#so many people just wear collars that people got cancelled about it a while ago

[seeminglyseph]

I'm like... slowly watching a Chainsaw Man reaction and getting stoned to deal with a liiitttle PTSD episode I had earlier... and realizing that like.

as a person. who is very touch starved and lonely in my own way. while Denji has like "I wanna touch a boob" which is like funny etc etc... if he was not an animated character whose age was easy to forget, because his everyman protagonist placement makes me accidentally age him up to be closer in age to me... anime is bad for me just fuckin' forgetting that people are high school students. I just mentally adjust people to be 'neutral age' instead of their actual age. Especially if they happen to work in an adult industry surrounded by other adults.

I fully like. though. can understand like. 'man... sometimes I'm curious what that kind of sexual interaction is like. I have kinda given up on being seen as sexually appealing... but I kinda crave that intimacy.' and like. a lot of really toxic relationships have been built on that foundation. and exploring it with Denji is really interesting because like. Denji and Makima are.. a relationship dynamic I've seen played out with the Teacher and Student in a lot of series that aren't supernatural adventure shows. "I've given up on being considered attractive but I crave something" and "I know I can manipulate you and can get what I want from you without you realizing it because you have no experience and no confidence" and it's really fascinating. And all of us knew it was bad from the moment it started, but it was like 'yeah but it's like... something. and that's kinda good enough.'

And like. I ain't gonna shame the folks barking, I got my fair share of nasty abusive freaks I would bark at too. My Toxic Fictional Man list is Too Fucking Long. I'm just like. Too Gay for Makima. that's the only reason I'm not right there with you. Also I have like... too many abusive toxic women in my real life, fictional toxic women just don't do it for me. but like genuinely, I get it. I understand. Good for you, I hope you enjoy the good rep for genuinely horrifying Toxic Fictional Mistresses Who Might Walk You On A Leash If You're Good. like I get that want for fictional characters who make you both scared and horny for the subs out there. it's hard to get a good Evil Dominant who isn't just Tsundere or Yandere. The Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss is immaculate and like, congratulations on your full sexual awakening.

But practice safe kink IRL. to bring it maybe back around I guess. it's important to know like. when you can tolerate and survive being alone better than being with someone toxic, and that like. it's one thing to do a sexy roleplay of that stuff, but like there has to be a place where is stops 'cause it can wear down your self worth. Practice safe boundaries in kink. it's important even it maybe it's kinda boring. But it can mean you can do more exciting stuff. You *can* be someone's dog, if you also know you are important and valuable and a person with the right to say no in situations that you don't like. Live your fucking best life with communication, boundaries and safe kink. idk.

[readjthompson]

Well, since my novelette Cancel Toby Chalmers! (copyright me, now) has been sitting around, completed, for nearly 16 months, I’ve decided to share it for free, until it’s later released as part of a Toby Chalmers collection.

Here are the first three chapters.

Chapter 1

Upon being introduced to new acquaintances, Joseph McCarthy Jr., more often than not, issued the disclaimer, “Don’t worry, my dad wasn’t that Joseph McCarthy. He was liberal to the bone, just like me. He even shook Nelson Mandela’s hand once.”

Askance glances this earned him; few recognized his references. Reluctantly meeting the unsettlingly fervent eyes within Joe’s poached egg countenance, people said, “Oh, uh, nice to meetcha,” and other utterances of that ilk.

Those unfortunate enough to remain within range of the man’s self-satisfied aura would then hear him ask, “So, what do you do?” Preempting their every reply, Joe’d strike his most heroic, fists-to-hips pose and intone, “Me, I’m Transylvoria’s Editor-in-Chief.”

“The horror literature fan magazine?” his current chinwag partner asked. “Didn’t one of your writers get busted for diddlin’ kids or some shit?”

“Oh, we fired that guy months ago. No one really liked him anyway.”

“Huh. Well, here’s your pizza. That’ll be twenty bucks even.”

Cool, the delivery guy respects me so much that he doesn’t want a tip, Joe assumed, sliding a Jackson portrait from his wallet. He tucked it into the collar of his visitor’s Italian flag-striped shirt, grabbed the pizza box from his hands, and slammed the door.

“Uncle Jojo’s got lunch!” he shouted toward the living room. “Extra sardines, just how we like it!”

He retrieved a pair of plates from the cupboard and topped each with three slices. His mouth watered; his stomach rumbled anticipatorily. To the glass-and-chrome dining table he carried the pizza, then a couple of sodas in Jordan Peele-faced mugs.

“Shadrach, get in here!” he shouted, seating himself. “Don’t be a cold fish! Don’t eat one, either.” He washed a chomp down with a hearty swig of Pepsi, as his eight-year-old nephew entered the kitchen.

“Nobody calls me by my full name, Uncle Jojo,” the boy said, climbing onto a stool.

“Nobody plus one,” Joe countered.

Prepubertal hypertrichosis had gifted the boy with a fringe of dark facial hair, just like Joe’s. In fact, the two looked so much alike, many folks assumed that Joe had impregnated his single mother sister to spawn the little bastard. Joe was pretty sure he’d pulled out that one time, though.

“Hey, what happened to your TRANSYLVORIA PRIDE shirt? That cool one I gave you, with the rainbow with fangs? You were wearin’ it this morning.”

Ignoring the question, Shadrach selected a pizza slice and conspicuously began to consume it.

“I’m waiting, young man.”

Shadrach shrugged and said, “It got dirty, so I changed into this one.”

“Dirty? You haven’t set a foot outdoors all weekend.”

“I spilled somethin’ on it.” Now Shadrach wouldn’t meet Joe’s gaze.

“Listen, little buddy, I can tell when you’re lying. And while your mama’s in rehab, I’m the one lookin’ after you. There’ll be no lies in this house. Not now, not ever. Again, I’m asking what happened to your TRANSYLVORIA PRIDE shirt?”

“I took it off.”

“But why ever would you do such a silly thing?”

“I don’t like it.”

“But I approved the design personally. Aren’t you proud of Transylvoria? Aren’t you proud of the 2SLGBTQI+ community? They’ve come so far over the years.”

“I’m a straight white boy, Uncle Jojo. When I wear that shirt, people think I wanna kiss dudes. Hal pinched my wiener at school. I didn’t like it.”

“Oh, Shadrach, Shadrach, Shadrach. First of all, what have I told you about calling yourself ‘white’? Caucasians should refer to themselves as ‘racially challenged’ until we’ve destroyed, then atoned for, white supremacy. And if showing solidarity with marginalized groups makes you a target for the ignorant, then be a proud target.”

“But Hal is gay. Why are you calling him ignorant?”

“That’s not…you’ve got a long way to go intellectually, I’m afraid.”

 

Chapter 2

For years, Toby Chalmers had been plagued by a recurrent dream scenario, wherein he wandered the grounds of an institution that incorporated architecture from every school he’d ever attended—pre-, elementary, middle, high, and even the community college he’d dropped out of. Seeking a math class whose location he’d forgotten, aware that an accumulation of absences made a failing grade likely, he encountered classmates from the past, some of whom were now dead in the real world.

Subsequent awakenings had seen his stomach dread-weighted. How will I explain an F to my parents? he’d wondered, until he reclaimed his place in the linear timestream and realized, Oh, that’s right, I live alone now and my school days are long behind me.

His latest slumber, however (described in slang that’ll likely be outdated by the time this book sees print), hit different. Finally, he found himself seated in the long-sought math class, surrounded by middle schoolers he’d once known, along with a few strangers. Four kids shared each table. Across from Toby was a goth chick he’d once had a crush on: a blonde who’d dressed in the same Victorian mourning dress every day and always smelled of mothballs. In the real world, he’d never spoken so much as a syllable to her. As a matter of fact, before alcoholism seized him in the ninth grade, he’d possessed scant social skills, had spent his free moments alone, reading or watching horror.

The blonde had never spoken to him either, but she did now, in his dream. “Don’t you have your homework?” she asked, tapping her finger upon a sheet of solved equations. Their two other tablemates, a snickering pair of future date rapists, had sheets of their own, ready for grading.

“Uh…I think so. Let me check.” Toby’s old, green JanSport backpack—with its logo torn off, just like he remembered—rested on the floor, beside his left foot. Within it, he discovered not the expected books and binders, but a churning mass of grey rodents. Aware of his scrutiny, they stared and hissed.

Unable to stifle his gasp, Toby inflamed the blonde’s curiosity. “What’s the matter?” she asked, peeking under the table. “Oh, wow, you’d better hide those before you get expelled.”

Their other two tablemates had themselves a look and began giggling. “What’re those for, Toby?” they uttered in unison. “Gonna stick ’em up your ass?”

Ignoring their jibes, Toby eye-swept the room, sliding his gaze athwart whiteboard and posters, students and negative space. His focus soon settled upon the leftward storage drawers, wherein slept calculators, pencils, protractors and worksheets.

The teacher had yet to arrive. Indeed, Toby had time to lug his backpack thereabouts and dump its contents into a drawer. Closing it, glad that no one but his tablemates had paid any attention to him, he then returned to his chair.

Next came a time jump. Many months must’ve passed, because the rats had multiplied exponentially, and now poured from all corners of the campus. Students stumbled about, shrieking, with rodents nibbling at their clothes and pawing at their hair, as Toby wandered the premises, untouched. Seeing terror-warped faces, he wondered if he should feel pity, or guilt, or anything at all, really. Instead, he tried to recall the location of his math classroom.

Another time jump restored normalcy to the institution. Unhurriedly, students and teachers made their way toward their day’s lessons. No longer did Toby recognize a single presence around him. Wondering if he’d ever graduate, if he’d ever make his parents proud, he approached a popular, dark-haired girl whose vulpine voluptuousness diminished those surrounding her.

“Excuse me,” Toby said, “but I seem to be lost here.”

“Well, that’s one way of putting it,” the girl answered, “considering you died all those years ago.”

“Died?”

“Sure did. You’re a legend around these parts now. The Rat King, they call you. All those rodents you set loose here…they had to shut this place down for months.”

Only then did Toby glance down at his body, to see that it was composed not of flesh, but of dozens of grey, squeaking rats, all connected at their tails. “Oh,” he just managed to utter, as his dream dissolved around him.

Within far less interesting flesh, he awakened. His lower back ached, as per usual. Rather than lurch right to the bathroom, as his biology demanded, he chose to remain yet recumbent, reflecting on his phantasmagoria while its edges remained solid in his mind.

Finally, my recurrent dream reached a terminus, he thought. Such a bizarre sense of closure. I’ll probably never again return to those surroundings, never again visit all of those lost-to-time faces. The dead and the dead-to-me, friends and enemies, now nonentities. Should I be melancholic or grateful?

After all of these years, a resolution to my math classroom dilemma. Is my subconscious trying to tell me something? Does it sense dark times impending? It’s been quite some time since my fiction landed me in any trouble. What madness now awaits me?

 

Chapter 3

When ejaculating his biography to all those within earshot, Joseph McCarthy Jr. would generally say something along the lines of, “After earning my journalism degree from Cameron University, I spent six years reviewing folk music for The Jingle-Jangle Gazette before they elevated me to editor. That lasted for a few years before I decided to fully embrace my love of horror literature. I’ve now been Editor-in-Chief at not one, but two magazines devoted to it.”

The veracity of that last sentence was a bit iffy, however. True, Joe had held that position at both Draculiterary and Transylvoria, but he left out the fact that Transylvoria was just Draculiterary retitled, with the numbering continued.

Over his head honcho tenure, Joe had fired the magazine’s every straight, cisgender white man and replaced them with minorities who didn’t mind being marketed as such in their bylines. “We’re changing our name to Transylvoria to reflect our new policy of inclusivity,” he’d trumpeted. “For far too long, racially challenged, cisgender, penis-having breeders have limited this magazine’s purview. Our new day starts right now, with this issue!” An adulatory echo chamber of social media randos then washed over him. He’d masturbated for hours, ogling himself in the mirror.

“Aside from Stephen King, no more cisgender, male, racially challenged, straight authors will be reviewed here,” he told each new hire. “They’re a link to a racist time in history that our bright, shiny future will pave over.”

Sure, the old guard had raised a fuss, claiming that they’d developed their writing skills over decades and deserved the same regard as the new jacks. All had been shamed on social media by Joe and his acolytes, until the old guard’s publishers had seen no choice but to take those authors’ books out of print and issue press releases announcing their commitment to inclusivity. Suicides had been celebrated in Transylvoria. “So long, massa!” was the slogan used for each incident.

When some of the now-shunned writers revealed that they truly were bigots, calling black authors “illiterate charity cases” and trans authors “even uglier than their purple prose,” those men were labeled the typical, non-Stephen King, cisgender, straight, racially challenged, male author by much of the media. “They want to enslave us all and force us to write Donald Trump fan fiction!” certain diverse, much reposted authors claimed.

Riding this revolutionary wave, denouncing his own race at every opportunity, Joseph McCarthy Jr. gained more and more influence on horror literature. An early proponent of content warnings, he demanded that every published author spoil their entire plot at the start of each story, so that nobody ever be triggered when reading it. “Entitled monsters,” he’d labeled those who’d failed to comply, just as long as they were cisgender, straight, racially challenged, and male. So, too, had his magazine and he assisted in the efforts to change H.P. Lovecraft’s surname to Hatecraft in his fiction’s every reprint. “Bigots don’t get to decide their legacies, we do!” he’d decreed.

Every cisgender, straight, racially challenged male who spoke out against Joe was labeled a Nazi by the man, then his followers. Even their most innocuous social media posts were twisted into hate speech. Top names in the industry denounced them, receiving glowing Transylvoria reviews in exchange.

I’ve gained so much power over horror lit, Joe often thought, when he had time to himself, so why doesn’t my own nephew bow to my wisdom?

* * *

Contemplating the nominees for Transylvoria’s upcoming Vampclusivity Awards—an online ceremony he’d host, as per usual—Joe strode into his living room. Framed signature sheets from books he would never read lined the walls. Otherwise, there wasn’t much to draw the eye, save for a large 4K television perched on a tobacco-shaded stand, facing an autumn-colored velour sofa that seemed half-alive.

Shadrach had never liked that sofa. “It smells funny,” he’d said, “and the cushions are covered with crusty stains. I think mice might be livin’ in it, too.” Rather than sit upon it as he watched TV, he chose to lay on his belly, on the carpet, propped up on his elbows, resting his chin on his palms, bending his neck in a way that looked excruciatingly painful to Joe. Such was the pose that Joe found him in on this day.

A young African American rhymed and cavorted across the TV screen, instructing a group of enthusiastic peers in the art of The Urkel Dance. Red suspenders kept his pants hefted nearly to his chest. Straps kept his glasses from sliding off of his head.

Infuriated, Joe snatched the remote control from his nephew and powered off the TV. “Family Matters!” he shouted. “You know how I feel about Steve Urkel!”

Pouting, Shadrach climbed to his feet and said, “Steve Urkel’s funny as heck, Uncle Jojo. My mom let me watch him all the time.”

Clenching his fists, Joe responded, “Your mama was a bad influence. That’s why she’s in rehab. I’ve told you time and time again that it’s never okay for a racially challenged person to laugh at a black one.”

“But he’s supposed to be laughed at. That’s why they made him funny.”

“We can only laugh with African Americans when they’re making fun of the racially challenged. We can never, never, never laugh at them. Minstrel shows were supposed to be funny, too, once. How would you feel if I put on blackface make-up right now and started performing ‘Jump Jim Crow’ for you?”

“Uh…what?”

“That’s it, young man, I’ve had enough of your ignorance! If your school isn’t gonna teach you about racial tolerance, then I will!”

 

[more-pokeimagines]

Stone Cold Body [05] - Chapter 4

A/N: Okay, folks, here’s the next chapter, and I really hope you enjoy it. Feedback is always appreciated. :) If you want to be tagged in further parts of the series send me an ask!

Warnings: mentions of executions and violence

Past

Three weeks had passed since King Lewin I. had burned the girl at the stake, and Bede still couldn’t stop thinking about it. He didn’t know why his father hated the sorcerers so much, he didn’t know what they had done to deserve being hunted and killed like animals. But he knew only too well that he wasn’t allowed to ask, so he remained silent and carried on with his life as if he didn’t care about the death of innocent people at all, just like his father.

His sister, on the other hand, made no secret of her consternation. She barely spoke to the king anymore and even tried to convince him to cancel the ball he had announced for her birthday in a few weeks. The end of the story had been a slap in the face and a warning to never disrespect her father like that again.

Bede still got angry when he thought about it. His father had no right to treat Carlina like that, especially since she already spent most of the day in her room, silently mourning the death of a girl she hadn’t known. He wished he knew how to make it easier for her, mostly because it probably hadn’t been the last execution she had to watch but also because he hated to see his cheerful and carefree sister like that. Even though she often told him that she could take care of herself just fine, he still felt the strong urge to protect her from all the evils of the world. To him, she would always be the little girl who had asked him to read her favorite book to her over and over again while she snuggled up to him to keep herself warm. To this day, it was still one of his dearest memories and one of the many reasons why he adored his sister so much.

He was currently on his way to her rooms since she had been absent at dinner, probably because she was still too upset to actually spend time with the king. The queen, a compassionate and gentle woman, had asked her son to look in on Carlina, and he gladly followed her instructions, mostly because he was worried about Carlina too but also because he was tired of hearing about the princess he was supposed to marry anytime soon.

Absent-mindedly, Bede turned around the corner, finally reaching the hallway that led to Carlina’s rooms in the east wing. He knew that he needed to persuade her to leave her quarters, especially if she didn’t want to anger their father even more, but he had no idea how. Carlina was well-behaved and smart, yes, but she could also be incredibly stubborn. It definitely wouldn’t be easy to convince her.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness.” A guard had approached him, obstructing his way as he looked at the prince with an almost empty expression. Despite his statement, his voice showed no signs of sympathy. Instead, he sounded almost like the situation amused him. “But the king advised me to not let anyone pass.”

“Excuse me?” Bede asked, the disgruntled expression in his eyes a solemn warning but the guard returned his look without the slightest bit of fear. He knew that he was on the safe side since he only obeyed the king’s orders, and the prince hardly had anything to say anyway.

“May I propose that you talk to the king yourself, Your Highness,” the guard suggested. “Perhaps that will settle the issue.”

Bede frowned. It didn’t happen often that someone dared to disrespect him like that but even the stubbornness of this guard wouldn’t stop him from seeing his sister.

“No,” he said after a few moments of silence, his voice as cold as ice. “Perhaps we could do as I say, or else I will ensure that you suffer the consequences for disobeying your prince. I don’t care what my father said.”

The guard gulped, now clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation. “Your Highness, I-”

“Be quiet,” Bede interrupted him. “I don’t want to hear your excuses. Now, step aside.”

He could literally see how the guard’s thoughts were racing as they stared at each other for a few more seconds. Then, the guard finally stepped aside. “I beg your pardon, Your Highness,” he said and bowed his head. “I was being presumptuous.”

“Yes,” Bede agreed. “You may leave now.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Bede turned away, raising his hand to knock at the door to Carlina’s room.

It was more than obvious that his sister wasn’t feeling well. Carlina looked absolutely terrible, despite her tarted up appearance. Her face was still tear-stained, her eyes swollen and red-rimmed as she looked at her brother who simply reached out for her and pulled her into a tight hug. She leaned against him, her face buried in the crook of his neck while tears welled up in her eyes again.

“We missed you at dinner,” he mumbled, his hands gently caressing her back to comfort her. The soft and expensive fabric of her dress felt cool beneath his fingertips. “Mother asked me to check in on you. She’s worried.”

“Father told me not to leave my room,” Carlina replied quietly. “He said I should spend my time realizing my mistakes before I bother him with my presence again.”

“I know. There was a guard outside of your room.”

Carlina sniffled. When she spoke again, her voice was shaking. “I don’t understand why he hates the sorcerers so much. They never did anything wrong, did they? And still he keeps hunting them like they’re wild animals! That’s not how a king is supposed to act.”

“I know,” Bede repeated. He didn’t understand his father’s hatred either but he had learned long ago not to question his actions, especially not when it came to his ruthless vendetta against the sorcerers. He could only hope that the killing would stop eventually.

*

Dissatisfied, Bede tugged at the high collar of his new jacket. He hated to wear his navy blue dress uniform but since the occasion called for fancy clothing, there wasn’t much he could do about it. In his opinion, the color looked awful against his pale complexion and it clashed with the color of his eyes while his mother insisted that he looked regal and mature. He, on the other hand, suspected that she only wanted him to look presentable when she introduced him to the princess he was betrothed to since birth, despite the fact that he had zero interest in marrying. But for the sake of Carlina and her birthday, he had decided that it would be best to discuss the issue later on.

His sister looked stunning, dressed in an exquisite rose colored gown which was richly ornamented with precious pearls and gemstones that resembled the jewelry she was wearing. The only thing that was missing was her contagious smile.

When he escorted her to the ballroom, an hour after the guests had arrived, he squeezed her gloved hand, trying to reassure her that nothing bad was going to happen tonight. Initially, she had looked forward to this celebration but Bede knew that she’d rather run and hide in her room after yet another incident with a sorcerer and his inevitable death sentence the evening before.

“Smile,” he whispered when they entered the ginormous ballroom that had always been too richly decorated for his liking. The guests were staring at the siblings as they made their way to the podium in front of huge windows where their parents awaited them.

“His Royal Highness, Prince Bede and Her Royal Highness, Princess Carlina,” a harbinger introduced them, even though there probably was not a single person in the room who didn’t know their names. Carlina was finally smiling again, gracefully waving at her admirers, and even Bede who usually acted restrained and sometimes slightly arrogant whenever he had to be at court, had managed to put on a somewhat believable smile. He hated events like this though. He hated how his mother paraded her children around like they were some kind of precious commodities to preserve the peace between Galar and other kingdoms.

