#lucy goes to mexico

[ladylooch]

You, Me, and Mexico [Lucie x Connor] - Part 2

A/N: The conclusion of Mexico and the true formation of Lucie and Connor as we know them now. This is spicy and sassy and hectic like our two young lovers were. I am in love with this. I hope you are too 🥹

Word Count: 7.8k

Lucie has never heard a pack of National Hockey League players so quiet before. 

But she also hasn’t seen them this hungover either. 

Their Mexico Allstar break is proving to be the ultimate competitor for these rowdy and untamed boys. Even Lio is no match for the lime, tequila, and hot sand. The only one who seems relatively unscathed this morning is Connor who sits on his chaise two down from her, reading.

Between Lucie and Connor, Lio’s muffled snores vibrate the towel beneath his face. To his left, Lucie holds her Kindle up with one arm. She swipes her thumb across the page, willing herself to get lost in a Texas ranch fantasy, but finding it difficult with how swelteringly hot the sun is on her body. She glances down at her calves, frowning at the pink patches beginning to shine through. 

Damn her dad and his pastey genes.

All she wanted was to come back from Mexico bronzed and gorgeous, but her Swiss heritage has something snarky to say about her every attempt at collecting the sun’s rays.

Lucie glances over at Lio who is more Swiss than her, gloriously tanned from all angles without a hint of sunburn on him. 

Hmmm, maybe it’s not the Swiss in her. Maybe it’s the American?

As casually as Lucie can muster, her brown eyes trail beyond her cousin to his All-American roommate. The one who two nights ago seemingly changed the trajectory of their trip, then disappeared into the night again like whatever that was didn’t happen. At least this time she had a beach full of witnesses to know it wasn’t all a dream. Lucie purses her lips ash the thought, letting her gaze trail along the strong muscles on Connor’s body. 

He sits shirtless to Lio’s left, navy swim trunks hugging all the right places. They bunch up at his mid-thigh, barely holding together over his thick quads. One of his feet is planted on the chaise, knee bent at an angle so his fingers can dangle off his leg. This makes his thighs look even bigger, almost like tree trunks. Lucie’s head lulls slightly to the side involuntarily, remembering those beneath her own when she straddled his lap the other evening. 

A dangerously hot thought on an already hot day. 

Frustration tightens the back of her throat, remembering how long it’s been since she’s been touched. Or at least was until Connor lit her skin on fire then ran away without finishing the job. 

Chicken. 

As understanding as she was that night, her annoyance and frustration is all that appears today.

Lucie slides her sunglasses-covered gaze away, trying to focus back on her Kindle again. But then, she can sense Connor’s movement out of the corner of her eye and her eyes instantly drift again. Connor flips the page in his book, pinching and tugging his bottom lip as he dips his face further into the spine. He is wearing an old Rockies hat that has his dark curls going crazy around the edges from the humidity and swimming earlier. 

Lucie watches as Connor blinks, bringing his gaze to the pool in front of them where a few kids splash in the water. Then his gaze goes right back to the worn pages in his fingers. Lucie wonders if he has read this book a few times or if it’s his first time. 

She wishes she didn’t feel too awkward to ask. 

Like a bitter cycle she knows too well, Connor has been avoiding her since their run in on their first night. Other than the longing glance across the table or the hesitant goodnights they say to each other, he is dodging her like she crossed an invisible boundary again. Her only solace is that any woman who comes up to him, and there have been plenty, is turned away quickly or blatantly ignored. It gives Lucie hope. Like maybe he is waiting for her to make the next move.

A bead of sweat drips down Lucie’s spine from her hair. She sighs, slapping her Kindle down and grabbing the teal scrunchie from her wrist. She tosses her hair up into a bun then stands. Her bright pink bikini bottoms back are tugged back into place, sitting more appropriately on her hip bones. She stretches her arms, making her breasts pull tight against her chest. Connor glances over at her, then quickly looks away when their eyes meet. Lucie sighs, rolling her eyes and announcing to no one in particular that she’s going into the pool.

“Don’t drown.” Lio mumbles to her without opening his eyes.

Lucie tosses her sunglasses onto her white towel, then steps towards the edge of the pool. The stairs are on the other side, but a ledge running along the sides makes it easier to enter from anywhere. She glides into the cool, crystal water, instantly sagging in relief at the chilling sensation on her skin. She seeps in further, sinking down until her shoulders skim beneath the water, then back up, happy the breeze off the ocean seems to be picking up. She kicks across to the other side of the pool, then sneaks a glance back over to her group.

A corner of her mouth tilts up when she notices how hard Connor is focusing on his book now. His eyes do not float away, even as other noises call for his attention. A group of people walk by, but again Connor stares hard with his nose in his book. Lucie giggles to herself, realizing that she hasn’t seen Connor turn the page much since they got to the pool and she shrugged off her cover up. 

To test her theory, Lucie flicks water up with her foot, seeing if she can get droplets close to their group. The droplets fall just to the edge of the pool, so she goes closer, trying again. She is right in front of Connor, tempting him, pushing herself further out of the water so her bikini top rises into the air, showing two distinct points in the front. 

Connor’s gaze stays on the book like they’re glued, but he shifts his legs around, pulling the opposite foot up and letting the other one down. His tongue runs along his top teeth, strong jaw zig zagging to both sides like it’s bothering him. 

Lucie floats to her back, careful to keep her hair out of the water. Her legs drift back up to the top of the water then she flicks again, grinning when she watches the streak of water wet the concrete then disappear onto Connor’s chaise. His blue eyes fly up as the droplets hit his foot. Lucie can feel his eyes everywhere. They’re generous and starved, roaming all over her exposed skin before he cocks his head to the side at her. 

“Accident.” She shrugs innocently.

“Mhm.” She faintly hears him grumble. She sucks her cheeks in, making her dimples pierce further into her cheeks. Then with his eyes still on her, she flicks again, bigger this time, laughing at his deeper frown. His eyebrows pull together, looking dark and menacing beneath the shade of his hat. But there is no mistaking the look of desire that swirls over his face.

Lucie swings her foot down as Connor goes back to his book. She flicks again, this time getting a big splash on his ankle that makes Lucie snort in surprise. Between his knees, she can see the sparkle of droplets on his phone. Oops. 

Connor snaps his book shut, standing up. In one motion, he’s heading towards her, whipping his hat off and jumping into the pool. Lucie squeals in surprise as his splash slaps her in the face. She barely has time to wipe her eyes before Connor’s arms swoop under her waist, lifting her easily into his arms. She immediately feels his hard erection against her. 

Lucie gasps at that and the proximity of his lips to hers. She glances quickly towards the rest of their group. All of them are still asleep on their chaises, Lio included.

“Hi.” She says to him.

“Hi.” He responds quietly, almost subdued as he drinks her in. His grip on her waist shifts as his hands skim down to her ass. He rolls her hips into his, making Lucie inhale heavily through her nose. “You wanted attention?” He murmurs. Lucie laughs. 

“I need some every day. It’s a disease.” She bats her lashes at him. He smiles genuinely, laughing while running his hands from her butt to the backs of her thighs. His thumbs swipe across the top of her skin, making her core tingle. “And you’ve been avoiding me again.” She points out bluntly.

“I’m not...it’s just.. Lio.” He shrugs.

“Lio has been drunk, high or getting laid the entire time we have been here.” Lucie rolls her eyes at his favorite excuse.

“Yeah but that’s his norm, so it’s not like he doesn’t see the way I can’t stop staring at your ass.” Lucie’s cheeks turn pink, warming under the knowledge of him looking at her, soaking her in like she wants him to. She brings her fingers up his biceps, threading them around his neck. 

“You like what you see?”

“You know I do. Plus, I’ve got you all figured out, Lucie Hischier.”

“That makes one of us.” She drawls back. Her fingers glide through his hair as she takes another peek at the group. Still clear. She leans forward, on the opposite side of his neck then runs her tongue from the dip of his collar bone to his ear lobe. 

“I want you, Lucie. I wasn’t lying about that the other night.” His voice is liquified with need, edgy but smooth, almost a groan when she sucks his skin into her mouth for a moment. 

“What’s so bad about here?”

“You deserve better.” He murmurs, gripping her face gently in his wet palm. 

Better? How could anywhere else be better? Lucie can still feel his hearty grip on her ass as he ground her into his cock the other night. That felt pretty damn good to her, Mexico or not. 

“I don’t understand you.” Lucie groans. “You may be the only man, a hockey player to boot, who won’t fuck the willing girl in his arms.” 

Connor’s eyes darken at the dirty slip of her words. 

“You’d like that wouldn’t you, baby?” There is an edge to him now, a dark one that Lucie wants to explore further. 

“Yes.” She snaps tightly, pressing her breasts into his chest more.

“Would like it if I slipped this bikini to the side and took you right here? Hm? Made you be quiet while I sink my cock deep into your wet pussy?” His voice is low and gruff as his eye roam over her face, watching every flicker of pleasure melt her brown eyes into liquid chocolate. 

“Mhm.” She whines through her bitten lip. 

“I could do it, Luc. I could fuck you here without anyone knowing.” Goosebumps thread down her limbs as she looks into his eyes. Lucie becomes lighter in his arms, looser as she tries to drop her hips to roll against his erection again. He leans in close. Lucie doesn’t care enough to look over at their group again. This is it, she thinks. He’s finally going to-

“AH!!!!” She screams suddenly, feeling herself being propelled through the air. Then she’s sucking in water from her open mouth. The water pulls her under, swirling around in white bubbles as she forces herself back up to the surface. She gasps, shoving the loose hairs from her bun off her face. 

Through her saltwater haze, Lucie glares at the retreating back of Connor Wood. She gapes at the group of laughing NHL players, all now wide awake at once, including her cousin who is sitting up, choking from laughing so hard.

“Woody, you got her so good.” Lio bellows. 

Rivers of water run down Connor’s hairy legs as his feet lead him back to his chaise lounge. His white teeth dazzle against his tanned skin and his blue eyes softly glisten. Quickly, he sends an apologetic look her way. All the heat that had been building between them has vanished for Lucie. One minute he’s whispering dirty thoughts in her ear and the next he is chucking her across the pool to get away from her? Who’s the one playing games now? She already had months of groveling and running after a man who didn’t deserve her. She was young then, didn’t know better like she does now. She is not doing it again. She is not going to continuously run after this guy, especially after he has turned her down twice. 

Connor is right in that way; she does deserve better.

“My little sister could have thrown me farther than that.” Lucie chirps when she gets back to her chair. Lio tosses her towel to her, assessing her as she wipes off. 

“You good?” Lio asks her. Lucie scoffs, snatching her cover up off the chaise.

“Yeah, but I’m done for the day.” She hastily tosses her stuff into her pool bag. “I’ll see you guys for dinner.” She calls breezily over her shoulder as she pulls her cover up back over her right shoulder. 

“Lucie, I’m- I’m sorry.” Connor says, folding his towel over his waist as she walks by. Lucie cuts a glare his way as she continues towards the exit of the pool area. “Luc? They were looking. I had to do something.” He mumbles to her. Lucie balks at that, scoffing. She whips around so fast her bag slaps against her butt.

“This is, like, a game to you, isn’t it?” Connor’s eyes dart nervously to the side then he shakes his head no. She steps closer, licking her lips and lowering her voice so it’s only between them. “I’m nobody’s secret, Connor.”

Then she twirls back around and leaves him staring at her perfect ass sashay away from him.

 - - -

Connor should have known better than to poke at Lucie this afternoon. The only thing it taught her was how damn easy it is to get his attention. So when the idea of hitting another beach party was floated at dinner, it was Lucie who immediately jumped at it. She happily put up with all their jokes and pokes about her wet t-shirt entry from earlier in the week. Because she knows exactly what her game plan is tonight.

Use any willing male on the beach to show Connor Wood exactly what he is missing.

He thinks he can play games and be aloof and then also cockblock her from anyone else the rest of this trip? Fine. Then he can watch her work a room and get him in a drunken jealous tizzy before it ends with her walking away from him. 

Her target was Javi, the local bartender who’s shift ended an hour ago. She batted her lashes and let her dress dip dangerously low over her cleavage until he agreed to stay. All he had to do was change and then he joined her on the beach, hand slipped into hers. Lucie didn’t have to know where Connor was to feel his gaze following them. But Lio’s loud shout and wave pointed out where they were a while ago. Lucie just doesn’t care enough to go join them. Instead, she is savoring Javi’s hands on her. She loves the way he flirts with red zones while staying firmly in the yellow spots on her body. It makes her feel sexy, restoring the confidence that Connor literally drowned in the pool this afternoon.

