#michigan water trail

[thedruidsforest]

Backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains Michigan's UP, September 2024

linktree / instagram

[thorsenmark]

Only Wanting Fresh Air (Indiana Dunes National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While walking along the shores of Lake Michigan in Indiana Dunes National Park with a view looking to the northwest on an overcast afternoon. In composing this image, I decided to use some of the dunes nearby and create a more layered approach with the shoreline and then waves coming in across Lake Michigan.

[freepassbound]

The off-kilter pictures (one literally).

[thrivingisthegoal]

Golf Courses ARE Being Converted

The Solarpunk "fantasy" that so many of us tout as a dream vision, converting golf courses into ecological wonderlands, is being implemented across the USA according to this NYT article!

The article covers courses in Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Colorado, and New York that are being bought and turned into habitat and hiking trails.

The article goes more into detail about how sand traps are being turned into sand boxes for kids, endangered local species are being planted, rocks for owl habitat are being installed, and that as these courses become wilder, they are creating more areas for biodiversity to thrive.

Most of the courses in transition are being bought by Local Land Trusts. Apparently the supply of golf courses in the USA is way over the demand, and many have been shut down since the early 2000s. While many are bought up and paved over, land Trusts have been able to buy several and turn them into what the communities want: public areas for people and wildlife. It does make a point to say that not every hold course location lends itself well to habitat for animals (but that doesn't mean it wouldn't make great housing!)

So lets be excited by the fact that people we don't even know about are working on the solutions we love to see! Turning a private space that needs thousands of gallons of water and fertilizer into an ecologically oriented public space is the future I want to see! I can say when I used to work in water conservation, we were getting a lot of clients that were golf courses that were interested in cutting their resource input, and they ended up planting a lot of natives! So even the golf courses that still operate could be making an effort.

So what I'd encourage you to do is see if there's any land or community trusts in your area, and see if you can get involved! Maybe even look into how to start one in your community! Through land trusts it's not always golf course conversions, but community gardens, solar fields, disaster adaptation, or low cost housing! (Here's a link to the first locator I found, but that doesn't mean if something isn't on here it doesn't exist in your area, do some digging!)

[my-lifes-reward]

ATV Riding the Cedar Creek North Loop

This video is an afternoon of riding an ATV on the Cedar Creek Trail North Loop near Twin Lake, MI. On this mild and sunny November day, I drove the 9.3 mile loop that represents the Northern portion of this trail system.

This video is an afternoon of riding an ATV on the Cedar Creek Trail North Loop near Twin Lake, MI. On this mild and sunny November day, I drove the 9.3 mile loop that represents the Northern portion of this trail system. This trail is sandy and comfortably wide enough for any level of rider. The Cedar Creek views and Little Henna Creek Bridges were spectacular! I drove the loop clockwise. This…

[star2fishmeg]

can I request 143 and all three hughes 🙈

Thank you for requesting <3

SCENARIO #143 Skinny dipping

📞 dialling…

ǫᴜɪɴɴ

Dipping in next to her, Quinn���s nerves swirled in his stomach, yet the excitement fizzled in his chest. He’d never felt like that since college, usually he felt a consuming level of nerves, but the addition of y/n’s bare body submerged under the water, waiting for him, just eased those fears, “Are you sure this is safe?”

The weren’t far out into the lake, just next to the dock where their clothes lie in piles with their towels. He held the ladder for support, to not only keep them afloat, but in hope to shelter them from any eyes. 

“You said you wanted to live a little before training camp, didn’t you? Well, wouldn’t this be something to cross off the bucket list?” She replied, his arm winding around her waist until he pulled her into him, chests pressed together as her arms snaked around his shoulders.

“True, I just hope our neighbours can’t see, oh god, or my family.” He buried his face into her shoulder, “I’d never live that down.”

She giggled, placing a kiss to his hair before cupping his cheeks, her thumbs caressing over his cheekbones as her legs hooked around his waist. Although unnoticeable in the dark, his face radiated a raging heat and she knew he was blushing furiously. She smiled lazily, kissing his nose.

“It’s two in the morning, Q. And we’re in water. In the dark.” She watched his lips falter, “C’mere and I’ll take care of you.”

She pressed her lips to his, a sweet kiss quickly becoming greedy when he softly moaned into her, the grip around her waist tightening and hugging their bodies closer, fingers sliding to his nape and tangling in his curls and mouths opening to welcome tongues into a languid rhythm. He licked into her mouth desperately, the guttural moan vibrated against their chests as saliva coated their lips and his hand trailed down the small of her back to grasp her ass, almost smiling when a whimper slipped past her lips.

He pulled away first, panting and pressing his forehead against hers, mumbling low, “I missed this.”

“Missed what? I kiss you all the time.” She traced circles on his shoulder with her fingertip, her nose bumping with his.

