities just to spend time with you. You wouldn’t want to be that kind of girlfriend, anyways, that doesn’t support him? But at the same time, you just thought today would be a bit different.

A few days prior, you tried to tell Austin that you didn’t need anything special for your birthday—that you wouldn’t even be offended if they just moved through the week as if it was a normal day. But your boyfriend wouldn’t hear it, insisted that you deserved to be celebrated. And that sentiment is all well and good…as long as someone shows up to support those words and promises. You can’t believe you went from not wanting anything at all to somehow letting Austin talk you into deserving all the bells and whistles and now you’re pissed off that he’s late, MIA and that you can’t get ahold of him.

So ridiculous.

You are trying so hard, and failing, not to completely stew in your apartment because you understand that unexpected things can come up but that does not mean communication should just completely disappear? Then there’s the smallest part of you that’s worried because what if something awful happened and that’s why he’s not calling you back?

You wander over to your kitchen to get yourself a glass of water and look over at the door when you hear the familiar sound of keys turning in the lock. Setting the glass down, you watch as Austin comes in and toes off his shoes, the door closing behind him. Sticking his hands into the pockets of his black jean jacket, he turns to see you in the kitchen and offers you a small smile.

“Hey—you look nice.” He runs a hand through his jet-black strands, some refusing to move and reverting back to hovering over his forehead, “What’re you all dressed up for?”

You’re pretty sure your mouth falls open when he says that, “What do you mean what am I dressed up for?”

Austin sort of blinks at the tone of your voice before his eyes widen in realization, “Oh shit—no it’s,” He pats his pockets for his phone, slipping it out of his back pocket. “Fuck, I thought it was Tuesday.”

“It’s Wednesday.” You state with similar vinegar and just—you don’t want to be upset, you really don’t, you can see what’s happening right on Austin’s face. He’s lost track of the week, he thought your birthday was tomorrow, the man works long fucking hours and does exhausting things for his career that you can’t even dream of doing yourself.

And yet, you can’t find it within yourself to forgive him so easily either, something that you might otherwise brush off your shoulders—he forgot your fucking birthday. You cross your arms over your chest, trying not to boil but then Austin opens his mouth again and it’s like he’s trying to piss you off by saying all the wrong things,

“I’m so sorry—I got caught up runnin’ lines with Oliva and we just, ordered take-out—”

The thing is, you are not threatened by Austin’s beautiful co-worker, she’s nothing but sweet and completely supportive of Austin and your relationship. But it does rub salt in the wound, that he was eating dinner with another woman while you were waiting here feeling like a clown in your apartment for him to come home. And while you know that it’s not exactly fair? It still doesn’t make it hurt any less.

You put your hand up to try and just…stop this whole conversation because you feel like you’re going to lose your goddamn mind. “This is exactly why I didn’t want to do anything—my birthday is notorious for disappointing me one way or another. This is a new one though, so,” You toe off the booties you were wearing, starting to unzip your dress to get back into your comfortable clothes, “Thanks for that.”

Austin sighs softly, his one hand running over his face before pinching the bridge of his nose, “I said I was sorry.”

“Okay, and?” You throw over your shoulder, moving into your bedroom to take the dress off and put on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, “Saying you’re sorry doesn’t magically make everything better.”

Distantly, you have no idea why you’re trying to continue this argument with him. He’s apologized, it was a mistake, and you don’t even like your birthday that much anyways. And yet you know it has everything to do with that fluttering feeling inside your chest that this one might be different, that it might actually be enjoyable where you don’t feel like you might dread it next year, that Austin could make it…worth it. You hate feeling like you’re naïve, that the emotion was crushed inside of you when he didn’t show up and you waited and it felt like some sort of high school flashback where your date ditched you at prom.

You could just forget it, move on, maybe have a small celebration tomorrow.

But it’s your party and you’ll cry if you want to, right?

“Okay, well let me try and fix it?” He offers, leaning against the doorframe, “We could still make a night out of it—maybe sit on the roof? Order dinner?”

“You already had dinner.” You comment shortly, passing him. You need to get out of this damn apartment, get some fresh air before you really start saying things you might regret.

“Don’t follow me,” You warn, not even bothering at this point to put shoes on as you snatch at a jacket on the clothes tree near the front door and close it behind you as you leave.

--

Dramatic exit? One hundred percent, but it was feeling like the walls were closing in on you in that apartment. You just need to calm down, take some deep breaths, get the images out of your head of Austin running lines with Oliva, laughing with her, sharing take-out while you were calling his phone and waiting for him to come home. You know that Austin loves you, you trust him more than anyone, and despite tonight, your relationship is on very strong ground. You just…you’re jealous and annoyed that things played out as they did.

Shaking your head, you run a hand through your hair and make your way up to the roof of your apartment building. There’s a patio for tenants, lawn chairs, tables, even a couch and pool tables, beautiful view of the city. Just a great place to not feel so claustrophobic. If Austin wants to attempt to rebuild some bridges tonight, he can find you there—it’s one of your safe spaces.

Guilt pools in your stomach and you try to dismiss those emotions as much as you can because that’s the last thing you want to feel. Aren’t you justified in being pissed off? Ugh, maybe you shouldn’t have been so snappy. Or maybe it’s okay that you stood your ground for once.

While this inner battle ping-pongs back and forth in your mind, you push open the door to the roof after climbing the stairs—

And nearly have a heart attack when people suddenly yell surprise!

You stand there for a long few moments, almost like you might be having an out-of-body experience as you stare back at the crowd gathered on the roof and slowly recognize family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers.

This is a surprise party for you.

You take a step back out of instinct and bump into someone, turning to see Austin and your cheeks are suddenly so red, so hot that you’re pretty sure your shirt might catch on fire. “You didn’t…” You mumble, unable to find the rest of the words.

He smiles softly and sticks his hands into his jeans, “I would never forget your birthday.”

You shake your head, biting down on your lower lip so hard it could draw blood. How are you supposed to even look at him? So many dueling emotions are crashing over you like waves, your chest feels like it might cave in on itself. You don’t even know what to say.

“You were right, I was supposed to be here hours ago—I am sorry for that,” Austin sighs, “The cake I ordered got delivered to set in the wrong place and…it ended up in the food tent, so I was scramblin’ to get you another one. You’d think bein’ Austin Butler and everythin’ would make it easier ordering a cake.” He’s teasing with that last part, reaching to touch your shoulders with his hands, “I kinda had to improvise when I got home, get you to the roof.”