It’s not until Javi is pulled into a work emergency off the clock that Lucie saunters back towards her group. She is exhausted and parched from dancing, but feels free and gorgeous. Not even Connor’s glower can take that away from her. His thick brows squiggle over his blue eyes, waves crashing in them like the inky ocean hitting the beach to her right. Lucie smiles at him easily, a little wickedness seeping into her cheeks like her dimples. 

“Having fun?” Connor asks, licking his top teeth after a long pull from his Modelo. 

“Tons of it.” She answers breezily, then leans down to grab her watered down margarita. She takes a sip from the lime green straw, then tosses it back down on the table when its completely drained. “I think I’ll go have another round of that.” She flirts at him, running her fingers through her brown hair that has curled up nicely in the humidity.

Before Lucie can even take a step, her fingers are collected in Connor’s and he pulls her back into his chest.

“Stay here, Princess. I’m not running across the beach to save you again.”

“Aww, but last time it was so Baywatch.” She pulls away from him, stepping to leave the group again. “I’m fine, cowboy. Stay here and keep moping if that's how you want to spend your night.” Lucie can feel more than hear his growl as he wraps his arm around her stomach, pulling her firmer to his chest. She resists letting her shoulder droop into his body, but notices he is rock hard. He shifts her so his bulge settles perfectly between her rounded cheeks that taunted him earlier at the pool.

“Lucie. You take one more step and I’m going to throw you over my shoulder.”

“Yeah, then what?” She snaps. “You gonna throw me into the ocean over there to drown me out of your mind, Woody?” He says nothing, but his chest swells and deflates rapidly into Lucie’s back. She rolls her eyes, then bucks her hips back so he lets her go completely. She turns around, setting her hard glare on him. “Quit with the games. Make it worth my time or leave me alone.” He continues to watch her, blue gaze steely yet wild. His untamed curls blow in the beach breeze, shirt flapping open more to expose his tanned and toned chest. He is freakishly still. Lucie scoffs, waving at him over her shoulder to go back to Javi. 

Suddenly, her knees are taken out from under her. She squeaks, then is flipped to her stomach over his shoulder, looking down at Connor’s ass and the worn boardwalk. Connor’s flip flops slap against the bottoms of his feet with each step. Lucie struggles in his grasp. He tightens his grip on her thighs then calls back to her.

“Don’t make me tie you up to keep you still.” 

“Everyone is watching you haul me away!” Lucie shrieks, looking at the group of hockey players laughing. Lio, drunk and high, lifts his hand and wave. Lucie lifts her middle finger back at him.

“Get your teammate!” She yells at Lio. He yells something back that Lucie can’t hear. “Connor, put me down.” She directs back to the man under her thighs.

“No. I was clear with you. You took one more step.”

Lucie hangs quietly over his shoulder for the duration of the walk to the elevator. It’s a waste of her breath to continue complaining, no one is going to save her. Once they get to the bank of elevators, Connor puts her feet back on the ground.

“I can run faster than you. Don’t even try.” He warns. Lucie rolls her eyes. What does he have to be mad about?

The walk down to her room is equally quiet as he waits for her to fish her card out of her back pocket. She doesn’t, standing there with a glare on her face and arms crossed across her chest.

“Open the damn door, Lucie.” He hisses at her. She scoffs, stepping back. He reaches for her, then glides his hand down her back to her ass, puling out the white card and swiping it quickly. He shoves her through the door. 

“You have some damn nerv-”

The rest of the word is cut off by Connor’s frantic kiss. He grips her body, twirling them both so he slams her up against the closed door. Nothing about it is gentle or nice. It’s angry and punishing just like his thigh grinding between her legs. Lucie moans, getting turned on by the hard press of him to the apex of her thighs. 

“Fuck.” He growls, letting his hands roam her body. He grips her breasts tightly, then dives back in to kiss her hard. Her head bounces on the door as he makes out with her, stretching her mouth open to accommodate his hurried pace. 

“You have some damn nerve dancing with that guy all night.” He finally says to her, pulling back to look into her face.

“Why do you care? There were a hundred women on that beach you could have instead.”

“Why are you acting like I actually would want anyone here who isn’t you?” He laughs like something about this is funny.

“Because your signals are all over the place, Connor! One minute you’re moaning in my ear and the next you’re throwing me across the fucking pool.”

Connor crowds her up against the door, pinning her there easily with one thigh. His hands dash through her hair as he leans down.

“I should make it clear to you huh? Take your right here against the door.” 

“See like that. Why are you all over the place?”

“Because this is a bad idea, Luc. So fucking bad.” He whispers on her mouth, swiping his lips across hers with each word. Lucie opens her eyes, taking in his long lashes kissing together as he tries to hold back from taking her. Goosebumps pimple along her limbs as she tangles her fingers in his curls. “Because once I have you, I’m not going to want to stop. Ever.”

“Please?” She asks. “I’ll be worth it. I promise.”

All his resolve breaks. 

“You ask so sweetly.” He moans. “Innocent. Like you don’t know what you do to me. But you do, don’t you?” He kisses down her jaw, leading to her throat. “Know how much I want you. You know I can’t breathe when you walk into the room. Too distracted with how beautiful you are.” His words muffle into her skin but Lucie hears them clearly. She's drunker on them than tequila could ever make her.

“I want you to have me.” She whispers into his ear, then sucks his ear lobe into her mouth. His forehead drops to her shoulder briefly. 

“I wanna taste you.” He says. Lucie’s eyes widen in alarm and he picks up on it. “Those Swiss boys don’t eat pussy do they?” He kisses her lips. She blushes, then drops his gaze. He chuckles, taking her chin in two fingers. “You gonna get shy on me now?”

“You don’t have to.” She says quietly. Connor laughs, genuinely, shaking her breasts against his chest as he starts to kiss down her neck. 

“I’m gonna change your whole world, baby.” 

It feels like an out of body experience to Lucie as she watches him kiss down her body. He gets to her shorts, tugging them down to expose her yellow, lace panties. He peels those off more delicately, kissing everywhere he uncovers. Her eyes flutter shut as he kisses at the crest of her pussy lips, letting his tongue tease the slit for a moment before he pulls her underwear all the way off. Once they collect around her feet, his blue eyes go to her glistening core. 

Between them, Lucie’s breasts shudder as she gulps in air. With his eyes on hers, he leans forward. His tongue falls out of his mouth then strikes up her already soaked slit. Lucie’s head finds the door, smacking against it as her eyes screw shut. 

“Um.” She starts to speak, then loses her train of thought. “Oh.” She hears herself moan. 

He pulls away, then bring his hands up to her core, crudely pulling her puffy lips apart with his thumb and pointer finger. He looks drunk when their gazes meet, then he holds hers as he goes in for his next taste. Lucie’s eyes squeeze shut as his lips engulf her clit, giving her pulsating sucks and then a long lick of his tongue. 

“Fuck.” She growls then inhales, moaning out her exhale as he presses his mouth in more. 

No, Lucie Hischier has never had her pussy eaten before, but she can’t imagine the boys before Connor could have done it like this. He knows his way around the female anatomy. Maybe that should bother Lucie, but right now, all she can care about is getting her fingers into his curls to hold him in place. 

“Talk to me, Luc.” He says. Nothing about it is a beg. It’s a demand. Like if she doesn’t comply, this whole illusion of a dream will rupture. 

“Feels… mmm, amazing.” She sighs.

His lips collect her clit again, almost nipping it into his mouth. Her knees shake, threatening collapse as her hand falls from his hair to his shoulder. Connor leans forward, collecting her calf over his shoulder, then putting a steadying hand on her other thigh to hold her upright.

“Ah, oh, oh, oh oh, ohhhhh.” Lucie squirms against his mouth as he eats her like a dripping summer popsicle in the thick of summer. “Ohmygod.” She chokes out. Her core clenches uncomfortably tight. Her hand dashes into her own hair as her head ricochets off the door again.

“That’s it, Luc. Tell me how good it feels.” He snakes his tongue back to her entrance, lazily fucking her with his tongue before going back to her clit to finish her off. 

“So fucking good, Connor. Please, Please. Please. Please. Don’t-“ Lucie can only pant the rest of the way up to her high. Her bottom jaw unhinges as she whispers out a final moan of Connor’s name then collapses over the edge. Her thighs go ridged. The leg over this shoulder clamps around his neck to hold him to her pussy as she grinds into his face while she finishes.

“Fuck, baby.” Connor moans, coming out of her folds for air. His tongue snakes out, doing one last slurp up her slit. She shakes in response and Connor grips her hips to keep her upright. He untangles himself from her legs, then kisses his way back up her body to her mouth. “You wanna taste what I do to you?” He asks her. Lucie's response is to latch her lips to his. He tastes sweet and tangy, like her and the beer he had earlier.

“My turn.” She demands, biting at his bottom lip, then sinking her knees into the soft carpeting at their feet. Connor hesitates, almost looking like he is going to say no, but then she cups his hard cock over his shorts and he grunts like that alone might make him come. 

Hurriedly, Lucie undoes his shorts. Maybe another night she would tease him, but not when he is constantly on either side of the line, tip toeing over just to throw himself back to the safe side. No, tonight, she wants a taste. 

Pushing down the waistband of his bottoms, Lucie watches with excited, dewy eyes as he springs free. His firm length slaps against his abdomen, leaving a bead of pre-cum there. Her eyes fixate on it, then she moves her tongue to collect the white circle. Connor’s hand goes into her hair, gathering it all in his fist. Lucie kisses around the right side of his shaft, teasing him by ghosting her lips over the ridge of his head. She continues down the left side, then goes right for the kill, sucking a testicle into her mouth. Connor rocks back on his heels for a minute before he coughs.

“Aw fuck. You know how to suck cock don’t you, Princess?”

Lucie doesn’t respond with words. Instead she kisses back up his shaft to collect only his head into her mouth. She sucks, watching him squirm at the sensitivity, then she breaks eye contact to take him fully down in one drop of her head. Connor’s hand on her hair squeezes so tight it hurts. It fuels Lucie further, bobbing her wide, wet mouth up and down. The room fills with his cock meeting her stretched mouth. Drool drops down Connor’s shaft, collecting on Lucie’s hand as it strokes up, forcing the velvet skin to meet her mouth with each thrust. 

“Oh.” Connor groans. Then moans her name loudly, so loud that anyone walking by in the hallway would surely hear it. Heat flutters in her core, igniting again at how expressive he is. With each pump of her hand and mouth, Connor praises her. He begs her to keep going. He compliments her mouth and hand. He brings the hand not in her hair to her throat, feeling her deep thrust him down. 

“Do that again and I’m gonna cum in your mouth.” He growls through mashed teeth.

So Lucie does, then guzzles down the white ropes that shoot in a desperate release from him.

“Holy…”

Connor frees her from his hands, dashing them through his wild curls as he looks down at her. Lucie comes off his cock, settling her thighs back on her bare heels. He watches her through half-mast lids, observing as she licks her lips then wipes her chin with the back of her hand. He blinks, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling as his mouth drops open in awe. Then he reaches down, pulling her back onto her feet in one swoop. Lucie peers at him with shy eyes, suddenly feeling self-conscious at the way he is looking at her. 

“I’m never gonna be able to forget how good you are at that.” He admits. Lucie smiles, cheeks turning slightly red at the compliment.

“You want to?”

“No. It’s just gonna make it hard to do things like have you over at our place for dinner, or play hockey, or sleep.” Lucie chuckles, dropping her forehead to his chest. He takes the opportunity to wrap her in his arms. She runs her hands up his big back, breathing in the scent of him as she does. Connor’s mouth comes to rest on her hair. 

Lucie tries to fight the yawn tugging at her mouth, but she can’t. It comes out unwelcome, like the buzzkill it is. Connor squeezes her tighter, then releases. He reaches between them, tucking his softened form back into his shorts. Lucie steps back, swallowing, before looking up at him with curious brown eyes. 

“I don’t wanna go.” He answers honestly. “But I should.” 

“Don’t.” Lucie whispers, being brave and asking for what she wants.

“Okay.” He nods, giving in instantly. “How do you sleep?” He gestures to her body.

“With pajamas.” She chuckles, then walks across the room to grab them. Connor follows her, taking them from her hands. Together, they work her night clothes off. Connor’s eyes linger and his hands wander to her breasts and ass, giving generous squeezes and strokes to them. Lucie’s skin is on fire as he kisses her on the mouth, thumbing her nipples after getting her fully ready for bed.

It isn’t long before they fall into bed together, feet to each other’s heads, having a quick midnight snack of each other’s sex again. The spoken desire of Connor to not go all the way in Mexico is held like a promise between the two of them. 

After another orgasm for them both, Connor pulls on his boxer briefs and replaces Lucie’s pajama bottoms. Then he collects her to his chest, fastening his nose into her hair. 

As Lucie falls asleep on his body, she silently prays that the cycle has been broken. That the game is officially over and they both came out winners. She hopes when they go home tomorrow, time moves forward with more moments like this with him.