“My beloved children,” the king greeted them when they reached the podium, stretching out his hand to help Carlina getting up the stairs. Bede couldn’t help but notice that she was a good actress. She didn’t even flinch when her father bowed his head to kiss her cheek; the exact same cheek he had slapped just a few weeks ago when his daughter had dared to speak out against him.

With a proud smile, he put his arm around Carlina. “Happy Birthday, my dear.”

“Thank you, Mylord,” she replied politely, just as everyone in the room expected. Then, she turned around to look at the courtiers as her father said, “Surely, my daughter feels honored to spend her birthday with such noble and courteous people.”

Restrained murmurs of approval interrupted him but as soon as he raised his hand, the crowd went silent again. “But this is not the only reason for our celebration today. I am delighted to announce the Prince’s engagement with Princess Amelié of Kalos.”

Bede’s smile faded in the blink of an eye. Even though he had assumed that his parents would make things official today, he didn’t expect to meet his betrothed in front of every aristocrat in the kingdom. Of course it didn’t help that he had no desire to meet her, let alone spend the whole evening with a girl he didn’t know.

A figure moving through the crowd caught his attention and for a moment, he closed his eyes, wishing that the princess would be at least a decent person, but when he opened his eyes again he realized that it wasn’t Princess Amelié who was curtseying in front of his father now. It was a woman, dressed in a simple, yet expensive looking gown. Her long hair was pinned up and decorated with barely noticeable beads and pearls.

“Your Majesty,” she greeted the king, her voice low and husky. “I deeply apologize for interrupting your wonderful celebration but Her Highness, Princess Amelié, will not be able to accompany us today. She fell ill a few days ago but she sends her kindest regards to the King and the Queen and their children. Her Highness particularly regrets that she can not meet her betrothed today but as soon as she feels better she would feel honored to pay her respect to him.”

“Please convey my get-well wishes to Princess Amelié,” Bede replied, knowing very well what his parents and everyone else in the room expected from him. He even managed to put on a smile. “And also assure her I am eagerly awaiting her visit.”

“Your wish is my command, Your Highness,” the woman said.

After that brief encounter, King Lewin lead the dance with his wife, followed by Carlina and Bede who wasn’t too fond of dancing but since it was his sister’s birthday, he couldn’t deny her request and he was more than surprised when he discovered that it was actually a lot of fun to dance with his sister. She was a natural talent, graceful and self-confident as they twirled round the dance floor.

It didn’t take long until a young duke asked the Princess for a dance, and after a few seconds of hesitation Carlina accepted the proposal. She gave her brother an apologetic smile but he stopped her with a wave of his hand and returned to the side of the dance floor.

Princess Amelié’s lady-in-waiting joined company with him just a few minutes later, gracefully curtseying when he greeted her with a nod. “Your Highness,” she said.

“Milady,” was the simple response.

She cleared her throat. “I have to say I am glad that I got the opportunity to be here tonight. It is a wonderful celebration. The princess must be thrilled.”

“She surely is,” Bede replied and darted a glance at his sister who was still twirling round the dance floor with that young duke. They seemed to enjoy themselves but Bede knew that they probably wouldn’t see each other again once this celebration was over. His father would never allow Carlina to marry someone of lower degree than her.

When the lady-in-waiting let out a deep sigh, he turned his attention back to her. She was looking at him with an annoyed expression. “You don’t understand, do you?” she asked. “I am not petite Amelié’s lady-in-waiting.”

“Oh, I realized that,” Bede replied flatly. “I knew it already when you spoke to my father. You know, as chance would have it, I have a bit of knowledge about Kalos and their traditions, and let me tell you, a lady-in-waiting there would never be dressed in a simple gown like yours.”

The woman’s eyes widened in surprise but just a second later, the blank expression was back. “I see. Well, it doesn’t really matter anymore. I got what I wanted.”

“And what would that be, Milady?”

“Talking to you,” she stated matter-of-factly. “I wanted to tell you how much I despise your family. You killed my little sister, you killed countless others and yet, here you are, throwing parties and wasting money, as if my people aren’t suffering because of your ignorance. I won’t let Lewin continue to destroy this country.”

“And what are you going to do about that, Milady?” he asked, the tone of his voice clearly meant to mock her.

“You’ll see, little princeling,” she promised and her lips curled into a sweet smile. “You’ll see.”

Masterlist  / Next chapter

[ahtohallan-calling]

chapter 2 of promises to keep is here!

[kristanna / 5 part 18th c scotland au / love and angst and kiltstoff in equal measure / rated t / 3k words this chapter]

masterpost

She wanted him to kiss her again, but he didn’t; he just looked at her with those dark eyes, not as sad as they were the day she had met him, but still a mystery to her. She wanted to know what laid in the depths of him, what thoughts and feelings made up the riverbed of his heart, turn over each little pebble of him until she’d memorized him inside and out.

chapter 2: one you can’t keep

“But I told him I’d have him, and lying’s a sin, Uncle,” Anna pleaded.

“Never known you to be the pious type,” her uncle said drily. “Don’t think screeching ‘sweet Jesus’ after tripping over your own skirts counts as praying.” 

She was at least lady enough to flush at the accusation, though when her cousin Callum snickered in the corner she stuck out her tongue at him, canceling out any seeming demureness her rosy cheeks might have granted. 

“And anyway,” Uncle went on, more solemn this time,  “I don’t intend to let you marry the blacksmith’s apprentice when I’ve got a MacKenzie and a Campbell both eager to have your hand.”

“But I don’t even know them.’

“And that’s why they’re still interested in you and not running for the hills, Annie dearest,” Callum teased, and this time the gesture she showed him from a hand held just out of her uncle’s line of sight was rude enough he burst out into laughter.

“I don’t see what all the fuss is about,” sniffed Aunt Nellie, as dour as ever. “He’s not even one of us.”

“He’s lived with us since he was a wee little thing, or is your memory starting to fail?” Anna asked waspishly

“He’s just some Viking barbarian-- if he’s even telling us the truth about where he was born.”

“Vikings aren’t even around anymore, Auntie, I’ll have you--”

Suddenly her sister’s hand was tight around her wrist, eyes flashing with warning, but Anna went on anyway. “And anyway you sound like the bloody English now, calling people barbarians--”

A heavy fist slammed down suddenly onto the rickety wooden table, and they all jumped where they stood, even Callum looking suddenly grim.

“Watch your tongue, lass,” her uncle growled in warning. “You speak too lightly of matters beyond your ken.”

Anna opened her mouth, but Elsa’s fingers only clenched tighter, hard enough that she had to hold back a yelp of pain. She turned, eyes narrowed, but her sister only shook her head, a beseeching look in her eyes. Later, she mouthed.

“But Uncle…” Anna said, still determined to plead her case.

“Enough,” he snapped. “I swore to your father I’d see you and your sister both taken care of, and I’ve done all I can, have I not? I’ve kept you fed and clothed these last three years, and I’ve let your sister keep to her mourning clothes and let you run wild as you like, but the times for such things are past. It's time you started thinking of the good of the rest of the clan and not your own little whims."

"It's not a whim," Anna contested hotly, tears springing to her eyes, "and how would sending me off with some stranger do anyone any good? I know our lands and our people better than anyone, Uncle, and I'd do anything for--"

"Well," he interrupted, looking suddenly exhausted. "Well, lass, this is the best way you can help right now, I'm afraid. The world is changing around us, and we've got to change with it."

Before she could come up with another retort, a knock came at the half-open door, and she looked to see a man wearing a half-familiar tartan. “Lachlan MacLeod, I presume?” he asked, and her uncle nodded.

“Aye.”

Uncle gave Anna one last lingering glance. “Do yourself a favor and stop seeing that lad, Anna. It’ll only make it harder when the time comes for goodbye.”

---

“Kristoff? Are you here? I need to--”

She had seen him working at the forge before, but it was different this time, knowing now that not only could she look, but that soon enough-- if her uncle could be convinced-- she’d be allowed to touch all she liked, and the mere thought of running her hands over the broad muscles in his back she could see straining beneath his sweat-soaked shirt was enough to make her next words die in her throat.

He turned to look at her then, setting his hammer down and swiping his forearm across his face. Rather than mopping up the sweat that beaded there, though, he only succeeded in smudging ash across his forehead. “Here, let me--” Anna said before she could stop herself, tugging out her handkerchief and darting over to him.

For a moment he froze as she crossed over to him, rising up on her toes, but when he realized she still couldn’t reach him he leaned down. It was the work of only a moment to wipe away the black smear that crossed his brow, but her eyes met his as she did so, and suddenly it was difficult to do anything but breathe as he looked at her with such longing in his eyes, burning brighter than even the forge.

“There, now,” she managed to whisper, “much better.”

She wanted him to kiss her again, but he didn’t; he just looked at her with those dark eyes, not as sad as they were the day she had met him, but still a mystery to her. She wanted to know what laid in the depths of him, what thoughts and feelings made up the riverbed of his heart, turn over each little pebble of him until she’d memorized him inside and out. 

She realized suddenly that without quite meaning to she had lowered her hand to his chest, to just above the leather laces that had come loose over his heart. Her fingers trembled as she set them against the hard muscle there, but she flattened her palm all the same and was rewarded with the realization that his heart was thundering just as hard as her own.

“What did you come here to tell me?” he asked her, his voice low. 

“I’m afraid I’ve entirely forgotten,” she whispered, and he did kiss her then, his hands settling on her waist and tugging her flush against him, so close she could feel him gasp against her when she let her tongue flick over his lower lip. He smelled of ash and sweat and highland air, and she felt half-drunk on him as her hands roamed the broad expanse of his chest and the sturdy slope of his shoulders and up into the surprising softness of his golden hair.

“My God,” he groaned against her mouth, “how long ‘til I can take you to wife and spend every hour of the night with you like this?”

Her heart plummeted, and though she pulled back to look at him she didn’t let go. “I’m afraid I remember now why I had to come and speak with you.”

---

Night had fallen an hour ago, draping the hills in a velvet darkness embroidered by ten thousand shining stars, and the air was fresh and clear as the breeze floated past him, lifting the ends of his hair where it fell onto his collar. He leaned his head back as far as it would go, drinking in the majesty of it all, wondering how the greatest beauties the natural world had to offer him could be so vast and wonderful and still pale in comparison to her.

She would tease him for it, he knew, could hear her voice in the back of his mind telling him you’re turning into a poet, aren’t you, you great silly romantic brute of a man, but she would smile all the same and kiss his cheek and he’d know that secretly she liked to hear such things. He’d hardly seen her for the last two weeks, only passing glances and notes exchanged here and there as they dodged her uncle’s wrath, but at last she’d managed to grab hold of his hand long enough to whisper “tonight, at our place on the moor”, and the moment darkness had started to fall he’d climbed the hill where they had whiled away so many happy hours.

He heard a little whistle and turned to see her coming up the rise as fast as she could, skirts hiked up around her knees, and felt a grin spread across his face so broad he knew she wouldn’t miss it even in the darkness. “Your uncle’ll have my head if he finds out I’ve met you out here,” he called, just loud enough to reach her ears as he strode over to her as fast as he could without breaking into a run.

“Well, if he wants to get his hands on you he’ll have to wait his turn,” Anna laughed as she flung herself into his waiting arms. 

Kristoff folded himself around her, resting his cheek against the top of her head as his arms pressed her close to his chest, as if somehow he could shelter her from the rising storm with his own flesh and blood. She sighed contentedly, nestling her face against his shoulder, and something in his chest warmed.

“I’ve brought you a whole world of trouble by claiming you, my Anna,” he said softly. “And I’m sorry for it.”

“No use in worrying over it now. I’ll not have another, whether my uncle wills it or no,” she said, fierce as any warrior, and he couldn’t help but smile.

“Aye, and I’ve a feeling he knows it, too. But I hope you know I’m not wanting to marry you just to spite him or for an old promise’s sake.”

“Oh? What would you do it for, then?” she asked, a teasing lilt in her voice. “A hot supper and a warm bed? Something to occupy you on a rainy day?”

“For the love of you, you wretched little minx,” he laughed, tugging gently at a lock of her hair that had come loose, and she let out a surprised little gasp. 

“Oh-- do you mean it?”

“Of course I do,” he asked, feeling surprised himself now. “Why else would I meet you out here, now and as I’ve done ten thousand times before?”

“I….I suppose when you want something dear enough, it can be hard to believe it’s real even when it’s finally yours.”

The warmth in his chest was growing into a full-bodied flame. “That’s how I feel now.”

“I love you, too,” she whispered. “Like nothing else in the world, and I always have, and I expect I always will.”

He leaned back so he could meet her gaze, gently brushing the hair back from her temples where the night breeze had blown it loose from its braid. Her eyes were bluer than any sky or sea he’d ever set eyes upon, and so full of love his knees felt weak beneath him. But he held steady for her, setting one hand carefully under her chin.

“I think I know a way, my love,” he said quietly. “To win your uncle’s approval.”

She reached up and curled her fingers around his wrist, a hopeful smile dawning over that face he’d dreamed of every night since she’d asked him if he still intended to keep his promise. “Then do it. Whatever it is, so long as it keeps us together.”

---

“Anna, come on,” her sister said, worry creeping into her voice. “They’ll be looking for us before long.”

“They won’t notice if we’re only a few minutes late,” Anna countered, peering through the blacksmith’s window for the second time.

“We were a few minutes late ten minutes ago. I thought you were tired of being left out of things.”

“I am, it’s just-- I don’t know, Elsa, I’ve not seen him hardly at all today, and I can’t help but worry.”

Her sister huffed out a sigh. “He’s probably been there for an hour already thinking you’d be early, and now he’s worried about you.”

“Oh, sweet Jesus, do you think he really-- why’d you let me go on looking for so long?” she demanded, already grabbing her sister’s hand and tugging her along in her wake.

“I tried to tell you,” Elsa said, sounding more amused than irritated, “but you were too busy rambling about his hands--”

She wanted to keep teasing back and forth like this; Elsa was so rarely in the mood to talk at all, but the worry was only mounting in her, tightening in her chest until it ached. As they crept down the stone hallway of the castle, even before they slipped through the half-cracked heavy oaken doors to stand at the back of the hall she could hear her uncle’s voice booming over the gathered crowd.

“...and I know I’m not a great man like my brother were, God rest his soul, but I’ve led you well as I could, and I’ll lead you now myself to put those bastards back in their place, and when I lead you home it’ll be to a new Scotland, led by her rightful king once more!”

So it would be war then, after all, like they’d been talking about for years. She had dismissed the thought, had thought her uncle had as well, but now--

A clamor of joy and bloodthirst and pride echoed through the hall then, loud enough she felt it rattling in her bones. She rose up on her toes as she searched frantically for a familiar golden head. He’s too tall for his own good, she thought desperately, why can I not find him--

And then she saw him in the last place she had been looking, never dreaming he’d be there, but by then it was too late to stop him; he was knelt before her uncle, his head bowed as he said his vow, and though she knew the sound of his voice better than her own all she could hear was a roaring in her ears.

---

He had only barely set foot outside of the castle when Anna was there, fury in her eyes and shaking voice as she confronted him.

“How could you do such a damned fool thing?”

“‘Whatever it is’,” he reminded her, “that’s what you told me to do, Anna, whatever it is that keeps us together.”

“And getting yourself killed will somehow do that?”

“Do you think me so weak I cannot survive a little skirmish like this?” he demanded.

“I’ve seen you nurse a rabbit caught in a trap back to health with bits of your own supper,” she said, balling her hands into fists. “How are you going to kill a man, Kristoff?”

“If it means getting home to you--”

“And if he beats you to it,” she went on, fisting her hands in the front of his shirt, “and you’ve gone and died and left me alone, then what am I-- what am I supposed to do without--”

A sob escaped her before she could stop it, and then his arms were around her, pulling her close to his chest. “Hush, my love, don’t cry,” he soothed her, running a broad hand up and down her back.

“A fine thing for you to say now,” she said, still as fiery as ever despite the fat tears rolling down her cheeks and plopping onto his shirt, “now that you’ve gone and told me you’re off to die like some grand bloody hero in a stupid war--”

“I’ll come home to you, I promise,” he said firmly, tightening his embrace. “I’ll always come home to you.”

“You and your promises,” she wept, beating one fist weakly against his chest, but still he didn’t let go. “Now you’ve finally gone and made one you can’t keep.”

“But I can. I’ll be back before the first snows, and that’s when I’ll marry you.”

She leaned back to look at him, her cheeks red and blotchy and lashes stuck together with tears. “I wish you'd do it now before you go. There'll be no living for me, not without you, and I want it to be your name carved on my stone.”

He hesitated. “I’ve no money as yet, and I want to do right by you.”

“I don’t care about money. I’d wander the moors for the rest of my days with you and be content.”

“Aye, and I’d be hating myself for it all the while. You deserve a little house, and a fire in your hearth, and a husband you can be proud of, and if I fight well enough for your uncle...maybe he’ll let me have you. And if not, well, then, at least I’ll have earned a bit of coin fighting, and it’ll be enough for us to start somewhere new.”

“But we could just leave, Kristoff, if we go far enough they won’t bother looking for you after much longer, and-- and we can--”

She trailed off, clenching her eyes shut and burying her face in his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to her temple and let his lips linger there, murmuring as low as he could.

“I’ll come home to you, I swear, with a gold ring so bright you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me.”

“I don’t need a ring. I just need you. We can-- we can run away, Kristoff, just gather what you need and meet me tonight on the moor, and we can leave, go all the way to the colonies if we have to--”

Regret swept over him then in a sudden tide, and for a moment he could see it, the future he might have with her in a faraway place with no long-lost princes or vows of loyalty or cries for war, only her and a little house and the peace that hard work and a happy home would bring him. But it was too late; he’d made his vow, and he’d keep it, whether it brought him good or ill.

“Please, please just meet me tonight,” she whispered, her tears finally slowing as she clung to him. “And then we can go.”

He sighed. “Anna…”

“Think about it, at least. For me.”

“For you,” he agreed, pressing one more kiss to her forehead before he let her go.

[arcticdementor]

Veteran NRx blogger AntiDem has been beating the drum for his message of escaping the cities while we still can on Gab (basically a right-wing Twitter clone). A small sample:

Stop comparing getting "canceled" by the Twitter mob to the gulag, you fags.

You have a way out. People in the gulag didn't.

Leave the big cities. Move to a small town in a red state. Work a blue collar job or open your own business. Now the Twitter mob has no power over you.

If you don't want to do that because you want a cushy, well-paid office job more than you want freedom, then I have no sympathy for you.

Blue collar bosses don't give a shit about the Twitter mob. If some SJW from Portland calls Gary's Auto Body in Guthrie, Oklahoma to tell them they've got a racist working for them, they'll get told to fuck off and hung up on.

Work for Gary, and you're safe.

Look, I'm not a huge fan of Atlas Shrugged, but there were a few points in it that were really good. One involved Hugh Akston, who works as a cook at a diner, but used to be a university professor before he got canceled for wrongthink. He works his blue collar job because he can't be canceled from it, and still gives out wisdom to those who ask. Unless you're willing to do the same, and insist on staying married to your cubicle job, you're a LARPer.

And on his blog:

And so, dear reader, I challenge you: It is time for you – for us all – to do something. Perhaps you can save the world. If so, I hope you do. But if you can just save the people around you by becoming a contributing member of a sane, stable, shock-resistant, and sustainable community, then you will have done a great service. Here is where I believe you should start.

The first thing you should do is to get out of the big cities, which history shows us are deathtraps in times of disruption. Here, a lot of ignoring of fools will be necessary on your part. First, you’ll have to ignore the leftist press and academia, which is already trying to gaslight the public into thinking that the coronavirus pandemic is a particular problem of the rural south instead of the big coastal cities like New York, a bit of ludicrous wishful thinking that a moment’s glance at actual data disproves. Second, you’ll have to ignore the fools who will try to convince you that big cities are the safest places to be in times of disruption, based largely on some 20th century examples of tyrannical regimes disarming the peasants and then taking the fruits of their labor by force in order to feed the cities. There are a few key fallacies involved in this thinking.

First and perhaps most obvious is the fact that in the United States (as opposed to Cold War-era communist states), the countryside is armed to the teeth and the cities are not. The late 20th and early 21st centuries provide no lack of examples of what happens when a traditional 2nd Generation army sets itself up in a nation’s big cities and tries to impose its rule on an armed and hostile countryside; as you are not fools, I need not tell you what the results of that have been. Second is the fact that the big cities are run by elites who hate you and want you dead, so turning to them for protection is plain suicide. Perhaps in a different era – say, in the East Germany of 1967 – you could have survived by keeping your head low and pretending to go along with the official ruling ideology. But we do not live in that age anymore – your skin is your uniform, and when trouble comes to the diverse big cities you will be targeted mercilessly for wearing it...

There’s a reason why smart elites in functional societies (as opposed to what we have now) have always kept country estates they could retreat to when chaos and disruption reared their heads. Heed their wisdom.

If any of you think I’m directing scorn at the mainstream media for their counterfactual attempts to convince people that the cities are safer than the countryside, I say: on the contrary, I welcome it. The more fools there are who stay in the cities believing that they’ll be protected from the effects of disruption, the better things will be for the non-fools who know better. When trouble comes, we’ll have enough of our own to care for without being saddled with saving big-city fools from the entirely predictable consequences of their own poor decisions. Let them stay where they are. And while I’m giving out counterintuitive thanks, I’d like to offer some to all of the Social Justice Warriors who have worked tirelessly to throw the Dissident Right off of social media, to get them fired from their urban cubicle jobs, and to render them unemployable anywhere except in the rural sections of deep red states. I know that for those who fear being “hurled into the void”, as the Zman puts it, this seems like the worst fate imaginable. But nothing could be further from the truth. What we on the Dissident Right need to do now more than anything else is to disconnect from the corporate and consumerist, to stop spending too much time on the internet, to get out of the diverse, polluted, crime-ridden, disease-prone, and degenerate big cities, and to start making things real in genuine communities full of people like us.