A choked laugh leaves your lips, rubbing at your own cheeks. Instead, you tore off the cute dress you were wearing, left the apartment in your around-the-house clothes and stormed on up here—

“Well, I’m here.” You sigh dramatically, head tipped back just a little.

Austin chuckles warmly, pulling you close to wrap you in a hug. Hopefully everyone behind you two on the roof can’t hear this scene unfold because you’re embarrassed enough. You already know your parents are somewhere recording and or taking pictures. You allow your eyes to close for a few moments, arms slipping around Austin’s back to hug him tightly, burying your face in his chest. He presses his lips to your hairline, squeezing you, his hands tracing circles into your spine.

“Happy birthday,” He says as you pull back. His hands move to cup your cheeks, stroking gently and smirking a little at the red splotches that must still be there.

There are so many things that you want to say or…to apologize for being snippy even if you didn’t know, for storming out, something anything. And yet, you lean up on your toes and press a soft kiss to his lips,

“No more surprise parties…ever again.”

Austin laughs, gently turning you around to push you out onto the roof and into the festivities, “No promises.”

[crystaltcs]

Innovating Industrial Fluid Dynamics: Crystal TCS Pvt Ltd's Jet Mixers and Tank Mixing Ejectors

In the realm of industrial processes, achieving optimal fluid mixing is a crucial element for efficiency and productivity. Crystal TCS Pvt Ltd stands at the forefront of innovation, presenting state-of-the-art solutions with their Jet Mixers and Tank Mixing Ejectors. This article delves into the significance of these technologies, exploring their applications, features, and the transformative impact they have on various industries.

[heyclickadee]

So, today on silly headcanons that don’t matter and would probably never apply to the batch’s situation but I like them anyway: Random thoughts on what would happen if each of the batchers had to make a cake (and had unlimited access to all of the ingredients that they’d need):

Omega: Woo!! Cake!! *makes a bunch of space chocolate (there’s space chocolate, right?) cupcakes with a few different colors of icing so that she can put them together and make it look like Ruby. Wrecker keeps walking by to help out and even sneaks her some ruby chocolate chips so it can be a ruby chocolate Ruby cupcake cake. The end result is very cute, even if Omega does have to end up having to use mantell mix to make the face (someone kept eating her cupcakes and she ran out by the time she got to the face). The kitchen, though—it’s a complete disaster by the end, and Omega had the best time making that mess*

Hunter: So…my batter’s cured solid in the mixer. Is that supposed to happen? *Okay, so, his cake looks gorgeous. He’s managed to paint a sunset on Pabu onto what looks like a three tiered cake with buttercream, and it’s got this amazing texture and impressionistic look. Unfortunately, when you cut into it, it’s just three tiers of ground up ration bars fused into a kind of concrete using burnt caramel. It tastes like sand and death.*

Echo: It’ll be perfect as long as I follow the recipe. *He looks at the recipe, sees at least five ingredients he can’t eat, and decides to make a smoothie that he can eat instead. He’s not a big fan of cake, and that’s okay. It’s a really good smoothie.*

Tech: Baking is just chemistry. What could go wrong? *Lots of things. Lots of things can go wrong. Turns out that chemistry (outside of biochem) is a bit of a blind spot for Tech, and our guy can’t just follow directions without experimenting a little. Or a lot. In the end, he does end up with something. It’s not cake, but it’s definitely something. Some might call it clam chowder in a bread bowl. Really good clam chowder in a bread bowl. Just—it’s definitely not cake.*

Crosshair: Hhmm. *Crosshair can’t be too bothered to make a cake, so he buys three boxes of space funfetti cake mix, follows the directions on the box exactly, stacks the three funfetti cakes with funfetti icing in between, and then decorates the whole thing with the icing leftover from both Hunter’s and Omega’s cakes. That said, his piping is amazing. Everyone’s afraid to eat his cake because it looks so pretty. He also ate about five of Omega’s cupcakes, but it’s okay—she kept putting them on his side of the table so that he would.*

Wrecker: YEAH! CAKE TIME, BABY!! *disappears for three days and re-emerges with this gravity defying illusion cake that looks like the Maurader flying over a rocky moon full of B-1s. The B-1s are made of tempered chocolate and full of salted caramel, he’s using at least four different flavors of cake and three different kinds of cream filling, there’s a ganache river on the moon surface, the marauder cake is actually levitating (because Star Wars), it has jets of sugar glass that actually light up coming out of the engine, AND it fires choux pastry proton bombs that actually explode with jogan fruit mousse when they hit the ground. There’s even a whole section especially made for Echo so that he can eat it. And it all tastes perfect. He ends up the designated cake guy on the rare occasions they need a cake, and he couldn’t be more delighted.*

[running-with-the-feels]

absolutely obsessed with your drunk headcanons bc how you imagine kuai is basically me when i’m lit 😭 you have any more for the whole roster?

Oooooo boy do I!

I did a list of the roster earlier but I can’t remember most of those headcanons so apologies in advance if I contradict them (all of my headcanons are true to me in like a schroedinger kinda way, yknow?) anyway

I’ll start with Kung also bc he’s one of my faves and does not get enough love

This man makes moonshine and it is Strong (he nearly blinded Bo Rai Cho with it once that’s how strong it is)

He drinks it like it’s water, which terrifies everyone bc How?

Johnny took one sip and declared it to be jet fuel, nearly hacked up a lung

That being said, put it together with some good mixer and you’re gonna have a great time, so Kung Lao usually gets asked to supply any parties with a bottle or two

It is really hard to get Kung Lao drunk but if you do, he gets really sappy, like he’ll wax poetic about pretty much anything that crosses his mind.

Once spent the entire evening with his head in Liu Kang’s lap trying to count the colors in his eyes while Kitana laughed on the sidelines

He then started complimenting Kitana a lot which is the only reason she likes him now

If he isn’t drinking moonshine then he’ll usually go for a beer, he’s not really picky. Drinking is mostly a social thing for him so he doesn’t usually set out to get drunk

On to the next!

Hanzo has a pretty standard tolerance, he burns through alcohol pretty quickly tho so when it hits him he’s never drunk for long

Does not like most alcohols, he really just can’t stand the taste of it. He’ll tolerate Sake if it’s on offer, but usually he just refrains.