If it doesn’t, this game might finally end with Lucie firmly in the loser’s column. 

- - -

Lucie’s eyes burn as she waits at baggage claim with Lio and Connor after their flight landed late in NYC. Lio is hungover, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. Connor stands still, feet spread wide apart, saying nothing. Lucie glances at him. The last good look she got of him was his retreating back leaving her room this morning.

On the flight home, Lio sat in Lucie’s row. Connor sat behind them and seemingly slept the whole flight. Truthfully it was hard for Lucie to see him, which is why she drinks him in now before they go to their separate neighborhoods. He looks so good again today- comfortable and cozy. Lucie knows now how homey and safe that chest feels after waking up on it this morning. She wants to curl into it tonight instead of her cold, lonely dorm bed. 

“That yours?” Lio asks of the pink suitcase twirling around the metal slats. Before Lucie can answer, Connor steps forward and grabs it for her. His bag is right after hers. Then Lio’s comes through a couple more twirls later. They all silently head towards ground transportation to find a few cabs. 

When they get to the curb, Lio hails one down for her immediately. He pops the back door open for her as Connor wheels hers and his bags behind the trunk. Lucie looks at him over the trunk of the car. There is a slight smirk on his face and a sparkle in his eye that wasn’t there before. He puts her suitcase in first then his next to it. 

“Bye, Lee.” Lucie says, distractedly. She gives him a hug. “I’ll see you… when I do.” She shrugs, knowing now that the Allstar break is done, the difficult stretch of the season will begin. 

“Yeah, I’ll text ya. Hopefully you can come to one of the games this weekend. Back to back Friday and Saturday.”

“I can Saturday for sure.”

“Cool, I’ll send tickets. You want two?”

“Yeah, I might bring a friend.” She confirms. 

“Sounds good.” Lio steps aside, then glances over at Connor. “What are you doing?” 

“I’m going to ride into the city with Lucie. I’m seeing a friend.” 

“I shouldn’t expect you home?” Lio smirks.

“Ah, I don’t know. I’ll let you know. But first, I’ll get Lucie back safely.” 

“Sounds good. See you.” Lio murmurs, then rolls his bag down to the next cab. Lucie slowly slides into the backseat of the cab with Connor going in the other side.

The first few turns out of the airport are silent. Lucie’s mouth suddenly feels dry. All the teasing and pleasure they had in Mexico was wonderful, but never going the whole way with him has left her with a greedy ache between her thighs. The thought of him finally soothing that ache tonight has spikes of pleasure shooting through her body. 

“Am I the friend?” Lucie wonders as the cab merges onto the road outside the airport. Connor reaches over, grabbing her hand off the seat next to her thigh. He laces their fingers together, kissing along her knuckles. She melts into his touch, reaching for his thigh with her other hand. 

“Yes. I need you. More than I’ve had you. I can’t wait anymore. We are back home and I want you as soon as possible.” 

“My roommate…”

“Plenty of time for her to leave if you text her now. Or I can tell her to get lost when we get there.” Lucie giggles at his directness.

Rather than argue, Lucie texts Daniella that she needs the room. She receives an immediate thumbs up then the bubbles continue to pulse on her screen.

Please tell me you’re finally getting Connor in your bed. I’ll be at Dre’s for the night.

Lucie’s eyes widen and she clicks her phone screen to dark, hoping Connor didn’t see that. 

“We good?”

“Yeah.”

Connor gives her an assuring smile, then sets their laced hands on his left thigh. The rest of the drive is quiet. Connor plays with her fingers. Lucie leans her head on the back of the seat, closing her eyes and feeling the bumps and shake of the car as reassurance that this is real. Every so often, she opens her eyes to see Connor looking at her in the dark cab. As they crawl the last few blocks, he rubs her cheek with his thumb. He leans across the back seat kissing her longingly.

When they get to her place, Connor pays the fair and tip, then grabs their suitcases out of the car. He follows Lucie’s lead to her dorm. His nose comes to the back of her neck as she puts the key into her door. His lips plump in a kiss that has her hands shaking while she flips the lock. She leans back into his body, feeling the bulge of him pushing into her butt. His free hand wraps around her, pressing into her stomach to keep her close as they walk step to step into her room. The door shuts behind them. Lucie swallows hard, wheeling her bag over towards the closet. She kicks her shoes off, then turns to look at Connor. 

“Gonna tell you right now that this won’t be enough.” He murmurs. “I’m going to need you time and time again. I’m already insatiable when it comes to you, Lucie Hischier.”

His long strides carry him quickly across the room to her. He holds her cheeks in his hands, stroking along the bones below her eyes. His blue eyes swim with desire as he looks down into her face. She watches as his lips fall towards hers. She collects them on hers, inhaling heavily at how good it feels. Her arms instinctively wrap around his shoulders. His come to her lower back, respectfully pulling her in as close as he can. 

“Do you.. have a condom?” She asks.

“Yeah, that’s why I had to bring my bag with.”

“Did you bring those to Mexico for me?”

“Yeah.” He admits. “But I am serious. I didn’t want it to be like that. In a resort… like it was some vacation fling.” He shakes his head. “This has never been a game to me. I’m sorry if ever made it seem like I didn’t want you. You’re all I want, Lucie.” 

“You said it wasn’t good enough for what we are going to be. So tell me, what are we going to be?” She whispers, running her hands down his shoulders to grip his biceps.

“Everything.” He says confidently. “It’s the only thing worth risking this for.” Lucie smiles, then nods before Connor kisses her again. 

He steps forward, gently guiding her hips back towards her bed. Lucie grips his upper body tightly as he carefully lays her on the comforter. Their lips suck each other up like it’s been days apart when it’s been mere hours since they touched last. They’re addicts for each other. Lucie understands what Connor means when he says insatiable. She feels it too. Everything about his touch and presence lights her soul on fire. 

Connor pulls away, reaching for the hem of her NYU sweatshirt. He lifts it up over her head, exposing her bralette below. He smiles at her perky nipples teasing him like they did days ago through her wet t-shirt. He cups under her right breast then brings his mouth down to it while maintaining eye contact with her. Lucie bites her bottom lip, savoring the sparks of pleasure that shoot down to her clit from his hearty suck. He pulls the bralette to the side completely, then continues his play.

He moves on to the other nipple, painting it with his saliva before releasing it with a loud pop. Between her legs, Lucie pulses painfully. Her walls collapse inwards, convulsing angrily around nothing. Connor pulls his sweatshirt and t-shirt off, then walks over to his suitcase. He unzips the front pocket, pulling out an unopened box of condoms. Lucie watches as he brings the whole thing over, setting it on the nightstand. Then he gathers Lucie in for another kiss. 

“Connor?” Lucie mumbles against him.

“Hmm.”

“We have waited long enough to have each other this way.” She points out. “Suit up.” He grins, chuckling too as he reaches for her sweatpants. He pulls them off in one swoop, taking her panties as well. He makes quick work of his remaining clothes too. After, he spreads her legs wide so his eyes can feast on her slick, puffy folds. He strokes his cock in his hand, sighing when Lucie drags her fingers over her slick flesh to tease him. 

“You are so damn sexy.” He drawls, then reaches for the box of condoms. He opens them quickly, fumbling with getting only one foil wrapper out. They all explode out of the box at once, creating condom confetti. One lands on Lucie’s stomach.

“This one has been chosen.” She picks it up, handing it to him.

Connor smiles, ripping the gold open with his teeth. He spits out the top, then rolls the latex down his thick shaft. He maneuvers Lucie back on the bed, kneeling between her spread legs. He tests her hole carefully with one finger, then two. Lucie clamps around them instantly, making Connor close his eyes in pleasure. When he opens them, his pupils are blown so wide they shine black. 

He leans down, kissing her again while edging the head of his cock through her folds. He collects her wetness, teasing them both until he perches right at her entrance and pushes in. The first stitch of pain makes Lucie clam up. She resists digging her nails into his shoulders. 

“ S’okay.” He reminds her quietly. He brings his thumb down to her clit, rolling it delicately. Then he pushes in a little further, keeping a stroking pattern going on her sensitive bud. 

“Ohm-mygod.” Lucie stutters as he fills her fully. His attention on her clit has wetness forcing from her like a wave. Her pussy clamps around him, sending her eyes to her brain for a moment. “Fuck that feels full.”

“You’re so tight.” He agrees. “Gonna give you a second.”

He leans down, sucking up her left nipple, rolling it tight between his lips. Connor’s lips never stray from hers long. They may wander down and curve over here or there, but they crave hers too intently to be gone long. 

“You’re so beautiful.” He mumbles into their kiss. “Can’t believe the prettiest girl on the beach is here with me.” Lucie smiles, giggling happily as she accepts the complement. His sweet touches and words have the stitches of discomfort dissipating to nothing. She hooks her ankles together on his ass, giving him a limit for how much she wants him to pull out. “You like it deep, baby?” Lucie nods. “Mmm, I’ll give you what you need. I’ll learn you fast, Luc. Promise.” He mumbles into her mouth. He gives her another peck, then pulls up and away to adjust the angle. Lucie quivers as he begins to press deeper into her. 

“Oh.” She moans, stretching out so her back can curve slightly. Connor grips her breast, looking down at her with hazy eyes. He lick his lips, beginning to pant as his speed goes harder. The clunky wood bed frame rattles against the wall, but neither of them can find the grip on reality to care. All that exists is the places their bodies are conjoining together. 

“Damn, you feel so good. So worth the wait for this.” Connor groans. “So perfect, Luc.” 

Lucie begins to pant. Her vision blurs as she breathes hard and fast, feeling the building of her orgasm deep in her core. It twists and pulls and grows ravenous for release with each stroke of his big cock inside of her. She is dripping down her swollen lips and his tight shaft. It collects on his balls where he can feel it without obstruction, making him chase for more.

“Fuck.” He growls down at her as they both feel that first pull of her orgasm. “That’s it, pretty girl. Come for me. Please.” He begs her. Lucie’s never had a partner who’s begged for her to come. His hands grip her hips greedily, pressing into her hip bones as he keeps the perfect tempo and angle for her. Lucie’s head flies back, eyes closed, back arching up off the bed. Connor catches her body, holding her there as she quakes against his sticky skin.

“Holy fucking- fuuuuuuck.” Connor drawls out into her neck. Her muscles contract around the latex again, savoring the feeling of his fullness in her tight hole. 

“Ohmygod.” Lucie chokes out, her fingers dash through his hair as he collapses forward, spent from the ribbons of cum he left in the latex. 

“God damn.” He groans, doing micro pumps into her to prolong both of their orgasms. He stops when he’s too sensitive to continue. 

Lucie collects him on her chest like a prized possession. Her arms tighten around him, lips dropping on his cheek where his head is buried in the pillow beside her. He turns his head, chasing her lips on his as if he hasn’t had enough of her yet. His hand cups her cheek, thumb stroking over the pink he put on her skin. His nose runs down her mouth and chin, letting his forehead hit her mouth instead. Lucie can’t help but smile. She’s never felt this complete and connected after sex before. 

“Is your roommate coming back?” Connor eventually wonders, pulling slowly out of her. 

“No, she went to her boyfriend’s.”

“So we have the room to ourselves?”

“Yeah.” She smiles. “But we should put clothes on. Just incase.”

“Okay.” He kisses her forehead, then helps her get up.

They both change back into their clothes, then Connor holds the covers up for Lucie to slide into. Her dorm bed is entirely two small for two people let alone one who is a professional athlete.  But it keeps them close so neither of them mind. Connor encourages Lucie to turn over to be little spoon. She tucks her butt into his lap, then curls her knees up, wiggling back into him. He holds her hips steady, giving them a squeeze as a warning.

“Didn’t realize you were a one and done kinda guy…” She trails off. He moves his arm down so his hand can cup her right breast. He pinches her nipple, making Lucie squeeze her thighs together. 

“Only on days I have long flights.” He mumbles, kissing the back of her neck. “Remember that for road trips.”

Lucie’s heart skips a beat, thinking about him coming home to her after being on the road. She wants that. Badly. 

But for now, she will settle for this- his warmth heating up her back, limbs tangled with hers and soft breathing synchronized with the same pulls of air as her. 

Lucie closes her eyes quickly. She feels so safe and comforted in Connor’s warm embrace. 

She couldn’t fight it much longer if she tried.

[evita-shelby]

Look both ways

or i skipped ahead while reading @emotionalcadaver 's stories with Lucy, and got inspired this angst filled fic Eva realizing their polyam relationship with Lucy won't ever work and divorcing Tommy.

cw: failed polyamory relationship, mentions of murder, divorce, misery, angst, mentions of infertility and codependency issues

takes place in 1920, since that is when Tommy and Eva eloped in the og fic.