I moved out of the big cities a couple of years ago, and I can tell you from firsthand experience: It’s pretty comfy out here in the void. So come home, white man. Get out of the cities as soon as you can. Take a massive pay cut if you have to. Change careers if you have to. Stock shelves on the night shift at Walmart if you have to. But get yourselves and the people you love out of the cities before it’s too late – if it isn’t already.

(Yes, I understand the desire to stay in the cities. I lived in Silicon Valley for 25 years. I loved it dearly, and I desperately miss the old Valley of the 90s and 00s. But that world is gone, and it’s never coming back; we tread that path but once. And if nothing else, I can’t imagine trying to get through this crisis in my tiny old city apartment instead of my cottage with its yard out back and a hayfield out front.)

Which is all well and good, but I think he has forgotten one thing, and it is the most important thing of all: women.

Women are hypgermous; they marry up, not down. And no woman is going to marry a man who stocks shelves at Walmart on the night shift. Even if you can get a decent blue-collar job at Gary's, she is just going to divorce you eventually, as Nabil ad Dajjal explains:

I don’t know much about factory work but my dad was an HVAC mechanic for most of his working life and as much as I respect him I wouldn’t ever consider doing the same.

Skilled tradesmen like plumbers, carpenters, electricians, HVAC, etc can make solid money even without advanced degrees. In theory, you could support a family on that income. In practice, all that money you earn will go straight to alimony and child support since even a woman who dropped out of college herself will look down on you for doing manual labor and eventually divorce you. A college degree and an office job might pay less but it’s less embarrassing for your wife to tell to her girlfriends and in our family court system that counts for a lot.

Assuming that you can find a loyal wife, there’s another problem in the form of career advancement or the lack thereof. It doesn’t seem like there’s much room to climb the ladder: you can gain seniority within your job but it doesn’t seem like many tradesmen make it into management.

And:

Nobody has told you that, at least not that I’ve seen.

Blue collar guys get laid and most of them get married too. The difficult part for them is in staying married. Obviously divorce isn’t a certainty but you’re taking a substantially increased risk.

Money without social cachet isn’t much of a defense, as between alimony and child support most of that money would go to the ex-wife anyway along with the primary residence and car. Every marriage has ups and downs but with no fault divorce those downs can easily end up destroying your family and wiping you out financially. When accounted for properly, that’s a pretty substantial cost.

Now, AntiDem has pretty much gone full MGTOW after a series of disastrous experiences with women, so I guess he doesn't mind. And, believe me, I totally understand where he's coming from (especially with this, which is exactly what happened to me). But as long as there is a filial duty to reproduce in order to repay the debt to one's ancestors and carry on one's family name and bloodline, as well as a biological imperative to pass on one's genes and avoid becoming an evolutionary failure, on top of the cultural argument for having children ("the future belongs to those that show up"), we have a problem.

What, then, is to be done?

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 045: Superhero Names

Previously on BnHA: Everyone licked their emotional wounds from the sports festival arc. You wouldn’t think a simple sports festival would cause so many emotional wounds, but here we are. All Might hugged some kids. Iida visited his brother in the hospital. Todoroki visited his mom. Ochako’s parents came to cheer her up. Deku ate dinner. Bakugou brushed his teeth.

Today on BnHA: Aizawa wears an infinity scarf. Deku gets mobbed by people on a train. The draft pick totals are announced. The kids pick their superhero aliases. Somehow this ended up being one of my longest recaps ever because I went off on tangents like three separate times, talking about everything from the new volume’s character page to the stuff I think I might have been spoiled for by accident. Like, when I went back to edit this it was like whoa.

(As always, all comments not marked with an ETA are my unspoiled reactions from my first readthrough of this chapter. I’ve read up through chapter 104 now, so any ETAs will reflect that.)

looks like it’s the start of another new volume (and arc!), so let’s see what extras we’ve got today!

well there’s not much end-of-volume-5 stuff, but I did find this fascinating

honestly, this wrapped up in less than 20 chapters though. to me that’s incredibly fast. either way, I have to hand it to him, because the pacing was just about perfect. nothing dragged out to the point of becoming boring, and we didn’t waste time on anything we didn’t need to see, but we did get to see just about everyone have at least one cool moment. that’s about all you can ask for, really.

and lord, have you ever heard of a final battle in a tournament arc lasting just a single chapter?? I still can’t get over that ending. that just flew in the face of everything I’ve come to anticipate from a Jump manga, and once I realized what was happening it was as much a thrill as it was a shock.

apparently Endeavor was on the back of this volume cover the whole time. hey, Endeavor!! [deep breath] ...FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK YOUUUUUUU

all right, on to the new volume!

goddamn this series’s cover art is something else

is Iida even wearing his glasses here?? (ETA: nope!) 

he looks so cool and barely like the usual Iida at all

that Stain guy really fucking looks like Small Gia you guys. I apologize in advance if this ends up being something I never stop talking about

and I see Deku’s back in his original costume, but with a couple of upgrades. got what appears to be new gloves, some lines on his jumpsuit that I don’t remember seeing before (ETA: because they’ve changed color), reinforced collar/shoulder protection, and did he always have those big knee guards before? at any rate, it’s a vast improvement on the original look and I approve

what is this

why would Ochako dress up as a giant cancelled sign

and Deku’s Tokoyami hat is both so cute and so disturbing to me. cute because it’s so damn cute look at it, and disturbing because it’s realistic to the point of looking like his actual severed head almost

also are they working at a 7-11 or something. lol

volume title: “Struggling.” I’m feeling it. very relatable

all of the characters are wearing street clothes on the character page!

oh my god Aizawa’s infinity scarfff

SHOUJI WITH ONE OF HIS INFAMOUS PONCHOS

I CAN’T TELL IF DEKU’S ARM IS FUCKED UP FROM THIS ANGLE DAMMIT

DOES HORIKOSHI HAVE SOMETHING AGAINST DRAWING JACKETS/SWEATERS/BUTTON-DOWN SHIRTS THAT ARE A NORMAL LENGTH

BAKUGOU WILL JUST ALWAYS BE WEARING HIS PANTS LIKE A GOOD 3 INCHES BELOW WHERE THEY ACTUALLY SHOULD BE HUH

SHOUTO WITH THE THREE-QUARTER-LENGTH SLEEVED SWEATER. I DON’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY ABOUT THAT. IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD ON HIM THOUGH

AIZAWA’S SCARF DESERVES ANOTHER MENTION EVEN THOUGH I ALREADY MENTIONED IT. BRO LOOKS LIKE LENNY KRAVITZ AND I’M HERE FOR IT

IT’S A CRIME THAT SO MUCH OF JIROU IS HIDDEN BEHIND IIDA’S GIANT FORTY-YEAR-OLD MAN HEAD BECAUSE I LOVE HER FASHION SENSE SO MUCH AND THAT JACKET LOOKS SO FUCKING FINE ON HER WORK IT GURL!!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST ALL MIGHT WITH THAT BLAZER. ALL MIGHT YOU LOOK SO DAMN GOOD, IF YOU WERE A PHASER ON STAR TREK YOU’D BE SET TO STUN MY GOOD MAN

like a fool, I didn’t scroll past the table of contents quickly enough and my eyes glanced over the title “Gran Torino Appears.” and that shit sounds fucking familiar. some part of my brain that picks up on subconscious clues is telling me that this person is All Might’s master. guess we’ll find out probably in the next chapter. or at the end of this one maybe

Deku is on the train to school and people are recognizing him

“wow you’re that crazy kid from the sports festival, right? you were just sooooo crazy you little wackadoodle.”

but actually he seems to be getting praise from them! some guy is giving him a thumbs up

and now he’s surrounded

this might not be so good, actually. these people are fairly harmless, but this could get out of hand pretty quickly. there’s a reason celebrities always have bodyguards around. and we live in a world without supervillains. these kids are just kids, but some of them have already become household names and faces, and we know that at least a couple of them have also attracted some villainous interest as well. they’re safe enough at school with the security there (I know, I know, but they must have learned their lesson after the last time), but outside is a different story

I’ve been meaning to bring this up at some point, and now seems as good a time as any: another thing I’ve been spoiled about is the fact that I’m pretty sure at some point, some or possibly all of the kids from class A move into U.A. dorms. I’ve seen dorms mentioned enough that I’m pretty sure it’s a canon thing (I wasn’t sure at first). so since then I’ve been on the alert for this to come up, and if/when it does, I’m thinking something like this might be the reason why

and since we’re on the subject, here is a brief list of the other (still relatively few) things I’ve been spoiled for/sort of spoiled for:

Aizawa’s ridiculously hot ponytail. also a scar that’s under his right eye, but I’m thinking that he probably got that during his fight with Noumu and I just haven’t seen it yet because he still had bandages on his face during the festival

at some point there is going to be something really angsty involving Bakugou. because I know I’ve had an irrational love for him since the start, but at some point it seems like something’s going to happen with him that causes just about everyone to feel sympathetic toward him lol. I have no clue at all what this thing is going to be though

this Bakugou angst is going to lead to some good BakuDeku shit. I don’t know what shit, but I can’t wait for it. I have a feeling it’s still a looooong ways out, though

(ETA: well we did have an arc where Bakugou got kidnapped, so for a while I was sure this was what all the angst was about. but now that’s done and things have quieted down again, and we still haven’t gotten that BakuDeku goodness, so I’m thinking there must be still more angst on the horizon! which, frankly, good. yes. moooooore bring me more)

there is some guy with wings I think. not sure what his deal is

I keep seeing Shinsou in a mask similar to Deku’s

lastly, I blame the anime for this because they’ve thrown in some filler related to it that no one asked for, but: I’m pretty sure I’ve seen All Might’s master. but I kept throwing my hands up in front of my face or looking away or closing my eyes whenever I realized what was going on lol. but he was writing a letter to someone in episode 13, and I figure it has to be this person. and I saw like a brief silhouette of someone with long dark hair. and I think I’ve seen fanart of this person before. I can’t quite remember the details of it but I feel like this person is probably the aforementioned Gran Torino? the good thing is it seems like I don’t have much longer to wait before I finally find out more about that one.

(ETA: so obviously the person in question with the long hair was Shimura rather than Gran. so I was spoiled but also not spoiled I guess, because even though I’d gleaned Gran’s name from somewhere, I never actually saw him until he made his appearance in the manga.)

anyways, that’s it as far as I can recall!

so Deku’s made it to school now but he’s really tired. probably from all the nearly dying two days ago

someone’s running up behind him in a raincoat, and this bulky frame with its awkward arm motions could really only be one person

yep

never does anything halfway, this guy

Deku says they’ve still got five minutes before the first bell rings, but Iida insists that “the students of U.A. make it a point to arrive ten minutes early!!” wow I really would not have done well in this school

Iida immediately tells Deku he doesn’t need to worry about his brother and he’s sorry if they caused him any concern

the way he says it and the way Deku stares at him and dots afterward makes me think there is indeed cause for concern though. plus, like. you were on the volume cover, Iida

looks like all the kids had strangers coming up to them and congratulating them on their efforts

WOW look how well Aizawa has them trained

EVEN BAKUGOU WOW. Sero and Kouda switched desks, Ochako sprinted twenty feet all the way her seat at the back of the room, and Kaminari fucking teleported into his seat out of nowhere damn

so let’s see if this man has that eye scar now, then!

yes!!!

holy shit, and this is going to be there for the rest of the series. I fucking love attention to detail like this

what is hero informatics class. that sounds like something Deku would excel in. Deku should probably teach the damn class

Kirishima says it’s stuff about “hero law and junk.” oh my god I instantly have so many questions

GASP!!!!!!

GOOD LUCK BEATING MY NICKNAMES FOR ALL OF YOU LOSERS. OH MY GOD I’M SO EXCITED LOL

also, they really let these kids pick out their aliases at age 15? granted, most of them have probably been thinking about this for nearly their entire lives, so it’s not just a spur of the moment thing. but still, that seems awfully risky. I hope they’re allowed to change them later if they wake up one morning cringing over the choice

ohh! but first, pro draft picks!

he says it’s based on who the pros think will be ready to join the workforce after another 2-3 years of experience... so after graduation, basically. or really whenever they turn 18. well that makes sense

he says it’s not a guarantee of anything though; the offers can still be revoked if things don’t pan out

jesus christ

the top four stole the show, but the top two are in their own fucking league

worth nothing that Bakugou managed these numbers even with his personality out there on full display as well

I think a large part of that has to do with the guy that raked in 4,123 draft picks. the fact that Todoroki is that powerful and Bakugou still managed to beat him in the finals. of course, that wasn’t him at full power though, which I expect Bakugou is still salty about and will be for quite some time

only 108 people recognized Momo’s utter flawlessness. that’s everyone else’s loss

and even fewer gave Ochako a chance, but at least she still got 20!

and of course the most notable thing about the entire board is the fact that Deku’s not up there at all, which is fully understandable since his power’s drawback was thrust into the spotlight. I can’t imagine any pro hero agency wants to deal with that. 

well, it’s just like he was thinking back in the last chapter -- he’ll just have to find another way to manage things

poor Aoyama is in a huff about not having gotten any picks either

Momo congratulates Shouto, but he says it’s mostly just his dad’s influence. I really hope he can break away from that eventually. basically his entire life has centered around his dad up till this point, first with him being trained as his successor, and then later when he became obsessed with defying him. I just want him to be able to go after his dreams for his own sake and have pride in himself on his own merits without worrying about his parentage and how that comes into it

Mineta is shaking Deku and telling him, “I told you you scared them,” and no one fucking cares about your opinion on anything Mineta. this isn’t news to anyone

anyhow, Aizawa says that whether they were picked or not, they’ll all get a chance to work with the pros as part of their education

oh thank god, he says the names are only tentative. “but you’ll still want to pick something appropriate.”

now someone else is cutting in and screaming “OR ELSE YOU’LL KNOW TRUE HELL”

oh my god please let this be some poor sap who got saddled with the worst superhero name ever

nope it’s just Midnight

but she says the name might end up being what the world ends up calling them, so they still need to pick carefully

oh, true... if something eventful happened and the media ended up reporting on it, what was previously a “tentative” name might end up becoming a permanent one just like that

then again, IRL celebs change their names all the time and no one usually bats an eye

also Marvel superheroes change their names a fucking lot too. “it’s Iron Patriot now.”

looks like Midnight is here to make sure they don’t fuck it up. Aizawa says he’s no good at that lol. you picked the best fucking name out of anyone, fucking Eraser Head

my gooood I’m so curious and so excited to see what they pick. I haven’t been spoiled for any of this at all, and I’ve barely done any speculating, because I tend to just pick the first thing that pops into my head and stick with it, myself

they only got 15 minutes to do this, but like I said, I can’t imagine a single one of them hasn’t already thought this out. at worst, a few of them might have a little trouble narrowing down like a top 2 or 3

oh my god Aoyama

it’s perfect

omg Midnight is so supportive and nonjudgmental. all she does is tell him it’ll be “easier” if he takes out the “I” and changes “cannot” to “can’t”

but are you really telling me that this twinkly little lad is about to make his debut as “cantstoptwinkling.” because that literally is a tumblr handle

Mina wants to be known as “Alien Queen”

also this finally all but confirms that her quirk is indeed acid. you all have no idea how long that speculation was eating at me

(ETA: pretty sure you do by this point since this is like the 10th time I’ve mentioned it haha)

Tsuyu’s up next! the best nickname I had for her was “frog girl.” she’s chosen to go as Froppy instead which is the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever heard in my life

OH MY GOD MY BOY KIRISHIMA WENT AND PICKED “RED RIOT”, FUCK YEAH WHAT A NAME. APPARENTLY IT’S DERIVATIVE AND HE BASICALLY STOLE IT FROM ANOTHER GUY NAMED CRIMSON RIOT, WHICH IS SOMEHOW EVEN RADDER. BUT THEY’RE CALLING IT AN “HOMAGE” SO HOPEFULLY THEY’LL AVOID ANY LEGAL TROUBLE

speaking of people who want to pay homage, Deku has a whole fucking list of All Might tribute names

it’s a toss-up between “All Might Jr.” and “Mighty Boy”, clearly

I’m personally hoping for some kind of Alexander Dumas-related thing, going with the One for All theme, but I doubt we’ll go that route

(ETA: cuz we were saving it for the bad guy, clearly!)

Kirishima really hasn’t thought of a name yet??? dude, lightning is literally the easiest element to make a badass name from. see: Wikipedia’s list of fictional characters with electric or magnetic abilities. just fucking name yourself Zeus or some shit

Jirou tapped him on the shoulder and said “how about Jamming-Yayyy” and I'm pretty sure she was just fucking with him but he actually seems really into it omg

her face I can’t

(ETA: Jirou’s inability to keep from cracking up when Kami overuses his quirk is possibly my favorite running gag in the series)

so now we’ve got Jirou, Shouji, and Sero as Earphone Jack, Tentacole, and Cellophane. all good names, though Jirou really went full literal, there. just went for broke on being as straightforward as possible

though nothing beats “Tailman” for literal

Satou’s sign says “Sweets” hero and his name is Sugarman?? first of all, I LOVE IT, and second, DUDE WHAT THE FUCK. this guy’s really been out here the whole time with some kind of donuts power or something and he somehow passed the entrance exam with it and we still have yet to see it??

AND HOMESTUCK’S CHANGED HER NAME TO PINKY NOW LMAO

Kaminari ended up going with Chargebolt, and for some reason he wrote this longass math equation explaining it, just in case it somehow wasn’t clear

HAGAKURE LITERALLY PICKED THE NAME I’VE BEEN CALLING HER THIS ENTIRE TIME GOD BLESS YOU GIRL

THAT’S ONE OUT OF TWENTY. I’LL TAKE IT

Momo went with “Creati.” I... guess...

OH MY GOD SHOUTO JUST WENT OUT AND HIT A HOME FUCKING RUN

OH MY FUCKING GOD LMAO

BUT ALSO, IT’S ACTUALLY A REALLY PERSONAL DECISION FOR HIM, BECAUSE IT’S HIS FIRST NAME AND NOT HIS LAST, AND THUS REFLECTS HIS DETERMINATION TO CAST OFF ANYTHING RELATED TO HIS FATHER

BUT STILL IT’S LITERALLY JUST HIS FIRST NAME OH MY GOD I LAUGHED SO FUCKING HARD. THERE WERE TEARS

I KNOW WHO TSUKUYOMI IS THANKS TO ITACHI. THANK YOU ITACHI. COOL PICK, TOKOYAMI

FUCK YOU MINETA

MY SOFT ROCK BOY KOUDA IS GOING WITH “ANIMA” AND HE IS DESCRIBING HIMSELF AS A “PETTING HERO” AND I THINK I LOVE HIM

so by my count, that just leaves Iida, Ochako, and my sons

this boy really went and tried to put “murder” in his fucking superhero name

URAVITY

OMG

OCHAKO REALLY WENT AND PUT A FUCKING PUN IN HER NAME

?? Midnight’s saying that the only thing left is Bakugou’s revision? um Deku and Iida are sitting right there??

oh

I should learn to scroll down before I start to fly off the handle like that huh

oh FUCK ME

FUCK. FUCK

okay, so I’ve had a weakness for this very specific type of angst ever since KHR nearly did this to Yamamoto during the Inheritance Arc. in the end he was healed and he made it out okay though. but now, ten years later, Iida’s brother has been sacrificed to the gods of shounen manga angst, and they have finally been appeased. holy shit

so this is going to be a tribute to his brother then I take it

oh!!! his brother asked him to take his name and Iida had started to write it down but then erased it at the last second and put his own first name down, thinking that he wasn’t ready yet :’(

so now it’s just my lads

here goes nothing Deku!

oh my god

based on everyone’s reaction and that remark... lol this fucking guy

lol Kacchan’s face

WHY ARE WE CUTTING AWAY BEFORE I GET TO SEE WHAT BAKUGOU PICKED

oh! someone picked Deku in the draft after all!

All Might’s asking who it is -- OH MY GOD. THAT CHAPTER TITLE FROM BEFORE. DON’T FUCKING TELL ME

based on All Might’s response... yep

and then one last little jokey panel of Bakugou’s revised name “Loud Explosion Murder” lmao. they could be here a while

(ETA: THEY NEVER ACTUALLY REVEALED HIS NAME THOUGH OH MY GOD?? or did they and I somehow missed it? IT’S BEEN 60 FUCKING CHAPTERS. dude what the hell)

BONUS:

oh my god Present Mic is the one who came up with Aizawa’s name. this is probably Mic’s greatest contribution to human society.

young present Mic is adorable and young Aizawa looks like Gaara with messier hair

and today in “Horikoshi explains away plot holes that no one was ever going to care about in the first place”, we have Mina apologizing for mixing up the directors of Alien and Aliens

fucking incredible

[baka-monarch]

What if I finally wrote my FNAF OC's backstory from middle school after 3-5 years? (I kinda abandoned her after all that time)

Cecile was the top of her class in college, already finding new ways to code and engineer robotics even though school had just started a few months ago. She was several classes ahead of her peers from the college classes she had in high school, classes that even surpassed her older brother.

Cecile and her brother had a loving family, but like most parents, there were still favorites. Originally it had been her brother, since their parents thought that she could never succeed due to her autism. At least, it was him until Cecile started getting contacted by colleges and certificates due to her being smarter than what was average.

It didn't take long for her brother to become jealous.