But! He has a secret fondness for Chuhai that he refuses to ever let anyone find out about. Johnny knows and sneakily stocks his parties with a few cans (well disguised ofc) bc he might like to tease but even he will allow people their secrets

No brain to mouth filter when drunk (which is why he stays sober around Kuai Liang) and did once call Raiden a bitch to his face bc of it before being dragged out of the room by Jax to avoid a fight

Despite hating the taste, he did once chug an entire bottle of Kung Lao’s moonshine in one go to prove a point

He then proceeded to have the worst hangover of his life and stayed in bed the entire day

Usually the designated driver, not In the actually driving sense, but bc he’s the only one sober at most of the parties he’s usually in charge of putting people to bed.

After chugging the moonshine he did blackout only to find himself in the Lin Kuei temple the next morning (hangover and all), in Kuai Liang’s bed (sans Kuai Liang) and panics

He basically just shouted that he missed Kuai Liang in the middle of the party, teleported to the temple, and fell face first onto the bed as he passed out while a worried Kuai Liang made sure he didn’t die

Johnny started a betting pool on when they’d get together after that

That’s all I can think of rn, which character should I do next?

[universitypenguin]

Reissued Post - Backstory

Author's Note: Because Tumblr was having issues when I posted the original version of this, some of my followers are having trouble accessing it. I'm reissuing a few of my side piece stories so everyone can read them.

Masterlist

Word Count: 3,132

Masterlist

When do you think Lloyd realized he cared and had feelings for princess? I recall in the story that the guys would give Lloyd a hard time when princess finally found a boyfriend that Lloyd would be devastated (poor thing 😭) I also kinda wanna know how he felt while she was dating Aiden. Obviously we know he didn’t like Aiden at ALL lol but did Lloyd ever feel hurt in a way watching princess go on dates with him and when she talked about him?

Learning about Aiden

“Why are you being such a space case?” 

You jumped at Lloyd’s question, startled out of your own little world. Scrambling, you shut your screen and re-focused. 

“Sorry. I was distracted. What were you saying?”

Lloyd’s sharp blue eyes narrowed. 

“Who are you texting?” 

“Uh… no one?”

He leaned back in his desk chair and looked at you steadily. You curled tighter into the couch on the other side of his office, looking down at the floor. 

“I still have that report to do… maybe I should go work in my office. I don’t want to distract you.” 

“I’m already distracted, Princess. What’s the big secret?” 

“I met a guy. You know that alumni mixer I went to a few weeks ago?”

Lloyd grunted. “Yeah.” 

“His name is Aiden LeDoux. He moved in similar circles to me during college. We kind of hit it off.”

“That’s LeDoux, spelled like the country singer? What state does he live in?” Lloyd asked. 

He typed the name into a search engine with the word, ‘Virginia’ to filter the results. 

“Twenty-six, graduated three years ago, and works for AVT security?”

“That’s him. What did you find out?”

Lloyd glanced over. “You haven’t run a background check on him?”

“No. That’s for when I’m deciding whether to go on a date with him. But I’m curious.” 

“Ah. Let’s do this.” 

Lloyd cracked his knuckles and leaned over his computer. Your phone dinged with a message from Aiden, which you responded to as Lloyd typed. 

“No speeding tickets, no parking tickets. His academic record was less than stellar. Apparently he subscribes to the philosophy that C’s get degrees.” 

“Not everyone is academically inclined,” you said. 

“But you are. What will you guys talk about on a date if you have nothing in common?”

“I don’t know. Football?” 

Lloyd snorted. “Doesn’t start until September.” 

“Oh. That’s why you’re not showering me with long winded descriptions of the athletic accomplishments of people I don’t know.” 

“You could always mention how happy you were that the Atlanta Braves won the Superbowl.” 

Your eyes narrowed. “I know that’s wrong, but I’m not sure which part.” 

Lloyd snickered. “If you have to comment, just say that you’re a fan of anyone who isn’t the New England Patriots.” 

“Noted. Anything else on Aiden? Slaps on the wrist from university institutions, or other authorities?”

“Ah-ha. He has three parking tickets at the university. And a complaint for under age drinking. You should reconsider the date. He’s clearly an alcoholic who steals parking spots. One of these tickets was for him parking over the line. Disgusting.”

You laughed. “Terrible. He was probably drunk when he parked. Maybe even high.” 

Lloyd toggled over to a different page, one that Jake had set up for him. He typed in Aiden’s information and was surprised to see several security clearances. He checked out the company he worked for and found they had several Department of Defense contracts. 

Lloyd memorized the contracts and filed the information away for future use. 

Just in case. 

Date # 1

You were wearing a short black dress with tights and a blazer. He’d noticed the hemline was shorter than usual, but the jet black tights made it work appropriate. The color only served to highlight the shape of your legs. Lloyd had tried not to be distracted. He failed miserably. 

It didn’t help that the cut of the dress perfectly flattered your figure. He caught a glimpse of a spaghetti strap underneath your jacket and the image circulated in the back of his head for the rest of the day. 

Fuck. He needed to get laid. 

You were his friend and he needed to put aside this nonsense. The chemistry between you would never be realized and that was for the best. He sometimes wondered if the chemistry he felt was all one sided. Maybe you only saw him as a friend and a coworker, not a man. 

“Has Y/N mentioned that she has a date tonight?” Jake asked. 

Lloyd stiffened. “No. Why?”

“Just wondering.” 

He tried to brush off the irritation, but it bubbled up throughout the day. 

You had a date. That was fine. It was what single people did, right? They went on dates. He could arrange a date of his own, if he liked. With an age appropriate woman and not someone who was starting on soft foods when he was choosing a college. Lloyd’s eye twitched. 

He glanced at the clock. If he wanted an update on the insurance investigation reports he needed to catch you before you head out. Reluctantly, he set off down the hall for your office. 

Your door was closed, so he knocked. 

“Just a sec!” 

Did you sound breathless? When you opened the door, he saw why. The black tights were gone. In their place was a different kind of tights, made of mesh with a floral pattern that wound around your legs making them look long and sexy. The blazer was gone and your dress was held up by the thinnest of straps connected to a tight fitting bodice. 

Your height was different, which prompted him to look down. 

Fuck me heels. That’s what they’d called shoes like that when he was young. As the saying went, ‘you can’t walk in them, but you can wear them in bed.’ 

“What do you think?” you asked. 

“Is this a first date?” 

“Yes.” 

“Do you have any concerns about breaking an ankle? Or perhaps an entire leg?”

The shoes bothered him more than the dress. 