When Tommy began to court her, the witch assumed Lucy Winters would not pose much of a problem.

Not because Eva was completely fine with sharing a man and fucking a woman in the same relationship, but because the witch hadn’t really taken the time to see this would never work out in the long run.

Don’t get her wrong, she was sexually compatible with Lucy, the witch just didn’t seem to form a romantic relationship with the woman and as time went on found her near constant presence in her life…irritating.

It's her fault, Eva has never been able to share, be it toys or her tiny luxuries during the revolution, and especially her romantic partners. Be it hating every second Antonia spent with Franscisco, or the attention Diosdado gave the women he eventually fucked behind her back and now the constant presence of the Red Demon in their lives.

Eva had believed herself above the women who allow themselves to be trampled on by their significant others, prided herself in having the self-respect and strength to burn every fucking bridge and move the fuck on without ever looking back.

And yet, she is here letting her jealousy take hold because she just had to foolishly agree to marry him when her petition for asylum here fell through. She could’ve gone to America or even the loser’s table in Paris, but instead she agreed to be the official wife of Thomas Shelby and the third point of the triangle.

There was also that she was pregnant, and kids always make it all the more complicated.

“My family wouldn’t approve.” Eva hides her joy at having Tommy all to herself as they go down to London for a visit well enough to fool him and even Lucy who for once may explore a life where she is not giving Tommy’s shadow a run for its money. “You know how people can be.”

And because they will know he has a mistress that she does fuck (on occasion) and even lives with them(unfortunately), they will not look down her as much. They will offer to deal with the issue ---mistresses were not allowed for the men who marry into their family as a Riley daughter’s happiness goes above monetary gain, especially the last living witch in their family--- and she will halfheartedly refuse.

This would keep Lucy alive, for now.

But it would not last forever, so Eva has decided this ménage à trois has to end.

It has too because Eva knows it won’t be long before she takes up the offer. They’ve been married a handful of months and already Eva knows if this goes on any longer, she will be backed into a corner and accept the offer to have the third person in her bed murdered.

It will break their hearts, his most of all, but it has to be done. It would be painful, but the pain would pass.

Tommy will be allowed to be a father to their son, they will eventually heal from it and neither will be driven miserable because Eva’s choices at the time were Tommy and automatically becoming a British Subject or being extradited to Mexico and executed for treason.

But Eva no longer needs his ring on her finger to stay alive, her family had now successfully made themselves part of American High Society and would always have the money and influence to keep themselves not just alive, but thriving to spite their enemies.

It will be difficult, especially when she does actually love Tommy and would love nothing more than to be happy with him and have the life she saw when they were alone in that bathtub in Brighton. Because of course, Tommy only gave a weekend without Lucy and even three days after they eloped in June, the universe was telling her that perfect life with those four children did not include the Red Demon.

“You've been distant, you’re even sleeping in a different room these days.” Tommy is never one to bring up their issues, but he knows from the moment she let him inside her grandmother’s house, that they would be equals, that they were partners in life and business.

And because otherwise she’d avoid it, partly due to Lucy’s near constant presence, he waits until there’s nowhere to run.

Like he did when he picked her up in his car knowing he would hate every word she said because Tommy Shelby is the biggest idiot when it comes to love, but knew even then that Eva would never lie to him nor lead him wrong.

“Didn’t feel comfortable anymore.” And just like then, he will hate everything she will say now. He had hoped Eva’s friendship with Lucy would turn to love, but he knows the witch is slow to surrender her heart and that she looks both ways before she takes that leap of faith.

It took her nearly six months to make up her mind about him, it was cruel of him to make her accept a third person in a relationship Eva had assumed would be of two. They should’ve talked about this, about what would happen if she and Lucy weren’t anything but friends and that maybe Eva’s jealousy would become a problem.

“When I agreed to marry you, I had assumed I could learn to accept her existence in our marriage or that she could be tempted to live a life of her own and not as your shadow.” She looks out the window refusing to look at him because she has no idea how to keep herself together and not jump out of the fucking car.

“So you didn’t look twice then.” He concludes knowing how careful she is with these sorts of things. She’d been hurt before, hurt badly enough that Eva needed every assurance that those she gave her heart would put a gun to their mouth before hurting her.

“No and now I am fucking miserable.” The tears come out along with the truth and he has no choice but to park the car on the side of the empty road. “I don’t love her, Tom. I tried but I can’t.”

Eva’s not looking at him and she knows the pain clear on his face as if she was, hears it in the heavy sigh he lets out as the dam bursts.

Because that’s the thing, he would have to choose between them because there isn’t a world where the three would be happy together. “You should’ve told me sooner.”

“And then what? She’d get her own place and live apart while we share you? I already I feel as though I have to fight for every moment I can get alone with you, because as much as I tried to overcome it, I am a selfish woman when it comes to love.”

It was a pipe dream to think that the arrangement would ever function as they naively thought it would.

What would happen when he’d have to prioritize the wife and children at home? Would she be able to live knowing the kids would never see her as a third parent and that society would only see her as Tommy’s whore and nothing more? That Eva would only allow her in her bed when she felt like it and that when Tommy becomes a politician, it won’t be Eva, but her uncle who orders her death?

As much as Eva hates to admit it, her family is not wrong to see permanent mistresses as a weakness begging to be exploited in those seeking to move up the ladder with a Riley bride on their arm. A temporary fling barely mattered, a lapse of judgement that usually spared the other, but Lucy would eventually be killed by her uncle’s orders or even hers to protect their family and Tommy’s career.

The witch refuses to have her life in her hands like that. She meant it when she said Leopoldo Carranza’s life was the last she would take in 1918.

“We’ll get a divorce; I will stay in London, and you will be as present as you wish to be in our son’s life. It will hurt us deeply, but we will get over it. The business won’t be affected since I own my own shares in your company and yours will be inherited by Charlie.” The witch dries her tears with her sleeve and refuses the handkerchief she had embroidered with the same monogram in his signet ring for him.

“And if I refuse to sign those papers?” He holds back his anger and pain at having it all end like this, but there is no other way.

“Eventually I would have forced you to choose between us knowing that you would have to choose me for Charlie’s sake as well as your career. You have me or you have her.” this time she does look at him. To see the words sink in as he realizes the game is over and it would be better to leave the game at a draw instead of playing to the death. “I can live without you, you can live without her, but is Lucy able to live without you?”

Eva had the luxury of a family and life that taught her to know her own worth, to be independent and to know when to accept defeat like those before her had done. Lucy, bless her soul, like a sunflower chasing the sun, she grew in the direction of Tommy.

She was too dependent on him; it would be like ending an addiction. The only way you could overcome was to have the strength to fight for yourself, sadly, Lucy did not appear to be willing to break away from Tommy nor would Tommy allow it out of fear that she would leave. Just as Lizzie couldn’t move on from him and Grace went as far as to sentence Eva to death and him as well when she saw that he chose to believe Eva, a stranger, over her.

“I suppose this is the end then.” He tries not to, but the words catch on his throat.

The love was there, but it didn’t do a damn thing besides make them all miserable.

“Promise me one thing, Tom.” One last thing to make this heartbreak worthwhile.

“Anything, love.” He reaches out for her hand, and she doesn’t pull away.

Because if there is anything Eva hates more than sharing a person, it is having the universe make her a better person than she ever wanted to be. It would have been easier to just let her uncle kill her, but Eva has never cared for the easy way out.

“That she looks both ways before she leaps.”

part 2: The Wreckage

[lucygraysboy]

a feast of all your muse's favorite foods is laid out in front of them. what's on the menu?

let me start by saying that billy is such a foodie!   he could eat a horse,  hooves and all.   unlimited desserts?   sign him up!   (have i mentioned that he also has a sweet tooth?)

in the western verse,  he’s a lot less picky about what he considers a feast —   any meal,  even only a slice of bread,  some cheese and honey-covered apple slices,  and he’s the happiest man in the universe.   he’s always grateful for any food that lands on his plate because he knows what it means to have nothing to eat and wouldn’t wish hunger upon his worst enemy.   but let me break it down:

1. main course —   roast or grilled meat:   beef,  there’s no way he’s turning down a steak or brisket,  and it’s also his favorite.   if cattle aren’t available,  pork would be his second choice,  and then chicken (fried).   but since hunting is also very common in this era,  and billy’s a skilled hunter,  he might also have buffalo / bison meat,  venison,  rabbit…   (please,  don’t tell lucy gray about this),  even squirrel for dinner if he’s particularly desperate.   

while they’re on the road or living in a particularly rough place / less prosperous setting,  he’s always got some jerky on him.

2. side dishes —   BEANS!!   living in new mexico for as long as billy has,  there’s no way that he’s escaping beans.   easy to find,  easy to cook,  cheap and filling.   carlos’ abuela used to make this slow-cooked,  hearty sauce spiced with molasses and chili and served with pork,  and billy could never get enough of it.   cornbread.   (if it’s up to billy,  he’s smearing a thick layer of butter and pouring honey all over it).   sourdough bread,  the kind his ma baked every sunday.   or biscuits baked in a dutch oven.   potatoes in any size,  shape,  form —   roasted,  boiled,  mashed,  anything goes.   

3. desserts —   billy’s favorite category!   fruit pies!!   he loves all of them —   apple pie,  cherry pie,  pumpkin pie,  any-berry pie.   he’s also a huge fan of cobblers,  peach cobbler in particular.   pudding  (the simple kind that his ma used to make when he was little,  sprinkled with cinnamon and dried fruit).   honey cake.   and of course PASTRIES!!   all and any kind of pastries.

4. beverages —   he’s a simple man.   give him a cup of strong,  black coffee brewed over a campfire and he’s happy.   he doesn’t often drink alcohol,  but when he does,  it’s always whiskey.

5. little treats —   pickles.   give him all the pickles.   hand him the whole jar!!   dried fruit (apples and peaches in particular).   eggs.   grits.

in modern verse,  he’s a huge fan of italian cuisine —   pizza,  pasta,  calzone,  cannoli,  tiramisu,  anything italian and he’s in love.   he also does his best to apply lucy gray’s rules to his lifestyle and buy only organic products,  but from time to time,  he 100% craves fast food:   CFA,  KFC,  wendy’s,  etc.   he also loves ice cream,  croissants and cereal ‘cause he’s my son 

[goldrushenthusiast]

Have you read the hunger games prequel, the ballad of songbirds and snakes?

What's your opinion about it?

What's the most shocking revelation from the novel related to the original trilogy?

What's your favorite character from it?

Do you plan to see the tbosas movie in theaters?

Thank you

@curiousnonny

Definitely read it!! And loved it.

Honestly, it’s my favorite book in the series. It’s fascinating to read and everytime I do I just fall more in love with it. I used to have the entire first 3 pages memorized and could finish random sentences in my head and would quote it often (mostly to myself lol). I still do the former two but the first has gone down to just the first page lol because I had a three week reading break.

The best…connection, or revelation to the OG trio would have to be the hanging tree song. It’s perfect, and really shows us just how fearful that song makes Snow. It also gives us a look into the possibilities of a relationship between Katniss and Lucy Gray, due to the fact Lucy Gray wasn’t allowed to play it in public so only her kids would’ve known it.

My favorite character is hard. I don’t want to seem like I’m trying too hard to be different, or quirky or whatever, but genuinely it’s Ma Plinth or Tigris. Maude Ivory & Lucy Gray are also up there for sure.

Ma Plinth because she’s so real. As I feel like we all know, THG is definitely some sort of commentary on America/The modern age (reaping day July 4th, babies protected more than children, etc) and I feel like specifically her, and by extension Sejanus, really represent the immigrant struggle.

Two of my aunts (different sides of my family) were immigrants. One from Mexico, one from Canada, so definitely different experiences. While Ma Plinth is for sure more privileged than most immigrants, there’s still a lot of aspects I recognize in her I see in my aunts as well, such as only bringing small treasures, not always being able to pick up on the new places culture, always feeling like it’s obvious they’re not “really” from there, etc.

Sejanus I feel like represents the children of immigrant parents who try to reject their culture (hating his father’s use of money, constantly defying them, doing things to go against them, etc). I don’t like his character too much, but he’s definitely an interesting one.

Tigris is my favorite as an older sister. Coriolanus can barely begin to grasp what Tigris had to go through for him, what she goes through, and everything she does for him. She works her ass off every day to provide and I love her for it. It’s clear she actually cares about him, even if he can’t tell the full extent of it.

Maude Ivory just because she’s adorable and a total vibe and reminds me of my younger sister, who’s always singing lol. Like she’s just so cute and I feel like an amazing addition to the story and I just have to acknowledge that and her.