Even such a small act of passion could open the floodgates of memories, they were still young but gone were the days of dumb ideas with no consequences. If they were back in college, he knew they would have moved quickly by now, jumping into sex just for the thrill of it but where they were now was romantic paradise. The company of another was enough even if they were skinny dipping.

“Not that, being young and stupid. Like in college when we thought mixing vodka and milk and then inhaling a McDonalds was a good idea until we were just puking the whole night simultaneously in our friend’s toilet. Or that stealing shopping carts phase.” He said, eyes steadying on hers, a frenzied sparking feeling surging through his limbs.

She cocked an eyebrow, smirking, “And falling asleep while making out-” 

“-I was wasted, oh my god!” He groaned, half-amused with a twinge of embarrassment, silencing her laughter with his mouth, once again connecting their tongues to lap against each other and create the sweet sound of wet kissing to fill the void of the atmosphere.

ᴊᴀᴄᴋ

“See? Isn’t this better than whatever Trevor’s up to?” y/n grinned, swimming backwards from the dock, not too far in the pitch black of the summer’s night, the water chilling at first but gradually holding her into a warm embrace. Social media could be a pain in the ass and Jack succumbed to it, falling into a glum mood over being unable to attend Trevor’s party due to being in Michigan. 

Jack hesitantly pulled his shirt over his head, dropping it to the deck before fumbling with the ties of his jersey shorts, “Seeing you naked is better than anything, pretty girl.”

He kicked his shorts and boxers off, taking a small run up until he launched himself over the dock, cannonballing into the lake next to her and disappearing under the water. She waited for a little bit, glancing towards the house in case someone heard them at the dead of night. But they were safe. 

Jack resurfaced quietly, flipping his hair back from his forehead and winding his arm around her waist, pressing his chest into her back until his palms cupped her breasts, wet kisses smothering up her neck and drowning in her soft giggles that just made his stomach warm and fuzzy.

“You gonna move those hands or am I gonna have to pry them off me?” she leant her head back onto his shoulder, gazing up into his half-lidded eyes and feeling his lips meet hers for a slow but gentle kiss, hands kneading her breasts tenderly, boyishly, fascinated by the way they moulded to his palms.

“But your boobs make me feel better,” he murmured playfully with a smirk against her lips, before the hands in question slid down the sides of her waist, arms wrapping around her torso and the transferring of their bodies’ heat like a blanket in the chill. “I’m kidding, this is so much better than some party. I get to swim in a lake, in privacy with my girl while naked. That’s so much better, babe.”

With nothing but the crickets singing their songs, they leant their heads on each other’s, watching the moonlight cascade over the ripples and sparkle against the reflection. They missed moments like that, where it was just the two of them in each other’s company, entirely. Skinny dipping in the lake wasn’t a conventional way to spend time with someone, but if they were happy, whatever.

ʟᴜᴋᴇ

With both hands in his, Luke led y/n into the lake, both their clothes and towels piled at the bank as the cold water nipped at their bare skins and woke every goosebump to run over them. 

“Are you sure about this, Lu? What if we get caught?” she whispered, looking back at the lake house in the far distance, not a light to be seen. She wasn’t really walking, it was more letting Luke pull her into the water with him, feeling her knees submerge knowing he’d be further in. 

“Then we get caught, we’re adults, we’re allowed to do what we want, angel. It’s gonna be a good story to tell.” He lured her in further until the water covered their shoulders, the temperature freezing yet when Luke pressed her body into his, arms secured around her waist, it didn’t seem so unbearable. When she’d said she was too hot, skinny dipping wasn’t on her mind, yet her chest squished against his brought that familiar comfort she was used to in bed. 

She wound one arm around his shoulders, her other helping him tread water, noses ghosting with dilated pupils and electric urges in their chests to close the gap between them, “Lu, I don’t want anyone seeing me ass naked, that’s so embarrassing. We could have just dug out another fan.” 

“But you’re beautiful, and where’s the fun in that?” his warm lips met her cheek softly, peppering her face and travelling to her neck gradually, smiling when she broke into a hushed giggle. “I wouldn’t let anyone see you, don’t worry. You’re all mine, babe. Have you cooled down now?”

She scratched her nails lightly at the nape of his neck, in the curls that sat there and were soaked for the water’s surface, relishing in the way he tipped his head back into the feeling that left tingles over his scalp, his eyes closing, “Mmm, yeah. But this is nice.”

[racketballz]

I…. am not sure if I’ve mentioned this before but I think butch is a chronic Googler I think he will spend like 5 hours at a time on Google looking absolute useless shit up because he cannot stop from going down a rabbit hole and those related search questions

Like this is how it goes to me:

(He’s high) yeti weed strain

What is a yeti?

How big are yetis?

Difference between yeti and big foot?

Who is stronger Bigfoot and a yeti?