You laughed and turned to the mirror you’d hung on the far wall of your office. He watched as you applied a fresh coat of red lip lacquer. The shiny finish made him think it wasn't lipstick, but at the same time, it had more color than lipgloss. He wondered if it was one of those fancy products with the no transfer formulas. The kind women usually wore when they planned on kissing a man. 

A vibrant image of you on your knees with your lips around his dick came to mind. Lloyd shook his head to dislodge the image. 

“Okay, now what do you think?”

“You look beautiful.” 

He genuinely meant it.

“Really?” You tilted your head. “What’s missing? Please, just tell me.”

“Well… maybe it’s the context, but you don’t look like you in this outfit. It’s probably just me. I usually l see you in office wear.” 

You flashed him a smile. “That’s perfect. I’m going more for attention than authenticity, you know?”

He didn’t, and couldn’t untangle the concept behind your statement. The authentic you was a far better version than this glamorous photo shoot ready version of you. With a quick peck on his cheek, you skirted by him and down the hall to the elevator. 

Lloyd stood there, confused, disgruntled, and irritated that he hadn’t even asked about the insurance investigation he’d planned to bring up. He rubbed a hand over his face. 

Fucking hell. 

When he stepped into your office to lock the door, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. An imprint of red lipstick was on his right cheek. He stared at it for a long moment before he rubbed it away with his thumb. 

Lloyd returned to his office in a much better mood than he’d left it.

Date #3 

Jake had informed him of your last date, but this time it was Zach who let him know you were going on your third date with Aiden. 

Lloyd ground his teeth. 

“Careful there. Don’t crack a molar.” 

“Shut. Up.” 

“Would I do a thing like that?” Zach asked. 

He was grinning like a little boy with a sadistic streak and a magnifying glass on a bright summer day. 

“You’re enjoying this.”

“Heck yeah, I am. Have you met the dude?” 

Lloyd’s head swiveled. “No. Have you?”

“Yep. I waited outside, pretending to be on a call, so I could catch a glimpse.” 

“That’s creepy.” 

“No, it’s being nosy. I’m a private investigator. Being nosy is literally my job.” 

“Well?” Lloyd said. 

“He’s six foot three and probably weighs one forty. It’s like looking at a baby colt - all arms and legs, no substance.” 

This was great news. If you weren’t attracted to him this would probably be over quickly.

“Did you to talk to him?”

Zach smirked. “I texted her that you needed an update on the insurance case and cornered him in the lobby.” 

“She’s going to kill you when she finds out.” 

“I bought him a coffee and did a twenty minute interrogation. He didn’t even know what I was doing. He thought I was just being friendly.” 

Friendly wasn’t a word often applied to Zach Hightower. Lloyd got along with the Texan because they shared a devious streak and could lose themselves in the hunt; especially when the prey was other human beings. 

“Give me your impression.”  

“He’s squirrely. I don’t like him one bit.”

Lloyd focused completely on Zach. 

“In what way?”

“He used the phrase ‘I was in a mood,’ and not ‘my mood was.’ Stuff like that. Princess got pretty annoyed when she found me getting cozy with her boyfriend.” 

“She probably thought I sicced you on him.” 

“She asked me what I thought of him this morning and I had to dodge the question,” Zach said. “Landon noticed I didn’t answer and asked what was up. When I told him about interviewing Aiden, he said the mood thing is a sign of a personality problem.” 

“What kind?”

Zach shrugged. “The kind that makes you an asshole.” 

“She’s going out with him tonight?” 

“I guess so.” Zach said. 

A long moment passed as Zach stared at Lloyd, expectant. 

“Well?” 

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Aren’t you going to say something to her?” Zach asked. 

“You’re the one who thinks her boy toy has a personality problem. You say something.” 

“Landon said that, not me. I can tell he’s the kind of guy things just ‘happen’ to. The kind that doesn’t realize they’re responsible for how they act.” 

“I’m not going to disturb her relationship.” 

Zach sighed. “You’re such a bitchy little girl.” 

Lloyd sneered. “And you’re a nosy old woman.” 

“It’s my job, asshole.”

Date #5

Lloyd should’ve been suspicious when Zach brought him to a bar that didn’t have chandeliers made of antlers. 

Obstensivey, this outing was to distract him from your date tonight. When he found himself sitting at a table on the mezzanine of a place called “Club Violet,” questions should have come up. 

Jake sat to his left and Zach across from him. When Zach’s eyes began to stray around the room, Lloyd mimicked the behavior, almost out of habit. The lower area held the majority of the crowd. Its large dance floor pulsed with activity and the bar was packed. 

Then, he saw what Zach was looking for. You were perched on a barstool, your arms twined around Aiden’s neck. He was standing in front of you, his hands caressing your hips, straying lower than they ought to. 

Lloyd’s breath hissed. “Jake, if I throw Zach head first over this railing, do you think he’ll die?” 

“Huh?” Jake’s head snapped up from his phone. He stared. “What?”

“I could just snap his neck with my bare hands.” Lloyd’s tone was conversational. 

Jake looked between them and then back to his phone. “Landon will be here any minute.”

“Off topic, boy wonder,” Lloyd grumbled. 

“It’s relevant. We need two of us to break you up.”

“He’s been waylaid,” Zach said.

Lloyd glanced down and saw that your position had changed. You’d let go of your boyfriend to speak with a newcomer. Even from a distance in dim lighting, he could identify Landon’s fade haircut and the military straight posture. 

“Damn it.”

He snarled at Zach, who returned a Cheshire cat grin. 

“Well, well, well… look who's coming up the steps.”

Lloyd didn’t need to look. He knew you’d be on your way over. He covered his eyes and groaned. 

“I’m blaming you for everything. Everything.”

“Why are you guys playing the role of protective older brothers?” Jake asked.

“Because Aiden’s a squirrely little punk,” Zach said. “See? He isn’t even coming with her.”

Lloyd uncovered his eyes and frowned when he saw Zach was right. Aiden was still at the bar. He’d turned to a girl with raven’s wing hair and was chattering away, looking suspiciously like he was trying to pick her up. His eyes narrowed as something cold moved in his chest. 

You arrived on the second level with Landon and were rapidly approaching.

“What’s our cover story?” Jake asked.

“No cover story,” Zach said.

At least Zach was being straightforward, even if he was obnoxious. Lloyd tossed back half of his bourbon and hoped some liquid courage would take the edge off. 

Your eyes cut to Zach when you stopped at the head of the table.

“What are you? The Gladys Kravits of Bishop & Howard?” 

The big, blond Texan flashed a smile. 

