#jungle boys carts

[superiorsturgeon]

Domestic Arkos Role Reversal

Pyrrha: *distressed, reading the mail* Oh, no! I lost another sponsorship! And just when huntress jobs are running short, too!

Jaune: *wraps Pyrrha in a hug* Darn, that’s too bad. I guess I can go back to my old job being a crossing guard to make ends meet and you can stay home with Jamie for now?

Pyrrha: I suppose it would be nice to spend time at home with our son…

Pyrrha: Okay, let’s do it!

———————————————————————

Jaune: *heading out the door* Love you both! Be good for your mom, Jamie! Remember to call me if you need help, okay?

Pyrrha: Don’t worry so much! Hurry up or you’ll be late!

Pyrrha: Well, it looks like it’s just you and your mother today, right sweetheart? *looks down at Arkos son*

Jamie: *already has gum in his hair* 😀

Pyrrha: 🤦‍♀️…this day is not off to a good start…

———————————————————————

Pyrrha: *struggling with pot roast recipe and slow cooker instructions* Wait, is “warm” a higher or lower heat than “low?”

*Smoke alarm goes off*

———————————————————————

Pyrrha: *steps on lego while playing with Jamie*

Pyrrha: 😫 FU-

Jamie: 🙂 ?

Pyrrha: *clamps a hand over her mouth and muffles her agonized scream*

———————————————————————

Pyrrha: *pushing grocery cart and reading shopping list*

Pyrrha: How can two adults and a five-year-old need seven pages of groceries?

Pyrrha: And what on Remnant is tarragon?!

———————————————————————

Pyrrha: *removes laundry from dryer*

Pyrrha: *holds up shrunken shirt* 😟

Pyrrha: …Jamie, sweetie, how would you like one of your father’s old shirts?

Jamie: 🙃

———————————————————————

Jamie: *running around happily with the other children at the park*

Pyrrha: *slumps on a bench* Ugh…how can one little boy have so much energy…? 😮‍💨

Pyrrha: Maybe I can just rest here for a minute…

Pyrrha: 😴

Random Mother: …excuse me? Miss? Isn’t that your son?

Pyrrha: *cracks open one eye* …bwuh…?

Jamie: *on top of jungle gym, losing his balance*

Jamie: 🫨

Pyrrha: 😱

Pyrrha: *launches herself off the bench into a diving catch*

Pyrrha: *heart hammering* Are you okay?!

Jamie: 🥺 *small nod*

Pyrrha: *flops on the ground clutching her son*

———————————————————————

Pyrrha: *holding napping Jamie on her shoulder during PTA meeting*

Jamie: 😪 *drools a bit on Pyrrha’s shirt*

Pyrrha: I’ve never been so bored in my life…🥱

———————————————————————

Jaune: *opens door to Arkos house* Hello! I’m home!

Jamie: Daddy! *runs to the door*

Jaune: Hey, there’s my little guy! *scoops up his son as he walks inside* How was your day with mommy?

Jamie: We went to the park! Mommy’s sleepy though!

Pyrrha: *passed out on the couch with disheveled hair, stains on her shirt, and a pile of half-opened bills on her lap as her son’s favorite cartoon plays on the tv* 😴

Jaune: *bends down and gently shakes Pyrrha’s shoulder* Pyr? How are you doing?

Pyrrha: *snorts and jerks awake* What? Huh? Jamie, be careful with that-!

Pyrrha: Oh, Jaune…! Welcome home! How was work? 🥱

Jaune: *adjusts Jamie in his arms* Just like I remembered! Helping kids cross the street, politely telling some of the moms that I’m very taken! 😁

Pyrrha: *exhausted pout* I’m much too tired for jokes, Jaune…😣

Jaune: Okay, okay! Let me put my stuff away and we’ll see about dinner!

Jamie: Pizza? 😃

Jaune: *looks at the stack of dishes in the kitchen with burnt-on food* …yeah, sure little guy! Go wash your hands and daddy will order pizza.

Jamie: 😄 *happily runs to the bathroom*

Pyrrha: *slowly gets up and walks face-first into Jaune’s shoulder* …how do you do it…? I’ve trained for the arena for years and fought Grimm bigger than our house, but I’m so tired after one day at home with my own son…! ��

Jaune: *wraps Pyrrha in a hug* Don’t worry, Pyr! It just takes some practice! Besides, it’s only until you get another huntress job and get back to being a hero!

Pyrrha: *mumbles into Jaune’s chest* …If you can do this every day while I’m at work, you’re the REAL hero…!

Jaune: Hey, I’m just the loving house husband of Pyrrha Freaking Nikos! I’m sure everyone will be calling you “The Invincible Mom” within the week!

Pyrrha: …

Jaune: …Pyr…?

Pyrrha: *asleep against Jaune* 😴

Jaune: *scoops up exhausted Pyrrha*

Jaune: …she has gum in her hair…

[igakc]

Take It Easy - What If Spider Never Left Hell's Gate?

Spider always wished he would be able to leave the lab, to finally venture out into the forest he had grown up hearing about. But no, he was stuck inside a metal box with a group of scientists who never batted an eye toward him, other than when he got into trouble, of course.

He knew the rules, and he followed them. Day after day, week after week, year after year. He followed them. He watched the clock tick by from inside the labs, he peered over Norm's shoulder as the older man worked, he even began to study astrology. Max began to call him the Man Of The Stars.

Life fell into a steady rhythm after his sixteenth birthday. He'd wake up and hit the old RDA-made gym, shower, do his long list of chores, and head to work. The rhythm never, ever changed. And he was finally okay with it. He stopped looking out the window, he stopped wondering what mysteries the forest held, and he stopped thinking of the yellow-eyed girl who haunted his dreams.

That was until the rhythm got absolutely fucked up the day Jake Sully walked into the labs. The behemoth Na'Vi entered through the airlock and scared the shit out of Spider, causing him to drop all of his astrology books.

"Dang it. Can you watch where you're fuckin' going, dude? Norm's gonna kill me if I damage these." Spider bent down to pick up the books, flicking his curly hair out of his face with a huff. He flinched slightly as a heavy hand came to rest on his shoulder.

"What did you just say to me, kid?" The human boy's eyes widened as he looked up at Jake. Spider swore that if he had a tail, it would be between his legs at that very moment. "Might want to watch your mouth 'round me."

Spider opened his mouth to reply but it was cut short as he looked at his watch. "Oh for fuck- I'm late for work!" He sprinted off in the opposite direction, leaving Jake alone in the entranceway. The boy leaped over the stray carts and tables, sliding underneath some of the scientist's legs as he made his way to Room.

'Room' was the word he used for the massive gym building that housed everything he needed. There was a jungle gym, a rock-climbing wall, rows and rows of bookshelves, a telescope, and a desk.

On the farthest side of Room, was his art wall. It was covered in colourful paintings that he'd crafted over the years, most of them were of the stars he saw.

Spider set his books down on his desk before walking over to the art wall, setting his hands on his hips as if deep in thought. Over the expanse of his lifetime, he only ever drew the stars, never actually seeing them. He wasn't ever allowed outside of airlock, even on his birthdays. Sure, Norm and Max promised to take him on their supply runs, but every time they left him alone in Room. It was starting to feel like Room was his only friend.

Even though he had left the life of wonderment and curiosity behind, a small part of him still wanted to get out of Room and see the stars. Or see anything, for that matter. Anything but Room, or the labs, or airlock. He wanted to climb something other than the rock wall, he wanted to study something other than the stars in his books, he wanted to be on the other side of airlock.

He wanted to be outside.

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

Spider.. Spider- SPIDER! SPI-

Spider rolled over and smacked Lo'ak over the head with a scowl. His legs were still very much tangled in his sheets, so when he attempted to get out of his bed, he ended up banging his head into the wall with a grunt.

"Hey monkey boy! Dad said we could visit you today." Kiri lifted him up by the back of his neck with a grin. "You sleep in awfully late."

Spider grumbled angrily. He walked over to his chest of draws and pulled out some of Norm's old jean shorts that he had cut himself, pulling them on quickly. They reached just below his knees and were so loose he had to tie a shoestring around his waist. He then donned his tank top to replace it with yet another tank top. But oh- This one was so different! It was just one shade darker than the other! Score.

He then pulled on his shoes and military-issued boots. Nothing seemed to work to cover his teenager stink, so he ended up over-spraying his lynx deodorant. Next was his hair which had been cut into a very unruly mop of curls, which Kiri tied into a man-bun atop his head.

"C'mon bro, show us your life in this.. Shack!" Lo'ak grinned.

Spider rolled his eyes before opening his bedroom door, setting off in the direction of Room in silence. Lo'ak and Kiri were nice and all, but they didn't seem to understand the differences they had. Spider was human, while they were Na'Vi. And to be honest, he didn't really like being around them. All he wanted to do was work and chores, so he could play in Room. That was literally all he needed to do before he got sent back to earth on his eighteenth birthday. He could finally be back where he belonged.

"Uh. This is Room. I work in here most of the time, don't touch anything." Spider pulled the curtains covering his paintings down, inspecting the newest set of stars he'd painted the night before.

Kiri's jaw dropped open in awe. Her thin fingers skimmed over the paint, feeling each groove and dip of the concrete wall. "You painted these all yourself?"

Spider nodded.

"They are very good, Spider. You should keep up with it. Maybe some of the village Elders might want some?"

That drew a pretty loud snort from Spider. "I can't give them away, they're literally etched in stone." He walked forward to stand beside Kiri, his voice lowering to a pained whisper. "There's no real talent here anyway."

Spider, who always saw himself as nothing but an unwilling addition to the humans, never had someone to praise him or congratulate him when he did something good. Spider spent his entire life alone in Room, and at first he told himself that he was worth something.

'Don't worry Spider, Norm doesn't hate you. What he told Max wasn't true!'

'Don't worry Spider, Jake wasn't lying when he said your paintings were good!'

But Norm did hate him, and his paintings were crap. So there was no point convincing himself that he was worth something.

"C'mon bro! These are awesome, definitely better than Tuk's." Lo'ak snickered, slapping Spider on the back. The human boy gritted his teeth together and turned away from the Na'Vi teenagers. They didn't get it, they never could get it. They had parents, they had siblings, they had friends. He had nothing.

"Can you fuck off for once?" The words had left his mouth before he could stop them.

Lo'ak's grin dropped, and Kiri flinched away from him.

An incredible silence settled over the three, and it stretched on for way too many minutes before a voice spoke up on the other side of Room.

"Lo'ak, Kiri. Your mom says its time to go home." Norm poked his head through the double doors. Spider stomped toward the man and shoved him out of the way. He had no clear idea of where he was going, but he knew he couldn't be around them anymore.

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

It'll get more interesting I promise <3

Chapter 2

[sinning-23]

Socket Wrench: Chapt. 3

Sooooo this chapter ended up being kinda lengthy ngl. Im REALLY tryna build that tension between DK and the reader but also make it kinda awkward cause they just met but they can't help but like take jabs and flirt back and forth with each other cause they've gotten a bit comfortable with one another. ANYWHO, enjoy! Maybe 3-4 more chapters after this annnnd then it shall be COMPLETE lol.

ALSO, Chapter 2 found here

ok, I'm done fr. enjoy :D

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

Chapter 3: Blow dice, Kiss tires

“So we ambush them at the end of this road?” You question making sure you got all the details right as Peach nods sternly. 

The plan was to use the carts to try and get to Bowser before he even knew it and not only save Luigi but the Mushroom and Jungle Kingdoms from being attacked. If he was coming to the Princess he wasn't going to just stop there, he’d take over everything. The next step was to prepare, and quickly. Luckily, the garage wasn't too far, and based on what you’d learned from your last time being there, they could build their carts easily, and you'd be able to finish yours with that kind of tech. 

