#the sky looked like that at ny house yesterday

[jowiththeflow]

My Pinterest thinks I'm very interested in action photography after I searched so diligently for pictures of people doing backflips to use as a reference

[itismarvelicious]

In some kind of Jumanji way, Tony comes back in the far future, like very far future after some kids found an infinity stone. Doesn't really matter how or which one, it's the far future so we don't know any of it cause we don't know how many things happened since Tony died and the present. So Tony comes back in a world he doesn't recognize anymore. In a world the people don't even know him anymore.

"Who are you?", one of the kids ask.

"Tony Stark".

The kids remain silent like okay, that doesn't help us at all.

"Iron Man?"

The kids: ?

"The universe's savior? I defeated Thanos?"

"Who's Thanos?"

"Isn't that a villain in a comic book?"

Tony frowns. "I'm on earth, right?"

"Yeah"

"What year is it exactly?"

"4183"

Tony stumbles.

"Wow. You're okay?"

"Nope. What city are we in?"

"New York."

"It doesn't look like New York."

"So are you like, a genie? We found you and freed you and that makes us your masters? Can we give you three wishes each?"

"1, I'm a genius but not a genie; 2, I'm the one who's gonna be giving the wishes and I want you to take me to the NY sanctum, that thing must still exist AND I want you to buy me an American cheeseburger."

"What's that?"

"You gotta be kidding me."

Anyway, they go to the sanctum. The new guy there says he can't help him go back to his time but he knows of someone who can help. Thor arrives. He's super happy to see Tony.

"How long has it been, like a hundred years?", he says as he hugs him.

"Ugh, more or less."

Thor puts a heavy hand on Tony's shoulder. "So. I thought you were dead."

"Yeah. Turns out death isn't that peaceful."

"It only is when its time has truly come."

"What?"

"Something Loki taught me. Come, I'll give you a glimpse of your legacy."

"No one knows who I am, apparently."

"But your impact lives. It's okay, you know, no one remembers the name of the shortest-reigning Asgard king in history. Valkyrie totally eclipsed me."

So anyway, Thor shows Tony around. That night Tony sleeps at the hotel under the name of Howard Potts. Can't fall asleep. Remembers his conversation with Thor at dinner.

"How did they live?", Tony asked in the middle of a silence.

Thor dropped his fork, had a little smile, knowing what Tony meant. "Long", he replied.

"Happily?"

Thor sighed. Tony looked down.

So he gets up and takes a car, I don't really care whose, let's assume they borrowed a car during the day. Arrives some time later at the lake house. It's empty and dark, doesn't look inhabited. As he gets out of the car, memories fill the place like ghosts. He sees the happy times of Pepper, Morgan and him, until his own memory slowly disappears and three becomes two and the happy place becomes this dark and empty place again.

In the sanctum, where the stone the kids found is now hidden, the stone glows brighter and brighter. From outside, the sanctum trembles.

Thor finds Tony in the lab. It's dawn.

"Been working, huh?"

"Yeah. The mind's busy. There's still a lot of things I can use in here. Anyone else lived here after us?"

"Yeah. Parkers."

Tony raises an eyebrow, then chuckles. And goes back to whatever he's fixing on his workbench.

"You're planning on going back, are you?", Thor asks.

"I don't belong here."

"There might... Be one thing we need your help with before."

They're at the sanctum. There's a big hole in the roof, like when Hulk fell from the sky.

"We suspect whatever was there came out of that stone you came out of yesterday. Any idea what it could be?"

"Yeah. It's a chitauri."

The sorcerer squints. "The chitauris have been extinct for two thousand years."

"Well I guess I've been running away from them for two thousand years."

It's Thor's turn to squint. "When you said death wasn't peaceful..."

Tony paces the room, sits on the armchair in a corner. "When I snapped and died... I found myself in this world. I supposed that was the afterlife. Except I took everyone else with me. All those who were snapped and me, we didn't really die. And even when we died in that world, we... Couldn't die. I fought at first and when I realized that, I hid. And planned my way out. Looks like they found my way out."

"The stone."

"Yeah. I guess it would've never worked had no one found it to activate it on the other side."

We see the arc reactor floating down the water after Pepper slips it on the lake at the funeral, floating further and further away until it sinks to the bottom of the lake and rolls down slowly, passing the various weathers and passing time, disintegrating slowly, forming a smaller round shape, until someday that small round shape glows again, still travelling for some time until finally, a kid picks it up, drawn by this underwater glow.