“Why thank you, sweetheart. In my profession, that’s the highest compliment one could hope to achieve.” 

With an exasperated groan, you dropped into the chair beside Zach, and turned to Lloyd with an expectant expression.

“Can’t you collar him?”

“I’ve tried. Shock collars, choke chains… Nothing has worked.” 

Zach slung an arm around the back of Princess’ chair. 

“Your boyfriend is an asshole. Landon? You talked to him.”

“Just for ten seconds.”

You shared a look with the dark haired man and slanted Zach a sidelong glance. 

“You’re paranoid. I think you should see someone about that.”

He laughed. “I have. They can’t fix me.”

It was annoying that Zach’s arm had moved forward on your chair and was now pressed against your back. Did he think he was your best friend, rather than Lloyd? He had the urge to kick the other man under the table. 

You turned to Jake.

“What do you think?”

“I think you’re right. These two,” he gestured to the older men, “are crazy. I think it’s age.”

“Shut up, punk. I can kick your ass any day of the week,” Zach said.

It was pretty much true. Zach only had two inches in height on the young man, but it was the solid 60 pounds of muscle that made him an immovable force. You couldn’t see the weight until he took off his jacket and even then, there was only a hint of the musculature. Zach never wore clothing that drew attention to his physique. He let it come as a nasty surprise to anyone stupid enough to mess with him. 

You were bantering with the Texan about him being your nanny. Lloyd watched closely and all he could see in Zach’s behavior was a paternal kind of affection. He knew a thing or two about Zach and because of that, he doubted there were any hidden motivations behind his actions.

What about Aiden had triggered Zach’s instincts? The way he talked. The lack of ownership of behavior. Lloyd tried to evaluate that on its own, treating it as fact. He could see the issue Zach was insisting was such a problem. Sitting there with the others bantering around the table, Lloyd turned his thoughts inward, pretending to present as he ran through the logic in his mind. 

He was paying enough attention to the conversation to notice you were gently trying to soothe Zach’s nerves. It seemed to be working, too. Landon was watching you closely and asking questions from interrogation school 101. By the time you left the table, pausing to hug Zach and reassure him that you were totally fine and had listened to all of his red flags, Lloyd had come to a decision. 

“What do you think?” Zach asked Landon when you were gone.

“I’m not sure. He seems insecure but hey, some guys of his age just are.” 

Zach groaned and shook his head. He picked up his beer and tilted it at Lloyd in a salute. 

“Look at the benefits of being nosy. I talked some sense into her.” 

Lloyd grunted. He waited for the right moment to corner Landon alone. He caught his shoulder and turned him away from the bar, where he’d been heading. 

“Come on. You don’t need another beer.” 

“Excuse me?” Landon demanded. 

“I want to talk to this Aiden kid. If Zach’s this worried about him, we need to check him out.”

“When did this become ‘we,’ rather than just you,” Landon asked. 

“Hurry up, we’re losing him.” 

Aiden was heading toward the door and the crowd prevented them from following as closely as they would have preferred. By the time they hit the sidewalk, Aiden was out of sight. Lloyd spun around, scanning the area. 

“Shit. We lost him.” 

“Is that him?” Landon asked. 

Lloyd whirled. 

He searched the crowd for a tall, thin man but didn’t find him. 

“Where?”

“With the blonde.”

Lloyd’s eyes narrowed on the silhouette of a couple standing in the shadow of a street lamp. 

“Are you sure?” he asked. 

“No,” Landon said. 

Lloyd was almost ready to approach when the couple turned and began walking away. 

Landon grabbed his elbow. 

“Come on. Let’s not be weird. If you have something to say about Princess’ relationship, say it to her.” 

“What, exactly, am I supposed to tell her that Zach hasn’t already?” 

Landon snorted. 

“You know he’s only saying it because he knows you won’t.” 

Lloyd paused. “He is?”

“Yeah. We were expecting you to meet him at least before date number three. But she said you didn’t seem interested, so she wasn’t going to bother.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me this?”

“Because we talked about it-”

“We? We, as in who?”

“Everyone. Except for you and Princess.”

Lloyd grunted. “Which is why Zach decided to get nosy.”

Landon shrugged. “He’s your best friend and you’re her best friend. It balances out. We get why you don’t want to step in, and that’s why Zach did.” 

They were nearly at the entrance of the club again, when Lloyd stopped short. 

“Should I be worried about this guy?”

Landon grunted, rocking back on his heels. The look on his face was all the answer Lloyd needed. 

“Right. I’ll look into it.” 

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

Masterlist

[kaleidoscopexsighs]

sunday snippet

thank you @spindrifters @kaaaaaaarf @vajazzly @sommerregenjuniluft and @wanderingdonut for the tags ✨

been a minute since we checked in on love me 'til my lips turn blue:

Regulus drops the box off at 7:00am on a Tuesday – the very last of Sirius’s things from the dank, dusty basement of Grimmauld Place. Hastily clad in the same black mesh shirt, jeans and boots he’d discarded in a pile at the foot of his and Remus’s bed the night before, Sirius crosses his arms and leans against the doorframe, hoping he looks suitably miffed at the ungodly early wake-up call. “You couldn’t have just thrown it away?” “It’s not mine to get rid of. Everything in here is yours.” His brother stands on the front porch dressed in simple gray khakis, a light blue button down and shiny black loafers. He looks more like someone on their way to a Young Republicans mixer than to a morgue, but Sirius — noting the uncharacteristic rumple of his hair and the bruise-blue shadows under his eyes, the true badges of his office – chooses to withhold that particular observation. “Reg, we spent two weeks going through that house top to bottom. I already pitched everything that belonged to me.” “Well, you missed these things.” “Well, I don’t want any of it.” “Well, neither do I.” Sirius huffs, running a hand through his own shock of jet black hair before unceremoniously scooting the box along the rough concrete stoop with the toe of his boot. “Look, do whatever you want with them. Between rotations and getting the house ready to sell, I’ve got enough on my plate already,” Regulus says curtly.  “Right.” Guilt catches in Sirius’s chest, prickling and threatening to force its way up his throat and precipitate a larger conversation that neither of them have the desire or energy for at the moment. He swallows it down. “How are those going? Patients treating you nicely?” “They tend not to be chatty, as a rule.” Allergic to a bit as always, his brother. “Checks out.” Sirius sucks the brisk morning air in through his teeth, hoping to salvage the interaction and avoid another month-long cold shoulder. “Well, I hope you’re able to make time for some fun every now and then. You’re still young, despite your best efforts.” “Between two autopsies a day, a capstone presentation for the Forensic Odontology symposium next month, and closing on the house, I’ll see where I can pencil it in.” “Mmm. Freaky.” “Don’t be crude.” Sirius grins. “I support whatever deviance you get up to on your own time, assuming all parties are consenting.” Not bothering to dignify that with an answer, Regulus turns and heads to his car.  Sirius hoists the box from the ground and calls out to his brother’s retreating figure. “Still on for dinner next week?”  “Yes. Tell Remus I’m looking forward to seeing him,” Regulus replies before closing the driver’s side door with a bit more force than necessary. “Love you too,” Sirius sighs, waving him off. “Asshole.”