Lucy Gray…well that’s Lucy Gray. She’s badass, again the older sister struggle, and I love her! Like how could you not?? I love how she played Coriolanus so well and it just makes me happy to know she’s there and hopefully thriving.

Me & My Dad are going the very first night to see the movie! While I don’t like Coriolanus or Sejanus’ casting, there isn’t much to do about it, and the cinematography looks so impressive I couldn’t not see it in theaters or not see it all just because of that. I’m very excited for it.

Thank you for the question @curiousnonny !! I feel like I hardly get to talk about my personal relations to TBOSAS so I love getting questions like this. Sorry it took forever to answer lol.

As always, feel free to debate but not argue in the comments!

[crownrots]

R 🤡

RICHIE SCOTT — a days gone baddie and former mongrels mc member who was brought in by his biological father. he grew up in the system for most of his life before being adopted by the scott family when he was 12-13 years old. his real dad barreled back into his life and derailed his bright future when he was just shy of nineteen. he resides in rainbow bay (a settlement near crater lake) and is constantly at odds with the hordes and the DCM, he’s got 😍 for @lilywatt ‘s, beckett estrada.

ROXANNE JAMES — m*u hoe 🫣 she’s a traffic reporter from NYC who picks up venom when she goes to her sister’s wedding in mexico. she’s … handling that mess as well as she can, ends up finding a little brother / pain in her ass / i’d die for you kid sorta thing either spider man. she’s besties with @queennymeria ‘s, bonnie.

ROBERT LAWRENCE — the hottest man in hoe county! beer, dogs, family and god in that order ☺️ eye patch wearing baseball loving, chronic smoker, bartender, musician and doting husband and father…and can’t wait until joey’s ass bites the dust. he’s been at odds with those knuckleheads from the second they moved in on his home and his family. he had to watch his wife and eldest daughter succumb to the cult and its teachings and his youngest (eventually tte deputy) fled the town as soon as she was eighteen. he and his best friend (lucy the dog, who also only has one eye) have been holding down the fort. eventually, during all that mess, he meets an ex member of the cult, @queennymeria ‘s hildy, and quickly finds his empathy and sympathy towards her is bordering on something else 😌

[the--blackdahlia]

Split Chapter 3

Split Chapter 3

Summary: Lucy Blair met FBI Agent Scott Hall one fateful day at her work. After hitting it off, pretty quickly, Lucy and Scott fell in love. But then Lucy meets Razor Ramon. Is Scott undercover? Or is something more at play, something that will drag her into a dangerous world of the war of drug lords in 1980's Florida?

Warnings: Language, violence, drug use, more to be added as the fic goes on

Scott closed up his office for the night. He had already done everything he could, and he did need to get to the gym at some point. He made his way down the empty corridors, seeing an occasional light on, but for the most part, everyone else had gone home for the evening. 

“Thought you would’ve gone home by now,” The security guard at the front desk said as Scott made his way through the lobby.

“What can I say man? I thrive on burning the midnight oil.” Scott smiled at him.

“I better not see your ass here until Monday,” The guard laughed.

“I’ll try my hardest. But you just know I love seeing your ugly mug everyday,” With that, Scott headed out the doors and towards the parking lot. It was pretty empty, minue his Chevelle.

And a beautiful, cherry red 1973 Mustang sitting right next to it.

With Kevin leaning against it.

“You lied to me.” Kevin stated, uncrossing his arms as Scott approached.

“About?”

“You made me believe you were some sort of, I dunno, pussy master all these years. And now you’re telling me you haven’t had a real, non undercover date since we left Quantico?”

“Hey, just because I take the numbers doesn’t mean I act on it. And I never said I did. That was all your imagination,” Scott chuckled, heading to his car to drop his briefcase off. “Why did you drive all the way here?”

“Well, when I told Tamara that you needed help, I had to make it sound like you needed work help,” Kevin shrugged. “Plus, I think I was getting on her nerves a little bit.”

“You? Annoy Tamara? Never!” Scott joked, but then he saw the look on Kevin’s face. “Why do I have a feeling I’m going to be annoyed with you too?”

“Before you get mad, I just want to tell you that getting you ready for a date is outside my expertise…”

“Kevin Scott Nash, what did you do?”

“I called in help…” Kevin smiled shyly, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Scott stared him down.

“You did not call him in!”

“I told you, it’s outside my expertise!” Kevin pulled his hands out of his pockets and threw his hands into the air. “He’s in town, said he’d meet us over at Westshore Plaza. He promised he’d be on his best behavior!”

“The last time I went on a mission with him, I ended up naked in the middle of Mexico with just a sombrero covering my dick!” 

“He promises he’ll be on his best behavior. And if he’s not, I’ll deal with him, okay?” Scott sighed.

“Fine. So what time are we meeting him there.”

“Mall opens at 10,” Kevin smiled, letting his shoulders relax. “I’ll pick you up?”

“Is this just your way of making sure I can’t run off?”

“Maybe,” Kevin had a slight smug smile.

“Okay. Fine. Pick me up tomorrow,” Scott opened the door to his car. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some energy to burn off at the gym.”

“As long as you’re not going to ask me to be a punching bag, it’s all good,” Kevin chuckled. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The two got into their cars, revving their engines like they were going to race, but Scott turned left out of the parking lot to go to the gym, and Kevin turned right to head back home.

****

The next morning, Lucy was up and ready to do a little shopping for her date. She had called Janice after hanging up with Scott to tell her the good news, hinting about how she needed to get an outfit, but that was it. That’s why she was surprised as she was fixing her hair to hear the intercom buzz.

“Hello?” She answered.

“Lucy, let us in,” It was Janice, but she had no idea who the “us” was. She buzzed them in and waited until she heard the knock at the door. She opened it to reveal Janice, and their mutual friend Liz.

“Uh, hey?” She let them in.

“Girl, you didn’t think we were going to let you go out on a date with Agent Dreamboat and not have a little fashion show to see what you’d be wearing, now did you?” Janice asked as he and Liz entered the apartment.

“Well, I was going to go see if I could find something. I don’t really have date clothes,” Lucy closed the door and watched her friends make themselves at home in her tiny living room.

“Oh, we’re going shopping?” Liz asked excitedly. “Because there’s a store over in Tampa that has the perfect thing for you.”

“I was just going to K-Mart…”

“Nope! Every girl needs a little black dress in her wardrobe, and this place is perfect. Come on, it’ll be fun!” Lucy was sure that if Liz got anymore excited, she might explode. Lucy signed and grabbed her purse.

“Fine. Let’s go,” She winced as Liz squealed and practically dragged her and Janice out the store.

“This is going to be so much fun!” She told Janice and Lucy as they got in her car, turning up Madonna and loudly singing Material Girl as she pulled out of the parking lot to head to Tampa.

****

Scott and Kevin arrived at the mall not long after it opened. Kevin parked his Mustang and the pair headed inside. There were already quite a few teenagers and mall walkers, and Scott was starting to regret his decision to let Kevin talk him into this.

“Well, I don’t see him, we can go,” Scott turned to head back out the door, but Kevin grabbed his arm to stop him.

“Come on man, I bet he’s by the fountain,” Kevin led Scott deeper into the mall. They got to the fountain, and saw people sitting around, but not who they were looking for. “He said he’d be here.” Kevin mumbled.

“Relax gentlemen, Shawn is in the house,” A voice behind them said. Kevin and Scott turned to see Shawn, wearing the ugliest outfit, and sporting a fresh tan from the beaches of California. “Hey Scott! Long time no see. Did you get that sunburn taken care of?” He motioned to Scott’s crotch.

“Hey Shawn,” Scott grumbled. “Didn’t know you were in Florida.”

“Here for special assignment. Just so happens to line up with Operation Get Scott Laid,” Shawn snapped his gum and gave Scott a shit eating grin. 

“Oh fuck off Michaels,” Scott rolled his eyes. “If you’re going to dress me like a Vegas Showgirl, I’m out.”

“Come on, I’ve got the perfect idea,” Shawn started to walk away, but stopped when he realized they weren’t following him. “Come on losers.”

Reluctantly, Scott followed, with Kevin making sure he didn’t duck out a fire door. That’s how they ended up by some dressing rooms, Scott trying on different clothes to get the approval of Shawn. Finally, he walked out with white linen pants, a light gray t-shirt, a pink sport coat, and a pair of loafers.

“That’s it! The look!” Shawn clapped his hands and even Kevin had a smile on his face.

“I look like I should be working vice in Miami…” Scott grumbled.

“Instead, you’re doing that in Tampa. But that’s perfect! Tell him Kev.” Shawn smacked Kevin’s arm.

“I mean, he’s got a point,” Kevin told him. “Looks a lot better than what you normally wear.”

“So does this get approval?” Scott asked.

“I vote yes,” Shawn nodded.

“And I second.” Kevin stood up. “Congradulations Mr. Hall, you have a new outfit.”

“Great. I need food now,” Scott went back into the changing room to get into the clothes he had worn there, so he could pay for his new clothes.

****

“He’s going to love it,” Janice said, watching Lucy model the simple black dress, thin strapped with some lace. She had a pair of short heels to go with it, so Scott wasn’t completely towering over her.

“You look beautiful,” Liz smiled. “What was the last date you went on?”

“That one you and Randy set me up on. That Lex guy,” Lucy turned to look at Liz, who looked a little bashful.

“I’m so sorry about that. But it was either him or that guy that Randy works construction with who goes by Hulk. I figured Lex was the better option,” Liz shrugged. Lucy turned back to look at the mirror.

“I’m gonna get this dress,” She told them, doing one final spin. “More than I wanted to spin, but I really have a good feeling about this date and don’t want to mess it up.”

They headed to the checkout and left the store. They passed the pretzel place, where Kevin, Shawn, and Scott were waiting for their food.

“Isn’t that your date?” Janice asked, motioning over to to Scott. Liz whistled when she saw him.

“I’d like to take that mustache for a ride,” She winked.

“Liz, you’re married!” Lucy turned to look at her.

“I can look, just can’t touch,” She shrugged.

“Come on, we need to get Liz out of here before Randy senses her horniness,” Janice stated, making the other two girls laugh. They headed out of the mall, Scott catching a glimpse of Lucy and feeling his heart flutter.

****

Later that evening, Lucy had her hair done and her new dress on. She left home, hoping that the causeway wasn’t backed up. Thankfully, it wasn’t too bad and she made it to Tampa in decent time. She was nervous as she parked her Jeep. What if he didn’t show? What if she made a fool out of herself? That’s when she looked across the parking lot and saw Scott sitting in his Chevelle. She took a deep breath and got out of her Jeep and made her way over to him. He met her halfway.

“You look beautiful,” He smiled at her and offered her his arm. “Ready to go in?”

“Sure thing,” She took his arm and he led her into the restaurant. They were settled into a booth and given menus. Scott ordered a bottle of wine for the two of them. Once they ordered their food, it was just the two of them in their little booth.

“So, what’s it like being in the FBI?” Lucy asked, snacking on a piece of provided bread.

“Nothing like what it’s like on TV,” Scott chuckled. “But it���s not bad. Could be worse.”

“Guess as long as you love, it’s not bad,” She took a sip of her glass.

“What about working for a doctor?” 

“Can be pretty boring,” Lucy shrugged. “I was working on becoming a nurse, but my friends all think I need to get into computers.”

“The agency wants me to learn to use a computer, but I’m just not very good at all that new stuff,” Scott gave her a smile that made her heart soar. “But maybe you could teach me?”

“I think that could be arranged.”

Not too long later, their food arrived. Small talk came easy between them, and neither wanted the night to end. But eventually, they had to leave as the restaurant had other reservations for their spot. Scott paid the check and walked Lucy outside, where they took a little walk, enjoying the warm night.

“I had a great time,” Scott told Lucy as they stood on a walking bridge, just a little ways away from some teenagers playing music on a boombox.

“So did I,” Lucy returned Scott’s smile.

“Think there’ll be another one?” Scott asked hopeful.

“Yes, most definitely,” She looked up into Scott’s eyes. He wiped his hands on his pants, not sure what his next move should be.

“Kiss her already!” One of the kids heckled Scott, making Lucy giggle. Scott’s cheeks were read, despite his tan.

“Are you gonna kiss me or not?” Lucy teased. Scott took a deep breath as he gently pulled Lucy to him, their lips connecting in a tender kiss. In the background, they could hear the music from the boombox.

I’ve been waiting, for a girl like you, to come into my life.

Scott knew right then and there, as he kissed Lucy Blair, that he would do anything to keep her in his life.

[twopoppies]

Hello I'm sorry I have to ask this but you know stuff on certain topics so... why people is relating the wattpad stuff in Mexico with this old stun pic of L kissing a girl in Thailand on March 14, Lucy Julian.

Apparently they says is a pattern after BUA, but what do you think?