Recently, in one of her robotics classes, a man by the name of Henery Emily had come to teach their class a few things about his animatronics he had build for Fredbear's Family Diner. When her brother heard about this, he got an...idea. One that was inspired by the disappearances of many children there.

So he git a job for the day shift there. Entertaining children, making pizzas, cleaning....the ball pit. All for one goal.

...

Cecile had known her brother had a job at Fredbear's for a while now and was always asking him questions about the animatronics, the games, everything. It was so...fasinating to her. She just wanted to know how it all worked!

So when he told her that he'd take her backstage and let her study the suits. She called in sick to school, canceled all her plans, and made sure to show up early to Fredbear's to have lunch with him.

As Cecile walked into the diner, she had a huge smile that would be impossible for anyone to erase.

"Heyyy, Cecile, your just in time. I'm about to go on break." Her brother said as he approached.

"Good! I hope I wouldn't get here too late!" She rushed through her words as she bounced on the balls of her feet with excitement.

"Calm down, lil' sis. Let me clock out first, then you nerd the fuck out." He chuckled as he headed to the back to clock out. Cecile excitedly sat at a booth to wait. Well, try to wait. This was just so exciting! Not even the Henery Emily let her class even approach the suit he brought.

"Alright, you ready?" She jumped as her brother's voice surprised her. She had been distracted by her thoughts of Nuts and Bolts. She attempted to respond but just couldn't get the words out so she just nodded vigorously instead. He chuckled again, then pulled a key out of his pocket. "Follow me." He lead her through several hallways and past many party rooms. All the way to the back. "Here it is." He said as he stopped in front of a blank wall.

"Where?" She glanced around. "There's nothing here?"

"Oh, but isn't there?" He inserted the key into a slot in the wall that she hadn't seen before. After he turned it, he pulled on the wall revealing a door that lead to a secret room where there seemed to be several unassembled animatronic parts and one fully built prototype one. She looked into the room with her mouth agape. It was so amazing! "Well?" Her brother jestered in.

"Oooohhhhh, hell yes." Cecile quickly entered the room, her brother pulling the door closed and locking it behind them. "What is this room?" She leaned over the and messed with a few of the mechanisms in curiosity.

"It's one of the safe rooms." He explained. "They're hidden and soundproofed from the rest of the restaurant, with only a few people knowing about them."

"And you have access to them?"

"No, Mr. Afton just forgot to hide the key in his office one day." He pocketed the key casually, knowing it unwise to mention that this was the only key and the disturbing suit he'd found in here the first time...the same one that gave him his idea.

"Awesome." She breathed as the started messing with the plating on the suit laying there. "Hm...interesting..."

"What?"

"This suit. It isn't like the other ones...it has metal plating, and...skin? Wait, no it's synthetic!" She peeled some back. "Amazing..." Even the hair on this one looked real like it was made to look more human.

"What's that?" Her brother asked, pointing over her shoulder at a small, coin-like, chip.

"I don't know, I've never seen technology like this. I can't even tell how someone would put this on..." She mumbled. Those words were almost like a que to her brother as he smirked.

"Well, I do." He maneuvered around the table to be in view of his sister. "And I can show you. How would you like to wear a Fedbear Family Animatronic?" That got his sister's full attention.

"Really? You can let me do that?" Cecile's eyes sparkled at the idea.

"Of course I can, you don't see any of my bosses around do you?" He smiled.

"Show me how to put it on."

...

A few moments later Cecile was encapsulated by the prototype suit. To finish the effect she had even figured out how to turn on the chip, giving the suit the full illusion of being human.

"This is amazing!" She looked at herself. "It's like being in another body! Not only that but the spring locks appear to be more secure on this suit than the other ones!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"Spring locks?" Her brother questioned.

"Yeah, the parts that are cracked back to stop the mechanical parts from harming the person wearing it." She explained. Then looked at her brother. "I... Thought you knew that. If you work here." She wondered aloud.

"Oh, I do know that." He smiled. "I just wondered if you know how... Deadly they can be." His eyes gleamed as a certain unsettling smirk found its way onto his face.

"Yes... The-the failures of them can be fatal." Her brother took a step towards her and she instinctively took one back.

"What's wrong? 'Lil sis?" He got even closer, that sickening smirk growing into a terrifying smile. "Scared?"

"No..." Despite what's he said, she took another step back.

"Ya know if I remember correctly, one of the easiest ways to deactivate the spring locks is by starting with the ones on the neck, right?" He wrapped his hands around the collar of the chest plate making her gasp.

"J-Ja-" As she tried to say his name she ended up cutting herself off as he pulled the spring locks and she screamed. Cecile collapsed to the floor as the mechanisms began to dig painfully into her skin. The pressure was so much more than any pressure she had felt before that she was soon losing consciousness.

As darkness surrounded her vision, she looked up. All she could see was her brother's smiling face.

...

When Cecile came to she was behind the diner in one of the dumpsters. As she looked down all she saw of herself was a bloodied mangle of wires and metal.

Nearby was a toolbox and the coin like chip from before.

It was a good thing she had gone to school for engineering.

[ohmytheon]

since you're excited about Gendry returning and the image of you writing while holding your baby in a wrap is hilarious, can I please have Gendry wearing his baby in a wrap while Arya is out and about and she comes home to find them both asleep on the couch? whenever you have time again is fine :)

Oh my god. This is perfect. Shit, I’ll just make it a continuation of this fic. A fair warning: I put next to no thought in their kid’s name. I just thought up a meaning, looked up some names, and picked one.

Ryder would not sleep. Look, Gendry loved his son – loved him more than he’d ever thought himself capable of loving anything – but the boy would not allow Gendry a moment’s rest. Every time he thought the kid was out for the count, he’d lay him down – and then seconds later, Ryder’s eyes would spring open, he’d kick the blanket off, and let out the loudest wail. It shouldn’t be possible for a baby of a month old to be so loud. It was ungodly.

It didn’t help that it pulled at Gendry’s heart in a way that he’d never thought possible. He’d considered himself hard – had to be considering how he’d grown up alone – and he’d heard children cry before. Growing up in an orphanage did not allow for an easy, soft, quiet childhood. But there was nothing quite like hearing his own son cry. It jerked him away from whatever he was doing. It broke his damn heart.

All Gendry had been trying to do was take a piss for the past hour, but every damn time he laid his son down, Ryder would cry out and Gendry found himself rushing over to him. The last time he’d tripped over his undone pants and nearly sprawled face first on the ground. A little crying wouldn’t hurt Ryder – how many times had he said that when he lived at the orphanage? – and yet somehow it hurt him now that it was his own child.

Weak. Even worse, if he didn’t know any better, he’d think that Ryder knew it.

And so that was how Gendry found himself pulling the baby wrap out that he’d seen Arya wear so many times before. It was so long and looked so complicated, but he was willing to try anything and Ryder seemed to like it. Must have had to do with being snug up against Arya. That was one thing they could both agree on. First, he had to look up a youtube video on his phone about how to put it on while walking around holding his son with his other hand. Second, once he seemed relatively okay with how it worked, he had to put it on. That meant setting Ryder down, which he didn’t like, so Gendry rushed to finish.

After getting it on (at least he thought it was on right – it was so tight), he picked up his son and soothed him again. It was a quick affair. Once Ryder realized he was being held, he would stop crying and look around inquisitively. Getting him in the baby wrap was another thing altogether. Both father and son squirmed trying to get it to work. Ryder scrunched up his face once fully inside and let out a single cry before Gendry could sooth him and start walking around the house, bouncing his stomach instinctively.

Ryder looked up at him almost curiously, half-confused, as Gendry stared down at him, willing him to close his eyes and fall asleep. He felt utterly ridiculous, like he was a kangaroo, but it was all he could do to calm the kid down.

“C’mon, c’mon, go to sleep,” Gendry mumbled, glancing away every time his son tried to connect eyes with him. If he did that, then he’d wake right up, as if able to sense Gendry’s weakness. The kid was an assassin when it came to his parents’ sleep, utterly merciless.

Ryder’s eyes opened and closed, staying closed more often than not after a while, until finally they stayed closed. His mouth was wide open as he breathed, making cooing noises and grunts as he did in his sleep. Gendry paused in his pacing and let his head fall back so that he could sigh in relief.

Finally, he could pee.

So, wearing his sleeping son in Arya’s baby wrap while taking a piss – that was one thing Gendry could check off the list of things he never thought he’d do but found himself doing anyways. Parenthood was a lot weirder than people gave it credit for. He couldn’t help but wonder if he’d forced his mom into this position. He wished she was still alive just so he could apologize to her.

To be honest, he tried not to think about his mom very often in connection with his son. It made him feel…despondent. Lonelier than ever before. Arya’s parents were wonderful grandparents – very doting and helpful in every way and nice, especially considering the not-so perfect circumstances around the pregnancy – but sometimes he missed having someone on his side, parent-wise. Mya was great as an older half-sister and aunt, but she wasn’t his mom.

Just anyone that he could ring up and ask for advice from someone that knew from experience would’ve been nice.

After taking care of a few more things around the house (in all honesty, Arya was terrible about cleaning), Gendry eased himself down on the couch. He could’ve taken Ryder out of the wrap, but he was still sleeping soundly and Gendry hated the idea of disturbing him. There was even a little smile on his face, like he’d won at something. Yeah, won at bossing his dad around and getting what he wanted. Arya never folded so easily.

But Ryder was his son and Gendry really, really loved him.

After finding something on the tv, Gendry settled down and prepared for an hour of just holding his son. Sometimes, that was all it would take to get him to sleep, and sometimes it was the only thing. It was Gendry’s day off from the shop though so he really didn’t mind cuddling with his boy. Arya never questioned on whether or not he was capable of watching after a baby while she attended the classes of her last semester, even though he was a guy, and he didn’t care when the guys at the shop teased him over it.

What was the point? He couldn’t figure out why they would tease him. Gendry wanted to be a good and involved father. So what? Idiots, the lot of them.

Ryder was a good boy and a good baby. Gendry just wished that he’d sleep more often without them having to hold him. It meant that they didn’t get much sleep themselves. They had help, of course, but both of them were admittedly stubborn and tried to do so much themselves.

Luckily Arya only had two more classes so she didn’t have to go to school full-time, but Gendry was working over fifty hours a week to make up for her not working. She’d offered, but he had told her no. He knew she didn’t want to admit it, but she was happy to take the time with their son. Eventually, she would want to go to work, but he wanted her to be able to focus on school. She was graduating after this semester. He didn’t want her to be stretched too thin.

Except this had been a sixty hour work week for him and he was more than exhausted. Ryder had been extra clingy this past week for no reason that they could figure out. All Gendry wanted to do was take a thirty minute nap, but he was afraid to do that while holding a baby. Wasn’t that dangerous? He didn’t want people to label him a bad or lazy parent. That scared him more than he liked to admit.

However, his eyes kept opening and closing just as his son’s had done an hour ago. Gendry snapped them back open, focusing on the television, only for them to drift close again. He was fine. He wasn’t that tired. He could stay awake. He was fine–

“Gendry, Gendry,” a voice called to him, accompanied by a shoulder shake.

Blearily opening his eyes. Gendry found himself face-to-face with a grinning Arya. With one arm still protectively wrapped about their son, he pushed himself up on the couch. “You’re home early. Was class canceled?”

“Uh, no, I just got out,” Arya told him, pointing at the clock.

Gendry would’ve jumped off the couch had he not been holding Ryder. “Shit! I fell asleep!” He looked to Ryder up to Arya, a harried expression on his face. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to–”

“You’re okay,” Arya interrupted with a laugh as she stood up straight. “He seems happy. Look at that face.”

Indeed, there was that little, content smile on Ryder’s face. He had his arms up and one hand grabbing at the collar of his shirt. Gendry sank down in the couch, relief sweeping over him. He’d been told so many horror stories about parents falling asleep with their children that it had kept him up at night. But everything was okay. He even felt better now that he’d napped. Ryder would wake up to eat soon and everything would be fine.

“You two have a good day?” Arya asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Gendry replied, thinking about that hour Ryder wouldn’t even let him use the restroom.

Arya shot him another grin. “You certainly looked cozy. The snapchat I sent everyone was positively adorable.”

Gendry flopped back on the couch. “Arya–”

“What?” Arya chimed innocently. “Sansa loved it. ‘Most guys wouldn’t nearly be as comfortable taking care of a baby alone,’ according to her. You’re a role model, an inspiration.”

All Gendry could do was blush, but while he was a little embarrassed – Arya loved to take goofy pictures of him on snapchat and it had only gotten worse since Ryder was born – he wasn’t unhappy. It was…nice. Very different and completely unexpected, but nice. He and Arya had never planned on having a family (at least not so soon) and while it had taken a lot of adjusting and hadn’t always been pretty or easy, they were finding their way and making their own path. He suspected it would always be like this – one big guessing game – but they were in it together.

Now, if only they could sleep together at the same time, that would be great.

[parigrin]

He winced as he scrapped his knee against the side of the wall, his heavy drenched clothing squishing wetly against his white feathers. He smelled, he hurt, and he hadn’t eaten since that morning. If he’d eaten at all. He couldn’t quite remember, and it didn’t seem as important when compared to the sheer enormity of everything else that had happened that day. He got up and threw himself back into the task, scrambling to find enough space to press himself through the opening to the sewer drain. He’d seen a raccoon go down one of these before while waiting for a gig that had been canceled without notice and while he was no pesky procyonid, he was certain that If! He! Just! Through! Enough! Back! Into! It! He would somehow manage to get himself out. That or he’d be stuck down in the gutters for an eternity and he’d either go mad and start feeding on rodents to survive or meet some subterranean adolescent abomination with a thirst for pizza and a curious knowledge of ninjutsu. Whichever came first. He fell again, this time on his back and he gasped in pain, suddenly winded. He gave himself a minute to catch his bearings. Still hurt. Still Alive. Still needed to get out. He got up again, this time giving himself running space and hurtled himself up into the air. The pain of impact was immediate, fire breaking across his beak, he tasted blood where his all too sharp teeth had bitten into his tongue and a nearly overpowering crescendo timed with the beating of his own heart crashed over him, but above all that was a feeling of steely determination, because this time, unlike his other tries, he had managed to hook his hands out the opening. If he could just pull himself through, he’d finally be free of the dark and dreary tunnels. He pushed his arms out, wriggling and wreathing like a worm on a hook, scrapping his body this way and that, ripping feathers loose from their roots, breaking the exposed skin underneath those feathers in more places than he could count. He needed to get out. He couldn’t stay down here. The mantra repeated ad nauseum in his head. If there was a word that could accurately encompass exactly what was going through his mind, it escaped him. He felt the racing thrumming burning energy of his emotions coursing through his body, shocking him with the striking intensity of it, whatever “it” even was. He wanted it to stop. But a bigger part of it needed it to continue. He felt something creak dangerously around him and he pushed his face flat against the grown and tasting cloying dirt and gritty asphalt on his tongue, as he twisted his body up, kicking his legs against the walls below to give him some sort of leverage to help him maneuver himself out of his current predicament. It concerned him to know that despite the pain, despite everything else that was going on that he really should take more time to process, he was having more fun than he had in years. It was almost like he was on set again, and by the Late great Adam West did he miss the old show. He grunted as he carelessly scraped a foot against the unforgiving sewer walls. He’d kept in shape and was remarkably spry by most people’s estimation, but at his…mature… age perhaps climbing around in sewers was beneath him. He sighed, breathing deeply and went back to it. Jim knew he’d been in a rut for years; his feelings had been limited to boredom and anger and a desperate desire to free himself from one or the other. What he felt now, as he pushed himself agonizingly forward and rocked his hips to and fro until half of his waist was now successfully protruding from the mouth of the sewer, was none of the above. But though he might be enjoying himself, as much as he wanted to play the role of Darkwing, it just wouldn’t come to him as easily as he felt it should. Whatever emotion, whatever drive he now felt coursing through him was so unconnected with what he typically associated with his “Darkwing Persona” that it might as well have been from an alternate universe for all they had in common. It was angry and buzzing and he wasn’t entirely sure he liked it. Really wasn’t sure at all. But he reasoned, continuing to thrash about like hooked trout, it had still managed to galvanize him into action and that was more than could be said of anything he’d felt for more years than he cared to admit. The exasperation he felt as he tried to free his behind from the great gaping maw it was currently trapped in made him feel more aware, more present, more like the “old” him than he could honestly remember himself being since the realization had finally sunk in that no matter how many petitions his old fans  threw together, there would be no miraculous resurrection from the grave of cancellation for his old show. He flailed against the cement holding him in place before he finally felt himself push forward, and the momentum of his thrusts carried him nearly all the way out. He’d caught his feet on the sides of the opening, but, by pressing his hands against the edges, he managed to finally remove one, then the other entirely. He let out some steadying deep breaths and hoisted himself on top of the curb to catch his breath. After gaining control of his bearings he scanned his surroundings and tried to piece together where he was. It was somewhere alarmingly close to the Beagle’s junkyard, he knew that much from having passed by the place before, but with the night shrouding everything in shadow, the specifics eluded him. He looked up at the cloudy sky above and pondered his new path for a moment, speculations on how often he’d be forced to pull himself out of sewers in the future were first and foremost in his mind, then shook his head. He wouldn’t go back to the way he was living before. He couldn’t, not really, thanks to the doppelganger. He had never really put much stock in the supernatural. His knowledge in its presence had come from the daily updated stream of Scrooge McDuck’s reign of capitalist tyranny as reported by one Roxanne Featherly. With so much evidence piled up. only an absolute fool would doubt its existence, of course. But the familiarity had been merely abstract, like knowing the Moon revolved around the Earth, it was a distant sort of knowledge that everyone knew but also never expected the information to be especially useful in one’s daily life. Now he knew better. It was said in old myths that finding one’s evil twin would lead to the original’s destruction, and after spending a mere day living with the knowledge of that hack’s existence he was inclined to believe the stories were true. How else could the knowledge of the movie’s existence fly under the radar of both his agent and himself for so long? He wondered for a moment if his agent had decided to throw in his luck with a newer model, then shrugged and picked himself off the ground. Thinking about his agent only brought up more negative thoughts, and if he was honest with himself, he wondered if any more negativity would make him explode. He glanced around the empty street and pushed himself off the curb, walking slouched with his hands in his pockets. He felt unnecessarily exposed, even with his face covered in the mask.  Anyone could come by and see him, and, with his luck recognize him and then where would he be? He would like to say he could smooth talk his way out of any trouble but remembering his earlier embarrassment at the hands of the security guard, forced him to admit that acting did not, as much as he might vocally protest otherwise, come as easily to him as he wanted to believe. That was a blunt nail he’d had directors try to hammer into him for years, but it was not something he wanted to be embedded into the wood of his mental image of himself, and he had resisted as long as he was able. He’d tried to swallow his pride and find a new career, of course. He was Jim Starling, he did all his own stunts for his show. Surely talent agents would take note of that and he’d land a job as a stunt double at the very least? The years of bitter memories that told a different story than the one he’d wanted to believe said otherwise. He paused when he heard the telltale swish of a car moving through puddles and felt his heart race. It stopped at a stoplight two lampposts ahead of him and he began rapidly debating with himself over the desire to hide behind something to keep himself from being noticed or to keep walking and pretend there was absolutely nothing notable about the solitary figure of a man wearing a mask under his trademark wide-brimmed tando and sporting a fetching cape knitted into the collar of his double-breasted business suit. Honestly, the fact that he was by himself and strutting about at too dang late in the night not to be up to funny business at this hour o’clock for his evening jogs had made some of his more cautious neighbors tattle on him to the police call attendant more times than he could count. Harriette had once been a fan and had been inspired by Darkwing to join the local law enforcement. Meeting him had been a dream come true apparently, and then after the third time of meeting him at One in the morning when found he’d it difficult to sleep (though he had always insisted he was just doing his part to keep in shape), she had asked him to join a gym so they wouldn’t have to keep meeting as they had. By the fifth time, she had requested a transfer, all previous childhood nostalgia seemingly wiped clean by mere association with him. He’d met enough “biggest fans” who could no longer stand him that he had been desensitized to the phrase long ago. The car continued on its path when the light turned green and he absently hoped the fact that he was near Beagle territory made his appearance similar enough to the local canine crime family that the driver had been conditioned not to call the police at the first sign of a disguised prowler.  He’d always been too optimistic. Whenever he’d shown his face for the part of a stuntman the same words had seemed to follow him. “Too clumsy.” They said. “Not enough finesse.” Others commented. There had been others still who had been less polite in their eternally helpful observations, and he felt their poisoned words flitting around his mind like horseflies biting into sensitive flesh whenever the opportunity prevailed itself. He shook his head like a wet dog attempting to dispel the water from its fur. He was injured and walking alone in the middle of the night with no backup with only vaguest inkling of his whereabouts. Now was not the time to have a midlife crisis, and it would him no good to reflect on the past. He’d wasted enough of his years feeling sorry for himself. Now was a time for action! He felt the urge to pose heroically and, had to temper it with a more realistic edge. He posed broodingly instead. Very dark. So very drama. His stance wilted a little when he remembered the itty bitty little problem with that was that he wasn’t entirely sure what action he should be taking. He was a little new to this “grim and gritty hero on the edge” scene. Obviously, he was going to experience some brain freeze while slurping down the slushy of frozen vengeance. The shows he’d watched before he could no longer follow the tales of capes and cowls without being weighed down by resentment had glossed over some immensely irritating hang-ups to the whole “pretending to be dead so he could catch the evildoer with his metaphorical pants down” ploy. The most obvious, of course, was that he needed to find himself some new threads until he could get his suit dry cleaned. He liked to think he had himself a strong stomach, but he doubted the common citizen of Duckberg could cope with parfum d'eaux usées évaporées with the same determination. A bath to rid himself of the aforementioned scent of sewage wouldn’t be remiss, either. This did, unfortunately, lead to the second most obvious problem: he was, temporarily at least, effectively broke. He sighed as he passed the first light post. With the news of his apparent passing, his bank account and assets would be frozen and without any family, friends, or hastily cobbled together fake identities to inherit his estate his effects would likely be seized in their entirety by the state. Some small part of him said that deliberately making the choice to go both penniless and homeless at the same time was taking this hero schtick a too far, but the thought was silenced by headbutting the second light post hard enough to dent the metal. He was not going to quit this thing until he had successfully ousted his duplicitous doppelganger and earned back the respect of his badly neglected fan. His thoughts turned to the young man he’d known for years without actually having met him truly as he stood considering whether to continue forward or cross the empty street, and he felt his stomach flare with the ache of very real guilt.  Jim had not treated the younger man with the respect he should have meted out towards a true loyalist. Yes, he had been something of an irritation, he’d become very familiar with the weight of the man’s body crushing down on him after the fan had been struck with yet another fainting spell. But the fact dawned on him as he stood there under the green glow of the traffic light that this one fan had continued to come to his signings regardless of his own physical and psychological inhibitions. And that one detail should have told him more about the man than he’d thought to attribute to the pelican in all his years of knowing him.  He decided to cross the street and waited impatiently for the light to turn red. Many fans had claimed to be his biggest fan but most had had only proven willing to come to his signing maybe one or twice before their interest in meeting him had ostensibly dried up into dust. But that singular fan, one Launchpad McQuack, had, for all intents and purposes, kept coming, even if it was just to faint on him yet again. He glanced around. There was no one out and about, not a single car to be seen anywhere, but he’d felt inclined to wait lest some cop trying to fill a quota tried to pull over a dead guy for jaywalking. He had nearly decided to walk across anyway when a single car sped by quick enough to almost clip him. ‘Seriously?’ He huffed in annoyance. ‘Was the universe itself out to get him? He hoped not. He was aware that, with the help of his double’s trickery, he had managed to badly damage his greatest fan’s regard of him, but he hoped with a wildness that worried him, that that sort of devotion his fan had possessed  wasn’t the sort that burned away after a very awkward and embarrassing set of missteps he’d manage to make over the course of a single(how could it be only one?) very bad day. The light overhead turned from green to red and the white pedestrian signal flared into life. A car pulled up, and he laughed at the look of consternation on the driver’s face. He loved it when his misfortunes happened to others, it made him feel less singled out by fate. He began walking across at his own pace, and he’d nearly passed over when the light unexpectedly turned green without warning. The driver, a young canine whose path he now blocked blared his horn, startling Jim from his thoughts. He’d glared at the driver who had then proceeded to quite eloquently flip him the single-fingered salute. Now most days, he would have ignored it and gone about his business. He would have grumbled about the lack of respect he was given, but ultimately he would have done nothing. Today, with the strange sensitivity coursing through his veins, a mood he still had yet to name, he decided that today was not a day for inaction. Once that thought crossed his mind his body had stopped dead, practically of its own accord, and when the driver chose to slam his fist on the horn one more time, he sprang into action, moving forward and propelling himself up, up, and over the hood of the driver’s car and ramming himself through the open window of the vehicle and landing on top of the young man with enough force that his heckler was briefly pushed under the steering wheel. The driver, a young canine with a dark mane of greasy black locks that parted on both sides of his face, had a thing for the punk scene(or was it goth? Maybe Elmo? He found it difficult to differentiate between the fashion trends of the poetically minded, it had something to do with music, and poetry, and public safety ads, but really, they all looked like they shopped at the same stores, it wasn’t his thing, but he could respect the work they put into the aesthetics)and was well tailored if the clothing he wore was any indication. The skull clasp on his purple cloak fit nicely in his hand when his hands shot down to get a better grip on him. The two began a dangerous game of whack-a-mole, with Jim’s fists as the mallet and the dog’s face as a terribly tenacious talpid. He removed the keys from the car to prevent the vehicle from crashing into the light posts. The younger man then proved he possessed a rather strong set of jaws when he’d chosen to latch an impressive set of fangs onto the duck’s knee. The disgraced actor had sworn out a string of obscenities that would have immediately landed him in hot water with the censors and had bopped him in the nose, trying to get the pooch to remove the teeth from their agonizing hold on his sensitive joint. This only succeeded in causing him to sink his teeth deeper into the flesh of his leg. He was seized with the urge to use his own teeth on the tyke to show him what it truly meant to bite someone but managed to resist the temptation. As the older of the two, he would be a more civilized party and biting a young man to assert dominance was pressing the envelope a little too hard, even for him. His mind rapidly tried to think of a solution to his problem but kept coming up blank. What he really needed was a vial of pepper spray. Finding himself fresh out of pepper spray, he attempted to spit in the whelp’s eyes, figuring it could at least provide a decent distraction that would allow him to free himself from the kid’s muzzle. Unfortunately, the operating phrase in that sentence was ‘attempt’ because instead of a neat expel of saliva, his throat began hacking up mucus that bubbled from his mouth and clung to his chin. He tried a couple more times but was met with failure each time. Still, the move eventually did its job because when enough of the gathered spittle had begun dripping from his chin the dog’s eyes widened in horrified disgust and he released his leg with an alarmed “Oh my Go-” he was silenced by the duck’s vindictive kick, and the younger man’s body crumpled before it slid limply under the steering wheel and moved no more. Jim hastily scooted into the passenger’s seat and watched the dark form warily in the off chance that the canine roused from the place his body now lay and began taking deep breaths. He began to shake and shiver, all earlier bravado draining from his features as trepidation began to set in and his heart began to beat faster in what he recognized as the early stages of hysteria. While he could claim that he’d been provoked, it didn’t change the reality that the person he had just attacked was obviously a member of the Beagle Crime Family. He’d seen the boy in the news once or twice. Usually accompanied by similarly dressed littermates. He doubted the Beagles would give a tinker’s curse about at his motivations for attacking one of their own. All they would do was see what he’d done and rightly call a spade a shovel and he’d have the entire lot of them on his tail feathers the moment his actions were discovered. And, to toss an already burnt marshmallow on a stick and thrust it into the fire, he hadn’t even intended to attack the dog in the first place. He was used to intrusive thoughts(he was currently holding out against the impulse to lay all his cards on the table and enact various methods of ridding himself of his predicament terminally in ways both disturbing and physically improbable), but to the best of his knowledge, he had never acted on them. His thoughts had often disturbed him, especially when he’d been in the springtime of his life when his feelings had been more varied, and he hadn’t felt like his brain had been enveloped by an endless fog. The years of anguished apathy had deadened how very unsettling he’d once found them, but he hadn’t thought he’d start to treat them as if they were an innate part of his decision making. The truth that he hadn’t even notice before he was already in motion cast further shadow over the course of events. Now he had to decide what to do next. He groaned and eyed the dog again. The younger man was still lying face down, head twisted at an odd angle, from his placement on the passenger’s side of the car, he couldn’t make out whether the boy was breathing or not, and when he leaned closer he couldn’t tell whether to be relieved or not with the knowledge that the dog still lived. He glanced around suspiciously, searching his peripheral vision for any onlookers. Finding none he sighed and straightened, hand going to the door to open it. The specifics of what he’d done would scarcely matter if he was caught out in the open with the…victim (?) of his latest lapse judgment laying in plain sight for any kibitzer to take notice of his actions. He’d be placed behind bars just as quickly as if the dog’s own crimes had ceased to exist, and Jim had instead put the wraps on the near-mythical upstanding citizen who volunteered at homeless shelters in their spare time and would never have ever considered hurting a fly. When he reached the driver’s side, he made another surreptitious check of his surroundings. Finding them unchanged and just as empty as they’d been when this mess started, he opened the driver’s door and hauled the limp Beagle out by his arm sockets. Part of him felt he should be more concerned that he could brush off his earlier alarm just by focusing on what he needed to do next, while a second argued he was merely compartmentalizing his tasks to better organize his activity to avoid further indiscretion, while a third voice wondered if he was just pretending to give himself the third degree just to feel better about himself as a person. He decided he’d rather not ask himself any further questions after that, choosing to focus instead on the task at hand.

