#man diving back into the files from New Beginnings is really nostalgic

[true-blue-sonic]

for the fic writer asks: 2, 9 and 18

2. a character whose POV you’re currently exploring

Sonic's! I've written a lot for Silver and Espio, and New Beginnings has a couple of chapters from Sonic's POV as well. I've also written a few other fanfics with Sonic in the main POV role. But as extensively as I'm doing right now with my Sonilver fic, I've never written for Sonic before. It's lots of fun, though! Sonic's got a sharp eye for details and I would say he's very good at picking up minute emotions from others, so I really want to incorporate little details like that into my writing. And his love for life is something I want to extensively describe as well <3

9. start to finish, how long did it take you to write the last fic you posted?

That'd be Change of Heart, specifically the second chapter. How long it took me.... Literally ages, tbh XD My Word version history goes back to November 24th, but that's already a quite substantial bit of the chapter, so I must have worked on it much more before that. So in this specific case, it took me months! But I also often have fics that are finished in just a few days, or maybe even just a day if it's something smaller ^-^ So the second chapter to Change of Heart is a bit of an outlier there!

19. if you keep them, share a deleted sentence or paragraph from a published fic

Yep: kill my darlings is something I do not practice at all XD Funnily enough I have a document with outtakes from New Beginnings, and I wrote a bunch of background info above it. That's really convenient, since I can't for the life of me recall what the heck I was thinking when I wrote it, haha! I need to keep that in mind for the multichapter fic I'm working on now🍀

☆☆☆☆☆

[Background info: I wrote this scene a lot earlier than most of the earlier chapters, so chapter 13 was supposed to be rather different, even though most of it leading up with Silv and Es being fluffy together most likely was the same. Silver was supposed to be more open towards Sonic, trying to make (very awkward) conversation, but that got changed to him being withdrawn and quiet because he was hurting about how different the two of them got treated in their circumstances despite basically doing the same thing in life (trying to help people). Also here you can see the difference in flow: when writing I usually begin only with individual sentences of dialogue and rarely an action tag attached to it, only when it is important I remember what the character is doing to accentuate their point. The scene is written a bit more extensively here, so I must have revised it a few times already. Though I left out the bit with Tails and the taxes in the final version, I did leave in Es being a worried mother hen.]

“You hush,” Espio chided, pulling out the odd white pieces of paper the people they had helped today had given him. “The only thing you’d be willing to eat is a chili dog doughnut, and luckily those haven’t been invented yet.”

“Touché,” Sonic snickered as Silver contemplated just where in the world this conversation was going to. “I see you made lotsa bank, though?”

“It’s all because of Silver,” the chameleon claimed, the hedgehog in question shyly staring at the ground with the praise. “I’ll need to put those away, and write down what we got where and all those kinds of things.” Sonic quirked up his eyebrows as he stared at the papers also. “What? Have you never done taxes before?” Espio sighed.

“I leave those things to Tails,” Sonic grinned right back. “If anyone can do lightning-fast calculations and find out where we can write off some expenses it’s him!”

“Can we borrow him sometimes? He’ll have a field day with our finances, I’m sure.”

“I’ll sent him over once we have time… but I doubt either Silver or I will be interested in those things, though,” Sonic noted. “We shouldn’t be cooped up in your office anyway, not with this beautiful weather! You and I should go have a race somewhere, whaddaya say, buddy?”

That was aimed at him, Silver realised with a shock. Clumsily he opened his mouth, only to close it again instantly. He didn’t want to leave Espio’s side!

“Definitely not a race, he’s still injured,” Espio came to his rescue as he objected immediately, protectively scrutinizing him like a mother hen would. “How about a pleasant, calming walk instead?”

“Nothing calming about a walk… but I’ll make an exception for now,” Sonic grinned.

“Is that alright with you, Silver?” the chameleon murmured kindly.

“T-that’s… I… I mean… s-sure.” Sonic quirked up his eyebrows at his stammering, giving him a kind smile once more.

“I don’t bite!”

“…Fine,” Espio conceded eventually. “But not too long. And don’t you dare try to force him into a race, or really anything he doesn’t want to do, because I will find out, and my wrath won’t be pleasant. Be home before dark, don’t talk to strangers, don’t wander out of the city, don’t-“

“Yes, mom, we get it,” Sonic laughed as he objected, and the chameleon huffed offendedly in return.

“I just want you to be careful, is all,” the chameleon sighed as he stepped away from Silver and further down the streets. “Have fun, you two. And don’t do anything reckless!”

“We won’t,” Sonic assured Espio’s receding form again as Silver timidly nodded along also. “Let’s go, buddy! What’s your opinion on the ocean?”

“If he drowns I’ll drown you,” Espio threatened as he flung his head around, leering at the sheepishly-grinning speedster.

“Some people can’t take a joke,” Sonic sighed once Espio was out of earshot. “But the ocean does look lovely in the setting sun. Have you ever seen it?”

“…I don’t think so,” Silver murmured quietly, following Sonic as the other walked the other way. “What… is it? What’s it do?”

“You know water, right?” Silver hummed in confirmation at that, remembering the bathtub and glasses filled with the crystal-clear liquid Espio had shown him. “Well, the ocean is basically a reaaaally big pool of water, except it’s very salty, so you can’t drink it,” Sonic explained, as Silver felt himself grow more and more doubtful.