Oh, just that we got that horribly awkward photo of Louis kissing “pool girl” just before we found out he and Eleanor broke up. And that ultimately lead to part by Louis and then babygate. Now he’s partying in Mexico right after they break up the second time. It’s just people freaking out for no real reason. Honestly, I would ignore it all. It’s all fake, anyway. We’ll see if it goes anywhere, but what’s the use in weeping and wailing about it now?

[papermoonloveslucy]

RED CROSS DAY

May 8th

May 8th is World Red Cross Day. The first Red Cross Day was celebrated on May 8, 1948. This date is the anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant, who was born on 8 May 1828. He was the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize. The Red Cross is a humanitarian organization founded in 1863 to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human suffering.

On March 11, 1949, Lucy’s radio sitcom MY FAVORITE HUSBAND presented  “Charity Revue” (aka “Red Cross Benefit Revue”) in which Mr. Atterbury (Gale Gordon) asks George (Richard Denning) to work up a song and dance routine for the local Red Cross Charity Review. At the same time Liz’s (Lucy) women’s club recruits her to perform. The script was the basis for the “I Love Lucy” episode “The Benefit” (1952). 

American Red Cross posters were a favorite of the Desilu set decorators on I LOVE LUCY. 

They can be glimpsed in the subway during “Lucy and the Loving Cup” (1957), 

on the walls of the rented hall in “Ricky Has Labor Pains” (1953), 

in the butcher shop in “The Freezer” (1952),

and in the Westport train station in “Lucy Misses the Mertzes” (1957).  

On THE LUCY-DESI COMEDY HOUR “Lucy Goes To Mexico” (1958), Lucy, Ethel and Fred are stopped at the border. Trying to get released in time for Ricky’s show on an aircraft carrier, Ethel suggest contacting the Red Cross and Lucy suggests calling her mother!  

“I collect for the Red Cross. I buy savings bonds. I was with the WAVES.  How much does that man in the White House want from me?” ~ Lucy Carmichael in “Lucy Becomes an Astronaut” (1962)

On THE LUCY SHOW, Lucy Carmichael and Carol Tilford (Carol Burnett) were in a show-within-the-show in which they played World War I Red Cross nurses in France. The episode aired on December 11 1967.  

In 1979, Lucille Ball did a fundraising campaign for the American Red Cross: “Keep Red Cross Ready”. 

The second episode of LIFE WITH LUCY (1986) “Lucy Makes a Hit with John Ritter” found Lucy and Ritter in a stage play where she played a Red Cross nurse in World War One France. 

[jodilin65]

My cousin's daughter has the Wicked Witch of the East listed as being born in New Hampshire. I didn’t know that. I just assumed she was born in Springfield.

Although I didn’t have breathing issues, I only slept for five hours, which doesn’t make it easier to get to my appointment. I gotta try my best to get there because I have questions for her. I also scheduled my dental appointment for December.

We don’t think we’ll be able to move next year, but we’re aiming for some time in 2026. The tentative plan is to find out if it would be cheaper to get either a gas car or a better electric car here or in New Mexico, which is where we’re likely going to end up. If it’s cheaper here, we’ll drive out there. If it’s cheaper there, we’ll fly out and buy one there. Since there aren’t any major ports where we’re headed, we’ll probably have to pack our stuff in a pod, have it shipped to El Paso, and fly in there. Once we’re set up, we’ll drive a U-Haul to Texas to retrieve our belongings.

We’re planning to go off the grid. Now that options are available that weren’t around when we moved to Maricopa, it’ll take a while for people and their damn dogs to reach us once the area builds up. We’re looking at getting two tiny homes, each around 500 square feet. One would be for living, and the other would serve as a laundry room and storage. The main house will be of better quality and possibly even furnished. You can bet I’m taking my beloved waterbed! Same goes for my skier—my favorite way to stay active. A good 90% of the dolls, knick-knacks, and various collectibles won’t be making the move. The second house will be very basic, with only water pipes and a sink installed, which will be all we need for a washer and dryer. We’ll definitely talk to a realtor, a contractor, and whoever else we may need. We’ll also need to bring in solar panels and dig a well.

The few things I have mixed feelings about are that the place will be small, colder in the winter, and I’ll be back among the nightmares I experienced in Arizona. I saw it all there—tarantulas, black widows, scorpions, snakes, etc. I’m not usually scared of snakes, but we have to be cautious depending on the season. I only saw one Gila monster in Arizona, but they’re bad news too. Javelinas can also be trouble. I’m more concerned with being creeped out by giant but harmless spiders than by any actual dangers.

I still can’t figure out what those giant spiders were in Phoenix that didn’t seem to be in Maricopa. Not that Maricopa didn’t have its share of horror-movie spiders. I thought they might be Avondales, but AI says those aren’t in Arizona. I don’t think they were tarantulas, even though they were just as big, because they didn’t seem furry. Tarantulas tend to move slowly, too. My research suggests they might have been hobos, wolf spiders, or some less harmful kind of brown recluse. Whatever they were, they were nightmare material. They were HUGE. We’re talking a good six inches in diameter, at least.

Given how things have turned out here, I’m now glad we didn’t get that house I wanted in Port St. Lucie. That would have been a bit hard to give up. It was bigger and had an amazing view. Now, I just want a place where I feel safe that I really love, somewhere we can stay until we’re too old and have to move into an apartment or assisted living.

[psychedelic-cartel-chronicles]

  Chapter 4: The First Load Arrives

“It’s the weather, Bob. They have to wait until it’s perfect. Right now it’s snowing in El Paso,” I told Bifocal Bob on the payphone call to New York.

“Snowing in El Paso?” he asked, “Is that even possible? I thought it was in the desert.”

“It’s the high altitude desert, Bob, and the crossers don’t want their movements tracked in the snow.”

“That’s ridiculous. Just get me the fucking load. Otherwise, I’m spending my money on what Neanderthal Ned brings me.”

“Neanderthal Ned” was a reference to one of my border smuggling competitors. He notably lived in a luxurious, retrofitted cave in the mountains overlooking Tucson and was able to amass substantial amounts of Mexican cannabis from independents operating along the Arizona border. Architectural Digest had written a favorable article about his Taliesin West inspired residence which was equipped with advanced automatic features like automated sky lights and floating stairways well ahead of its time. Ned, operating outside of cartel jurisdiction, retrofitted motor homes whose interiors had been altered to fit his shipments which averaged over a ton.

As well-known as Ned and his operation was, it was his girlfriend, Molly, who captured the most attention. Molly and I moved in the same circles. After she and Ned parted company, Molly showed up as a companion to Billy Mercedes, one of my main San Francisco distributors who lived in Marin County. After that Molly married a certain well-known television doctor, who wrote an anguished book, “Taming Molly” about his attempts to get Molly to conform to suburban life while married to medicine.

Ned was reliable, I explained, but this was on another level. We were sending the best genetics to Mexico. Commercial logistics were being arranged. The cartel had ensured a steady supply.

“Bob, you’re about to be on the other end of a pipeline,” I explained.

“Snowing in El Paso? That has got to be some bullshit. Get here as soon as you can.” Patience was not a virtue with Bob.

Waiting is the hardest part of the game. Tension continues to build as the wait goes on. The tension is composed of one or two parts anticipation and several parts fear. Fear that your warehouse might stand out, that crossers would be captured and the authorities might start working their way up the supply chain. Every day I spent at the Las Cruces, New Mexico Marriot was another day that law enforcement might start to wonder what I was doing there, comfortably ensconced in one of their suites in an area not known for tourism. Staying in one of the Marriot suites, playing the tourist and seeing the wonders of El Paso and Juarez? Hardly.

What to do with all that nervous energy? You couldn’t leave El Paso because the shipment was imminent. It could be seized at any point and then you were out whatever investment you had made and you might attract Federal attention. You couldn’t sit in your room or you’d go crazy with boredom. Every day, to avoid the anxiety, I would make the culinary circuit with Brian: breakfast at Lucy’s or Mi Pueblito with the great chili con queso, always followed by scrambled eggs with jalapenos or an egg over easy on one of their traditional red sauce enchiladas. Then we’d head over the bridge and spend the afternoon at the Florída in Juarez. The Florída restaurant was widely known to be owned by members of the cartel so we felt comfortable. Whatever the restaurant, Brian made sure that we were always supplied with an endless pitcher of margaritas.

If it was the right time of year, the Florída had cuitlacoche, the gray, stone-shaped fungus that becomes like tar when it is cooked and has an earthy, tangy, mushroom-like flavor with a hint of raw corn. Farmers call the dish el oro negro, or black gold. The Florída was also renowned for all of the classic Mexican dishes: turkey mole with three kinds of chocolate from Oaxaca, cooked for thirty six hours in clay pot, or carnitas tacos made the old fashioned way, carved from a roasting spit.

Later, after margaritas and a couple of joints of Mendocino homegrown, we would reconvene at Juarez’s renowned watering hole, the legendary border saloon, the Kentucky Club. The Kentucky was frequented by Generals Pancho Villa and Alvara Obregón, the first president of Mexico after the revolution. “The Kentucky” had a timeless quality with pictures from the Mexican Revolution of Pancho Villa riding majestically through town on a horse festooned with turquoise and silver bridles, Villa handing out chocolates or silver bullets to children, Villa with what looked like a cannabis blunt and of the U.S. general, Pershing, who led the Villa Expedition to find and punish Pancho Villa for his attack on Fort Bliss. If you stayed at the Kentucky Club long enough you hear all the stories about Villa. He was famous for his consumption of cannabis, celebrated in “La Cucaracha” and it was historical legend that Villa smoked his cannabis at the Kentucky.

Tables at the Kentucky, with the afternoon light casting shadows, reminded me of an elegant bar somewhere in the British Raj as the sun was setting on the Empire. Any table held court on an international assembly of stealthy high-end thieves, secretive smugglers, cartel lieutenants and Federal agents trying to avoid detection. The Kentucky was styled with thoughtful attention to detail from another era like the soft green-tiled trough that circled the bar which allowed their card playing patrons to urinate at will and not leave their cards unattended. Since the bar was constructed before refrigeration, every day at 4 PM, a skinny young kid, who looked as if he should still be in middle school, carried in the blocks of ice used for mixed drinks on his back. He was always accompanied by his boss, a seasoned four foot dwarf, who directed him and collected money for the ice. The dwarf danced back and forth with a nervous tick as he visited each table to offer an earnest “Buenas tardes”. He always stuck out his hand, expecting a tip in recognition of his status.

I formed a special bond with the Kentucky’s oldest bartender, Andrés, when I brought him a New York Times Travel Section article about him and the Kentucky Club. He framed it and to this day it’s still hanging from a favored location on the wall behind the bar. With great ceremony, he offered to give me his secret margarita recipe which I will reveal now for the first time: one part Hornitos Reposado tequila, one part squeezed lime, one part the Mexican orange liqueur, “Controy”. Andrés was insistent that I not try to substitute the French version of this same liqueur, “Cointreau”. It was finished with lots of hand-chiseled ice.

We blithely disregarded the DEA agents who would occasionally occupy a shadowy corner table, but later, when Brian’s partner Charlie was indicted, we found out that an entire Justice Department task force had been listening and waiting for just the right time. Brian and Charley had arranged for a planeload of Colombian cannabis, flown by some Southwest Airline pilots, that was abandoned before it was fully unloaded in the Palm Springs desert. Years later, the DEA confronted Charlie right in the Kentucky, laid out their evidence among the shots of tequila, and secured Charlie’s cooperation.

Still half-lit from the Kentucky, we would hop back into Leilani’s Cadillac and get in line to go back across the border. It was time for a nap to sleep off the tequila, to clean up and get ready for the evening.

Brian’s answer to the waiting doldrums was to honor a Texas tradition and visit one of El Paso’s multitude of topless bars. El Paso, being part of the South, with the Fort Bliss army base and the University of Texas, El Paso was a prime location for the industry. On my second day in town, Brian took me to lunch in a small downtown café called the “King’s X”. Just as I was biting into my turkey club, the clock struck one and the staff, with matching uniforms, came out to engineer a spectacular transformation. A small stage emerged from a hidden panel and four gorgeous college girls from UTEP walked out in sequined bikinis. It wasn’t long before I stopped eating lunch to watch the performance. Maybe I had led a sheltered academic life previously, but I was from California and had never seen anything like this: one minute I was eating lunch and the next there were college girls dancing topless with breasts unexpectedly inches from my face. Brian noticed my discomfort and immediately called over one of the UTEP girls and insisted she sit on my lap.

He introduced me as a “professor” and asked her what her major was. “I’m studying law,” she said and asked if I could help her with her homework as Brian slipped her a twenty.