[gukkle]

I Can’t Go On If You’re Not Here

Genre: Fluff/Angst

Pairing: Jeongguk x Reader

Length: 2k

Part 1 l Part 2 l Part 3

masterlist 

You have been in love with Jeongguk since freshmen year of college, but you never had the courage to confront him about your feelings. A new girl pushes you to admit to him finally what you both were waiting for. 

You didn’t choose to be friends with Jeongguk, we just became friends. We met when we were young. He was a new freshmen in college and very active. You were the quiet girl who just wanted her degree in business so you could finally escape from my parents who constantly breathed down your neck. You had friends but none of them compared to Jeongguk. You became friends when the teacher had decided to partner you two up for a project.

“Hey, I’m Jeongguk”.

Those words will forever haunt you to the fact that you can never have him. He will always be the boy that you loved so deeply but could never have. Jeongguk was the light of your life, simple enough. He brought you favorite popcorn when you was feeling down, when you was on your periods,he would become the most patient man on earth.

He never complained when you would talk for hours on hours about the cute guys in your accounting class. He would smile at you and pat you on the head and say,

“You’re too good for them anyways. You’re too smart for them, all they understand is how to crunch numbers. You are both naturally blessed with looks and intelligence”

You would always blush at his compliments. People would call him awkward and silent with no emotion. He would compliment you with the straightest face. People didn’t know how to respond to him because they thought he was making fun of them. It was just that Jeongguk meant every word he said. He wanted you to know that he was honest and truthful.

Jeongguk never realized what you had felt for him. It wasn’t his fault. You never confessed to him because you didn’t think it was worth it. You had some boyfriends here and there, but none of them were serious because you were forever waiting on him. He didn’t know, he just thought you didn’t really love anyone of them. It wasn’t until your senior year of college where you finally gathered up the courage to admit to him what you have been feeling for the past four years.

“Hey, where were you at the party?” Jeongguk slid into the seat besides you in the library, He was decked out in his signature black stussy sweatshirt with some skinny jeans that seemed to make him ten times more attractive. He started to stroke your hair. Jeongguk had a thing with hair. Yours was mid length and dyed a soft light brown, you kept it soft for him. Because he liked it.

“I didn’t go. Jongsuk didn’t want to go so I stayed back with him to help him study” You turned towards him, away from your economics textbooks and placed your head in your hands.

“Ah, always helping the new student. You are just too nice Y/N,” Jeongguk quirked his head and smiled at you. He was just too cute. It was the time in between your classes. You were about to graduate, just one more semester to go and you were finally done with the education system.  

“Nah, I’m not nice. I just felt pity for him because he didn’t know what we did in class”

Jeongguk started to pick at your pens and pencils, “You should have gone to the party. It was so much more exciting but some new incoming freshmen came and crashed it. But the best thing about it is I met someone.”

“You met a girl? Who? It’s been a while.”

You tried to mask the look of surprise on your face. Jeongguk hasn’t dated any girls in a while. He had dated a girl named Wendy a while back ago but he broke up with her because he didn’t think they had fit together. Jeongguk was a true romantic, he loved to hold hands and spend hours reading at a cafe with his girlfriend. That’s what you loved about him, he loved the simple things. He had said Wendy was an amazing girl but he just didn’t think they were good together. When he was dating Wendy, you had to deal with in love Jeongguk, he was gone.

When Jeongguk had a new girlfriend, he would disappear from your life. He would put all his attention and love into the new girl and it would be like you never existed.He wasn’t ignoring you on purpose, he just wanted to spend time with girlfriend. This really hurt you. You felt like you were a throwaway, only needed when he was free of a romantic partner. People knew you guys were best friends, they knew that you guys had perfect chemistry. They didn’t understand why Jeongguk didn’t make a move. Many guys have tried but you wanted to wait for him. You had boyfriends but they never made it to your heart. You dabbled in romance when Jeongguk had a new girlfriend. You felt lonely and wanted some attention, the attention that Jeongguk was not giving you.

Jeongguk had a little smile on his face and he shyly looked down, “She’s a sophomore. She loves to dance and she’s really talented at the violin. I met her at the party and we just hit it off. I think I really like her. I know we just met but I feel like we connect so well.” He had the starry look in his eyes, the kind he gets when he talks about Overwatch and Justin Bieber.

You stopped fiddling with your pen and looked at him, “Wow, I guess it’s time for you to move onto the next girl. What happened to your promise of waiting till you graduated?” You tried to mask the hurt in your voice. Jeongguk had a real chance of falling in love with someone that wasn’t you.

“I was, but man Jennie is a work of art. I never met anyone like her, she brings out sides of me that I never knew existed. We had talked about random things but it was the most interesting conversation I ever had. She’s so beautiful,”Jeongguk swiveled in his chair, his body opposite of what it should have been if he was sitting. He leaned back against the desk, and brushed his hand through his hair. His hair was a startling black color. He never dyed it because he thought that it would make him seem more like a girl.

You knew who Jennie was. She was a transfer student from Gwangju. You guys had some mutual friends, you never formally met her. It was an understatement to say that she was an amazing and one of a kind. Jennie made guy friends after guy friends, she never dated anyone since she had transferred this year. She was an up and coming dancer in our dance team. Hoseok, the dance captain and your closest friend after Jeongguk and Jisoo, had complimented her on her fluidity and techniques.  He had also said that she was pretty but not his type. Hoseok had a specific type, he liked the smart and caring ones. It wasn’t that Jennie wasn’t smart or caring, it was because he thought that Jennie was a little superficial. Apparently Jeongguk didn’t think the same.

“Oh. Good for you” You didn’t know what to say. Your heart was slowly tearing at itself. Why couldn’t Jeongguk look at you and think of you like he did with Jennie? What made you so unappealing to him. You guys have been friends for four years, and never did he once show a sign that he was attractive to you in the point of more than friends. You would flirt with him but he would just smile at you and go back to what he was doing. It wasn’t like you didn’t try. You didn’t know how to approach him with the topic that you wanted to be more than friends.

Jeongguk turned his head towards you, “It isn’t great? I’m taking her out on a date later. I need advice on what to wear. So get out of the library and let’s get back to the apartment and plan what to wear.” It was also quaint that you guys were roommates because you wanted to get out of the dorms and finally get a place of your own but you were too poor to afford it yourself.

You found yourself being dragged out of the library, his hands linked in between yours, with your things haphazardly shoved into your open tote bag and onto the streets. Jeongguk happily took the lead to the short walk to your apartment complex. He seemed to be bouncing on the soles of his feet. His hands still linked with yours. It was normal for you two to hold hands. He had started this habit because you always got lost in crowds when you guys hit Myeongdong for shopping. You felt like he does it now because he liked to torture you with a little sliver of a romantic relationship with him.

“Hurry up, the date starts in an hour”, Jeongguk basically shoved you up the stairs in barely contained excitement and into his room. You didn’t want to help him with his date. In fact you wanted to give him a reason to cancel the date, you. But he would never do that because he didn’t like you. You had to be his friend and just his friend.

He started to pilfer through his closest that was ironically filled with white t shirts.

“I guess I would go with casual but a little dressed up,” you pushed him aside because he was actually hopeless. Your chest hurt every time you touched the clothes hangers that held his clothes. You chose a white button down with a mandarin collar with some jeans. He would look great. This was going to be a long night of you eating ice cream and watching some movies to pass the empty time. Why does Jennie have to exist?

“You are the Sun to my Earth. Thank you so much. This is why I still need my mother and you, of course.” Jeongguk quickly grabbed his clothes and rushed into the conjoining bathroom.

You plop down on his bed. His room wasn’t especially big but it wasn’t small. You had an identical room, with connected bathrooms. You looked up onto the ceiling and saw stars. Jeongguk always love what stars represented. To him, stars represented hope and ambition. He saw them as the push to his success.

Jeongguk slammed the door open, all dressed in his outfit ready for his date, “Is this alright?” as he fixed his collar. He looked so handsome and so Jennie’s.

You motioned for him to come over to the bed and you sat up. He stood right in front of you, still fixing his clothes. You laughed at him, he had skipped a button,

“Aish you dummy, you missed a button, no one it looks weird,” You went in to fix it, your nimble fingers skipped over the soft material. It would be so nice to just push him onto the bed and snuggle. He stared down at you as you slowly fixed his error. You looked up at him, into his starry eyes. He sent you a smile and continued to stare.

The tension in the room began to heat up. Your eyes seem to drill holes in one others. Your fingers stopped it’s administrations. You opened your mouth to say something.  

[westword-stories-blog]

CrossSwords - Chapter Twenty

It was dusk, all the lights within the castle were either off or very dim. Everybody was asleep and all was silent in the castle. But there was one person active who tread through the halls silently, using only the tips of their feet to move. Quietly, they approached a hatch. Opening it and looking down the entrance to the cellars.

Once they were in, they scanned the area and then proceeded. The only sound being made was a light footstep, an occasional take-in of air and soft drops of water somewhere off nearby. Eventually making it through the maze-like labyrinth of a cellar, the person finally made it. Ahead of themselves there laid a multitude of treasures. Bags of Gol, priceless artifacts and weapons and also...

"The head of The Dragon's Flute. Ohaahhaa...Finally..."

Chapter 20: Time of Resistance ( Part Three )

"Thank you very much, Sir." Erie spoke to the man who was leading the carriage, he waved back at her as she was walking back into Farza Town to find the contestants. Many thoughts crossed her mind, who would she find? Would they want to defend the kingdom? Would they have the very same safety? Before she could think up an answer to satisfy her curiosity she ran into one of the contestants: Christopher. The one who was paired with Vincent during the first rounds and lost.

"Ack--Hey! Watch where you're going!..." He stared at Erie for a short while then stepped back. "Aren't you the Knight Commander? What are you doing here?"

"Listen, do you know where the other contestants are? The one's who participated in the tournament?!" She looked him in the eyes and all he could do was stand there slightly frightened. "Uh, why? The tournament is already over and we had the after-party already so what now?"

"The Varksa Kingdom is facing a crisis. We would like your help and hopefully, the rest of the tournament competitors." He looked down in though for a moment before looking off to the side. "Hah. Tough luck. The winner of the tournament left back to Narch not too long ago, the top 5 however are still somewhere here."

"Can you gather them? Please.."

"What's in it for me? Money? My own servant? Or something else?" He spoke quietly while leaning in, his shoulder-length hair obscuring his face slightly while he was leaned in. "What you'll get is the pride of doing the right thing for the Kingdom."

He stared at the woman for a long minute then let out a heavy sigh, looking to the side once more. "Fine. I'll get as many as I can, wait around the Inn until then." He fixed his hair and looked at his hand for a moment, turning to her. "Yeah, I'll get them." Then ran off.

~ ~ ~

A Dark Cave, 3 Days after Stacia Village's fall.

"So...Tell me, how much value do we hold right now?" Kohma's unstable voice spoke. He was in his tent, turned around just as he was done putting his mask on. "Collecting everything since then..We're at 14,000 Gol. That majority is thanks to that ball." Another spoke, looking at the ball which was firmly placed on Kohma's desk.

"That's good..Hest Town from what the scouts have told me..They have a pretty hefty stash of money."

"Oh, and sir..There have also been reports that Knights of the Varska Castle are dispatching to tend to still standing villages. One group of knights went to check on Stacia Village."

"I see...Well, that village is already dead. I suggest killing the knights who have yet to make it to the other villages. Hest Town cannot be heavily guarded this time. That girl actually managed to put a dent in on our available men." Kohma took in a deep breath then slowly exhaled, looking ahead.

"Let's just see how well we do anyways. Come now, let's get ready to attack."

~ ~ ~

Fields of Varska, November 16th 2278, 10:46 PM.

The winds were howling through the night, a group of 13 Knights traveled through the darkness. Nobody spoke, they were all silent. The only thing making noise would be their armors and weapons gently pressing against one another. "General Fyrestone, Sir..Why did we dispatch during the evening?" Asked the knight in the second row, 2nd person. General Fyrestone simply looked over his shoulder then back ahead. The man leading all the knights was known to the Kingdom as General Fyrestone. A man without an ounce of forgiveness. He wears a large, bulky suit of armor made from reinforced iron and chain-mail. His large sword carried by his waist and his wide shield behind his back.

"If we move in the Darkness, less bandits will show up, and we can get there by morning. Which will give us enough time to set up a small defensive position."

"That's..another thing, General, sir. Who are we fighting?" He asked once more. "From the reports I've been given, it seems like a group bent on bringing down the Kingdom. It's been much too long since I've received a report like that.." The General looked to be in thought for a moment.

"Fnn--!!" A whizzing sound struck the ears of all the knights true. One looked around in the dark of night then eventually felt the end of an arrow, lodged into the ground. Fyrestone knew this sound all too well, turning to look at the small hills surrounding them, and as he expected. Dark, inky silhouettes stand there with their arms in the air and holding some sort of object. His immediate thought was that it was a bow, and he had no reason to be wrong. "Shields up, men!!" He said just as all of the silhouettes let free their right hand to let more arrows fly.

The arrows made impact with the ground, metals and flesh. Most of the knights were able to survive the onslaught of countless arrows. Once they recovered they looked at where the arrows were coming from.

Again, they pulled their bow strings back for a second then let go once more, another wave of arrows were coming. "Shields up!! Hurry!" The General gave no time for the knights to run, they all put their shields up and braced for impact. Once again, most of the arrows struck their shields and armors, but some slipped through and hit the necks and napes of some knights.