“Let's make moves then.” You hum, leading the way to the garage, DK close behind. 

There were a few things that needed to be addressed but you kept your mouth shut, trying not to think about how well this whole plan would play out. Worse comes to worse, you die here or even one of them gets hurt and the plan goes to shit. You sigh heavily, gaining even more of DK’s attention as if he wasn't burning holes into you every time he thought he could catch a glance at you while you walked. 

“You look tense,” He begins, following you to your bike once the garage is opened, trying to get you to break your silence. 

“I'm kind of freaking out, but it's fine.” You admit, trying to shake your nerves off as you place the tires onto the bike you crafted, the model and color of the rims contrasting nicely with the overall build.

“You're gonna be fine, just stick close to me, and no worries.”He offers, voice raised an octave

“With how you got your shit rocked earlier? I’ll take my chances.” You shoot back jokingly as he laughs sarcastically at the jab. 

“Very funny.” He responds, watching you work in awe. You moved so quickly yet so precisely. He had hardly noticed you placing the final details before hopping on and revving it. 

“Perfect.” You whisper out, jutting your head for him to come closer. 

“Kiss 'em.” You chuckle, motioning towards the tires. 

“What? Why?” He laughed back, trying to figure out where you were trying to go with this. 

“For luck, it's like blowing dice right?” You question, revving the engine again.

“I need all the luck I can get pretty boy. So how about this, you kiss my tire and I’ll kiss yours. Deal?” You joke, seeing him shake his head as you hop off the bike, a flustered look on his face. 

“I'm just messing with you, let me change and I'll be back to help with the rest of the karts.” You gulp, patting DK’s shoulder before heading off. 

He shakes his head, making his way to his own kart. Kiss the tires? Weird request but you did ask nicely. Though, he was more reeling over you calling him ‘pretty boy’ more than anything. 

—-----

Not much time had passed when you returned, a biking suit matching your motorcycle much like how the Princesses matched her own. Guess great minds thought alike. 

“Looks nice, yeah? You should take a picture, it'll last longer.” You hum, catching DK eyeballing you a little bit longer than usual. He smirks at your statement, watching you fix your boots.

 You pause for a moment, motioning for him to come closer, which he has absolutely no problem doing. Before he can even process what you were trying to do, your fingers are already adjusting his tie with a soft smile. 

“Now we both look nice.” You hum, driving forward and leaving him somewhat slack-jawed

It was about time for you all to leave, the bike and karts aline revving to prepare for the battle ahead. You sigh, rolling your bike next to the Princess as she smiles back at you, happy to have another woman on the team. Girlbossing alone gets exhausting after a bit. You rev your bike and dart out, eager to get to where you needed to as Peach follows next to you.

You hadn’t been able to ride a kart on your own yet, but damn did it feel nice speeding on these foreign roads, the wind blowing your braids back, the ponytail you once had discarded for your usual down look. You were so caught up in your own head you hadn't noticed Peach trying to get your attention.

“So, did they make you duel too?” She jokes, keeping up the conversation. You giggle in response

“Fortunately for me no, I wouldn't have won that fight. DK seems to know what he's doing. I just proved myself by working on the karts. It was fairly simple to understand.” You explain, a prideful look splayed over your features.

“I see. Soooo, that's why you two are on good terms, or maybe?” She side-eyes you, smirking but you quickly shut it down. 

“Oh stop! He just showed me around the kingdom and the garage…and we talked.” You explain, reminiscing over the eye contact and light touches. Hell, even the quick interaction from the garage. How stupid was that to ask him to ‘kiss the tires’ jesussssss. 

“Wait no! Listen, he's a prince and I'm some random girl from Brooklyn. Besides I mean I'm sure he's got plenty of fans drooling over him. Honestly, I don't know how to feel, he's such a dork.” You giggle, trying not to steal a glance at him and failing. Looks like a quiet conversation with Mario surprisingly. 

“Honestly, I wouldn't mind staying here with him. He may seem like a showoff, which is very true but he's a sweetheart under it all. I actually think he wants me to stay too.” You explain, that same hotness crawling up your spine and into your face.

It wasn't long before Mario drove up beside her, also striking up a conversation while you lean back and take his previous place next to DK. The silence seemed to drag on as you both looked at each other simultaneously, only to look away and clear your throat. There's definitely tension here, awkward, flirty, or otherwise and god was it suffocating. 

“How's it riding?” He chokes out, trying to cover up his embarrassment. 

“Oh, um it's perfect! I’ve never built my own bike before.” You giggle, adjusting the way you were sitting, catching his eyes again. 

“I'd hope so, otherwise that kiss was for nothing.” He quips, avoiding your gaze with that stupid boyish grin. 

He actually did it for you?

“You…really?” You sigh, heart beating out of your chest as your face feels as if it's gonna melt from how hot it is. 

“Yeah, I figured why not. The fact that you suggested it was cute.” He admits, seeing you tuck your bottom lip between your teeth. 

“Didn't think you’d take me seriously, I didn't even follow through with the deal.” You hum, finally gaining the courage to look at him

“I know, you can make it up to me later.” He chuckles, the statement laced with something suggestive.

You speed up, seeing the ramp come to an end, DK catching up behind you as you begin following down Rainbow Road. There wasn't much left to cover before you made it to your destination, and anxiety eats away at you.  It wasn't hard for DK to tell so he sped up just to catch up to you, wanting to keep you from isolating yourself. 

“The crease on your forehead is gonna be permanent if you keep looking like that.” DK jokes, poking the spot as you smile into the touch a bit, pulling away just before he could notice. 

“I know, I know. Just nervous.” You admit, a heavy sigh filling the air. 

“I get it. A lot has happened to you so far. Like I said, just stay close.” He hums, shooting you a smile you so desperately needed to see. 

You giggle a bit, shaking your head. 

“Hey, I got a question about that duel earlier.” You add, seeing his interest spike. He loves answering questions you had for him, and it seemed he was comfortable enough to ramble on and on about whatever the next topic led to. And you were happy to listen. 

“You have a theme song? That's actually hilarious, but kinda cute.” You joke, as his face seems to flush and he clears his throat. 

“I-I didn't think you were paying attention to that.” He admits, trying to avoid your teasing gaze. 

“Ohhhh I paid quite a lot of attention to your showing off, saw you flex, kiss your muscles, pop your pecs, and thrust the air back to back…You’re quite the showoff aren't you?” You taunt, a laugh escaping your throat. 

He’s cute when he’s embarrassed, hand gripping the wheel for dear life and he looks elsewhere.

“Ohhh don't get shy now. Your fans adored it, and I'll admit, watching you fight was pretty fun. You play dirty though.” You explain, noticing his once embarrassed expression warp into a flirty smile.

“First of all, I'm like, the most UN-SHY person you’ll ever meet. And second, you just admitted to liking the show, so I must be doing something right huh? I bet you liked me playing ‘dirty’ huh?” He bites back, watching you freeze up.  

It was your turn to be shy now. 

“Y-You… I never said-....shut up and drive boy.” You sputter, trying to hide the fact that you may or may not have exposed yourself. He laughs in response, shaking his head at how you could dish it out but not take it. Despite the moment being nice, something was wrong….If this Bowser was any kind of smart, he would have insight into your plan and come up with some kind of counterattack.

And sure enough, there was a brigade of soldiers from who you could only assume was Bowser. “It's an ambush!” Peach calls as you speed up on your bike, trying to figure out the best strategy. 

The rest of the army speeds up as well and war ensues upon the road ahead, shells and banana peels flying from either end, anyone bound to get caught in the crossfire. You dodge a red shell, using one of the other koopas as a projectile, tossing the shell over your shoulder and passing one to the princess. 

You managed to get separated from the main group, a gang of 4 hot on your tail as you try to lose them, slamming on your breaks as they speed past and you make a U-Turn, heading back to the group. 

The sound of screeching tired and angry shouting fills your ears all before a loud boom shakes the road, making you lose balance off your bike and fall off. The blast was looser than you expected, the wave sending you backward and leaving your ears ringing. The world spins as you try to regain balance, a sense of panic taking over as you hear Peach call for Mario and sure enough falling into the water below, was Mario and DK. 

Your feet move on their own, your books padding against the road as you try to dodge debris and dive in after them. DK was almost immediately knocked unconscious by a tire that had fallen, leaving you and Mario to swim after him to pull him back to the surface. You’re 

gasping for air, trying to catch your breath as you choke on the salty ocean water.

 “Find something to float on!” You cough out, grabbing onto whatever you could while DK chokes out the water he swallowed.

“You saved my life.” He huffs, more surprised that Mario did but grateful you helped as well.

"Yeah well, I won't tell anyone," Mario responds, hoping for a lil camaraderie.

"Good please don't," Gk responds, seeing you snicker and shake your head. The moment was unfortunately cut short as the three of you found yourselves scrambling to get away from an eel that was hellbent on swallowing you whole. 

-Meanwhile-

Peach speeds down the remainder of the road to get back to her kingdom. The plan had obviously failed and as far she knew, you Mario, and DK were as good as gone. The Kong army had been captured and scooped away to be held as prisoners by Bowser. There was almost no time to evacuate the kingdom but she was quick and concise in her decision, rushing any of her citizens to safety before preparing to face Bowser alone. 

The ground shook and trembled as his floating castle hovered overhead. It was now or never, if she could at least keep him occupied here and keep her subjects safe, she’d fight til the end. She was surrounded now with Toad by her side as she held her weapon defensively. 

-at the bottom of the FUCKING ocean-

You're pacing now, trying to see if this eel had an exit. Hell if it wasn't gonna open from the front your best bet was the back, but after walking for so long you figured there was no use. Your head is pounding and your clothes are soaked. It's dark and cold and you're trying to figure out how this whole ordeal would be explained to your dad when you never came home.

You sigh heavily, holding your head in your hands, peeling off the soaked biking jacket, and dropping it beside DK’s busted kart. Pausing for a moment, hearing footsteps approach you and of course, DK decides you look like you need some company. 

“How’re you holding up?” He asks, standing beside you as you sigh heavily and shake your head no.

“Why did you dive in after us? You could have gone with the princess to help her-”

“And leave you here to drown? Yeah right. I know it wasn't the smartest but it's like my body moved on its own.” You admit hands clenched at your sides. 

“I guess I've grown a lot more attached to you than I thought.” You hum, seeing his eyes soften at your frantic state. 

“Attached how?” He presses, hoping you'd be the first to confess the growing feelings in the pit of your stomach just so he could have a chance to confess and make it less awkward.

“I-...I don’t know, I just think we’ve grown closer as friends so far.” The word is bitter on your tongue and damn does your chest ache when his lips press in a line and he nods slowly. Ouch.

“Yeah, yeah totally me too.” He hisses out, rocking back and forth a bit to try and clear the tension.

“…”

“....”

“Any ideas? You huff out, forcing yourself to talk away from the situation despite feeling every bone in your body tell you not to. 

Bits of swallowed Rainbow Road illuminate the area as Mario shakes his head, nothing coming to mind. Your hands shake as you pace again, Mario and DK’s eyes following your panicked state. 

“Everything was going so well, I shouldn't have let you guys down there and separated from the group I-I could have done something.” You ramble, chest rising and falling quicker with every word you ramble. 

“Hey, it's not your fault…IT'S HIS!” DK points, Making the Italian furrow his brows. 

An argument was sure to ensue now, insults being thrown back and forth while you contemplate your existence. You tried to devise a plan but nothing was coming to mind. The sound of bickering was getting louder and it sure as hell wasn’t helping your situation. 