“This is my friend’s first time in El Paso,” Brian explained, “I’d like you to introduce him to the way we do things in the state of Texas.” At that narrow, two-person table, she took some time to show me the affability for which Texas was famous. My wire-rimmed glasses were smashed and bent, but I was infatuated.

Unlike California, topless bars were everywhere. There seem to be an attempt to anchor shopping malls with the classic troika of Texas: a topless bar, a pawn shop, and a church. There were some that catered to those who liked heavier girls, to those that liked thin girls, to natural and artificially constructed girls and to every possible ethnicity. Some of them tried to overwhelm you with scale and sheer numbers of dancers and then there were others that were all nude. The latter required one to bring one’s own alcohol, because of an obscure Texas law that recognized the potential for social chaos if alcohol and complete exposure were sold in the same location at the same time. Another timely framed rule on the wall of every bar in Texas, “It is unlawful to discharge a firearm in an establishment where alcohol is sold.” Only in Texas would the constabulary feel the need to spell out the obvious. I gradually settled on two bars that stood out: the Lamplighter, and Prince Machiavelli’s. The Lamplighter became my favorite and it wasn’t long before all California propriety was gone and I started dating the dancers.

One morning, Brian showed up early at my room at the Marriot. Brian was always well dressed with a starched collared shirt, a selection of one of his Patek Phillipe watches and exotically skinned boots. “Del, it looks like we’re out of pocket today so I’ve decided we need to get you out of those tennis shoes.” Several of the cartel lieutenants had mumbled a comment or two regarding the informality of my choice of footwear.

“Man, you can’t wear tennis shoes unless you’re at home,” they told me. ”Why even your president wears boots,” Don Chui’s son, Armando, said, referring to George W. Bush. Over time, a growing consensus and low key concern from Leilani to our Mexican friends had determined that it was a matter of Texas pride, gentlemanly decorum and respect for local customs that demanded that I should immediately be outfitted with appropriate boots.

Brian had shown up with Charlie, his Mexican partner, who was dark-complected, short and heavyset, with a mustache reminiscent of Emiliano Zapata. Charlie always wore shorts and sandals which drew attention to his ample abdominal girth. He was dating the widow of a West Texas oil tycoon, Deborah, who just idolized the notion of her Charlie as a wild, pot smuggling outlaw. Deborah, the stylish blond Texas cheerleader, with her expensive outfits and jewelry, presented an odd couple when matched with Charlie. “My former husband was in the awl business,” she explained with a full Southern drawl, “But I just love my Charlie”. She loved showing Charlie the outlaw to her El Paso society friends and she made it clear to everyone that Charlie had improbably captured her heart as a virile Latin lover.

We arrived at Brian’s bootmaker who occupied a small shop in the old part of town near the border. The bootmaker was a small older Mexican man whose hands were yellow dyed and worn from years of working with leather and lasts. There was hardly room to sit as the shop was filled in every available space with the exotic skins of endangered species. The bootmaker took my measurements to build a last that would serve as the foundation for many future generations of my boots. Having taken my measurements, the bootmaker, under Brian and Charlie’s direction, began to bring in a selection of skins. Once again, with my California sense of propriety, I began to cringe in alarm as they showed me crocodile (endangered), lizard (endangered) and elephant (obviously endangered). The bootmaker mistook my wide-eyed examination of the elephant skin as an interest in the species, so he brought out an “elephant face” skin. Really? I thought, elephant face? There it was with a bullet hole right in the middle of this poor elephant’s skin face. I settled on ostrich, which I knew to be farmed.

“Del, you’ll need a second pair. You can’t just have one pair of boots,” Charlie explained, Pick one more,”

“Yes, you’ll need more than one pair,” Brian echoed. At this point, everyone was beginning to understand my reservations and laughed.

“Since you’re from California,” Charlie said laughing, “ you’d probably be happy with the alligator. Alligators are farmed. Unlike crocodiles, there’s plenty of them.” I settled on the alligator.

We decided to go out that night to celebrate my boot purchase. I selected the ostrich skin for a night on the town. We settled on the Lamplighter which was always our favorite spot. I called Theresa, my latest flame, and she came to pick me up in her classic 68 Mustang with her name, “Theresa”, written in sparkling sequins on each side of her car. My memory of the evening’s events was hazy, but I did remember a chorus line forming at one point with all the dancers joined together in a Rockette like performance.

I woke up early to the sound of a knock on my door. It was from Brian. He was up and ready.

“The crossers came through last night and the first load is in the warehouse, “ he said smiling.

[the-firebird69]

Watch "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | E.T. Phone Home in 4K HDR" on YouTube

Somehow ET gets inside of trump and in poltergeist comes out he comes ET and moves across the neighborhood it's across the street actually is Good's attention to the government and all sorts of things and it's Jason and he then goes to New Mexico and the ship comes and picks him up and and they go there I believe and they get more shapes and they found a larger ship and it's earlier saucers that were used by ghwb to get impressions and attitude and to use an illusion and it did not work very well at all it did not work at all and the max want the tech and the ships and can't seem to get one and Jason has several no he couldn't get it out he couldn't get the small ones out and they're going to try this method but really these kind of forced to do it on his way to try and get to Jersey he gets way late in Florida and it is close encounters of the third kind. Finally they make it up there they have a small War they have a few ships out and they want the tech and the ships are disabled and the beam doesn't work that good but it works better than what they've got so you start research they bring the aliens in the ships to New Mexico and some of it stays in New York but that's why and the furnace pouring and then it goes to Virginia and North Carolina and South Carolina one ship or two and that's what they're doing shortly and foreigners for rent because of it but really the ship is disabled and they grab them to New Mexico and Trump is not running it. And they are freed and they fight over the tech and it's not Independence Day yes it is that's the start of it but sorry will happens and everything happens very fast and heat and hurricane heist in Guantanamo Bay the Greyhound and Argo and Fargo all of them happened in this coming week all at once it is a fascinatingly fast series with tons of stuff in it and they are expelled from the United States completely and not allowed back and it's not enough of them to get back here as it is tonight there numbers are dwindling in Florida itself they went from 2% this morning of the populace and it's down to .9% which is almost one in a thousand and it is pretty bad they're not here but once again the cramp act into the cities so they can't see it overseas the evacuation continues and they're looking at numbers for the general populace and we have a range of one to 250,000 and most of the suburbs and this is the eastern hemisphere and two one in a million and those numbers are reducing too they're leaving and it's going fast pretty soon there won't be any keep in mind that there's like millions of octillions of people and out of a million if you have one and I'll tell you this like a quadrillion millions so there's still several octillion people but they're leaving it's probably the give an example of the area of Spain it says pick somewhere else okay let's see Spain the whole place has about seven octillion left and the one octillion are in the cities and the rest are moving in slowly and if they can get there but when they get there is a big huge bunch of people see they can't figure out what's going on even the last people say I don't know who anyone is and I can really never tell that great so they're going on this hype binge and they probably will never come down which is good. Large amounts of flooding are happening on the East Coast and they want us to fix it and we'd like to help and we know how Port Lucy is on the East Coast no he thinks it's on the west coast than it is so we're going to do some work and shouldn't take much. And he said you know how to fix all the flooding and Matt came to us and said we need to fix it so we put a proposal in and they are having us do it and then there's also some more things that are happening we are looking at a lot of troublemakers here and we need to fix it and Broward county is on the East Coast and New Port Richey is too but we are going over there and fixing it. There's a huge number of people who think we can't so Mac wants to show them that they're competent. We are competent.

And ET works his way up to New Jersey in the series is going to start pretty soon with poltergeist. And it will be quite a scene. It's going to be some more work here shortly we do have a storm coming and it's going to be a doozy it's not a hurricane it's just more rain but people can't take it that their houses are getting ruined and we will have a contract issued to tear down houses and to tear off rules and replace roofs on houses that are not moldy but most of them are moldy and it's going to be a lot of houses in neighborhoods and going to disappear and the plan is to put apartments in those neighborhoods first and we're going to do that. There is some things happening here the rain is going to come tonight and tomorrow and mine are flooding is going to occur around here and if the canals don't move we're going to move them and we hope to dredge if we can't we're going to do some other things that make them move kind of sick of it... Listen to water will work but it has to everything should do it tonight he's right too well it's raining. Usually did itself when we've done it before and he's calling on on people to assist and I'm going to assign it to them now

And I'm assigning two minimum to get done no matter what and you can contact me and tell you what tell me what your ran into I'll see if we can proceed

Other than that we have some movies to place and it's going to be a great time and he's wondering what kicks It off and he's thinking it might be a nuclear weapon not in DC but in LA on Jason and he thinks Jason is in the movie with Lily and somebody gets fried in the movie and it is possibly Lily that's who that woman is Sarah Connor

Thor Freya

[hiyaluronic]

Found an old thumb drive while I was spring cleaning. Found this 8 year old gem under the file name bullshit au timeline for tw/spn crossover. Kind of wished I kept working on it because I’m a sucker for a good Stiles is a Winchester story. Sadly, i have moved on from both fandoms and doubt I’ll ever do anything with this.

1962 - Dean Winchester is born.

1966 - Sam Winchester is born in May, Mary dies November 2.

1988 - Derek Hale is born. Season 1 of Supernatural happens.

1993 -  Season 5 of SPN happens. Sam jumps into the pit but instead of going to Lisa and Ben's he heads to California. Dean (31) travels around, sleeps around, and just plain passes the time hoping his life will end. He ends up at Beacon Hills and comes across 28 year old Claudia Stilinski, introducing himself as John Samuels.

1994 - Dean and Claudia are married early in the year, Dean takes Caludia’s family name, Stiles is born. Jacksons parents die in a car crash.

2000 - Scott and Stiles meet in Kindergarten. Melissa McCall tells her husband to get out after one particular incident with Scott at her house.

2003 - Derek's 15th birthday. Claudia starts showing signs of Frontotemporal Dementia. Gerard and Chris kill one of Ennis's wolves. Dean is still a deputy when he encounter's Ennis at the hospital. Peter arranges for Ennis to bite Paige. Derek mercy kills Paige. Dean is elected as Sherriff. The Tates die in a car crash, Malia's body is never found.

2004 - Claudia is hospitalized for her Frontotemporal Dementia. Dean heads off to a crossroads in hopes of making a deal with a demon, but no demons deal because of Dean helping put Luci back in The Cage. By the time he makes it back to the hospital Claudia has passed. Stiles refuses to speak for the next 6 months. Meanwhile, Kali doesn't quiet kill Julia and she gets power from the Nemeton.

2005 - The Argents move to Beacon Hills, giving Dean some concern. He takes Stiles over for a play date with Allison. Dean leaves while informing the Argents that Good People live in this town and he’d hate to see anything happen that would draw the ire of the community.  Chris agrees. Months later the Hale fire happens. Dean goes to investigate but Argents, finds nothing but an empty apartment. 

2011 - Dean is 49. Seasons 1 -3b of Teen Wolf happen this year. Dean begins to suspect something Supernatural might be going on in Beacon Hills after animal attacks become more common. Stiles tells his dad about the supernatural and learns that his dad is a hunter. Stiles refuses to speak to his father for a solid week - feeling betrayed and unsure how he feels knowing his dad was most likely the cause of deaths like the Hales.

     --After the Darach kidnaps Dean and Stiles subsequently rescues him, the two come to an understanding -  no more secrets. 

     --Christmas 2011 sees the return of Sam Winchester after a shifter attacks Dean and Stiles.  Stiles is confused as to what's going on. Dean sits his son down and introduces a still 27 year old Sam to his 17 year old son. 

2012 - First part of Season 6 happens, Sam gets resouled. Stiles heads to Mexico with the others to search for Derek. Dean deals with his comatose little brother.  Braeden leads them to La Iglesia. They find Derek and return to Beacon Hills leaving Derek with Deaton. Sam wakes. Derek opens the vault. The

[citizenscreen]

Maurice Chevalier guested on the “Lucy Goes to Mexico" episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” (1958). These fabulous pictures with Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, and Richard Keith are from that episode.

[jerzwriter]

Come Away With Tobias & Casey

As with my other pairing, I'm going to assume that this reflects 10-years in the future, so they have had some time to travel. It is also limited to foreign travel, not places they have been in the US. For the record, they're big fans of Miami Beach and the Florida Keys, they visit his Mom in DC, and her parents in Philly frequently, and they love to get away to a cabin in the Berkshires when they can.

They made a list of places they wanted to visit when they first got together. They put it on their fridge and made a goal to fill the card

France, England, and Spain were all in one two-week trip.

But Italy and Iceland were individual trips.

Tobias's two dream locations were Kenya and the Maldives; Casey's was Morocco and Jordan (these two were done in one trip).

They recently revisited the card and decided they're going to edit it soon. They'd like to visit some West African nations and a few countries in South America as well.

They will update after their next vacation coming up soon, Australia and New Zealand.

