#once i get my head above water i'll do more new stuff

[fadewalking]

if we have 0 threads together.

and you like this.

i will invade your ask with some random one liner within the next 24 hours.

[museaway]

As requested, here's how I trained myself to wash the dishes pretty much daily.

Dishes and laundry have always felt insurmountable to me. It's probably because they never end. I live alone and I don't have a dishwasher, so I have to do the dishes whether I like it or not. I would much, much rather watch YouTube than do chores, so here's how I get around that.

(It's long so I'll put it behind a cut.)

Disclaimer: What works for me might not work for you. We all have different lives and situations. Take what works for you and leave the rest.

--

Solution #1: Make it low commitment

Sometimes I look at the sink and think, "I have to wash all of these?? It's going to take FOREVER. I'll do it tomorrow."

On those days, I challenge myself to wash dishes for the length of one song. It doesn't matter how many dishes I wash, just that I wash them for as long as the song plays!

Sometimes the song will finish and I'll feel up to washing for just one more. Usually, I end up listening to three or four and clean the whole sink. But if the song ends and I want to go do something else, I'm allowed to.

Try working up to multiple times a day.

Make a playlist with songs that make you feel energized! I use anime OPs because they're loud and fun to sing to.

Be gentle with yourself. If you washed one cup, that's great! That's a clean cup! That's one more clean cup than you had one song ago.

You're taking care of yourself by doing this. Really, it's a great kindness you're doing yourself and your family by cleaning something! You deserve to be taken care of!

This method also works with putting away folded laundry. If you don't want to use music, set a timer. Work for 3 minutes and stop.

--

Solution #2: Gamify it

When I have a little more energy, the goal changes:

"Can I clear the sink before this song ends?"

"Can I wash all of these within three songs?"

"Can I wash this cup before the chorus?"

This technique really motivates me. I tend to focus and work efficiently since I'm trying to beat the song. If I don't make it, I usually give myself another song or two. It's rare that I stop until the sink is clear.

Whether you beat the song or not, you've washed a bunch of stuff, so you win either way!

This technique also works for putting sheets on the bed, dusting, taking the trash out ("can I get back before the song stops??"), etc. Timers can replace music here too.

--

Solution #3: Use a habit tracker

The above solutions got me to stop leaving dishes in the sink for three days, but I was still leaving them overnight. To train myself to wash the dishes every single day, I made it a nightly chore for a solid month.

I used a habit tracker so that I got to check it off every day! I love checklists, so this was terribly satisfying.

I've tried a slew of habit trackers and hate all of them except for this one by TheFor. It's simple, has color coding, supports habit-based goals (like dish washing 7 days a week, or sweeping the deck once a week), and displays an overview so that you can check if you missed any days! Free on the Apple and Play stores. This isn't sponsored; I'm just a fan.

It took a month for my new habit to form, but it did! I'll now go wash the dishes when I see them in the sink, although I still use the first two solutions to keep it from feeling like a chore again.

--

Hand-washing tips:

Dish gloves will save your hands! Get a pair you like

I like a wooden dish brush with a replaceable head

I think it helps to like the scent of your dish soap

Get big, easy-to-clean things out of the way first. They take up a huge amount of room in the sink and make the situation look worse than it really is. Think colanders, cookie sheets, the pot you only boiled water in.

Wash things in categories. For example, I like to wash all of the mugs at once. It seems to go faster that way.

Leave the hardest-to-clean stuff for last so it can soak.

Paring down my mug collection sincerely helped the mug overload. Maybe put spares in a drawer for a while.

Sing while you work

--

Here's my dish washing playlist

[r-i-03-17]

Hey everybody, I'm back. Sorry for not being on for a bit, but I wasn't really sure what to write, since my writing isn't THAT good, and I can look back at my other Yaz and Sammy headcanons and cringe, it's taken me a lil bit to figure out exactly what to write. But either way, I hope you guys enjoyed my other headcanons, and I hope you enjoy this one. Peace out, see y'all later 🙂. (WARNING: If you're not aware some of my headcanons/stories have more "mature" elements, nothing blatantly NSFW, but definitely implied things, so if that's something your fine with, then be free to enjoy, I'll always give a warning when my posts have "implied" elements, like this one does.)

It was their daughter's 4th birthday, and Yaz and Sammy had spent the entire morning preparing. They've had other parties sure, but this one was special, they had a surprise for their daughter that was sure to make this one of her best birthdays yet.

Sammy was making the food, humming to herself while sunlight beamed through the window above the oven. She took a deep inhale and exhaled out happily. She was happy with herself, she had a family, her daughter, her wife, her friends, and her dog. After the car accident she had right before her child was born messed up her hip pretty bad, so she couldn't move as fast as she used to, but that was ok . Yaz's job helped financially cover what the farm couldn't, she worked long hours and was always so helpful. When Sammy had to do physical therapy, when she had surgery, Yaz was always right there, helping her, helping get to the shower when she had a hard time walking, giving her cuddles when she was in pain, and always making her food when she felt too sick to make any herself, and Sammy appreciated it, probably more than she could ever express.

Speaking of, Yazmina was outside cutting up firewood for a fire they were going to have when it got dark, she was about twenty feet away, axe in hand, and a decent pile of wood already stacked. She was wearing a white tank top, exposing her six pack, that was gleaming with sweat from the hot sun. Yaz's jet black hair was hanging down over her shoulders, while she dumped a bottle of water over her head and on her tan arms to cool off. She didn't notice Sammy staring out the window, watching her like a teenager staring at her crush, thinking to herself how lucky she was, that not only did she have an amazing life with an amazing wife, but also that wife happened to be super hot, literally and figuratively, she made a mental note to herself to bring her out a a new bottle of water once she put her pie in the oven that she was making. Sammy felt a hand grab her shoulder and it made her jump, when she flipped around, Brooklyn was standing there, a birthday card in her hands.

S: Jesus Brook, don't sneak up on someone like that, you just about gave me a heart attack.

B: Sorry Sammy, didn't mean to interrupt you checking out your wife 😏.

S: 😳. I wasn't.....I didn't....I was just....

B: 😏😏.

S: 😑.

Brooklyn laughed, she loved teasing Sammy about that kinda stuff, even after all these years, she still gets super flustered, it didn't bother Yaz at all when she teased her, so Brooks main target was usually Sammy.

Brooklyn opened the window, and yelled out to Yaz.

B: Hey Yazmina, you didn't notice your wife checking you out? She's been staring at you for the past 10 minutes.

Y: 😏. Good, means I must be doing something right 😉.

Sammy blushed while Yaz and Brooklyn started laughing, to be completely honest Sammy never minded the teasing or anything like that, if anything she loved it. In some weird way it made her feel all bubbly and happy inside, like she felt when the first started dating. Whenever Yaz grabbed her by the hips and lifted her up to kiss her, or when they would just lay on a couch late at night watching a movie, or when they would sit on the front porch swing with Koda (Sammy's Rottweiler) after they put their daughter to bed, talking about their days, and when they their friends we're going to visit again.

Suddenly Darius, Kenji, and Ben pulled up the driveway with a big trailer towing behind them. Sammy called their daughter downstairs and revealed the surprise to her, her very own Shetland Pony, named Tucker. Yaz and Sammy's daughter loved him, hugged her parents, and led her new horse to the barn. As the two of them looked on, Sammy's head resting on Yaz's shoulder, they both thought to themselves " I'm so lucky".

Ok guys I hope you enjoyed this one, idk when I'll make another, but I probably will eventually.

[heartfullofleeches]

Could we possibly be fed with more sea monster/creature reader? Mayhaps how we met Yan handler?

(I'll come back to the meet in another post cuz I had this cute idea I wanted to share first)

Sunlight pours into aquarium as the tank's latch is unlocked, rolling over your scales with a new shine. The tank was a glass box all around, but the bullet proof window above blocked out the harsher, nurturing rays. You turn over onto your back to give your frontside the same treatment.

It was heaven - just the right amount of comfort to drag you back into the depths of sleep if it hadn't been for the gentle knocking on the side of the tank. It's soft enough to not cause you discomfort, but loud enough that you can't fall back asleep.

So much for a lazy weekend.

Kicking yourself into an upright position, you swim to the top of the tank and pop your head out of the water. It's a Sunday, so the aquarium should be empty, but there was the unfortunate reality that the park's staff still existed. Before you can express your anger in the form of a snarl or gnashing teeth, a strip of fish meat bides your stalker another blissful second of your silence.

"Good morning to you too, Starfish. I'm glad there's something that keeps you from clawing my face off every morning. Not that I mind. Spit?"

You spit the fish bones into the human's hands. The freak gleefully pockets the remains, probably keeping them to add to the necklace around their neck. They wipe off their hand on their jeans and face the cart behind them.

"Are you ready for your walk?"

You circle around in your tank and slap at the wall with your webbed hands, splashing water all over them. Since you were forced to be awake, you'd take anything over the monotony of your spacious prison. Your handler just laughs at your response and shakes their head.

"I don't understand what that means, Y/n. Use your words."

Your tongue clicks against the rough of your mouth as you hiss. "Now...."

The handler wants to slap themself for not having their camera ready at all times. Thank God the security cameras can pick up the buzzing of a fly.

"I'll take that, for now. Time for some fresh air. They wheel the cart up to the tank and hold out their arms. "Your chariot, and servant await."

Making another lap around the walls, you leap over the side of the tank and into the cart with their assistance - sinking to its blue floor. The water is a little cooler than the tank, but it reminds you of the sea on a autumn day. Your tail hangs out of it as you get comfortable. Your handler bents down to whisper in your ear.

"Remember our deal. Keep your head down when others walk by, no trying to escape, and no biting or else you have to wear the muzzle."

You hated that thing. It's not like you could get far if you tried to flee anyway. You've already tried. Your handler takes your silence as an agreement, and closes the lid of your tank as they wheel you off into the park. Their boss was strict about uniform even on slow days, but their new haircut and other cosmetic touch ups made this feel like what it was in their mind rather than an assigned duty. A midmorning stroll with their fiesty, aquatic love.

You don't do much during the walk besides look around and hiss at the occasional seagull. It's mostly stuff you'd seen before, but it still feels brand new when you only experience it once a week. Halfway through the walk, your handler figures now would be the perfect opportunity to work on your speaking skills.

"Red."

"Blue."

"You're supposed to repeat after me, but it's good you're speaking at all. Please follow me this time."

Why should it matter? You're learning their language, and it doesn't seem to be required as during your performances you're never asked to speak.

"Goodmorning"

"Morning."

"Thank you"

"Thank..'

"I love you."

"...liar."

Should've known it wouldn't be easy to trick you like that. Still, your choice of wording makes their heart ache. Your situation was hard on you both. They wanted you home too. Your handler plays off the pain with another laugh.

"Has Marcy been hanging around your tank again? I swear, that's the only word she knows after we caught her stealing lunches again. Looks like we're here."

Your handler parks your cart at the cliffside overlooking the city. Your home was only a mile way, waves pocketed by the land foundation that streches farther than depth perception can tell. So close, yet so far. The rocks below made jumping impossible not to mention the roads and people in the way. Air bubbles float to the surface as you submerge yourself in the icy cold water. Your handler rests a hand over the glass.

"I know you're suffering right now, Starfish. I'm doing everything I can to make this better for you, but someday you'll be free again. You'll never have to see another human besides me and you'll finally be home."

From the look in their eyes and past declarations - you are well aware they don't mean the ocean.

[danikamariewrites]

Hello! Could you write a story where reader falls into the frozen lake and Helion saves her and then takes care of her? Thank you!

P.S

Your stories are awesome! ❤

Chills

Helion x reader

A/n: Thank you anon❤️ Also all I can think of is that scene in Little Women when Amy falls in the lake while skating lmao

Warnings: lil bit of angst and eventual fluff

You had always loved the snow and bundling up in warm comfy clothes. When Helion told you that you were visiting the Winter Court for a week you were ecstatic. You and Viviane are close so you were also excited to spend time with your friend.

Once you arrived and saw Viviane you both started screeching as you held onto each other. As your husbands talked about court politics she took you around the palace. You had hot cocoa and gingerbread cookies by the fire in the grand sitting room. “So,” she starts, “how are things with you and Helion? I feel like I haven't properly seen you since the wedding.”

You and Helion had gotten married five months ago. Since then life has been hectic with him following in Rhysands footsteps and making you High Lady of the Day Court. “It's been wonderful. A little hectic with the High Lady stuff but that's what we have our little club with Feyre for.” Viviane giggles throwing her snow-white hair over her shoulder. “It certainly is.”

“But everything between us is the same, if not better.” Ever since the wedding Helion has been more attentive to you. And you're not complaining. “I'm surprised you're not pregnant yet.” Viviane laughs. You feel your cheeks heat up at her comment. Before you can respond Hellion and Kallias walk-in.

Kallias speaks first “Now that politics are out of the way are you two ready for the fun to start?” Viviane claps her hands together, pulling you from your chair.

The couple took you to the frozen lake behind the palace to ice skate. Viviane told you that Helion requested that you do this during your visit because you had always wanted to learn. After a few minutes of Viviane and Helion teaching you, you could skate on your own. “You're a natural!” she yelled across the lake as you floated effortlessly across the ice.

As the four of you skated around and talked for the afternoon you became more confident in your skills. Going out farther across the lake and circling back into Helion's arms. On your latest pass of untouched ice, you felt a crack under the blades of your skates.

Trying not to panic you take a tentative step back. You heard Helion calling your name but you were too focused. Taking two more steps back to try and step back on thicker ice, the ice around you splintered. Before you could react, you fell into the icy water.

Your eyes were closed and you were kicking your feet wildly. It wasn't doing much, the skates weighing you down. You resorted to relying on your arms to attempt to carry you to the surface.

Opening your eyes you could make out the hole in the ice and three shadows above you. You heard a splash and felt Helion's strong arms wrap around your waist.

You hit the freezing surface, coughing and sputtering, sucking down air. Kallias and Viviane we're apologizing profusely. Helion held you to his chest as Kallias winnowed you all into the grand sitting room.

Viviane ran to get you both new clothes as Kallias added more logs to the roaring fire. You were shivering violently. Helion pushed wet strands of hair from your face, “You're ok, I got you.” he said. After Viviane brought your clothes and a towel, she and Kallias left, closing the doors to give you privacy.

“Do you want me to help you change?” You nodded in response, too cold for words. Helion strips you of your wet clothes, drying you off as he goes. Once he's done he changes himself and sits with you in front of the fire. He pulls you into his lap, rubbing your arms to warm you.

“Thank you for saving me.” He pulls you closer, tucking your head under his chin. “I'll always save you, my love.” You relax into his warmth, the chill finally ebbing from your body.

tags: @nyotamalfoy @auggiesolovey @bubybubsters @baybay123455 @msiecrane

[wordsandrobots]

Knots

Series: Wishing on Space Hardware [extra]

Fandom: Iron-Blooded Orphans

Rating: Gen

Summary: Some time before the events of To Catch a Falling Star, Shino gets a lesson in perspective.

Notes: I have a couple of ideas for short fics knocking around and this is the first one I wrote up, providing a little extra development for a couple of original Gjallarhorn characters and featuring my favourite himbo. If you've read the fic linked above, you'll know how this fits in. Otherwise, um, go read Wishing on Space Hardware, I guess?

Posted here as a small festive season treat; hopefully I'll have another for you come New Year's Eve.

----

“You want me to what?” Lin asked, clearly sharing Torvald's bafflement at Shino's request.

The kid pulled a face and rubbed the back of his head. “So I was in this fight once – I went up against a guy in one of those fancy Grazes with all the extra thrusters. You know, a Schwalbe? And I messed it up, big time. He got me tangled in a cable and I'd have been totally screwed if he hadn't gotten pulled away by something else. But I figured, I'm a lot better than I was back then and with the stuff I've been learning about different Gjallarhorn 'suits, I bet I could handle it now.”

Which was at least enough detail to make sense of the original request. Torvalds swapped a glance with Lin and said, “You want one of us to tie you up with a smart rope, while you try to stop that happening. Is that the size of it?”

Shino grinned. “Pretty much. What do you think?”

After a moment, Lin shrugged. “Making second attempts at old missions is a good training exercise.”

“Then I vote you on turkey-trussing duty,” Torvalds told her, reaching for the input controls. “Schwalbes are too temperamental for my liking.”

“Sure.”

“OK, Shino, give us the starting conditions.”

“Right! Well, I was in this Graze we'd modified and I was using a Kutan…”

There followed, from Torvalds' point of view, a very entertaining afternoon spent watching an exercise in masochism, as Shino tried repeatedly to wriggle free of the trap he'd set for himself. Time and again his bright pink space-type Graze went up against Lin's yellow and black Schwalbe, and time and again he was forced to hit the abort button. They hadn't decided on a firm failure condition, but it was hard to argue getting disarmed and stuck immobile didn't count as a loss.

The problem was easy to see from the outside: the kid just didn't think like a pilot. Despite the uncanny reflexes augmentation had given him, his basic foundations remained sloppy. He fought like a man trained in fist-fights, trading tactical advantages for up-close damage. Which was not to say he lacked skill at what he did, or couldn't make a formidable enemy. Simply that, facing someone who knew every trick to making a Graze sing – or beg for mercy – he was always going to come up short

“Fuck!”

There was an edge of despair to this latest curse. The sound of a man hitting his limit. Lin must have heard it too because she cracked her simulator open, calling for a break. Her brow was furrowed, somewhere between thoughtfulness and concern.

Torvalds crossed to the other pod. “Drink?” he offered, holding out a carton.

Sweat had darkened the short fuzz of Shino's hair and left his forehead glistening. He lurched forward in his seat as it rose level with the catwalk, reaching behind him to disconnect his Alaya-Vijnana. Only after burying his face in his hands for a good five seconds did he acknowledge Torvalds, taking the carton with a mumble of thanks and downing fully half in one long slurp.

“Pushing yourself pretty hard on this, aren't you?”

“Dunno how else I'm supposed to win,” he gasped before going after the rest of the water at a more sensible pace.

“Maybe you need a different approach.”

“Shit, man… if you've got suggestions, I'm all ears. I've tried everything I can think of.”

“Well, how about changing the starting parameters? The way you've set this up, I'm not sure any of us could get out of it.”

“This is how it happened, though.”

“Nobody ever fights the same battle twice.” Lin came up to join Torvalds, slipping quietly into the space he'd left on the other side of the walkway. She was still frowning. “That isn't why we train on past scenarios.”

“But I'm better than I was! I oughta be able to –”

Torvalds cut him off. “Are you fighting to prove a point or do you want to win?”

The blank look was almost answer on its own. “I'm… trying to prove a point by winning?”

“Then you're wasting everybody's time. Lin's right. We use the past to work out what changes we need to make for the next go around.”

“That's what I'm doing.”

“Yes, but you're treating yourself as the only variable. You haven't made a single adjustment to your machine settings since you started. And I know you're not the type to have a complex about fighting fair. So I'm starting to think nobody ever taught you the golden rule about picking your battles.”

“Look,” Shino growled, tone switching from petulant to annoyed, “maybe I didn't go to your fancy academy, but I've done plenty of real fighting. You don't always get to pick.”

“Maybe not the time and place or who you're going to tangle with. But there are plenty of other things you should be considering.”

Lin started ticking off her fingers. “Mobile suit, munitions, equipment load-out, system parameters, squad configuration, launch position, attack vector, combat strategy, support options…”

“You change whatever you're able to,” Torvalds concluded. “Doing that effectively is something we're taught at the academy, and we've both had years of real fights of our own to perfect the skill.”

“Which is one of the reasons I just beat you fourteen times in a row.”

For an instant, it looked like Shino was going to properly lose his temper. An ugly spark had ignited, deep in his eyes, ready to come out swinging. But then he balled up his right fist, pseudo-flesh stretching taut over the cybernetics underneath, and the anger disappeared behind a rueful little laugh. “OK, OK, you're both way smarter than me. I get it. What should I change?”

Torvalds chuckled too, happy to keep this pleasant. “You're the one who's lost the same fight fifteen times. You tell us.”

“Well, uh… I'd ditch the Kutan for a start. I thought it'd help get me to closer to the enemy but it's just slowing me down. Can't get clear of it quick enough if I start out inside it, so I should probably forget about trying to use it all together.”

“Smart. A transporter like that's good for point-to-point insertions but you're right. It isn't built for up-close work, especially against a hyper-manoeuvrable opponent. What else?”

“I mean, what else am I allowed to change? I guess I could mess around with the settings like you said, but if I just swap to a more powerful machine, what'd be the point? What'll that teach me?”

“How to handle a stronger mobile suit,” Lin said simply.

“I can fly Gundams! You already know I can handle some pretty awesome stuff.”

“Then switch to a Reginlaze and pull my arms off.” She circled a finger in the air. “Work through the problem. What do you need to change?”

“Well, yeah, with a Graze I don't have the strength to just tear through the cable. But… it's not only strength, is it? You're way more manoeuvrable than me, like Torvalds said – and, hey, you've got more thrust, right? The frame isn't any stronger than mine, you just get more omph on your moves.”

“Pretty much.”

“So can I get some better boosters? We had a couple of different types on the Ryusei-Go and I think I liked them more than these ones.”

“The… what?”

“Oh, uh… the Graze custom I used back then. That was – my call-sign, I guess? Oh, hey, Gjallarhorn's got mobile suit handguns, doesn't it? That big rifle, it's kinda bulky. I need something I can use easier at close-range.”

Without waiting for an answer, Shino dropped his seat back into the simulator and began tapping through menus on the console. Bracing on the edge of the pod, Lin leant over to peer at what he was doing. “If you're thinking of suppressing fire, just ditch the long-range barrel. GR-W01's are fine in a short configuration if you don't need high accuracy.”

“Should I be taking advice from someone I'm trying to beat? Ooo, knives! Those'll definitely work better than the axe…”

Torvalds stepped back, watching student and teacher work. He'd spent his career killing kids like Shino. Mercenaries, pirates, revolutionaries. Junk pilots and human debris. The ones who got far enough to draw attention they really shouldn't have, whose luck and guts were no replacement for discipline or proper training.

Regretting it would have been hollow. A soldier bound themselves to the cause, fighting where and when and who they were told. That was the job.

Still –

“Hey, Torvalds,” Shino called. “What's the best Graze type? Lin won't give me a straight answer.”

“Well, that depends. How are we defining 'best'?”

“Come on, you already said you didn't like Schwalbes. Gimme something to work with, man!”

Still, perhaps helping this kid lose a few bad habits would be worth something in the final accounting. “I'm serious. They're mostly specialised variants, so it all depends on what you're trying to achieve…”

[cyberneticlagomorph]

A Goblin Market isn't for the faint of heart, especially not one this big.

Goblins of all shapes and sizes hawks their wares at the tops of their voices to be heard over the constant dull roar of conversations and objects clattering together; in addition to all of the sights and the smells to be had, both good and bad.

Thick and heady steam from the food vendors mixes with the dank animal musk of the livestock traders, the rank stench of leather tanning, and the sour bubbling of fermenting goods. It all swirls together with the perfumes and incense for sale until there is an absolutely snout obliterating miasma that settles over the market like a blanket.

Zeb gagged, clapping his hands over his nose and refusing to take a single step closer to the noisy, filthy menagerie of shops and stalls. His eyes were watering, stomach churning, suddenly dizzy with over stimulation he stumbled back to the entrance tunnel and half collapsed on the floor.

You rubbed his back gently as he took gulps of relatively clean air with all the ferocity of a drowning man fighting to keep his head above water.

"How... how are you not s-sick too?" He says, now lightheaded on top of being dizzy and everything else.

"Do you know how many diapers I've changed? How many number two's have destroyed my nose? How many buckets of animal crap I've had to scoop every day?" Your smile is wry. "You'll get used to it after awhile but here, this should help."

You hand him a wooden mask, grown not carved into the shape of a rabbit's face. It smells like summer days full of warm sun, cut grass, and chlorine choked pools.

"...what is it?" He shies away from the mask, eyes narrowed and suspicious. He can feel the raw magic curling off of it like smoke and he wants no part of it.

"It's a charm my mom made, it should help with the overstim some, it won't hurt you I promise." You rub your thumb over the mask's cheek where the wood has gone smooth and shiny from too much loving, there are tear tracks burnt into it, where acid tears ate away at the still living wood.

"...do I have to wear it?" Zeb takes the mask, gingerly as if afraid it would grow teeth and bite him.

"No, I just thought it might help." You stand up and dust yourself off. "If this place is too much I could just zap us home if you like, I don't wanna stress you out."

"N-no!" Zeb cries out, you flinch at his outburst and watch him flinch back in sympathy. His eyes sweep across the market with the same wonder and joy you've seen a million million times but will never tire of. "I... I'll wear it, we're here to get stuff for Egg and Null right? I wanna get them stuff too, so I can say I'm sorry."

He puts the mask on, and it fits like it was made for him, like a new skin almost. The effect is immediate, everything around him is suddenly sharper, brighter, clearer.

Muddled scents straighten out, becoming singular and defined.

Sounds do too, what was once an unruly chorus has become... not a song, but something similar, each voice rings out on its own in perfect clarity.

Zeb looks you in the eyes and for the first time he Sees what coils there in their depths, he does not flinch, but you can feel his sadness and concern.

"Whatcha standin' around for?" Tigger asks as he bounces up to the pair of you, his arms already full of assorted trinkets. "C'mon c'mon c'mon we're burning presh-ee-us daylight!" He grabs Zeb by the hand and tries to tug the boy to his feet.

"Ok ok!" Zeb giggles, actually giggles, as he stands up.

Tigger grins, bouncing and bounding in circles around you before picking any direction at all and racing off to do more shoppin'

"C'mon," You say, offering Zeb your hand again. "We better catch up before he buys something weird."

The boy still hesitates to touch you, but he holds on so tight like he's afraid you'll just disappear.

[theresnoturningback]

YEAR 1, SUMMER - PROLOGUE

A/N So it begins. My goal is pretty ambitious. I've compiled my ideas and headcanons into five years. Farmer still hasn't got a name. Once she does, I'll start a new file to play while I'm not writing or doing grown-up stuff like working, blegh.

If you like my writing, consider reblogging it. It would help a lot for my motivation and considering it's five years I need to cover, I'll be needing a lot of it.

If you don't like it, consider being kind? It's been years and I am aware I'm rusty. If it weren't for @apocalypsebi I'd be still struggling with some important details.

Anyways, anything you guys need, my askbox is open. Thanks for reading!

She could clearly remember her grandpa’s faint words as if they had spoken two weeks ago:

“There will come a day when you feel crushed with the burden of modern life…and your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness”

Sadly for her, that day had already come. A sense of dread would open her tired eyes every weekday just before 7 am. She’d pour herself a cup of instant coffee, drink half of it and jump in the shower. There were days when she’d just remain there for a couple of minutes longer, just to let the warm water jumpstart her brain. Regret would soon follow that moment of calm. She’d hurriedly get dressed, reminding herself shorter showers were crucial if she wanted to keep her job.

No matter how hard she tried to get there on time, she always managed to be late for work. There’s always something. Traffic, blackouts, accidents, stupid people. She was so sick of stupid people, herself included.

“One more mess-up and you’re gone. Did you understand me well enough? Gone!” Her boss had screamed that morning after she arrived ten minutes late because the bus driver started arguing with another passenger and she had to make a run for it.

“Fuck,” She muttered to herself as she plopped down on her squeaky desk chair, “I don’t deserve this, if I have to be here for 30 more years, I swear I’ll kill myself.”

She covered her head with her arms. The constant humming of the old fluorescent tube light above her was like an annoying swarm of flies. She needed to get out of there somehow. She missed the sun, the wind in her face and the peaceful chirping of the birds on top of the trees. The constant clickity-clack of dozens of computer keyboards were her only soundtrack during the workday, since music was reserved for their resting moments and even then, music there consisted of a set of Joja jingles playing on repeat. Grandpa wanted to help her when she felt like that. The envelope he had given her was somewhere in her desk drawer. She opened it and looked around, hoping she hadn’t lost it. After digging for a few seconds, she finally found it among the trash and office supplies.

“If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So, I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.”

To think he went through the same was a depressing realization, but it made her feel less alone, somehow. Yes, she was feeling crushed under trivial tasks, performance reports and her own colleagues’ low morale that only added up to the poisonous work ambiance. Little did she know that reading the next sentence would completely change her life.

“I’ve enclosed the deed to that place…my pride and joy.” She took a moment to take a look at the deeds to her grandpa’s old farm, remembering a couple of summers from her childhood. Her dad would take her to see the jellyfish, and she had some vague memory of her and some other kids playing hide and seek in the forest one day and looking for bugs and frogs the other. She smiled to herself, still not fully understanding what this truly meant for her near future.

“This was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honor the family name, my girl. Good luck. Love, Grandpa”

Immediately, her smile turned into a chuckle that carried an amount of joy and freedom she hadn’t felt in months. Years, even.

She didn’t even think about it. She got up from her seat, pulled up a smaller envelope that contained her resignation letter and placed it on her desk. Then, she took the keyboard and smashed it against the screen with all her strength. Not once, not twice, but as many times as it took all the keys to fly away as she repeated her new mantra.

“FUCK. YOU.JOJA.YOU.DON’T.OWN.ME.ANY.MORE”

“What do you think you’re doing?” The voice of her horrible boss resounded behind her, but that wasn’t enough to startle her anymore. She quickly shoved the envelope against him

“I think I’m quitting and I’m never coming back to this rathole.” She replied with a smile so wide it made her cheeks hurt. She quickly took all her belongings and darted out of the building to prepare everything for her new life.

That night she couldn’t sleep at all. Hundreds of anxiety-driven thoughts wouldn’t let her. They’d race around her mind, making her heart beat fast and her stomachache.