"Tony. You created an infinity stone. A ressurection stone." Thor looks more proud than surprised.

"I created a portal. And I didn't close it."

Thor snorts. "Yeah, it's just chitauris, this should be solved in a minute."

There's a crack sound and a blinding light. Loud steps are heard. Tony breathes loudly.

"I told you I'd always find you, Stark."

There's shrieks and other deafening sounds around there, coming in louder and quicker like a flood. There's a lightning and Tony's projected backwards as the sanctum blows up. Among the flames, Thanos. In the grey smoke around him, his alien army.

"How interesting does the game become when it's real", Thanos says, walking forward slowly. "How should I kill you this time? Crush your skull against the wall? Tear your heart out of your body again? Cut your head off?"

"The only head off will be yours", Thor says, throwing stormbreaker. "Run!"

Tony runs, but towards the sanctum as Thor fights Thanos one on one. There, he looks for a weapon and finds a sword. Just as he takes it from the wall, something arrives behind him and Tony blocks the alien's pointy arm with his sword. Tony's become good at sword fighting just because I love sword fights and I want to see sword fights in superhero movies. So Tony's become good at it because he's got two milleniums of self training.

Anyway then Thor and Tony meet again, fight side by side, and then there's more noise coming, people in superhero suits appear, and lights in the smoky sky - iron armours.

"What's this?", Tony asks.

"Your legacy", Thor says with a proud smile.

Carol, Valkyrie and Nebula show up too. Loki too, as a frost giant because I'm mad we didn't see that in Endgame. There's webs being cast around Tony to protect him, a captain America shield being thrown, etc etc.

Tony keeps looking for something in the sanctum, still sword fighting the villains who come in his way, until he finds it again, the arc reactor stone, and he holds it in his fist, squeezing tightly. "Come on, please work". The walls collapse around him and in front of him, revealing Thanos behind it. Thanos smiles and with rapidity, throws a dagger at Tony, that hits his heart just as the nanosuit finishes wrapping itself around his body. The dagger falls to the ground. And Tony rises.

"Well hello, Mr Stark", a voice says in his helmet.

"Who are you?"

"A Stark."

Anyway, the fight ends with Nebula killing Thanos as it should be.

Once the fight is over, everyone is on the ground. Every iron people nanotech their suit away, I don't know how to say that. There's a hell lot of them. "So which one of you is a Stark?", Tony asks.

Several of them raise their hands, then step to the front. Among them, there's Riri Williams. Well that's up to you, I don't know much about her but I liked the idea that she could have very old Starks ancestors. Oh oh, or maybe she could have Rhodes ancestors! Maybe a Rhodes and a Stark at some point got more than friends. And then the daughter married a Williams, really whatever you want.

"The Iron Army is one of the most famous and respected in the universe", Thor explains.

The kids at the beginning just didn't really know about it because Earth has been one of the most peaceful planets in a long time.

Also there's a spider kid who introduces himself as a Parker and he looks exactly like Peter. Or he looks like the Peter Parker from into the spider-verse, that could be fun. Up to you.

Anyway. After that Tony manages to build the time travel stuff again and Thor helps him go back in time. "Have a happy life, Tony".

Tony arrives in 2023 right after his funeral. Everyone's gone. Tony knocks at the door. They reunite properly, with tears of happiness and kisses and then Tony says, holding them in his arms, "we're gonna live long. And happily." The end, I have no idea what I just wrote and I'm sorry for the plot holes, I definitely got carried away.

[spiideygeek]

brad davis said hello! | solo

who: pete, harry, everyone in midtown high and queens lol.

what: just an overview.

where: queens, ny.

when: jan/feb 2021.

FRIDAY 15 JANUARY, 2021.

It was time for Peter’s favourite and most hated place on earth: school.

Pushing himself through the worn doors of Midtown High, it took some time for Peter to notice people were pointing and whispering at him. They were staring. But... not in a bad way. In shock, surprise at how he was suddenly way more interesting to look at. Seeing some girls giggle awkwardly as he walked by, Peter gave them a shy smile but was confused; how had this happened?

Opening up his locker carefully, he felt hands on his shoulders and a happy “Pete!” to follow. Harry Osborn. His oldest and closest friend. The rich friend, the kind friend, the one that had always had his back and stood by him against the taunts and teases of high school drama. “Woah, what happened to you?!” Harry took a step back, admiring how muscular his friend suddenly, how he even seemed... taller.