“At least you’ll die without your father thinking you’re a joke.” DK huffs, looking more defeated than anything. 

At the end of the day, he was probably acting how he did because he wanted his father's approval. You knew that feeling too well…Back home the only thing you wanted was for your dad to acknowledge how hard you work. You stopped eventually, realizing that you should be proud of yourself regardless of what he or others think. He settled for the same old 9-5 he hated and you followed your heart and dreams. If anything that was far more commendable. 

“My dad thinks I'm a joke too,” Mario confirms, the air thick for a moment as DK breathes heavily going to speak again. 

“Yeah well….YOUR DAD'S RIGHT!” He shoots back, making you pinch the bridge of your nose as they continue to bicker back and forth. 

“ALRIGHT GIRLS.” You interrupt, scowl present as they take the hint to stop. 

Arguing wasn't going to solve anything.

“We all have daddy issues, fantastic. Now can we figure out how to get out of here and prove them wrong?” You question, a brow raised as you look between the two of them. 

“There has to be a way out...it's not rocket science.” You chuckle, realization hitting you.

“Wait wait….your kart. Follow me!” You interrupt, booking it to the discharged kart with one lone rocket looking like a glimmering beacon of hope. The three of you share a look. 

Let's get this shit.

[thatcoolkidgab]

Blog of Gab

My First Travel Abroad in Macau and Hong Kong, China

Hi my name is Renzo Gab, I am 11 and I'm from the Philippines. This is my first blog, about my first travel abroad to Macau and Hong Kong in China. I remember this experience vividly because at the time I was still a young 6 year old boy. I will try to tell you everything I can remember. I remember going to 4 famous places that I will tell you in the next minutes. In the year of 2018, when I was a young 6 year old boy in the first grade. The people who went with me were my mom, dad, sister, tito, my tita and her two friends. I can still remember when my mom picked me up from school to go to my dad's office and then go to the airport. Our airplane ride was from the MCIA to the Macau Airport, I can still remember when we arrived in Macau late at night at like 8:00 pm and I saw the beautiful lights of the Las Vegas of Asia or of the East.

We rode a taxi going to our prestigious hotel, I remember we took a quick snack in 7-Eleven and I tried purple Skittles and blue Yakult. We slept and the next day we rode a quick 1-hour boat ride to Hong Kong. We went to Hong Kong Disneyland, I remember going to the area of the "Jungle Book", buying me toys from Toy Story 4, a new movie at the time, I also ate the famous Mickey Mouse Waffles. One of the things I remember the most in the Disneyland trip was the time we lined up for a Lion King play, I hated it because it was so hot during the lining, at the end of the play, I loved it and my family laughed at me. I ate ice cream from a cart while my dad and uncle went to the Iron Man ride. We went home to our AirBnB, I was impressed by all the cool things in the place.

The day after we went to Hong Kong Ocean Park, a park filled with animals, rides, restaurants, and fun! I saw many animals there like a giant salamander, red pandas, walruses, and penguins. I rode a cable car to a Buddhist temple, during the ride we saw the most famous Buddhist temple, The Big Buddha. I remember in HKOP I saw pictures of the Strawhat Pirates from One Piece, at the time I thought they were weird, but now I love One Piece.

I am forever thankful for my family and friends for providing a young child like me an experience of a lifetime! I love Hong Kong and Macau, even if the citizens of Hong Kong were pretty rude, I still want to return their. An opinion of mine is that, Hong Kong Ocean Park is better than Hong Kong Disneyland, this opinion is mostly based on the fact that I love animals, I even wanted to be a zoologist for most of my life. Thank you for reading my first blog and this is Renzo, signing off for now, bye.

[cjweejay]

The Phoenix in the Clouds

Pairing Recom!Quaritch X Male!Oc

Summary: When a reborn Quaritch returns to Pandora, he meets a scientist who changes his world. Can love bloom on a beautiful world hostile to humans?

Content Warning: alcoholism, Mild violence

Chapter one: The landing (pt 2)

Read part one here

Quaritch sat in his bunk, listening to the yammering of his fellow recoms. It was a familiar feeling to see marines joking around, pumped up with energy and ready to go. He could see himself in any of the fights he'd been in if his guys were human instead of tall blue aliens. There had been a slew of them. So many wars, nonsense, and betrayals. Even though he had never met any of them, the losses were nevertheless painful. He knew Paz was no longer alive. Junior was probably on his way back to Earth. He smiled and laughed. The child would be well cared for. Not many men got to immediately reap the benefits of their life insurance money. At least His would ensure the kid had a bright future.

The doctor sighed as he got a notification about the Clothes in the Fabrication lab, Although it felt fast these machines were quite adept at making clothes. As he stood up and proceeded to the onsite lab to check on the clothing.

Dr. Wihongi sipped his coffee while adjusting the stitch and sitting down to ensure that nothing went wrong. He loaded the freshly made clothing into a hamper on a cart and began wheeling them down to the Recom Barracks, coffee in hand. He peeked in as the door swung open. "Colonel, I got all of the clothes Fabricated!" he yelled as he dragged the hamper further into the barracks.

Quaritch raised an eyebrow. "That quickly?" he questioned. His unit and he tried on their new fatigues. They were inflexible and one-size-fits-all, as was typical of military fatigues. They were cut resistant, though, as they discovered when they began slicing at each other with their combat knives. In the Pandoran jungle, a little more protection is always welcome.

"I wonder if we could get a tailor," he wondered, feeling the range of motions the fatigues allowed him. One thing he hadn't realized was how much more flexible the material seemed at his scale. Cut resistant threads were thick, and not particularly flexible. Movement was always a bit of a chore. These, though, felt a bit more like normal fatigues, right down to the starchy stiffness.

Dr.Wihongi sipped his coffee and observed. "Does it work for you?" he said. "Or do you want me to alter them?" he inquired, his gaze fixed on Quaritch.

"A foldable collar would be ideal. Having the option to keep it down or cover the neck and throat. Beyond that, just a bit of tailoring to the individual and we'd be set and protected from a good chunk of Pandora's dangers." He smirked. "You do excellent work, doc."

He nodded, "I'll have to get measurements then," he said as he sipped his coffee. "I do what I can," he added as he leaned against the cart, mentally noting the collar and the need to take measurements of the recom team.

"Beyond that..." Quaritch handed the doc the list of items he'd noticed they could use that weren't found in the armory. Of note were concussive and flash bang grenades.

The Doc read over the list and nodded,"I'll get supply the armory with the weapons and send over the other things, I'll be back for some measurements"he said as he pocketed the list,"see you in a little bit"he said as he grabbed the rolling cart and walked out of the barracks, the coffee cup never leaving his hand.

"Well boys and girls, what do y'all think of our resident Q?" The responses from his unit were positive, excited to actually get outfitted with the best equipment possible. When it came to equipment, Marines in general got the bottom of the barrel. RDA outfitted them well, but now they were really getting priority.

Dr. Wihongi sighed as he put the cart aside, entered the orders, then grabbed a tablet and some measuring tape. In the hopes that this was the last request for the day, he made his way back to the barracks.

The recom unit wound down for the day. They were given time to familiarize themselves with their new bodies, and to acclimate once more to Pandora's environment. But after a few training runs through simulators and obstacle courses, Quaritch planned to have his men on a Kestrel penetrating deep into enemy territory.

Dr.Wihongi entered the barracks and began measuring the recoms for the revised uniforms, with Quaritch last. Wihongi took down the measurements as he approached the colonel.

"Getting real familiar with us, eh doc?" Quaritch teased as he approached.

"I suppose you could say that, Sir," he remarked as he peered up at the other. "Spread your legs a little," he said before beginning to measure the other without asking.

Quaritch, like the rest of his squad, laughed. "Do you want me to bend over for you as well? At the very least, you should take me out to dinner beforehand."

"Colonel, I'm right near your privates, and if you want to keep them, you should keep quiet," he replied, looking up at the other.

The recom unit laughed at that. "I like you, doc. Certainly better than the last batch of eggheads I had to deal with."

Dr. Wihongi chuckled, "Well, I am here to please," he remarked as he finished measuring the others' inseams, "Can you get on your knees?" he asked as he scribbled the inseams down.

Quaritch laughed. "I don't recall you needing anyone else to do that."

"Trust me, everyone did, and it doesn't help that you're taller than them," he grumbled, "I don't provide special treatment," he murmured as he measured the others' waist.

"Alright. Keep in mind, I'ma marine and a vindictive one at that when it comes to any funny business."

"strictly professional," he added as he measured the other's chest. Being so near to Dr. Wihongi, the alcohol could be smelled on his breath, his eyes were sleepy, and his hair was a tad unkempt.

He held the other's arm and measured the sleeve length. Dr. Wihongi took the measurements and nodded, "there you go, all of your new uniforms will be ready by tomorrow, given that most people don't work at night," he added as he took a step back. "I'll be next door if you need anything," he said before remembering something,"you will all need a health checkup tomorrow to see how your bodies are acclimating to Pandora," he shouted loudly for the entire team to hear as he walked and typed.

"Alright, doc. See you tomorrow." Quaritch watched him leave. "Well, rather forwards, wasn't he?" he quipped to his unit. The unit Chuckled and talked to each other.

Dr. Wihongi returned to his office after closing the door behind him and sending the measurements to the fabricator. As he sat down, he grumbled and tossed the tablet and measuring tape down. He slumped back and closed his eyes, fatigued by the effort of dealing with the Recoms.

Quaritch went to his bunk as the rest of the recoms relaxed, getting up to the usual antics of bored soldiers. He knew the egghead wasn't enthused about being his unit's personal quartermaster and R&D team. If he had a hunch, the doc was pretty beat up about not getting to play with his own pet science project, whatever the hell that was. Still, he did good work, which he could appreciate. And if it kept his men alive, then all the better. Maybe he could see if the doc's science project was worth restarting, if he ended up working well with his men. He took care of his people. 

Dr. Wihongi grumbled as he finished his spiked coffee and stood up; since he had been relocated here, he didn't have a place to stay. He hauled a cot from one of the closets to his office; he missed his lab, which he almost called home. It had everything he needed and the perfect amount of privacy. He sighed dreamily as he set up the cot, grunting as he finished and tossed a flat pillow and probably Bridgehead's most irritating blanket. Wihongi sat down, discarded his lab coat, and turned out the lights.

Soon enough, it was lights out. His soldiers grumbled as they went to bed, acting like the children they claimed they weren't. As he laid in his bunk, feeling the fairly familiar feeling of a regulation mattress and blanket on Pandoran gravity, he imagined what might be ahead. He thought about finally getting his revenge on Sully, a man he'd taken in as a protégé only to be betrayed. He thought about taking this world that the traitor seemed to love and taming it, civilizing it. Humanity was here. It was our home now. The natives just didn't know it yet.

Dr.Wihongi hissed at the texture of the blanket as he laid down. After about an hour, he kicked the blanket off and replaced it with his lab coat. He snuggled up a little and, surprisingly, fell asleep quickly.

Quaritch fell asleep, thoughts of violence and industrialization soothing his burning need for revenge. 

[takingovermidnight]

TMNT OTP MEME

Sliding into a new hyper fixation, here we go. I need to build my confidence in posting and I love @tmnt-tychou 's work, so when they came out with this idea I wanted to join the fun! Without further ado, self-indulgence!