Has anyone ever seen Bigfoot

Bigfoot sightings

Big foot by Nicki Minaj

What is Megan’s law?

Easiest way to kill big foot

How to find Bigfoot

Camping trails in my area

Popular camping trails

Do girls like lakes?

Where is Lake Michigan?

Is Lake Michigan the biggest lake in the country?

Do girls like big lakes?

Loch ness monster

Is the Loch Ness monster a girl?

How far is Scotland?

Flights to Scotland

Are you allowed to take weed in a plane?

Actual reason why you aren’t allowed to take weed on planes?

Snakes on a plane (he watches the first 5 minutes gets bored and watches it on 2x speed and gets bored)

Powerpuff girls buttercup

.

.

.

Why do girls like lakes?

Do girls prefer medium sized lakes?

Boats for sale

Lakes versus beaches

Are pools considered body’s of water?

Biggest pool in the country

Do girls like pools better than lakes?

Pool girls

Girls in Pools

Pool bikini show (2003) .mp4 (download)

[eyesthatroll]

stay the night | jack hughes

pairing: jh86 x fem!reader. not edited.

word count: 1k

summary: loosely based of of this prompt: "one character thinks their relationship is a fling, the other thinks its destiny" but not really because i kind of strayed away from that completely.

sighing in contempt, you slid out of jack’s grasp, your feet making contact with the cold hardwood floor in his bedroom. he groans, mumbling something under his breath that you can’t hear, his mouth muffled by the comforter. 

looking around, you found your panties, along with your other clothes, thrown in a pile in front of his closet. 

“it’s late, don’t go.” jack says, his body now turned towards you, his head supported by his hand and elbow that rested on one of the white pillows that adorned his bed. 

sliding the thin fabric up your legs, you chuckled softly, shaking your head to yourself. “i can’t.” 

“why not?” 

you hummed in response, slipping your old, oversized, michigan crewneck over your head. 

“(y/n)?” 

you turn around to face him. his gaze is already on you, eyes still so full of want and lust, but tired more than anything. 

“just stay the night.” he asks again, patting the empty space next to him.

realistically, there was nothing stopping you from spending the night. this was the fourth time that you and jack had hooked up, the first time at his apartment. it was just always more convenient in the specific circumstance to go to yours. 

part of you wished that you were at your apartment now, at least then you could kick jack out and spare both of you the awkwardness of what was the current conversation. 

“jack, c’mon..” you trailed off, sending him a knowing look. 

he raises his hands in surrender, eyebrows raised in innocence. “(y/n), it’s late, it’s raining, just stay the night.” 

you crossed your arms at your chest. “i’m going home.” 

“stay the night.” 

“jack.” you warned. 

“stay the night.” 

“did you not hear what i just said?” 

jack sighs, lowering his gaze. “fine. kiss goodbye, at least?”

you hesitated in your movements, but ultimately crossed over to the bed. 

jack sits up slightly from his previous position, his hands immediately on either side of your face, pulling you into his lips. 

his tongue swipes across your bottom lip, and you go to pull away, but jack’s hands move to your waist, pulling you on the bed.

you fall onto him with a gasp. 

jack’s laughing beneath you. 

rolling your eyes, you pushed yourself up, your hands on his bare chest, straddling him as he leaned back against the headboard. 

jack lifts a hand to push a stray curl behind your ear. “stay the night.” he murmurs. 

you begin to speak, but jack cuts you off. “stay the night, and let me make you breakfast in the morning.” 

your teeth graze your bottom lip out of habit as you thought to yourself. “what do you think this is, jack? between the two of us?”

he shrugs, and you feel his cold hands meet the small of your back. “i don’t know.” 

you sighed, exhaling a controlled, heavy breath. “when i first met you, you said you wanted to have fun.”

“have you not been having fun?” he's teasing, but his eyes are looking at you with the slightest amount of concern.

“i have.” 

“then what’s the problem?” 

“look, jack. i don’t know if you’re always this clingy after sex, or you’ve gotten attached to me in some way, but i ma-” his lips are on yours, and it’s fast, yet soft and delicate in a way the completely leaves you breathless, pulling apart gasping for air. 

“i like you. is that a crime?” his words carry so much weight with them, yet he’s speaking as if it’s the most casual endeavor in the world.

like he wasn't the one who said he just wanted fun. like he wasn't the one who said he didn't want anything serious, but something casual, kept under wraps.

of course, you had come to like jack more than you'd care to admit. he was great in bed, had a good go-with-the-flow personality, all in all, he blew your sleezebag ex out of the water. so of course you wouldn't mind if your harmless hookups turned into something more, but he needed to say that, explicitly.

he was jack hughes, 'super-star' center for the new jersey devils, adorned and praised by all. you knew any day of the week he could have puck bunnies at his disposal.

not that you would blame them. jack was gorgeous, talented, and had a confident-not-cocky aura that made him extremely sexy.

his finger snaps in front of your face, pulling you out of your thoughts. "hello, earth to (y/n)?"