tagging: @achilleslikespeas @strezzlecki @lemndrps @titstraction

[sl-newsie]

Give It A Chance (Baby John x Velma's Little Sister)

‘So basically Baby John still hasn’t got a date to the dance at the gym, so Mouthpiece has an idea to set them up, but the thing is she’s a tomboy and has never been to a dance she doesn’t want to go, but after much convincing she decides she can at least meet her blind date beforehand. Much to her surprise he’s got a nail in his ear. She offers to help, they bond and end up having a wonderful time at the dance together.’ Huzzah! Coming right up! 

Jacqueline’s POV

“Come on, Jackie! It’ll be fun!” My sister chats from the other room.

I roll my eyes. “No!”

“Social mixers aren’t life sentences, sis! Just give it a chance-”

“I am not going to a boring, meaningless dance where I will be forced to act nice to people I hate and just stand in the corner like a tossed-aside wallflower! Besides, I've already planned on fishing over in Brooklyn later. Spot’s gonna miss me!”

Fishing with Spot and the other Brooklynites sounds lots more fun than any dumb social event!

Velma storms into my bedroom and backs me against the wall. “Jacqueline Anderson, you will be going to this dance if it’s the last thing I do! You cannot just play around with boys and never go on a date!”

I gawk at her remark and sneer. “Why not? Is it hurting your image?”

“That makes you a tomboy, and I am not having any of that! It’s time for you to grow up and be a lady! What would mother say?”

“You tell me!” I fume. “You knew her better than me before she up and left us! While you’re off gallivanting with your drama queens, I’m actually trying to help dad out by doing odd and end jobs. You want me to be a lady? I’ll be my own ‘lady’ by learning how to support myself without suffering through pointless social dances!”

Velma’s reddening face shows I’m winning, but before she can yell at me again another voice rings out from the front door:

“Velma! Velma! Come quick!”

Graziella, Velma’s best friend, bursts in with a wild look on her face.

“What’s the news, Grazzi?” Velma asks.

“It’s Riff! He and the Jets were fighting the Sharks again! I hear they got roughed up pretty good! Baby John even got-!” She notices me and smirks at my confused frown. “Ooh, I forgot! You haven’t met them, have you? Don’t worry, you will at the dance tonight!”

I huff. “In case my sister hasn’t told you yet, I’m not going! So thanks, but no thanks.”

Mouthpiece’s POV

“Don’t sweat it, Johnny. It doesn’t look that bad…” I peer down at the bloody nail stabbed in the young Jet’s ear. It looks bad. 

Baby John groans. “Face it, I’m just the runt of the pack. You guys are better off without me tonight. Just leave, Mouthpiece- go get ready for the dance.”

“What ‘bout you?”

He shakes his head. “Nah, I ain’t go’n. Besides, I don't even got a date. I ain’t good with the goils like you all are.” He offers a weak smile. “My ma raised me too soft, I guess.”

“Hey, fellas!” Grazi jogs up and looks between me and Baby John. “Ready for tonight?”

“Apparently Baby John ain’t go’n,” I say matter-o-factly as the Jet in question walks away to go slump on a bench and stare at passing cars. 

“Huh. That’s 2 rejections I’ve heard today.”

“Who was the foist?”

“Velma’s sister.” Grazi chuckles. “She’s never gone to a dance and never wants to. She's more of the ‘tomboy’ type, if ya catch my drift.”

“Really…?” I put a hand to my chin and look over at where Baby John’s sitting with a smirk creeping onto my face. “That gives me a crazy idea that just might work…”

Jacqueline’s POV

Ah, dad’s workshop. The only place in this bizarre city I can be myself! I’m currently trying to get a chores list done of fixing a few household items before my fishing trip with Spot.

“Oh, Jackie!” Grazi calls in a singsong voice when she and Velma strut in. “I have returned with wonderful news! You’re still against the dance, right?”

“Still not going,” I say flatly, not even looking up from the clock I’m repairing.

“Oh really? What if I told you that I just set you up on a blind date with a Jet?”

I nearly drop the clock. “What? You’ve got to be kidding!”

Velma and Grazi giggle at my befuddled look.

“I kid you not! Mouthpiece and I worked it all out- you each need a date, so you go with each other. It’s perfect! You’ll love Baby John, he’s super cute.”

“Those Jets are nothing but trouble! Dad never wanted Velma to get involved with them, and here she is now caught up in all this gang violence. I ain’t getting sucked into that too!”

Velma ignores my repent and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Just give him a chance, please? He’s really nice, honest! Do it for mom?”

Really? She’s guilt-tripping me into this, going out with a random boy I’ve never met? But I still can’t ignore the stabbing remorse leaking out of my heart. Mom would have wanted me to at least try. And no one ever said I had to like it. I’ll just show up for 10 minutes and leave when no one notices.

I eventually let out a sigh in defeat. “If I do this, will you stop pestering me about going to social events?”

“If you do this, I’ll never make you go to another social event ever again.” Velma holds her hand up in a scout’s honor. 

I close my eyes and, before I can second-guess this once-in-a-lifetime offer, I give a stiff nod.

“Yay!” My sister does a victory dance and takes my hands to twirl me around the workshop. “Your foist dance! I’m so happy!”

I rip my hands away and kick a can across the room. Guess I’ll have to tell Spot I’m canceling. “Yeah yeah, whatever. So what do I do now?”

Grazi looks judgingly up and down at my rugged, stained overalls. “Foist off, you’re gonna need a dress.” 

Great. I’m going to love this.

In half an hour I feel like one-a those plastic mannequins in a fancy department store. When Grazi holds up a mirror I don’t exist. Instead, I see the face of a fragile goil with rosy cheeks, red lips, highlighted eyes, and brunette curls up in a too-perky ponytail. The dress Velma is lending me is a deep blue, despite my request to wear her blood-red one.