1. In which TMNT universe does your pairing exist?

Beatrice exists across the turtle-verse in different forms. She might stay close friends with the brothers in one world, have a polyamorous relationship with two of them in another, and get together with April in the one over yonder! Infinite possibilities. But no matter where she is, the turtles are a HUGE, beloved part of her family, and they feel the same about her. For this version of the meme, however, I am focusing on our beautiful Bayverse boys. <3

DISCLAIMER: Beatrice is autistic and has fibromyalgia. Each exists on a spectrum and a lot of her experiences reflect my own: the good, the bad, and the complicated. 

2. Introduce us to your OTP.

Leotrice. Beanardo. Tol and smol. Bumblebee and bonsai tree. Certified goofy goobers. 

Grgikau’s picrew can be found here! https://href.li/?https://picrew.me/image_maker/426722 

Missing details: proper body type, braces

This is the closest I could find in a world with a frustrating lack of plus-size options in picrews, so this is not entirely accurate. I would love to see this pair come to life, and these gremlin hands do not belong to an artist, so if anyone is doing commissions and would be interested, please let me know! I have been looking around!

3. How did they meet? 

Almost a year has passed since they gave Krang the New York Goodbye and with their 18th birthday approaching, the brothers have a lot on their minds. Working alongside the NYPD means more missions and higher stakes. Stress is running high. With both Shredder and Stockman still at large, the Foot lying in wait (with others anxious to take their place on the ladder), and the lingering threat of interdimensional warfare, Leo is especially pissed off that crooked cops harassing a homeless encampment are on his radar this evening. That anger quickly stutters into intrigue when a five-foot-nothing young woman bares her braces at the officers and refuses them free food. 

It does not take Donnie long to collect evidence of their harassment and send it to the desk of Chief Vincent. And the brothers come to realize it is not a new encampment at all, but a gathering around a Little Turtle food cart, their favorite Japanese restaurant. Run by the Murakami family, they make an effort to set up every weekend possible. It is quite the complex operation of serving food and putting together bags of donations, from canned goods to toiletries to books for children to read. They are all a bit overwhelmed by the brothers at first, maybe even a little afraid. But they are also grateful, and Mikey approaches first, appreciative of their honesty. He would rather someone be open to getting to know him and asking questions out of genuine curiosity than let fear or assumptions guide their judgment. And Leo feels something clench in his chest when the young woman from before offers his baby brother a silver-studded smile and a hand, asking if he is hungry. 

She introduces herself as 18-year-old Beatrice, a high school student and family friend who babysits for the Murakamis and helps out on such weekends. When the brothers have a night off, you can often find them helping prep and serve, hidden within a tent to protect them from the cold and prying eyes. They get to know a lot of the locals (sworn to secrecy), including Beatrice, and even play with some kids that show up for a hot meal (Raph and Donnie get the jungle gym treatment). 

This year they have one more invitation to their birthday party, and Beatrice would not miss it for the world. The rest is history…

4. How is the relationship now?

You gave me permission to gush. BIG mistake. <3

After their birthday, someone is always asking her down to the lair to hang out, so much so that after graduation, they invite her to move in with them to save money and have an easier commute to college. 

April and Casey, still barely a couple at this point (they are both disasters that cannot get their shit together and I love them for it), come together as well-meaning, but weird surrogate parents for Beatrice. April loves taking her out for gut-busting ice cream sundaes and go-carts and the boys laugh until they cry as Casey recalls, with much higher blood pressure, his attempts to teach Beatrice how to drive. Though they can be awkward and dysfunctional and she values her independence, she appreciates their love and support, both of them equally hyping her up and being phenomenally embarrassing. 

Beatrice and Splinter? These two were made for each other. She is a little shit and he loves her dearly, thrilled to have another daughter around to keep his sons on their toes. At first, Beatrice was not sure what to make of him, or Casey for that matter, as positive male role models after not having one before. But she comes to see him as someone she can lean on, and look to for advice and strength. She loves him very much, and she treasures the time they spend together watching Will and Grace, playing pranks on the boys, helping each other cheat at Game Night, and him teaching her self-defense.  

Now for her beloved “big” brothers! Short jokes aplenty. They call her “Squirtle” and there is joking that Donnie needs to make a booster seat for the garbage truck. And honestly? She kinda digs it. Being an only child your whole life is often very lonely and exhausting in its own way, and having somebody to look out for you and give you that unique brand of protective sibling love? Yes please, she is overwhelmed but in a good way, and needs a minute. They are a LOT to love, but she loves them just as much, and it all works out. 

Donnie: She has different interests in common with all the brothers, and they are all good listeners, but it is really nice being able to talk about your special interests and know that the other person not only understands it but is just as passionate as you are. Beatrice loves marine biology (there are many benefits, I hear), and she could talk about hermit crab migration patterns and which species of sea snails are venomous for hours if you let her. She knows enough about chemistry and physics to try to keep up with Donnie, or at least ask him questions. And he is HILARIOUS. Mikey would be devastated to know that Beatrice thinks Donnie is the funniest dude alive. Upon learning more about fibromyalgia and autism and her life with them, he installs different accommodations around the lair and even tricks out her emergency portable cane with a few defense mechanisms for when she goes out. He loves helping her with homework, especially when he gets the textbooks after, and she tries her best to keep an eye on him and make sure he eats something besides stale Poptarts and sleeps more than two hours a night. Each of the turtles has their own way of asking for cuddles or comfort, and with Donnie, she usually ends up on his lap while he sits in his computer chair, playing on her Switch or watching him type soothing lines of code.

Mikey: Most days you cannot go five minutes without these two parroting Tiktoks at each other or making a mess of the kitchen table cooking or doing crafts. It is with his encouragement that Beatrice picks up her sketchbook again, and she finds plenty of inspiration in his antics alone. They rope Raphael in a third of the time and inevitably the kitchen gets messier when the boys start throwing glitter and peppering shells with googly eyes. On those days even Beatrice ends up in the Hashi. What they get up to depends on the day. Monday through Wednesday they could be bouncing all over the place, pelting each other with Nerf darts, swimming in the pool, and dying all the underwear in the wash pink. On Thursday Mikey might be feeling a bit down and she ends up in his bed with his head on her stomach. Friday Beatrice might be sore and tired from work or school and they find themselves on the couch in the middle of a video game marathon with the rest of the family. Beatrice grows protective of Mikey, forever grateful to bask in his radiant warmth, but also that he trusts her with his cloudy days too. 

Raph: Beatrice is close with all of them, but her best friend, aside from Leo, of course, is Raphael. Neither of them ever really says it out loud. It becomes this unspoken thing that they are a safe space for one another, a place to let it out and wind down after. No judgment, no rules. They share a lot of the same insecurities, even though they express them differently. She likes that with Raph sometimes the world just sucks, and they can leave it at that. The others are a bit mystified by the vibes these two cook up. Beatrice is so relaxed around him that she often just falls asleep on his chest or against his side if they are both reading or knitting or playing cards or watching trashy reality TV. Not out of boredom, but trust. Raph appreciates that he can vent to her, even about her boyfriend, and that she never hesitates to go to town for him and his brothers. They have a deep bond that is very special, and it is this closeness that inspires Splinter to choose Raphael to be the first to take over her martial arts training. 

Leo: Amazing how this is an OTP meme and it takes me five pages to mention the OTP. When you date one turtle, your experiences with the other three are an important part of developing that relationship, none more so than for Leo. These two do not have much of an opportunity to get to know each other until she moves in. Even then, initially, he is still the most reserved. It is not personal and she knows. He just has so much on his shoulders already, it can be hard to stay in the moment, and he wants his brothers to be able to spend time with her. They all want her attention and affection, and Beatrice is at a loss on how to get to know someone with such a full plate. Speaking of plates…she finds a solution in cooking lessons! She has no Michelin stars, for sure, but she likes cooking and baking, it is one of the ways she shows her love. And it is unacceptable that Leo is banned from even using the toaster. Leo hesitates and grumbles a bit, but a nudge from Splinter sends him in her direction, and he is surprised at the amount of pride and warmth he feels when one of his better attempts not only draws all three brothers to the table, but makes them smile and ask for seconds. They talk a lot around that beat-up old stove, and both find their walls crumbling. Feelings quietly start to grow. Life does what life does and gets in the way, and so do his own insecurities and worries, but finally, after three years of pining, the pot boils over, and he confesses. And now? They are closer than ever. Both are young and inexperienced and stubborn; every couple has their squabbles, especially when you also have four other roommates to consider and their dimension might even be at stake. The world throws a lot of curveballs, but loving one another makes it easier to step up to the plate.

5. What is each other's love language?

Leo’s Receiving: Words of affirmation go a long way with Leo. Not just praise and appreciation for what he does, but the reassurance that he is more than enough as he is, and that one argument or mistake is not going to ruin what they have. He is not a mind reader and feels deeply insecure over his compulsion to be perfect. The boy in blue puts a lot of pressure on himself and at this point, Beatrice can feel him ruminating across the room. Communication becomes very important, and she is patient while he tries to put his thoughts together, whether it be about their relationship or the tremendously heavy weight on his young shoulders. And we know all of these boys have to be touch starved. While he is not the type to makeout on the living room couch, once he becomes comfortable with the fact that he can ask for what he needs, more subtle PDA like cuddles, nuzzles, and gentle kisses and touches are definitely on the table, especially if he can gross his brothers out like “Really? In front of my pizza?” 

Leo’s Giving: If Leo loves you, he wants to help you in any way he can. Prove his usefulness. Be of service. Fix the problem. And it confuses and distresses him at first when Beatrice gets upset. It takes time to wrap his head around the fact that there are no “solutions” to chronic pain. You can do things to help manage it, but it is something you have to learn to live with, adapt to, and sometimes concede to. Beatrice has a lot of good days. She enjoys being active with him. But she has flares, and they can be bad. Frustrating for her. There are things she cannot do anymore or should limit in the future, days when her body just crashes. And she understands why he has that mindset in the beginning. It is how we are socialized to see disability: something to overcome, something that can be improved with better choices, and something he has little to no frame of reference for as a mutant turtle. No one wants to see someone they love in pain and not be able to help or protect them from it. So he works to change that mindset and adapts with her. Finds ways that he can show his love in this manner that also make her happy. Sometimes she has brain fog or gets distracted and forgets things, so with her permission he checks her bag for her pain meds, noise-canceling headphones, and other important doodads before they head out. He learns how to do special massages that help with nerve pain. He knows what her safe foods and textures are, and how to help her ground herself. Seemingly little things that actually mean so much to her. 

Beatrice’s Giving/Receiving: That sweet, sweet quality time, baby. When she and her favorite turtle man can just be and be together. She encourages Leo to be open about and share his interests with her, to indulge in his non-duty-based hobbies, and it makes her so happy to see that boyish, bashful grin light up his whole face. She reads the books and mangas he recommends to her, helps him tend to his bonsai trees and meditates beside him, and listens to him geek out about his sword collection and favorite TV shows he has not allowed himself to watch lately. And he does the same for her when he can. Arts and crafts, sports (when they play basketball he lifts her up so she can dunk and he thinks she is the cutest thing in the world; playful sparring in the dojo usually leads to something more amorous; not necessarily a sport but they explore the sewers and rooftops together, etc), their cooking lessons, etc. Donnie shuts down the security at the local aquarium and it becomes one of their special spots. Even if they are each doing their own thing in the same room, or she needs to rest, she loves when he has the opportunity to be beside her. On that same note, each has to learn the boundaries of the other. For him, she likes to be touched, but it needs to be on her terms. No ambushes and he usually asks if he can come in for a landing (cue her smile and grabby hands). For her, it means understanding and respecting when he needs alone time. 