Biting his lip, Pete used the same lie. “I’ve been working out.” His friend stared in silence before bursting out into loud laughter. “Working out? That’s funny, Parker, I’ve missed your jokes -- hey, how did the internship go yesterday?” He asked, smacking Pete gently on the shoulder as he closed his locker. “Dad was really happy you accepted it.” Smiling as they walked down the corridor, Peter only shook his head.

“Try doing an internship with Gwen Stacy.”

“You’re partnered with Gwen?” Harry only laughed more, “Dude, this is what happens when you’re both two giant nerds; there’s no one else to put you with. As if your life couldn’t get any weirder.”

Peter only nodded, staring ahead. “You have no idea.” 

THAT EVENING.

So he couldn’t find the spiders, but that was okay! Peter had concluded that his theories on the sudden changes in his life all began with that radioactive spider he’d seen at ESU laboratories all those days ago. Whilst he initially thought it was just a harmless bug, he’d suddenly felt filled with dread at how he didn’t realise; being bitten by a bug in a room full of genetically engineered spiders... meant they could be only one culprit.

But what did it all mean? He was taller, had muscules and was no longer blind. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with that, no? But there were other things. Strange things. Everything in the world felt... slower. Louder, clearer. He could sense... everything before it was happening. He could stop everything from happening. Every time he dropped his phone, he caught it. Every time someone on the street was about to bump right into him, he avoided any collision with such ease. Every time he stumbled over his own feet... he didn’t. His posture was better, he moved more quickly, agile, smoothly. And why did everything keep sticking to his hands?!

Usually, Fridays were reserved for Harry coming over to Pete’s for the night. Or vice versa. But today, the teenager had cancelled, citing too much homework to catch up on as his excuse. Instead, Peter found himself in the many alleyways of Queens, pacing back and forth as he figured out what to do. Where to start. Where did you start with a thing like this?

“Think... if it was the spider, what can spiders... do.” He mumbled, frowning in thought. Glancing at his hands, he recalled how everything kept sticking to his hands. And spiders... they stuck to walls. Raising an eyebrow, he glanced to a red brick wall to his left, and then to the tips of his fingers. “... Maybe if I..” Reaching forward, he pressed his hand against the brick. It stuck. “Huh.”

Then he pressed the other one. “Spiders crawl, Pete... they don’t just stand there...” Hesitating, he prayed he didn’t look stupid and pressed his foot on the wall. Then the other. And sure enough. He didn’t fall. “Woah!” He gasped, glancing around to make sure no one was watching. Now, where? “Up.” He mumbled, eyes slowly glancing to the top of the building. Sighing slowly, he began to crawl up the wall, slowly, but excitedly, in awe of how he wasn’t even falling.”Holy sh-... this is amazing.” He whispered, continuing to climb up until he reached the top.

“Woah, this is... higher than I imagined.” Pete wasn’t scared of heights but even this was pushing it a little. Moving to his feet, he took in the view of the city for a moment, not even touching the limits of the skyscrapers yet. He was hardly touching the surface. Glancing behind him, he realised what he had just done. “Okay!... Not strange at all...” What else did Spiders do? Frowning, he firmly pressed his feet into the ground, bouncing on the soles of his feet for a while, when suddenly --

He went flying. 

Residents of Queens reported hearing a loud, high pitch scream and a black dot moving through the sky on social media that night. That black dot and scream were Peter Parker. Jumping from one building to the other. With lots of cussing escaping his lips. Very scary. “OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!” He was screaming at the top of his lungs, arms flailing about as he realised what he was doing. Looking past the fears, this... was incredible. 

Then he fell flat on his face onto the roof of the next building.

“Spiders can jump... Noted.” He groaned, lifting his head and picking the bits of gravel off that were stuck to his face. His legs felt like jelly but... that was amazing. Glancing up at the sky, he rubbed his eye and allowed himself a moment to take in what just happened, breathing heavily as his shock turned to a grin. Carefully rising to his feet, things started to make a little more sense. Could he swing? Did he have webs?... Could he grow more arms and legs? That one didn’t sound so fun. 

He could do backflips, though! When the hell was that a thing? “That...was incredible!” He cried in excitement considering Peter Parker was the opposite of athletic and had never been able to anything like that. In joy, the boy raised his arms above him in triumph but as he did something odd happened; a strange liquid shot right out from his wrists, flying into the sky. “Woah!” He stumbled back, watching it fly into the distance. Webbing! It had to be webbing! He wanted to do that again. He shot his arm up, but nothing.

“Aw, come on!”

Peter had a lot of practice to do.

MONDAY 18TH JANUARY, 2021.

School went as it always did. Loads of math, loads of history and not enough lunch. Harry seemed fascinated the entire time with just how different his friend looked, noticing everything from the lack of acne to the no glasses... he looked like a completely different person. In all honesty, Peter was dying for the school day to end; ever since he had figured out what he could do, all he wanted to do... was explore. Climb a little higher, swing a little faster. Yes, he could swing now. 

As the pair of friends left the building for a day, Pete and Harry had intentions of catching the all too slow school bus back to Pete’s house. Harry always preferred it there. Yet as they walked down the main path, their exit was suddenly blocked by an intruder. Flash Thompson.

“Hey, Parker.” The bully wore that same malicious grin he always did. Pete thought he looked like a bulldog more than anything else. “Look at you, you don’t look a third-grader anymore. I’d say maybe fifth now.” He pulled at Peter’s sweater, noticing how tall he suddenly seemed as well. Beside him stood a group of students huddled around the table, most of whom laughed. Even with muscles, he couldn’t escape the wrath of Flash.

“That’s funny, Flash.” Peter sighed, trying to move out of his way, “Still doing third-grade math work?” The people laughed again and Flash’s grin fell into a glare. Grabbing Pete by the shoulder, he shoved him onto the bench and moved to sit opposite him. Harry moved to stand behind his friend, frowning in confusion. 

“Arm wrestling,” someone else said, gesturing to the table, “Cash if you win, twenty bucks. But no one’s beaten Flash.” 

Arm wrestling?! The bully smirked darkly at Peter who’s eyes widened in horror. He was no arm wrestler and he was definitely not as strong as Flash. The dude was a rock, he’d squish him like a bug in seconds! Pete let out nervous stammers, trying to move away, but it was too late; the bully had grabbed his arm and centred it on the table, waiting to start. “I’m gonna enjoy this.”

Peter gulped loudly, turning to Harry who said, “Ignore him, Pete.” in words of confidence. Though... his face didn’t look very confident. Hearing the students countdown from three to one, Pete braced himself for Flash to practically rip his whole arm, eyes squinting in fear and --

Nothing happened.

The bully’s face warped instantly from a smug demeanour to confusion. No matter how hard he pushed, Parker’s arm didn’t move an inch, and he wasn’t even trying to fight! And Pete didn’t feel a thing! Not an ounce of pain considering how hard the other male was trying. The now growing crowd around them watched in sheer surprise, some calling "Come on, Flash!” or “You can’t beat him?” But nothing. 

“Come on, Peter, kick his ass.” Harry grinned considering he wasn’t so afraid of Flash as his best friend. Blinking once, he gave it a go. The bully was getting angrier and angrier but nothing; Twenty bucks sounded great. And just like that... he had won. Within less than a second, the nerdy teenage boy had slammed Flash’s arm into the table, who let out a large cry of pain. The students around them let out cheers of excitement, glad to see someone else win finally. Looks like he was super strong now too. “Sorry, Flash,” The same student said, moving the twenty bucks from his side to Peter’s free hand. “Congrats, Parker, you won.”

AN HOUR LATER.

“That was amazing, Pete!” Harry and Peter walked through Queens, heading towards Peter’s house with two very large pizzas that they were shoving into their mouths. Courtesy of the twenty dollars. “Maybe you have been working out, guess I was wrong!” Pete couldn’t help but... enjoy his victory. Sure, it was small, but it felt good to feel like the strong one in the room for once. Literally and metaphorically. He bore a wide grin on his face. “It was pretty cool. And look! Five dollars to spare.”

“You should do that again! Think of all the cash you could make.” Whilst Pete, his aunt and uncle weren’t poor, money was tight and had to be watched carefully. He didn’t get the same luxuries Harry did, though he never really complained. However... the prospect of having cash did suddenly sound appealing.

“I dunno, Harry, I --” Looking up, Pete saw a classmate of theirs walk towards them. Brad Davis, star football player. He smiled too much. “Hey, Parker! Nice job beating Flash today.” The quarterback gave the boy a grin, patted him on the shoulder before walking on. Peter could only stare in... shock. “I... t-thanks, Brad!”