“This is gonna be great for sure!”

[1-1snailxd-art]

Libraries are for Meetings

Master List —– Chapter 9

Chapter 10 - A tale of the Lost

Warnings: negative thoughts, homophobia, death mentioned

Summary: Logan and Virgil share a pleasant meal before their pasts bring it to a tear-filled end.

Word count: 4419

Note: reading on mobile can remove the paragraphing sometimes. Use desktop site or visit my Ao3 page if it bothers you as much as it bothers me.

This chapter includes art by @the-pastel-peach​. Respect the artist and myself and please do not repost. Share this post or the artists original links only.

 ____________________

  Logan held the door open and gestured for Virgil to enter; pizza boxes securely in his hands. The apartment was rather deceiving; though it had appeared narrow from the outside, the inner layout made it feel spacious and welcoming. Stepping past the kitchen to the small dining table, Virgil set the boxes down and eagerly flipped them open to reveal the greasy pizza, garlic knots and chocolate brownie. It was a meal fit for a king in his mind and he eagerly grabbed a slice to start eating before Logan appeared with napkins; humming as the treat warmed his very soul.

   “I take it you don’t get pizza very often?” Logan inquired, raising an eyebrow at the others euphoric face.

Instinctively shaking his head, Virgil swallowed and sheepishly took a napkin to wipe his face.

“Sorry. I was in such a hurry this morning I skipped breakfast.”

“That isn’t a frequent habit of yours, is it?” Virgil shrugged and chewed on the pizza crust; causing Logan to sigh and reach for his own slice. “Though some research suggests skipping meals, such as breakfast, is good for weight loss, the more prominent effect is reduced energy levels. If you want to be able to function at your best, you should have regular healthy meals.”

“Thanks, Google.” Virgil grinned, licking the oil from his fingers. “I’ll keep that in mind for the future. How’s this pizza look in terms of health factor?”

“Well, it does cover most of the major food groups; so, I think you will be okay.”

 The pair laughed and continued eating; Virgil once again impressed that Logan could be both serious and easy going. It was a comforting balance and with each exchange, he felt himself relaxing more and more in their presence. They bantered back and forth overeating habits and better food options until Logan excused himself to collect the hard drive he needed looked at.

Virgil moved the remains of their lunch to the kitchen and took a cloth to wipe the table clean of any oily residue. Satisfied, he set up his laptop before pulling his phone out, almost thankful to see Ben hadn’t replied; though he did wonder what it meant in the long run. Anxiety melted away when Logan returned, and he eagerly took the drive from his hands to dive into work. Pulling up screens with strings of file names and codes, Virgil clicked and scrolled through windows with the confidence of a child turning the pages of a book. Logan was lost watching him; same as the last time he watched him work.

   “Your intelligence certainly exceeds my own, Virgil.”

“What are you talking about?” He scoffed in reply, not looking away from the screen. “Who’s the science major with, I’m guessing, a full academic scholarship in this room?”

“I actually had offers for my academic and athletic abilities from various higher education institutes; but that’s beside the point.”

“Humbling remark there, Lo.”

“Yes; but, you certainly best me when it comes to computers. I honestly have no idea what it is you are doing right now. It just looks like keyboard smashing to me.”

The laugh that shook Virgil’s thin body was something he hadn’t experienced in a long time. It was weightless, uplifting and pure; and he could feel that it brought fresh colour to his cheeks.

“Just know,” he gasped through stifled giggles, “I will only see this as a keyboard smash from now on, and I love the fact that you compared it to that.”

“You’re welcome. Now, can you please explain what you are doing?”

“Oh, I’m cleaning the files. You haven’t been ejecting the disc properly and there was a lot of rough data. You gotta take care of your files man, it’s a delicate system.”

“Right,” Logan nodded but looked even more confused. “Would you show me how to - um - eject this… disc properly, at a later date?”

“Sure, Logan.” Virgil beamed, shaking his head slightly at the man’s uncertain tone.

   Clicking a file, an image loaded on the screen and Virgil grinned at Logan in triumph. A small smile sat on his face as he inspected the picture from his and Patton’s high school graduation.

“Looking good there, Lo.” He mused, pointing at the obviously fake smile plastered on their face. “That is a brilliant smile if I do say so myself.”

“I didn’t particularly enjoy the public display, nor the outfit. Have you saved all the images?” As Virgil nodded, Logan shuffled closer and reached towards the arrow keys. “Would you mind if I have a quick look?”

“The laptop is metaphorically yours.” He replied, angling the device closer for Logan to reach.

   Shuffling through the images, Virgil watched Logan’s face light up as each image loaded on the screen. Familiar faces of Roman and Katie flashed up, as well as many selfies with Patton. It wasn’t until Logan must have shuffled into another folder that the tone of the moment shifted; nostalgic joys replaced with sadness as Jason’s face began appearing in each photo. Selfies, photos taken from a bystander of the two close together, and shots from track races slid across the screen. 