Beatrice’s Giving: “Hey Bea, could you do a few loads of laundry tonight, please? I can help you fold it when we get back from patrol.” “Hell yeah, I call the socks!” His brothers tease that it is very old-married-couple-y of Leo and Beatrice to LIKE cleaning and doing chores together, but she genuinely enjoys some of the tasks and finds them calming. She is an acts of service gal and will happily help lighten your burden if she feels capable. Her other favorites are helping Donnie hose down the garbage truck (SO satisfying, and Mikey and Raph laugh their asses off seeing her completely sopping wet and covered in mud from their water fight) and going grocery shopping with one of the boys decked out in the most ridiculous amalgamation of trench coats you have ever seen. She also likes giving gifts. Not expensive, fancy, Christmas-list sort of things necessarily, but if she sees something and thinks of you, it is going in her bag. It might be a cool rock or a wrench set she found on sale and remembered that Donnie lost his on the highway the other day when they were being chased by the Foot. 

6. Do they get married or have any kids?

Beatrice and Leo are together for about three years when she hears crying one night on her way to where the boys will be picking her up from work. Tiptoeing into the alley, she moves aside some garbage and is shocked to find a baby mutant turtle chirping weakly at her. With no sign of a nest or other presence, Beatrice rushes the baby to the truck to get them out of the weather. After some Donnie-patented TLC, little Rain settles into their new home. While trying to solve the mystery of their origins, the whole family pitches in to care for them, but it is not long before they have imprinted on Bea and Leo and chosen them as their parents. Kids are complicated; they are not biologically compatible, and even if they were, Beatrice finds just the idea of pregnancy horrifying. Both of them accept that adoption is also impossible, and feel more than content just being together and enjoying their youth in a life where danger and uncertainty lurk in the shadows. But they fall hard for the little red-eared slider. And a year later they are so proud to include them in their special ceremony, making a promise to one another as partners, and to Rain as their parents. 

7. What is your favorite thing about this pairing? (Gush as much as you want!)

I must have put you all to sleep by now, but this pairing is very therapeutic for me, and I’m happy I got all my word vomit out, even if this is as far as it goes. This isn’t a self-ship, but I have a lot in common with Beatrice. I don’t see a lot of positive or realistic representations of women that look like me or have lived my experiences in media. Fatphobia and ableism, as we all know, continue to suffocate the world. And I’m new to fibromyalgia and unmasking my neurodivergence, which comes with a lot of complicated feelings I’m trying to understand and process. So seeing someone like Leo fall in love with someone like me for who I am and everything I have going on feels nice. Plus found family is my favorite trope and you can pry it from my cold little hands. 

I also really wanted to see more of Bayverse Leo being an absolute dork. The goofy, sweet, insecure, and emotionally exhausted teenager he is underneath all the weight he carries. Push him away from the window and onto the couch where he can be cherished as he deserves. Beatrice is locked and loaded, ready to love him. 

[the-screwfly-solution]

10.4.2024

Dear Katya,

It is so rainy here. As I sit on my bed typing this letter, I think about how much Kuska would hate it. That said, there are lots of other dogs here, so maybe I am wrong. Maybe she would make so many friends that she would love it in spite of the weather. Or maybe she would like it anyway if she discovered arepas. 

Anyway, it is a nice city. Actually, nice isn't the word. Cool is a better one. It is cool here. Literally, the temperatures haven't gotten higher than the 70s or dipped below the 60s. But also in the sense of the mist, the incredible green that is everywhere like a jungle canopy inside the concrete, and the way crossing the street isn't quite a free-for-all, but it isn't exactly not that either (for me, this is great). There are restaurants roughly every two feet, and the intervening feet are occupied by carts selling arepas, or skewers (I think) or candy, or fruits and juices, or whatever else. There were also, in the more central area I went to today, lots of llamas that people had taken there so they could charge tourists to take photos with them. Business seemed brisk. 

Today, I decided I wanted to talk to people more than I had (the last two days were my arrival and lots of work on Thursday). So when I left my apartment and walked toward the climbing gym I had decided to try, I stopped by a bookshop. After I had been nosing around for a few minutes, one of the bookstore employees, an older and slightly intense looking man with light gray hair, recommended me a book that, based on what I told him I was comfortable reading in Spanish, he thought was a good fit. Then I decided, since I had already talked to someone, I might as well talk more. I asked the other people in the bookshop, who all seemed to either work there or be friends with someone who worked there, what they would recommend I do in Bogotá. They were very friendly. One of them, a boy a bit younger than me, showed me an Instagram page for events in the city. Another, a girl this time about the same age as the boy,  listened to my museum plans, approved, and recommended an additional museum. A third, a handsome man in his thirties who looked like, if he was not a writer, he might be the captain of a ship, recommended me some contemporary Colombian literature. All in all, I left pleased with myself and more optimistic about the city. 

I then walked to the climbing gym. This took me about 40 minutes. Or maybe an hour, actually, because I stopped for coffee and a donut. As I walked into the neighborhood I would soon learn was Teusaquillo, the city became greener, if that was possible. I felt I was in an anime city – that is how dreamily green it was. I kept looking for the sort of warehouse structure that usually signals a climbing gym, but I couldn't find it. After some detouring, I realized this warehouse did not exist, and the climbing gym was in more of a normal building. I signed up for a day pass, for which I needed my passport number, and got to work. It is always disconcerting to go to a new gym. You recognize everything, but it is all a little off – the setting is different, maybe the grading is different, maybe the scale is even different, or the type of holds used. Here, it was all of that and a bit more. After an hour, I had not grasped the grading system. There were reds and yellows (I cannot remember which of these should have been harder than the other) that were extremely difficult, and there were others that should have fallen in the "Bebé" range they listed in their rating scale (an American gym would never risk offending like this – I loved it!). The last interesting thing I'll say about the routes, setting and those nerdy things is that, to compensate for the relative shortness of the walls, many of the climbs went diagonally – I enjoyed this. 

I did not only go to the gym to climb, though. I also went there to meet people. And I think I found a good place to do this – the people seemed like the kind of nice young people I want to get to know during my stay here. I was especially interested by the girl at the front desk. She had an exceptionally calm, cool, and collected air to her – her eyes, especially, were calm. She also wore a sick purple jacket. On my way out, I asked her if she had any recommendations for me, any bars or places I should go to see music. She did, so I plan to see a show tonight. 

As I was walking to the Botero museum, it started to rain. This began with a drizzle. But then the rain was coming down in buckets. I huddled under some sort of bizarre metal canopy structure associated with Bancocolombia, but which also had a supermarket and lots of blue-uniformed security guards who would not crack a smile. I delved into the books I had bought at a different bookstore, one on my way from the climbing gym. These were a promising anthology of contemporary Colombian writers, a book of drawings of important sites in Bogotá (it could make a good gift), and a cyberpunk short story collection, which seemed kind of cheesy. 

Then the rain vanished as quickly as it had appeared. After a stopover that lasted far too long at the Claro store to get myself a SIM card, and following an excellent lunch of soup, I made it to the Botero Museum. With the limited time I had before my student, I soaked in Botero's paintings of georgeously, extravagantly fat figures, his luscious still lives, and his sculptures of yet more fat figures, which were sometimes erotic (my favorite: a fat woman fucking a swan). 

Then, after a winding, dizzying Uber home, I sat down to tutor. 

How are YOU?

Much love,

David

[generoushearthologram]

Daytona's Hidden Gem: Discovering the Jungle Boys Dispensary

Introduction

Welcome to Daytona's hidden gem, the Jungle Boys Dispensary! If you're a cannabis enthusiast or someone looking for top-quality products, then you've come to the right place. In this article, we will explore everything there is to know about the Jungle Boys Dispensary in Daytona, from their diverse selection of strains to their commitment to customer satisfaction. So sit back, relax, and let's dive into the world of the Jungle Boys!

Daytona's Hidden Gem: Discovering the Jungle Boys Dispensary What Makes the Jungle Boys Stand Out?

When it comes to cannabis dispensaries, the Jungle Boys are in a league of their own. With their reputation for providing exceptional products and services, it's no wonder they have become a hidden gem in Daytona. The Jungle Boys are known for their commitment to quality, offering an extensive range of strains that cater to all jungle boys uk preferences.

Exploring the Jungle Boys Strains

One of the main reasons why people flock to the Jungle Boys Dispensary is their impressive selection of strains. Whether you're a fan of classic favorites or looking for something new and exciting, the Jungle Boys have got you covered. Let's take a jungleboyscarts.co.uk closer look at some of their most popular offerings:

Jungle Boyz: The signature strain that put the Jungle Boys on the map. Known for its potent effects and unique flavor profile, this strain is a must-try for any cannabis connoisseur.

Ocala: A sativa-dominant hybrid that offers a balanced high and uplifting effects. Ocala is perfect for daytime use when you need a boost of energy and creativity.

Deerfield: Indica lovers rejoice! Deerfield is a powerful strain that delivers deep relaxation and tranquility. Perfect for unwinding after a long day.

Bonita Springs: Looking for a strain that will transport you to a tropical paradise? Look no further than Bonita Springs. This sativa-dominant hybrid offers a euphoric and uplifting experience.

Palm Harbor: If you're in need of some serious pain relief, Palm Harbor is the strain for you. This indica-dominant hybrid is known for its potent analgesic properties.

The Jungle Boys Commitment to Quality

When it comes to cannabis, quality is of utmost importance. At the Jungle Boys Dispensary, they understand this better than anyone else. They go above and beyond to ensure that each product they offer meets their high standards. From seed to sale, the Jungle Boys take meticulous care in every step of the cultivation process.

Unveiling the Jungle Boys Experience

A trip to the Jungle Boys Dispensary is more than just purchasing cannabis products. It's an experience like no other. From the moment you step through their doors, you'll be greeted by friendly and knowledgeable staff who are passionate about what they do. They will guide you through their extensive selection, helping you find the perfect strain or product to suit your needs.

FAQs about the Jungle Boys Dispensary Are Jungle Boy carts real? Yes, Jungle Boy carts are indeed real. They are known for their high-quality and potency. Where is the nearest Jungle Boys Dispensary in Daytona? The nearest Jungle Boys Dispensary in Da

[uniqueladypatrol]

Daytona's Hidden Gem: Discovering the Jungle Boys Dispensary

Introduction

Welcome to Daytona's hidden gem, the Jungle Boys Dispensary! If you're a cannabis enthusiast or someone looking for top-quality products, then you've come to the right place. In this article, we will explore everything there is to know about the Jungle Boys Dispensary in Daytona, from their diverse selection of strains to their commitment to customer satisfaction. So sit back, relax, and let's dive into the world of the Jungle Boys!

Jungle Boys Daytona's Hidden Gem: Discovering the Jungle Boys Dispensary What Makes the Jungle Boys Stand Out?

When it comes to cannabis dispensaries, the Jungle Boys are in a league of their own. With their reputation for providing exceptional products and services, it's no wonder they have become a hidden gem in Daytona. The Jungle Boys are known for their commitment to quality, offering an extensive range of strains that cater to all preferences.

Exploring the Jungle Boys Strains

One of the main reasons why people flock to the Jungle Boys Dispensary is their impressive selection of strains. Whether you're a fan of classic favorites or looking for something new and exciting, the Jungle Boys have got you covered. Let's take a closer look at some of their most popular offerings:

Jungle Boyz: The signature strain that put the Jungle Boys on the map. Known for its potent effects and unique flavor profile, this strain is a must-try for any cannabis connoisseur.

Ocala: A sativa-dominant hybrid that offers a balanced high and uplifting effects. Ocala is perfect for daytime use when you need a boost of energy and creativity.

Deerfield: Indica lovers rejoice! Deerfield is a powerful strain that delivers deep relaxation and tranquility. Perfect for unwinding after a long day.