Oh fuck, I made a terrible mistake…What if the farm doesn’t exist anymore? Or what if the deed is so old it’s no longer valid somehow. What if other people are currently living there? I can’t get my job back, not the way I quit. The sole thought of going back to sitting through one of those three-hour long meetings was enough to put her mind to work on a more positive headspace.

Suppose the farm is still there. Let’s be optimistic about that bit for a sec—Then what? What can I do with it…? Grandpa used to have cows and sell milk and cheese whenever he could, it didn’t look so hard. Maybe I could do that…But I have no idea how to take care of a cow, maybe I should start with something smaller. Chickens? But what if it dies because I forgot to feed it? No, the guilt would kill me right after… I get it! What if…we start with planting something? She took out a small notebook and jotted down some ideas. For example, if I forget to water a blueberry plant and it dies, it’s not that tragic…as opposed to an animal…and definitely cheaper.

After scribbling some additional ideas for making money and a quick packing checklist, she could finally close her eyes and jump from daydreaming to having hopeful dreams of her new life in Stardew Valley.

Right before completely falling asleep, she whispered a small prayer.

“Please, Grandpa, help me finally make something good of myself”

[snappit-the-snek]

After many days of writing (and procrastinating) I have finished my first fanfic for twst!!!! And now I shall share it because I love it. Also I think the ask box is open so ideas are welcome :> (ALSO HOW DOES THE READ MORE THING WORK HELP)

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To Catch an Eel... Accidentally

Summery: Ruggie is on one of his many fishing trips for an easy lunch, but this time he gets more than what he bargained for

Word Count: 1.2k (more than I expected)

Fandom: Twisted Wonderland

Genre: Crack fic

Warnings: slight swearing but otherwise none

A/N: this is my first ever fanfic, I do plan to turn this into a writing/request/art blog but I'm still learning how this works. I'll get a master list and a theme and all that fancy stuff up eventually, but I'm very proud of this soni hope you enjoy it <3 (please be patient with me I'm very new to this and are still learning how to write well)

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The fish quickly dispersed as the mer-eel swept by them, hiding in the corners of the lake from the unexpected snapping jaws of an unhinged predator also known as Floyd. He lunged forwards towards one of the fish, missing it by a hair and watched as it slowly swam away, seeming to taunt him. He let out a stream of bubbles in frustration watching it go, swearing to take a bite out of the thing once he was able to catch it. He had been swimming around all day, and unlike the fish during the Vargus camp these fish were insanely fast which made it near impossible for him to get ahold of one. He let himself drift a bit in the water arms crossed with a snarl that would scare a snapping turtle away. That was until he saw a bobbing movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head he saw another fish, bright pink with orange striping, and to his delight was lot slower than the others.

“Ehehe~ Come hereee little fishy~” He giggled to himself, shooting through the water with his hands extended towards the unsuspecting ball of bright colors. His hands shot straight past the fish, clasping together behind it so it couldn’t escape its inevitable fate of becoming a snack. Floyd snapped at the fish, delight filling his mind as he felt it hit the roof of his mouth. He raised his hands above himself in triumph, his excited wiggling making him miss the light tugging of the clear line that now led into his jaws.

A noise sounding suspiciously like a squeaky toy escaped him as he was very unceremoniously yanked upwards, streams of bubbles following him as he fought back against the incredibly persistent upward pulling of the fishing line. It was his fish! How dare they try to steal his hard work!

-Meanwhile-

Ruggie pulled furiously on the rod, watching it bend and jerk around wildly in his grasp. He couldn’t believe the sheer strength of whatever monster of a fish he had hooked. In the very many times he’d taken to fishing in the lake near the school he had never once hooked something so monsterous. The image of a freshly grilled fish crossed his thoughts as he reeled the line again, giddily watching the ever growing shadow in the water. That was until he realized that he was actively being pulled towards the water, the fish having decided to flip the roles of the fisher and the fished.

“Ah shit!” He shouted, digging his feet into the ground as much as he dared in an attempt to stop himself from getting dragged to a watery grave. What he wouldn’t give in this moment to have greater arm strength, his noodle arms were going to give out any second if this assault on his arms and his ego didn’t let up.

The sounds of feet approaching caught his ears, the person steadily plodding their way around the lake path. Seeing a familiar first year come into view, his hope shot sky high.

“JACK! HELP ME OUT HERE WILL YA’?” He yelled towards the beastman. Jack halted almost immediately, looking over to see his upperclassman about to get absolutely wrecked by one hell of a force of nature.

“Ruggie, what in the world did you catch!?” Jack shouted back, already starting to make a beeline for the struggling hyena.

“I don’t know but whatever it is it’ll be enough food for a whole week!” Once Jack grabbed hold of the rod Ruggie let out an internal sigh of relief. With Jack’s strength, they’d be able to get the fish out in no time!

The fish fight continued for the next ten minutes, neither side seeming to be able to keep their advantage over the other. As soon as it looked as though the Savannaclaw students were going to get dragged in they would pull harder, and once the fish got close to the murky surface it would pull back furiously, putting the pair back to where they started. In all honesty, Ruggie had just about had it with this things antics. Another minute flew by and once again the mystery fish had been yanked near the surface, bubbles absolutely surrounding the thing as it thrashed around in the water.

“Alright Jack! On three we pull as hard as we can. We should be able to get the fish out with one more good tug!” Ruggie said, watching the fish intently. Jack was really starting to feel the ache in his arms, but he nodded.

“Whenever you’re ready then!” He said, bracing himself against the ground to keep himself from getting dragged back to the starting line.

“One…”

“Two…”

A flash of teal broke the surface, the blur of a tail shooting up before getting ready to dive back into the lake.

“THREE!” The two of them threw their weight’s backwards, their combined efforts jerking the fish up out of the water and onto the grass in front of them.

“HELL YEAH! WE GOT A-” Ruggie cut himself off, looking down in shock at the sight in front of him. What was staring back at them was, in fact, not a fish, but a very, very angry looking Octavinelle student with a hook in his mouth. Neither party said anything for a minute, staring at each other with very mixed emotions.

“Floyd…what were you doing in the lake.” Jack said breaking the silence.

“I was getting a snack, what else would I be doing!” Floyd snarled, reaching up to de-hook himself from the line. “What the hell were you doing!?”

“Why does it matter what I was doing why did you try to eat the lure!?” Ruggie yelled incrediously.

“Well how was I supposed to know thats what a lure is!?”

“It’s so obvious that it was a lure! No fish in this lake is BRIGHT FUCKING PINK!”

This argument continued for a good three minutes, emotions amping up by the second while Jack watched the interaction from the sideline. That wonderance was ended quickly however by snarling on Floyd’s end, deciding that he had had enough with the argument and was now resorting to violence to end it.

If anyone’s seen one of those videos where a worm is touched and the worm starts wiggling around violently, that was the equivalent to what Floyd was doing. His mer form didn’t exactly have the legs required for Floyd’s charge of attack, so the next best thing? Wiggle aggressively to bring across the message of the violence that will soon befall the pair when he does get his legs back.

Ruggie grabbed his rod once Floyd started his maniacal wiggles and shot backwards, not wanting to get anywhere close to the noodle of death.

“JACK WE GOTTA GO!” He screamed, shooting into the woods towards the college building as fast as possible. Jack only started running once Floyd’s tail slammed a tad to close for comfort, taking off after the second-year as if his life depended on it (it did).

Floyd continued his crazed wiggling until Jade found him a few hours later, the wiggling having tired him out to the point where his twin had to carry him back to Octavinelle.

Needless to say for the next two weeks Ruggie and Jack had to be hyperaware of Floyd as anytime he saw either of them he would start charging at them with a full intent to drag them to the bottom of the sea. He eventually got bored of this after a while, but it was fairly amusing for Leona to watch his underclassmen pelt away once they even saw a hint of teal hair. He got some hecking good naps those two weeks.

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[defaultfelix]

Something I wrote at the beginning of last year; a small snapshot from Bracey and Default's life together. (809 words; rated "R" for drug use, non-explicit sexuality.)

Whenever he walks in the door, it's like all the other troubles vanish from my mind.

I'm woken up from sleep by the jostle of keys, the creak of the door, and the familiar, "Yo, it's me."

"Bracey!" I pull myself up from the bedroom futon and run to greet him; Boxes, a cat that's really hard to see, is laying in front of the door, and I have to do a quick side-step not to step on her.

"Did you have a good day?" I ask once I'm in the kitchen. Bracey is already packing a bowl, and looks up at me. He looks tired, but in a good mood. For all of Bracey's complexities, it's not hard to get a read on his emotional state.

"Oh, dude, it was sooo dumb. You know that guy I was supposed to meet, with, like, the thing and shit? Get this - so he like, never showed up, and I waited out there for like an hour, and it was boring as fuuuuck, y'know? I had to smoke like eighty million cigarettes just to pass the time."

He must have caught some look of disdain on my face; it's so gross when he reeks of smoke and menthol. "Chill, yo…it's not like I'm not gonna' shower." He lights the bowl, takes a hit, and hands it to me - indicating with a nudge of his chin that it's still cherried. The smoke fills the space above us as he exhales, and he waves it away with his hand.

I'll give him that; whenever he's in his apartment, he turns into a total freak when it comes to getting all that stuff off. I take a hit off the pipe, and pass it back to Bracey, who places it on the table, and bends down to pet Furniture; Furniture is another cat.

"And it's like, whatevz…" He continues, stroking the top of Furniture's tortoiseshell head. "I still sold some stuff, and then I had one of those bam-beep things for lunch that Valeks was telling us about… it was okay. Oh, alsooo! I ran into Zebra at the bus stop, he's totally on my side with this weird noise that everyone's been hearing underground. That's gotta be getting some traction by now, right? In like… the news, and stuff?"

"Yeah, the news." I reply, waiting to see whether he'll pick up the note of sarcasm. "Definitely."

I know what he's referring to, though - there've been a number of acquaintances who've talked about hearing a sound like hoofbeats moving underground. Hearing a weird noise isn't exactly a remarkable occurrence within non-standard social circles, so neither Bracey nor myself thought too much of it – until he claims to have heard it in the subway station near us. It's hard to tell how dedicated he is to this conspiracy; he goes through phases.

"Hey, there might be!" There's a smile on his face as he pulls his t-shirt off. "Someone should call, like, Walter Crunkite. No, wait!! Walter Chronic-high…t." Bracey's voice trails off; I wait for 'Water Bong-height', but he seems to have lost interest.

"Weeird stuff goin' on, man. That's why, like, I've gotta have a little stress relief… right?"

He leans over, and I take a step back, out of reflex; before I know it, I'm pinned against the doorframe behind me, and he's got his hands under my shirt, running up my chest.

"Hey, I said I was gonna shower - I didn't say that I wasn't gonna feel you up…" There's a cold look in his eyes, as the tone of his voice turns low, and his breaths vibrate against my skin. "You are my little toy, right?"

I squirm to get away from the cigarette smell; in response, Bracey presses closer against me, and grabs my right forearm. I can't see his face; there's a warm pulse already coursing through my veins as he exhales against my neck, sending shivers down my spine. I'm pinned too tight to struggle much more.

And then he's off me, the shift abrupt. "Whatever…!" Like he's gotten distracted, or remembered something he was supposed to do. I'm disappointed, but, it's not a permanent denial. All I have to do is wait for him to get out of the shower.

"And uhh, order a pizza or some Chinese or something, y'know? There's money on the table by the microwave," I hear him call out from the other room.

Furniture is now rubbing against my legs. One of his ears is inside-out; he can figure that one out for himself. Instead, I reach for the pipe, flick the lighter, and take another hit. It smells skunky, but I don't mind. At that moment, I decided I'm feeling more like pizza for dinner.

I can hear the pipes jingle somewhere nearby, as the shower turns on across the apartment.

[pbandjesse]

I do not know what but my leg is hurting very much. It started yesterday and it hasn't improved. Even with James trying to squeeze and massage it. Hopefully I just like twisted something weird and I'll be okay soon. Cause it's really uncomfortable.

But today was a nice day. And it's Jess's birthday! She finally joined me in being in her thirties. And she got the flowers we sent her! Poster above, they are shaped like a cat and we though they were hilarious.

I slept alright last night. And felt a little better this morning. James had loaded up the car already. I was slow to start. But got myself together and we headed out.

We beat the rain. But it would be on and off all day. And after we got breakfast James helped me set up my table.

The pavilion was all wet but Ann had worked hard on brushing the water away with the broom. But I wouldn't notice a new puddle showed up under my chair and the whole bottom of my dress got soaked and it kept sticking to my legs and it was cold and terrible. I would survive but only barely.

Callie was at the market today working for Helen. It was so fun having a friend there. And it wasn't a terrible day. I made my break even sale goal, but it was slow. The rain didn't help I'm sure. But there were good waves of people.

And I had fun. Sewing. People watching. Chatting with CJ. I had my two little friends come and I showed them how to sew and let them work on some of my keychain bears. I will be redoing them but it was fun to let them do it.

I did have a slightly stressful interaction with some kids who wanted to buy keychains and their parents said yes but then wanted me to change the pins to keychains and I did but then the kids changed their minds and had meltdowns about wanting pins still. There was a lot of screaming?? But it was fine. I am glad they liked my stuff.

It started storming really hard and it got really loud for a while. But it would calm down again. And as 1 came around we started packing up. And then it started raining again and I got all wet carrying everything to the car. Ah well. It wasn't to bad.

I went and said goodbye to James. And then I went home.

When I got back here I would collect my dried flowers and put some new ones in my books. Callie let me keep some that fell on the group. And had my leftover chipotle from last night.

I got changed and laid down. And would eventually fall asleep.

I woke up when James came in. I told them to wake me up for real when they got done in the shower. And I would take my time getting myself together. James had two podcasts to do today. And once I was up and dressed I left.

I drove out to joann's to buy yarn. They didn't have the colors I wanted but I got black and that's fine. I went to savers next and had a weird interaction when I asked to get by someone and they were really rude. They were blocking the whole aisle and I waited a little but they weren't moving so I asked politely to get by and they made a fuss backing up to make room and then said I should have gone down a different aisle??? No?? You don't own the whole store?? It out a bad taste in my mouth. I hadn't had my headphones in but I would put them on now because I didn't want to hear nasty people anymore.

I would end up finding two more skeins of yarn that were brand new and the brand I like. $3 a piece! So I was very pleased. And I found a little white towel rack (?) That was only $2 and I am going to use as camp and I was very pleased. And older lady, as I was leaving the store, told me it was a really cool find!

I checked out and went over to the goodwill. There I found a dress for the Ren fair. And had a nice conversation with the woman at the counter. She thought using the dress for the Ren fair was a great idea.

In the car I decided I wanted a pretzel. But the Towson mall was closing soon. So instead I drove out to white Marsh mall. And got a piece of pizza and a pretzel and walked around the mall for an hour. Smelling all the lotions at bath and body works. Looking at the jewelry and makeup at Claire's. Enjoying that goth fashion is back at hot topic. It was fun.

At 730 I went home. Getting back here at 8. As James was finishing their podcast. While they did that I played with making my Ren fair outfits. And soon would go and take a shower.

Me and James have been hanging out in bed since then. I am cozy and happy.