"look, jack. if you want to keep this casual, that's fine. but if you're saying you want something more, i need to hear you say it."

"let me take you out tomorrow, on a date." the words roll off of his tongue immediately. so easily, like he doesn't even have to think about it.

you remained quiet, pondering jack's inquisition.

"isn't tomorrow a little soon, how'll you have time to drop your other side girls?" you asked, a playing smile on your lips.

he leans up, his right hand reaching up to caress your cheek. "it's only been you since the the first night i said hi to you in the bar."

your mouth falls agape, stunned at his words. "but-that was like six months ago?"

you first met jack around six months ago, after you served him and his teammates drinks at the bar that you worked at. you and him hadn't met on a personal level until about a month ago, when he came to the bar when you were off the clock.

one thing lead to another, and the two of you were stumbling into your apartment later that night.

"the boys are always flaming me, sayin' i'm whipped."

your lips twist into a grin as you pull him into your lips. "they're right."

his laugh echoes against your mouth. "so that's a yes to the date?"

"yeah, jack."

smirking, he speaks again. "i think i wanna hear you say it how you did earlier, what was it? oh right.. 'yes, god yes!'"

you hand meets the back of his head, his body falling forward slightly from collateral. "ow!"

"don't make me stand you up tomorrow."

/.end

mari speaks ! lowkey hate the off season because it reminds me that i could bump into the hughes brothers literally anywhere, like pine knob sjsjsj. anyways, i don't know how i feel about this. i know its not the greatest, but im still learning i guess. hope u all are doing well.

[treeba-rk]

it’s 2021. april third life renchanting may altar beheading “this is us, now. this is us” june “a hand to hold until the end. a hand to hold because we’re friends” july mcc team august hermit raiders and rise of treebark. ghosts of 2019— being too scared to ship openly but doing it anyway. treebark quarantine. where is your rider. we bet on losing dogs. fuck it shipping block people is fun, we should do it more. last life. tsuki. red lips. the love crystal that never was. the ren vs martyn finale that never was. last life ethubs— “oh, so hermitshipping can get mainstream”. martyn goes on tumblr. maidtyn. mint maids. ren calls martyn sexy. months before the first treebark week. 2021.

2024. i miss you. if you’re still here. i’m in love with judas. nothing will hit like 2021 third life ever again. trails of crumbs on twitch and tumblr and bits and pieces. real life. the marriage proposal that never was. michigan. shipping is so mainstream that ccs engage with it on twitter. “treebark is the ship name not the platonic name”. containment breaching. ren and martyn. what’s a dm. the summer slips away, blazing hot and swift. no june finale, no july mcc, no august treebark. fantasy smp? more like fantasy. scheduling. ren’s birthday. bbq cheesecake. cheese pie. smuggling. snuggling. rats in paris. new life series. mcc team dropping. welcome back 2021. bantering and innuendos and stupid bits and being “romantic”. renwood mound. ren and littlewood. two beds pushed together. promises in the cave. coming back home. “this is us, now. this is us.” king/hand. captain/lieutenant. and there was only one hammock. actual collabs and not crumbs. it felt so hard, but it feels so easy now. their banter was always this natural, was it? watching them is as easy as letting water slip between your fingers, is it? two cubitos holding hands in every universe— mcc, hermitcraft, third life, twitch rivals, rats smp. it’s you and me till the end. get me a shield and i will follow you to the ends of the earth. barely anything, then everything. 2024.

i love you. you’re still here.

<3

[mamaestapa]

For the JJ blurb idea..waking up together for the first time or your first sleepover together🤭

Burnt Toast Sunday|| JJ McCarthy x reader

• pairing: JJ McCarthy x reader

• summary: The morning after your first sleepover with JJ

• warnings: some language & lots of fluff<3

Your eye lids fluttered open from the feeling of JJ leaving soft kisses on your cheek and neck. You were pressed against his body, your back against his chest with his strong arms wrapped around you.

Last night was your first time staying over at JJ’s—with just the two of you.

You have been dating JJ for three months now. They’ve been the best three months of your life. He’s such a caring, considerate and attentive individual, so he makes the best boyfriend. You and JJ were good friends for about a year before the two of you realized there was something more between you. JJ came over to your house after a particularly rough practice, seeking comfort and someone to talk to. You were there for him, comforting him and listening to his rant about what was going wrong at practice. After a lengthy rant, JJ just gazed at you before spitting out the question he’s been wanting to ask for a while now: Will you go out with me this weekend? There’s a bar downtown that I heard has great food.

And the rest was history.

You hummed softly as you grabbed JJ’s hand that was pressed against your tummy. You intertwined your fingers with his and squeezed his hand gently.