Bonita Springs: Looking for a strain that will transport you to a tropical paradise? Look no further than Bonita Springs. This sativa-dominant hybrid offers a euphoric and uplifting experience.

Palm Harbor: If you're in need of some serious pain relief, Palm Harbor is the strain for you. This indica-dominant hybrid is known for its potent analgesic properties.

The Jungle Boys Commitment to Quality

When it comes to cannabis, quality is of utmost importance. At the Jungle Boys Dispensary, they understand this better than anyone else. They go above and beyond to ensure that each product they offer meets their high standards. From seed to sale, the Jungle Boys take meticulous care in every step of the cultivation process.

Unveiling the Jungle Boys Experience

A trip to the Jungle Boys Dispensary is more than just purchasing cannabis products. It's an experience like no other. From the moment you step through their doors, you'll be greeted by friendly and knowledgeable staff who are passionate about what they do. They will guide you through their extensive selection, helping you find the perfect strain or product to suit your needs.

FAQs about the Jungle Boys Dispensary Are Jungle Boy carts real? Yes, Jungle Boy carts are indeed real. They are known for their high-quality and potency. Where is the nearest Jungle Boys Dispensary in Daytona? The nearest Jungle Boys Dispensary in Da

[lucygraysboy]

“guess that’s the only explanation. i must be immune to all these chemicals, must be a dinosaur thing. i mean, it took a meteor to wipe out my ancestors so of course a box of froot loops won’t be enough to end me,” billy muses with a laugh, taking a jar of organic grape spread off the shelf and carefully lowering it into the cart. “but we could tell our friends that i went bald ‘cause i’d been havin’ radioactive cereal for breakfast since i turned six. i just know bob olinger would buy that, the idiot that he is.” the sound that escapes lucy gray’s mouth has him snorting, shaking his head but his chest only continues to expand — how come she cares so deeply about his wellbeing after everything he’s put her through? she’s too good for this world. “is that even legal? feeding people poison? and FDA’s just sleepin’ on it or what?” he frowns, his thoughts once again aligning with hers. he figures it shouldn’t surprise him that big corporations regularly break the law and get away with it, but the injustice will never not annoy him. “mmm, antifreeze. wonderful.” but he grimaces and tugs gently on the cart, moving them away from the cereal boxes as though they could absorb all the bad ingredients through osmosis. “alright, so where do we draw the line between god’s and human’s creations?” he enjoys these existential conversations with lucy gray a little more than he probably should, but he can’t help it. she’s so smart and he’s constantly in awe of her.

“i don’t want to put bad things in my body, baby. i’m just messin’ with you ‘cause you’re so cute when you’re all riled up and ranting. i’ve missed bein’ lectured in the middle of target, alright?” he muses, sneaking a bag of jolly ranchers into the cart as he leans in and kisses her cheek again. there’s something intoxicating about her. he couldn’t stop kissing and touching and hugging her even if his life depended on it. “first cigarettes and now cocaine… let me ask again. who are you and what did you do to my lucy gray?” he teases, playing along but shaking his head. “i wouldn’t even know how to find a drug dealer in a town like this.” east jesus or however people from new york call tiny towns in the middle of nowhere. “it’s not new york city where the dealers find you, not the other way ‘round.” now that he’s thinking about it, isn’t that messed up? but what isn’t messed up about concrete jungles? maybe he’s still a small town boy at heart, after all. “thank you, thank you.” laughing as he gets applauded, he bows once, twice, three times, all in hopes of making her giggle. “things i do for our future babies. i’ll make sure to tell them about this, remind them why they’re so healthy and strong. the sacrifices their father had to make.” a heavy sigh escapes his lips, acting as though she’d just made him give up water not bleach and antifreeze. “you’re a supermodel. no such thing as an ugly picture of you, look at this.” he swipes his finger and presents a different shot, his cheeks aching from the way he’s grinning. of course, he’s got plenty of pictures in which she’s either taking a nap with her mouth open or doing something embarrassing, making a silly face, but they still belong on the cover of vogue in his opinion. “hey, let’s take one together,” he suggests, standing behind the cart and beaming as he leans in and presses his cheek to hers. right hand extended, front camera coming to life as he snaps a quick selfie. he’s definitely posting this one on his instagram, for everyone to see. though, he doubts billy taupe can hold up his phone now, he can hope the other man sees it anyway. now that makes him particularly giddy. “go ahead, but make sure to tag me.”

“ohh, hm…” nodding along, but she’s glad about all this talk about her being a grinch. it meant he didn’t like her and there was nothing to like. she wonders why every person named blair was always a jerk? “that is life, yeah.” she agreed, relating to that when she always got partnered with people she never was fond of because they had a bad attitude or billy taupe even. he just had to be in their group— not anymore. but of course she met him because he just had to be in their group and got tangled up with someone so terrible like him. “we’ll decide that as they come.” she softly laughs, thinking she didn’t know the answer yet of what ages they should be. “i don’t know, i guess you’re immune at this point…” lucy gray playfully rolled her eyes then listened to the gross ingredients she already knew was in there, giving a sarcastic hum of delight. “no, they’re just lyin’ about that part. maybe a single pinch of good minerals buried under bleach, cleaning supplies chemicals and antifreeze.” that time she rolled her eyes in annoyance at the fact they even sold unhealthy stuff like this in stores. “god didn’t create froot loops. some person made froot loops.” and knew what he or she was doing making them colorful, enticing, but filling them with cheap garbage. “well, yeah,” mocking his words, “but you can’t really defend fake food like this. it’s a proven fact this stuff does lead to diseases and other health issues. i mean, why do you want to put such bad things in your body? we need to take care of our bodies an’ give it things it deserves.” not fill with so many bad ingredients. “we might as well.” she laughed at his comment, then bubbled with amusement as the thought lingered after she replied. “yayyy.” she happily clapped, at him putting the bad peanut butter back and placing the better option in. “yeah, exactly. i want to have a healthy baby, so their father has to be healthy to get a healthy baby.” the brunette innocently smiles, looking at the things they pass. “i like it,” she nodded in approval at the one he took, smiling sweetly at how he wants to make it his lockscreen, “i’ll make one of mine i took of you a lockscreen too. but first…i’ll post on instagram.” a laugh escaped as she found the one with his beanie half pulled down.

[leolaroot]

im trying to remember more details so i can find the copy of the magazine and the weird sonic (?) graphic novel too. the longer i think about it the more i feel like im maybe confusing a hardy boys comic with sonic for some reason. the magazine was i THINK seventeen magazine i remmever an article about the 2005 dukes of hazzard movie and they had a jessica simpson interview advertised on the cover.

the comic i remember being shaded with black so it looked dingy and they were in a jungle seeking treasure and theres a mine cart i think at some point.

[quentinyhk]

Trésors d'enfance et matérialisme

Le film "Les Goonies" (1985) met en scène un petit groupe de très jeunes gens partant à la recherche d'un butin de flibustiers, munis d'un plan dessiné sur un morceau de parchemin, une carte dont il est - ou fut - manifestement possible de se procurer une copie-souvenir.

Le film "Jumanji" (1996) présente, pour sa part, un quatuor de personnages faisant apparaître de féroces animaux de la jungle au moyen d'un somptueux plateau de jeu de société en bois sculpté, un objet vraisemblablement marabouté.

Accompagnés d'une paire de dés artisanaux probablement taillés dans de l'ivoire, les quatre pions du jeu de société "Jumanji" représentent un rhinocéros, un éléphant, un crocodile et un singe.

De magnifiques reproductions de ce plateau de jeu, qui se présente sous la forme d'un coffret, ont été (et sont peut-être toujours) mises en vente.

[drewoclock]

THE MOST FUN POST IN THE WORLD!

Originally published November 1st, 2012

Hey, kids!  Welcome to THE MOST FUN POST IN THE WORLD!  Hahaha, I know!  Fasten those suspenders, because your pants just might blow away!

Look!  It’s our friend, Blunky the Schedule!  Hey Blunky, what’s first on our list of suuuuper fun things to do?!

Blunky: Collecting the souls of all that triumph.

Hahaha, I think Blunky means…

Blunky: Drink from the gauntlet of death.

(The format of this show has been restored to its original format.)

So hi there.  Two days ago, when I could walk because I had yet to fuck up my legs with P90X, I traveled over to Hannaford, hoping they would have an iTunes gift card.  And spank me silver, they did.  I went toward the registers and one jovial woman said “I’ll take you right over here!”

Well, I shuffled on over, slid her the gift card, and said “I’ve got an easy one for ya!”  You know.  Friendly stuff.

She rings it up, I swipe my credit card, I adhere to the customer stereotype of not knowing what the fuck “Do you want cash back?” means, and she hands me the gift card.  It was at this moment, as she was saying “Have a nice day,” that I noticed she only had one arm.  And it was at this moment that I remembered what I had said:

"I’ve got an easy one for ya!"

I mean… It’s not like she assumed I was implying her condition makes work more difficult for her, right?  Right?  Right?

I grew confused.  A cold sweat broke out on my back.  It suddenly began to sound like the jungle.

I ripped off my arm.  As blood squirted everywhere, I shouted at her “YOU ARE JUST LIKE ME.”  I proceeded to run away, crash through the sliding doors, dive into a shopping cart, and row myself to the nearest landfill using my severed arm as an oar.

(The format of this show has been reverted to its newer format.)

Boy, kids, wasn’t that fun?  My spinny hat is spinning in craaazy excitement!  Hey Blunky, what’re we gonna do next?!

Blunky: Repent.

(This show has been canceled.)

[cjweejay]

Phoenix in the Clouds

Pairing Recom!Quaritch X Male!Oc

Summary: When a reborn Quaritch returns to Pandora, he meets a scientist who changes his world. Can love bloom on a beautiful world hostile to humans?  

Content Warning: alcoholism, Mild violence

Master List

Read part one here

A reposting of chapter one part two, this time Edited to feel more cohesive

Chapter one: The Landing (Part two)

(ah...Quick change, accidentally posted chapter two part one instead of chapter one part two lol...don't judge it was like midnight :p)

Dr. Wihongi returned to his temporary office, sat in the empty room, and sighed. He spent time at the computer and began working on some paperwork. He made certain that the uniforms were communicated to those working under him, and he sat back to drink his coffee which was not so subtly tainted with Cheap whiskey. He grumbled as he glanced at the computer. He despised it here, He wanted to be back at his own lab, where he was in command. But instead, he was now having garments made for enormous blue jarheads.

The doctor sighed as he got a notification about the Clothes in the Fabrication lab, Although it felt fast these machines were quite adept at making clothes considering how often clothes are made. As he stood up and proceeded to the onsite lab to check on the clothing. He sipped his coffee while adjusting the stitch and sitting down to ensure that nothing went wrong. He Then loaded the freshly made clothing into a hamper on a cart and began wheeling them down to the Recoms Barracks, coffee in hand. The door slid open for the Man. 

"Colonel, I got all of the clothes Fabricated!" he yelled as he rolled the hamper further into the barracks. 

Quaritch raised an eyebrow. "That quickly?" he questioned. His unit and he tried on their new fatigues. They were inflexible and one-size-fits-all, as was typical of military fatigues. They were cut resistant, though, as they discovered when they began slicing at each other with their combat knives. In the Pandoran jungle, a little more protection is always welcome.

 "I wonder if we could get a tailor," he wondered, feeling the range of motions the fatigues allowed him. One thing he hadn't realized was how much more flexible the material seemed at his scale. Cut resistant threads were thick, and not particularly flexible. Movement was always a bit of a chore. These, though, felt a bit more like normal fatigues, right down to the starchy stiffness.

Dr.Wihongi sipped his coffee and observed. "Does it work for you?" he said.

"Or do you want me to alter them?" he asked, his gaze fixed on Quaritch.

"A foldable collar would be ideal. Having the option to keep it down or cover the neck and throat. Beyond that, just a bit of tailoring to the individual and we'd be set and protected from a good chunk of Pandora's dangers." He smirked as he looked down at the Doctor. "You do excellent work, doc."

The doctor smiled slightly at the compliment and he nodded,”I try my best” he said as he sipped his coffee, hiding the further widening of his smile.

"Beyond that..." Quaritch handed the doc the list of items he'd noticed they could use that weren't found in the armory. Of note were concussive and flash bang grenades.

The Doctor read over the list and nodded,"I'll supply the armory with the weapons and send over the other things, I'll be back for some measurements"he said as he pocketed the list and he grabbed the rolling cart, and walked out of the barracks. The coffee cup filled with Irish Coffee never leaving his hand. 

"Well boys and girls, what do y'all think of our resident Q?" The responses from his unit were positive, excited to actually get outfitted with the best equipment possible. When it came to equipment, Marines in general got the bottom of the barrel. RDA outfitted them well, but now they were really getting priority.

The recom unit wound down for the day. They were given time to familiarize themselves with their new bodies, and to acclimate once more to Pandora's environment. But after a few training runs through simulators and obstacle courses, Quaritch planned to have his men on a Kestrel penetrating deep into enemy territory.

The doctor came back and instructed the Recoms to stand and be prepared for measurements.

A few minutes passed and Quaritch was the last one to be measured.

"Getting real familiar with us, eh doc?" Quaritch teased as he watched the human approach.

"I suppose you could say that, Sir," he remarked as he peered up at the other. "Spread your legs a little," he said before beginning to measure the Colonel.

Quaritch, like the rest of his squad, laughed. "Do you want me to bend over for you as well? At the very least, you should take me out to dinner beforehand."

"Colonel, I'm right near your privates, and if you want to keep them, you should keep quiet," he replied, looking up at the other in between the Colonel's legs.

The recom unit laughed at that. "I like you, doc. Certainly better than the last batch of eggheads I had to deal with."

Dr. Wihongi chuckled, "Well, I am here to please," he remarked as he finished measuring the others' inseams, "Can you get on your knees?" he asked as he scribbled the inseams down.

"I don't recall you needing anyone else to do that." Quaritch laughed as he got on his knees, He looked at the doctor with the slightest smirk.

"Trust me, everyone did, and it doesn't help that you're taller than them," he grumbled, "I don't provide special treatment," he murmured as he measured the others' waist.

"Alright. Keep in mind, I'ma marine and a vindictive one at that when it comes to any funny business."

"strictly professional," he added as he measured the other's chest. Being so near to Dr. Wihongi, the alcohol could be smelled on his breath, his eyes were sleepy, and his hair was a tad unkempt. Though there was a spark there, a dull flame of passion.

He held the other's arm and measured the sleeve length.

 Dr. Wihongi took the measurements and nodded, "there you go, all of your new uniforms will be ready by tomorrow, given that most people don't work at night," he added as he took a step back. "I'll be next door if you need anything."

"You will all need a health checkup tomorrow to see how your bodies are acclimating to Pandora," he shouted loudly for the entire team to hear as he walked and typed. Groans from the Team could be heard and he rolled his eyes.

"Alright, doc. See you tomorrow." Quaritch watched him leave.

 "Well, rather forwards, wasn't he?" he quipped to his unit. The unit Chuckled and talked to each other. Some conversations pertained to the doctor, others about how weird it was to be back.

Quaritch went to his bunk as the rest of the recoms relaxed, getting up to the usual antics of bored soldiers. He knew the egghead wasn't enthused about being his unit's personal quartermaster and R&D team. If he had a hunch, the doc was pretty beat up about not getting to play with his own pet science project, whatever the hell that was. Still, he did good work, which he could appreciate. And if it kept his men alive, then all the better. Maybe he could see if the doc's science project was worth restarting, if he ended up working well with his men. He took care of his people. 

Soon enough, it was lights out. His soldiers grumbled as they went to bed, acting like the children they claimed they weren't. As he laid in his bunk, feeling the fairly familiar feeling of a regulation mattress and blanket on Pandoran gravity, he imagined what might be ahead. He thought about finally getting his revenge on Sully, a man he'd taken in as a protege only to be betrayed. He thought about taking this world that the traitor seemed to love and taming it, civilizing it. Humanity was here. It was our home now. The natives just didn't know it yet.

Quaritch fell asleep, thoughts of violence and industrialization soothing his burning need for revenge. 

[genogenocrazycatman]

Throne Chapter 18

Throne [Archive of Our Own, FanFiction.Net]

Characters:  Original Female Character, Red Haired Shanks, Benn Beckman, Lucky Roo, Yasopp,

***

“I can be very disarming.”

“Looks like you’ve been disarmed,” I jabbed, not looking up at him.

Benn let out a loud laugh at that.

Shanks grinned. “You wound me.”

“Clearly, I’m not the only one.”

Hello people. So if you don’t know, what’s going on here then the simple version is that this a Shanks x OC fic.

If you follow me, and the One Piece stuff I write, then you’ve probably heard me talk about this fic. Hey look it’s finally here.

***

Despite it not yet being noon, the heat was already horrid. The sun, not even at its peak, was blinding outside. The air felt almost oppressive, paired with the humidity left over from the storms that had come through the night before.

 The store I was currently standing in was stuffy, almost suffocating. The owner had tried his best to mitigate the temperature, with fans running at full speed and windows opened to keep the air flowing.

 I shifted my weight from one leg to another, shuffling the three rolls of bandages in my hand as I waited for the clerk to finish his conversation with his current patron, who was checking out quite the haul based on the cart loaded beside him.

 "You don't say! You know it's been a while since you boys came around. Glad to hear that-" the clerk noticed me, briefly pausing his conversation. “Apologies, miss. I'll be with you in one moment."

 I shook my head, waving off his concerns with the hand not holding my items. "No worries. I can wait a little while longer for the first mate of the Red-Hair pirates to finish up."

 Benn turned his head, glancing back at me, standing up from where he had been leaning against the counter in his conversation.

 "Morning, Liz," he said, round the cigarette hanging from his lips.

 "Morning, Benn."

 "Liz, this fine shopkeep is Sota. He's an old friend of ours. Sota, this is Elizabeth, the only person capable of getting the Boss to wake up before noon."

 "I've been told my jokes about his sleeping habits are repetitive."

 So are Yasopp's stories, but he still tells them."

 I huffed out a laugh, making my way closer to the counter to shake Sota's hand. "Nice to meet you."

 "You as well," he said. "Welcome to my shop. I hope that you found everything okay. Any friend of the Red-Hair Pirates is a friend of ours."

 "Aww, thank you."

 "You wanna throw her stuff onto our total?" Benn asked.

 "Of course," Sota agreed readily, punching the numbers into the register.

 "Captain's dime?" I asked, stuffing the bandages into my bag.

 "Always," Benn answered.

 "Why’s he got the first mate doing the shopping? Couldn't get one of the rookies to do it?"

 Currently, there were four rookies aboard their ship. I’d been introduced to them briefly in passing at the tavern, but I hadn’t had a chance to get to know them or even retain their names.

 "And actually get what's on the list?” he scoffed. “No."

 "Fair enough. So is any of this for today?" I asked, looking over the pile.

 The Red-Hair crew had a spot that they liked to frequent when they were here. There was a waterfall somewhere in the jungle where they could get shitfaced, swim, and hang out. The invite had been extended to me with the promise of a nice lawn chair not too close to the water and – if I was feeling adventurous – shallow plunge pools between some of the falls' steps, no deeper than a foot and a half.

 "All of it. You've seen how our idiots act in a bar. Now, imagine them in the jungle."

 "Should I be concerned for my safety?" I asked.

 "Yours? No. We'd never let anything happen to you. Everyone else? Probably. Unless you plan on trying to drink everyone under the table again. But even then, you can always ch-"

 I cut him off. "I. Did. Not. Cheat,” I argued, pointing at him with every word. “You all failed to establish the rules properly."

 Benn carefully lifted a brow at me. "Next time, we'll write it out."

 Sota laughed at us from his spot behind the counter.

 I rolled my eyes and hip-checked Benn. "You done shopping, or do you have other stops to make?"

 "Two more to go."

 "Want some company?" I asked.

 We weren’t supposed to leave for another couple of hours, and aside from change, I didn’t have anything to do, so I figured I might as well make myself useful.

 I had gone through and packed my stuff up the night before. The plan was to hang out today, but I had also been warned that, typically, no one was sober enough to come back until the following day.

 "Of course,” he agreed easily. “It’ll be nice to have someone competent come along for once."

 "You're so mean."

 "Liz, I'm tired."

 "Can't blame you there."

 "You boys are quite a handful," Sota agreed. "But it helps to liven the place up."

 "I had that same thought the first time I met them.”

 Sota prattled off a total, which Benn paid while promising to meet for a drink before they set sail again.

 "Where to next?" I asked as we stepped into the sun. I slid my sunglasses down from where they were perched on my head.

 "A few things for dinner, and then Hongo asked that we pick something up from the apothecary."

 Easy enough.

 "What's with all the bandages?" he asked.

 "So I can wrap my thigh and wear shorts in public. It's too fucking hot."

 The one downside to being out in the larger world was that I had to try to hide my tattoo. I usually wore jeans, but when I wanted to switch it up, I either had to wrap it in bandages or find something with a skirt long enough to cover it.

 "You're going to send the Boss into a coma," he said.

 Rather than acknowledge the statement, I opted to ask a question that had been on my mind for a while. “Uh huh, sure. So, how have things been since Aurora?" I asked. "The captain's an emperor now. High stakes."

 "You would know something about that, wouldn't you, princess?"

 I scrunched up my face before cutting my eyes sideways towards Benn behind my shades. "Don't call me that… like ever."

 Benn laughed. "Just saying. Your old man's been up there for years. I'm sure your brothers have told you what it's like."

 "Depends on the brother, but yes.”

 Accounts of what life on the Moby Dick was like varied wildly from brother to brother.

 Most of the boys liked to embellish to a ridiculous degree or undersell everything going on to “spare” my feelings. I trusted Marco and Thatch’s accounts more so than everyone else’s. Marco would give me much of the larger context of being a Yonko crew. Thatch would provide me with more day-to-day and familial aspects.

 The one thing consistent across the board is that none of them would change a thing if given a chance.

 “I know Shanks isn't dumb, but politics is something else."

 Other Yonko crews, subordinates, warlords, the World Government, it was a lot to try to balance.

 "Politics that he's surprisingly well suited to navigating. Turns out that easygoing nature of his helps in some of those rather tense situations. If only it were as helpful when it came to chores. Any reason you're asking me instead of him?"

 "Because he'll just shoot me that smug ass grin and talk about how his charm and charisma get him far in life."

 "I see. And you'll want to argue for a serious answer but will be far too caught up in that wit and charm."

 I chewed the inside of my mouth, unable to argue. He was right. I preferred it when he was busting the captain’s chops instead of mine.

 Benn didn’t even try to hide the teasing smile playing on his lips. "Don't try to act tough now. You're not as immune as you pretend to be. I've watched you laugh at his shitty jokes."

 "I've laughed at all of your shitty jokes," I countered.

 "Yeah, but you light up at the Boss's."

 "Shut up."

 "I've been wondering why you didn’t come to find us once you left Aurora."

 I shrugged. "When I first left, I wasn't thinking about much other than getting the fuck out of there and not getting caught. Took me a while to get my bearings.