And tomorrow is the first day of camp!! I'm excited. I hope it's a good day and everything goes smoothly. Wish us luck. I love you all. Goodnight!!

[talkingpointsusa]

Dave Rubin has absolutely no idea what he's talking about exhibit #1246

For the sake of my own sanity I haven't watched a "Rubin Report" for a while. Unfortunately for that aforementioned sanity, Dave Rubin's response to the Trump Trial was so absolutely asinine that I felt like I had no choice but to immortalize it here on the blog. Lets get into it.

02:07, Dave Rubin: "As always I'm going to try to do this in the most honest way possible but my sort of bumper sticker on all of this would be that it does not matter whether you like Donald Trump, whether you hate Donald Trump, whether you begrudgingly were gonna vote for Donald Trump or you just were sort of on the fence or whatever -- wherever you fall on that chart it just simply does not matter at that moment."

Dave Rubin and "doing this in the most honest way possible" do not belong in the same sentence. Leaving that aside, I'm sad to report that America is over. If you live in America, it's time to pack it up and leave.

03:03, Dave Rubin: "I think for those of you that watch this show often you know that I don't do like, the constant alarmist stuff, I actually try to do the reverse of that. But we could be heading there and for all of the other things that are wrong in the country right now whether it's immigration or the economy or all of the woke crap and everything else like, if we allow what seems to be happening right now to happen and Donald Trump ends up in jail or is not the nominee it's kind of over."

Dave Rubin, one of the all time greats in the field of spewing alarmist claptrap, claims that he's above alarmism and then promptly declares that America as we know it has ended because a politician that he likes was convicted of a crime by a jury of his peers. Dave reads a bit from a Daily Wire article about the conviction and then rants a bit more.

06:06, Dave Rubin: "So we're gonna get to some video in just a second of Donald Trump's press conference from this morning. We'll show you that, two and a half minutes unedited."

I've said it once and I'll say it again, Dave Rubin's show is basically a clip show where Dave occasionally mumbles something resembling a position between clips. A reactionary reaction channel if you will. That would be fine if Dave Rubin actually did research every once and a while but, as you'll see later on, Dave Rubin and research go together like oil and water.

07:58, Dave Rubin: "If we do this here in New York, OK so in New York they will take out the Republicans cause New York is largely a Democrat state, well in Florida they'll start taking out the Democrats."

So, you admit that your side is going to clog up the justice system with pointless cases because your side wants revenge. The primary driving force behind the thing that Dave is talking about is the Republican Party trying to get "revenge" on the Democrats even though the Biden administration had nothing to do with the prosecution. If you don't believe me, just ask Matt Walsh who was advocating for that very thing on his Friday show.

Dave lives up to his promise and plays some of Donald Trump's press conference. The press conference was filled to the brim with false claims and if you want to read more about them take a look at this article here. In the meantime, we're here to fact-check Dave Rubin who's just so....utterly daft.

12:25, Dave Rubin: "He could be playing with his grandkids and spending the rest of his days on a golf course but he's doing what I think is right and for whatever his flaws are and all of that stuff it's actually all irrelevant at this point."

Trump's "flaws" should be really really relevant to Dave Rubin since they concern his marriage and his children. Dave Rubin is a gay man who has children through surrogacy, which is great and I'm happy for him and his family. What's not so great is that Dave is advocating for a party that wants to take his right to have kids and be married away from him and every other gay man in America.

Project 2025 has outlined that the government should only recognize marriages between a male and a female and has called for the end of surrogacy. Key figures who were involved in the writing of Project 2025 have close ties to Donald Trump and the RNC. If Dave wasn't so intent on selling out his fellow LGBTQ people for cash and clicks to the point where he's willfully blinded himself to reality, he should probably be extremely concerned about Trump's rhetoric around his own rights.

13:15, Dave Rubin: "So Donald Trump is going to be in jail. I don't know how quickly you end up in jail, is it the next day? I'm not sure the mechanisms on that but again the RNC, the convention, is like a week and a half later."

The offence that Trump was found guilty of doesn't require Trump to go to jail immediately after he's found guilty. Call me back when sentencing is done.

14:24, Dave Rubin: "Like, most people realize that the country is in trouble right now. The seven to ten million illegals, the sanctuary cities, the crime, the drugs, all of that. Does putting Donald Trump in jail or going through this clown circus that we are going through -- does this solve anything, does this make anyone's life better?"

It makes Dave Rubin's life better because he can use it to try and sucker conservatives on YouTube into watching his show using clickbait. In all seriousness, I don't know what Dave Rubin's point is. Is the court systems purpose to solve the often nonexistent or exaggerated problems posed by conservative media? Believe it or not New York does not have jurisdiction over the border nor can it single handedly fix America's drug problems.

Here comes one of the dumbest things you will hear this month, brace yourself.

17:34, Dave Rubin: "By the way, the Supreme Court of New York that they're gonna appeal - they're gonna file the appeal to go to the supreme court of New York because it's a New York trial. We showed you video about a month ago, its five black women because of diversity. Now, oddly the diversity that they care about is always about skin color, somehow the lefts diversity ends up with five black women being in charge of the Supreme Court of New York."

This is one of those statements that's so obscenely stupid that anyone who wants to talk about the news and repeats it to others should be absolutely ashamed.

First of all, they're not going to appeal this in the Supreme Court. In New York, the Supreme Court is the trial court whereas the Appeals Court is the highest court in the state. This is an extremely basic fact about the New York judicial system and it's completely unacceptable for somebody posing as a reputable source of news to get that fact wrong.

Honestly, Dave does not have his facts straight about any of the things that he is saying in this video and what he's doing is totally unacceptable conduct for a journalist or even a political commentator if Dave wants to call himself that. The New York Appellate Court is comprised of 21 individuals, many of whom aren't black females, the ones who are earned that position due to their legal experience. What Dave is basing his lie on is the fact that February 14th 2024 was the first time that 5 black female judges comprised a five person panel. This was something that only happened during one case for one day - not a permanent thing.

Dave Rubin seems to think that "the left" just appoints justices and focuses on appointing minorities because of DEI/ whatever thing that Dave's using to piss his audience off this week. What Dave seems to be missing here is that in the state of New York Supreme Court Justices are actually elected by the voters of the judicial district that they serve.

In short, Dave Rubin is a complete moron who is just pulling stuff out of his ass and that's readily apparent just by how absolutely wrong that entire statement was.

17:58, Dave Rubin: "I don't know all of their judicial beliefs, these five women, but do you think that they probably think similar things and they probably don't like Donald Trump and that's probably how they got the job in the first place. Like, do you think? Is that a crazy conspiracy theory?"

Not a crazy one, just an extremely stupid one being spun by an extremely lazy man who doesn't know the basic facts about what he's talking about and seems to hold the prejudiced belief that all females of color are a net entity that think in the exact same manner.

In the world according to Dave Rubin, Supreme Court justices in New York go through a job interview where the only question is "Do you hate Trump?" and are selected on a purely racial basis.

18:29, Dave Rubin: "The entire system, COVID, kept crashing down on him and he fought to the best of his ability, his imperfect ability and now things are worse."

When I was younger we called what Dave is talking about "being a terrible president". Anyway, Dave has a challenge for his audience.

19:31, Dave Rubin: "Find me a decent Democrat with a following who is a Joe Biden supporter who believes this is good, I will do a live debate with any of them, any of them. And that is a promise."

Dave Rubin, who has notoriously avoided debates with serious people, has issued the challenge. I'm going to keep this promise in mind the next time he turns a notable leftist down for a debate.

Dave proceeds to read an entire tweet from his hero Ron Desantis. Honestly, this is a pretty good encapsulation of what watching Dave Rubin is like. He reads paragraph long tweets for two minutes, follows it up by simply saying "oh that's exactly right" and then moving on. Like I've said before, Dave Rubin is the laziest man in conservative media. Yes, all of them are pretty damn lazy but Dave Rubin regularly takes that laziness to comedic extremes. It would be funny if people didn't take him seriously.

21:57, Dave Rubin: "What else has Alvin Bragg done in New York? Well you guys know what he's done in New York, he's allowed criminals to run the city."

Crime in New York City has been trending downward this year so this statement is just another statement based entirely on Dave's feelings an narratives and not based on the actual facts and data. Seriously, Dave Rubin's been operating out of another universe these days. Dave proceeds to read another paragraph long tweet from RFK Jr because we've got to pad this video out somehow.

24:42, Dave Rubin: "You may not agree with RFK on all of that and that's just fine but he represents what the Democrats used to be and what they are no longer."

RFK is pretty right-leaning and that's pretty obvious to anybody who looks at his statements and policy objectively. Also, "used to be and are no longer" is an extremely redundant sentence.

25:07, Dave Rubin: "Look at what this evil progressive authoritarian machine has done, it has destroyed so much of our institutional value in this country by destroying our universities and brainwashing a bunch of kids to think that America is fundamentally evil and that their genitals don't match their gender and all of that and now it's on the verge of impeaching Donald Trump who is the leading candidate in virtually every poll."

I've said this a million times but these guys have absolutely zero idea of what people actually do when they go to university. Engineering students aren't reading the communist manifesto and not a single professor in the country is trying to convince their poor sweet innocent cisgender students that they're actually transgender. While right-wing transphobia is always extremely infuriating, I find it twice as infuriating coming from the mouth of someone who is a member of the LGBTQ community whether he likes it or not. The thing that Dave seems to forget is that in the days before the far-rights narrative was "they're turning the kids trans" it was "they're turning the kids gay".

So, a majority of this episode of "The Rubin Report" is devoted to an AMA and we will be looking at none of it. I really could care less about Dave responding to questions.

Conclusion:

Well, that was a look into how Dave Rubin is taking the Trump trial. Mostly just him getting racist about the New York Supreme Court, an institution which he has absolutely zero understanding of, and making ridiculous and quite frankly bizarre statements with no basis in fact whatsoever.

Cheers and I'll see you in the next one.

Original Video:

The Rubin Report. “Trump Found Guilty, This Is What Happens Next.” YouTube, 31 May 2024.

Sources:

Dale, Daniel. “Fact Check: Trump’s Post-Conviction Monologue Was Filled with False Claims | CNN Politics.” CNN, 31 May 2024.

“How a Second Trump Presidency Could Impact the LGBTQ+ Community.” PBS NewsHour, 27 Mar. 2024, www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-a-second-trump-presidency-could-impact-the-lgbtq-community.

“The Appeals Process: New York State Courts.” Kravet & Vogel, LLP, 11 Jan. 2022, kvnylaw.com/the-appeals-process-new-york-state-courts/.

McKay, Morgan. “NYC Officials Announce City Crime “Continues to Trend Downward.”” FOX 5 NY, 3 Apr. 2024, www.fox5ny.com/news/nyc-march-2024-crime-statistics.

[huneekrispee]

Where is my lover?

Pairing: c!Dreamwastaken x gn!Reader

Summary: Living outside the Dream SMP, far from the war and chaos, Dream was able to find comfort in you. One day, he leaves, promising to come back to you. It's been months, now you're left wondering... where is my lover?

Warnings: cursing, use of dream's real name, spoilers for the Dream SMP Finale, tiny bit of fluff at the start, angst

Word Count: 2.4k

A/N: I've been watching Attack on Titan recently, and the song 'Call Your Name' has me in the feels :( Sorry for being away for so long :( School has been an ass to me, I hope you enjoy it!! -Hunee <3

Also! Please don't mind the pronouns in the song! This is a gender-neutral fic, I merely just wrote the song lyrics as they are :)

She lost her brother a month ago

His picture on the wall

And it reminds me

When she brings me coffee... her smile

I wish I could be with her until my last day

In the forest, a cottage lays peacefully in a secluded meadow near a running stream. The tall trees lay their shadows onto the grassy floor, leaving marks from the sun. Water solemnly runs along, moving to its next destination through the stream. Grass rustles and a soft sigh is heard.

Stretching his arms above his head, a man clad in green slowly sits up, emerald eyes darting around. He yawns. "(Y/N)!" He's now standing up, searching for his lover. Dream's hand reaches down to grab his mask left abandoned on the grass, quickly putting it on.

Preparing his sword, his hand on the hilt, Dream slowly steps toward the cottage. He rests a hand on the door, waiting for something, anything.

A scream is heard.

He now slams the door open, netherite blade on full display, ready to attack. Looking around, he notices no one but (Y/N) in the cozy home, with a kettle on the ground next to them. Lowering his guard, sighing with relief, he sheathes his sword once more, walking over to his distraught partner.

"Are you alright?" Removing his mask, he takes their hands in his. Dream looks at them. (Y/N) looks down, taking their hurt hand out of his. Sighing, Dream quickly leads them over to the sink, running the tap. "What happened?" The coldness of the water helped soothe the burn. "I just, accidentally burnt myself with the kettle. It's okay, I'll live, Clay."

The man remained silent. The only sound heard in the cottage was the running tap water. After treating the burn on their hand, Dream leads (Y/N) to the chair on the side of the room. "You. Sit. I'll finish doing whatever you were doing. You just sit there and take it easy, you just burnt your hand." Bending down to their height, Dream stands face to face with (Y/N). He narrows his eyes slightly. He was always like this. Whenever (Y/N) got hurt in any sort of way, Dream was always on it, almost suffocating them with his overwhelming protectiveness.

They sighed, avoiding his eyes. "I- I was just... I just wanted to make you a coffee this morning. I know you're going to be busy later, so I wanted to make sure that you were energized for your work." Fiddling with their bandaged hand, (Y/N) smiled gently. "I see how you're always so dedicated to the stuff you do, and I wanted to return the favor, even if it's just a cup of coffee."

Dream's eyes softened. It was true, he was dedicated to his work. Running an SMP was hard, especially with some people interfering with his plans recently. He had plans to take power over the server again. Finding and taking everything his people were attached to was difficult, but at least he had (Y/N) to come home to. It was all for them. It was worth the hard work and pain just to see (Y/N) smile at him, showing him their love.

"It's okay. Thank you for wanting to do that, but you don't have to." Running his hand up to their cheek, he smiled. "I do all of my work for you, to help make a safe place for you. Once I sort out the rebellious people, I promise, I'll come back to you, and we can live together in my SMP." (Y/N) gazed up at him, looking into his eyes. They smiled, beaming at the idea.

"Alright! I promise I'll wait for you! I'll always wait for you. I love you, Clay."

"I love you too. I promise I will come back to you. Always."

He would do anything to see that smile on their face all the time.

She said she gave all her love to me

We dreamt a new life

Some place to be at peace

But things changed... Suddenly

I lost my dreams in this disaster

It had been two days. Two days since Dream had left. (Y/N) had since then tended to the flowers and read a few books Dream had gotten them from a faraway village.

'I wonder what he's doing now?' Looking up at the sky, (Y/N)'s mind began to wander. What was dream doing right now? Maybe he was still on his way back to his SMP? Or maybe he was trading with villagers for resources?

They smiled. Dream had been one of (Y/N)'s lifelong friends turned partner. They had met when (Y/N) used to live in a village as a child. (Y/N) was nine and Clay was ten. Dream had gotten into a rough fight with two skeletons and a zombie. He was stumbling around, trying to find help for his injuries.

That was when (Y/N) appeared. Hearing the boy's cries, they ran out of their family home, taking Dream into the house to be treated, screaming for their parents to help him.

They had grown up together as best friends after that. Meeting George and Sapnap, the group loved to go on little adventures together and play their favourite game: manhunt. Dream would always insist on running, with George and Sapnap chasing after him. Sometimes, (Y/N) would join them, but they quite enjoyed seeing the trio panic during the game. It was fun.

A couple years ago, Dream visited (Y/N), saying that he was starting up his own SMP, a place where he and his friends could have fun and just be themselves all the time. The two of them spend hours in (Y/N)'s room, talking about their big plans and ideas for the SMP. Dream wanted to build a cottage near a stream, and live there peacefully with (Y/N). They were shocked, Dream wanted to live with them? "Why?" They asked.

"Well, because of... I'll just show you."

That was the day Clay had kissed (Y/N) for the first time.

I'm crying

Missing my lover

I don't have the power

On my side forever

A month had passed. Nothing from Dream. Usually, he'd send a message through on their server communicator, asking how they were and informing them of his journey and new discoveries. But that didn't happen, not this time.

It was hard. Clay had been such a big part of their life that sometimes they found it hard not to worry about him. They knew he was strong, he could take down armies of people, but everyone had their limit.

Raising the iron hoe, (Y/N) swung down, making way for the new seeds of crops that would grow over the next few months. Wiping their forehead with their sleeve, they sighed.

All they wanted was for Dream to be safe, and for him to come back home once he finished his business in the SMP.

Oh Where is my lover

And I got no power

I'm standing alone, No way

Calling out your name

Heavy pants of breath echoed throughout the underground bunker. He was panicking. It wasn't supposed to go like this.

The plan was to kill Tubbo and make Tommy give him his disks.

It all went to shit when Punz showed up with backup, showing the people of his SMP that had turned against him fully.

"W-woah! Okay! Tommy, calm down!"

The blonde boy didn't listen, hands gripping the axe of peace and lifting it high above his head.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you Dream, right here, right now."

Dream silently gulped. For once, his plan failed. It backfired on him and blew up in his face. 'Sorry (Y/N). Guess I'm not coming back tonight.' He just wanted this to be over. He just wanted to be back in the cottage near the stream, sitting with his lover.

His green eyes darted around to everyone in the room. They looked disgusted, some disappointed, others angry. He knew this would never change. He would never get his SMP back. They hated him. Wanted him gone.

"Does Y/N know you're like this?"

His breath hitched. Eyes went wide.

Sapnap had stepped forward, sword out, pointing it threatening at Dream. "Do they know just how bad you are? How corrupt you've become?!" He was yelling at this point. Sapnap was upset as well. It was hard to believe that his best friend would do all of these bad things, it hurt to betray him, but he had to do what was right.

"S-stop. Stop talking about them."

For once, Dream was vulnerable. He hated it. He was always so soft when it came to them. When it came to (Y/N). Sapnap knew that. He had seen it when they were together, how happy dream was when he was with them, following them around like a lost puppy, longing for their love. It went both ways, (Y/N) was the same.

"Who the fuck is- Nevermind. Dream. Give me one good fucking reason why I shouldn't-"

"Tommy stop." Sapnap stepped in again. "This is important to not just me but for another person as well." Tommy stepped back, axe still prepared to lash out just in case. Tommy kept muttering to himself, something about a green bastard.

"Dream. Where is (Y/N)? You said they would join the SMP with us, but they're not here, nobody has seen them, probably besides you. You said that they changed their mind about the SMP, or was that a lie too?"

Dream gulped, words caught in his throat.

"Tell me, you bastard! Where is (Y/N) and do they know?!"

"No. They don't know. All I wanted to do was protect them from something I knew would happen. The wars, the chaos of the SMP. They didn't need to be a part of that. I didn't want them to get hurt."

It was almost like a plea. Dream's voice was quiet like he didn't want them to hear what he was saying. Sapnap stepped back, somewhat satisfied with his answer. He was also upset, he hadn't seen (Y/N) in years, not since before the SMP started.

Tommy finally stepped forward.

"Now. Tell me why I shouldn't kill you, Dream."

"I can bring people back to life. I can bring Wilbur back."

I said I gave all my love to you

We dreamt a new house

Some place to be at peace

But things changed... Suddenly

I lost my dreams in this disaster

Three months. It had been three long months without him. (Y/N) would spend every other night crying in their bed, missing him. They missed everything about him. No messages from him on their communicator. No death messages about him either.

They had never thought that three months could feel so long.

Surely he was busy doing stuff that would mean the world was safer for them. That's what he always said. He said that he worked for them and that he promised that they could settle down and make a new cottage near a different stream, closer to the SMP.

He said he needed to dig out the rebellious people and make his SMP a better place.

All (Y/N) could hope for was that he was safe and doing okay.

We don't know what is wrong tonight

Everybody's got no place to hide

No one's left and there's no one to go on

All I know is my life is gone

Dream was not feeling safe and right now he was feeling anything but okay.

Tommy had just broken his mask. Split down the middle, from the axe of peace.

He didn't want anyone to see his face, no one but (Y/N) and the people who had already seen it before he started wearing the mask.

His mask was his safe haven. A facade he could hide behind. With it gone, there was now no place for him to hide.

All he had done was tell Tommy that he could bring people back to life. When he mentioned Wilbur, Tommy seemed shocked, but then he seemed to come back to his senses after remembering what Wilbur was like before he died.

He went crazy. Insane. All because of Dream and his stupid motives. He only fueled Wilbur's change, encouraging him to blow Manburg up after Jschlatt took over. Thank God for Karl destroying the button the first time. The second attempt was successful and sealed Wilbur's fate as a psychotic, destroyed ex-president swayed by the masked man into committing destruction.

Tommy was angry at that. At the fact that Dream would even think about bringing back Wilbur.

Enraged, he brought the axe down onto Dream's cowering figure.

I'm crying

Missing my lover

I don't have the power

On my side forever

Sitting up, (Y/N) slowly looked around the room. It was the same as always; no Dream insight. They woke up every day with a feeling of hope that they would turn around and see Dream at the door, back from his trip.

The situation was too much. (Y/N)'s breaths quickened, eyes blurring up with tears, the salty water slowly dripping down the sides of their cheeks. They let out a dry laugh, bringing up their sweater paw hands to their face, wiping the tears.

They stared at the sleeve of the hoodie they had on. It was green.

It was his.

He always left a spare here, just in case.

It always came in handy when (Y/N) missed him.

They sighed, flopping back down onto the bed, curling into themselves and the hoodie. It smelt like him. He always smelt like a run through the forest, with a hint of saltwater and citrus.

It was comforting.

He was comforting.

The tears wouldn't stop. Every time (Y/N) wiped them away, fresh ones would keep coming. Where was he? Was he okay? It was all they could think about.

(Y/N) hugged themselves, hoping to recreate a hug like his. It didn't work. It never worked.

Nothing could ever compare to his hugs.

Still sobbing, (Y/N) cried themselves back to sleep, despite it being morning.

Not like they had any motivation to do anything without the assurance of him being okay anyways.

Oh Where is my lover

And I got no power

I'm standing alone, No way

Calling out your name

Beep.

(Y/N)'s communicator went off.

Dream was slain by Tommyinnit.

[s-brant]

The Endless Summer (2/?)

(gif: @beccs) (PART ONE) (SERIES MASTERLIST)

Summary: A day out on the water goes awry and puts JJ, John B, and Y/N in danger. With tensions rising and the stakes higher than ever, JJ finds it difficult to control his feelings.

Word Count: 9.1k

Warnings: Angst, implied sexual content, strong language, graphic violence, and JJ being an emotionally confused asshat.

A/N: Welcome back! Thanks for the love on this series, I’m so glad you guys like it and I hope this part is just as good. Things get a little heated in this chapter, so buckle up. Let me know if you enjoyed this. Have fun!

JJ isn't sure why she did it.

He wasn't sure then and he isn't sure now, but he knows one thing for certain: there isn't any going back to how things once were now that the barrier between them came crashing down.

Sweat drips off of his skin from the relentless heat of the Caribbean that has made their recent lives hell with the painful tinge of sunburn atop their tans and heat exhaustion they must be careful to avoid at all costs. They were educated on both topics by Pope, their godsend of a survival encyclopedia in human form, who advised them to spend most of their day outside of necessary tasks like fishing and constructing stable shelter under the shady cover of the treetops.

The sole reason he and John B aren't hiding in the safety of the shade is that it's their day to fish, but he's not thinking about the sun. In fact, neither of them is. They're both wondering where their third fishing buddy is.

It took roughly ten minutes of spearfishing with him in comfortable silence for JJ to finally break and spill his guts about what happened last night. Though there was an unspoken agreement to never tell anyone that their hatred has turned into desire, he couldn't help it. He was going mad trying to unravel it in his head.

After all, he already had a conversation with JB about the recent shift in their behavior with each other by the ocean last night, so it seems fitting to pick up where they left off with the calm and clear blue water in front of them again.

He walks on the jagged outcropping of rock that serves as their perch to observe the fish without disturbing the pattern of the current they swim through with John B closely behind.

"One second she's pissed at me, the next she's all over me. It makes no sense. Then, she didn’t say anything to me after it happened," JJ says with his face hardened into a look of concentration at the fish he squints against the sun to aim at, "Not even "Fuck you, Maybank" or one of her weirdly creative threats. She just sat there all night and talked to everyone but me."

His gaze slips away from the water as his chosen fish disappears from sight before he can bother to throw the spear, eyeing up his friend's reaction to the news.

John B doesn't seem that surprised by it, because who else, aside from everyone else in Kildare who knows of their "hatred" for one another, could've seen it coming as much as he did? He considers it for a second, then props his arm up on the handle side of the spear he digs into the rock to lean against.

"I'm pretty sure that means she likes you."

JJ retorts, "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say."

Why would anyone ignore a person they like? It makes no sense to him. Every time he wanted a person, he'd simply walk over and make it happen. It's never been difficult for him to pursue the people he finds himself attracted to...Well, except for her. For a guy that also ignored her for the rest of the night and pretended their moment in the woods didn't happen, he has some balls of steel to be chastising her for the same things he did.

John B shrugs and says, "I'm being serious, dude. Sarah wouldn't even acknowledge my existence when I worked on the Druthers, and I thought it was some stuck-up rich person thing but it wasn't."

They shouldn't be talking at all right now as to not scare away the fish, but they do it anyway. They both know he won't let it go until it's out of his system for good. He wouldn't allow himself to forget it if he wanted to, so its better to talk it out than turn stir crazy from ruminating over it 24/7.

Though it's, as he worded it yesterday, hot as balls out, being by the sea lessens the feeling of it by a landslide.

The breeze they crave whenever they work on their huts or forage through the forest for wild berries, coconuts, or potential building supplies blows on them without pause for the time they spend here, which almost makes it more dangerous. They stand under the direct harm of the UV rays frying them without truly feeling it burn yet, and he dreads the next few days in anticipation of the returning sunburn he just peeled off of his shoulders the other day.

JJ walks down the side to get a better view of the water, balancing precariously on the sharpened edge with the spear clenched tightly in one hand. The breeze is strong enough to threaten his balance, but he holds firm and digs his toes into the sedimentary rock for traction. His body sways in the midday sun with the struggle for stability, or, at least he suspects its midday.

Since being stranded here, time is a foreign concept to them. With no phones, clocks, or any guide to go off of other that the position of the sun above to display the hours that pass, they've lost complete track of what day it is, let alone how long minutes or hours truly are in comparison to the endless summer they live within. They suspect it's been a month since they were left here, but, in all honesty, it could be two. None of them had the sense to mark the days in a tally until it was too late.

He says, lifting his arm to throw the spear, "Well, she is a stuck up rich person, so maybe it's just—"

"You know I'm right here, don't you?"

The sound of her voice from a few feet behind them startles JJ into turning around to look at her right when he lets go of the spear.

Unfortunately for him, the jerking movement throws off his carefully distributed weight and skews his balance, making the feet placed on the edge slip from underneath him and send him slipping down into the water. His calf is the first body part to hit the rocks, and the groan of pain he lets out at the feeling of the jagged rock slicing through his skin could make her heart stop mid-beat. But what truly scares her is seeing the back of his head hit the ground too.

Before he can slide the rest of the way into the water, two pairs of hands are grabbing onto his arms and heaving him up with all of their strength. She and John B grit their teeth with the effort it takes to pull him back up, their muscles burning from the strain, and once his feet are over the ledge, he pushes off the rock to help them the rest of the way. Drops of his blood disperse into the water off the edge from where he cut himself, dripping until there's hardly any left.

Once he's safely laid back down a few feet from where he slipped, Y/N is kneeling in front of him in a matter of seconds. The rock beneath her knees opens small cuts into her skin, but she doesn't pay it any heed. She sits on her heels to lessen the minor pain and lean forward to inspect the damage he took with nothing on her mind other than worry.

Soon enough, John B joins her to kneel at his feet as he sits up and watches them eye up his injury as though it’s some sort of ghastly, life threatening thing instead of a gash that won't need stitches. He watches them against the glittering ocean, waves washing up on the rocks around them to sting his wound with saltwater.

"It's a scratch, not an amputation," JJ says.

She ignores him with a frown lining her pretty features and twists his leg by the ankle to get a better view of the wound in the sunlight. It extends up the entire length of his calf, almost from ankle to knee, and dribbles fresh blood onto her hands as well as the ground beneath them. From what he can tell, it doesn't look all too severe. No muscle or bone can be seen, so it's a simple, superficial scratch.

When he doesn't get a response from either her or John B while they're too busy checking out his leg, he says again, "Guys, I'm serious, it's fine."

This time, she doesn't hesitate to answer.

"Yeah, well you may not need stitches but you still have infection to worry about. This wilderness isn't exactly the cleanliest place," she says retorts with as much snark as usual, and he quietly rejoices in the fact that she's finally acting normal after what happened last night, "Not to mention, you hit your head pretty hard. There's no need to act all tough."

He shrugs.

"It's not an act, it really doesn't hurt that bad."

John B stands and smears the blood on his hands off on the front of his shorts.

"I'll be right back, guys, I'm gonna go get stuff to patch him up."

Just like that, they are left plunging into silence as he is running away down the peninsula back to the beach they've claimed as their own.

Silence has always been her least favorite thing to share with JJ. She'd rather anything over it—screaming, fighting, joking, friendly conversation, or even what they did together yesterday night. Anything is preferable over the tense and insufferable feeling of silence when they're alone together with none of their friends, or their playful hatred, between them as a barrier between them.

Instead of seeing the same pestering jerk she always used to when she looks at him, she sees the memory of how he looked at her in the woods. He didn't look at her like she was the worst person to ever walk the planet, or like she was his least favorite Kook "Princess", he looked at her like she meant something to him.

They sit together in uncomfortable silence in the time it takes John B to rush to the beach and back, careful not to slip on the rocks the way JJ did, with the supplies from the dinghy in his arms. It isn't much to work with, but at least it's something to keep the nasty wound on his leg protected from dirt and germs. She's sure he'd leave it uncovered and up to fate if he had it his way.

Before he can set them down on the wet rocks, thus ruining the gauze and bandages in craters filled with ocean water, she gestures at JJ with a stern command, "Take off your shirt."

His brows raise.

"Shit, Princess, take me out to dinner first."

She groans in frustration, "Can you be quiet for a second and actually listen to me for once?"

He catches John B's gaze with wide eyes, but complies nonetheless, reaching down to tug the tank off of his torso by the frayed hem until it's balled up in his closed fist to hand off to her. Her eyes only linger on his body for a quick second on accident before snatching it from him.

Her bloodstained palms lay the shirt out on the flattest stretch of rock she can find to act as a barrier from the small puddles of water to protect the supplies. One nod at John B has him setting them down atop the navy fabric as she glances up at JJ with a smug smile.

"Believe it or not," she taunts, unscrewing the cap to the disinfectant, "I didn't ask for it so you could sit there and look pretty."

The words throw him back in time to their conversation on the beach while they thatched the roof to their hut, and he wonders how long she's been waiting to throw that back in his face since he first said it.

He grins at her as he asks, "You think I'm pretty?" but before he can say more, she's pouring a generous amount of the hydrogen peroxide along the length of his cut without a warning for him to prepare himself. His leg jerks away on instinct to save himself from the burning sensation, but she grips his ankle tightly enough to force him to stay still.

His nose scrunches up with the urge to groan in pain, and he does a little. Through grinding teeth, he winces in response to the peroxide slipping into every cell of open skin and bubbling up like the white water of the waves as it kills the bacteria lingering in the gash.

"Does it hurt now?" Y/N asks.

She's looking up at him through her lashes with her lips curled into a smirk as she packs gauze onto the wound until it's covered to her satisfaction. And it should be the last thing he's thinking about right now after cutting up his leg and hitting his head hard enough to worry her about concussions, but he can't help it. Looking down at her like this, it's impossible for him to not think about the unfinished business they have.

Everything is the same as it was yesterday—the tattered white top, the red panties in place of a bikini, sunburnt cheeks, and a taunting look that he'll never get tired of seeing. But that's precisely why he's reminded of it. She's wearing the same clothes and looking at him the way she did on the beach before any of last night's antics occurred, and he can't keep himself from wondering if it'll happen again.

"Yeah," he finally responds.

Her smirk grows for a second before she gets back to work.

"Good."

JJ subtly eyes her up from where she shifts on her knees to set the open gauze wrappers under the peroxide bottle in exchange for the bandage wrap, but he isn't as subtle as he thinks. She can feel his stare no matter how sneaky he attempts to be. He may be able to evade John B's attention, since he dove into the ocean to retrieve the wooden spear that began to float out in the tide, but she never misses a thing. Not when it comes to him.

When he looks at her, he finds memories.

Her legs folded up beneath her bring him back to how smooth they felt on his palms when he lifted them up around his hips. Her rosy lips pressing into a line in concentration bring him back to the coconut flavor he tasted on them. Her nipples poking against the fabric of her shirt bring him back to when he lifted it up over her breasts to suck at the sensitive skin until he got a moan from her—There isn't a place he can stare without going back to last night.

Part of him hates that.

He can't stand that a girl who he spent the last five years hating has found a way into his daydreams. Why couldn't it have been anyone else? Why did she have to lure him into her trap? He supposes there's nothing he can do about it now, though. After hours of stewing over it, he's reached the conclusion that it was likely a one-time thing, a mistake made in the heat of the moment that she won't make again, and he should get the idea of it out of his head.

When she has to adjust her grip to hold the gauze in place while she wraps the bandage around his leg, he sucks in a sharp breath through his teeth and jerks away again. She glances up at him with her best, "Are you kidding me?" face. Didn't he say he was tough?

"I'm starting to think you're a sadist, 'cause it's like you're trying to make it hurt," he says.

She gasps, feigning offense.

"Me? Enjoying this? It's not like we've hated each other for years or anything."

And though he may not realize it, this is her way of distracting him from the pain of having her apply added pressure to his cut while she wraps the bandage into place. It has to be tight enough to keep water and sand out, but not so tight that it cuts off circulation, and while it may have been tolerable without her touching it, the contact is enough to make it worse for him.

He asks, "Uh, speaking of, why are you the one doing this? Isn't it some kind of HIPAA thing to treat patients you've threatened to violate with tree branches before?"

The sound of her laughter makes his stomach flutter with butterflies, and he wonders what the hell is wrong with him.

"That's not what HIPAA is, genius"—her eyes crinkle at the sides with her wide smile while she wraps his leg—"and I'm the one doing this because I know way more medical shit than the rest of you."

Even Pope.

"Ohhh right, I forgot. Your dad is this hotshot surgeon and that makes you think you know everything," he taunts.

The casual mention of her father makes her chest ache with something not many of the Pogues, excluding Pope, have felt since being stranded on this island. With their parents either disowning them, absent, abusive, or dead, they have no reason to resist the allure of living here for the months or years it may take to be rescued, but she does.

She misses him.

For the longest time since her mom died, it was her and her dad versus the world. In everything they did, they did it together, and before she met Sarah, he was the closest she had to a best friend. Since they had no other family to help watch her as a child, she grew up in the hospital with him, drawing with crayons on his office’s printer paper with her babysitter and picking up small things along the way from watching him for so long.

He could've chosen to leave her at home, sure, but he didn't want to miss out on seeing her more than he already did, so she spent the majority of her childhood in offices, waiting rooms, and the indoor playground of the PEDs wing.

She takes a deep breath to steady herself after the sucker punch of being reminded of her dad and says, "Well, I know enough and, thankfully for you, I'm the one doing this instead of John B."

From far away, twenty or so feet offshore where their friend is paddling through the water with the lost spear held in one hand, they hear John B shouting an offended, "I heard that!" back at her. It draws a soft chuckle from them both, and she silently thanks him for distracting JJ one last time as she finishes and secures the bandage so it won't unravel.

She wipes her hands off on her water-soaked thighs one more time to get as much of his blood off of her fingers as possible before she reaches out with both arms extended to offer him help to stand. He takes them with a murmured, "Thanks," as they both try not to show how affected they are by the casual touch.

It makes them feel pathetic that something as small as holding each other's hands makes them remember what they did and desperately wish to continue it. Her throat bobs with how she must swallow the lump in her throat at their close proximity, barely breathing now that he's standing close to her with less than a few inches between them.

For a second, they don't move away. They stay face to face, and all she can think of is how badly she wants to kiss him again. But she can't do anything yet, not when she hears someone screaming from the water.

"There's a shark!" John B screams as he paddles back faster than he's ever swam in his life, already close enough to the peninsula that they can see the terror in his eyes when they turn to look.

Surely enough, there a tip of a fin too pointed to pass off as a dolphin cutting through the surface of the water to alert them of the fish's presence, but if that weren't enough, the water is clear enough for them to see its outline.

Thankfully for him, it isn't huge. It looks about as long as he is tall, but that doesn't change the degree of danger. Just because it isn't as big as other sharks doesn't make a bite any less lethal, especially when their only form of medical attention rests on her knowledgeable yet inexperienced shoulders.

For once in his life, JJ is frozen with no clue of what to do.

He's always the man with the plan, the one who jumps into action when others choke up and sit on the sidelines, but this makes him falter. What can he do to help other than stand here and pray John B can out-swim a shark? He's helpless, and now that he's faced with the prospect of losing his best friend for a second time, he doesn't know what to do.

It was his blood in the water that must have attracted the shark, and he was so caught up in his own drama with her and the pain of his cut that he didn't consider the danger of John B jumping in to retrieve the spear he dropped. It's his fault. His best friend is about to be eaten by a shark and it's his fault—

The blurred image of her rushing past in his peripheral vision rips him from his stormy thoughts, and right when he thought it couldn't get worse, it does. Water splashes up around her body and swallows her under the surface after she leaps off the edge of the rock with the aluminum spear from the dinghy raised in her dominant arm.

"Y/N!"

Before he even realizes what he's doing, JJ is screaming out her name, screaming it like he cares, and damns the consequences to dive in after her.

While he was frozen, she sprung into action without thinking of her own life first. She knew he was close to the rock, but not close enough to swim faster than a predator designed for the conditions of the ocean. It took one glance at the spear resting to the side for her to lean down, scoop it up, and get a running start to jump out as far as humanly possible. Various joints and muscles ached from how she strained to push herself far off the rock, taking flight with nothing but their survival in mind.

She sucks in a heaving breath upon breaking the surface, but she doesn't take a second to pause with John B paddling up to her so soon.

"Go back!"

The only answer she gives him is, "Use your spear!" before she brings hers out of the water in anticipation of the grey figure bolting straight for them.

It's a stupid plan, but it's the only one she has, and if one of them is in danger, they'd all risk everything they have to protect them. After all, they're already trapped here with the threat of death every day. Is there anything more worthy of dying for than your friends?

Neither of them is necessarily trying to kill it yet either, they're trying to keep it at a safe distance or hurt it enough so it swims away from them, but she puts all of her strength into spearing the fish between the eyes anyway. Her legs kick tirelessly to keep her afloat while she and John B stab as accurately as they can, choking down a mouthful of salty ocean water from how her head sinks at the surface without the help of her arms to keep her up.

Blood stains the water with a crimson hue spreading out around their bodies—whether it's theirs or the shark's, she doesn't know—and she must keep her lips clamped shut to prevent it from spilling into her mouth, breathing solely through her nose. She can tell her legs are soon to give out on her, but then a pair of hands latch onto her body. Call her irrational or stupid, but even with the clear distinction of human hands on her waist, her mind reacts in instinctual fear.

The touch makes her jolt mid-stab and sobers her feral mind back to reality for a moment until she realizes it's a human touching her, not the shark.

It's JJ.

His arms wrap around her thighs and hoist her up out of the water as much as he can while still swimming, effectively pushing himself underwater with one last gasp for air.

The sudden shift in view has her gaze shifting around to take in the new sights with a gush of red water rushing off of her onto the splashing surface: a light grey tail whips around in the chaos, the shark's head oozes blood from the multiple puncture wounds that didn't push quite deep enough, and its jaws snap right where John B's arm is before he yanks it back.

After a fraction of a second, it clicks with her that there's no time to waste watching her friend almost get his arm chomped off while she takes in the unbelievable sight. Her slippery grip on the handle remains as firm as possible, and she raises the spear over her head with an improved accuracy she never could've had from where she previously aimed it before. All of their shots landed well enough, but with the height advantage, she won't allow herself to fuck it up this time with her friend's life hanging in the balance.

She hardly recognizes her own frantic voice shouting at him, "Spear it in the gills!"

Her hands bring the razor-sharp tip of the spear down into its head repeatedly, and she isn't sure whether it's the splashing water or tears wetting her face when she buries the weapon down into it for a final time right when John B lodges his wooden spear in its gills.

Whatever she did, it must've hit its brain, because the animal halts its thrashing. Its teeth no longer snap at her friend, nor does its tail whip around in the water as violently as it did a moment ago.

As quickly as it started, it drops off into a sickening calm that leaves the white bubbles dissolving into a puddle of bloody water surrounding the trio and the fish that dies with no small amount of guilt on her part. There was no choice but to kill it. It makes her ache on the inside, but how could she regret it if she knows it saved them? The guilt might ravage her for the upcoming days, but she can't bring herself to regret jumping in after him.

She hardly has the chance to process it before she's being pulled away by both of the boys, her view of the scene shifting drastically once more with the abrupt drop of JJ letting her down in favor of guiding her through the gentle waves. His calloused hand squeezes her arm enough to cut circulation off on their journey back.

Time rushes past her in the next thirty seconds or so it takes them to reach the peninsula again in a paranoid sprint away from where the dead fish floats. One of them, John B she thinks, tosses the aluminum spear he dislodged from the shark's head up onto the rocks and clambers his way back up on his own. The waves closer to land grow rougher than the tender current out where they killed the shark, and she grunts in pain as one sends her and JJ straight into the rocks. His body hits her back with a solid ‘thump’ and forces her to wheeze with the wind getting knocked from her lungs upon impact, nails cracking on the black rock from the desperate grip she uses in an attempt to lift herself.

Meanwhile, JJ can't seem to catch his breath either, nor can he think of anything other than her once he sees that John B isn’t injured.

As soon as he sees his friend is unmarked from the teeth of the shark after he's out of the water, he positions himself behind Y/N to help her out first. He places his hands on her backside to push her up as quickly as he can. Knowing that the carcass in the water will soon attract more sharks in the surrounding area into a feeding frenzy, he'd rather it be him than her. It's a thought that shoots by too fast for him to fully acknowledge the meaning or weight of it at a time like this.

Somehow within his adrenaline-crazed mind, he is careful not to push her onto the jagged edge that sliced his leg open earlier, then climbs after her with little space left between them.

She's coughing up saltwater onto the rocks as he scrambles over to her, eyes wild with the petrifying worry of anything bad happening to her. They scan over her arms, legs, stomach, and back, and he doesn't even realize his hands are reaching out to inspect her as frantically as she had with him when he got hurt.

His hands cup her face, petting over her dripping hair and forcing her to look up so he can see if she somehow got hit in the face. Never has his mind been so void of rational thought, and, knowing him and his impulsive tendencies, that's saying a lot. The confusion of his contradictory feelings for her muddle his mind. Worry and hatred, attraction and anger—they battle it out, but only two manage to reach him externally.

Worry and anger it is. Worry for obvious reasons. Anger because—

"What the fuck were you thinking?"

She has never heard him sound so vicious since the start of whatever odd relationship/friendship/enemy-ship they have. With his worried expression and how he checked her entire body for injury after helping her out of the water, the last thing she would've anticipated from him was anger. Especially not after she saved his best friend's life. Considering what she just did for him, she thinks he should be thanking her, not chastising her.

Behind her back, she can hear a collection of yelling voices and splashing footsteps over the water dripping from them. It can only be the rest of their friends racing up the peninsula to them, but she can't turn around.

She stares at him with utter confusion flooding her at his unexpected outburst. Speechless.

"What was I thinking?" she asks incredulously with her face still cradled between his hands, "I was saving John B's life!"

Their emotional distance and disagreement are made up for in abundance by how physically entangled they've become. It wasn't intentional. It was a result of him needing to get close enough to scour her exposed skin for any bites, but now that they're sitting so near to each other, they forget to back away.

John B is too busy to engage with them.

He's doubled over on the ground with the compulsion to vomit the contents of his stomach into the ocean, but he doesn't dare get close to the edge again after what they went through. Instead, he positions himself away from them and their approaching friends until the half-digested food is forced back through his mouth. The acidic bile scorches his throat and nostrils on the way out.

JJ doesn't have the opportunity to retort back something about her being stupid, because Pope is the first person to reach them and ask, "What the hell happened?"

The rest of the group isn't far behind. It's Kie who asks the next question, then Sarah, then Cleo. They all pop off in rapid succession before either of the three of them can answer.