“Good morning beautiful.” He whispered, his morning voice in your ear giving you butterflies. “Good morning handsome.”

He kissed your cheek before leaning on his arm that was on his pillow. “How’d you sleep?”

“Good,” you smiled, turning so you were facing him, “even better in your arms.” JJ chuckled, “Good, I’m glad you slept well.”

The two of you just laid in each others embrace, savoring every moment of the quiet morning with one another. JJ’s roommates were out of town for the weekend, meaning you had the entire house to yourself. It was peaceful, good for you and JJ to spend quality time together.

As you re-situated yourself and snuggled into JJ’s chest your stomach let out a loud growl. You groaned in embarrassment as your boyfriend just chuckled.

“Don’t be embarrassed baby, come on.” He groaned softly as he let go of you and rolled out of his bed, “I’ll go make you breakfast.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

JJ shot you a look, almost seeming to give you his best RBF, “Yes I do. You’re hungry, I’m hungry, come on.” He reached out for your hand to pull you out of bed. You grabbed his hand, smiling softly at him as he helped you up. You hummed out a soft thank you before pulling away from him. JJ left you alone in the bedroom as he headed downstairs to prepare breakfast.

After JJ went downstairs, you went into his bathroom and freshened up a bit. You put your bra back on, brushed your hair, and swished some of JJ’s mint mouthwash around your mouth to get rid of your morning breath. You finished up in the bathroom and headed downstairs. The smell of eggs filled your nostrils as you entered your kitchen, making your mouth water and stomach rumble.

“Something smells good.” You mused as you walked up next to JJ. He just put two pieces of toast down in the toaster when you walked in. He turned around, breath hitching at the sight of you. JJ wet his lips as he looked at you wearing the silk sleep shorts paired with one of his Michigan t-shirts. “God you look so beautiful.” JJ said as he eyed you.

You blushed at his words, “Stop,” you eyed him playfully as you spoke, “I just woke up, it can’t be that pretty of a sight.” JJ chuckled and kissed your cheek. He stroked your skin with his thumb as he spoke, “It’s the prettiest.”

You smiled sweetly at your boyfriend as he smiled down at you. However your smile soon faltered as a burning smell filled your nostrils. You scrunched your nose in disgust as you sniffed a couple times.

“JJ…” you trailed off, “it smells like something is burning.”

JJ sniffed the air, his nose scrunching in disgust just like yours. His eyes widened as the toaster popped up, signaling that the pieces of bread were done toasting.

They were done toasting all right.

“Shit,” JJ breathed out as he pulled the two pieces of black burnt toast out of the toaster, “I burnt the toast.”

You chuckled at the sad look on your boyfriend’s face. He felt so bad he burnt your toast, but you thought it was funny. Hey, it’s the thought that counts right?

“It’s OK baby,” you said as you placed a hand on his back, rubbing it back and forth softly as you spoke, “it’s the thought that counts.”

JJ sighed as he poked at the burnt bread, his face turning into disgust once again. He let out another sigh as he looked at the burnt toast. So much for your breakfast…

“Why don’t we go to that cafe your parents took us to a couple weeks ago? They had good omlette.” You suggested with a smile. JJ glanced at you as he nodded.

He wrapped an arm around you as he spoke, “I could go for an omlette.”

Although breakfast didn’t go as JJ planned, the morning after your first sleepover together was still just as great as you imagined it would be.

hi loves!!

oh i love writing about jj. he’s such a cutie and you guys are sending in great requests for him. i love them!��

my requests are always open, so feel free to send me any and all ideas you have. i promise ill get to it at some point ;)

i’ll post some more blurbs tomorrow! as always, thank you for all the love and support, it means so much babes😚🤍

[thedruidsforest]

Tahquamenon Falls, Wilderness Trail - Michigan's UP June 2024

linktree / instagram

[thorsenmark]

A Distant View of Chicago from Indiana Dunes National Park by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A setting looking to the northwest while taking in a view across the blue waters of Lake Michigan with the skyline of Chicago off in the distance. This was while walking along the Dune Succession Trail in Indiana Dunes National Park.

[welldigger62]

No walk in the woods ☹️

I drove to the Shiawassee Wildlife Refuge this morning to enjoy a long walk in the woods. It never happened. When I got there, the sign read Closed To The Public. 😩

It was closed due to white tail deer hunting this week. I did the next best thing, I drove across the river to do some riverside walking.

Just look at that water, it is a very peaceful morning. It was enjoyable but there is fewer places to walk. This is the Tittabawassee river and this location is about 20 miles south of The Tridge in Midland Michigan that I have posted here.

I did find one short trail, and I mean very short. It started at the far right side of the pic above 👆

Got some nice pictures though.