 "Then, I started bounty hunting and taking out slave traders. I was so caught up with all that and the girls at Sabaody. I didn't really think about finding you all seriously until then. Like I daydreamed about it, sure. But I didn't think it was something that I should do. Felt kind of pathetic. Chasing after you guys like some groupie. What if I only was attached to you guys because you were the only people who were ever nice to me?"

 We walked in comfortable silence for a moment as Benn mulled that over. "I take it you met some good people in the world if you were willing to meet us again."

 "Ya know, the world’s a big place. Such a big place that it's impressive that I managed to get stuck on an island with a bunch of fucking assholes. But once I hit the Grand Line, the devil fruit, the scars, none of it meant shit.”

 "And you had your fan club."

 "Oh no, I don't want to hear jack shit about a fan club from you, Benn Beckman. You've had a line of ladies at the bar for the past week."

 He raised his hand, not pulling the wagon along in surrender.

 "I just wanted to figure out who I was before I even considered finding you guys, the Old Man, anyone. How are people supposed to rely on and trust you when you don't even know who you are outside of how much others hate you?"

 Benn took a drag of his cigarette. "We're glad you got yourself sorted, the Boss especially."

 I rolled my eyes and lightly elbowed him. "We're supposed to be on the same side, you know?"

 "The Boss isn’t here. You're fair game."

 “Rude.”

 One more turn and the shopping district came into full view. There were storefronts all up and down the road, with different grocery carts and vendors lining the street. People hustled about, either selling their wares or trying to complete their shopping before lunch.

 "What do we even need?" I asked, wiping the sweat that was accumulating on my brow.

 Benn pulled the list out of his pocket.

 "Hongo has some things to be picked up from the apothecary, and Roux needs more vegetables. I think he's planning on making kebabs."

 I felt my face twist.

 "Not a fan of kebabs? "

 "No, I like them enough. I can’t say the same of that little con artist at the big produce stall."

 "Con artist? You mean Belle?"

 I studied Benn’s face for a moment. "Oh no."

 "What?"

 "Belle is gonna hustle the shit out of you."

 "Me?"

 "Yes, you."

 "What the hell are you on about?"

 "Her prices are insane! Do you know how much she tried to charge me for turnips last week?! And she gets away with it because she distracts you with those fucking doe eyes and freckles and that damn crop top."

 My rant assured Benn that there was no danger to be concerned about, so his confusion and concern eased.

 "Doe eyes, freckles, and a crop top, huh?" Benn chuckled. "Sounds like you have a crush."

 "I did until I saw her damn prices.”

 There was no denying that Belle was drop-dead gorgeous. She was very clearly put at the stall to use her looks and charm to sell produce. She didn’t have the build nor calluses of someone who farmed.  

 “Listen, I'm not faulting her for making her money. If that's what she thinks her turnips are worth, then so be it. I didn't try to haggle with her. I didn't even bring it up. I was just like, 'Eh, I might be back.' But the second I was like, 'meh,' it was like a switch had been flipped. She told me that maybe the dude from the pig farm might have slop more my speed."

 "Over a turnip?"

 "Over a fucking turnip! Because I didn't fall for her charm offensive!"

 "Uh-huh. I think we can afford her prices. We can even buy you your turnips."

 I narrowed my eyes at Benn. "Don’t patronize me, you weak, weak man. This isn’t about being able to afford turnips. I wouldn’t think anything of it if they were a little pricey. It's the principle of the thing. They were way overpriced, and she started barking and yapping when I tried to disengage peacefully."

 “It’s good to see you stand your ground, even about turnips."

 I snagged the slip that Hongo must've received from the apothecary. "I'll go grab this. You can go get scammed by Belle."

 “Meet you back here in 30 minutes?” he asked.

 I nodded before taking the next turn.

 I knew that there was no goddamned way he was going to be back in 30 minutes. It would only take her one glance, and she’d have Benn roped in. Or maybe he would have her roped into his. Either way, this wouldn’t be the simple transaction he thought it was.

 Sure, Benn liked to drink and always had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, but alcohol and tobacco had nothing on his number one vice: women.

 I made it to the apothecary quickly, picking up the bags of stuff that Hongo had ordered. Making my way back to the designated meet-up spot, I made a couple of additional stops, picking up a few things I had planned to get later in the week, saving myself another trip.

 When I arrived back at the corner where we split off, Benn was nowhere to be found. I checked my watch, and I was only a few minutes late. I decided to give him five more minutes before I investigated.

 A quick pass by the produce stand showed it was closed, and its operator was missing. A few patrons were milling about, chattering about where she could’ve gone. Notably, the cart Benn had been dragging along earlier was not particularly well hidden off to the side.

 Where the two had run off to was anyone’s guess.

 ‘Called it.’

 I grabbed the handle of the cart, throwing Hongo’s belongings on it, before heading to the port, where the Red Force was docked.

 As I neared the ship, I realized I had never actually been on the Red Force during the day. They’d not yet acquired the Red Force when they docked in Aurora.  I, of course, had snuck aboard at night when I planted my journal in Shanks’s belongings. But I’d never just casually been on the ship.

 A few of the boys were on deck doing chores. The two newbies that Yasopp had tried to hustle the first night I’d reunited with everyone were scrubbing down the deck under the sniper’s watchful eye.

 “Ayo! Yasopp!” I called, getting his attention.

 He peered over at me. “Liz!” he greeted cheerily. “Come on up!” He nodded to the boys, who scrambled over to me, relieved to be freed from deck duty.

 They took the cart while Yasopp extended a hand to pull me aboard. “Where’s Beck?”

 “Pretty sure he’s getting his carrot peeled by the produce girl, so I brought Hongo’s order and the rest of the supplies back. Figured I’d do you guys a solid. “

 “Much appreciated.”

 I took a glance around. “Looks so much different in the day,” I said.

 “In the day?” Yasopp questioned.

 “Y’all might be a little too cocky. Should be better at watch.”

 “How many times have you been here?”

 “Only once.”

 “I don’t know whether to be impressed or scared,” he muttered.

 “Both is probably the safest answer,” Limejuice said, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Did we get a new first mate?”

 “Is that an option?” I asked. “I was always under the impression the Captain was the one you wanted to get rid of.”

 “If you were first mate, you’d effectively be the captain.”

 I shrugged. “You’d have to let me cash him in before I turn to piracy. Easy money. Would be a shame not to.”

 “Excellent plan,” Yasopp chirped.

 “Agreed.”

 “So, do you want a tour since this is your first time here in the day, apparently?” Yasopp asked.

 “Most definitely.” I mean, who wouldn’t take the opportunity to get a tour of a Yonko ship?

 “Great, Lime will take you,” Yasopp volunteered him. “I need to make these to get everything sparkling before we leave.”

 “Better hurry up, boys,” Limejuice chirped. “Or we’ll leave without ya.”

 I snickered as I followed behind him.

 “So welcome to the Red Force,” he said, gesturing around.

 I let out a low whistle. “You guys upgraded since I saw you.”

 He nodded proudly. “She’s a beauty. You’re currently on the main deck…”

 Lime juice took me through almost all the Red Force. The orchard on the deck with various fruit trees. The gun deck also doubled as an armory and blacksmith. The crow’s nest. The bridge. The living quarters. The orlop was an absolute mess. The bar that they had specially built, because of course they did. The library, where Benn hid out when the others were too much. The sail room. The med bay, where Hongo was trying to decide what needed to go with us, given the crew’s penchant for chaos.

 The doctor took a moment away from his stress to thank me for picking up his order instead of their first mate.

 From there, we headed to the galley. Lucky Roux was prepping for the trip as well. Or he was trying to, but there was still the matter of his produce that had yet to arrive.

 “Lizzy!” he greeted. “What brings you to our vessel on this fine day?”

 “I ran into your first mate and decided to help him with the shopping.”

 “Really? Then where the hell is he?”

 “Ran off to play hide the banana with the girl from the produce stand.”

 “By the girl with the expensive turnips?"

 "Thank you!" I said. "Who needs to turn in bounties when you can just rip people off on fucking turnips?"

 "And the cabbages."

 "They had brown spots!"

 "I thought maybe she'd be nicer to Benn," Luck said. "Give him a discount."

 "Seriously? Cause I think she's suckered him in. Figuratively and literally. He said before we even got there that he was sure we could afford full price."

 "What? Does he not understand it's the principle?"

 "Not when there's a babe involved," Shanks said as he walked into the galley, one of the rookies behind him.

 “Hey, Captain.”

 “Miss Elizabeth.”

 My guess was that he was in his quarters or the attached office. Those were the only notable rooms left off the tour, though I had already seen them from my previous mission.

 "You think some girl is swindling the smartest man on the crew?" the kid asked.  

 "Yes," Luck and I said in sync. We glanced at each other, then at the newbie. "Wanna bet it?"

 His eyes narrowed at the challenge. "Loser buys the winner's drinks next time at the tavern,"

 "You do realize there's one of you and two of us, right?" Luck asked.

 "Only means you can afford twice as many drinks.”

 “You got a confident one here, Captain,” I said, looking at Shanks.

 “I know who to put my money on.”

 "I'll shake on it on behalf of the future winners," Luck said, putting his hand out.

 "I hate to take your money like this."

 I scoffed.

 "Benn's brains don't mean anything in the face of a beautiful woman," Shanks added. "He doesn't stand a chance."

 “I can’t believe how much he’s about to spend on fucking peppers and onions.”

 “I know.”

 “As much as you may have tried,” Shanks started. “You haven’t drained my coffers to the point where I can’t afford vegetables.”

 “Not the point!” Luck and I echoed.

 “She told me that from the looks of it, I didn’t know what a vegetable was,” Luck said.

 “That little bitch told me slop might be more my speed. I’ve been forced to eat scraps, so I can confidently say her fucking turnips weren’t far off.”

 Shanks’s expression went to his false neutral that he tended to wear when I said something that he thought was upsetting but didn’t want to make a deal about.

 I gently hip-checked him, subtly shaking my head to let him know it was fine. It was a long time ago, and things were a whole hell of a lot different now.

 He shot me a surprisingly subtle smile, bumping me back.

 “If I’m not ready on time-“

 “Now, why wouldn’t you be on time?” Benn asked, walking into the galley and setting down crates of onions, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms.

 “Well, well, well, look who it is; so much for 30 minutes.”

 “I made a detour.”

 “Yeah, to Belle’s.”

 “You couldn’t have returned the vegetables to Liz before you decided to ring Belle’s bell?” Luck asked, scrutinizing the haul.

 I snorted. “That was terrible.” I caught sight of the white slip caught between two zucchini.

 “You know, Benn, if you keep up this type of behavior, you might lose your spot as favorite,” Shanks teased.

 I shook my head while not looking away from the paper between my fingers. “Not today, though.” I held the receipt up. “Cause you got fucking hosed.”

 Luck popped his head over my shoulder to look at the receipt. “God, man, Liz ain’t lying.”

 “Seriously?”

 I grinned up at the kid, turning the receipt around. “Don’t worry, kiddo, I’ll stay away from the top shelf.”

 Luck shook his head. “I’m not!” he exclaimed before cackling. I joined him.

 Shanks sighed and patted his poor rookie’s shoulder. “Benn – and you – never stood a chance.”

 “Did you really bet on whether or not I was going to sleep with Belle?” Benn asked.

 “No. We bet on whether or not she was going to scam you, which, based on this receipt, she totally did.”

 Benn pinched the bridge of his nose. “We leave in an hour and a half. Don’t you all have to finish getting ready?”

 “Yeah, yeah,” Luck waved him off.

 “Walk you out?” Shanks offered.

  “Thanks, Captain.”

***

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***

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