"Are any of you hurt?"

"Why is he throwing up?"

"Is that a shark?"

The last question draws everyone's attention over to the half-sunken mass of fish bobbing up and down on the breaths of the sea with a wooden spear sticking straight out of its gills. Though it isn't the biggest, most intimidating shark to roam the ocean, its presence doesn't fail to make everyone who looks at it shudder with the realization of what must have happened.

John B wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and points over at her with his trembling arm outstretched.

"She killed it."

The four of them whip their heads in her direction, jaws nearly falling off their faces in disbelief, but she doesn't say anything yet. Because as soon as they feel the eyes of their friends burning into them, she and JJ realize, as though they're returning to reality from the hazy layers of a dreamscape, that they're still holding each other.

She's slumped halfway onto him from when he hauled her body closer to inspect her, so she's essentially sitting on top of him at this point. Her legs, bruised and scratched up from when the waves crested to send them crashing into the rocks, are entangled around his enough that they look back and forth between them and where his hands cup her face in surprise.

JJ doesn't know what came over him.

Now that he snaps out of it at the same time as her, both of them separating and nudging each other away until their bodies are no longer entwined, he feels his cheeks flush in embarrassment.

When he saw her leaping past him to jump into the water, his mind shut off. He wasn't thinking about himself, or the possibility of getting killed, or anything at all. He was only thinking of the danger she put herself in, then he dove in and the rest of his conscious mind faded away into pure survival instinct. Yet, even after he knew the immediate danger was gone, the adrenaline kept him on edge, desperate to get her back to land and pray none of them were hurt.

"It was trying to attack him," she rasps. Her throat is raw from the saltwater she choked on, and every word burns. "But we did it together."

She pushes herself off the ground with an exhausted sigh.

Muscles spent from the struggle in the water, her legs wobble beneath the weight of her upper body as she takes a few steps to help John B up from his position on his hands and knees. From what she heard, he has thrown up all he has left in his stomach and hasn't gagged again in a minute or so, so attempting to stand again shouldn't be too strenuous for him.

His hand is cold in her grasp from the water soaking their bodies, but it holds firmly enough for her to help him into his feet without their palms slipping apart. No patches of blood are visible on his shorts, nor are there any puncture wounds on him from the sharp teeth that snapped at his arm in the quick but vigorous fight.

They were very, very fortunate to have made it out alive, and when he looks down at her face, he feels nothing but gratitude for the girl he previously saw as nothing more than his girlfriend's best friend. They went into the water as casual acquaintances, companions of convenience and the happenstance of being forced onto this island together, but they've come out of it differently. Now, they're friends.

Now, she's a Pogue.

He smiles at her, glancing up at their friends as their questions die down at the sight of his crazy grin, and says, "That was some real Pogue shit right there, Y/N." His eyes come back to meet hers. "I think it's about time we officially make you one of us. What do you think?"

She's opening her mouth to respond when Kiara cuts her off. The rest of them are staring at the trio as if they have ten heads sprouting from their bodies for not immediately surrendering more details of their near-death encounter other than saying she killed it.

"I'm sorry, can we please rewind to the part where you got attacked by a shark first?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, can I get a drumroll please for..."

The campfire is roaring with the abundance of sticks, leaves, and branches thrown onto the pile to fuel it as she feels a strong pair of arms looping around her thighs to lift her into the expansive, star-flecked sky.

In a flash of haunting memory, she relives the moment where JJ dove into the water after her and lifted her body above the surface to give her the high ground over the shark. She relives its thrashing hunger, the water splashing on her, and the cloudy hue of blood around them that she hoped wasn't either of the boys. For a second, as the world grows taller with her new perspective, she is brought back to the sudden shift she felt then and feels her stomach drop in panic, anticipating the danger.

But then the sound of her friends laughing, as well as the surging fire and crashing waves, comes back to her and forces the frightful flashback away. Her hip fits perfectly in the curve of John B's shoulder, and she lets her head fall back in giggling laughter at how he hoists her up in the air as though she's a holy figure of worship for the Pogues to kneel to.

His voice can likely be heard across the entire island when he shouts, "The Shark Conqueror!"

The group erupts into a triumphant mixture of cheers and laughter that fills the beach, everyone celebrating in their narrow escape earlier today...everyone except JJ.

After John B divulged the gory details of what happened, from JJ's fall to her picking up the spear and jumping in to save him from the shark, they made their way back with enough conversation to last the month. They all asked questions and took peeks back at where it happened in morbid curiosity, wondering how on earth they managed to come out of the situation without a scratch.

The rest of the afternoon continued on with the same buzzing energy that can only be created from the thrill of being alive. She's felt it many times since joining Sarah's group of friends that seem to find trouble wherever they go, but she has never felt it as vehemently as she does tonight. It's a mixture of euphoria, shock, and soul-crushing guilt for having to hurt another living creature, even one that was intending to make a meal of her friend.

No matter how much she grows up or discovers more about herself as a person, feelings never stop being as frustrating as they were to her as a child. You can get better at processing and hindering explosive reactions to them, but they never simplify. She doesn't know why she feels so much at once. She doesn't know why she feels simultaneously on top of the world and thrown off the edge of a cliff, but she thinks it has to do with him.

Since they walked back to the beach and talked about what happened until the day withered into night, which led them here to the “official” ceremony of her being named a Pogue for life, JJ hasn't spoken to her once.

Suddenly, the shoe is on the other foot.

Much like how she avoided him all night last night leading into this morning, he doesn't talk to her. He tries not to look at her too from where he sits on the log of driftwood across the fire, but it's somewhat inevitable with the spectacle John B is making of her at the moment.

Painted in the warm tones of the firelight like a goddess in her own right, Y/N is impossible to look away from, and it makes him angrier than he already is. A handwoven circlet crafted from the hibiscus and hippeastrum flowers growing in the forest around their camp sits atop her head. It doesn't fall to the ground with the movement of her throwing her head back in laughter. It stays in its rightful place against the rule of gravity until her face comes back into view for him to quickly look away from.

It dampers her laughter to see him avoiding her gaze so adamantly, taking a swig of water from one of the small cups they carved from wood and turning to talk to Kie to keep himself busy. The distinct sensation of being on top of the world slips away with the feeling of his cold avoidance and John B lowering her back to the ground until her bare feet sink into the soft sand.

Before she can start sulking about it for the foreseeable future, Sarah steps up beside her.

The familiar touch of a hand on her shoulder brings her comfort amidst her confusion and hurt over the way JJ is acting, and when she turns to see a pretty face looking fondly at her, a warm smile finds her lips.

"Pogue for life?" Sarah asks.

The three words bring make her smile grow the same way it had when she was talking to JJ on the peninsula. It crinkles the skin around her eyes with its unrestrained happiness to hear them because, as much as she pretends to let JJ's comments roll off of her, tonight marks one of the first times she's felt at home with them.

That's not to say they haven't made her feel welcome in the past, they did, but this isn’t the same. This is closer, this is the type of bond that's forged in situations like these where people have no choice but to rely on each other or let their worlds collectively fall apart, and she thinks, for the first time, that she could live here with them forever if she must.

None of them know how much time has passed since they arrived here, least of all her, but it sure as hell feels like an eternity. At first, she could barely withstand the idea of living here for months with the intention of being rescued as soon as possible, but now...

She brings Sarah into an embrace tight enough to force the air from their lungs.

"Pogue for life," she echoes back with her face buried into the salt-scented tresses of dirty blonde hair cascading over her tan shoulders.

Would it be crazy of her to think that this is where they're meant to be? That they're her family and this place she has fantasized about escaping is now their home?

After all, the lush island provides everything they need to sustain themselves with the rationing, scavenging, and hunting routines they adhere themselves to. Freshwater runs down the land in a stream from a water source uphill, plenty of different edible plants grow in the forest, and there's so much left of the expansive land to explore; it's perfect. Everything here is perfect for them, calling out to them to make it their home, but there's one little problem as of right now, and he's sitting across the fire behind her back.

Sarah's arms squeeze around her shoulders once to bring her in even closer.

"Thank you for saving him," her voice is so hushed, Y/N can hardly hear it with her lips brushing the shell of her ear to whisper into it, "I'm not gonna get all mushy with you right now, but I don't know what I would've done if"—Sarah's breath hitches in her throat, and she shakes her head—"I just wanted to thank you."

When they pull apart, Y/N is looking back at her with a knowing expression, one that says everything she can't in the presence of the others, and Sarah can't help but mirror it.

It isn't long before the blonde-haired beauty is whisked away by her boyfriend to help him cook the crabs they caught closer to shore after their encounter with the shark. Not wanting to swim out or risk slipping off the rocks again with the dead fish promising to lure more predators to their area for the next week or so, they settled for hunting for shellfish and making good use of the fruits they find growing in wild abundance in the forest.

The night ticks away in swiftly passing minutes thanks to the humorous company of the people around her.

She nearly chokes on a mouthful of banana as Cleo tells a story from before she met them, when she used to live in Nassau and work jobs with Terence and Stubbs on ships. For such new additions to the group, they both fit surprisingly well with the lifelong childhood friends that sit around and banter with such ease together.

They talk, laugh, dance, and eat together, and there are moments when she feels happier than ever. There are moments exactly like when John B lifted her up and made her giggle at how their friends cheered on her behalf in indulgence of the silly "ceremony" they did, half out of boredom and half out of gratitude for what she did. But then she is reminded of the man sitting on the outskirts of the group with his features hardened into an expression of contemplation she wishes she could decode.

The night breeze feels heavenly on her perpetually overexposed skin. It blows into the fire and allows it to swell from the oxygen supply, crackling and popping embers out every so often like the spark of the zippo lighter JJ fidgets with in his restless hands. The movement attracts her wandering eyes while they should be focused on Cleo and Kie dancing around the fire with boisterous laughter while Sarah and Pope sing for them.

She keeps herself honed in on the opening and closing of the lighter under the guidance of his ring-clad fingers for the next minute or so.

They may have been pitting themselves against each other since they met, but that doesn't mean she doesn't know him well. If anything, the keen attention that her old hatred for him forced her to keep on him made her memorize everything there is to know. And she surely has picked up on the nervous habit of him playing with the lighter whenever he's thinking, whenever there's something crawling under his skin that he can't piece together.

He sits with his back to her, facing out toward the ocean so all she can see is the hand he uses to flick the lighter open and shut with. With a quick glance at the rest of their friends to see if any of them are watching or wanting to speak with her, she pushes herself up from the log and dusts her sandy palms on her shirt.

The tracks of her footsteps lead around the corner of the driftwood he rests against until her feet appear, sunken into the sand in front of him. It takes a lot of control to not allow himself to follow up the length of her body, panning up along her legs until he sees that infuriatingly tenderhearted set of eyes looking down at him.

However, he doesn't have a choice in looking when her hand outstretches in a silent invitation. His first glimpse of her in the last half-hour shows her jerking her chin in the direction of the beach curving around the bend of the island.

This morning, he probably would've taken her up on the offer. He would've done anything to get a few minutes alone with her, but now he can't see past his anger and doesn't know why. He doesn't know why it hasn't calmed yet, but, in truth, it has more to do with him than it does her idiotic yet brave decision to fight off a shark today. Trust him, it still has a lot to do with the idiotic shark thing, but the rest is lost in translation for him.

"Not in the mood," he dismisses her.

Her brows furrow and form a crease between them as she tries to find something to say but comes up with nothing. At least not until it clicks with her what he thought she was trying to do by inviting him to walk with her.

The last time they went off on their own together, it ended in an explosive encounter they have yet to erase from their minds. It's what greets them whenever they close their eyes for a second too long, existing in their wildest daydreams and fantasies whenever they have a spare moment to themselves. Hell, he can't stop thinking about it even when he's already occupied. It was the reason why he didn't catch any fish this morning before the incident that made him pissed at her in the first place. He couldn't stop thinking of her.

"Oh," she murmurs and starts to kneel down until her knees are sinking into the sand the same way she did when patching up his leg. Her eyes peek over his shoulder to ensure the others didn't hear them—"That wasn't what I meant...I was just wondering if you wanted to talk about today. It must have been a lot to process, since he's your best friend and all, and—"

JJ snaps, unable to tolerate it anymore, and stands up from his spot on the sand to move away from her.

"You don't need act all therapist with me, okay? I'm fine, and I don't need you to fix me if that's what you wanted. Today was fine. Everything's fine, so let it go."

Her mouth opens and closes like a fish with a loss for words. For the second time in the span of a minute, she is grasping blindly for something to say in the wake of him shocking her to silence. He's starting to walk past her but she doesn't let him. Her hand shoots out to stop him and holds onto his arm to turn him back despite his rudeness.

Underneath it all, her concern touches him deeply. It shouldn't trigger a reaction like this in him, so why does it? What about today set him off? He hasn't been this genuinely angry with her since before the hunt for the gold began, before she started to blend into their friend group and establish herself as one of them.

"Woah, woah, woah," she says, "I never said that. I thought that you needed someone to talk to. You know, as a friend."

Their friends start to notice their interaction tensing up now. Before, they didn't pick up on her stepping away for a second to check on him. Now, it's impossible to ignore what unfolds hardly six steps from where they watch as slyly as they can. The two of them haven't had a conversation as cold as this one in months, and what he says next takes it to a place that freezes over the connection they made last night and shatters the warm place it held in her heart.

He scoffs.

"We're not friends. If you think you gotta act different 'cause you threw yourself at me last night, don't bother. You hate me and I hate you. That's how it is."

No nicknames, jokes, or anything to act as a buffer, just cruelty. Rejection.

Though they truly were trying to pretend like they weren't paying attention, every single one of their friends stops and stares. A chorus of hushed reactions sound off from across the fire, and the faint sound of Kie muttering, "Oh shit," is the first thing to reach their ears. It's needless to say that none of them could've expected something so callous to come from him, not after what they saw when they ran up to them on the peninsula this morning.

With the way he was holding her then, doting on her and cradling her face between his hands even in the midst of his anger at what she did, they sooner expected the pair to admit they're dating than have a blowout like this.

In the delayed seconds it takes for her to realize what the fuck he just said to her, he watches her face shift from a look of concern to sadness, to flush-faced embarrassment, then finally to anger. Her teeth grind together, nostrils flaring on her inhale, and in one quick moment, she comes to a conclusion within herself.

She reaches up to rip the handmade crown of vibrant flowers off her head with flames to match the camp fire flaring up in her eyes for him. Before she can do anything, he already knows he crossed a line, if not multiple lines. It's evident in everything he sees, from the hurt look on her face to the force with which she shoves the crown into the center of his chest to send him stumbling back a few steps. Just like yesterday, except it couldn't be any more different.

"Fuck. You." She spits the words as though they're venomous, and he almost shrinks away under the intensity of her stare, “Go find somewhere else to sleep tonight, 'cause it sure as hell isn't gonna be with me."

Petals flutter out upon impact against his solid chest and float peacefully to the sand around his feet as he watches her turn on her heels and storm off toward their hut. Though, after what he did and what she said to him as a goodbye, it isn't really theirs anymore, is it? At least not for tonight, tomorrow, or the next day until he finds a way to make her hear him out for an apology.