Harry and Pete watched the other student carry home, and Harry smacked his friend yet again. “Brad Davis said ‘nice job’ to you, Pete. And you think this isn’t a good idea? You could go from being nerdy Peter Parker to the guy every girl loves with his pockets full of cash and who Brad says ‘hey’ to! Doesn’t that sound even remotely fun?”

Peter frowned, pausing to think. It did seem silly that he had achieved many things academically over the years, but the thing that his classmates cared about was that he’d beat Flash Thompson in an arm wrestle. But that was Midtown High for you. Yet, not being seen as geeky Peter Parker anymore sounded fantastic.

“I... okay, sure. What’s the worst that could happen?”

FRIDAY 5TH FEBRUARY, 2021.

Over the past eighteen days, life had been amazing for Peter Parker. He’d gone from a nobody, someone people liked to trip up, to someone “everyone” loved. Or at least, that’s what Pete thought. He felt a little more noticed these days, and that had gone to his head. The only person who didn’t seem care still was Gwen Stacy -- she just did what she always did, rolled her eyes at him and made blunt remarks. Peter personally believed she was just jealous because he now had the one thing she’d always had -- popularity. Now, what had she got over him?

Yet he wasn’t popular at all. What Peter didn’t realise... was that no one really cared. Sure, everyone was fascinated by his new antics, but did they care about Peter himself? Not at all. His classmates had no concern for actually wanting to get to know him; He was still that kid who liked Star Wars too much for his own good, in the social world of high school... he was irrelevant. This was merely a means of entertainment; in two weeks time, they would move on to the next thing, and Peter Parker would return to being a nobody.

After persuasion from Harry, the boy had managed to bag himself plenty of cash from doing all sorts of things. Arm wrestles, races, how high he could climb something. All betting for and against him, it was now some sort of gambling event -- how much money could I win if Peter Parker did or didn’t do something? It was exciting for the stufents. But he always did, and he always came home with his pockets brimming in money. And he loved every second of it.

Today, Pete and a few classmates were stood in the alleyway beside one of the many grocery stores in Queens that sold cheap beer and chewing gum. Today, one of the school’s many athletes had challenged him to climb the fire escape stairs quicker than him, considering he was a free runner in his spare time. But that was too easy for Parker. The large group of students watched eagerly as the athlete bet Peter fifty bucks he could win, his biggest bet yet, but the loud noises and chatter didn’t go unnoticed; the shopkeeper of the very grocery store stepped aside.

“Hey!” He yelled, everyone turning to face him, “Get the hell outta here! You’re scaring away customers with all your stupid shit! Clear off before I call the cops!” Everyone hesitated, glancing at each other but the man was persistent. “I mean it!” Groaning and sighing, everyone rolled their eyes and began to disperse, except for Pete. He’d just lost out on fifty bucks and he was pissed.“You too, kid. You’re scaring off my damn customers!” 

Pete snickered, glancing around. “What customers?” He countered, gesturing to how empty it was. He didn’t appreciate that. Listening to the man moan on and on about the youth of today, he was about to simply walk away, but then he noticed something. Someone. A man wearing sunglasses and gloves creeping behind the owner, looking Pete dead in the eye and placing a finger on his lips. Don’t say a thing. Usually a good samaritan, the anger and arrogance inside made Peter... do nothing. 

The criminal slipped inside with no fuss, the shopkeeper not even realising he was being robbed. Yet Peter said nothing. “You understand, kid? Get outta here! I mean it, this ain’t your business!” Pete raised his arms in defence, turning around and beginning to walk away. 

However, not even seconds later, he heard the shopkeeper rush back outside, screaming yet again. “Someone stop that guy!” The criminal was running down the street with the cash in a bag. He turned to Pete, “Kid, which way did he go?!” 

Peter only shrugged, beginning to walk on. “It ain’t my business, sorry.” 

Continuing his walk home, he sighed sadly in the lack of money in his pockets but just wanted his bedroom. Aunt May would be wondering where he was. However, not too long after the robbery, Pete heard one loud gunshot in the distance that made him freeze in his place. The shot was booming... it echoed down the street, replayed in the back of his mind. “Holy shit.” He mumbled, eyes widening as he saw a commotion off in the distance. A crowd of pedestrians gathering. Beginning to pick up the pace, he saw a car with its door wide open and someone running away. The thug from earlier... with a gun in his hands.

Frowning, Peter wanted to get a closer look and noticed the criminal run right past him. “Thanks, kid.” He called, hurrying down the streets before the cops had time to arrive. The teenager’s stomach was beginning to churn the closer he got, hearing the panic of the civilians as they seemed to be stood around... a body. A man. Rushing close, Pete pushed his way through the crowd, some trying to help the injured man, some calling the police. “The guy tried to steal his car but he wouldn’t let him... so he just shot him!” Someone cried in panic. But Peter didn’t listen. 

Moving to the front, he finally saw who it was... and everything changed. His heart fell to his stomach and his skin turned cold, his hands beginning to shake. The teenage boy ignored the calls of the crowd telling him to stay back. 

“Uncle Ben!”

The teenage boy fell to his knees, seeing the way the older man could only stare at him, his breath hitching and his eyes watering from the pain. “Someone c-call an ambulance... call a fucking ambulance!” Peter screamed and screamed at the crowd, placing his hands on his uncle’s chest to put pressure on the wound. “Uncle Ben, it’s okay, it’s okay, j-just hold on, they’re gonna come, the ambulance is gonna c-come and you’re gonna be okay!”

Peter, a boy so smart, lost all rationale at that moment. The crowd knew the man wasn’t going to make it, the sheer amount of blood he’d lost, the wound, the look in his eyes... it was obvious. But Peter didn’t care. Ben Parker wasn’t going to die, he couldn’t die. He was going to be safe.

His voice was hoarse and it hurt to talk, but the teenager only grabbed his hand. “Pete...”

Peter shook his head furiously, his cheeks stained in hot tears burning his skin. “No... no, don’t say that Ben, they’ll b-be here any second and--” His eyes lost that shine. “Uncle Ben?... no, no! Stay with me, please!”

A man with a good heart, Ben had been known in their community as a giver. Always smiling and laughing, he was married to his childhood sweetheart May Reilly. If anyone needed help, it was always Ben Parker you could go to, even if it was just for a coffee and a chat. In his last moments, the man had tried to reason with the petty criminal, trying to get him to see sense. But the thug hadn’t listened; he demanded Ben’s car, and when he had refused... he was shot.

Even in death, he simply looked at his nephew with a weak yet warm smile painted delicately on his lips, holding Pete’s hand as tight as he could. He seemed to accept his fate, greet death with respect and pass... peacefully. “No...” Peter sobbed, his t-shirt soaking from the tears as he rested his forehead upon his Uncle’s body, sobbing loudly.

The crowd watched in silence, watching the way an already orphaned boy lost the most important man in his life. He was a father, a best friend. Their eyes welled with tears and wives held their husbands' arms for support, friends remained close, the neighbourhood mourned for a man who had cared for every single one of them. 

Their hearts ached for Peter Parker. 

[szopenhauer]

Would you say your thoughts are generally rational and logical or irrational and illogical? rational and logical Are you wearing anything of any sentimental value? Describe? not really atm, my dad bought me those slippers for hospital and I like this SW shirt  Are you the type to pay attention to detail? depends

Have you ever thrown anything away, and regretted it later? I have What would you be most likely to do with a friend, today? talk, eat, play games, take a walk... When are you most likely to be crabby? always? Who challenges you the most?  God What was the last opportunity that you passed up, and why? ugh... Would you rather have a quiet day at home, or be on the go? home Should there be an application process for having children? yes Are you able to ask for help when you need it? not always Do you ever have trouble getting lighters to work? they never work for me, luckily I don’t need to use them If someone drinks, would that lower your opinion of that person? yeah What if they did drugs? worse Do you know anyone who is abusive? Are you abusive? everyone’s toxic, more or less If your best friend wanted to cheat on his/her partner, you would say? don’t, better if you two break up  Who do you go to when you need comfort? those close to me unless I wanna be alone Are you or were you in a hurry to grow up? I wasn’t and am not, I have to be more grown up about some things tho

What’s your favorite baby animal? I prefer older animals

Have you ever been called a crybaby before? yep, I even own a necklace like this, reminds me of Melanie Martinez (and movie with Johnny Depp too)

Is any part of your body achy right now? slightly

Are you overly hairy? am I?