Happy Almost-Friday 😃

[my-lifes-reward]

ATV Riding the Cedar Creek South Loop

This video is an afternoon of riding an ATV on the Cedar Creek Trail South Loop near Twin Lake, MI. On this mild and sunny November day, I drove the 13 mile loop that represents the Southern portion of this trail system.

This video is an afternoon of riding an ATV on the Cedar Creek Trail South Loop near Twin Lake, MI. On this mild and sunny November day, I drove the 13 mile loop that represents the Southern portion of this trail system. This trail is sandy and comfortably wide enough for any level of rider. The Cedar Creek views were spectacular! I drove the loop clockwise. There was some spotty water on the…

[milliesfishes]

Heeey, I cant stop thinking about billy being absolutely hypnotized (basically love at first sight) by either a circus artist or a can-can dancer, if you want to write anything about that 🎀

౨ৎ꣑ৎbilly's love at first sight౨ৎ꣑ৎ fem reader x billy the kid also quick plug- @runningfrom2am has a series in progress called 'Michigan Cherry' that's similar to this idea and it's so good plz check it out

His boys had said there was a performance Billy wouldn't want to miss.

Wondering what kind of show could get them so riled up when they had so little alcohol in them, he'd followed them to a small building on the outskirts of town.

It was a setup with a bar in the corner and tables scattered about. There was a stage on the opposite side of the bar, and his boys found a spot close to it at a long table as the rest of the crowd filtered in. It was a full house- he noticed the population was mostly male, but was intrigued by a decent number of women and children intermixed.

One of his friends brought him a drink and he thanked him, growing more curious by the second about what kind of show this was. Being relatively new in town, he hadn't heard of such a thing until tonight.

He got his answer when the raggedy curtains parted to reveal a group of women in colorful costumes. A band slightly to the side of them started to play as they began to contort their bodies to the music in ways Billy hadn't ever seen before.

They twisted and spun and bent enthrallingly, and he leaned back in his seat, impressed. It was fascinating, the way the music seemed to be playing to them instead of the other way around.

When the act ended, he clapped enthusiastically, turning to the friend on his left, but the man only smirked. "You haven't seen nothin' yet."

Slightly confused by his words, Billy turned back to the stage. As the show progressed, he realized the show was made up of a series of acts, seemingly unconnected but flowing together all the same.

A very tall woman dressed in sequins sang operatically, breaking an offered glass from the audience. Three little girls did backflips across the stage. An older lady pulled butterflies from her sleeves and disappeared into a cloud of smoke. The first group of women from the beginning made several appearances, dancing in ways that made Billy's head spin.

He could see why people were so fascinated by this, why they apparently came back night after night. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen before.

After a woman in a long dress finished a fan dance, Billy's other friend nudged his elbow. "Here it comes."

One of the cartwheeling little girls came out and introduced the next act, calling this performer "a siren". There was a loud cheer from the crowd, and Billy leaned forward on the table as the curtains reopened. Instantly his heart stuttered against his ribs, his mouth going dry.

Standing in the middle of the stage facing the audience was you.

You were stunning, in a light pink dress with a short skirt that made your legs look long and slender. Surveying the audience coyly, a smile grew on your face as you drank the audience's approval like water. It was like you lived off of it.

Billy watched, captivated, as you lifted your hands to stretch above your head, and a single violin from the band began to play. You opened your mouth, a sweet melody pouring from your throat.

He didn't recognize the language, but it was elegant as you sang it, pure emotion dripping from every word. Even though he couldn't understand you, he could understand you.

Tilting your head back, your voice became haunting, lower as the violin dipped down the scale with you. Reaching out your hand as if for your lover, your lyrics turned soft. The music paused, and you sang a single, foreboding line into the silence.

As you were frozen in your position, Billy was surprised by the utter stillness of the room. You commanded the audience with your being, your persona.

When the music continued, you sank to your knees and slid off the stage, trailing into the audience like a snake low in the grass. Now you were singing higher, your voice rich and lilting. As you swayed with every word he grew more and more entranced.

You made his heart beat faster, stole the breath from his lungs. He wanted to treasure you, cherish you as the audience cherished the gift of your performance.

Stopping for a moment and letting the violinist play, you twirled once and said in a mock disappointed voice, "I'm singing in French, but I don't see any French kissing? What's a girl gotta do?" The audience laughed at your little quip, and he found himself chuckling as well.

Spinning again, your little skirt fanned out, and Billy swore he could see glitter fly in your wake. A few of the men you passed fawned over you, but you hardly seemed to notice. It only seemed to make you more desirable.

At the conclusion of your song, you lifted yourself onto the table, his table, and crawled across it, lowering yourself into a pose on your side with your hair falling half over your face. About to grandly finish the song, you looked up and your eyes locked with his. For a second, you stared at him, and he felt something click as he offered you a little smile.