The General raised his head to look around. Half of the men were lying on the ground with dark sticks pointing out of them. "Damn it." He then felt something coming up behind him, pulling out his sword and turning around, swinging his sword as he did so. "Achk--!!" The cry of a man was heard throughout, a dark liquid substance staining the General's sword. "They're not giving us time! We have to fight back!" He looked up in the air and his eyes widened. "Oh god.."

~ ~ ~

Erie put her cup down, a clanking sound rung throughout the bar. "He's really taking awhile." She said under her breath before sighing. She wasn't actually too sure if she could trust these young people with defending the walls of the Castle. But, if King Rose ordered her to do it, she would.

"Knight Commander, Erie." A voice called to her, she raised her head to look around, eventually catching the sight of Christopher with about 4 other people behind him. One of them was the runner-up, two of them were in the top 10 and the last one behind Christopher was in the top 3. A sudden wave of relief washed over her as she grew a smile. "I'm back, these guys were a pain in the ass to find."

She simply shook her head then stood up. "Good..It isn't a lot, but you guys will do. Come on, let's get back to the castle. We've got to get you guys properly geared up and fed." She stood up from her seat and placed a few gol coins down and exited the place along side the 5 warriors.

"Sorry, even for someone as important as you, we can't lend you the carriage. It's been reserved already, so tough luck." Said an old man who ran the carriage business in Farza Town. "But..This is urgent! The fate of the Kingdom is at stake!"

"Yeah? Well ain't that a sucker." The old man said. Erie needed to return to the castle in time, she wasn't going to take this. She grabbed the old man by the collar and pulled him close until their faces were inches apart. "You will give us this carriage, I will drive it. And these five will ride along."

"B-But what a-about..p-paymen--"

"The payment? I'll pay double for what those people were paying you originally."

The old man stared into the burning eyes of the woman for a long while. "I..I've never had someones reservation cancelled before." He said while turning his head over to the last available horse carriage. "Times are changing." She said simply before tossing him aside, reaching in a small bag she carried around, tossing a bag of gol at him then proceeding to the carriage.

"Get in. We have to get there as fast as we can and speak with the King. We'll get further orders from there!" She exclaimed while the five climbed into the carriage and shut the door. "C'mon!" She whipped the small leather binds, the horses letting out a feisty neigh then beginning to dash off back onto the main dirt road.

Next

"Approximately 20,000 Gol. Just for you."

"It's over..."

"I don't care how bad I am! Let me go!!"

CrossSwords - Chapter 21: Time of Devastation ( Part Four )

1 Night after Hest Town's Attack

"Well..The attack on Hest Town went swimmingly. Heck, those knights we had to deal with on the way? Were those even really knights?! I've seen guards do better at small villages for crying out loud! Anyways..You guys can do whatever you want to that 'General' gu--"

Suddenly interrupted by someone dashing in the tent, carrying a bag around his shoulder. "I'm back..And...I've got it."

Kohma was about ready to kill whoever interrupted him, but clapped his hands together once hearing what he had to say. "Oh? Is that so? Well, we might actually be able to do what they weren't able to. Maybe it's because they thought they were living in a time of peace? How idiotic. No, they're living in the worst time possible..."

[jemacfarlandgo]

Exactly 1 year ago today, on August 18, 2019 Leisa and Beau were supposed to say “I Do” at their dream venue, Castle Hill Inn. Instead, this bride to be spent her intended wedding day in the hospital recovering from brain surgery. When their second date got moved out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this positive couple didn’t get the change get them down. Instead, they saw the opportunity to lean into love and appreciate every moment they get to spend together. Thank you dearly to Leisa and Beau for sharing their story with us!

“I’ve never been the type to believe in fairytales. Even as a high schooler, I never fully understood drooling over boys or the idea of soulmates. It felt so silly, so much like a waste of time to constantly wonder if he liked me, to imagine myself in a white dress walking down the aisle to a prince charming.

Perhaps, naively, I was far more obsessed with my aspirations. Don’t get me wrong, I was familiar with love, my parents a beautiful, real model of what I dreamed of, the hard work and deep reward of this favored topic of philosophers, poets, writers, and scientists. From their example, I felt like I knew love.

But it wasn’t until I met Beau that I finally understood love. Suddenly, I found myself daydreaming about a home with overgrown hydrangeas and a fireplace mantle dressed in photo frames showcasing those classic “happily ever after” moments of our wedding day. I wondered if I’d wear a veil? Would my dress be simple or intricately embroidered with lace? A silhouette fit or an A line?

With Beau, there were always questions I never had to ask. I never wondered if he would propose, if this was real. Because I knew, it just…was. The way he looked at me, the way he cared for me and made me stronger, happier, better, each and every day. The way he was patient when I was stubborn and a voice of reason when I was illogical. And the way it made me feel to be with him, to be accepted and cherished and chosen, always, as me. With him, I was home.

The night he hid my engagement ring in a pizza box and asked me to be his wife was nothing and everything like a fairytale, all at once. In fact, it was absolutely opposite of what I had imagined, yet everything I wanted, slow dancing with him to Alexa playing Frank Sinatra in my comfiest pajamas — an Ohio State sweatshirt shriveling at the collar from being worn far past its obvious expiration date — and a bare face, clean after my nightly scrubbing of all the day’s makeup residue. I was unpolished, unmanicured, and completely over the moon with child-like excitement to start calling my parents and sister, text our entire families to make the announcement. I remember reaching for my phone and him gently grabbing my hand, insisting on one more dance to internalize, relish the moment. He said, “Once we start calling, it’s everyone’s moment. So let’s just wait, one more song, maybe a glass of champagne? Let’s just be together to keep this moment ours.”

Wedding planning quickly ensued. We chose August 18th at Castle Hill Inn in Newport, RI — the first place Beau and I had ever taken our own romantic getaway. As if from nowhere, my mom began pulling out magazine clippings that she seemed to have saved in her own closet for years and emailing me every picture she found on Pinterest that might possibly align with what I envisioned for bouquets and table settings. My future mother-in-law suggested Kleinfelds and I booked an appointment. I must have tried on 30+ dresses in total before going back to the first. When I opened up the fitting room door, my mom was an adorable mess, tears streaming down her face. Beau’s mom cried, too. But when my sister started crying, I knew I had found the one.

On July 26th, Beau left for his bachelor party in Costa Rica. I had an early appointment with an eye doctor before work, and although I wanted to cancel, I had made a new commitment to myself to stay attune to my health. My mom had recently been diagnosed with cancer and it instantly became clear how I needed to stay up-to-date, to be whole, to be strong, to be there for her. So I kissed Beau goodbye and told him to return in one piece, making him promise that he would come home on Monday exactly as I had left him — no cuts, scrapes, viruses or broken bones. He told me that August 18th was going to be the best day of his life.

What I expected to be an easy appointment turned quickly into an inconceivable nightmare. From the doctor’s office, I was directed to go to the hospital immediately for an emergency CT scan. From there, I was strapped and transported in an ambulance to another hospital for an MRI, my heart shrinking in fear. I just wanted Beau.

The next morning, two people in white lab coats walked into my hospital room and my heart collapsed into the depths of my stomach. Within moments, I was officially diagnosed with a Meningioma brain tumor. We talked for what seemed like forever, me firing questions as swiftly as my mouth could eject the words, all the while my fingers swiping the unending tears flooding my cheeks. After probably the seventh time of receiving the same answers to the same questions, I gathered the courage to finally ask — What about my wedding in two weeks? The neurosurgeon, composed yet soft, promised me he would be as careful as possible and only shave the necessary sections of my skull, but if I didn’t have the neurosurgery immediately to remove the tumor from my brain, I would likely be showing up to my wedding blind.

The instant we hung up the phone, Beau booked the first flight home and my dad immediately jumped into his car and drove 13 hours from Ohio to New York. My sister was taking her bar exam to become a lawyer and my mom was awaiting her own surgery. I was in the hospital for the entire month of August recovering from the drastic procedure (as well as an additional 25 seizures) and spent the whole month of September rehabilitating with therapy, as well as overall healing. I am now blind in my left eye and a small section of the tumor remains in my brain (a certain percentage of the tumor could not be removed, as its elimination would risk additional damage/harm to my nerve and blood vessels), meaning that I will likely spend a great deal of my future monitoring the tumor with the help of my neurosurgeon, neurologist, optical neurologist, and endocrinologist.

To be forced into postponing our wedding and spending our “big day” in the hospital, trying desperately to reignite my short-term memory and regain my strength is not something that I would wish upon any couple. It was heartbreaking. And yet, I felt blessed to be on the road to recovery, reinvigorated with a new gratitude for life, for family, and for love.

As I started to make significant progress and show positive signs of returning to the person I once knew myself to be, Beau and I began to again become excited for our new wedding date: May 10, 2020.

A little over a month ago, our second attempt at a wedding was abruptly halted, this time due to a global pandemic — the profoundly unthinkable place we, as a world, find ourselves to collectively confront. This time, the cancellation was attributed to a reason that was bigger than us — much bigger. An unsettling circumstance of heavy-hearted uncertainty. Subjecting our loved ones and jeopardizing the safety of our families, our vendors, the venue, the world, was so trivial in the grand scheme of things, and associating our special day with that surmount sense of fear was just not an option.

However, I must admit, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t devastated, remembering all that we had been through to finally reach the cusp of our vows. I spent May 10th imagining what Beau and I would have looked like, standing before our entire family in front of the gorgeous Castle Hill arbor, clocking the beginning of the ceremony, the start of cocktail hour, and anticipating the toasts that would have been shared at our reception. I repeatedly imagined the smile I had fantasized, over and over, overcome his face while I walked down the aisle, to him.

Regardless, I still felt thankful. We were healthy and safe and in love. That night, Beau sat with me on our bed and asked me if it would be okay if he started referring to me as his “wife” as opposed to his “bride,” because that better resembled who I was in his heart. How could I not be filled with gratitude?

Of course, Beau and I wanted a wedding and will still be in absolute adoration for the celebration if it comes (prepare for a wild party), but truthfully, at the end of the day, the depth of our love, tested through so many unpredictable, perturbed times, IS the fairytale. My prince is a punk rocker and has stood, anchored by my side through the toughest, scariest, most severely unforeseen moments of my life, again and again, making me feel always like his center, his universe. Sure, I may never get the exact celebratory moment I once dreamed of, but I can state, without a single breath of hesitation, that I am with the man I always dreamed of.

If I’ve learned anything in the past five years, it’s that love — an inexplicable, yet tangible, tender force that when strong enough, truly cannot be smothered. A wedding, in so many ways, feels like a fairytale. But Beau has taught me, unknowingly, purely by example, that real magic lives in our everyday life, in the beauty staring directly at us at all times, often in the crevices of routine normalcy, in plain sight; in the small, conjunctive moments that weave each of these minutes into sequence that, when noticed, make us feel complete. Simple moments like snuggling on the couch or hearing his laugh that make the ordinary extraordinary.

And that, this, us, right here and now, is the realest fairytale I could have ever imagined.

To all of our family and friends, thank you for your patience, understanding, and profound support throughout these challenging times. We love you all so, so much.

To all of the brides who currently feel hurt, sad, even betrayed that their special day was stolen, please know that the celebration will come, but the gift, your personal fairytale, is still right beside you.”

  Leisa and Beau’s engagement photos got postponed due to COVID but the couple did an impromptu photo session in their backyard with a phone on a tripod and the perfect barefoot backyard slow dancing. In case you needed a reminder today, every moment we get to spend with the ones we love is precious. Embrace the moments you get and take every opportunity to show love.

When a brain tumor and a pandemic stood in the way of "I Do" this couple choose to lean into love despite the challenges Exactly 1 year ago today, on August 18, 2019 Leisa and Beau were supposed to say "I Do" at their dream venue, …

[writerinthedarkabyss]

all the 'lets get personal' qs plz?!

 Did you mean this post? If so, well damn alright people, buckle up.

 1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?

This changes every week but right now on my phone it says, 1)If I Had A Million by Fink 2)Drive by Oh Wonder 3)In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins 4)Rollercoaster by The Bleachers 5)P.I.M.P by 50 Cent 6)Falling by Opia

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

My Great Grandmother on my mom/s side. I’ve heard so much about her and I always wanted to meet her.

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give meline 17.

It may or may not be my Phonetics textbook. “Fricatives are sounds made with a small opening, allowing the air to escape...”

4: What do you think about most?

In all honesty, lately I’ve been thinking about my decisions and if I’m doing things in a way that’s going to help me in the future or am I just wasting my life and time. 

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?

“Depends you got the answer to a good stress relief, or to my anthropology homework?” 

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?

Most of the time, I sleep with them on.

7: What’s your strangest talent?

I don’t know if this counts but I can put both legs behind my head without struggling.

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)

Girls rule, boys drool. No just kidding.

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?

Not that I know of, although I’ve written poems and sons about people.

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?

A couple of days ago, I think?

11: Do you have any strange phobias?

Nope, just your average, everyday ones. 

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?

Uhh, no.

13: What’s your religion?

I’m an Atheist.

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

Trying to get back inside. No, uhm, probably reading or writing.

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

Behind the camera usually,

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

Oh god, there’s too many and they change all the time. But for right now Fink, The 1975, Bleachers, Blink 182, Oh Wonder.

17: What was the last lie you told?

This Wednesday, I might have told my mom that class was cancelled but I really didn’t want to go to that class.

18: Do you believe in karma?

Yes, I do.

19: What does your URL mean?

I do a lot of my best writing at night, and “writerinthedark” was already taken. Also my header is from one of my ultime favorite and underrated shows called Farscape. It was something said to the one of the main characters in the show and it holds so much meaning. 

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

21: Who is your celebrity crush?

Uhm, I might be jumping on the bandwagon Noah Centineo. But honestly he’s been my crush long before TATBILB. He was my MCM since The Fosters.

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?

Haha nope.

23: How do you vent your anger?

I usually write it out. Either in the form of literal venting or a story/poem.

24: Do you have a collection of anything?

I have a collection of pennies since Canada no longer uses them. I also have about fifteen candles and 150 books, if that counts as a collection? 

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chattingonline?

Video chatting my friends 100%

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?

Most days, I like who I am now.

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?

Nails on a chalkboard and crunching snow are awful. I love the sound of crackling fire and rain. 

28: What’s your biggest “what if”?

What if that thing when I was 6 didn’t happen. 

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

Yep, ghosts have to be real. Too big of a global phenomenon for them to not exist. The same sot of thing with Aliens. While I don’ believe that they’re little green men. Do you know how big the entire universe is? I find it very difficult to believe that we are the only planet it the entire universe that holds intelligent lifeforms 

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Dothe same with your left arm.

My right arm I‘m touching one of my candles and in my left arm I’m touching my soft body pillow.

31: Smell the air. What do you smell?

Black cherry incense stick that I lit earlier.

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?

The depths of my mind at three am during a panic attack.

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?

I’m an East Coast girl.

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?

Uhm, I’m drawing a blank right now.

35: To you, what is the meaning of life?

To be happy and leave it in better shape than you found it. 

36: Define Art.

Ahh, getting flashbacks to my Philosophy of Art class. To me, art is anything that someone creates with either and emotional or political message behind it. 

37: Do you believe in luck?

Yes

38: What’s the weather like right now?

It’s finally autumn my favorite season which means it’s raining and cool enough for a sweater right now. 

39: What time is it?

It is currently 11:47pm.

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?

I don’t drive yet.

41: What was the last book you read?

For pleasure, I reread “Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang in the 1950′s” by Carol Joyce Oates, which is one of my all time favorite books. But the actual last book I read was Chapter 4 of “The Sounds of Language: An Introduction to Phonetics” for my Phonetics class.

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?

Nope, I hate it. Although my mother ans brother like it a lot. 

43: Do you have any nicknames?

Cat, Katie, kitty, freak, KitKat

44: What was the last film you saw?

If we’re talking at home, than it was “Serenity”. If we’re talking movie theaters than it was “Little Italy”. 

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?

I don’t seriously injure myself a lot, I mostly get bruised and little cuts but there was once when I sprained three ligaments in my knee and was on a cane (because I’m a klutz and fell on the crutches they gave me) for three weeks. 

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?

No, I don’t think so. 

47: Do you have any obsessions right now?

Not that I can think of. 

48: What’s your sexual orientation?

I’m cis and straight.

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?

Yep, quite a lot actually. 

50: Do you believe in magic?

Hell yeah. 

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have doneyou wrong?

For the most part no. Life is too short for that shit.

52: What is your astrological sign?

I am the first day of Virgo.

53: Do you save money or spend it?

I try to save it but I usually spend it,

54: What’s the last thing you purchased?

Prime example, I just bought my mom and I matching cat pajamas. 

55: Love or lust?

Love.

56: In a relationship?

Actually yeah, two months today.

57: How many relationships have you had?

Okay, if we’re talking “relationships” like “something more than friends” then 6.If we’re talking actual relationships 3.

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

Nope, I have a really short tongue,

59: Where were you yesterday?

Downtown at school, my boyfriends, my house.

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

Yep, there’s quite a few pink items in my room.

61: Are you wearing socks right now?

Yep, it’s a little chilly 

62: What’s your favourite animal?

Kittens :)

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?

Use any insecurity that I mention to you in confidence and it will ruin me. 

64: Where is your best friend?

All the way across the country for the next four months. :( She’s visiting her boyfriend but I miss her.

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr

I can’t, there’s too many. 

66: What is your heritage?

I am British and Quebecois.

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?

Watching reruns of “White Collar” with my boyfriend of the couch.

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?

He has too many.

69: Biggest turn ons?

Back muscles, being engaged and interested in conversations, making me laugh, knowing that I’m someone you want to spend your time with.

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as afriend?

I think so. I always try to treat and act towards others the way I’d want to be treated,

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work.There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss hastold you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?

I get fired. Puppy is way more important to me.

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informedyou that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tellanyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remainingdays? c) Would you be afraid?

I wouldn’t tell anyone right away. Maybe a week before I’d let other know what’s happening so they could have time to process. I would do as many things on my bucket list as I could. But mostly I’d try and spend as much time I have left with the people I love. I would absolutely be afraid. I spent a little while not wanting to live. Now though, now I don’t want to die, I still have so much I want to do. 

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.

Love, I believe that if you love someone and they love you, trust is already in the equation.

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hearit?

2000′s throwbacks are my go to happy songs because they just make me want to move and sing along. 

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?

0024

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?

Trust, honesty, friendship. Being able to make the other person laugh and making them feel and feeling as though you want to spend your time with them.

77: How can I win your heart?

By listening to me and sharing your stupid or deep or random thoughts. Make me feel like I’m important to you and that I make you happy and you’re interested in all parts of my life, not just the good things. 

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?

Honestly, I feel the most creative when I am holding on to a powerful emotion. I don’t know about insanity, although I can see why people would think that. You’d let go of your inner critic and self doubt in yourself or your work and just create. 

79: What is the single best decision you have made in yourlife so far?

Staying alive.

80: What size shoes do you wear?

I’m a size 8 in shoes.

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

Ya dumb bitch I honestly don’t know. 

82: What is your favourite word?

For some reason all I can think of is pumpernickel. 

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hearthe word; heart.

Soul.

84: What is a saying you say a lot?

“Fuck a duck” thanks mom. 

85: What’s the last song you listened to?

Promise by Ben Howard just finished playing.

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?

Royal purple and dark blue,

87: What is your current desktop picture?

A picture of my dream book room.

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the worldinstantaneously explode, who would it be?

I can only pick one person??

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell thetruth on?

The secret I’ve never said to anyone.

90: Turn offs?

Being unhygienic, talking down to others, arrogance 

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. Theywere good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-powerof your choice! What is that power?

Either telepathy or invisibility. 

92: where are your parents from?

My father is from Quebec and my mother is from England.

 93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past.What will it be?

The thing that still makes me uncomfortable.

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with themusic-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?

Wow, I really don’t know.

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You haveto depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

At the moment, I’d pay for another ticket and go to Kelowna with my mom so she can finally go back there,

96: Do you have any relatives in jail?

Not that I know of. 

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?

Yep, it was not one of my proudest or best moments. 

98: Ever been on a plane?

Once, when I was very little.

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, whatwould you say.

I’d quote the Doctor, “Never be cruel, never be cowardly... Remember hate is always foolish, love is always wise. Always try to be nice but never fail to be kind.” 

[weannoyingbouquetgalaxy-blog1]

Motorcycle Insurance?

"Motorcycle Insurance?

Does anyone know of an insurance place in the Niagara region that will insure a 1982 Suzuki Tempter GR650 with a rider being 20, have only M1 and never had insurance before? It doesn't matter if its expensive I just want to know if they will insure the rider.

BEST ANSWER:  Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://freeinsurancequotes.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr 

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i need to make a sas resume for insurance companiy.can anyone help with what to write in work experience describing experience in an insurance company setup.

Guess our car insurance?

Primary driver: 24, perfect driving record, female, some college completed but no degree The car: Something mediocre from the late 80s to late 90s The insurance: Minnesota, metro area, daily 10-20 mile commute each way, we want all the proper liability and personal injury coverage but don't care about collision Seriously, just guess. We'll take any ideas. We completely know it varies by each of those factors and many more, and we already know the national average. If you know the state average, that's one step up on us. I'd get a quote, but my roommate is the one seriously thinking about cars right now, and I don't want to do anything in someone else's name. She'll be getting quotes soon, but right now I'm a little concerned about the insurance companies possibly running credit checks, as I'm under the impression a slew of them at a time can lower your score, and we don't know what car we're getting yet. So once that's settled, we'll check into it for real. We just want to TRY to budget before we seriously car hunt.""

Insurance for a rental car?

Is your own insurance enough to cover a rental car or should you purchase the supplemental insurance offered by car rental companies?

How much should i settle my auto injury claim for? please someone help me out!?