“It lets people know you’re with the Jets, Jackie. You don’t wanna be confused for a Shark goil.”

Why does that matter? But I don’t push it. Just dress up all goily-goily for one night and this’ll all be over.

“But why the shoes?” I groan when I try to stand on the painful heels.

“It helps with posture, so you don’t slouch,” Velma answers quickly before she starts yanking me out the door. “Now come on, we’ve gotta meet up with the boys! Grazi’s already headed off with Riff!”

Baby John’s POV

“Think fast, Johnny!” Mouthpiece calls.

I whip my head up just in time to catch a bottle, one that smells… funny.

“What’s this?”

“Cologne. You know, for your date.”

I almost drop the bottle when my brain processes his casual sentence.  “D- Date? Whaddya talk’n ‘bout? I told ya I don’t got a date.”

The blonde Jet smiles and puts an arm over my shoulder. “You do now, Johnny! Grazi and I set up a blind date for you and Velma’s little sis.”

Blood drains from my face and my throat suddenly feels dry as a desert. 

“Mouthpiece… I- Why would you do that?” I start panicking. “She probably expects some cool, suave guy that’ll make her swoon. I can’t even dance! I’m- I’m gonna die of embarrassment!”

The older Jet presses me against the wall and tries to calm me down. “She ain’t like that, Baby John. Trust me, you’ll like her. And if it’s any comfort she’s just as reluctant to go to the dance as you are.”

I nod and swallow. “W- What’s her name?”

“Jacqueline.”

“Jacqueline…” The name rolls off my tongue like a drink of fresh water. I haven’t even met her and I’m already anxious about this! “When do I meet her?”

“Oh, about-” 

“Mouthpiece! We’re here!” We hear Velma yell close by.

“Right now!” Mouthpiece steers me to the alley and pats my back. “Go get ‘em, tiger!”

“But my ear-!” But Mouthpiece disappears before I can get any help, leaving me to hastily cover my bleeding ear with my hand. Great, now I’ll drive her away with a bloody ear!

In all the rushed mix of confusion and fear, I swallow my nerves and turn to look and find-

Oh my God.

Jacqueline’s POV

“Do I really have to do this? I mean… he probably won’t even like me. Why torture us both?”

Velma waves it off as we make our way to the Jet junkyard. “Oh, please. He’s gonna love you, sis.” We get to a dark alley and she yells: “Mouthpiece! We’re here!”

Guess there’s no going back now.

I take a deep, shaky breath and lift my head up just in time to see- Oh my God.

The most adorable face I’ve ever seen step into the alley. Wait- can goils use that term? But he is! And when this mystery boy walks up closer with an awestruck look on his face I’m proven even further. Brown eyes, cute nose, dark hair, and a tan skin that makes me suspect Italian heritage. He don’t say anything, just keeps staring at me. Did I do something wrong?

I try to break the ice and wave. “Hey, handsome.”

The boy does a double-take to see if he heard me, then looks behind him at the empty alley and points to himself.

“Me?” He squeaks.

I roll my eyes. “No, the wall. Yes you, stupid!”

“Jackie, play nice,” Velma warns. “I’ll leave you kids to get acquainted. Meet you later at the dance!”

And just like that I’m left to fend for myself. But I gotta say, this guy seems a lot less egotistical than I pictured the average Jet. Only known him for 2 minutes and he’s never smirked at me once! But why does he keep rubbing his ear?

Not wanting to make things even more awkward, I step forward and extend a hand. “Jacqueline Anderson. Call me Jackie. You?”

The boy seems taken back by my casual way of speech and shakes my hand. “Baby John.”

“Neat gang name. What’s the real one?” I ask bluntly.

His eyes widen. “Oh, um- just Johnathon. So… you’ve never been to a dance either?”

“Nope. I’s always too busy helping my dad in the shop. I’m doing this to get Velma off my back, that way I can do what I actually like doing.”

“Which is?”

I bite my lip and cross my arms. “You’d probably think it’s stupid. I say let’s just get this dance over with, so let’s go.” Before Baby John can ask further I grab his hand and start drag him towards the street leading to the school gym, but then I notice his hand is covered with- blood?!

“Dear Lord, what did you do to your hand?”

Baby John gets a look on his face and hastily rubs his bloody hand on his shirt. “Oh, sorry. I forgot, um… I got a nail in my ear.”

“What?!” I quickly grab johnny’s shoit and bring him closer get a look at his ear. Sure enough, there’s a rusty nail lodged in his earlobe. “Ouch. That’s gotta hurt.”

He sighs. “I know, it’s gross. I- I understand if you wanna go without me.”

Is he serious?

“No way! I’m not too keen on this dance, but I ain’t just gonna leave you here with your ear look’n like that! Now sit down and shut up.” I search through my purse and pull out a handkerchief. “Here. Once I pull it out hold this on your ear and put pressure on it.” He takes it, then gets wide eyes when I pull out a small bottle of rubbing alcohol.

“What the…? Do you got a tiny murder kit in your purse or someth’n?”

“Haha. No, my dad just taught me to always be prepared. Velma carries lipstick, I carry bandages. Ready?”

Baby John takes a deep breath and holds up the handkerchief. “Ready.”

With steady hands I carefully inch the nail out, and I must say I’m impressed by Baby John’s pain tolerance. He tenses up and squirms a little, and I start to feel bad when he lets a discomfort groan slip out.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Just a bit longer- there!” I quickly remove the nail and hold John’s hand against it. “Pressure!” Now I take out anodda handkerchief and soak it in alcohol. “This is gonna sting like Hell.”

I press it to his ear and John immediately cries out. “Dammit!”

“I told you! Now just a sec-” I cup Baby John’s face with one hand and wrap up his ear with the other. “There. It’ll hurt for a while, but at least it’s disinfected. Sorry, I know it’s really humiliating for a boy to get treated by a goil in public.”

But on the contrary, Johnny actually looks grateful.

“Thanks, Jackie! It feels much better. So… you still wanna go to the dance?”

I shrug. “Yeah, why not? Mine as well since I’s already gussied up in this stupid dress anyway. Unless you’d rather back out now?”

Baby John immediately shakes his head and seems a bit geeked. “No, no! I’m- I’m actually excited. I’s never been to a dance before, so forgive me for be’n a bit of a softie.”

I chuckle at his innocence and give him a playful nudge. “Yeah, but you’re a cute softie.  C’mon!” I grab his hand and we start walking to the gym.

Baby John’s POV

Oh my God. Oh. My. God! I think I’m on a blind date with an angel! And she’s holding my hand!

Jacqueline, Jacqueline, Jacqueline… Jackie. She’s beautiful, but not in a traditional way… It’s hard to explain, but I feel as if I don’t have to worry about offending her or pretend to be cool. And she didn’t freak out about my ear!

When we get to the gym it’s super noisy and we have to squeeze through the hallway, making me press against her back and my pulse double.

“Sorry.”

She gives me a funny look. “For what?”

“Bumping up against you?”

She huffs. “Johnny, that ain’t something to be worried about with me. I’ll sooner arm wrestle someone rather than make a hissy fit about getting my toes stepped on. Just relax, ok?”

Is this goil even real?

I expect to be hard-a hearing in the gym, but Jackie’s voice doesn't keep up with the light, feminine tone.

“HEY! JOHNNY! LET’S GO OVER HERE!”

We find a space in the back corner and just stand back to watch the others dancing in the center. Riff and Grazi are having a dance-off with Anita and Bernardo with many onlookers. After a while I feel Jackie nudge my shoulder.

“Wanna dance? Or are you just here to show up too?”

In my head I can’t help but be disappointed that Jackie’s only here because she’s being forced to, not because she wants to dance with me. But I don’t wanna make her do something she don’t like- ‘it’s the gentleman thing to do,�� as ma would say.

“You don’t have to dance with me. I understand, you just wanna get this outta the way.”

Jacqueline’s POV

I notice Johnny’s spirits fall, and at foist I’m not sure why. But then I see him look’n at the odda guys dancing with goils and it clicks. He really wanted to dance with me. This isn’t just a meaningless one time thing to him.

“Say, Johnny… Do you know how to dance?” I ask noivously.

He lifts his head up with new-found enthusiasm and shuffles his feet. “Uh, no. But I’m willing to learn!”

I smile and take his hand. “Then we’ll both learn, ‘cause I don’t either!”

And so it goes, starting with a simple jig and Baby John lifting me up in the air. We do some jazz squares, in-and-out hops, and some charlestons. He’s really good! But my nerves pick up again when the music tone changes to a more slow, romantic song and couples start slow-dancing. Baby John seems to get anxious too, but we both struggle through and start swaying while trying not to fall over.

“I apologize in advance if I step on your feet,” I kid at him.

“Hey! I’m supposed to say that to you,” he points back with a smile.

“Yeah, well… These heels can stab right through your feet. Seriously, they should be classified as murder weapons!”

“I’m assuming you’s never worn heels before?”

I look down. “That obvious, huh?”

“Don’t get me wrong, you pull them off well.”

“Just one more thing I’ve failed at in my big sister’s life of being a goil etiquette.” I roll my eyes.

Baby John frowns. “You don’t act like a goil.”

Hm. I was afraid of this. Sooner or later Baby John was gonna see just how much of a tomboy I really am and then probably leave me for some other more feminine goil.

“Would you want me to?” I ask uneasily.

It doesn’t take long, just a short moment for Baby John to look straight at me with his big, brown eyes, then he shakes his head. “No. I like you, like this I mean. You’re not flirty or over dramatic, you’re just like… just like talking to a guy. B- But not in a weird way!” He quickly recovers and runs a hand through his hair. “Gee, I’m sorry Jackie. ‘S just I ain’t too good talk’n to goils, but you… you’re different.”

“Like… a tomboy, right?”

“Exactly!”

I nod and look away. “Yeah. Someone who never wanted to go on dates ‘cause all guys want is a dainty goil who giggles when she laughs, like a lifesize Barbie doll.”

“I don’t see you that way. You don’t let anyone control you, aren’t afraid to get messy. If that ain’t respectable, I donno what is. But, um, if you’s will’n to maybe give a guy a chance…” He clears his throat and looks at me with noivous eyes. “Would you wanna maybe go on an actual date? It don’t gotta be like this, maybe something outdoors?”

Baby John doesn’t care I’m a tomboy? And call me crazy, but a real date with John actually sounds exciting! Maybe dance wasn’t so terrible after all…

I can tell Baby John’s noivous, but I try to ease him up by taking his hand and using my other hand to cup his face. “Jonathon, I’d luv to!”

His face lights up brighter than the sun and suddenly I’m be’n twirled through the air.

“Thank you thank you thank you!” Baby John cheers. When he sets me down he looks at me with a serious face. “I swear, Jacquline, I’ll be good to you. I ain’t like the odda Jets, I’m an honest man I swear.”

My heart melts and I take the courage to lean up and place a soft kiss on Jonathon’s cheek. “I know, Jonathan. I just… know. And I just wanna say thank you for ever want’n to date a weirdo tomboy.”

A deep red flushes over his cheeks and John gives a shy chuckle. “Thanks for give’n a skinny nobody a chance. Um… one last dance?”

“It’d be a shame to waste the golden opportunity,” I smirk.

He grins. “Let’s go!”

We walk hand-in-hand back into the dancing chaos, then begin twirling away again. Tension is still thick between the Sharks and Jets, but we don’t care. All I can think about is Baby John’s soft hands and luv’n eyes. All my life I’ve never thought any guy would take an interest, but now I think things are taking a change for the better!

“Hey, Jackie! You’re finally enjoying yourself!” My sister shouts when she and Action dance over to us.

“Zip it, Velma!” But deep inside, I’ve never been happier! We keep dancing until the Jets and Sharks start to get into a heated argument, then take the time to slip outside.

Baby John gives me a sheepish look. “Things are start’n to get heated up. Sorry ‘bout that.”

I wave it off. “It ain’t your fault. Velma talks ‘bout this kinda thing all the time.”

“You wanna get outta here?”

I shake my head. “You have no idea! Have ya ever gone fishing before? I know the best place in Brooklyn.”

“That sounds poifect, Jackie.” Baby John smiles warmly and takes my hand, leading me outta the crowded gym and out into the cool night.

“Just wait ‘til you see the harbor-! Ugh. These shoes are killing my feet!” I take a moment to lean against a crate while John seems to get an idea.

“Allow me, miss.” He kneels down and starts unstrapping my painful heels. When he’s finished with the foist shoe I stumble a bit, but John lets me lean on him to regain my balance. After I can walk normal again, Baby John stands up and plants a quick kiss on my forehead.

“Race you there?”

I give him a wicked grin. “You’re on!”