Seeming a little surprised, you smiled at him, and he saw through the character you were playing for a moment in time before you hit your final note, holding it long and clear like a swan's song. Thunderous applause and cheering from the audience ensued and you stood back up on the table, taking a long, well-deserved bow.

As you got off the table you looked back at Billy, giving him a wink and then disappearing backstage.

His friend pushed his shoulder. "What'd ya think?"

Billy was still under your spell, and he could only manage, "It was...it was good."

Laughing at the shell-shocked look in his eyes, his friend nodded knowingly. "Told ya you shouldn't miss it."

Both his boys went to go get another drink, and he followed them, the only thing really on his mind you. And when he'd be able to see you again.

Leaning against the bar, he surveyed the crowd casually, noticing some of the other performers mingling. Perking up, his eyes darted across the room, raking over the crush of people to try and find...

You were surrounded by a group of admirers; mostly male he noted. They seemed to be just as charmed as he had been by you, and you were reveling in the attention.

Billy just leaned against the bar, grinning at the sight. He'd never been this drawn to a girl before; not at first sight. Of course, he knew that likely had to do with you being an entertainer, but there was something else about you. The way you'd met his eyes, there was something raw and pure that had crackled between you.

He wanted to talk to you, but he also didn't want to get in the way of your fans, so he turned and accepted his drink from the bartender, trying to figure a way to get you alone.

As it turned out, he didn't need to, because you sidled up to him, leaning against the counter with that same coy look on your face you'd worn onstage. "Howdy."

"Evenin' ma'am," he tipped his hat, ignoring the rush of butterflies that fluttered around his heart.

Did you enjoy the show?" you seemed genuine in your asking despite the evidence that it had, indeed, been a good performance.

"Sure did," Billy confirmed, and you lit up. He wanted to make that smile stay, so he added, "You were wonderful."

"Oh, that's too kind of you." You seemed almost shy, which surprised him given how bold you were onstage. Even though you weren't all flashy and full of bravado now, there was still something about the way you spoke that was magnetic. All he saw was a sweet, pretty girl in a costume, not the "siren" you'd been introduced as. It was confirmed when you said, "I've never seen you before. Are you new in town or just new to the show?"

"Both," Billy lifted the brim of his hat. "Just rode in 'bout a week ago and I was told this was unmissable."

"I'm glad to hear tales of our prowess have reached the right ears," you tucked some of your hair behind your ear, your hand lingering there and twirling a strand. "What kinda work brought you to this corner of the world?"

"Just ranchin'," Billy explained, feeling like he could tell you anything at all. "I was on the road...well, on the run really, for a while and I'm turnin' to some honest work."

"How noble," you smiled as you said it. not seeming put off at all by his status as an outlaw. "One can always tell a good man by his intentions."

"You're mighty sweet, miss," he unconsciously smoothed a hand over his shirt, hoping it wasn't too wrinkled.

"Would you tell me your name?" you requested pleasantly.

Anything, he thought. "It's William H. Bonney on paper. Most folk call me Billy." Something about you wanting to know who he was had him weak.

You smiled something radiant and told him your name. He tested it out and it felt like honey on his tongue. Oh he was enchanted. Billy felt like a fool for falling for your charms, knowing you must capture the hearts of many every time you were on that stage. He couldn't at all help it. Everything about you drew him in, like you were a drug created specifically for the fine tunes of his addiction.

As you searched his eyes, he felt that spark again. It was absolutely electric, the way he felt when he looked at you. Billy had never felt such a connection before with anyone so quickly. Every facet of your being hypnotized him. And somehow, he knew you could feel the fire crackling between you too.

Standing up a little straight, you let go of the strand of hair you'd been holding. "Would you like to come back to my dressing room with me? We could talk more privately there." You said it with a slight air of nervousness that endeared you to him more.

The way you were looking at him he would have walked into the ocean if you'd asked. "I'd love to."

Your smile somehow burned brighter, and you took his hand, pulling him along with you to the back the room behind the stage. He followed you happily, smiling at the other performers lounging about the area, chatting idly. This was a safe space for them, he knew, and he felt lucky to have been allowed in.

Leading him to a back room, you shut the door behind him, turning around and leaning against it, smiling in relief. "What a lot of people don't know about this job is that I have to perform after the show too. But we're alone now so I don't have to."

He grinned, and you motioned to a chaise. "Sit. Make yourself at home."

Billy did, and he watched as you disappeared behind a screen set up in front, adjacent to the vanity on the wall. "I hope you don't mind if I get out of this." You referred to your costume.

"Not at all." He tried averting his eyes even though you were behind the screen, but the glow from the lantern behind it showed your silhouette removing your clothes. He could see you toss your costume over the side of the screen and shake out your hair. Pulling on a light chemise from a hook on the wall, you took a dressing gown and tied it around yourself. Reappearing before him, you came to sit beside him on the chaise.