*art by @the-pastel-peach​*

A new emotion snaked into Virgil’s gut that he hadn’t felt in a while. Jealousy. The happiness that emanated from every photo of Jason and Logan made Virgil’s stomach churn. It was different to the smile he saw in the photos with Patton; a clear indication of how different Logan’s relationships with both were.

Logan paused on an image of Roman holding Patton bridal style with Jason hugging Logan to their left; the biggest smile Virgil had ever seen spread across Logan’s face.

“You look really happy there.” He noted, half smiling at the sad man beside him.

“We were… but it wasn’t enough for Jason.”

“What do you mean?” Leaning back in his chair, Virgil knitted his brow in confusion. “Everything I’ve seen, and from what you’ve told me, it seemed you were both very happy. He loved you.”

A breathy laugh left Logan’s lips and he pressed the arrow key again, causing a video to begin playing. “Not enough.”

   Virgil watched the recording in silence; Logan leaning back and staring at the screen sadly. Jason held the camera on himself in dim flickering light, the muffled thump of music in the background as he spoke.

   “Hey, Lo, you left your phone behind, so I thought I’d leave a little message for you. I don’t know when you’re going to watch this or if I’m going to be with you, but whatever.”

He took a breath to steady himself and looked straight into the camera with soft determined features.

“Logan, we met in the best way possible; beating up a homophobic asshole and getting locked in a cell together. You were the first person from school I came out too and, by default, I was the first person you came out to. We went from strangers on the track, to friendly competitors, and I relished every opportunity to take you on. I held your hand when you came out to your parents. You were there when my Dad passed away. You supported my move to help Katie and Roman. I watched you beat my school track record and handed over that title with pride and an embrace they’re still talking about.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled to himself.

“And shit, you’re a good hugger, Logan. I mean, 10 out of 10 better than Patton.”

      Logan let out a small laugh and swiped a tear that escaped his eye; ignoring the voice screaming for him to stop the video before it ended.

      “Anyway, what I’m trying to get at is, we’ve been through a lot together… and, I want to go through more. So, Logan Mars…will you marry me?”

Jason broke into a laugh and swiped his eyes, before steadying the camera again.

“Let me know at your earliest convenience. And if not convenient, let me know all the same. I love you, Logan. But I know that’s no mystery to you.”

       The video ended on Jason’s half smiling face and Virgil sniffed, not even registering that he had even started crying. He had no reason to cry, really. He didn’t even know Jason, and yet he was crying. Jason had proposed. Logan had been engaged to marry the man he’d lost. It made it even more jarring when Logan spoke next.

   “He didn’t love me though.”

“Are you insane?” Virgil gasped, gesturing to the screen. “He proposed. Isn’t that the very definition of love, Logan? I didn’t know him, but Jason clearly loved you a lot.”

“That’s just it, Virgil.” The man turned and met his eye, “it looked that way to everyone, but I wasn’t enough.”

“Wha- How?”

“Do you know what happened after he recorded that message?” Logan paused but he wasn’t expecting an answer; merely allowing himself the chance to take a breath. “E’s sister had thrown a party at her house for the science majors. I’d just left because Patton wasn’t feeling well and accidentally left my phone behind in my rush. After recording that message, a fire broke out in the house and Jason went in to help get everyone out.”

Silent tears slipped from Logan’s eyes as he spoke, but his voice didn’t waver as he continued; Virgil remaining transfixed by every word.

“He pulled E out of the flames because she passed out in the lounge room; dropping my phone as he left to go back inside. He went back into a burning building, Virgil. The man who just proposed and was safely outside, went back in because he couldn’t leave it alone. His need to save everyone outweighed his love for me.”

Now Logan’s voice broke; no longer holding back his emotions.

“I wasn’t enough. My love wasn’t enough. Why wasn’t I enough for him, Virgil? Why didn’t he love me enough?”

   The room froze and Virgil’s lungs stopped working as he was hit with déjà vu. His own voice asking similar questions.

Why wasn’t I good enough for him?

Why doesn’t she love me?

Am I not good enough anymore?

   “You are enough.” Virgil demanded, initiating a hug he never thought he would ever willingly engage in. “We both are. Regardless of what others say.”

The words weren’t his own; parroted from a voice of his past that Virgil struggled to believe most days, but today he needed to believe it for Logan’s sake. They both needed to believe it.

Hands gently rubbed each other’s backs, a soothing support for each as their breaths calmed. Silence filled the air the longer they remained pulled close; neither wanting to move while they were raw with emotion.

“You are the first person I’ve shown that video,” Logan whispered; breaking the silence. “I kept his proposal to myself this whole time.”

“Why me now?” Virgil said in confusion, shifting slightly as his muscles ached from being still so long.

“I’m not sure.”

“Do you regret showing me?”

Logan shook his head against Virgil’s shoulder and breathed deeply. Despite his response, part of him posed the same sort of questions - why did he show Virgil? Why was he so eager to share everything with someone who was still an acquaintance? As his mind wondered, the silence stretched on again until a sigh cut through the still air.

“I’m no stranger to loss, Logan.” Virgil whispered; all fear washed away with his tears from earlier. “My only family is an aunt that I’m paying back for bailing me out, so I know what it’s like to feel alone…but you are far from alone.”

As each word was comprehended, Logan found his mind clearing; accepting the words of the man that felt far from a stranger to him.

“You have Patton, and Roman, and Katie, and E and…”

“You?”

Virgil chuckled and gave him a squeeze, “Yeah. I guess you can have me too.”

   They stayed together for a moment longer before slowly separating so Logan could grab something softer than the napkins they had on hand to clean up. Virgil picked up his phone and saw his dishevelled face in the reflection, before setting it down on the table and requesting directions to the bathroom.

“Upstairs. It’s pretty easy to spot.”

“Thanks. I’ll, um, be right back.”

   Logan sat back down at the computer and continued clicking through photos. He still didn’t understand why he allowed himself to get caught up in the images and reveal so much to Virgil. He was suddenly very aware of how impolite it was to meet someone and show them videos of your deceased partner so you could cry on their shoulder. Confusion aside, he felt a lot better in doing so and Virgil had even opened up slightly. The younger man had obviously lost his family in a way Logan could only assume was outside of the norm, and he was thankful they opened up slightly.

Watching the images flick by, he jumped as Virgil’s phone vibrated on the table. On impulse alone, Logan tilted the phone up to look at the illuminated screen before realising it wasn’t his own. Quickly setting it back down he moved into the kitchen and opened the fridge just as Virgil made his way down the stairs. He hadn’t meant to read the message, but he couldn’t take it back now and Logan knew he couldn’t broach the subject with Virgil. It left him silently shuffling through the kitchen in silence as he mulled over the message’s meaning while Virgil tapped away at the laptop keys.

   “Um, I’ve cleaned the drive and it should work fine for you now.” Virgil proclaimed, packing up the materials on the table.

“Thanks…for everything.” Cheeks heating with embarrassment, Logan took the drive from Virgil’s outstretched hand. “I got a little caught up in the moment and wen-”

“It’s fine, Lo.” As Virgil looked up from his bag, a genuine smile spread across his face. “Really. It was…nice and - um - I-I have a question.”

“Oh, sure. What is it?”

Pulling his bag up and over his shoulder, Virgil fiddled with his bag strap nervously and forced his mouth to cooperate.

“I know you’ve got a busy few days ahead, but…would you like to hang out again? At some point.”

“I’d like that.”

   Looking at Logan had Virgil’s heart racing and suddenly the voices were back. The woman’s voice disgusted at the idea of a man loving a man. The young men joking and teasing. The woman’s screams of anger. But then there was another.

I will still love him regardless of who he loves. He’s my son. Nothing will change that.

   "Logan?" Virgil's voice was suddenly small and quiet, and Logan peered over his glasses in confusion by his sudden change in demeanour. "Can I... Can I hug you? Again."

Though initially taken aback, Logan nodded and closed the gap between them; Virgil dropping his bag strap as he wrapped his arms around Logan’s torso. Their heights weren’t close, so Logan lowered himself slightly to allow Virgil’s head to rest comfortably on his shoulder. The hug was different from what Logan had previously experienced. Not awkward and full of sadness like before. Not dainty like his past girlfriends. It was hardly snuggly like with Patton and nothing like Jason. Jason had been a rock. Firm and supportive. Virgil was... Sturdy and soft. Like he would hold him up but could also crumble at any moment.

   The instant Logan’s arms embraced Virgil, he felt safer. The negative voices were silenced and all he heard was the voice of his grandparents. Supportive, accepting and kind. It felt right and for that time, he felt truly safe.

The sound of Logan's phone broke the peace of the moment and Virgil quickly drew back; not wanting to keep the man from checking it. With a sigh, Logan looked at the message on his phone and then back to Virgil.

"I need to go into work for a bit; Maggie isn’t well. I'm sorry, Virgil. This was meant to just be a nice lunch and I-"

"Thank you, Logan."

"What?"

"I think. I think I really needed today."

"Oh. Well, you’re welcome, Virgil."

Lifting his bag back over his shoulder, Virgil smiled up at Logan. "I should get back to the library and do some work befo-"

He was cut off by his phone ringing; Logan noticed Ben's name lighting the screen and the way Virgil’s hands immediately began to tremble. "I've got to go."

"I just have to grab my uniform and I'll drive-"

"It's fine, Lo. I'll walk, I really need to go."

There was a significant shift in Virgil’s tone and demeanour that had Logan very concerned about the message he’d seen earlier.

"Virgil? What’s wrong?"

“Nothing. I’ll catch you later, Lo.”

The door accidentally slammed shut as Virgil rushed out, swiping the screen to answer Ben’s incoming call; leaving Logan alone with seeds of worry taking root in his stomach.

   *************************

    "Bless you." Patton maintained a smile as he offered the tissue box to the student that had just covered their worksheet in a spray of saliva. "Cover your mouth next time, please."

"Yes, Mr Smiles."

Ignoring spit and snot was all part of the job in Patton's eyes as he continued to read the questions on the slightly soggy sheet. Working with children was something Patton had known he wanted to do since he was in middle school. It was one part wanting to encourage creativity and another part wanting to be better than some of the teachers he had had. The volunteering he did at the moment did nothing for his bank account, but Patton found he was learning a lot more in those few hours he could manage in a classroom compared to the hours spent on campus.

   As the final bell rang, the small group farewelled Patton with hugs before racing out the door and, after bidding the supervising teacher farewell, he soon followed behind. Despite being eager to leave, Patton did make the effort to stop by the staff bathroom and smother his hands in disinfectant; knowing how crippling a cold was for Roman in more ways than one. Leaving the bathroom, the school echoed with the students' yelling and laughter as they flooded the sidewalks to begin their journey home. When Patton finally exited the building, he found himself quickly dodging the kids to reach the man leaning against a tree to the side. Pocketing his phone, Roman looked up just as Patton wrapped their arms around his neck; teasing him with a kiss.

"I come to pick you up and all I get is a lousy kiss on the cheek." Roman pouted.

"There are children present, Ro, and I don't see your valiant steed anywhere to take me away." There was a wicked gleam in Roman's eyes at Patton's words that made him giggle in anticipation. "Unless you've got your car hidden nearby?"

"My car wasn't coming anywhere near these little door bangers." The comment got an eye roll in response, but Roman stepped back and grinned regardless. "However, I will still be picking you up." "Oh no, no, no." Red bloomed on Patton's cheeks as he realised his partners plans. "I can't do that here, Ro." "Why not? It's just a piggyback, Pat. No one will even notice if you don't screech like a banshee. Now hop on."

Patton glanced around nervously as Roman turned and braced himself for him to jump on. Part of him knew it wasn’t professional to behave in such a manner; however, his inner child could not be denied for long and Patton was soon on Roman’s back. Ignoring the few looks of distaste, Roman strode down the path as Patton recalled his day happily in his ear.

  It wasn’t long before Patton noticed the change in Roman’s pace; tiring from early morning rehearsals and a shift at work. Knowing he would never admit to his aching muscles, Patton turned his head to whisper towards Roman’s ear.

“Time to put me down, dear prince.”

“What are you talking about?” Roman huffed, shifting his arms to rebalance the weight on his back. “I could do this all the way home.”

“I know you think you can, but you shouldn’t.” Patton said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Now, put me down, please.”

It took a bit of wriggling on Patton’s part, but eventually Roman admitted defeat and let the man down. Standing beneath a tree, Patton shook his head as he watched his partner run through a series of stretches.

“Maybe it isn’t a good idea to do stuff like that anymore, Ro. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Are you implying that I am too old to give piggyback rides?”

“No,” Patton fidgeted with the hem of his shirt as he spoke; feeling guilty as Roman continued to stretch. “But I am. And I know I haven’t kept as fit as Logan sinc-“

“Don’t you dare go there, Patton.”

  The use of his name in such a serious tone, had Patton gluing his gaze to the ground. Roman was no stranger to his partners train of thought, and they were about to jump onto a negative track he didn’t want them travelling down.

“Age is but a number and you know how I feel about body image.” Straightening, Roman reached out to lift Patton’s chin and make them meet his soft brown eyes. “I want to carry you around until we’re old and grey.”

“And even then, you will probably still try.”

“You bet I will, because I just love the way it makes you smile.”

Dropping his eyes, Patton smiled as he pictured an elderly Roman trying to lift him from a wheelchair. His thoughts were pulled back as warm lips connected with his own. Lifting his arms to wrap them around Roman’s neck, Patton lent into the kiss and allowed himself to get lost as they automatically responded to each other’s movements.

  The serenity of chirping birds was broken by rolling wheels clacking on concrete and children’s laughter was carried through the air. As the noise came closer, a smile pulled Patton’s lips away and he pressed his forehead on Roman’s; breathing deeply as he watched his partners eyes shift behind closed lids.

“I can feel you staring.” A wicked smile spread across Roman’s face and one eye slid open slightly. “You like what you see?”

“Not really,” eyes snapped open as Patton lent back with his own mischievous look, “I’d prefer to see it with a hint of powdered sugar.”

With a wink, Roman knew exactly what Patton was insinuating; they had baking to do.

“What are we waiting for? We have some sugar to acquire!”

Grabbing his partners hand, Roman practically dragged him down the path in excitement; quickly overtaking the group of children that had just past them.

    ****************

    As the afternoon began its shift into evening, the meeting members each prepared themselves for the emotional catch up ahead. Ethan finished boxing up mixed sliders for the group just as Roman messaged that he was parked around the side of the diner. The couple had changed clothes following a messy baking session at Roman’s house; kitchen quickly wiped clean to hide their shenanigans from Katie. The sugar scent from the cookies filled Roman’s car and was soon mixed with the diner’s aroma as Ethan climbed inside. Keeping their greetings brief, the music was turned up as the group made their way to the library.

    Collecting a cooler bag from the passenger seat, Logan locked his car and headed into the library through the back door. He was surprised to find Katie alone and setting up a picnic rug in the middle of the reading area.

“Hey Katie. Where’s Virgil? I thought he was helping you set up?”

“I was going to ask you about that.” Katie said as she straightened and followed Logan towards the kitchen area. “He called and said he had a friend to visit and he’d do the clean in the morning instead. But, I’m not sure about that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Something was off.”

Logan placed bottles of drink in the fridge and looked over to Katie’s thoughtfully knotted brow.

“How so?”

“Something in the way he spoke. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something definitely wasn’t right. Did everything go okay with you two today?”

“Well… it didn’t go bad.” Sliding the leftovers he had forgotten to give Virgil into the freezer, Logan turned and shrugged at the woman behind him. “There were some… low points. But, otherwise, it was a rewarding experience.”

It didn’t feel right to disclose all that had occurred, and he didn’t see any reason to share the private message he’d seen. Katie didn’t seem convinced and Logan sighed as he took out his phone.

“If you give me his number, I can send him a message and check in.”

“Thought you would have exchanged numbers by now.” She commented, setting her phone to send Logan the contact information he needed.

“I’m not going to feed your little fantasy and respond to that comment.” Logan smiled and sat on a nearby chair to type out a message. “Why don’t you go finish shutting up the front of the library and I’ll set up back here.”

“Sure, Lo. I’ll give you and your phone some privacy then, shall I?” With a wink, Katie headed towards the libraries front to lock up and shut the main computer down for the evening.

Alone at the back, Logan typed out a brief message and waited patiently for a reply.

  Logan: Hi Virgil, this is Logan. Thank you again for your assistance today. It was very much appreciated. In our rush this afternoon, I forgot to pass on some additional payment for you. Could we possibly meet at the library tomorrow for me to exchange it?

Virgil: let it go Logan. I don’t need anything else from you.

  Logan was unsure of how to interpret the tone of Virgil’s message. There were multiple ways he was able to hear it in his mind. Left to dwell he would have fixated on the negative connotations, but Patton, Roman and Ethan’s entrance pulled him away. Sliding the phone into his pocket, Logan shifted his focus to the friends he had in his company. An overdue meeting was ready to occur.

____________________

End Note

Wow, it has been over a month since I updated. Jeepers that’s a bit of a wait. Sorry about that. It may be a similar thing for the next chapter because my idea of updating fortnightly just hasn’t worked out in the long run. Too much untamed creativity and not enough time.

 I have mixed feelings about this chapter. I love my analogical, but the royality just isn’t flowing for me at the moment. Not quite sure why.

 Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and the art by @the-pastel-peach. Now you can get a bit of an idea of how I see Jason. The red streaks were my way of connecting him to Roman (red, Roman, fire – it all relates). I think that might do for commissions for this for now though. I haven’t really got any scenes that stick in my brain (even though I would love to see E and Katie). Don’t forget to like and share Peach’s post if you enjoyed their artwork. Please don’t repost the art yourself, only share posts by Peach or myself.

 Thanks again for reading. Happy timezone, friend 💜🐌

Tag List (let me know if you want to be removed)

@notalwaysthebadguy​      @thequeensphinx​    @ollyollyoxinfree​   @celeste-tyrrell​     @pumpkinminette​    

_____________________________

Chapter 11   — MasterList

What else have I done:

The Perfect Ring (oneshot - analogical proposal)

You Promised (oneshot - prinxiety angst/injury/near death)

Sides of a Hero (Completed Fic - sides are fusions of impulses and aspects of Thomas. Virgil has a depressing past that he is forced to face thanks to Deceit and Rage. Was canon compliant at the time of completion)

The Shield to your Sword (WIP - A fantasy/magic au - Prinxiety (Royal Roman and orphan Virgil - they’ll admit to their love eventually), Virgil angst, non binary, healer Logan, *spoiler* Patton)

Writing Master Post

Check out my other blog for random fandom reblogs and stuff @snail-giggles​

[corinnejay42-blog]

Reduce, Trim Mp3, Music Or Music Direct On-line Free

Welcome to Mp3Juice - Search Engine Web site imp3juices is a search site specializing in downloading songs and tool. For hermelindao42.hatenadiary.com his fourth album, Www.mergemp3.com There Will Be Dub, Zoungla returns to his roots and mp3 merger explores the original sources of inspiration that motivated him to embark on a psychedelic musical journey. Goodmorning Ozora" begins your day with a stroll by way of the magical lands of Ozora, a competition of significant significance to Zoungla, as it helped bounce-start his career. Homage to the Dub Masters" pays tribute to the grasp psybient artists that impressed Zoungla to dive into the world of psychedelic music. Moreover, Zoungla brings you again to 2013 and remixes Younger Man" from his first album Entwine. Altogether this is a nostalgic album to throw on and benefit from the basic grooves of some good ol' dub. MP3 will not be the most effective format beneath any circumstances, however its sound quality is way from horrible. The settings used to encode an MP3 are critical. Default settings used to encode a WAV to a 128kb MP3 will lead to a crummy sounding file. Tweak the ripper to encode at 320kb or use "Extreme" quality and the ensuing file will sound excellent. My LAPTOP feeds a dedicated 100W amplifier related to basic JBL studio screens and if the source file sounds bad, I am gonna hear it. Encoding as per my earlier put up results in information that sound almost indistinguishable from the unique. Simply to fulfill my curiosity, I transformed a WAV to 320kb MP3 after which back to WAV and burned it to a CD together with the uncompressed unique. I played the two songs back to back on my car stereo and guess what - there wasn't a lot of a difference between the two. SoundCloud Downloader is a simple on-line software for downloading any music tracks from SoundCloud. It is free and very straightforward to make use of and also you get prime quality mp3 for any monitor. Simply paste the track page link in URL area above and hit the download button. It extracts the monitor uri(hosted on SoundCloud's server) from which you'll be able to straight download or save the mp3 monitor in one click. Ensure you paste just one url at a time, within the above enter box. I've been creating music on GarageBand, which provides a number of choices when exporting the ultimate venture. My two most important strategies are to either compress the track as an MP3 at 320kbps or to export the tune without compressing it all, and then converting it to an "Apple Lossless Model" also called an ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) or an ALE (Apple Lossless Encoder). The brand new format doesn't seem as an ALAC or an ALE. It seems with the m4a file extension as a result of it's a container format which might deal with both lossless and lossy codecs. However, once I do that, I still have extremely high bit rates which take up lots of reminiscence, but when reminiscence is not a difficulty for you, m4a is normally going to be better than MP3 (however not always). Wherever you may be, you'll be able to simply search and obtain songs you've at all times wished to have. Gone are the times when you have to mentally keep in mind a music's title or artist and rush back residence to entry the pc simply to download the track. Most often than not, you end up forgetting the music title and artist and have to go looking the music utilizing elements of its lyrics as a substitute. Do away with the hassle with a few of these finest music and MP3 downloader apps for Android.

Where do you get new music? Do you purchase CDs or buy music from digital stores like iTunes and Amazon? Even now, in the era of quick Web and smartphones, free MP3s will not be easily out there. However, there are some websites like MP3Jam that provide their admirers with MP3 songs free-of-charge. To fill your MP3 participant with totally different tracks you simply have to obtain MP3 songs you want and switch them to your participant. Really, the need to download songs is kind of debatable since Freemake Music Box for iOS was released. However in the event you nonetheless want saving the passionately-adored compositions on COMPUTER and add them later to a portable machine for offline playback, uncover the record of finest web sites to obtain MP3 songs for free.SoundCloud essentially serves because the YouTube of music importing, which means anybody can upload their tracks to the positioning before specifying whether or not they're out there for download or strictly for streaming functions. Furthermore, the location touts a particularly lively user neighborhood and one of many sleekest person interfaces of any web site on our listing, one conveniently lined with a navigational bar on the top and direct access to the service's accompanying cellular apps. Artists might not always provide free downloads of their music, but the labels almost always do. Honest warning: SoundCloud's had a bit of monetary hassle lately , so you might wish to visit the site quickly and go on a downloading spree simply in case the site goes kaput.You no longer have to search for a website to download music because you can now use the MusitcTube app which one can find in your app retailer to download songs whenever you want. Should you don't wish to use up the area in your cellphone, you can hearken to them immediately from the app too. This app will make it easier to take heed to songs from individuals which might be new to the world of music. You'll even be able to make sure that you have the proper of sound quality while you obtain music from this app. With this app you will get a number of websites to download music.Jamendo offers a large selection of music obtainable via Inventive Commons licensing and is among the largest sources to select from. Free Jamendo apps for Android , Windows phone, iPhone, and iPad are additionally out there. The positioning covers 1000's of artists, and the number of accessible tracks runs into the tons of of thousands. It has a nicely organized person interface that enables users to browse tracks, not just by genre but additionally by Most Downloaded, Newest Releases, Most Played and extra.It could sound loopy, but you can find free music on… Wikipedia It is media library just isn't that large and consists of largely classical tracks. Yet, in the event you enjoy listening to Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Wikipedia is a right choice. The main downside is navigation. There are not any genres, high quality selection or search field and as a substitute of a music\artist name you see an entire URL. When you still need to obtain a track from Wikipedia, then copy the hyperlink you need and open it in one other tab. Preview the monitor. After that proper click on it and select Save video as… or Save audio as… depending in your browser and save the track in your COMPUTER. It'll be saved inogg format. Chances are you'll use free Freemake Music Box to play it.

[lotsofdogs]

Things I’m Loving Friday #239

Friday is here!! It’s kind of crazy to think that this could be our last weekend before our little one arrives… or I could easily be typing up my TILF post with a baby in my belly again next week. At my appointment on Wednesday, I learned that I’m two centimeters dilated which doesn’t mean much at this point but I was actually admitted to the hospital when I was two centimeters dilated with Chase when I was 38 weeks which blows my mind a bit.

Since I don’t want to sit around and feel like we’re just waiting for signs of labor all weekend (aka a great way to drive myself crazy), I’m thrilled we have a great distraction arriving in town this evening. My parents are driving up from Florida and we have a weekend of boating, grilling out and relaxation on the agenda. Bring on the fun!

And now, before I sign off to soak up some family fun all weekend, I wanted to share my usual Things I’m Loving Friday post with you guys! Let’s dive right in, shall we!?

Things I’m Loving Friday

“Mom, We Just Talk A Little Bit”

I read somewhere that when it comes to raising a toddler, you’ll either experience the “Terrible Twos” or a “Threenager.” It sounds like no one can fully avoid the challenges associated with toddlerhood! We’ve had our fair share of toddler battles and meltdowns but, for the most part, Chase is a really joyful little guy, kind, polite and a big ray of sunshine in my day every day… But recently, however, he seems to have entered a phase where his immediate reaction to many (MOST) things I ask him to do is the exact opposite of my request. It’s requiring me to become more creative as a mother and infinitely more patient which, at times, it admittedly hard.

I think this is why, lately, some of the quiet moments where Chase’s sweet heart shines through hit me even harder than usual. His high-pitched requests for playing (“Mom, you want to play airplanes with me?”), reading books and talking together (“Mom, we just talk a little bit?”) make my heart turn to mush. The “talk a little bit” request is one that came about a few months ago but surfaced again this week when he wanted to simply hold my hand and talk about his morning at camp before bed one evening. I could’ve cried no less than 10 times as we rocked together in him room and he told me all about Water Day at camp and a visit from the ice cream truck and then segued into telling me what he thought he was going to dream about that night (Sadie, Mom and Dad… and dragons).

File this under weird things I already think about as a mom, but I told Ryan I cannot help but feel a little nervous about future years – mainly teenage years – when I am not naive enough to think Chase will still want to share everything with me. I love the way Chase talks to me right now and wants to share the most minute details of his life (or his imaginary stories) with me at rapid-fire speed. I  I love our open, honest and continuous communication right now and while I know it’s natural for Chase to pull back as he gets older, understanding how fast time flies by makes me really want to slow down and savor his “talk a little bit” requests even more.

A Clean Car

I have to believe I am currently in the midst of some last-minute nesting urges because I’ve found myself doing a ton of random projects around the house during any spare minute I may have had this week. Yesterday’s must-do? Cleaning out my car! I swore I’d never have a car filled with crumbs and dirt but then a toddler came into my life and I’ve been driving around in a Crumbmobile for months. My car desperately needed to be vacuumed and wiped down and I took a solid hour to give it a thorough clean. I only gagged once over a horrible snack I found under Chase’s car seat which seemed to be some kind of gelatinous goo mixed with Goldfish cracker crumbs. Hooray for clean cars!

Oh, and in case you were wondering where all of your bobbypins go when they unexpectedly disappear, the answer is the depths of your car.

A Positive Update

If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook you already know about my Wednesday prenatal appointment, but it was a bit unnerving in the beginning. My anxiety peeked as I waited to see our baby on the monitor during my doctor-requested ultrasound but thankfully everything ended up okay and I got to see our baby in 3D. It was amazing. Our little one has the sweetest little button nose and pouty lips and seemed to like to hang out in my belly with his or her little fist balled up right in front of their tiny face. (This reminded me so much of how Chase loved to sleep as a newborn!) I was overcome with a range of emotions – relief, love and so much gratitude – and left feeling all the more excited for the moment Ryan and I get to meet our baby and snuggle up with a tiny newborn. It’s crazy to me that it could truly be ANY day now… or in a week or two!

New Phone (And No More Broken Home Button!)

I haven’t upgraded my phone in three(ish) years and I was totally fine with my old phone until the home button broke. I’ve tried to have it professionally fixed numerous times and have been living with a phone without a working home button for several months. (Yes, this is as annoying as it sounds.)

Well, I finally got my act together and upgraded my phone yesterday morning. This was another one of those items on my before baby to-do list that I was hoping to accomplish before our little one arrives mainly because I am excited for a better phone camera and portrait mode! Woohoo! But, I’m not going to lie, no longer relying on some random app to work as my home button trumps everything. And now to shop for a new phone case…

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

I’m not planning to share a full Father’s Day Gift Guide on the blog this year just because I feel a bit pressed on time (gift guides take me a shockingly LONG time to put together), but here are a few ideas I had swimming around in my brain to hopefully help give you some ideas!

Surprise Car Detailing (Can you tell what inspired this one!? Ha!)

Fitbit Versa (Both Ryan and my dad have this watch and rave about it)

Plan a Date Night or a Family Activity Day

BONOBOS Chinos (Ryan LOVES these and they’re currently 25 percent off. They fit so well!)

Marshall Kilburn Bluetooth Portable Speaker (A total splurge but Ryan and I are both obsessed with ours and use it all the time in the house, in the backyard, in the garage, etc. Excellent sound quality!)

Tickets to a concert/sporting event/comedy show, etc.

New Book (One of Ryan’s recent favs is Ready Player One)

Kiehl’s Ultimate Man Scrub Soap (Ryan’s favorite “splurge” soap I give him for almost every holiday)

Adidas Slides (These are coming back in style and Ryan never stopped wearing his even when they weren’t cool. He says he feels vindicated! Haha! He prioritizes comfort over everything and there’s nothing more comfy than a pair of pool slides in the hot summer months. I like the sleek look of this gray pair and they’re only $35.)

Hydroflask Water Bottle

From the kids:

Homemade Cake or Dad’s Favorite Breakfast

D-A-D Picture Frame Photo Project (See above!)

Homemade Signs + Cards

All About Dad Q&A

  Friday Flashbacks

60-40-20 Kettlebell Workout (A total body kettlebell workout formatted in a decreasing repetition pattern so you’ll get the most challenging part of the workout out of the way first!)

12 Best Baby Toys for the First Year (Looking back at this post gave me all the feels! So many nostalgic memories from the toys Chase LOVED during his first year!)

Question of the Day

What is one thing that is making you smile this week?

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