Question Details: i had an acccident about a year and half ago and i was a passenger. i have no health insurance and have been footing all medical bills thus far. i am writing a demand letter right now but am wondering how much should be my compensation request. here's a brief summary. the other driver is at complete fault. i have all soap notes from doctors,bills and reports. we were hit head on while on our way to my root canal surgery, i was having my permanent put in. i had to go in 2 weeks later wearing a cervical collar. i have choronditis, back sprains and horrible knee contusions still left on my foot. my doctor has recommended physical therapy for up to 3 months but i can't afford to go anymore thus why i am trying to settle. total medical bills is about 12,000 not including other misc like pills. i just don't want to ask too high or be taken for a fool,so please help. thanks. also the insurance company has never made an offer they said it was a hard hit. both cars in""

How much would car insurance cost for a 22 yr old male?

Im 22 yr old male, live in Florida and never owned a car. So how much would i cost for me to get car insurance? Im also a college student.""

I have allstate full coverage insurance plan?

Would it cover the auto repair on my car? I curb checked bad and broke the plastic cover on the bottom that keeps water out and i bent something else under my car. Will this cover it,?""

Life Insurance or Mortgage Insurance?

which one is better. I live in canada (BC) I have income disability insurance but it doesn't cover my mortgage amount. Incase of a death of one partner the other will get anywhere from 30 000 to 100 000 (depnds on how death happens) plus monthly checks of app.2000 for 2 yrs plus funeral expenses. I pay 108 a month for this. Shuld i cancel my policy and get mortgage insurance do most people out there have mortgage insurance? Is it true that you can not have more than one policy? any experts out there pls advise?

Anyone know of a good insurance company in Texas for Home Owners Insurance?

I'm shopping for home owners insurance and I was wondering whats out there and is good and reliable.

I need my car on the road to get me to work but the insurance is way to high?

Im 18 year old and need my car on the road to get myself to work but the insurance is about 2500 or higher. Does anyone know a company that deals with young drivers or knows a way around it to make it cheaper.

Is there a car insurance that will give a young driver a reasonably quote?

i recently purchased a mk1 ford fiesta. theres no mods to the car and tax wise i think its a classic. its a 1984. i have wanted a mk1 fiesta for years now and its the car i want to drive. im 17 and the cheapest quote on any car ive been given is 2000. are there any companies that will give me a good quote on my fiesta

About US Motor Insurance?

Where I can learn the basics of US motor Insurance (need not be state specific)

""I live in MA where car insurance is very high, and my parents will not put me on their insurance.?""

I am now going to college in PA where car insurance is more reasonable, can I buy a car here register it and get car insurance here? And do I need to change my license to a PA one? College will last 9 months out of the year for four years. This would be a big savings if there is some way to do this legally. My parents will not do anything that is slightly shady. All must be legit""

Where can i get insurance for my Aixam ?

On a full uk motorcylce licence category B1. a number please ! thanks

Car Insurance?

I got a new car (2001 Toyota Corolla, 90k) to replace my old car, (1995 Honda Civic, 123k) and my insurance company tells me that my premier will go up by $125. Is that a fair increase in the value, or is it too expensive?""

How much is the car insurance for a 18 year old boy with a dodge viper ACR 09 model?

ow much would i be paying a year with full coverage. Its a dodge viper ACR 09 model. Im an 18 year old male. Its a $112,000 car.""

Insurance for a Range Rover Sport?

I'm turning 16 in about two years, and i was thinking about getting a 2010-2012 RR Sport Supercharged. I was wondering how much it would cost for me to get insured. Do you have a range of what it would be around? My parents are already letting me practice driving and stuff. The car would be around $30,000-$45,000. My family is in the upper-middle class. So we're not all that rich. I will be working by that time and paying the car off.""

Is this insurance Fraud?

My Fiance and I have very expensive car insurance right now and when we went to change companies the company we were at (its a certified insurance company) wanted to keep our business so they made our insurance allot cheaper by saying we are married, but we are only engaged. Can we get in trouble for this? Is it insurance fraud.""

Motorcycle Insurance?

Does anyone know of an insurance place in the Niagara region that will insure a 1982 Suzuki Tempter GR650 with a rider being 20, have only M1 and never had insurance before? It doesn't matter if its expensive I just want to know if they will insure the rider.

How much are your car insurance(College Kids) (Iam 22)??

Iam 22 now, I am under my fathers geico policy, I pay $278.00 a month, not even full coverage. My car is Nissan Maxima 00. I have never been in car accident since I got my license for 4 years now. I know Iam paying little too high cuz my sis who turn 18 is also on the policy now by law. For that price I should be getting full coverage !! But wondering how much are you guys paying for your insurance monthly etc? College kids related only please, dont tell me you pay dirt cheap cuz your 40 years old, thats obivious. Also what is the cheapest company I can switch to ? cuz Iam in college and have barely any money, all my money goes in the insurance and if Iam lucky I get to gas up a full tank maybe once a month lol.""

What is an average insurance rate for a house?

How do they figure insurance costs? About how much would annual insurance be for a $70,000 house? Thanks~!""

What's the criteria on whether or not car insurance is high?

I'm 17, looking for my first car, and I want something that won't cost my parents a fortune on car insurance. But how can I tell if insurance is going to be high? Would 2003 Acura RSX give high insurance? I've completed a Drivers Education course too, if that counts for anything?""

Car insurance?

suppose someone is paying $700 a year for liability car insurance and gets a speeding ticket. how much higher can this persons insurance go up?

UK: Are there any other cheap car insurance companies besides Tesco?

I am sick of Tesco, but they seem to be substantially cheaper than any where else!""

Need an idea of how much insurance is gonna be?

I'm 16 and am looking at purchasing a 2000 Honda Civic Si Coupe. If I buy this car, will it be considered as a sports car to the insurance? I live in central California btw. If I were to wait until I hit 18 to drive, would the insurance go down substantially? Around how much am I looking at per month?""

New car financed through Honda Canada . I want to buy liability and life insurance .?

Can you purchase life and disability Insurance with a company of your choice to get a cheaper rate or do you have to purchase through dealer.

Cheap cars with cheap insurance?

I'm learning to drive soon, BUT every member of my family and I are all broke. Long story short, I need some examples of cars that are cheap to buy, have cheap insurance, run well, and don't drink fuel like a goldfish in water (as I will be using it to get to college and back then later uni and back). PS, I live in England, so no cars that are about as rare as an honest politician in this lovely rainy country- even if it is the best car in the world, I'm way too lazy to search for it.""

What kind of license do you need to sell auto insurance?

What kind of license do you need to sell auto insurance?

Will it cost more on car insurance to tow a trailer tent?

Will it cost more on car insurance to tow a trailer tent?

Pre-existing condition on health insurance?

If I apply for health insurance with a preexisting condition and they give me a 12-month waiting period before covering the condition - does that 12 months start over if I am treated within the waiting period and I pay for the treatment on my own? Or does the 12-month waiting period begin from the date I purchased the insurance, regardless of what takes place during the waiting period?""

Anyone has kaiser permanante as health insurance?

What do you think of KP? Anyone has any bad experiences there? I am thinking of getting health insurance there. Thanks!

INSURANCE CAR HELP?!!!!?

I bought a car 2weeks ago, registered it the next day and got into a car accident the day after. :( I got a ticket for having no insurance. But I found out that the seller, my moms bf, had insurance for the car. Just none in my name, will this help dismiss the ticket? There is a day grace period to get insurance when you get the car, but I was unable to get any. But the car WAS insured during the time of the accident. Just through the previous owner. ANY ADVICE WILL HELP.""

Now that health insurance companies must give a rebate to companies for group plans?

that don't completely utilize coverage, according to an obscure audit formula, will those insured under the group plan feel guilty if they have to use it and it affects everyone in the plan's annual rebate check? And how will insurance companies make up for this loss?""

Which Insurance Companies still have affordable maternity coverage?

My wife and me want to have a child. However, we are having a hard time finding a insurance company that provides maternity coverage at a affordable rate. Can someone help us?""

Where do I but non car owner insurance?

I need to get my licence and here in NC they require you to have insurance to get your licence wher do I go to buy non car owners insurance at the best price?

Who has a better idea for getting health insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions?

The problem is that, without the mandate, insurance companies won't cover people with pre-existing conditions. Otherwise, people will just wait until they get sick to buy insurance. So you have to create a system where everyone is insured -- a mandate. OK, if you don't like the mandate, how would you get insurance companies to provide affordable insurance to people with pre-existing conditions without a requirement for everyone to have insurance Your solution has to cover the situation where a person gets laid off, wants to start their own business, and needs to buy affordable individual coverage (not group coverage) for themselves and their family. You have 30 minutes. Begin....now.""

Can you answer this about Allstate Insurance commericals ?

Why is there a disclaimer on the Allstate Auto Insurance commericals that says Not available in all states ?

How long do I need to keep Full Coverage insurance on my vehicle if I am financing?

I dont want FULL coverage. I'd rather pay for partial coverage. How long do I need full for? Will they repossess the vehicle if it is not fully covered?

Will I get a car insurance rate hike?

In Pennsylvania, if you are given a traffic citation, and are told points will NOT be accessed on your driving record with DMV, will my car insurance stilll go up?""

Car insurance offence codes?

hi, i was trying to get a car insurnace quote online today when i realised that under the conviction section there are no codes that correspond to my licence. i am from Northern Ireland and have points currently on my driving licence, when i tried to enter my conviction codes for my insurance quote they were all different. the codes on the drop down list all started with 2 letters e.g. IN60, SP40 but the offence code printed on my licence all start with 50 e.g. 5010042 is this because they are Northern Ireland codes? how do i get my codes onto insurance quote?""

Car insurance question?

I have been driving my boyfriend car to get to work and school and what not. His car is insured, but my name is not on the insurance. What would happen if i got pulled over and the cop saw my name was not on the insurance?""

Crashed car 3rd party no-one else injured what to do with insurance?

I'm in my first year of driving as a 17 yr old male and i crashed damaging my car beyond repair. My insurance is only 3rd party and that cost 3200 no-one else was involved however the police,ambulance and fire were present. What shall i do, do i inform the insurance company however without making a claim? Do i scrap the car and change my insurance? What are my options to prevent the premium going even higher than it already is.""

Someone help me with car insurance?

I am 17 years old and haven't yet got a lisence or a car or even a provisional. But when I turn 18 I am going to get a car I have been looking at insurance prices and they're ridiculous. Like 2,000 pounds a month? Or these really realistic. I searched for insurance entering a vauxhall corsa? Can someone help? Help me think of a good car that's cheap that will have cheap insurance.""

Estimate of car insurance for fiat 500c first time driver?

My first car is going to be a fiat 500c thats about 3 years old. I am 18 years old in the UK whats an estimate of price for the insurance for the year?

Motorcycle Insurance?

Does anyone know of an insurance place in the Niagara region that will insure a 1982 Suzuki Tempter GR650 with a rider being 20, have only M1 and never had insurance before? It doesn't matter if its expensive I just want to know if they will insure the rider.

Looking for affordable health insurance in California?

Is there any way that an individual might be able to join an existing health insurande group? I am single, and my job does not offer insurance. I am 28 and healthy, but the costs of individual plans are out of my budget. I was just wondering if there was a better way to insure myself on the up and up.""

Isn't $300/mo TOO much for car insurance?

So my BF is planning on purchasing his first car, a 2012 Honda Civic EX Coupe, and he's trying to get a plan with USAA, but the quote says he'll be paying 300 monthly for insurance which is basically another car payment. What's the deal?""

Cost of insurance for a 20yr old?

I'd like to buy a Toyota Yaris or a similar kind of car which is in a low insurance category. How much would you estimate that the insurance would be they? This would be my first car although I passed my test 3years ago and have been on my parents insurance since! Thankyou.

How much do you pay for insurance and registration in your country ?

well i paid 400 US $ for both ?

What is the difference between home insurance and buildings and contents insurance?

hi. I will soon be moving into my first house with my girlfriend and its all new to me. We have been told we need a few insurances. Is there a difference between home insurance and building and contents insurance? or are they both the same thing? will they cover leaks, fire, structural damage, theft, boiler etc The house is in Newcastle UK. I would appreciate any help thank you

Does the insurance company have to pay for this?

ok so i was involved in an accidents 6 months ago because this person ran a red light and hit me... i dislocated my elbow and have been in physical therapy since... last time i went to therapy they told me i have 8 more visits left because my health insurance is gonna be maxed out..... and they told me they dont bill car insurance companys..... soo i call the car insurance company and they told me they cant pay for any bills until the settlement is done, but the therapy said they cant wait that long soo i dont know what to do..... i need more than 8 visits""

How much is motorbike insurance?

I am 25, about to get my first 750cc bike, I have no previous experience, living in London how much is my motorbike insurance likely to be? Just want a rough idea, as I don't have a bike yet so can't get a quote.""

Cheap car insurance uk?

im a 23 year old male, been driving for a year no crashes, claims or convictions what so ever. i drive a girly ford KA and live in a semi-nice safe area i was hoping the price would come right down after a year and especially with those statistics, why is still so expensive and are there are cheaper ones? been looking at 160 a month! and its only dropped like 20 quid -___-""

What is the cost of Ciprofloxacin without health insurance in the States?

I think the usual dose of Cipro is 250 to 500 mgm every 12 hours for approx 10 days for UTI from what I have read online. So assuming its 20 tablets what is the cost of Ciprofloxacin without health insurance at Walmart. Just getting an idea of what the cost might be before visit to Doctor round the corner. Any experiences with buying antibiotics without health insurance? What are your thoughts on this in general and any idea of approximate cost of Ciproflaxin without insurance at Walmart. Walmart seem to be the most affordable place. CVS are expensive. Walgreens are very expensive in my opinion.

2 questions on car insurance?

1) I'm looking to buy a car soon after I pass my driving test in 2 weeks. I'm 20, I'll be turning 21 in November. I seen that the insurance price for a 17-20 year old is around 2400 and the price for a 21-24 year old is around 2000. If I were to get insurance 2 months before my 21st birthday, would I be able to pay 2 monthly rates of the 17-20 year old price and then convert onto the 21-24 year old price? Or am I stuck with the 20 year old price for one year? 2) If I were to set the voluntary excess to a higher amount to get a lower premium, would I be able to change the voluntary excess when I renew my car insurance? Or is it possible to change it every month if I chose to pay monthly? Thanks.""

Im pregnant and need insurance. Is there affordable prenatal insurance besides medicaid?

Medicaid denied me because I make 25 cents more than the allowed amount. I am 4 months pregnant and have not had any prenatal care due to lack of insurance and fighting with medicaid. Is there AFFORDABLE coverage that anyone knows about?

Estimated teen car insurance in NY?

I know that there are a lot of things that factor into how much insurance will cost a teen but i just want an estimate. I have no clue will it be $20 a month or $200 a month... Someone help I have a 2002 toyota camry and took drivers ed so have 10% off insurance.

Which car insurance company is cheap and good?

I have All State but its too expensive I am single so i have to pay $845 for 6 months

What company will insure my toyota supra twin turbo?

In perth, wa. Youngest driver 19 years old""

What is the average total cost of learning to drive and a car or suitable respect when your 17?

Including everything like learning, insurance, the test, the car and so on.. I just turned 16 so I was thinking of starting to save up A car that is not embarrassing to be seen in yet isn't to expensive because your only 17:P Thanks if you answer oh and I'm male""

Insurance Question - cash insurance check and pay doctor within 30 days?

I keep receiving these huge checks from my insurance company and have paid the doctors 100% of what I owe - except one - where i sent the check back because of GROSS and large billing error ($21,000 worth). I did not want any liability for the error of this claim, therefore am I liable? Also, when I received the other checks - I paid the doctors within 30 days of receiving the money. Is this legal? Why is the insurance sending me these huge checks to deal with? I have enough on my plate with my own medical issues.""

Is there a good site to compare the insurance rates of different cars?

I'm looking at cars for my son (who just turned 16) and would like to see which cars are best in terms of insurance rates without going through the process of getting a quote for each car.

How much do you pay for full coverage car insurance?

i'm 19 and going to buy a car soon but i'm trying to get a ball park figure on how much i can expect to pay

Car insurance mazda rx8 help!!?

im 18 years old, i have a perfectly clean driving record. no tickets, no points, nothing. how much would insurance be if i got a 2004 mazda rx8?""

UK car insurance groups?

Is there a website or some kind of directory that will tell me the costs of different insurance groups? I'm shopping around for a second-hand car and a lot of cars are listed as insurance group 7 or insurance group 14 etc etc, but I don't know what that means, I've been entering the details individually of cars that I'm interested in, but that quite laborious.""

Classic Car Insurance for Colorado?

I know theres alot of insurance companies that cover classic cars, but i want an insurance company that has an office in Colorado.. that has a low yearly amount of under $400 for a 1966 Mustang...""

Using Canadian insurance in California?

I am currently living in Ontario and i plan on going to Los angeles, CA to visit a friend by myself. I plan on renting a car (There are car companies that allow 18 year old driver). My parents put me in the car insurance so I am basically covered. I think. I know that its the law to get liability insurance. Would the insurance here count as a liability insurance?""

Why are these insurance premiums so high?

so when i use to drive legally with insurance, i payed about 600 down and like 180 a month. but now when im looking for new insurance, i see monthly premiums for $900!! if car is financed, or min coverage of $400 for an owned car? i dont understand... can car insurance really be this expensive or is there something going on here? i got the quotes from online by the way...""

Does becoming pregnant qualify as a life changing event for most insurance companies/employers?

Commonly, life changing events are listed as marriage, divorce, and birth of a child, ect. If a person doesn't have insurance and learns that they are pregnant, will most companies allow enrollment at that time even if enrollment is scheduled at a specific time of the year?""

How much for car insurance?

Im 19 and have two tickets.. One for no licence nd the other for failure to yeald..how much would it be??

Motorcycle Insurance?

Does anyone know of an insurance place in the Niagara region that will insure a 1982 Suzuki Tempter GR650 with a rider being 20, have only M1 and never had insurance before? It doesn't matter if its expensive I just want to know if they will insure the rider.

Why is motorcycle insurance so expensive?

I figure that if I finance a new motorcycle, I will have to get collision. So I go and get a quote from Progressive on an Aprilia SL 750. Just liability = ~70$ a month. Liability Comprehensive Collision = ~$650 a month. $650 a month = the cost of the bike in one year. 18 year old male with one prior minor moving violation""

""How Much Are Maintenances, Insurance, Etc. for Mercedes?""

I want to get a car like this: http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=290209022&dealer_id=5433219&car_year=2002&doors=&systime=&model=&search_lang=en&start_year=2001&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&search_type=both&distance=10&min_price=&drive=&rdm=1292294570902&marketZipError=false&advanced=&fuel=&keywords_display=&sownerid=74651&lastBeginningStartYear=1981&end_year=2012&showZipError=y&make2=&certified=&engine=&page_location=findacar::ispsearchform&body_code=0&transmission=&default_sort=newsortbyprice_DESC&max_mileage=&address=92620&color=&sort_type=priceDESC&max_price=9000&awsp=false&make=MB&seller_type=b&num_records=25&cardist=5&standard=false&rdpage=thumb And I'm curious to what everything will cost. I will be 17 when I get the car. I don't think it will be that expensive since it's almost 10 years old, but I need help.""

Ideas for first car 10000 including insurance?

Hi i'm 17 male and have a budget of about 10000 to spend on a car and insurance. Looking for something fairly cool, nothinglike a micra or ka! Also want something pretty reliable no no american or french car suggestions please Thanks! :D""

""Where is houston, tx is there an affordable OBGYN clinic?""

I do not have insurance, but need to get in to have an obgyn exam. Does anyone know where the most affordable place would be, and no do not suggest planned parenthood. They are on a sliding schedule, but apparently I make too much money which is a crock of crap.""

QUESTION ABOUT CAR INSURANCE?

i was involved in an accident a couple days ago, and it wasn't my fault, well my son was drivin my car and hes not in mygo inicy, he got his own car his own insurance and everything , anyways, so i called the insurance and they said they were goin' to call the other person whom my crashed with, later my insurance called me tellin' me that my car won't be fix because the other person insurance has expired??? and because my son was drivin my car, they also told me that because my son its not in my policy?? i told them But My car has full coverage??....Why Wouldn't they fix my car??..can i get a lawyer for this??""

What auto insurance to get?

Im 17. Drive 1993 bmw 318is e36 black Car title is on my name Still live with parents Barely make 500 a month and still need to get new paint job and new tires. Ive calculated and turns out thats around 1k. So what auto insurance would be good for me? At least so it covers the damage done by me to other people.. not to expensive please. East Tennessee

Auto Insurance?

A friend of mine just got a quote for insurance of around 2400 per year. She has no driving record, drives a older car, is female, and past 35 years of age. Granted she lives in NJ. This cant be right. We can only come up with 2 possible reasons. First, she's only had a US liscence for a year a now. Second, her husband has a suspended Liscence. Is this normal?""

Do I need to declare an accident I had on my wife's car insurance when I renew my motorbike insurance policy?

I am a named driver on my wife's car insurance policy and last year I was involved in an accident (in the car) which went through the insurance as my fault. I have my own insurance policy for a motorbike which is now due for renewal. Do I need to declare the car crash? Will I still be legally insured on my bike if I don't mention it? (ie Will the insurance company still be obliged to pay out if I have an accident on my bike?) I'm in the UK. Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer.

The major difference between an owners title insurance policy and a lenders title insurance policy is?

The major difference between an owners title insurance policy and a lenders title insurance policy is?

How can i find affordable private health insurance?

How can i find affordable private health insurance?

Will my insurance company insure my car without the registration?

I'm buying a used car and picking it up and hour away from me. I don't have the bill of sale or registration but I need insurance on it to drive it home. Can they still insure it?

Can I buy health insurance for one month?