Tobias selected the two pictures of Casey, obviously. The center photo was taken on their "honeymoon part 2" in Bora Bora. Their actual honeymoon was a short trip to Vermont because Casey was expecting and they didn't want to be too far from home. The one on the right was taken when they went to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. Tobias commented that it's a favorite because of the "activities" that took place behind those rocks moments later.

Casey picked the picture of Tobias by himself, obviously. It was taken outside the cabin they rented in Kenya. She referred to this as her "thirst trap" photo.

The bottom three photos were selected together, they love this series and have it framed in each of their offices, as well as in their home. This was on their trip to Jamaica. Tobias swore he had nothing to do with this incident, Casey still doesn't believe him.

They both tend to pack just right, which leads to less hassle and fewer arguments.

Casey likes trains for local travel, she just loves the sounds and movement. She finds it relaxing and sleeps well on them. Tobias is not a fan but goes along to indulge his girlfriend/wife. But they both prefer planes for places further away.

Both like hotels, unless they are going to more exotic locations. There they prefer to rent small homes/villas. (For their honeymoon in Bora Bora they rented a hut that was literally on the water.)

As you can see, Casey is fairly flexible (not in that way... well, also in that way) about where to eat, where to go, which makes it much easier.

Casey actually likes that Tobias is the planner; but since she likes spontaneity, they work days for that into their trips as well.

If they are on a tropical vacation, or if they are visiting remote areas, this isn't an issue. But if they're in a major city, Tobias is much more apt to shop and, sometimes, just sometimes, Casey gets miffed. :)

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[earnmysong]

the tremendously talented @andrea-lyn kindly said 

it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (or so) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought to the world in 2021. if they’d like @firstdegreefangirl, @pasmonblog, @treaddelicately, @hondagirll, @crose84, @nessa007, @simmerandcry or anyone else can make their own list so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

4 FICS

with hope in your heart (you'll never walk alone) {lucy/tim; the rookie} | this pairing essentially grabbed me by my heart and wouldn’t let go. the first time i ever watched them interact, my dude officer bradford was digging her out of the ground and bringing her back to life. the logical next step was to write ~6k of fluff-laced future-based shenanigans, BECAUSE OF COURSE.

who'd have thought that love could be so caffeinated {vanessa/usnavi; in the heights} | when one of your favorite films in existence of the year gives you tiny humans in canon, if you’re me, the opportunity cannot be ignored. here be e, connecting dots!

keep spinning us into something new {liz/max; roswell new mexico} | this hadddd to make the cut! a reboot of an OG fave that doesn’t suck in the slightest? tiny bbs bonding over la musica and carrying that through their formative years? everythinggggg to me! hence my desire for backstory, sooner than canon helped me out. sorry, peter gabriel, alanis still makes more sense :D!

even doubt can be delicious {keeley/roy; ted lasso} | i’d been itching to try my hand at my best brits, and post-’headspace’ left me the perfect gap to jump into! keeley goes partly-cloudy and roy makes scones!   

1 FANMIX - MOODBOARD COMBO

and we live in peace [but if someone comes at us ... i’m ready] {winterwitch; mcu} | all of these songs fit these two veryyyy well, in my opinion, and it was wonderful putting everything together!

[haveamagicalday]

Books Read in 2021

These are all the books I read in 2021. You can find my top ten books here.

4 Stars

The Burning Girls by CJ Tudor

Single mother Jack uproots her life and daughter and moves to Chapel Croft, a small town with a dark history. Jack is the town’s new reverend who just wants a fresh start but gets swept into the secrecy and mysteries that the town offers. Twisty and turny, I think this would be perfect for fans of Midnight Mass who love that dark religious aesthetic.

Cackle by Rachel Harrison

To escape a bad breakup, Annie moves to a tiny town where she befriends the beautiful Sophie. Pretty soon it becomes apparent that something is strange about Sophie. But that’s her new best friend, so does it really matter? This was such a fun witchy read! Oddly it was marketed as horror but it’s very light, goofy and charming. 

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

I stumbled upon this book when looking for something new to read and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Nor leaves in an ocean village where the most beautiful girl is picked to be the wife of the prince in a neighboring kingdom. Scarred after an accident, Nor doesn’t have a chance of but her beautiful twin sister does. The world building was great and interesting and I really liked all the characters. This is a fun quick YA read for anyone that likes secret plots and sweet romances.

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay

Solid debut mystery/thriller! We’ve got two mysteries going on here. First our Matt’s brother is in jail, convicted for killing his girlfriend as a teenager. Something he still claims he did not do. Now after a night of college partying, Matt wakes to the news that the rest of his family were found dead on their vacation to Mexico. What follows are a lot of twists and turns as what seemed like an accident might have been so much more.

Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Marissa Meyer goes back to her fairy tale roots with a Rumpelstiltskin retelling. Instead of a King, our heroine is taken in by the Erlking to spin straw into gold where she is helped by a boy who is not quite a ghost but not human either. I liked the use of the folklore and mythology in this retelling. It’s around 500 pages and I didn’t realize until the last 20 pages that this was not a standalone. Because of that, I felt it dragged in some places and could have been 200 pages shorter than it was. But overall, I enjoyed this book and am excited for the sequel!

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

A group of old college friends meet up for a vacation in a hunting lodge and accidentally get snowed in. Then another guest at the hunting lodge turns up dead. What follows is a tension filled story as old secrets are brought to light. Everyone has something to hide and everyone is a suspect. This is a fun, multiple narrations mystery that is sometimes goofy but in the best ways.

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee

Secrets, deaths and dark academia. What more could you want from a book. This was a turn pager for sure.You never quite know what to think of our characters and suspect everyone of being dishonest. Great YA read!

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Going into this I thought it was more of a thriller/mystery but it turned out to be more of historical fiction. Fortunately it was still a very good book which I enjoyed! It goes back in forth telling the story of an apothecary owner who sells poison to other women so they can do away with their vile husbands or cheating lovers and a modern woman who travels to England after heartbreak and discovered the lost apothecary and its forgotten secrets.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

From the same author of The Silent Patient, this was another twisty story that will keep you reading late into the night

She’s Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard

This was marketed as a modern Picture of Dorian Gray which would have been awesome but I really didn’t see much connection between the two. There’s a picture taken but nothing else happens with it. That aside, this still surprised me by being a quick paced, page turning read.

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

Spooky gothic goodness! Is it ghosts or is our heroine slowly losing her mind? This quick thrilling read will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.

Small Favors by Erin A. Craig

I feel like the book description for this kinda spoils the whole thing? Like, our main character is in the dark about what is happening but the back of the book tells us what is going on. So without spoilers, I’d say the book takes place in a small pioneer town where a hunting party goes missing and then strange occurrences start to happen. People in town are suddenly getting things they wish for, but it might come at a terrible price.

That Weekend by Kara Thomas

Not my favorite Kara Thomas novel but this story about a girl whose two best friends went missing on a weekend trip was a good read. Not sure I really liked the twist and some things were confusing but for a thriller it was a fun ride.

These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan

This was a pleasant surprise! When I first started reading, it felt like a typical YA and I considered abandoning it. But I kept with it and I’m glad I did! This is a fantasy novel about rival fairy courts and one mortal girl who gets caught in the middle of them. This would be perfect for fans of Holly Black.

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

This was a clever premise! It’s Jane Eyre retold as a modern mystery/thriller like the ones that are very popular right now. I’ve never read Jane Eyre but from what I could tell, it’s more of the basic premise than a straight retelling. It has some fun twists along the way and I enjoyed the ride!

3 Stars

All These Bodies by Kendare Blake

Minnesota in 1958 and Michael’s classmate is found murdered with his family. This is just another murder followed by a recent string of similar ones where the victims are found drained of all blood but this time there is a suspect to arrest, 15 year old Marie. Marie refuses to talk to anyone, except for Michael. She asks Michael to take down her story and it’s up to Michael to find the truth of what happened. This book had so much promise in the beginning. I was as entranced by Marie’s story as Michael was, but unfortunately the explosive ending I was anticipating never happened. The story just fizzled out and there wasn’t any real answers. Looking back, I think this was more about the relationship Marie and Michael formed but it was disappointing considering how good the rest of it was.

For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten

I’ll start by saying that this was unfortunately and disappointment for me. The imagery and marketing makes it seem like a Little Red retelling but it’s plot was more Beauty and the Beast and was a lot more high fantasy than fairy tale inspired. This isn’t to say it’s a bad book, it’s just not what I was expecting or really wanted either. It dragged in some places but it had some interesting ideas and plot points. I won’t be reading the sequel to this but if high fantasy with a little bit of fairy tale inspiration sprinkled in is your jam, than I’d give it a read. 

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

I have decided that T. Kingfisher is just not for me. The stories she comes up with are so interesting and creepy but the execution doesn’t work for me. Mainly, her main characters are often annoying. They spend the entire novel making (un)witty remarks and bade jokes that takes a lot of the tension out of the scenes that would genuinely be frightening. It’s a shame because I feel like they could write some amazing horror if they just wrote their characters differently.

Kingdom of Sea and Stone by Mara Rutherford

This was the follow up to a Crown of Coral and Pearl and while it was a good conclusion to the story, it wasn’t as good as the first one. This kind of turned into like, a war/rebellion story where the main character had to rally different groups to fight for her. I’m personally not a big fan of those kind of stories but it was still a solid read.

The Lost Village by Camilla Sten

Alice and her friends are off to film a documentary in a mysterious Swedish town where everyone’s inhabitants went missing 1959. Alice wants to figure out what has happened but the trip might be far more dangerous than she thought. This is a translated book from Sweden and I felt like maybe there were some things lost in translation. The idea was good and I didn’t see the ending coming but it also left something to be desired.

The Mermaid’s Sister by Carrie Anne Noble

A cute little tale about a girl whose sister is turning into a mermaid. With the help of a childhood friend, she must travel from the isolated mountains of their home to deliver her sister to the sea before it’s too late. Somewhat predictable but a sweet read nonetheless.

Missing, Presumed Dead by Emma Berquist

Lexi knows how and when a person will die. It’s a power that keeps her isolated until the ghost of girl she had seen alive earlier that day visits her. Together they embark on a quest to find out who killed her and why. A unique concept, sweet romance, and interesting mystery. 

Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson

Bree has the perfect life until one day she wakes to an old hag looking into her house. Later that day, that same old hag kidnaps her baby son. He’ll be returned safely to Bree if she follows one small task from the old woman. What seems harmless turns into something deadly and it’s a race against time to get her son back and discover the truth of what is really happening. This was somewhat of a disappointing read for me because the actual book’s description describes the old woman as a witch and makes you think this will be a fairy tale -esque story. No fantasy/supernatural/fairy tale qualities at all though. 

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

This book started with so much potential. It was about 200 pages too long and dragged quite a bit but I stuck with it because I thought there was going to be an explosive finale. Instead I got something that just faded out and I found myself mad that I stuck with such a long book for little pay. With that said, the writing was beautiful and it did keep me engaged at times. I think I went in expecting one thing but got something completely different.

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly 

A new take on the Snow White story. When Snow White’s heart is taken, the dwarfs save her and revive her by giving her a clockwork heart. This causes all kinds of emotional problems and it’s a race to get her heart back before the machinery gives out. A fun twist on the tale but still a very straight retelling of the story.

Shiver by Allie Reynolds

Millia hasn’t seen her old snowboarding friends in ten years, not since the disappearance Saskia. The friends reunite at an old ski lodge and as the night gets started it becomes clear that everyone has secrets and some of them are deadly. A murder mystery with a lot of snowboarding facts that I really didn’t need to know.

They’ll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman

Two cross country running sisters are the stars of the team until a new girl comes to town that might threaten it all. Surprisingly they find themselves drawn to their new competition but then one day she goes missing and upends everything. You might have to suspend your disbelief for some of these twists but overall it was an enjoyable read.

Tidepool by Nicole Willson

It’s 1913 and Sorrow’s older brother never returns from a visit to the small and dreary town of Tidepool. There, Sorrow is met by hostile townspeople who don’t want her there and a strange widow who has a mysterious hold on the town. This is a creepy lovecraftian inspired story that’s sure to provide some thrills!

Who is Maud Dixon by Alexandra Andrews

Honestly was not a fan of this one. Our main character was awful and stayed that way the whole novel. There wasn’t even really a reason for her being so sucky. Characters being awful can work really well sometimes but it just didn’t do it for me in this book.

Short Story

Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M. Valente

Sophie’s life is perfect. She lives at the perfect Arcadia Gardens in the perfect home with the perfect husband. She was made for him. Are you happy Sophie? This novella will keep you guessing until it’s explosive ending.

Nonfiction

Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix

The Shark and the Goldfish by Jon Gordon

I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom