#me if i received the cruise cake

[marisatomay]

tom hanks picking the cruise cake for his dream last meal alive he’s so real

[bekolxeram]

Everyone decides to be sad about Tommy spending the holidays alone today. I just want to say, I hate you all. Especially @mmso-notlikethat with this post. As payback for making me cry my way into insomnia, I wrote this on my phone instead of sleeping.

By the time he knocks on the door, Tommy still has no idea what to expect. “Wear something nice, we’re celebrating tonight,” that’s the only instruction he’s received from Evan, his boyfriend once again. Tommy can’t help but smile at the mere thought of finally allowing himself to say that name.

He has a burgundy dress shirt on with a pair of light grey slim fit pants. Simple, but elegant, hopefully properly dressed for this undisclosed commemoration. March is not known for its holidays, so what’s the occasion that calls for such festivity? They did meet last March at the cruise ship rescue, maybe that was it? Or perhaps Evan is having some sort of career advancement? They’ve been back together for just a few weeks, there’s simply not enough time for Tommy to catch up on Evan’s ever so eventful life. To that, Tommy silently mourn the time they’ve lost, due to his own cowardice.

“Hey — Hey,” Evan takes a step outside of the door to greet Tommy with a quick peck on the lips. Tommy lets the younger man drag him into the loft without much reaction, because he’s still confused by the sight in front of him: Evan in his usual navy blue button up, dark jeans and… a Christmas hat?

Inside the loft is a jumble of sparkly festive decorations. To his left, he sees “Happy Birthday Tommy”; to his right, “Merry Christmas”; and deeper into the living space, “Happy New Year”.

“Jee and Mara helped setting these up,” Evan says while taking half of a roast turkey out of the oven. “This one is from Bobby. He said half a bird is enough for the two of us, if we don’t want to suffer through leftover for the next 7 days.” He then sets the tray next to some roasted vegetables and a casserole. “The casserole is from Chimney, but I’m pretty sure it’s Maddie’s recipe. Hen got you a cake. I think she said something about being sure you would like it. We can have it for dessert. Oh, and the champagne is from…”

“Eddie, because he can’t cook.” Tommy cuts in.

“Exactly!”

“Evan, what’s going on here?”

Evan steps closer, taking both of Tommy’s hands into his own, “You told me the other day that you spent your 40th birthday alone… I only realized later that you were probably on your own for the entire holiday season, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Valentine’s Day. I know it doesn’t come close to the real thing, but I was thinking maybe we could make up for a few key moments that we missed.” He dims the lights in the loft with a remote control and fiddles with something on the dining table. Suddenly, the whole room is lit up with colorful patterns and twinkling stars. “I couldn’t get any firework around here, so I borrowed this star projector from Christopher.”

“Oh… Evan,” Tommy sighs, eyes already hazy with tears.

“I’m not asking you to move in with me or to make major commitments. I’m not asking for anything in return at all. This is… a promise, from me to you. No matter what happens, what becomes of us in the future, I’ll be there when you need me, we all will.”

Evan says earnestly, with utmost conviction in his tone. The clarity in his eyes reminds Tommy of that day at the café terrace, almost a year ago. “I just want you to know, Tommy, you’re no longer alone.”

A few drops of tears escape Tommy’s eyes, but before he can respond, Evan pulls out a mistletoe from his pocket and dangles it over their heads.

“You have to kiss me now.” Evan says with a cheeky grin. Tommy waits no time to capture those smiling lips with his own, kissing him with all the love and gratitude in his heart.

“I love you, Evan. I’m so lucky to have you.” Tommy pulls him into a warm embrace.

“I love you too.” Now it’s Evan’s turn to tear up.

Tommy pulls back a little and asks, “hey, would you mind if we celebrate Valentine’s Day first?”

“Oh, you mean you’re interested in the Valentine’s Night activity?”

“Depends on what you have in mind.”

“Come upstairs. I’ll show you.”

[worldofheroes]

Hi, this is my first request. So, I found a short vid where a man pranked his wife!reader saying that a girl is flirting with him in the bar. Then, Tom is the first one that came to my mind.

Like, they were on a beach for a vacation and Tom had a mischievous plan for his wife. So, he left for awhile then hide in a certain area before texting the reader that there's a girl flirting with him on the bar. His wife, the reader, who was sunbathing received his text. He watched how the reader would react. Tom expected her to be shock and look for him but instead, the reader shook her head and wear her sunglasses, not bothering to look for him.

When they got home, Tom asked her why she didn't look for him. The reader who was eating a cake stared at him like 'dafuq?' but she shrugged and repied, "Girls flirting with you isn't something new to me. Well, you're the one and only Tom Cruise. You're handsome and hot so hirls would definitely flirt with you."

Tom asked, "Then why didn't you look for me? Aren't you worried that I might do something bad?"

Then the reader smiled and leaned closer to him and replied, "Because I trust you."

You can make it smutty in the end, if you want.

Omg yes I love this and it’s so perfect and we love a healthy relationship 🥰

[samithefungus]

Hi, I love your works and your writing style. Then I saw that in your description you have the Italian flag, so I assume you are Italian; I'm Italian too and I wanted to know which part of Italy you are from exactly?

Anyway I wanted make a request if I could...

I've read your work where Briefcase and the Reader (his boss) are dating and you mention their marriage a couple of times...

I wanted to ask if you could actually write something about their marriage, because now I'm curious 

Thanks in advance

Thank you Anon for your request, I I tried my best, hope you like it. <3

Anyway yes, I'm Italian, precisely I'm from Rome.

Briefcase x Boss Reader (Part 2?)

WARNINGS: Little mention of panic, but nothing more

-By now you and Briefcase had been engaged for a long time, that's why Briefcase had decided to take ask you to marry him

-He bought the ring and did his best to keep it hidden from you until he found the right time to propose to you

-He wasn't very good at this, let's say you were able to guess that he was hiding something, but you didn't understand what

-Briefcase asked Brendon for help with ideas about how to propose, but in the end they both agreed that the classic proposal would be fine

-It would soon be your engagement anniversary, and Briefcase had arranged a dinner for the two of you

-Brendon advised him to propose there, and Briefcase found it a wonderful idea

-On the day of your romantic dinner Briefcase was really agitated and you noticed it clearly, but you thought it was because of work since you were full of things to do at that time

-At the end of the dinner he got up and stood in front of you and then got down on one knee and pulled out the ring

- "Will you marry me?" He said

-You put on the ring (implying a yes) and then you looked at him

-Briefcase, not receiving an answer, began to fidget and completely panicked

-You kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "Yes, I want to marry you"

-His eyes grew wide with joy and he blushed

-Everyone at work celebrated for your wedding

-Honestly, it bothered you a little; you knew that all this was just to work less and you would have even accepted it if it weren't for the fact that you were swamped with work at that time and in addition already behind on some deadlines

-You still decided to celebrate a bit and then send everyone back to work

-You and Briefcase decided to get married at the end of May, which was when the workload was less for the company and so your absence would not get in the way of other employees

-Brendon helped you with the organization of everything; you gave him the contacts with the people who published his novel; he owed you this a little bit

-Brendon is now an emerging writer, and that's why Briefcase can no longer call him Unemployed Brendon, so he started calling him 'Freelance Brendon'

-You scold him by reminding him that Brendon is helping you with your marriage; instead Brendon doesn't mind much, still better than Unemployed Brendon

-You and Briefcase decided to do something quiet without too many invitations

-Basically it was: you, him, Brendon (who was his brother's best man), your family, a few of your friends, and [Insert friend/family member who was your best man]

-During the bouquet toss you put too much force leaving it and because of these it ended up on Brendon's head, who was very confused about that while Briefcase started giggling

-After the cake and greeting the last guests, you and Briefcase were finally able to go and enjoy your first wedding night

-Although it wasn't a big wedding, it was the most memorable day of your life, and so was Briefcase

-After a few days you left for your honeymoon

-You and Briefcase decided to take a cruise

-Initially you wanted to go to the Caribbean, but it was not recommended at that time of year, so you opted for a cruise among the Mediterranean and Greek islands

-You visited islands like Madeira or the Canary Islands, and then went to Malta and Cyprus, making several exceptional stops in cities such as Genoa, Marseille, Valensia, Ibiza and Palermo when you visited the Mediterranean islands and then Venice, Mykonos and Santorino when you visited the Greek islands

-It was a wonderful vacation and for each place you visited you bought more than one souvenir, some that you gave to Brendon as a gift

-When you returned from your honeymoon you finally moved together in the house you had bought for the you two and now live there as a happy married couple

I wrote this after a long day of school (+ lots of homework), so if there are more mistakes than usual, I apologize. <3

[soniabigcheese]

Best and Worst

I'm not doing these to drag out any traumatic events, but to give you folks an insight into my life.

So to speak.

If anyone wishes to share, feel free.

I reiterate that you don't have to do this, if it triggers you, please kindly move on. Please do not drag out any traumatic experiences if you did share

Best Holiday

Italy, hands down. The guided tour gave us some great places to put on our bucket list. Fell deeply in love with Florence. Not too impressed with Rome. Pompeii was boiling hot, but had an aura of sadness to it. Gelato was to die for

Worst Holiday

Can't decide between the 'booze cruise' to Sweden. Or my very first holiday abroad as an adult. To Cologne, Germany. No offense to the locals but I didn't feel comfortable at either place.

Best Birthday

Milan. Hands down. For my 50th birthday! The hotel was amazing, staff were exceptional and they even made me a chocolate birthday cake. Pity I don't eat chocolate cake and it was wasted. But still, the thought that went into it. That was also the time that I managed to achieve a lifelong, childhood (thank Blue Peter for this one) dream. To go see the Last Supper. You've got to book in advance, can't just walk in. They let groups of twenty people in for 15 minutes, then ushered out because of the fragility of the painted mural. But soooo worth going to see.

Worst Birthday

Four years ago when I'd had enough of hubby being an arse and wanted to have at least one good day to myself. So I booked two night stay at Whitby. One night bookings wasn't available, unforts. And with hindsight, maybe I should have opted for the day trip instead. Anyways, the weather was glorious. That was short-lived because a big storm struck the next day. The place I booked at was one hell of a hike to the town centre and on top of a cliff. I had to haul my case and painting stuff up four flights of stairs. Only to have the pokiest little room possible. Admittedly, there was a great view. But that was it. I paid for breakfast and stated that I didn't want baked beans. So the plate arrived half empty, with no substitutions (maybe I should have stated extra mushrooms/hash brown/whatever) it was a great first day. A bit blustery but great. Had amazing fish and chips and watched as a poor family were getting glared at by some seagulls. But hell was unleashed the next day. I couldn't take train journeys because the lines were closed. For maintenance. Everything was shuttered down so I had nowhere to go. I had to eat humble pie and phone hubby because I wasn't sure if the buses were running. He arrived and made me walk around the arcades in a coat that was absolute soaked right through.

Best Christmas

When I received my first made to order doll house. I was told to sit on a small three legged stool and close my eyes. I heard them talking about a food processor and wondered why it took two people to carry it. I opened my eyes and saw the most beautiful doll house ever. I only admired the one belonging to hubby's aunt, on our last visit but never dreamed that I would own one very similar. The man who made them, died not long after and my house was one of the last ones he made. And I had to 'purchase' it with a single peppercorn. What a sweet little ritual! Decorating and furnishing is still a WIP because it is a VERY expensive hobby. Might try to put my own crafting skills to work, making things 1/12th of the size

Worst Christmas

My foster mum/aunt had died so I was on my own and had many offers to spend Christmas dinner with folks. But I just didn't want to deal with that right now. Eventually, my family (birth parents and siblings) wore me down. They live right across the other side of town, so it was one hell of a hike. Taxis cost a fortune, something I couldn't afford, but they had a car. I scraped a few pennies together to get silly inexpensive things as presents and waited. And waited. In the end, I just had scrambled egg on toast because I hadn't bothered with making my own dinner. I was asked later in why I didn't turn up. And that was the slippery slope of letting them into my life. We're estranged now and have been for almost 30 years. Not because of that, that would be petty of me. But other events thay have scarred me for life.

And that's it.

[chateautangerine]

@indeath asked: [ 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒 ] ― sender gives receiver flowers 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐒 (accepting)

At precisely 9PM on the dot, his Austin-Healey purred and cruised into a mostly-empty parking lot, a welcome sign buzzing up above. 

It is here where they’ll stay. 

How long has it been? Four days. Better to say nights. By some inexplicable manner of fate, earlier this week and Cliff perhaps made impressionable by isolation, the pair of them had agreed to pack what they could and jam it into the three-by-three of his trunk and backseat, the speedometer set to 65 over the I-81—New York as close to him now as the moon. 

They checked into a small motel in the middle of somewhere, the only sounds the humming of the vending machines. A lapping pool, steam billowing. Cliff by the second-floor railing playing with sparklers. 

He lights one up. 

“I always wished someone would've done this with me,” he starts, every word weightless, gone. The stick sizzles red and orange and bright, Cliff holding his arm out shoulder-height. He gazes up. Then, breathily, ”It means a lot to me that you came along."

Above his head, he sees a clear amalgamation of stars. It could be the Big Dipper. Maybe it's the Little.

Nour’s shadow stretches over, and Cliff turns his head.

There he is, all resplendent in white. Nour with his baby powder hair. Nour with his ever-soft laugh. Cliff thinks he remembers every inch of his face now—the slight crease beside his mouth when he smiles. The exact length of his eyelashes when he turns to sleep—a familiarity that can only be born from sharing the inescapable days and nights, nights and days with another conscious being, the moon like pupils, now, in his eyes. Nour reminds him of nights spent in an indoor tent; the childlike wonder and sanctuary it gave him. Nour stands with a handful of flowers. 

"Now who's that for?" he asks, high and curious.

As if there were anyone else here.

Cliff doesn't know what they are. Just that they're blue and that Nour gave them, the fireworks illuminating his face like a birthday cake. Birthday candles. Making a wish. He takes them, observing, and they're eye-to-eye.

"I don't think anyone's given me flowers..." he wonders aloud, still wispy and croaky, Cliff somewhere in another world, or maybe right here. He thinks of car rides spent with someone jostling the radio on. Someone sharing an unfamiliar room beside him. Of birthday candles and late-night company.

He hands his sparkler over. The pool ebbs below them, foggy, cloudy. Cliff looks just the same. "Would you like to keep riding with me?" he asks.

[jacks-tracks]

Beaches and birds

Despite or perhaps because of the great heat here, i have been to 3 beaches this week. Temperatures have been 33 in the day(90 oldspeak) dropping only to 25 at night. A mild tehuantepc wind stirred from the south bringing big waves, so that when i went to Agua Blanca with Pete, Jill and Lorraine the tide pools were giant washing machines, swirling in breaking foam, then gushing out with terrific force over the sand bar. This made for a swift cruise downstream then a difficult standup. So difficult that i could only plant my feet and wait for the flow to moderate(it really never stopped) before wading out. I seriously considered if I were swept out to sea could I body surf to shore further down the strand.. There were no crocodiles visible, nor fish nor birds in the lagoon, largely because a net caster had muddied the waters.

The beach kitchen we were at had a good palm thatched palapa right on the shore with a 180 degree view up and down the coast., developed to the north btu empty for miles south Good shade and a good breeze. As usual the breakfasts were tepid eggs. I think they cook each plate sequentially, so that by the time the third is done the first is cold. Knowing this from past experience I brought leftover pancakes. and washed them down with a coconut. Some hammock time and good conversations then taxied back to Santa Elaina just in time to step into a van to Puerto. I hopped out at the Mercado and bought the biggest chicken breast I,ve ever seen, bigger than most whole chickens. The bakery had Polvorones, the closest thing a Mexican bakery can come to an edible cookie, and I bought 10, thinking to stretch them out over days. Hah!Ate 3 a day and they are gone!

Trying to get up earlier before the heat bakes the streets, and did get to manzanillo beach for some snorkeling and sand loafing. Palm shade, soft gold sand, a pareau to lay on and a book to read, pretty satisfactory. mind you by 11 AM it,s getting hot and the beach fills with tourists, so I climb the steep stairs and the long hill back to the highway. Home to shower and swim in the bath temp pool..ahh.

Had to get to my favorite beach Carrizillo, which is a perfect golden crescent at the bottom of a very steep hill, 160 cement steps, and a long way up! There was shade under the big sea grape tree, and while the sea was warm,the waves were big, over 40 surfers learning on the inside corner of the bay. I had to time my way out of the surf to coincide with a wave running up the beach over the dropoff. most beaches have Mexicans rolling in happiness in small waves, shrieking with excitement. Even the old Grannies wading in their black dresses get knocked down "accidently" and join in the mirth. Not so at carizzillio, swimmers only. Manzanillo was where Jan saved 2 people from drowning when they stepped over the drop off and had no idea of how to swim. We were lounging in the shade when Jan suddenly bolted down the beach and seal dove into the water. She,d correctly spotted their inexperience and panic and with powerful strokes pushed them coughing back over the drop off edge where they collapsed in fright. I,d not seen the crisis coming, but Jan saved them, receiving the utmost thanks from the anxious family.

All this beaching involves riding combis, the taxi trucks that run a regular route along the highway and indeed off into the hills to remote villages. 12 pesos this year, a 100% increase over 3 years. Flagging a combi is easy after you dash across the relentless traffic and casually wave a languid hand downwards. They stop in the most awkward of places, and sometimes climbing down onto the welded slippery back step is fraught with peril. Being a courteous folk, the locals always help old folks (not me yet!) in and out, passing clinging children and off loading everything from baskets of nopales(cactus leaves) to flats of homemade cake. I always say Buenas Dias as appropriate and true to their culture everyone replys the same. Some drivers a re cowboys running on the theory that the sooner you make the trip the sooner you can come back for more passengers, or maybe they just like speeding. Happily the highway is increasingly dotted with topes(speed bumps) and even the cowboys slow right down to save their trucks a hammering. Most drivers are sane, and all goes well. Traffic here has exceeded the capacity of the 4 lane road, all this increase in the last 5 years since the Carreterra was 2 lanes. The addition of traffic lights(surprisingly obeyed) have broken up the flow, but a t busy times there can be 10 minute backups , rush hour in Puerto!

Birds! Well i have no bird book, but over the years have noted over 100 different species. Most of them were in the Manialtepec lagoon where the migrant birds nest and feed. A surprising number are right here in the backyard where trees overhang the end of the pool. Grackles are common, as a re doves both big and small, pigeons, sparrows, and swooping turkey buzzards, while far overhead the frigate birds glide effortlessly never moving a wing. Recently it,s been small lemon yellow birds with black tail tops and wing bars. They are flighty and twitch their long tails like sparrows. They prefer the ficus tree that shades my cabana, picking insects off the leaves. That same tree often has hummingbirds zipping about, both the thumb sized all black one up to the light orange much larger birds with bright orange big bills. One tried very hard to pull off a trailing fig vine for nesting material. By the pool grows a leguminous tree perhaps 10 meters tall with newly setting seed pods that start pea green , then shade to pink and curl into a coil, finally turning bright red and spitting out brown flat seeds like lentils. Very popular with all the birds, both for the seeds and for the insects that gather there. Finally got a good look at a woodpecker, not the cactus nesting ladderback but a breeding plumage smaller bird with dun feathers and a yellow nape and a red mask. Busily pecking on the loose bark of a dying tree. The female lacked the red face but had the yellow nape in a more subdued shade. All this backyard birding is done while floating in the pool, gazing up at the trees. Good excuse for loafing in the bath temp water.

A neighbours neglected cat has adopted me. Very skinny black and white male, bit of a yowler, but very friendly Probably got worms and ear mites, but I,ll get meds and do a treatment This cat did not know what a raw egg was but did an impressive job chewing a chicken carcass down to a few big bones. Much quieter when fed! Now the cat has taken to lying on my doormat and waiting to be petted or better still fed fish scraps. The hotel has a don,t fed the cats policy, but this one is starving and I,m a sucker. No more squirrel raids on my fruit bowl since I have a cat. My kitchen is all outdoors under the big thatch roof that covers all the cabana, and night raiders were eating avocadoes.

Heavy rains at night . i got up to go to my outdoor bathroom and was puzzled to see the cement path between my cabana and the neighbours was running an inch deep in water. Just had a downpour! the rain helps break the humidiy but by 10 AM it,s sunny and hot. Not complaining, indeed things are going very well. Don't mind having to alternate hammock book reading with pool cooling, and with 3 full on fans I can watch netflics a t night and sleep without a sheet cover till dawn. More as it happens.

[nigel-oh-nigel]

I Remember You

Chapter 1: accidence happens but acceptance don't always.

Do you believe in destiny? For me, it would be a very unfortunate obstacle to avoid if it does exist.

One could argue that destiny isn’t set in stone, that you are the one who can choose the best path for yourself. And i do agree with that.

What if, with certainty, a horrible series of events were destined to be lined before you?

A person threatened by such a calamity would choose to fight that pin pointed path and rip away from fate. They would deny it and avoid conviction, complain until the problem ceases to be. Such as the nature to survive, searching for a hole until the end.

But what if willingly, beyond all logic, you couldn’t say no? Despite the troubling circumstances, you rather fall deeper.

The roads through this busy city were icy and slippery, despite its ill conditions, cars still cruised across the street kicking up slushy ice onto the outer pavement as if quick-moving knives leading through water. Large piles of crushed flakes caked high and lined the sidewalk. Remembering the weather report, this was about four days' worth of fall.

You could imagine the outcome of so many snow days to be inconvenient, but it barely hinders the hardworking lifestyle of this city.

This amount of snow wasn’t what I was used to. My frail skin easily bumped up to the harsh still chilled air. Luckily it wasn’t windy, I'd snap to pieces if i walked too far. Coming from a more southern region where the air is, most of the time, dry, many are often bliss to the sight of seeing the trees, buildings, the ground and the roads glazed in this white wonder.

My childhood consisted of futilely waiting for a few flakes of snow. Any amount would have made me dazzled with joy, even if there was very little fun anyone could do with the amount we would receive. The kids would talk and hope for it before losing that hope as it neared March.

I know a place like New York would have an over abundant of this white stuff nearly all winter long. In fact, because of how busy its people can become and how dangerous traveling looks to be for them, people here have a deep complication with ice and will strive to get rid of it.

I guess we’d have trouble as well. Our little town would honestly freeze over if we had these inches of snow. Our fragile road system could crumble and fall apart to the first sighting of clear ice. The schools will shut down and few would dare risk their lives traveling to the stores for any minor reason.

The roads would be mostly vacate excluding the factory workers who bosses couldn’t care less if they died getting there.

Speaking of work, this job. Mister Young never told me that the interview would be so… personal, and being that i am far from home, it actually came off as creepy. Like I'm going to be abducted, without notice, at any moment, but maybe its just my imagination.

You see, i was offered this job position by a rich guy named Davidson Young, known widely for his mass production in green friendly vehicles, commercial to the public as well as to companies that demands savvy transporters.

If hired, I'll become an errand boy, a well-paid errand boy who’ll handle the task of suppling one of his many residential homes and satisfying the occupancy in it. Maybe it's more of a butler’s employment.

The questions, at first, were standard, only asking about existing past work experiences that might relate to the job I'm applying for.

I’ve worked at the store my parents run for four years, but getting a reference from my parents would be as valuable to them as asking about my mom’s cake recipe. Only a horrible son, or a son who had life crushing parents would get such a bad review. I doubt the employers cared for whatever gray that fell in, not that i had such a bad relationship with my parents.

The questions then evolved into hobbies or skills. Asking me about hobbies is really needlessly scraping for something, isn’t it? Being the monster company “Ventumio”, you’d think they’d aim for more professional level interns. Maybe someone that came from a more outstanding school than me, a person whose school can't afford to replace ten-year-old computers, and equipment our teachers been practically begging for their lessons.

No matter if i helped someone out or not, i doubt Mr. Young’s people will find a need for me on any level, even if it’s just helping to maintain a portion of the house. I was told that they had a lot of applicates already, so they didn’t want to spend too long on me.

Whatever. On the better side, a trip out of town wasn’t too bad. I had the pleasure of rooming with my older cousin, who moved up here a few years back. His personality was always hard to pin. It's in-between spastic, well-expressed, inner monologues that obsess over figurines from some shows he likes, and a monotone, laidback approach towards everything else living in the moment as if he was only inserted nearby to look and gleam.

He gives the BEST advice, but you kind of have to pry it out of him. For someone who’s “there” at times, other than his grave shift job, he does go out a lot, nearly every day. I tagged along with him once my three days being up here and found out that he was going to a pretty cool comic store. Apparently, he goes there so much that manager gives him the employee discount whenever he buys.

My cousin would joke and say that the comic store was his volunteer service for nerds everywhere. Though he doesn’t do any work as far as i can tell, I was told by one of his “friends” that he would sometimes dress up like a wizard, as he stood, smiled sleepily, and did nothing.

If somehow, the job did fall into my lap, there would be another problem to face later down the road.

It seems as though I've misunderstood the nature of the job. The position requires you to live within the residence, that may not boat well for my parents who barely allowed me to go in the first place.

They have been not only calling me constantly, but my cousin as well. Dad called me for the second time today, half an hour ago, and it isn’t far of a reach to expect a call from mom as soon as she gets on break.

I told dad the simplistic of how it went but didn’t really bring up any of my festering concerns the interview made me feel. He would either demand that I jump on a plane at the very moment of worry, or he would likely jump on a plane coming to get me.

I think there’s no need to worry. Living on the property and being within close corners of people, it’s natural to wonder about my contacts, right? If I… might be dating at the moment, how often I'm in contact with people. Just the… basics.

Who am i kidding, that was bothering. Mr. Young did give me his number just in case i had questions, but he told me, at times, it would be hard to reach him. A time to call never crossed yet, but when I get back to my cousin’s apartment, it would be good to get some sort of clarity.

Walking seemed to be the safest method of travel as far as snow is involved, but since leaving the building of said job review, I felt off. Was it really that necessary to go that deep into my personal life?

The moral dilemmas question was just the weirdest.

If I could betray a coworker for a large sum of money?

How grey was my perspectives on breaking the law?

Have you taken any self-defense classes?

Would you consider yourself a good person? If so, then why?

How do you feel around dead bodies?

With extreme stretches of the imagination, I could link a vague reason to each bizarre question, but should I run? Calling my parents and tipping them a bit might be best, but there’s no way they’d allow me to stay an hour more after hearing this.

I'll think about it and try to watch out for suspicious stuff in the meantime.

To be fair, it was pretty cold at the moment about 2:00 in the evening, but the temperature was already dropping, resting now at fifteen or so Fahrenheit. On the sidewalk with me there were few people traveling in these conditions, about twenty-ish people scattered around coming and from me.

A man appeared from the corner of my eye pacing himself just a bit quicker in his steps than I did. the well-kept styled mid-trimmed haircut aligned with his aura of being a well statured man. A long fancy beige pea coat fell just above his knees, protecting the suit that laid under it.

He didn’t seem as though he was late, the expression on his face was too casual for that. Still, to his side he carried a workbag that suggested that he was either going to or leaving work.

I'd guess work related reasons would be the only thing that would drag anyone out the house, but now thinking about it, Christmas was just around the corner, two weeks from now. Though the late shoppers are common, I'd imagine the early birds would get a jump on things when they can.

Surely this man didn’t come out for that reason, but maybe some others did.

My eyes glanced away from him for just a moment to study others who were out. There was another man who worn too little clothes and was suffering from it, clattering his teeth and bracing himself in a hug.

I could hear slight mumbling from him since he was crossing the street very close by me.

“Stupid weather…”

He faded behind me.

My mind trailed off to wonder why he was out here, but was torn away by another person, this time a woman with a fuzzy head and matching earmuffs. She was bundled up in practical, thick layers of coats and sweaters.

Another person behind her was tall and muscular wearing mostly a thin overcoat that wasn’t as thick as what I could handle in this weather.

The entire that I had on was a shirt, a sweater, and a jacket. It blocked me from the elements decently, only allowing me to feel cold air at the very edges from any openings of my wear.

Strolling, kicking up my feet just a bit higher than my shin level, a simple, mindless thought came to me.

Why do we go through this?

Clearly the world can’t stop because of a few feet of snow. As long as the buildings stand people will be called to work. no one would turn down a workday because that would mean no income. That's just how it was. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to wish everyone luck on their travels.

Before I could enlighten myself to an epiphany that wasn’t going to come to me anytime soon, something sudden and worrisome caught my attention.

The man who walked with an expression that suggested that his heart and mind was already in his office doing desk work and making careful business decisions, stumbled backwards fighting for balance but failed to even withstand the forces of gravity for half a second, hit the ground.

As you could guess, this man who seemed to never accept a lesser hand dealt to him already showed an enormous amount of spite, rage, disbelief and a noticeable instinctive urge to do harm.

To whom? Well, it turns out that he didn’t fall completely on his own. There was a boy a decent amount younger than me, maybe twelve laying on top of the toppled man.

The boy eyed the man with an enduring, sincere grin as though blind to the cold, damped man’s bent hostile frown. If this was a cartoon, surely smoke would bellow from the glaring man’s head.

“Sorry there, sir. I didn’t mean it.” The boy dragged his words out but froze with hesitation to remove himself.

As if to dig a deeper, more definite consequential hole that would be hard to crawl out from, the wide-eyed quirky boy reached for the man's shoulder to dusk the lingering debris of ice on his arm, with hard slaps.

The man who finally recovered from whatever ill violent thoughts possibly crossing his mind finally spoke. Loudly, the business barked an order at the boy to get off, then latched a hand to the boy’s shoulder, fixing him in place. You could see nails penetrate the skin of the minor’s arm, a cold glare to match.

The explosive man gave a quick, forceful jerk to the boy’s arm to remove him, yet his gripe broke first before the boy budged an inch.

“You little fuck! Get your ass off me before I break your arm.” still upholding a bitter tone, the tempered man settled for a threat despite already trying and failing to do major harm. “You ruined my coat and suit. Do you want me to break your teeth in for this?”

The genuinely confused young teen gawked at the heated older, less than gentle, gentleman, then made an effort to remove himself off of him.

“that’s not a nice thing to say. Bro says you should be polite to people. I said I was sorry…” the boy lifted his bottom lip to his nose, childishly, then bowed his head firmly at the man apolitically.

“My shoes you little fucker! My clothes! What are you talking about?”

To his chagrin, a frown formed, then widened over the ever-puzzled kid’s face; nonetheless, he extended a hand to the souring man. “Um… let me help you up.”

With a clawing motion, the also childish man snatched for the shamed teen’s upper arm, ripping and pulling down to get up. The physically abled boy took it nonchalantly, still showing no visible signs of suffering.

“Wow! That's some grip for a guy who works at an office. You must do a little working out too.” the delighted boy remarked, praising him. “If you pull too hard, you might rip my arm off, ha ha.”

As if bothered that again he failed to make this dorpie kid whine in some way, the man fussed again, loudly and shamelessly.

“Where the hell are your parents? Don't you lie to me.”

It was subtle, but there was a sobering glow washing over the otherwise meek boy’s face. He sorrowfully laughed. “My parents died a few years ago. It's just me and my brother now. He's busy right now, so I'll have to- um… handle this myself.”

“You better not be lying boy. Where is your brother? Get him here now!”

“The name is drake.” the boy, drake quipped with a smile. “i said that I'd handle it please. Just tell me how.”

The now inquisitive man paused, mostly from the feeling of being dumbfounded by the hopeful drake. The once mostly boiled, but now mildly more simmered man clashed his teeth together.

“PAY. FOR. IT.” he chanted, fuming at the mouth. “A stupid kid doesn’t have the money to pay for my clothes.”

The naïve early teen cocked a brow to his words, then squeezed his lips together showing a small amount of defeat. “Ah, how much would it cost?”

The man rolled his eyes, adding the damage with an invisible calculator. “400. Maybe 500 for dry cleaner and su-”

“HA HA HA HA!” drake, after hearing the outrageous inflated cost, burst into a fit of laughter, then glanced up at the man with a friendly grin. “Nah. We can’t afford that. It would take years for me to pay you that much.”

Drake's laugh tapered little by little as he occasionally seen the growing bitter look of the dead serious businessman. “Wait, you were serious. No no, we can’t afford that.”

Drake dug into his worn pants pocket, then fished out five dollars. “Here. Please consider this.”

Like a bee sting, an aggressive straightened hook of the man’s hand swiftly struck the money away. The money drifted, gliding to the snowy pavement. To add insult to injury, a car came spilling snow from under its wheels. The airborne slush landed on the five dollars, burying it quickly.

“That was… wasteful.” the boy mumbled under his breath. “But we can maybe buy you a new coat. Maybe something as fancy as the one you have on.”

“Don't you bullshit me! You ruin this, a thousand-dollar suit. No crappy, poor jacket will make up for this.” the blinded angry man roared.

The man, that was twice the boy’s size, lounged at him then grabbed his hair ready to start a fight. He pulled Drake closer, pointing a stern index finger inches from his face. “I'm going to make sure your ass goes to jail, and you won’t see your fucking brother again!”

Having my fill, sitting by to watch this unfolding disaster, I was ready to intervene, surprised that an adult would take it this far.

A few onlookers had paused to stare, but since there was now physical contact being made between the two, more people stopped to watch.

As I stepped in to try and detour the crazy, a glint in the boy’s eyes stunned me to my core just from the glance alone. It wasn’t an angered, festered response to the old man’s aggression. It was a calm flame that I couldn’t comprehend.

“i hope one of these people call the cops so they ca- GAH!”

The loudmouth man’s words were cut short by a hand seizing the freedom of his jaw. I'd imagine confusion overcame him, draining the anger from the man’s eyes.

“i really hate people like you.” the boy whispered. The man’s cheeks caved in by drake’s handle, growing plump and red from the fingers that sunk into its flesh.

The man raised a hand then latched it onto the boy arm. It was wary to watch. Despite the desperate man’s best attempts, the short dominant kid grip was absolute and unwavering, fastened tightly around his mouth.

More instinctively than not, I stepped quickly to the fearsome drake, then grabbed his arm along with the stupid man.

“you’re hurting him, you know. This’ll get you into trouble.” I grunted, straining to loosen his hold even a little.

It shouldn’t be this hard. I was near double his height as well, and our combined strength can’t equalize to his power. This was unreal.

The boy looked up to me with lazy eyes, displaying the impression that he was giving this full-grown man and me trouble without really trying. He wasn’t what I'd call a normal kid.

I mean, what were his hands made of? Robot parts.

A little larger than a normal twelve-year old’s arm. It seems enduring and tempered. He was well-trained by someone, for whatever reason.

“So, you want to get involved now?” those fearsome, dangerous eyes had faded into a more inquiring glare. He stared at me, then grew more empathetic to my attempt to stop him. “no… You’re not a bad person, I guess. Your eyes are too soft. I wouldn’t feel good hurting you.” The boy unlatched the man’s face, then I let his arm go.

With a smudged look, he pointed his body at me, expressing a knowing grin.

“i even doubted you would have even tried to hurt me.” with a tilt of his head and a cock of his brow, he glared at the man on the ground. “I would have let him hit me for knocking him down, but someone like him shouldn’t throw weight he doesn’t have around. I can’t believe she likes him. I don’t see it.”

Drake scratched his head, turning his body away as if to ponder his dilemma in isolation.

Curious to the nature of the boy, i even wondered what he meant by “she”. It implied a connection of some sort the boy and this man shared somehow, but their initial interaction earlier didn’t suggest that they knew each other at all.

I bent down, reluctantly, to the out of breath man, checking the reddening area surrounding his mouth that will be there for a while.

“Who the fuck are you? Get the hell out of my face.”

“Yeah, you seem ok.” I halfheartedly moaned.

“Did you really stop me to save that man?” the boy inquired, showing a displeasing shift of his head, facing towards the ground.

Shame filled my eyes to the fact that I was sympathetic to a man willing to beat up kids.

“This guy is a jerk, but there’s no reason anyone should be walking away with any serious injuries.”, a gave drake a glaring smile, “also it would be bad for you to go to jail for a thing like this.”

Drake seemed to ponder my consequential words but shrugged it off. “Jail wouldn’t be so bad; they have food in there. But if my bro found out that I went to jail… it would make him feel less of a man. Plus being away from my bro would suck too.”

“Wait. What?” less of a man? “What do you mean?”

“He wants me to have a better life.”

Well, that makes sense, but the way he worded it sounded weird.

Drake turned his attention back to the man on the ground, who only recently caught his wind.

“Because of the stories she told me, I was kinda excited to meet you, but you have nothing in common with the stories I heard. And that really is sad.”

She? “Who is sh-

“you brat!! Don't you have any damn training?! Who do you think you are?”

To be expected and in his right, the man who collected himself within drake’s assessment of me, again erupted, squaring his focus to the boy.

A bit of the bite the once overly brazen man had a moment ago tapered from the intimidating way he was treated, but for some reason he again searched for the high ground to scold his attacker.

I saw a small flash from a phone within the corner of my eye. Surrounding us were now a lot of people, ogling at the “show” the two had. I was now fully involved.

Some just stood there, staring. A few seemed to have been shocked, as well as tickled by all that happened.

No one intervened like me, but there were some who had a phone close to their ears, possibly calling the police.

It was becoming clear that this boy was in trouble. I looked with panic in my eyes, scraping up some plan to redirect the attention, but before i did anything extreme…

“where’s your parents?” only after asking the crude question that I remembered that they had died. “Oh… sorry. I meant your brother.”

He glanced at me in a way that acknowledge I was heard, but no response was made to answer my clumsy question. Instead, Drake drove his regard to the capsized business man, the seemingly and sudden sorrowful boy pinched his lips together, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

“We were… supposed to be friends? But how is that?” he rolled his eyes, turning his back to the bewildered man, “there’s no way we would be. You're mean. Hot headed. and Like stuff too much.”

The bold boy, with a sudden, deepened, burning grudge towards the not-so-unfamiliar man, digging into his worn jacket pocket to fish out a dark-brown leather quality wallet with a light-black buckle that sealed it.

“Here.” Drake tossed the wallet into the lap of the confused man, who grew brighter in the face the more he seen what was in Drake’s hand. “Sorry Clover, I don’t want to be his friend anymore.”

“These…” the businessman gazed at the well-designed wallet, stunned. “This is my Wallet you brat.”

“Yep, time to go. I did what I had to do.” he spoke gingerly.

“you STOLE his wallet?!”, I affinized, realizing if i helped him now, I'd likely become an accessory to a thief.

His arms raised above his head, folded to be tucked behind his neck, then he intertwined the fingers into a net. He started off in the direction that he came from.

Metaphorically sucker punched and finding himself yet again on the hard icy sidewalk, holding his disrespected livelihood in his lap, the pride businessman had to pick himself back up to face his shame-er. His feet twisted and wobbled, hardly finding suitable ground to stabilize his feet. The heels of the designer shoes had some grip but weren’t the best fit for pure ice.

“You think someone as poor as you can get away from me, untouched? No. I'll make sure somebody get you.” He then bowed his shoulders in rekindled fury. “I bet you and your brother are homeless trash. That's why you can't afford to clean my suit.”

the boy turned so swiftly, though it might have been a fabrication on my part, wind seemed to slide off his shoulders. Feeling a different spark of heat flaring within him, my chest tightened. though he seemed like a person who would prefer a peaceful outcome at first, that look he had on his face now suggested things can go either way.

Grinding teeth of the boiling man, parted and his fangs were tucked away, but he wasn't done. this shady short dark-haired man that had his pride tampered with, still showed deep feral eyes that wish for long suffering. “I don’t have to call the cops; I'll get you myself.”

“ok” the boy quipped with a smile. “Sounds fun.”

I shuttered. "you two are acting stupid. just drop it and walk away." i thought that i could reason with them, but clearly there wasn't room for that.

The man, who realized that drake was leaving, pulled his phone out, then began to take a picture of the boy’s face. combining the information about what he said, not involving the cops anymore, erected a crimson red flag. it was just a feeling but this wouldn’t end well if he gets a picture. I ripped my coat off the tossed it over the drake’s face.

“HEY!” Drake remarked somewhat allowing me to place it over him.

“QUIT GETTING IN THE WAY! It has nothing to do with you.”

Both drake and the man had a negative reaction to me stopping the issue from escalating. i thought things were put on hold, but the faint sound of a shuttering camera caught my ears. I think my picture was taken instead.

" Now he got YOUR picture instead." Drake barked, frustrated at me. " I get you're trying to help, but…."

the odd kid with abnormal strength overpowered me, pulling the coat off. "I'm used to monsters like him."

" yep, you're pretty strong. maybe I should workout more." I scuffed, glaring dumbfounded at the boy named Drake.

surely the man, with an odd sense of justice, would want to try and take another picture.

With no urgency to his safety, Drake’s eyes floated to the camera phone again, by chance and another shutter sound echoed. "there. now you can just come after me."

“I got you now, brat!” the man cooed.

With a swift step and all the strength, I could muster focused within my legs, I kicked the iPhone up into the sky, sailing it yards away.

The man’s jaw dropped when the phone practically exploded from his hand.

“Wha?! You! Why did you do that? That phone costed me over a thousand as well.”

“I don’t like where this is going.” I stated, showing to be truly disturbed.

Glancing to both sides of me, a hot-headed man that would give a therapist a field day, a boy who seems prone to possible harm and a steady growing crowd, I rolled my eyes to the new level of involvement I've become.

“That was a nice kick.” Drake laughed. “Please play kickball with me and my bro when you get the chance!”

I felt like yelling at him for not being aware of his immediate threat to life, but I bit my tongue, opting for a more practical explanation.

“That man wants to REALLY hurt you and the police will be here soon.” I connection some points together in my head, then thinned my lips. The boy looked back with a smile at me.

“Yeah, I know, and the guy does seem like the type of person who would have "special friends.”, Drake mumbled, showing the wrong interested in that fact. " i hope they're a little tougher than him."

"wha?" my stress was nearly crushed by the crippling bolder of confusion his boy spat. "no. you shouldn't be planning a fight with a group of people."

“What if I am?” he plainly asked, searching my eyes with a solemn prowl.

A thought comprised of many assumptions, ruptured in mind like a balloon. It made me wonder if he had the proper priorities in urgency. If the police saw him, he’d be in child service pretty soon after.

“it's pretty dangerous to be in the street like this. I'm sure if the police see you, they’ll want to question your living status. yours and your brother's.” I nudged the fact more, pressing him to see doubt in his control. that some level of sanity would acutely strike him with a sense of crippling worry. however, there still wasn’t panic present on his face.

“You don’t know the half of it. They tried taking me three times now. I punched a police officer the last time they tried putting me in their car and now I think, they might want to press me for that.” Drake stated, showing some regret to the fact. “i hate that I did it. He was just worried about me, but he wouldn’t let go.”

That's… something. My eyes bucked; shock visibly displayed. He punched a policeman; this guy is screwed. Since that’s a federal crime, it could get pretty serious. An apology might not be enough, but… you never know.

“So… maybe you should apologize for what you did.” I brought it up trying to sound earnest about the suggestion, but maybe came off as an unreliable source for wisdom.

“no.” he respectfully declined. “ he went to the hospital.”

My stomach sunk and poured out somewhere inside of my body. This guy is screwed.

“Is that so?” I sighed, sickly. “We… should go.”

Yep. I'm getting too involved.

We skipped away through the various colored views of the crowd in a jog. there was one person that asked, “what happened Drake?”

And Drake answering the voice flatly, “I'll tell you later.”

I wonder if this will hurt my chances of getting that job. Likely if they find out.

Up to this point, you could have made an argument that I had no involvement in the actual conflict, maybe worthy of praise in wanting to stop the fight, but when I chose to flee with a delinquent and foul a mad man’s attempts to get revenge, that does make me involved.

We ran for a while, rounding a few corners and me slipping on ice that nearly made me fall before we stopped.

I was heaving air into my lungs, sucking the sweet nectar of air as though I was breathing through a thick filter.

We ran nearly a mile, so this was to be expected, but looking over to the boy, who stood by me waiting, breathed hollow breaths as if he never ran that mile.

“don’t die on me, brah.” he teased, reaching out to pat my back. “You should do some cardio and get in shape.”

“pant I- pant I thought I could speak, but my lungs still needed more time to recover.

I exhaled long lengths of hot air, injecting it into the icy wind, then waited for my breaths to become shallow before trying to speak again.

“pant I'm ok.” feeling as though I've remained a puddle of myself long enough, my back straightened from its coiled state. “huff more importantly… what are you going to do? The police are after you?”

“Go back to the apartment and wait for bro to get back so we can do a lil workout.” he smiled, “that jog was a pretty good warmup, but my blood is pumping now!”

Warmup? Workout? Apartment…?

“What apartment do you and your brother stay in?” I pointed out. He has a place to stay after all?

“Oops…”, he covered his mouth, then side glanced me, wary in the eyes. “Forget you heard that.”

Ignoring his request, I leaned back onto the edge of a brick wall. “I thought you said you were homeless?” I was feeling pretty hot from the run, so the cold didn’t bother me from resting a bit.

He stared at me, lack luster, maybe reflecting on my words. “I’m not entirely homeless, at least, not anymore. You know, I was told NOT to tell anyone about this, but you act like a nice guy.”

Maybe they’re in the building without being known? Occupying an empty room, they’ve gained access to.

“We live in an abandon apartment that was supposed to be condemned.” he confessed, finding a spot on the wall beside me.

“Sounds dangerous… when you say ‘we’ do you mean just you and your brother, or….”

“Nope. Can't tell you that much.” he hummed, laughing under his tone. “‘we’re’ ok where we live so there’s no need to worry. It's not illegal.”

“Yes, it is!”

“we’re not hurting anyone.”

“Who owns the building?!”

“can’t tell you.”

“that’s suspicious.”

“Are you going to tell on us?”

“No….” though a tiny part of me was convinced that i should.

He swung his head to study me, then snickered to himself. “Yeah, I believe you.” then looked to the ground covered in snow.

I creased my brow. “It’s none on my business. I mean, I don’t know your… situation.”

“let’s keep it that way.”

“But…”

“But?”

That well-dressed but more than cranky man came to mind. Sure, everything he barked should be tallied as empty under-toned threats, but it’s stuck in my head.

“Not that I think you should worry, but making enemies like that guy you bumped into could turn into a bad thing if they’d mean their threats.”

“He DID mean his threat.” Drake spoke ominously, “He's the type of guy who will follow through with hurting someone. In fact, it wouldn’t shock me to see some people trying to find me.”

“Wait, WHAT! H-how can you be sure about that?”

Plain faced, yet not completely relaxed like before. Drake Inhabited the wall no longer, standing strong, facing me. A sudden pressure was practically visible, growing and incasing me as if I was a trapped animal.

“Me and my brother… ran into people with eyes like him. He's shady and his hands are dirty.” Drake gave my shoulders, arms, and legs a glance-over before floating his focus to mine. “You look fit enough to fight, but you should definitely run if you ever see him again.”

I tunnel-visioned. My muscles stiffen, locking in placed. Sensing the fat in my cheeks solidify. My jaw slowly dips until finally a split formed between my porched lips.

“you’re… overthinking it. He's just an office guy.”

An invisible object, weighted, but not too heavy to completely stop the flow of air, formed over my chest. I was gradually growing uncomfortable. I sprung off the wall as well to chase that slightly better feeling I had earlier, but Drake’s eyes followed me.

“You made him mad too, you know. I appreciate that you wanted to help me, but shouldn’t have. You placed a bounty on your head.” he resonated an aura that felt murky with awaiting prowl. There was just something about him that was stunning. “He’s going to try and kill us.”

He wasn’t that tall, so feeling intimidated by him felt unusual, but his stance screamed heedfulness.

“He did get the chance to take my picture, so that might buy you some time.” Drake reasoned, folding his arms.

As if defending myself from a threat, I raised my hands, fiddling with the air to reach a point. “But what about you?! You made him mad too.”

“Yep.” Drake plainly stated with no care.

“So, he’ll look to hurt you too, right?”

“Yep.” drake added.

“aren’t you… bothered if he does try to get us?”

“Like I said before, there’s no need to worry about me. If he finds me first, you don’t have to worry about the guy anymore.”

Was that a threat?

My hands dug deeper into my pockets, squeezing into a ball. “what’s that’s supposed to mean?”

“whao whao! I ain’t no killer. It's just that I know how to handle people.”

I cocked a brow lifting and shifting my head away, then hummed going silent. “You must have had… a tough life."

“You seem cool to share a few stories with, but I'm going to have to go soon and meet with someone.” he groaned suddenly, “I'm sure she saw me throw Thomas wallet back at him. I'm sorry Clover, but that guy isn’t a friend of ours. Why would she wait all this time to meet such a-”

“WAIT. Did you just say Thomas?!” I yipped, straining my voice to a nearly formless squeak. “that’s my…”

Drake, the Stranger I've met just fifteen minutes ago, seemingly by accident, spoke my name with a sense of familiarity that I was not comfortable with. How would he even know me?

Drake cut his gaze towards me, discerning my flaring tone as a shift in our friendly chat. He frowned at me as if to be on guard, but reasoned to ask me what was wrong.

“dude. Why are you acting like that?! You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

He looked confused.

“it’s just that you said Thomas. I never told you my name yet.”

“What? I'm talking about that guy we… oh…” his face sunk and fell pale, almost sickly.

“ ‘Oh’, what?!” a rant of annoyance escaped.

“ N-nothing. Bro.” Drake huffed, glancing up at me just to give a response. Obviously, something was caked on his mind, but this, he didn’t want me to know. “we can… I have to… just…”

His body was so stiff. Locked in a similar way i shut down when I was told the man from before might want my head too. Drake was debating something in mind, this as well fed into my concern as well. How does he know my name?

"I- I just want to thank you for, you know, helping back there." Drake side-glanced me with suspicion and mild embarrassment.

"sure, but whatever i did, didn't really-" as i was rambling, the boy suddenly hugged me. "uhh?"

this awkward encounter lasted for about ten seconds before he was ready to peel away from me. "well, i got to go. see ya."

my face freeze, displaying plain dumbfoundedness. "you're leaving after that?"

"yep. don't die out here." he spun around then trailed away with a wave of his hand.

"don't die out here?" i cocked a brow.

[memo14g]

Scholarship/Orphanage Day 2 (7/13) || Henry Le (USC)

On day 2, we arrived at Trường Tình Thương Ái Linh, which was approximately a 45-minute drive away. Similar to the previous day, we had to walk a bit to reach the school. Upon arrival, we were greeted by masses of kids lined up in front of the main speaking stage, all dressed in their matching uniforms. At the beginning, their teacher had them perform a cute little kid's song for us, and witnessing the joy on their faces was truly amazing. Soon after, we all took our seats behind the children. I ended up sitting behind two funny kids who bantered playfully with each other.

The principal delivered a speech to express gratitude for our presence, and Dr. Bui shared some remarks about MEMO while introducing all the doctors. We then engaged in a fun group game of "Simon Says," Vietnamese style. Once the speeches were over, we had the opportunity to interact with the kids and play games together. I had the chance to meet a very shy child who turned out to have some kind of attention-deficit disorder. Despite his tendency to drift off, I could tell that he was genuinely enjoying the moment and our interaction. Eventually, he became comfortable enough with me to let me give him a piggyback ride. It was a heartwarming experience that I truly cherished.

Watching the kids play and participate in various activities was a delight. They were jumping up and down, playing patty cake, spinning in circles, and so much more. Near the end of the visit, we all lined up to give each child a backpack, and the looks of appreciation on their faces were priceless. Finally, we said our goodbyes and hugged the kids close to us before leaving.

After the visit, we had plenty of free time, and some of us decided to explore a street clothing store called The New Playground, which offered a fantastic selection of unique and stylish clothes. Later, we returned to the hotel to freshen up before heading out for our dinner cruise.

This was my first cruise, and I was genuinely excited about the experience. After boarding the ship, we were shown to our tables, and since it was a buffet, we all headed to the food area to serve ourselves. The night proceeded quite normally, with us chatting, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. Once we finished eating, we, the 14gers, moved to the deck to take some beautiful pictures. However, the rain started pouring heavily after 20 minutes, so we had to go back inside the cruise.

Tonight was actually a banquet night for MEMO, where we were supposed to hear awards and closing remarks about the mission trip. Just as a MEMO student began giving the opening remarks, the cruise suddenly shifted to one side, catching everyone off guard. Some people were knocked down, and plates slid off the tables. Chandeliers rocked back and forth. Even the cruise workers looked confused by the sudden shift. For a moment, we feared the worst, thinking the cruise might be sinking, but it turned out to be a minor bump against a nearby dock. Still, I could see worried and scared expressions on some of the faces around me. Looking back, the rain, in a way, saved us. Without it, some of us might have still taken pictures near the ledge of the cruise during the sudden collison. But let’s not think about that :/.

The banquet was cut short, and we patiently waited until the cruise was ready to depart safely. Eventually, we made it back to the hotel, where MEMO continued the banquet. We heard closing remarks about the trip, received certificates and superlatives as awards. Once the banquet at the hotel lounge was done, we left to our rooms in peace.

Above: Having fun with the kids!

Above: Picture of the best team, objectively!

Above: Titanic 2.0 Jules is shocked!

[talesfromtheorient]

Out the door at 8am I made my way to the Hagia Sofia to beat the crowds, only to discover that it opens at 9am. A coffee and cake later and I was in the waiting line. Even at 9am the mosque was busy. Kids ran around screaming whilst tour groups dominated the holy site. I do feel that I gained a greater appreciation of the mosques beauty, but still feel faded by the way tourists act at these sacred sites. Learn some respect!

Across the road I skipped the queue to visit the Basilica Cistern. Not wanting to miss out, I pre booked my tickets the day before. I descended the mighty iron staircase to arrive in the cistern. It was magnificent. Like an subterranean Cathedral, dozens of pillars elevated into the heavens, whilst spectacular light shows determined the mood. Despite being surrounded by water, Istanbul does not have access to a reliable source of water. Their fresh water supply is transported from outside the city. The cistern was built in the 6th by the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian. Restoration work was carried out in recent years and now all can enjoy the historical monument.

I made my way to Galata. Somewhere along the way I found a station. This was Serkeci Railway station, the terminus of the Orient Express. The station was grand and a pleasure to visit. It’s currently being upgraded to accommodate a new railway line. The two clock faces on the station’s exterior are being given a face lift and the station is coming back to life. There was a train museum inside which I really enjoyed. The Bosphorus used to be closer to the station which meant that passengers could once sit on the verandas watching the sea before their train departed for Austria, Paris or anywhere in between.

I crossed the bridge and arrived in Galata. This part of the city was less touristy but contained some impressive hotels. If I were to visit Istanbul again, I would stay in Galata, it’s cheaper but just as welcoming as the more touristy parts of the city. There is no doubt that Galata was more real than anywhere I have experienced in Istanbul. Local men pulled gigantic trollies down never ending hills whilst woman prepared lunch for their children in black bin liners on street corners. Galata and Istanbul in general reminds me of Belgrade. Despite their attempts to distance themselves from their Ottoman past, it is still very much present, as it would be after hundreds of years of Ottoman rule.

I arrived at Galata Tower, purchased my ticket and ascended via a mandatory lift. The tower is built on one of the highest points in the city. Like many great monuments, it has been destroyed numerous times and rebuilt. The view from top was impressive, I could see the whole of the city at every angle, it was rather busy though. I attempted a selfie but nearly knocked someone aside in the process.

My next stop was the Modern Art Museum. I walked along the harbour side which is slowly but surely being regenerated. Halfway through my stroll the harbour side walk disappeared and was taken up by 5 star hotels which grabbed the land. Making my way between these palaces for the new Sultans I found my way to the museum. The museum was impressive, it only opened a couple of years ago and featured some interesting exhibitions. My favourite exhibits were an immersive art experience and a room which contained a hologram of the moon.

I made my way back home and slept for a couple of hours. Istanbul is tiring, the heat and crowds make it exciting but tiring. After a quick shower, I head out to grab dinner. I found a restaurant, ordered meatballs, but received something that tasted like meatballs but looked like steak. Ahh Türkiye. Where could I go after my meal, well of course I found my seat beside the fountains at the Hagia Sofia. Tomorrow is my last day in Istanbul and I have booked a Bosphorus cruise for €15. It better be worth it! 😁

[yuurei20]

Ruggie Fact Sheet

(Was ranked 6th-most-popular-character on the jpn server in a combination of seven different character-ranking surveys held throughout 2021)

In Japanese, the spotted hyena (or laughing hyena) is called "Buchi Hyena", the word "hyena" itself being a borrowed term and "buchi" meaning "speckled" or "a mix of colors". According to the official Fan Book, "Ruggie" comes from either the word "rug" or perhaps from his "rugged life".

Ruggie will occasionally refer to the fact that he is a hyena in a self-depreciating way (“This place is so busy, he’s relying on a hyena like me to help”), which brings into question how he is used to being treated as a hyena beastman in his homeland of Sunset Savannah.

He sometimes works part-time at the Mostro Lounge in the Octavinelle dormitory where he excels extremely, acting in the role of floor manager, waiter, busboy and more in a card vignette to such efficiency that they are able to handle an overwhelming influx of customers that nearly forced Azul to close the cafe.

When Azul compliments his prowess Ruggie responds, “Compared to some others jobs I��ve had, this is a piece of cake”. He says he works at a restaurant at a beach resort during the summer, as a ski instructor in the winter, has job experience on a cruise ship, as a make-up artist and also sells mandragora to the school’s ghosts.

Ruggie gets along well with Azul. They both dislike losing money and insist on being compensated for anything and everything they do, and they both dislike feeling indebted to anyone (when Ruggie forgets to bring Leona’s wallet to the school store on an errand Silver offers to lend him what he needs, but Ruggie refuses, opting to haggle with Sam instead. When Silver compliments him on his haggling abilities Ruggie says “If you ever end up out on the street, I can teach you the art of the deal”).

Another side-job of Ruggie’s is looking out for Leona (doing laundry, preparing meals and other day-to-day tasks) for which he is compensated as much as he asks for as Leona has no interest in money. He also has the freedom of charging purchases made at the school store to Leona’s account.

In his labwear vignette, Leona tosses his wallet at Ruggie so he can buy laundry detergent, saying “There’s plenty in there. Take what you need and keep the change”. Ruggie points out that all Leona has are large bills and he’s uncertain about keeping so much, and Leona tells him to not “get all hung up on the details”, insinuating that Leona seems to do what he can to look out for Ruggie’s finances in his own way without making it seem like charity.

When Ruggie first arrived at NRC he was unfamiliar with how he was supposed to study, as he had never had to do so before. He says that the only “education” he had, previously, was in “practical life skills”. As we know that he has been working since before he entered the school, it is seems that spent his childhood trying to earn money instead of going to classes.

In exchange for his doing chores for Leona, Leona tutored him, gave him study guides and old exams and taught him efficient study techniques. As a result his grades have moved him from the bottom of his class to the middle, and he has expressed surprise at his own improvement, not believing he was capable of it.

Ruggie wears Leona’s school uniforms, which are too large for him (his labwear clothes are also oversized, so it is possible that they were given to him as a gift as well). Ruggie claims that their difference in size was inevitable, given how different their diets and upbringing were, growing up. Ruggie says that he wishes he was taller sometimes, “but I bet that would come with extra eating expenses…” Ruggie says that he often receives things from Leona, keeping what he needs for himself and selling what he doesn’t.

In a homescreen line, Ruggie says that his necklace represents nature. "The red of the sun, the blue of the sky, the green of the earth…it reminds me of my hometown."l

Ruggie excels at animal linguistics, saying it “is a practical skill for the workforce, but knowledge of the past ain’t that useful” when Trein admonishes him for a low score on a history of magic mock test.

In order to gain an advantage on the test, Ruggie makes a deal with Lucius: Lucius sneaks away from Trein in exchange for tuna. When Ruggie returns Lucius to Trein and explains how he lost precious test-preparation time by saving Lucius from a rooftop, Trein tells him the parts of the textbook to be covered by the test out of gratitude.

Trein later goes to Ruggie for help with finding thirty rats that escaped from the Animal Linguistics class in exchange for nominating Ruggie for a prestigious Animal Linguistics Speech Contest. Ruggie agrees to help, as the contest would be an invaluable addition to his resume for future job-hunting.

Leona finds Ruggie struggling with the rats and says “You’re pretty nimble, a smooth talker and cautious, so you can handle just about anything by yourself”, but “you’re practically programmed to think like an underdog lackey. Try seeing it from a pack leader’s perspective”. Ruggie uses his advice to employ Lucius and Lucius’ “cat friends” to round up the rats, expressing gratitude for Leona’s help and reflecting on how he needs to use the resources he has on hand instead of always trying to do everything by himself.

Ruggie seems to have a good relationship with Lucius, who once guided him to a place where lots of dandelions were in bloom. Ruggie says he is "a very thoughtful cat".

Ruggie’s grandmother taught him how to cook, and he is often able to make do with whatever he has on hand. He is able to teach Jade how to use the same mountain vegetables to make three different dishes (in compensation for accidentally using Jade’s property, which he had thought belonged to the school) and Leona, who will complain of food served to him at the school and elsewhere, will tell Ruggie to “make whatever” when he is hungry, insinuating that Ruggie is an accomplished enough cook to meet the expectations of a literal prince.

Ruggie says his “mom joined the stars in the sky” right after she gave birth to him, while his father “went out to scrounge up some money one day and never came back”, so he was raised by his grandmother. Doughnuts are his favorite good because they are what she would make for him on his birthday in lieu of the birthday cake they couldn’t afford.

When asked what his most prized possession is he responds “money”, but when pressed he says it is the warthog piggy bank in his room. He found in the trash by a rich man's house and kept it after he was unable to find a buyer for it. Having grown to like it, he says he is thinking about buying it a friend: a meerkat bank from the same series.

In Chapter 5, he is happened upon while collecting wild dandelions to eat (dandelions are indeed an edible plant, even for humans). This leads to Rook referring to him as Monsieur Dandelion on JPN-server (pronounced Tanpopo), while Rook uses the French word for dandelion ("Dent de Lion") on NA, which literally means "the lion's teeth".

Ruggie loves gold, and when taking alchemy lessons he is excited to smelt gold and gems. Despite this, he has never once stolen from any of the precious gems or expensive objects strewn throughout Leona’s room, on personal principle.

There is a line in the Eng-server Beans Day event where Azul tells Ruggie, “You’re the vice-housewarden!” and Ruggie doesn’t deny it, but this is a mistranslation. The original line is “He is an underclassmen in your dorm!”.

However, he is depicted as aiding Leona by participating in the entrance ceremony, and is recognized by those around him as the unspoken number-two of Savannaclaw.

Before going on holiday, he always takes food that is about to expire from the cafeteria to share with his family and friends back home (according to him, people who can use magic are rare in the area where he was born and raised). He also seems to take good care of the local children, whom he references making flower crowns for when he was younger.

In his birthday vignette, he tells Jade about washing laundry in a tub with his feet as a child, as no one could afford a washing machine, and how the task would often turn into water-fights with the other children.

He is always certain to gift friends and acquaintances on their birthdays, with the ulterior motive of getting them to gift him on his birthday is response. "Many of the students at this school are rich, so the investment comes back many times over."

Floyd refers to him as “Kobanzame-chan" (a species of remora known as ‘sharksucker’), possibly in reference to how he is always attached to Leona.

Ruggie's unique magic is "Laugh With Me" (In Japanese: "Fool's Parade"), and it forces the person it is cast on to mimic Ruggie's own movements, essentially transforming them into a living puppet. He finds it difficult to control multiple people in this way simultaneously, however, even after taking a magic-enhancing potion that he received from Azul in Book 2.

It is possible that his unique magic itself was inspired by the hyenas forcing the buffalo stampede in Disney's "The Lion King", while the name, Laugh With Me, may have come from Scar's encouragement of the hyenas to obey him ("Stick with me, and you'll never go hungry again!")

Some great artists for Ruggie fan-art and more (SFW, no story spoilers) Short comic about Ruggie’s birthday

Savanaclaw trio with their animal inspirations

Master Chef illustration

Savanaclaw trio out of school

Voice Ruggie is voiced by Ichikawa Aoi (市川蒼) , whose other work includes Just Because! (2017), Darling In The Franxx (2018), Tsurune Kazemai Koukou Kyuudoubu (2018), Boogiepop And Others (2019), Bakugan: Battle Planet (2019), Magical Sempai (2019), number24 (2020), Tasogare Outfocus (2020), Plunderer (2020), Sonny Boy (2021), The Ancient Magus' Bride (2021), and Caligula2 (2021).

More information available here

Additional Fact Sheets ・Riddle Rosehearts ・Trey Clover・Cater Diamond ・Ace Trappola・Deuce Spade ・Leona Kingscholar ・Ruggie Bucchi ・Jack Howl ・Azul Ashengrotto・Floyd Leech・Jade Leech ・Kalim Al-Asim・Jamil Viper ・Vil Schoenheit・Rook Hunt ・Epel Felmier ・Idia Shroud・Ortho Shroud ・Malleus Draconia ・Silver・Sebek Zigvolt・Lilia Vanrouge ・Sam・Crewel・Trein・Vargas・Crowley

[starryeyedmunson]

Ok what if Eddie planned this big Valentine’s Day surprise for his best friend because he couldn’t hide his feelings anymore buttt and the end of the night there was more than rose petals on the floor

valentine's day - e.m.

pairing: eddie munson x female reader

summary: eddie needs to tell you he likes you, so he plans out a valentine's day surprise.

warnings: smut (not really), oral (f receiving), fingering, fluff i guess

author's note: cutie request i got! i hate valentine's day <3 enjoy

word count: 2.9k

“No.”

“Oh come on, Eddie she’ll love it! All she does is watch romcoms and fantasize about Tom Cruise, she’s gonna freak out,” Robin said, and Nancy nodded in agreement. Eddie looked to Steve, who was busy doing his job for once.

Eddie had been crushing on you for a while. You were one of Steve’s failed relationships, but you had ended up becoming good friends. Steve introduced you to Eddie, and he was doomed from that moment on. He didn’t tell anyone about it at first until he got Robin high and she blurted out that everyone already knew. Now, they wouldn’t stop pestering Eddie to tell you how he felt.

“I mean I personally wouldn’t do it,” Steve said, and Eddie gestured to him while looking at Robin and Nancy.

“Oh yeah? How’s that working out for you, eternal bachelor?” Robin snapped, and Steve rolled his eyes.

“I’m not doing this, she doesn’t even acknowledge me when I’m in the same place as her” Eddie huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“That is not true, she totally acknowledges you,” Nancy said.

“Really? Then why does she go mute whenever I go near her?” Eddie snapped. It wasn’t exactly a lie, you did barely talk when he would try and start a conversation. He had no idea what he was doing wrong, and he eventually gave up on trying to you about a week ago.

“She’s just shy!” Robin offered, but Steve let out a snort which turned into a cough once he saw Nancy and Robin’s death stares.

“Sorry,” Steve said, but Eddie wasn’t buying it.

“No, why did you laugh, Harrington?”

“It’s just that she’s not shy. Like, at all. Everyone knows-” Steve was cut off by Nancy throwing a movie at his head.

“See? I told you, she hates me,” Eddie said, making an ‘x’ with his arms.

“No, she’s only shy when she’s nervous. And people only get nervous when they like someone. Probably why she was a social butterfly with you, Stevie,” Robin said, glaring at Steve. He took one of the movies off the shelf and threw it at her, missing and hitting the register.

“Can we stop focusing on this dodgeball game and fucking help me? Please?” Eddie yelled.

“We told you what to do,” Nancy said. “It’s up to you, though.”

“I can’t just put on a massive show and tell her something she definitely is not going to say back,” Eddie said, talking with his hands.

“Fine, then never tell her you like her and keep swimming in this endless pool of self pity.” Robin said flatly.

“Jesus, that was harsh.”

“Reality’s harsh, Munson. So what’s it gonna be, you keep being a little bitch or you finally do something about this crush you’ve had on her?” Robin retorted. Eddie was staring into space as he thought it over, and suddenly he looked back up at Robin.

“If this fails, you’re dead, Buckley, and you’re not safe either, Wheeler.”

-

You had been with Nancy all day; she was taking you on random errands, picking up Mike and his friends from random places, you guys even made a cake for some reason. It was starting to get weird when you told her you had to be home for dinner, even though that was a lie.

“Well, you could have dinner here!” she quipped, and your eyebrows raised.

“Okay, what’s going on?” you said, putting your cake-covered fork in the sink.

“What do you mean?” Nancy said, fear in her eyes. You gave her a sharp expression.

“You’re not a good liar, Nance,” you said, poking her.

“I’m not lying,” she said, dragging out the last syllable. You bowed your head a little, looking up at her through your lashes with your accusatory eyes.

“Alright, then take me home,” you said, crossing your arms.

“Are you su-”

“Wheeler.”

“Okay, fine.” You two got into the car, buckling your seatbelts and setting off for your house.

“You know, today’s my favorite and least favorite holiday,” you stated simply, looking out the window.

“Why least favorite?” Nancy asked with her eyes still on the road.

“It sucks, ya know? Not having someone to celebrate Valentine’s Day with. Sure, you have your friends and family, and that’s love, I’m not saying that it isn't. But being with someone, dating someone is a whole different kind of love. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’d be nice to be able to, to feel comfortable expressing that to someone, for someone to express that to you,” you sighed. Nancy looked over at you, but you didn’t notice with your gaze fixated on the trees you passed.

You were telling her the truth; it would be nice to express that kind of love to someone. What you weren’t telling her was that you had that someone in mind already. You thought about the boy you had met a while back, funny enough through someone who had already tried to hook up with you. You thought about his dark, wavy, long hair; his boyish smile whenever you walked into a room, his laugh when he was wrestling with Dustin. You never made a move to show your feelings, you were always too shy around him. You thought that avoiding any interaction would give people zero opportunities to assume anything, and you didn’t want anyone to know you had the biggest crush on the person who never liked anybody.

“Why didn’t you say that it’d be nice to love someone?”

“Huh?” you asked, looking over at Nancy as she pulled you from your thoughts.

“You said you would want to express that to someone, is there a certain person you have in mind?” she asked, and you tensed up a little.

“No, I don’t know why I said that,” you said quickly, looking back out the window to avoid any eye contact. After averting your gaze, you failed to see Nancy smile, her eyes filled with hopefulness. 

Soon enough you were home, relieved at the sight of your front door. You got out of the car, turning around and slowly walking towards your house. You turned back towards the car, but Nancy had already sped off. You sighed, making it to the door and inside your house.

Something felt off. You weren’t entirely sure what it was, but you knew something was severely out of place. It almost felt like someone else was home, and when you heard something fall from down the hall, you almost screamed. Your hand slapped over your mouth, fight or flight taking over your nervous system. You took slow, silent steps further into the house, quietly grabbing the vase of flowers that was on your dining room table. You knew the sound had come from your room, and you approached the door, ready to attack the intruder.

Your door was slightly ajar, but you couldn’t see who was in the room. You took a deep breath and closed your eyes. You opened them when you kicked the door in, basically pitching the vase at the figure in front of you.

Luckily Eddie was already facing the door due to him hearing you walk through the front door and waiting for you to make it into your room. He was met with a vase of flowers hurtling towards his head, and he ducked just in time for it to hit the wall behind him.

During this you had hid your face from view, but when you heard Eddie’s voice you peeked your eye through the space in between your fingers.

“Jesus H. CHRIST!” he yelled, his eyes wide.

“EDDIE? What the f- How did you even get in here? I could have-” you started, but the sentence was left unfinished as your eyes fell to the rose petal-covered floor. The red flowers were littered everywhere, leaving barely any of the carpet to show. There was a box of chocolates on the floor near Eddie’s feet, him having dropped them in your ambush. You looked up towards your bed, a bouquet of your favorite flowers laying on the comforter. Your brows furrowed then raised, looking up slowly at the blush-stained boy. He wasn’t looking at you, and you had to cough for him to finally make eye contact. His foot was tapping on the carpet, slightly crinkling the flowers under it.

“This is not my fault,” he said abruptly. You let one of your brows fall, and Eddie put his hands out palms-down. “Wait- it is, it is my fault. I mean it wasn’t my idea, but I did, ya know, set the thing up. The whole flower thing took, like, ten years. I also hoped that this is the right flower because Robin screws up everything-”

“Munson.”

“I just really like you and I had to tell you not because Robin threatened to do it first but because I really wanted to. I had been thinking about it forever, so here you go, I guess,” he said way too quickly. Your face eased, and you looked around the floor again. A silence fell over the room, and Eddie started scratching the back of his neck. “Can you say something, please?” he said in a little voice. Your eyes found him again, and a slight smile appeared on your face.

“You like me?” you said, and Eddie looked around.

“I mean, I am standing in the middle of your room with a box of candy and enough flowers to fill a small village, so I’d say so,” he said, laughing at the end. The nervous look was still in his eyes, and you let out a relieved sigh.

“Thank God,” you said, and it was his turn to raise his eyebrows. “It’s so hard trying to ignore you, I just get so afraid to talk to people I like, I feel like I’m going to screw it up or something,” you said, and a smile grew on his face.

“Don’t worry about it, I couldn’t even tell,” he said, trying to keep a straight face. You smiled back at him, but then took the box of chocolates from his hand.

“I love the fact that you did this, I really do, but you’re going to hate me when I tell you I don’t like chocolate,” you said, squinting one of your eyes and looking at his hurt expression.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said, and you couldn’t help but laugh. “This might be a deal breaker for me.”

“No!” you exclaimed, and he shook his head and opened the box of chocolates, popping one into his mouth.

“No, I think it is, darling,” he said, closing his eyes and humming as he chewed on the candy. You made a face of disgust, and when Eddie opened his eyes he grinned down at you while still chewing. You rolled your eyes, taking the box from him and setting it on your bedside table. You turned back towards him to see him licking his chocolate covered fingers, and you laughed as you walked over to him.

He smiled as you wrapped your arms around his neck, his hands moving to hold your waist. You both smiled at each other until Eddie started to look around the room. You tried to catch his eye, but he finally looked down and stayed there. You started playing with the roots of his hair, tugging lightly to try and lift his head up.

“Are you gonna kiss me or what, Munson?” you egged on, and he looked up at you through his eyelashes.

“Am I allowed to?” he asked with a small smile.

“It depends, do you still taste like chocolate?” you asked, and he smiled.

“That’s for you to decide, darling,” he said, and you two leaned in, mouths connecting at a perfect pressure. He kissed you gently, almost as if he didn’t want to go too far too fast. His arms enclosed you more, bringing you closer to him. After a couple seconds you pulled away, licking your lips.

“You do still taste like chocolate,” you said. “We might have to postpone this little make-out sesh.” He rolled his eyes and pulled you back in, and you smiled into his kisses. He moved his arms up from your waist so he could cup your face, and you tightened your arms around him. Your fingers were now really tugging his hair with each kiss getting deeper than the last. Your lips were colliding with more force than they had before, and you didn’t even know you had this kind of neediness in you. Everything was moving perfectly, your lips at the same pace, your hair pulling at just the right hardness and time, his hands moving back down your body to the back of your legs where he tapped lightly. You took the signal and jumped up, after which he carried you to the bed. Once you reached the edge, he slowly laid you both down, his frame hovering over yours.

You could feel the pool of arousal beginning to form in your underwear, and you hooked your leg around Eddie’s lower abdomen to bring his hips closer to yours. He knew what you were doing, and before you knew it he was grinding his bulge against your clothed pussy. You let out a moan, but it was muffled by Eddie’s mouth on yours. Your hand moved down, tracing his torso before landing on the waistband of his jeans. You fumbled with the button, but he put his hand over yours to stop you.

“Even though I’ve been thinking about this for the longest time, I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to do,” he said, his thumb rubbing circles over your hand.

“What about me undoing your pants makes you think I don't want to be undoing them?” you said, pulling your head back and making a face.

“Yeah, that doesn’t make a lot of sense now that I think about it,” he said. “But I just wanted to make sure.”

“Well that’s very kind of you, Eddie. But I’m just gonna pick up where I left off, if that’s okay with you,” you said. He smiled down at you.

“That’s perfectly fine,” he said, and you resumed undoing the button of his jeans. He helped you take the jeans off of himself, casting them aside to the petals on the ground.  and moving back over you. This time he stopped at your waist, lifting your shirt up slightly and pressing kisses to your hip bones. You let out a content sigh, the feeling of his hot breath on your skin fulfilling every dream you’d been having about this moment. His fingers tucked into your skirt waistband, slowly pulling the fabric down your legs and throwing it on the flower-covered floor. He buried his face in between your legs, kissing your inner thighs and moving too slowly up to your heat. Your hands moved to his hair, tugging lightly as he made his way up, finally pulling at it as he kissed your folds lightly. He ran his tongue up the crevice, parting your folds and brushing over your clit. You moaned a bit louder this time, his hands and arms hooking under your legs to give him better access. He was lapping at your clit now, his tongue flicking roughly in the perfect way and sending jolts up your body with each contact. He moved one of his arms back from around your legs, his hand coming in contact with your now-soaking pussy. He circled your entrance a few times, teasing you until he finally pushed a finger inside. You were trying to move, but he was holding you down and forcing you to stay still. His finger pumped slowly in and out, and he added a second to fill you up even more. His tongue was relentless now, completely wrecking your clit, and that coupled up his fingers fucking you was sending your nerves into overdrive. Your legs began to shake, and Eddie had to tighten his grip on you to keep his groove. Your head laid back on the pillow with your back arched up, moans elicited from your throat as you were unable to keep quiet. You felt a pressure building up in your stomach, the feeling like going up to the drop of the roller coaster.

“Eds,” you panted. “Gonna, p-please.” Words were barely being strung together, and when you looked down at Eddie’s eyes on you, the drop hit. You couldn’t stop the orgasm that had been impending for so long, and soon enough you were a shaking, screaming mess for the dark haired boy in between your legs. Eddie never ceased, his tongue hurriedly lapping up your juices as you rode out your high. There was finally a calmness spread over you, your breath heavy as Eddie pressed a final kiss to your swollen clit. He moved to rest on his elbows, looking at you with his chin glistening. He grinned, and you gave him a tired smile to which he chuckled.

“You definitely taste better than the chocolate, darling,” he said, and you rolled your eyes and tried to kick him. You extended your hands out and clasped your fingers, signaling for him to come closer to you. He got up and hovered over you, giving you a quick kiss before moving to your side. He held you close to him as your breathing finally steadied, kissing a path across your forehead. You snuggled your head into his chest, your breathing finally in sync and fell asleep, your Valentine’s Day utterly made.

[deadhumourist]

Real Sugar

A/N: So this one has been stewing for a while. It's completely self-indulgent and built around things I love irl. A huge thank you to @just-here-for-the-moment who kindly read a first draft of this - without her encouragement I probably wouldn't have worked on it again. Not beta'd mistakes are mine.

Rating: M - brief mention of smut in this but will get much spicier in subsequent parts.

Characters: Frankie Morales x f!reader - Chef AU

Warnings (let me know if I missed any): In-depth descriptions of food, cooking and feeding. Cursing, some flirting, R-rated things. Mention of receiving a noogie.

You smoothed your Henley down and peered out of your kitchen window. It really was a perfect day to make something different. Not a cloud in sight, and sunlight was streaming in the large bay windows, bathing the counter in a soft glow.

Even though you were excited to get started, you carefully placed all your utensils out one by one, a ritual you learnt in culinary school that just became habit. Only once you had your own kitchen, your items became a little less..utilitarian. Your pastel green mixing bowl and measuring spoons stood to the side, and you ticked off the necessary items in a neat little mise en place.

You reveled in the quiet moments before you started a new dish. Taking a deep breath. It was a quiet moment with a blank canvas before it exploded in colour, and this anticipation before letting go was cathartic in a way.

You were not an expert baker, preferring to spend your time on the savoury side of the spectrum. Now that you had everything set up, you were missing one more thing.

Ah, yes.

You reached over and turned up your stereo. When you were used to the chaos and cacophony of a professional kitchen the quiet was disquieting in its own way. With this in the background, you could avoid thinking and just focus on what was in front of you.

I know you wanted me to stay

But I can't ignore the crazy visions of me in LA

And I heard that there's a special place

Where boys and girls can all be queens every single day

I'm having wicked dreams

Of leaving Tennessee

Oh, Santa Monica

I swear it's calling me

As you got into the song and your stand mixer whirred to life, you spun in the kitchen, holding the wooden spoon up like a mic, singing along loudly and tunelessly.

I'm gonna keep on dancing at the

Pink Pony Club

I'm gonna keep on dancing down in

West Hollywood

For a brief second you considered whether to take your pants off and attempt a slide into the kitchen like Tom Cruise in Risky Business. You decided against it as you heard the oven ding.

It pulled you back into your kitchen and the deliciously sweet mixture waiting to be baked.

You were excited as the cake came together bit by bit. Your best friend Hannah was celebrating her birthday so you were heading over to her house later. She was hosting what sounded like the party of the century and you volunteered to bring something sweet. You slipped the cake into the oven and turned back to the counter. Eyeing the box in the corner, you couldn’t help but feel a little smug.

A Captain Crunch cake for your friend’s 30th was going to be a hit.

At 5pm you knocked.

“Baby Cakes! You missed the unicorn tequila shot round! ” Hannah squealed as she opened the door further and grabbed your arm to reel you in.

“HannaaaHHAAAA I’m carrying a cake you dumbass! Watch out!”

You tried to counterbalance and keep the massive cake upright in one hand, while flinging your dominant arm around her. Your friend’s name always grew by several syllables when you were yelling at her or drunk or both. You kissed her on the cheek.

“Happy birthday sweets, I hope this year is a wonderful one.”

“Thanks my friend, I can already feel my joints cracking.” she laughed.

She followed you to the kitchen. The party was already in full swing so maneuvering between the bodies was like an obstacle course. Music floated through the house, and groups of people stood around, leisurely chatting and laughing.

“What’s unicorn tequila? I’ve never heard of that.”

“Oh it’s just tequila that we pour pink and blue food colouring into” she sniggered.

Ben sidled up to you, bumping your hip before grabbing you in a warm embrace.

“Glad you could make it kiddo, how’ve you been?”

Benny and Hannah had been together for almost two years, and in that time the two of you had grown close. It was easy to see what your friend saw in him, he was easygoing, fun and very soft on the eye. And, as an ex-guitar player, he had excellent music taste too.

“You know how it goes Benny. I’m running on fumes - Cassis is pumping. It’s now what is commonly referred to as hot” you quipped, making air quotes.

He held you at arms’ length and fixed you with a serious look.

“Listen, don’t let this job take too much from you. All you do is work, and you barely have time to do anything else. I don’t want you to wake up one day and your whole life has been sunk into this. Just….take it easy ok?” He rubbed your upper arms warmly.

You couldn’t help but smile.

“You calling me old, Benjamin?.”

His face turned solemn.

“You’re never too old for a noogie, Baby Cakes”

With that he bent you down and vigorously rubbed his knuckles on your head like you were a little kid getting roughhoused.

“Jesus Benny get off me! We’re at a party and you're not 9!.”

He was laughing raucously until you heard an unfamiliar baritone interject.

“Hey”

Benny stopped abruptly and you swung up to face your inadvertent rescuer.

“Frankie! I thought you were still touring man, I’m glad your ugly ass came to say hello.”

The stranger scoffed and leant over to hug Benny, clapping his shoulder blade.

You stole a few moments to look at him while he was exchanging pleasantries with your friend. He was so handsome. Curled chestnut hair, lending a softness to a strong jaw, heavy set eyes and a curved nose. A few days of patchy scruff framed plush lips which were now pulled up in a smile, accentuating the deep laugh lines.

The face felt familiar, and your mind was whirring through memories to find a match. He looked more familiar when he looked down, the curls at the side of his face framing it like a scruffy halo, but where...

He turned to you and stuck a hand out to take yours gently.

For one horrifying moment, Benny rolled his eyes, before he schooled his face and introduced you, and then said:

“This is Frankie Morales, he’s a buddy of mine and in...”

“...a band...yeah I know,” you finished lamely. The penny had dropped.

Empire had been on your regular rotation a few years ago.

Frankie looked down and scratched the back of his neck lightly in an effort to tamp down the bewildering unease he was suddenly feeling.

“I had some time off, so I had to see that Ben wasn’t creating too much chaos.”

“Too late, sorry.” you side-eyed and punched Benny playfully in the arm.

Frankie laughed. “He was always the wild card in the band, didn’t he tell you?”

You rounded on your friend, barely able to contain your shock. “You were in EMPIRE? Ben? What the hell? I knew you played guitar but you didn’t say you were part of EMPIRE!?”

Ben laughed raucously, like it was the best joke in the world. Frankie chuckled under his breath at the two of you. He would have been lying if he said that your recognition and obvious appreciation for the band wasn’t a nice surprise.

“Well, I need a drink, especially after that bombshell. I’ll see you guys later.” you made a quick exit and exhaled deeply. The casual tone belied the twinge of excitement in your belly at how gorgeous this guy was up close. You had seen the album covers in his slightly younger days, but he seemed to have filled out in the most masculine and gorgeous way, some lines softer, others retaining their strong outlines.

Frankie rotated slightly on his heel as you slipped past him, his head seemingly following you of its own accord. He had made his way through the bustling house to find his former bandmate and just as he spoke, you lifted your head. Eyes bright and brimming with unspent laughter and an elated smile like sunlight breaking through the clouds. A beautiful woman caught in a moment of unadulterated joy.

The sight had wrenched his heart into a heavy, unexpected throb.

It unnerved him that you were able to draw such a strong reaction from him. For the last few weeks he had been comfortably numb. He was struggling to write anything substantial and when he put the pencil down, he often reached for something to bring him back up and out of his writing stupor. It filled the empty spaces and made it easier to ignore the pending deadlines. And expectations. And changes. And band politics.

The boys normally had their pick of poisons, and management made sure that they were taken care of as long as the money kept rolling in. When substances didn’t provide the sense of escape he craved, a warm cunt came close enough.

But the endless array of women became like white noise after a while. Tired variations of the same flirtatious lines, too much skin on nearly perfect bodies that wasn’t tempting anymore. Sex that wasn’t fun. Or meaningful.

He thought back to Crystal (Christy? Candice?) who was splayed out in his bed a few months ago.

“You wanna go again baby?” came her breathy whisper as she looked up at him through her long lashes. She was lying between his outstretched legs, lazily stroking his cock to get him hard again. He despondently stared at the ceiling, wondering when this became just another thing he did out of habit.

“I gotta go.” He started, but she doubled down on her efforts. “Let me suck your cock baby, I’ll take good care of you. You like fucking my throat don’t you?”

The irritation bubbled over and he frowned, pushing her off him.

“Just go please, I wanna be alone.”

Pouting, she pulled on her clothes that were still strewn about the room. She murmured something about this never happening with Will and then walked out, slamming the door.

He stalked to the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water. They were all just a parade of different faces and crushing guilt afterwards because it was a momentary release but didn’t begin to satiate a deep-seated need.

It was drinking seawater when you were thirsty.

He had withdrawn and focused on the music. He was getting a reputation for not being fun, not being down to do things. He didn’t give a shit. Frankie was the songwriter for the band, successfully avoiding the lead singer limelight and instead pushing his talent into lyrics and ridiculous bass licks. He felt deeply but often had to dig hard to unearth anything. When he did though, it was incredible. At least that’s the story their awards and album downloads told.

Frankie just felt older each year. Older and more lost.

Simple things were slipping through the cracks and he let it. When the band wasn’t in the studio or touring, it wasn’t unusual to find Frankie asleep,sprawled on the couch, Netflix casting bright, animated shadows against his living room wall.

When he wasn’t out with friends or management (trips which he increasingly started canceling) the easiest thing was to throw a ready-made pizza into the oven and eat while watching a movie. Takeout would taste better but delivery people were always keen for a selfie so in time he started avoiding that too.

So here he was, standing in Benny and Hannah’s living room.

He had written absolute shit this week. He couldn’t stand it or himself and the self-loathing drove him out of the house. The party was a great distraction, especially as Ben was going around introducing him to some of his friends, most of whom knew the band.

After about an hour of drinks, Hannah brought out the cake, the candles were blown out and the cake cut with everyone digging into their own slice.

Eventually the party started winding down, and you retreated to your comfort zone, the kitchen. By that time, the tequila and whisky had done its job of social lubrication, and you were feeling relaxed and chatty.

He was standing with his back to you, hunched over slightly, his hip balancing against the counter.

"Oh hello Frankie"

He guiltily spun around, Captain Crunch crumbs speckled through his mustache like evidence at a crime scene. His eyes widened comically.

"Mhi, sowwy" he mumbled with a mouth full of cake, crumbs spraying a delicate shower onto the counter. One hand went up in defeat while the other tried to hide his mouth.

You were trying. You were really trying not to laugh but he looked like a four year old caught with his hand in the very literal cookie jar.

"It's Capn Cwhunch, my favwhouite" he mumbled by way of explanation, the cake muffling his speech so that it sounded like he was talking through a pillow.

“Yours too? I thought Han was the only person who loved this shit.”

His eyes lit up. The idea of a grown ass man being this excited over breakfast cereal cake made your heart turn to butter. He swallowed.

"Capn Crunch is the best thing in the world, it’s….it’s….like…”

He swirled a finger in the air, searching for the right words.

“Like butter, caramel, a dog in the backyard, a summer’s day.”

You chuckled.

“You think? Then you’ve never had roast lamb and truffled potato confitted in duck fat. It’s starchy, salty happiness. You toss some smoked Maldon flakes on there? Ohhh god.”

You closed your eyes and a moan escaped your lips at the memory of one of your favourite roast meals that you made when you had time on your hands.

“Smoked salt? What, you some kind of Instagram foodie?” He scoffed, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

You eyed him.

“First of all, that’s fucking insulting, I’m a real chef…you will never hear bullshit like kale smoothie or lemon water for breakfast pass my lips.”

At your last words, his eyes flitted down to your mouth, a seemingly unconscious tick that he wanted to kick himself for.

“That sounds good, I don’t remember the last time I had a meal like that.”

You were confused. This was someone who had money and access to anything he could want.

“How so? Don’t you have dinners at the best restaurants?”

He scoffed, ran his thumb over his bottom lip. His voice came out softer than it had been earlier.

“I just mean if you don’t go out….I….I can’t make that stuff. Frozen pizza’s easy you know?”

You grew quiet. The admission stuck in your craw for many reasons. Food was the language you spoke, the way you navigated the world. All meaning that you gleaned from the world moved through a filter of ingredients, being fed, the art and delight of a sumptuous meal. Love carved and flamed and transformed into something tangible and necessary for survival. For joy.

The man in front of you with the rueful look in his eyes had to be starved of that particular fullness.

Despite the heavy realization, you pitched your next comment lightly, a playful ribbing meant to disguise the sadness that you suddenly felt.

“Oh Frankie whyyyyyy” you breezed, a curious smile playing on your lips.

“I’m usually busy writing, I just…I never really learned to cook I guess.”

An impulse suddenly struck you and you felt a shiver run down your back. That sensation was from someone walking over your grave, your grandma used to say. Now that you were a grown up, you understood that this little frisson usually meant that you were about to do something very stupid.

“I could just cook for you.”

It slipped out, seemingly of its own volition. As the words formed in the air in front of you, you regarded them curiously. Wait, what?

Frankie mirrored your response.

“Huh?”

Dumbly, you threw caution to the wind and just…went for it. In for a penny, in for a pound.

“Yeah, I mean….I’m a chef…I could just cook for you.”

You marveled at your astounding inability to elaborate. You felt like Ralph Wiggum trying to explain theoretical physics. You blamed that fourth whisky.

Frankie just looked at you.

“You’d do that?”

“Yeah” you smiled.

The very simple conversation belied some internal warring. If Frankie was confused as hell he didn’t show much of it. You thought you saw a sliver of hopeful curiosity flit across his features.

You, on the other hand, had not thought this through….at all. You literally just offered to up your entire established life and move hundreds of miles away to the great unknown. You were desperately searching for an anchor.

“If you’re afraid my food is inedible, come to Cassis on Thursday night. It’s not too busy and you can see if you can handle the uhm…food.”

Frankie was still just looking at you, and it was making you goddamned nervous.

A slow smile unraveled on his face.

“Okay.”

A long beat. He continued.

“Can you just…turn your back for a sec and pretend you didn’t see me take some cake home?”

You laughed. The notion of this…rockstar…sneaking cake out of a little home in the burbs was just adorable.

“Oh my god, bye Frankie. See you on Thursday.”

Thursday rolled around in no time at all.

---

Chapter 2

[koroktsuya]

howling back at you

# starring: best friend! park jongseong, gn!reader

# word count: 902 words (i think)

# content: fluff, non-idol!au, coming of age (?), sfw.

# warnings: i tried to keep it gender neutral, but tell me if I should correct anything! mentions of a kiss.

# a/n: it's april 20 where I live, which means we're celebrating the birth of my heart's dearest. happy birthday to my beloved jay <33. i wrote this while listening to Can You Hear the Moon? by Grady, one of my favorite songs. Gimme Love by Joji also fits the vibes nicely, too. hope you enjoy!

You’re cruising down the highway with your closest friend, Jay, slouching in the passenger’s seat as nighttime descends on the city that never sleeps. The sky becoming a deep beautiful blue reminds you of the blueberries that you pressed to Jay’s lips just last night, his mouth brushing against your thumb. 

It’s a comfortable speed, and the lights sparkle white and red and cyan and pink in the distance, nearing as you approach the bend in the road. 

The warmth of the spring air leaves when Jay suddenly speeds up, zipping down the road with the energy of a god, bluffing his way through divinity  as a devilish grin splits his face in half and you hold onto your seat for dear life, being thrown against your window. The colors and scenery all turn into a blurry mess. 

It’s terrifying and dangerous and utterly exhilarating. You think you peed your pants a little bit, but you’re laughing too hard to care. Time seems to slow, and the night becomes infinite. 

Nothing matters when your lives are just starting and you have each other, and all the time in the world to enjoy more of this moments. 

You slowly move towards the open window and when the upper half of your body is getting hit by the wind and you can’t even see properly, you howl. You don’t even know if you’re actually hearing Jay laughing or if it’s just your imagination, but you pull an arm outside as well and feel like you and Jay own the world. 

Energy is heavier than elephants and even if Jay is focusing on getting you both to your special place, you can tell he’s just as delighted and bouncy as you. 

Once you’re at the top of the hill where you can overlook the entire city, Jay and you sit on the hood of his car and the small cake you prepared is between the two of you.

You’re both chatting the last minutes of the night away, wondering if Pink Floyd's songs really are too slow, if cats could really overthrow governments or theorizing on ways to develop superpowers with no pain, as per usual. 

The buzz of the ride there hasn’t entirely left you when your phone lights up as the clock marks 00:00 of april’s 20th, a reminder that you had set on your phone reads «Jongseongie’s b-day!! 💓» and you jump off the car, taking candles and the lighter from your house’s kitchen out of Jay’s your jacket pocket. 

Beautiful, you think as you watch Jay’s face lit by the moonlight now receiving the light of the fire. His smile even brighter as he coos “Aww, for me?” 

You grin, nodding yes as you hold the cake in between your hands, “Before you approach this tasty treat, allow me to say a few words, yeah?”

Jay hides his shocked expression behind a fond smile, “the mic’s all yours”. 

You clear your throat but suddenly words are gone. You look at the moon and it’s like you hear it, returning the feeling of excitement you had on the highway. 

“I met you in a day like any other, we started to talk and hang out almost every hour of the day. I never noticed how it happened but I was already thinking about you daily. I only made my way through the day to see the night fall and enter those conversations that only happen after midnight.”

“When I least expected it, I was already scribbling your name everywhere, I didn’t even see it coming, I just started to feel my heart racing more and more as I spent time with you and thinking about you. It all happened so fast and I truly didn’t expect it, but there’s no doubt in my mind that meeting you is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I am so happy I get to celebrate your birthday with you and delight in the beautiful sight that is your smile being lit by the moon.”

Jay’s expression is mirroring yours, the same glossy but loving eyes and a smile that says so much to you. 

Your cheeks redden as you realize that you almost started tearing up, you smile even bigger and whisper: “go ahead then, Jongseongie, blow the candles.”

He smiles even bigger, beautiful. He leans and holds your gaze as he blows the two candles you placed with the digits of his age. 

“So, what did you wish for?” You ask as you both are finishing your first slice of cake. 

He swallows and stares at you for a moment before mumbling “that you’d kiss me.”

You grin, approaching his face that suddenly looks too surprised. Your stomach’s busy doing some flips but you ignore them, pecking his cheek. He whines. 

“What? Is that not what you wanted?“ You exclaim with fake confusion. 

“No, Y/n. I meant a slow kiss, on the lips” he pouts dramatically and you laugh at him, with him, actually. 

“Oh, Jongseongie, I’m gonna kiss you so slow that you’re gonna think it’s a damn Pink Floyd song.”

He’s suddenly holding your chin softly his right hand, you both smile at each other “I’d really like to see that.” 

And as he closes the space between you two, you can definitely hear it. The moon is howling back at you. 

🌿 reblogs are greatly appreciated!!

[pompadourpink]

bonjour mom this might be a stupid question but i'm super interested in environmental protection and i'm trying to go vegan and buy less and all that jazz but everything is super expensive if it's local or it's okay but they have to fly it here etc and i understand your idea of only getting quality stuff but like i don't know yet what i like so i don't want to splurge (not that i could anyway) and i want to avoid amazon but it's super practical and at least it's for sure not a scam and i WILL get my package etc, and sometimes i do like a bit of dairy or i'll have birthday cake but i feel super guilty about it and i'm getting super anxious, do you have any advice??

Hello dear (and oh boy, this is going to be another wall of text),

I've been there. I went vegetarian with the hopes of becoming vegan back in 2012, went super minimalist, started to buy way less, switched to bulk and organic, got a menstrual cup, felt like I had to donate money I didn't have because others needed it more than me and felt awful every time I binned something thinking I actually didn't need that thing and that was a selfish decision, and it was so hard to see other people around me not caring about these things. It was eating me alive and making me bitter and sadder than a bag of rocks. It's a real thing called eco-anxiety and it's well-documented at this point so you can look it up.

In my case, researching capitalism and going to therapy were the key. Because little old me being vegan not only wasn't sustainable because I had personal issues with food and ADHD and it made it worse, but at the end of the day it's not going to be enough to annihilate centuries of specism and make the industry change its mind; just like little old me feeling guilty about buying ice cream because I was going to have to throw away the pot is the most insignificant thing in the world when you look at what Nestlé or cruise boats are doing to the planet.

Whatever you do, you will have to sacrifice something and it will never be enough - you've already noticed it. Change comes gradually, when people come together and stand against what's wrong, which has been harder to do these days where we routinely lose family members and friends to Facebook radicalisation. My advice is to do what I've been doing, after years of trial and error: putting myself first, staying realistic about my goals, practising empathy, remembering to be a role model rather than a preacher, and giving myself time before I make a decision.

I like you prefer to boycott Amazon but between shipping fees, delivery time, dodgy neighbours, prices, fear of scammers (...), I used it occasionally to get stuff whenever it felt like the best solution. But then, at the beginning of the pandemic, I bought face masks online from a French pharmacy, which cost quite a lot but I was trying to do the good thing. Three weeks later I received a white piece of plastic that looked like every package from Wish videos on Youtube from somewhere in China that contained the masks with a little note in broken English stating that those were only for fashion and couldn't be worn for medical reasons.

I did some research and realised that they bought the items for pennies on Aliexpress and got the suppliers to directly send me my order - it's a very scammy and common concept called drop shipping. If you're looking for anything brandless on Amazon (from sunglasses to hairbrushes to decoration and gym equipment), check out Aliexpress and your cart will go from 132,99 to 17 bucks in under five minutes. So after years of judging people who use Aliexpress or Wish, I started doing the same, because what I receive is the exact same thing, but there's no mediocre business tycoon wannabee making a profit on my behalf in between.

And ever since, I've rethought my beliefs. I no longer feel bad about wanting children even though every human being creates a lot of waste in a world where Kylie Jenner takes a private jet to avoid a 40-minute drive. I no longer feel bad about occasionally flying to go on vacation because I have only one shot at living and once in a while I deserve a break. I no longer feel bad about doing my nails even though I will have to buy and dispose of cotton buds because I'm tired of neglecting my happiness to avoid worsening problems I haven't even caused.

I still do what I can. I'm still conscious of what I do, don't waste water, buy all my clothes secondhand, donate money whenever I can and all that, but I'm at peace. I try and that's what matters in a world where succeeding is not an option.

Love,

Mum

[beebascloset]

Only few people would cruise around our building, and ask for the menu item known as "Cinnabon Delights". Those doughy brown spheres caked with sugar, and possibly cinnamon. What did it really taste like though? Was it worth getting 2 like some people desired, or was it better to get 12?

I never tasted this pastry in my three months working at the combination KFC and Taco Bell, but I just had to try it. A Cinnabon Delight. What made it so delightful?

After all the customers had gotten their orders, I felt the anticipation of savoring the sweet cinnamon bun. Should I stay here in case we have another order come up, or should I relieve this unnerving feeling of not tasting the golf ball-sized bread?

I can't take it, I thought. I have to try it. But I couldn't just leave the cash register. I don't want to show my coworkers and my shift manager how lazy I am. How unwilling I feel, and how gluttonous I could be.

You know what, screw it. There's no work to do right now. The counters are stainless, the sauce bins are filled, and there were no biscuits to tray, no chicken to debone. My shift manager was probably outside taking a smoke break (ew, cigarettes), and nobody was going to stop me from taking just one piece.

I scurried over to the line, where we make our tacos, burritos, and pretty much everything else that was present on the Taco Bell menu. Near the taco shells rested the glass bin of Cinnabon Delights. Quite possibly the sweetest thing that came from this establishment. My elastic gloves covered my hands because I didn't want germs on food that could be handed out to others, and also the buns might be hot. Unfortunately, elastic gloves don't 100% mitigate the burning damage one receives from making contact with a hot surface, but my coworkers claim it does.

My eyes were locked on the (kinda dirty) glass pan that held the round snacks. I was so eager to try just one. I looked around to make sure nobody was watching. Some people were occupied in the kitchen where the chicken is fried, others were cleaning. There were only 3 or 4 others in the building, who knows where anyone else went. Not that they would care, this is a fast food restaurant, not a corporate office building. This isn't a professional job where everyone cares about what you do. This was the perfect job for all the crackheads roaming around this small town trying to get cash for, well, crack.

I was clear. I was absent in everyone's point of view. As I stood on the tips of my toes, I grabbed one cinnamon bun from the pan. My toes were already hurting from bending the bones or cartilage that was hidden inside. My front feet were slowly bruising in the process. But it was worth it for grabbing this sugary snack. This round, squishy ball caked with sugar and cinnamon. I slowly inserted it into my mouth. I struggled to fit it in without dropping the whole thing because it was a little bigger than I expected it to me.

I close my eyes and savor every bit of the surface. The sugar, the cinnamon, even just the plain dough. I chewed into the core, and tasted the most amazing thing. A sugary glaze watered my mouth. It felt as if angels created this and decided to put it in Taco Bell's Cinnabon Delights. I loved it more than I thought I would. This was better than anything I could ever taste. All of my stress escaped from me. I'm not worried about my upcoming assignments or due dates any longer. That's how strong the flavor is.

Anyway go eat a Cinnabon Delight from Baco Bell