He stands there, frozen, the entire time he watches her leave. Nothing can move him from the spot, not even Sarah knocking her shoulder against his with a pointed glare on her way past to follow her into the moonlit darkness.

He doesn't even resist the disappointed looks he gets, or the shoulder check from Sarah. This time, he deserves it. He deserves every ounce of their judgment. All she was trying to do was make sure he was okay and he was too consumed in his unreleased frustration from today to see it. And, in a way, he's still frustrated over it, but it's greatly overshadowed by the guilt seeping through him.

The shadowy shapes of the two girls disappear into the small hut further down the beach, and JJ is left with nothing to do but look down at the flower crown clutched to his chest in regret.

Tag List: @gabiatthedisco, @fangirlvoice, @black-syren, @apparrio, @particularcth, @planetdemon, @idk-ijustworkhere, @krisphann, @astrydis, @k-k0129, @zarahsloves, and @stilesflannels.

[disorganizedkitten]

"War Crimes: Estrangement" Author Notes

Okay first things first, what is War Crimes Verse?

 That’s it, that’s the explanation.

XD okay if you actually want author’s notes they’re below the cut. I’ll try to have them in order so it’s like reading along with the fic.

Originally I was gonna do the tests as a school thing, and then… I didn’t. I added the hospital scene instead.

 And yes, the others have heard enough stories about things like getting dropped out a window that they really don’t like Lady Longbottom.

 Neville and Harry being Godbrothers waters my crops and cleans my soul

You know that thing JK said once about Ron's offhand predictions being right? That brings me immense amounts of joy and makes foreshadowing so much easier. >:D

 I want you to know that I am so used to my two versions of Delphi (Redheaded Delphini Cygnus Lestrange n Demon Delphi Tamlyn Riddle) that I had to go back and add the descriptions. I didn’t even notice till way later in the fic that ‘oh, yeah, this isn’t the version from Cursed Child. Should prolly say that.’

 If you pick up on Harry's subplot and can guess the name I'll write you a 200 word snippet.

 Considering the amount of misinformation bouncing around between the POVs, I doubt you'll catch it - therefore if you do, I also wanna know your theory as to how.

 I spent 15-30 minutes ironing out how this worked with Mewo and made them start a new story. Appreciate us

 Ron is the dad friend, I don’t take criticism.

 The you-know-where is the Chamber. If they were going to the RoR they’d be able to get in themselves.

 Horcrux possession is underused honestly

 Also Myrtle Warren deserves better so I made her and Harry genuine friends.

 This happened at the CoS scene n I think u can tell

 'The other parselmouth,' I write, knowing full well I've put three in Harry's year alone.

 Yes Ron is planning to kidnap Neville and stage an accident so his Gran is forced to buy him a new wand, your point?

 Y'all I almost added that Fay could talk to forest spirits/fairies but Fay being a Dunbar-Black instead of just Dunbar carries such a large butterfly effect, and I didn't wanna deal with it, so y'all get blonde Fay instead. /shrug

 Mewo tells me it's very obvious when the above happened. If it's not, it was the scene after the metamorph convo, when everyone's being wigged out by Harry

 Mandy being a Gryff was random but I needed ten people. It’s really weird for me, actually, because in my head she’s solidly a ravenclaw. The NOPC Ravenclaw girl’s dorm has Padma, Bry, Su, Mandy, and I think Lisa Turpin? Idr the 5th- ohh yeah I made up a Rosier kid for plot reasons.

 This could also be considered random headcanons piled together for fun and profit. I have no idea where Parvati being a Banshee came from, I was writing and said "yo that'd be fun, who should it be" and couldn't do Lav cause she was a muggleborn.  I mean she didn't stay one but still

 Seamus is an unspecified fire spirit bc my research wasn't doing much and I wanted to be done. He also explodes stuff.

If you've noticed the common wandless and/or silent magic, that's because I want to have competent characters and so I made them so. Plus, the Weasley Twins' power and smarts are underrated in the books, in a universe where they have a larger friend group and more focus, they'd be cooler.  (Also, Ginny wrote the Bat-bogey hex, people just don't notice because there are so many hexes; I love that hc)

The galleons have a 30 character limit bc I’m in charge and galleons are tiny

editor is here and editor is confussled

e/n #1: *hugs neville*

e/n #2: cheese

e/n #3: blue eyes? might you mean a z u r e o r b s?

(More photos I’m not giving more context to)

[erensproudsimp]

Experiment

Hange Zoe x fem! reader Oneshot

⚠ Sexual Content Ahead ⚠

Summary : Hange and you have been dating each other for quite some time. One day due to rain, you went over to Hange's and hehe hot stuff happens.

I've used they/them pronouns for Hange due to them being non-binary, hope y'all don't mind. :)

"HANGEEEE!" screaming down the hallway near the university laboratory, you entered said place joltily.

By this time all the science students were used you to coming by everyday while causing a ruckus to meet your significant other. You couldn't help yourself being always excited to see the only person who could make your day a million times better and today as usual you had something interesting to show them. Well, by interesting you meant something random you saw that day and just picked it up to give it to Hange. Never were they ever weird out by this as they were as eccentric as you.

"Look what I found today!" proudly bringing your hand close to their face to show them the red rock you saw in your yard.

"Heh, as usual my dear y/n, you never fail to fascinate me," they chuckled eyeing the objet closely.

"I shall add this wonderful rock to my series of collection of stuff you keep bringing to me everyday!" smilingly Hange took it.

This brought a faint blush on your cheeks as just the thought of Hange keeping the random stuff you bringing daily made you feel somewhat special.

" Sooo, what are you working on today?" you questioned them while looking at the equipment on the table.

"Ohohoho you don't know what I've just made!" they excitedly said dexterously arranging the mess to show you.

While they were enthusiastically explaining to you her recent invention, you couldn't help but stare at their jolliness. The way they made absolutely anything sound captivating just spellbound you. To describe it, it was like a meteor shower falling enlightening the night sky which you could gaze for hours, yeah, that's how Hange was.

"Hihi, that's awesome! I'm so proud of you!" you praised her happily.

"Hehe, I'm glad you appreciated my invention, after all I am your better half," haughtily they said which made you subconsciously smile.

Right at that moment a loud thunder was heard making you jump. Since morning it's been cloudy and you really hoped that it wouldn't rain in the evening as it would pose a problem for you to travel home by bus. The droplets were hitting hard against the window panes indicating it was a heavy shower. Disappointment filled your being.

"Noo, now how would I reach the bus stop on time with this weather," you complained utterly dejected and tensed.

"You know y/n, you can always ask me for a ride in my car right?" Hange said while pouring a clear liquid in a testing tube.

"I know but I don't wanna bother you."

"Oh come-on y/n, how can you ever bother me?" they reassured, "and if you really don't want to sound like a trouble then come over to my appartment. It's win-win situation, you reach home and I would get more time to spend with you."

"W-what, Hange please, ugh okay then I'll come with you," sighing you responded.

Waiting for Hange to finish up whatever they were doing but it wasn't as though you as a finance student would understand it to be able to help her out. Instead you were scrolling on Tiktok when they came up to you without warning making you jerk, "GOSH HANGE! YOU COULD HAVE CALLED FOR ME."

Chuckling, Hange grabbed your hand to make you stand up. Losing your footing, you fell in their arms which they gladly grabbed you. Giving you a brief forehead kiss, they proceeded to drag you to the parking lot. At first you didn't process the action making you scream but when you got the hang of it, you ran alongside with them hand in hand laughing.

Hange unlocked the car and you got into the front passenger seat. Both of you were laughing while still catching your breaths.

"Now off to my house we gooo!" Hange yelled as you were wearing your seatbelt.

Throughout the whole ride both of you conversed about each of your days and the daily news.

"Can you believe that Sasha and Nicollo are finally going out with each other? I always knew that they were a match made in heaven," you rambled as Hange listened to you intently while also focusing on the road.

"I mean I could see it happening seeing their compatibility and the way they complete each other, just like you complete me," Hange added.

Her last words made your face heat up which you hid by looking outside. Luckily for you, you finally reached your destination. It wasn't the first you came over to her appartement so you took her keys and ran inside. Normally her place would be messy like a dumpster because that human barely had time in her hands to take care of their house but for once it was spotless clean.

"Did Levi come over?" you asked them, hand on your hip.

"I-yeah. Yesterday he did. But I swear I'll try to be more responsible from now on!" Hange affirmed.

You took a deep breath and asked, "so what are we eating tonight?"

"I don't know y/n, you choose," they replied kicking their boots off to enter the residence.

"How about we order Pizza?"

"Sure thing love," grabbing her phone to order said food, Hange said.

"How about you go take a bath while I take out plates?" you suggested.

"I mean only if you're willing to join me," they smirked while leaning on the door.

Out of embarrassment you threw a pillow laying on the couch at her, "NO!"

"Sad, I was really hoping for some fun in there," they replied before running into the bathroom as you were about to hit them with another pillow.

While you waited for her to come out so that you in your turn could go freshen up, you arranged everything to be able to eat. Having such nights with Hange is always something you've dreamt of doing but you never had the courage to ask.

A few moments later, Hange came out with hair dripping wet which they were trying to dry with a towel. Damn they looked hot in that condition. Before you could start simp over them, you excused yourself to go bathe.

Feeling the warm water touch your skin evaporated all your stress from you as you relaxed. Coming out of the bathroom wearing Hange's clothes, you went to sit next to them on the couch. You noticed that the pizza had already arrived so you took a piece of it to eat. You two watched this popular series called 'Attack on titan' together until the pizza was finished.

Throwing the pizza cardboard in the bin, you went to see Hange already laying on the bed. Scooting to them, you placed your head on their shoulder as they held you tight with one arm and the other holding their phone. You were watching memes with her laughing when suddenly there was a video of two girls kissing came up which made your heart beat faster. You could tell Hange felt so as well as she swiped quickly to prevent awkwardness.

A little bit of tension remained in both of you yet no one made the first move. It kept growing as you felt their hot breath on your face because you were leaning on them.

Feeling bothered and assuming that Hange wasn't going to initiate it, you snatched their phone from their hand and kept it on the table next to the bed for you to straddle on them.

Shifting yourself to be more comfortable, you leaned down to smack your lips against theirs. Still processing whatever just happened, Hange went with the flow. For this moment at least. Hands on your ass, they squeezed them as you laid your body on theirs.

Lips still crashed against each others and tongues still fighting over control, Hange's minds began to fill with sexual fantasies that they could enact on you in this precise moment.

Pulling back from you, they settled your body on the bed to go search for something in the wardrobe. They came back with a blindfold facing you.

"Do you mind if I take your vision away for a while? I don't want to ruin the surprise of what I'm going to do to you."

Gulping hardly you took the black cloth and blinded yourself.

"Good girl," Hange praised giving you a headpat to continue their rummage.

With no warnings, you were pushed on the bed lightly. At first you didn't understand what was going on but that was before you felt a rope on your wrists which was being wrapped around them individually then pulled upwards signaling it was being tied down to the bed. The same thing was done for both of your legs.

Anticipation mounted in you as you felt hands running from your chest to your stomach.

"I hope that the ropes are not too tight, are they?" they concernedly asked.

You shaked your head to say no still having the blindfold on.

"No? Well, then I think you would love this being in your mouth," they said coming closer to you. You were expecting her to stuff her fingers in but it ended up being something you certainly didn't anticipate at all.

Holding your head up, they made you wear it. Initially it was uncomfortable but you managed to deal with it as it only turned you on more. It was a gag ball.

You laid your head on a pillow desperately craving Hange's touch but of course they were still searching for something.

"Don't worry y/n, I'll come to you as soon as I find that one thing I bought last week I wanted to test out," Hange spoke from the other side of the room.

Trying to keep your growing lust in control, you fidgeted with the device in your mouth.

" Ah-ha! found it, now wait for me y/n, I'll fuck you into oblivion soon," their voice coming out breathless.

Feelings the sides of the bed sink and a presence hoving above you, you became more excited to what Hange was going to do this time.

Their soft lips colliding again against yours as their hands ran down to unbutton your shirt leaving your bare chest naked as you weren't wearing any undergarments. For a few seconds Hange didn't do anything. As you were ripped from your eyesight, you couldn't see that Hange was in fact staring at the prefect roundness of your boobs displayed to them .

Unable to contain themselves, they ran their tongue on one of your breasts while the other was being fondled with their hands. Your breathing was quickening at their doings. Out of nowhere they bit your nipple softly making you bit the gagball stifling a moan.

Going lower on you they pulled down your pants while they kissed you on your bellybutton. Without warning again you felt a pain on your hip and teeth leaving your skin. Biting you again on the other side of your hip, Hange caressed your inner thighs. This time you couldn't contain the moan as it escaped your mouth through the gag ball.

Looking at your entrance, Hange saw that though they didn't yet completely lay hands on you, you were soaking wet. Then they assumed that it was probably from the long amount of time you had to wait for them.

You heard the opening of the cap of a tube. Your mind raced through all the possibilities of what it could be.

But of course it was the least thing you could expect as you felt something touching your cunt.

It was a lukewarm rubbery thing that was being ran through your swollen folds.

"Wanna guess what it is? Y/n," Hange said as you felt the object or whatever it was penetrate you. An 'hmm' came out of you as your back arched graciously making Hange widen their eyes.

"Ahaha, y/n you beautiful creature! You never cease to amaze me the more I explore you,"Hange complimented pushing the thing deeper into you.

" Lemme reward you for blessing me with his gorgeous sight and return you back your vision, "they continued.

Your insides felt empty as Hange had to remove the item to open the blindfold. You must say you had quite of the shocker to see them. Straddling you was a Hange that you didn't recognize.

They were wearing a black lingerie delicately complimented with black thigh highs and on their pelvis area was a strap-on-dildo.

"I wanted to experiment this on you," they gave you a light smirk before positioning themselves in front of your pussy. Taking the small bottle thrown on the bed nearby, Hange opened it. It was lube. Dropping quite some on the dildo, Hange jerked it to spread the lubricant.

Placing their hand on your hips for support, Hange inserted it again.

They couldn't describe how much they ravished to look at you in this state. As they were thrusting their hips in and out, the room became filled with your moans and Hange's name.

"Yes y/n scream my name louder. Make the neighbours hear how good I'm making you feel," Hange panted.

'Hmmm Hange I'm getting close, go faster please, "you begged them.

Taking your wishes into consideration, Hange did not double up the speed but rather trippled it. You were practically shaking on the bed as your screams got louder and louder.

Not late enough, you released yourself on them. The pleasure was so unbearable it almost hurted. Panting on the bed, you looked at the ceiling to regain control of yourself. Then looking back at Hange, only to see that they were already staring at you lovingly.

"Can you untie me now? I need to pee," you coughed.

"Ahaha, no piss on the bed," Hange declared as you were startled by their statement.

"Just kidding lemme help you refresh yourself," Hange joked making you feel relieved.

End.

Thank you for reading this. :)