Though you were wearing a chemise, the hem was short, and your dressing gown unfolded, revealing the skin of your thigh. You were oblivious to it, leaning against the backrest and propping your elbow on it to rest your cheek on. "Tell me more about yourself, Mr. Bonney. You've got me hooked."

That alluring smile again. He removed his hat, setting it to the side and crossing one leg over the other as he began to talk.

Billy found himself telling you things he normally wouldn't have confessed to a soul. The details of his family's immigration from Ireland, his mother's marriage to an awful man, his first arrest...it all came pouring out. He wasn't a man who talked by any means but around you he could feel himself becoming one.

You listened intently, looking at him like there wasn't a soul in the world more interesting than him. He'd never felt like anyone had been so utterly fascinated by him before.

He hadn't realized how many hours he'd been in there until he caught sight of the clock on your vanity. "Oh- my apologies, miss. Been takin' too much time and ya must be tired from tonight-"

"That's alright, Billy," you replied comfortably. "I like talking to you."

"Didn't let ya hardly get any talkin'," he chuckled.

"I enjoy listening to you then," you reaffirmed. He stood and you did too, retying the bow of your dressing gown that had loosened in the time you'd been sitting.

Billy picked up his hat. "Thank you for your time. I'd be pleased to get a chance to talk to ya 'gain."

"Likewise," you smiled. Seeming to have a thought just then, you said, "I never do this, but..." You reached over to your vanity and found a pen, sliding a piece of paper haphazardly across the table. Holding it up and using your hand as a hard surface to write on, you scribbled something brief and folded it in half, sealing it with a kiss on the back that left a lipstick mark.

Holding it out to him between two fingers, you raised your eyebrows playfully. "I've never let a man call on me before...but I want you to."

A slow smile spread across his face and he took the folded paper, tucking it into his shirt pocket. "Then I will."

Leaving the building, he smiled to himself, walking with a new bounce in his step. Billy found himself wanting to know every detail about you, every curve and crack and the flowers that grew between them.

His boys weren't too drunk to notice he was happy, and they pestered him the whole ride back, teasing him and asking relentlessly about who he'd met. Billy's spirits were too high to care, and he dreamt about you the whole way home, knowing he wasn't the only one doing so. But he found solace in knowing he wasn't imagining the seductive persona onstage.

It was the sweet, compassionate, joyful girl who smiled at him so softly that he thought of until sleep, where you then haunted his dreams.

[brotherwtf]

the whole thing of austin doing pottery and making callum an ashtray had me immediately thinking of john & gale doing pottery together on a date. what kind of dates do you think they’d enjoy going on together or they’d like to plan?

oh my God so cute anon!

John and Gale would DEFINITELY do pottery together, I feel like Gale would take it super serious and John would be trying to do the scene from "Ghost" the whole time. Gale would eventually have to banish him back to his pottery wheel just so he can get smth done.

I feel like John would take Gale to Lake Michigan if they lived in Wisconsin, they would spend a day out there with John goofing in the water and Gale watching him fondly from the beach. At the end of the day they would walk along the shore and hold hands, talking about everything and nothing

They would go to the movies together, I feel like John really likes those cheesy romcoms while Gale likes scifi movies. There's always something playing at the theater that interests them. I have this cute idea where they're both huge wimps when it comes to horror, so they spend Halloween night cuddled under a blanket and trying not to freak the fuck out as they watch a horror film that Curt recommended (they'll beat his ass for it later)

Gale likes to take John horseback riding; there's a place that offers trail riding near them and they go almost every week. Gale likes the calmness of it, while John likes to see Gale so in his element. It's one of their calmer dates for sure.

Hehe I'm giggling thinking about Gale taking John to an amusement park, but immediately getting chicken whenever John tries to get him on a ride. Finally, John is able to pull Gale onto a rollercoaster, and Gale immediately becomes a thrill junky. He loves the stomach dropping intensity of it, the speed, the height, he loves it all. Maybe they go to amusement parks a lot during the summer.

I think they also like to do picnics, taking lunch out into a park or open space near them and just enjoying each other's company. John will point out cloud shapes that he thinks are funny, and when night comes Gale would name all of the constellations they can see. They usually just end up making out under the stars, but they couldn't be happier.

Gale would take John to baseball games even though he doesn't understand what's going on, he just likes to see John bursting with excitement. He'll sit and eat his stadium hot dog and smile fondly at John's loud cheers and shouts. If their team wins, John would pick up Gale by the waist and spin him around triumphantly, both laughing like children.

John would take Gale to all sorts of science museums, he likes to hear Gale talk when he's excited. A lot of the stuff goes over his head, but he just likes to watch fondly as Gale's eyes widen at a scientific instrument or exhibit. They'll walk into the planetarium, and when it empties they'll kiss tenderly under the projected images.

oooo this one made me giddy I loved writing about it :,)

lmk y'all's hcs for this!