I'm 19 yrs old and need health insurance to take a college course but since I'm prn my job dosents offer any to me!!! So is their anything I can do? I only really need it for one month.

Paying insurance monthly?

ive never booked insurance myself before if your happy with your online quote can you ring them up tell them your saved quote ref and then arrange monthly payment/direct debit rather than having to go through all questions again on the phone? what will happen then? will they have to check stuff get your bank details and then send paperwork through? the insurance is going to be in my name but im giving my partners bank card details for direct debit would that be ok?

Home Mortgage Insurance question?

Okay I need some info on mortgage insurance.i am currently living in my parents home which was built on their property, we don't live with my parents. My husband and I pay the mortgage, taxes, and the insurance. We are going to refinance everything into our name but in the mean time we are saving money for any down payments on the refinance(if any).Since we have not refinanced yet, what type of insurance do we buy, home owners or renters insurance?""

What company offers a good affordable rate for car insurance in the state of Maryland?

I'm just moving out of Virginia into Maryland and I am very overwhelmed by the high premiums that I will have to pay oppose to the lower premiums that I was paying for 2 cars in Virginia. Does anyone know a good cheap car insurance company? Thanks!

Where can i find cheap moped insurance?

i have just applied for my license and i am going to get a 50cc moped (WK Wasp 50). i was looking around for the price of full comprehensive insurance and the cheapest is around 650... is this cheap? please advise me on any cheap firms thanks!

My insurance is 4500-will it go down??UK?

I am from the UK and I am 19 years old. I passed my practical driving test on Monday. I am checking my car insurance and its coming to 4500!!!that's a lot,do you know if it will come down later on and by how much?and another thing is that by next year December I heard women's insurance will go up,to be as equal as men's insurance,so if I don't get a car by then will it go higher thn this??please help!!""

How do you get cheap car insurance for an 18yo?

I need to find cheap car insurance for an 18yo female who owns outright an $11000.00 car. Any suggestions?

What's the best deals on auto insurance?

What's the best deals on auto insurance?

Do red light camera tickets increase your insurance rates?

Do they go on your driving record and increase your insurance rates or do you just have to pay the fine and that's all there is to it? I live in Washington State.

Will a window Tint ticket effect my insurance rate? Also how much is a window tint ticket in California?

If i get a ticket for window tint will my insurance rate increase? Also how much are the window tint tickets? I am aware that some officers give you a fix it ticket but if they dont how much money is the ticket? I am located in California and just want to check this out before I get my windows tinted.

Insurance at sixteen?

How much would it cost for me to insure an irocz at sixteen its a three fifty five speed stock?

How much is insurance for a 99-01 mercury cougar?

I want one! I have a 97 toyota camry right now..Can someone compare and contrast the insurance and the difference in maintaining it? I turn 17 in 3 months but the car would be under my parents name.

Is the jeep wrangler cheap for insurance?

Is the jeep wrangler cheap for insurance?

Going on my dads car insurance...question?

My dad has Triple A auto insurance ..I do not live with him I am on my own in my own house, I never ask my family for help. But right now my tabs are expired and since I am only 20 I cannot afford auto insurance..they want me to put 300 down just for no fault and I think its ridiculous, Right now I dont have 300 dollars either so I asked my dad if he could help me out temporarily and put me on his car insurance ..i have a 98 cavalier so it shouldnt be that bad. its been 2 weeks and he keeps saying hes talking to the agent after tomorrow I can no longer drive my car because my tabs say march and april is comming up, I told him I would pay whatever costs to add me on it and whatever he needed a month. I was just wondering if they charge extra to add me on his insurance and my car or is he just making it up because I dont think It should take that long...like I said I am living on my own have never lived with my dad because he was in jail for a long time, moved out when i was 18 and can't get help from my mom or him,,I cant even ask to borrow money from them yet I can loan my dad 200 dollars. Feel like its so wrong, I think im doing pretty good being 20 years old working full time owning a house my own car that I bought myself and going to school...and Im having my first child.""

Motorcycle Insurance?

Does anyone know of an insurance place in the Niagara region that will insure a 1982 Suzuki Tempter GR650 with a rider being 20, have only M1 and never had insurance before? It doesn't matter if its expensive I just want to know if they will insure the rider.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-best-way-market-homeowners-insurance-florida-gwendolyn-varnado"

[allofusandco]

Bloody hell

with @theycomeuninvited - Enzo

Spike and Enzo knew each other a long time ago, and have just encountered each other again.

Spike:

Slam poetry night. Never exactly the easiest crowd but Spike was ready for a fight. He’d been up half the night reciting his little ditty over and over again until he was pretty sure he’d be able to recite everything even if he did get into a brawl.

But.

Bloody thing had been cancelled. It was enough to make him want to tear the place apart. If not for his sodding soul, he might have. Damn thing did itch when he did something he knew he shouldn’t.

He was barreling back out again when he crashed into a suspiciously strong body. Which might have been the only reason he didn’t vamp out and scare them back to hiding behind their mother’s skirts.

“’ere, watch where you’re going, mate,” he snarled, glancing up, pulling the collar of his jacket up.

But. Familiar brown eyes. Pointy ears. This was a face he knew well.

“Bloody hell,” he said. “Is that - Enzo? I heard you were dead.”

––

Enzo:

Boredom had, quite often these days, led Enzo out at night venturing into clubs and bars much like the one he was heading towards now. He didn’t have much interest in the events they hosted, just the people they brought in and tonight was no different.

Except it was…

The man he’d run into wasn’t much of a man at all but a vampire and he was about to launch into yelling at him to watch where the bloody hell he was going in retort but stopped dead when he heard his voice calling him by name.

“Could have said the same for you,” he grinned looking the other vampire over. Alright so he hadn’t heard he was dead but it’d been safe to assume he was with as reckless as he was. “What happened to your bloody hair? I almost didn’t recognize you.”

––

Spike:

Spike stood straight - had Enzo always been that short? - and ran his hand over his hair. Since the advent of the cell phone he actually knew for a fact that it looked exactly the way it was supposed to (no more silver backing on a mirror getting in his way, or silver nitrate film hiding his handsome self) - he was extremely sensitive to criticism. He frowned.

“So you missed Billy bloody Idol completely then, mate? Ere, this was quite the look in the seventies, and the eighties, and I’d a mind to avoid touching what clearly wasn’t broke.” He forced his hands into his pockets. “And for the record, your hair looks bloody stupid, mate.”

He tossed his chin over his shoulder.

“I was going to sod off and see if the butcher left a window open, but since you’re here, buy you a gin?”

––

Enzo:

Well that explained it then didn’t it? Some strange fashion trend that Enzo had missed out on, well he couldn’t say he was too upset over that one.

“Low blow mate,” he scoffed rolling his eyes as Spike walked away from him. In reflex response his hand moved up to card through his hair making sure it was all in place where he liked it. There was nothing stupid about it, Spikes was bloody stupid.

“That was my plan,” he mumbled following behind him into the bar. “What have you been up to anyways mate?”

Better he ask first and try and dodge any conversation about Augustine and the past few decades of his own life. Last thing he needed was the other vampires sympathy.

––

Spike:

Oh. Oh! Chance to talk about himself? Spike never got that. He raised his eyebrows, and approached the bar.

“Matter of fact,” he said, quite cheerfully, “I’ve had an eventful few years. Ditched Drusilla, of course,” and alright, that might well have been stretching the truth a little bit, but since she was dead anyway, it didn’t matter much. Not like she could contradict him. “Crazy women aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, if you’ll pardon the pun. Let’s see… Bottle of gin, couple of glasses,” he said to the bartender.

“Oh,” he said to Enzo. “And I saved the world one time. Very heroic. On second thoughts, mate, since you can do the magic eyeball thing and not pay, I’ll keep my hard-stolen won cash and you can pay.”

––

Enzo:

“You’re better off without her mate,” Enzo said at the mention of Dru. It was still an auto pilot response from days gone by and the fact that it was amused him to no end. Enzo had never been the crazed vampire’s biggest fan, then again he didn’t do too well around crazy anyways.

“Bloody cheapskate.” he laughed but caught the bartenders eyes, “We’ve already paid mate,” he said watching the compulsion take hold as the man cleared the tab. Taking the bottle and glasses he turned back to his old friend.

“Tell me more about this saving the world business,” he said leading the way to an empty table, “last I checked that wasn’t exactly your thing mate. You’re not going soft on me are you, I’d hate to drive a stake through your bloody heart if you are.”

––

Spike:

Well, it went without saying, but it was nice to hear. Even if there was still a part of Spike that missed Dru terribly and felt suddenly like throwing Enzo under a bus. But quite aside from the fact that Enzo was that other species of vampire, he was also bloody ancient, and therefore not ripe to be messed with.

“I’d offer my left bollock to be able to do that trick,” he mused. Compulsion looked like so much fun. He’d get away with anything.

He dropped into a comfortable enough chair, and reached for the bottle. “Well. As I said, it was all very heroic. Did it for a bird, of course, you know me. Thing of it is, now she thinks I’m dead, doesn’t she? Feel a bit bloody stupid chasing her down all, look at me, not that dead after all. Ah, never mind, she was too good for me anyway. But it involved wearing a necklace and bursting into flames to stop hell from spilling into the world. And then I was a ghost for a bit, and thanks to a bit of magic, I’m alrigh’. What about you? Dropped off the planet around World War II, while I was munching on Nazis, if I’m not mistaken.”

––

Enzo:

If he’d ended up a vampire like Spike was Enzo was certain he’d have run himself through with a sharp piece of wood long ago. There were no perks to it, other than immortality mind you though for some odd reason the slayers seemed to gravitate towards them more too. No, Enzo had enough trouble on his own without needing that bit of trouble too.

“Ew fire,” Enzo shook his head in dismay. “Blood hate fires. Got myself captured and ended up being part of some dodgy vampire experimental thing, met another poor bloke that was thrown in with me, saved said bloke, but he didn’t see it fit to return the favor. End up almost burning to death myself before rotting away in the clanger for another fifty years.”

That was putting it all lightly but he didn’t see the point going into too many details. Instead he grabbed his gin and opened it pouring himself a drink.

“Guess love hasn’t been kind to either of our poor damned souls,” he laughed.

––

Spike:

“Now why is it they enjoy experimenting on vamps so much? Now, see, the Germans were doing the same thing. But they bit off more than they could chew, and we all got out, had ourselves a nice little party in a submarine. Ate all the bad guys, and some of the good guys, too. And then a few years ago, the government put a bloody chip in my head. You know, a computer chip. Stopped me from biting humans, even bad ones, if that makes any kind of sense at all. It’s sorted now, though. But bloody hell, that sounds like a right pickle. Oi – if you’re up to a road trip for the purposes of bloody revenge, you know I’d help,” Spike said. Actually, now that he was back to being allowed to bite anyone he wanted, he was sort of keen to do just that, and it had been way too many years on plastic flavored bagged blood.

“Can’t believe a fellow vampire would do that to you, mate.” Disgusting bloody behavior, and some people just had no respect. “But you’re out, good for you. Let’s drink to that.”

––

Enzo:

“They’re jealous, that’s what it is mate. They can’t have what we have without turning bad and they bloody hate it.” Really though what were the chances that both of them would wind up getting stuck in some form of bloody captivity where the main game seemed to be torture. If you asked Enzo it was a damn good thing these places never found out about each other.

“I’ll drink to that,” he laughed and tilted his drink towards Spike. “Have to admit though most of Augustine has been sorted you know, not a bit lot of them actually. Mostly some creepy members of a founders counsel back in Mystic Falls, Virginia. Traveling tip my friend, never go there.”

Taking a long drink of gin he looked over at his friend contemplating him.

“I can’t offer a murder spree but if you’ve got the free time I wouldn’t say no to getting the hell out of dodge and see where the road takes us,” he shrugged. Since leaving Mystic Falls he hadn’t found a place to settle down and it wasn’t likely this was the place he’d pick.

––

Spike:

Mystic Falls. Spike narrowed his eyes. He’d heard of that place, though he couldn’t think of the context. If memory served it was something of a beacon. Probably sitting on yet another bloody hellmouth. They seemed to be a dime a dozen, enough to make a bloke feel less special.

“Well, in a happy coincidence, so have most of the Nazis who done me in in the war. And the modern lot, too. Different circumstances. This one scientist pulled a bunch of demons apart and turned the lot of them into these weird hybrid whatsits.  Nasty piece of business, that, but it’s done for now. There’ll always be a new lot.”

No murder spree? Was Enzo living on the straight and narrow? Well, since Spike was, too, more out of habit than anything else, he figured he couldn’t judge.

“Getting the hell out of dodge sounds like a plan,” he said, raising his glass and draining it, reaching for the bottle again. “Haven’t been on a road trip in a good long while. Course, we’d have to drive at night, unless you’ve got one of those fancy rings floating about – knowing my luck, it wouldn’t work for me anyway,” he finished, glum. He really had drawn the short straw in the vampiric race stakes.

––

Enzo:

That sounded bloody awful, demons being torn apart and fixed back together. Modern day Frankenstein, gross, appalling and somehow made him a little thankful he’d not landed with some fucked up mad scientist. Apparently Augustine could have been a lot worse, despite his initial thinking. The other vampire was right about one thing though—there was always a new lot of sick fuck up’s looking to bugger the supernatural population to hell.

“Road trip it is then,” he agreed with a grin happy to have the company, “Met a lot of witches this summer before blowing out of town for good. Maybe we can find one along the way that can fix you up with one. If not…well just be glad you didn’t end up a full fanger.”

Spike may not be all fancy and proper vampire like him but Enzo would rather the deformed features over small pointed fangs like some vampires any day of the week.

“Where shall we head first? Where have you been?” Personally he’d not seen a lot of anything the new modern world had to offer so he was up for anything and anywhere.

––

Spike:

Spike wasn’t entirely convinced. “You might dread the thought of ending up one of those bastards but at least they can walk around in the sodding sun,” he complained. “You know, I did have a ring one time. Not for long, few hours. Got a bit power mad, but that was before this new and improved Spike.”

Maybe he was a little obsessed.

“But if you know a witch who can bedazzle my finger and stop me burning up in the sun, I’m all in. Better than hiding in the boot of the car with a tarpaul- the trunk,” he corrected himself. “We have to talk like them, don’t we. I miss the Queens’ English.”

He thought.

“I wouldn’t mind avoiding California completely, to tell the truth. And there’s a Hellmouth in Cleveland I’d rather not get within sniffing distance of. And I’ve heard enough tales of Mystic Falls to give Virginia a very wide berth. But beyond that, I’m up for anything, mate. Just be happy to have a bit of company for a while. And no bloody women. I’m done with the whole sodding gender for the conceivable future. Unless it’s for dinner. They’re mad, whole bleeding lot of them. Road trip! I’ll drink to that.” He raised the gin in the air. “Bottoms up.”

––

Enzo:

“We’ll see what we can do,” he answered giving a curt nod. Couldn’t be that hard to call in a favor or two and get a ring for Spike. Enzo needed his traveling buddy to be able to go out in the sun and exist during the day, not just hang around the bloody trunk all day.

Hell mouths, yeah Enzo was perfectly fine with avoiding those at all costs. The last thing he wanted was to stumble on another town riddled with issues of the supernatural sort. What he was really looking forward to was hitting up a few busy places, kicking back where he could drink, relax, and just live his life. It was going to be great.

Lifting his drink he took a sip in toast before settling back in his chair once more.

“I say we grab a map, toss a coin, and just go where it shows us,” he laughed suggesting the idea. God only knew where they’d end up when it was all said and done.

––

Spike:

“Well,” Spike said, warming to the idea more every minute – he refilled their glasses and leaned conspiratorially across the table. “You know Tennessee’s riddled with werewolves. So’s Oregon. So we’ll flip the coin, but we’ll veto anything with too many creepy crawlies. About time we owned a town, wouldn’t you say, mate? And we’ll have to watch for slayers. World’s got a lot smaller since they all went and got their sodding selves activated. Can I tell you, there’s no place in the world more dangerous for the likes of us than Scotland. Huge training facility. Sixteen year old girls who could tear your –”

Nah.

“Well, my head off, anyway.”

Talk about the short end of the stick. And if he died, no one would ever know for sure; he’d be dust. Some vampires got all the luck.

“And to think I was actually letting myself get all miserable. Bit of luck I ran into you. They cancelled a slam poetry night in ’ere tonight, and I was right down in the dumps about it.”

––

Enzo:

Ew werewolves, slayers—no Enzo would like to avoid those as well. Bloody hell it was going to be difficult to pin a place down for them to head out to. With his amazingly bad luck it was more likely they’d manage to run in to it all on their way to wherever it was they were heading.

“I’m going to grab us some more drinks and we can head out,” he grinned pushing himself to his feet. “Get a few more bottles in me and we can have our own bloody slam fest thing back at your place mate.”

Grinning he headed back to the bar to do just that.

That day, despite the late hours they’d both knocked off to sleep, Enzo hadn’t been able to sleep much. It was stupid really, bloody nightmares always getting in his way. It left room to deal with Spikes little sunlight issue though and to get a car…a car with windows so black Enzo had been half convinced they were painted at first.

Parking outside the motel room they’d picked to crash in during the day he headed back inside. It wouldn’t be long till the sun was down and spike could come out to play. Nudging his knee against the bed he shook it.

“Wake up you bastard,” he growled, “I got you a present.”

––

Spike:

Spike was dead to the world, fast asleep in his clothes, right down to the leather jacket he’d snagged in Italy,  on top of the covers, right up until the moment he wasn’t. He woke suddenly and sat up, shouting.

“These aren’t the droids I’m looking for!”

… well. Not as bad as the footwear thing, and one day he was going to slit Andrew’s throat and bathe in his blood. Whatever, nothing to see, moving on.

He eyed the blinds. They cut out enough light, but apparently it was well and truly daytime. And there was Enzo. Two of him, for a second.

“A present?” he asked hopefully, raising his eyebrows and swinging his legs off the bed. He stood up and crossed his arms. “One of those magic rings, then? Because I thought about that while I tossed and turned and I don’t mind telling you that if I don’t get one, I’m liable to sulk.”

Though he was far from convinced the thing would work. They weren’t cut from the same cloth, and they both knew it. If this wasn’t going to work out, he definitely wasn’t going to lie in the boot – no, the trunk – while Enzo drove. He reached for one of the gin bottles that wasn’t totally empty, and took a fortifying gulp.

“Well, let’s see it.”

––

Enzo:

Listening to Spike grumble Enzo rolled his eyes and pulled the ring from his pocket tossing it to the grouchy hung over vampire. He was positive it was going to work, more than sure even. Why? Because he knew his witches well and this one was going to pull through for him though in reality it was because he could listen to Spike whine over it not working.

“Just put the bloody thing on,” he said grabbing a bottle of gin from the table and taking a drink. What he did next was probably going to be mean but at least they would know if it worked or not.

Giving it a second he watched to make sure the ring was on before grabbing the curtains and pulling them open to let the light flood into the room.

––

Spike:

Spike stared at the ring for a long time. The way he had so long ago, with the Gem of Amara; but this… he hadn’t had to take this away from someone else. He was a better man, now, and it was tedious as hell some days but he liked himself better, too.

“Yeah, yeah, alright,” he said, slipping it onto his finger. Simple thing, dark blue and silver. Next thing he knew, the curtain were being thrown open and instinct sent him flying across the room, hiding from the sun.

“Easy, mate!” he called. “A little at a time, maybe? Bloody hell.” But he sat up, cautiously looking up over the edge of the bed, and he didn’t burst into flame.

Bit of alright, really.

He stood, holding his hand out in front of him. “Bloody genius, Enzo. Best present anyone ever got me. I’ll have to find a way to return the favor one day.” Top bloke, Enzo, even if he didn’t have much of an appreciation of poetry. “Well, than, mate, let’s hit the road, shall we? Fancy something to drink – warm and fresh, by preference – and then a change in scenery. You find a car?”

––

Enzo:

There was no helping the laugh that fell from his lips when Spike shot across the room a hundred plus years of instinct driving him away from the sun. Eventually he’d get used to it but Enzo had a feeling he’d be walking in shadows and dodging windows for a few days out of habit and honestly he couldn’t wait to watch it.

“Don’t be a baby Spike,” he rolled his eyes teasingly and stepped away from the window. “It was nothing, don’t worry about it yeah. I’ve got us a car we can head out whenever you want. We can go someplace sunny or whatever now…you pick seeing as you’re a daywalker now.”

Crossing his arms over his chest he watched his friend.

“So what is it that Spike the daywalker wants to go and do first?” he asked wondering how much of a difference the ring would make for him. He’d once known a vampire who had opted to sit in the sun for no less than two days after getting a ring. Gesturing for Spike to follow he headed towards the door and outside where the car was.

––

Spike:

“Daywalker. Got a ring to it, dunnit? Pardon the pun. Or don’t. Don’t really care.” He grinned, standing in the light, and followed Enzo to the door.

The sun was incredibly bright. He’d noticed that last time. He grabbed the full bottle of gin off the little dining table, and squinted into the sun. This was gong to take some getting used to, but since he had an eternity to do it, it really didn’t bother him.

Maybe now he could go back and find Buffy… nah. Other things to do, and he preferred her remembering him as a hero, anyway.

“Nice wheels,” he said, remembering the last time he’d been in a car he’d had to tape layers of newspaper to the windows. This one was heavily tinted, which might at least stop his retinas from screaming too much. He climbed into the passenger seat – looked like Enzo wanted to drive, and he had a whole bottle of gin.  Plenty to do while he caught his first tan in too many years to count. He pulled the door shut, adjusted the seat and stuck his feet up onto the dashboard.

“Just drive, mate. Let’s see where the road takes us.”

~complete thread~