Who do you think thank you will marry? @muziasta or no one

Do you say “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas”? Merry Christmas

Is Tinkerbell your favorite fairy? I’m not a fan of fairies but it’s one of most popular I guess

How much weight can you carry at once? not much

Do you like the color navy blue? it reminds me of my OC - Aquarius and my dad a little as well

Do you like daisy flowers? yup

Who will you be spending Christmas with this year? hopefully my parents  Did you go to high school with your current best friend? I didn’t Do you park your car in a garage, carport or just in a driveway? I don’t have a car 

Do you avoid using public restrooms? it’s not possible, I pee often What is your boss’ (or school prinicpal’s) name? I don’t have a job and I’m done with school Do your parents know how to text? my mom doesn’t Do you text your parents often? I send less than 5 texts a day to my dad when he’s working What letter does your middle name begin with? none lol Is the place that you’re in right now quiet or loud? What can you hear? quiet <3

What’s the youngest you would consider dating? 20+ (preferably not under 23)  What do you think of when I say “the twenties”? flapper dress Could you ever deliver a baby? omg scary ewww Is penetration important to you? not at all, don’t touch me there, this is my no no square Can you ride a bicycle? of course Paris, London and New York… which one would you live in, which would you visit for a day, which would you visit for a week? live - London week - Paris day - NY Do you think suits are sexy? I like to wear them at times but I’m not attracted to someone wearing those

Do you like the name Trinity? nooo When was the last time you had a campfire? ages ago Have you ever tried snowboarding? I haven’t

Are you listening to music? not currently When you were little, did you have a red wagon? nope Would you rather take a vacation or stay home? staycation! Do you own only white socks? I don’t own white socks at all :o

What was the last thing you deleted? one of the questions of this survey

What was the last thing you completed? I’ll complete this survey Do you take pictures often? What are the main subjects of your photography? nature or selfies? XD Do you have any idea what you’ll read next? already got a book but no motivation/focus whatsoever Is there anything you’ve been more optimistic about lately? like 1 thingy What does the sky look like right now? too clear for my taste When was the last time you asked for help? What about the last time someone asked you? both this day Where was the last place you went? How long will it be until you leave the house again? had a walk yesterday and am going this evening What was the last show you started? Have you seen it before, or is it something you’re watching for the first time? I didn’t watch She-ra before

have you ever violated school dress code? had a necklace but teachers saw it when I was leaving school already lmfao

when you feel like giving up, how do you convince yourself not to? I just…keep going. I don’t have any wise words of wisdom or life changing advice for you.

what was the subject of the last list you made? hospital related

who pays for the majority of your belongings? my parents

would you ever willingly shop in a thrift store? I thrift at least once a month

what is the most that you would ever spend on an outfit? with shoes, bag and accessories? 

do you think parents are responsible for the actions of their children? not always, not all actions

when was the last time that you corrected someone? recently, I do that constantly :x

when was the last time you were corrected? sort of now 

when did you last say “ i told you so ”? this week

how will you know when you are ready to get married? in general or with a certain person?

how much time have you spent contemplating your own death? majority of my life

is there a joke that you just can’t stand? there are 

when you look at the sunset, what do you think about / feel? I don’t feel much of anything 

is there anyone that you no longer want in you life? who / why? ...

have you ever driven under the influence of alcohol / drugs? gosh, don’t do that

are you overly attached to your material possessions? it seems

living in poverty: what do you think it’d be like? I know how it’s like 

what is one “ diet ” that you think is just utterly worthless? most of them 

what advice would you give someone that is uncomfortable with his or her body / appearance? depends

[sylvinargentina]

Rain and Carnival

Today was an interesting day.

It started thunder and lighting before we went to bed last night and was pouring this morning. So Amanda decided to sleep/stay in.

I get a little stir crazy so I continued with the plan and went to the Congresso where the walking tour we missed the first day starts. I got there a little early so grabbed breakfast at a place called Monday - on Monday (sadly not on Monday st) 😅 also luckily at this point it wasn’t raining just grey sky.

As 11 came closer a few more tourists arrived but the guide wasn’t there which was a little strange... but also considering today was a holiday (Carnival - we only found out yesterday) and it was raining, I figured I’d wait. 11:15 came around and still no guide. One couple left and I was finishing a convo with the other couple, planning to go back to the Airbnb, when the guide showed up! Luckily the other couple that left hadn’t gotten far so we grabbed them and started the tour.

This tour goes from Congresso down Avenida de Mayo to the Casa Rosada (pink house). Then back up to the Obelisko. (It’s a V if you look at a map).

We learned a lot but of course right as we started the tour it started to pour. I was fine because I had my raincoat and Amanda’s umbrella, but one girl found out quickly she only had a windbreaker not a raincoat... luckily someone came by selling umbrellas right then.

Things we learned on the tour:

- A local is called a Porteño

- There are 17 million people in BA and surrounding areas but only 3 million live in the city but any given business day there are about 10 million in the city working.

- Most important law - “Evita’s Law” giving the right for women to vote in 1951

- 30k people disappeared/died during the dictatorship some children had parents killed and were given new papers and families... “mothers or grandmothers of plaza de mayo” try and help find original homes/families

- BA has lots of demonstrations, sometimes every day a week! One large one, which made the city put up most of the fencing around all the monuments, was in 2001 when the government needed money so took everyone’s money from their bank accounts (which are in US dollars) and put it back in as pesos (eg. Took $10 and replaced with $10 pesos...) really really bad exchange rate!!!! So people were pissed but most didn’t get their money back... there goes most people’s college funds and now people don’t trust the banks.

- There’s a building on Avenida de mayo that was built to house Dante Alegueri’s coffin when he died (didn’t happen) so it was built with Dante’s inferno in mind. 100 meters tall because 100 stories. 22 floors because 22 chapters, etc.

- we learned how to order coffee in front of Cafe Tortoni (very touristy, huge line out the front)

- A theory of why the house is pink is that someone wanted to paint this huge building with waterproof paint but at the time it didn’t exist and they found if they mixed cow fat, blood and lime together (cow blood giving it the red color) would work.

- We learned a few local hand signs (similar to Italian signs)

- The changing of the guard happens at 1p (see pic) between Casa Rosada and the cathedral.

After the tour I grabbed a few empanadas from a place suggested by the tour guide - Pizzaria Güerrín - and brought them back to Amanda and told her about the tour and all the info above.

We then too a nice little walk around Porto Madero, including seeing a really strange opulent hotel my mom suggested for its architecture.

We can back to the apartment for a little rest for my feet and went out about an hour later by bus to a cocktail speakeasy in Recoleta - Floreria Atlantico. Our bartender was great!! I had 4 very different but amazing drinks (pictured are my first and last) and Amanda had 2 of the same passion fruit and one desert cocktail. We also got two seafood dishes... we were a little hungry so I forgot a picture of those but they were great!

Next to us sat a group of 3 American girls 2 from NY and one Seattle. I didn’t really like their vibe... why come to an artisanal cocktail speakeasy and order a tequila sunrise, Rosè and a Paloma........... 🤦‍♀️

On the other side of us luckily sat two really nice girls from the UK who we got along with much better. Then when the 3 girls left they were replaced with two guys from middle of the US - Ohio. We ended up going to check out Carnival with these two guys.

Carnival was definitely not what I expected... first of all, like most Americans I thought it was only in Rio and maybe in general Brazil. Now I know most South American countries have it... it’s their Mardi Gra or St Patricks day. Then instead of a parade it turned out to be a street full of people spraying fake snow at each other... in my face... my mouth... my eyes... my ears (plugged them enough to not be able to hear... better than ear plugs!!! NOT).

After about 20 min of this the festivities died down, the announcer said more in 25 min but most people were leaving (they had young kids and it was already 11:30p). So we parted ways and headed home to shower.

Long day but a lot of fun!

[stayathomesurveys]

105.

What’s your favourite type of bird? Maybe penguins? How many friends do you have on Facebook? 219. What was on the last sandwich you ate? Turkey, ham, colby jack, swiss cheese, mayo, mustard, pepper. What sort of music did you listen to when you were in high school? All kinds - country, pop, rap, rock/alt/punk/etc. Do you prefer gold or silver jewellery? I like both but I prefer silver.

Have you ever gotten back together with an ex? Yes. How far away is the closest store to your house and what is it? Like actual grocery store - Harris Teeter is about a 3-5 minute drive down the road. There’s a CVS at the metro station next to my apartment, though. What is your favourite Thai dish? Pad see ew :) How many contacts do you have in your phone? Not a lot at all. I recently deleted pretty much all of my contacts other than family and Correy.

When was the last time you made out with somebody? Recently.  What month of the year was your mother born? March. Do you have any friends that seem to know all the hot gossip? I have no friends. Are there any candles in your bedroom, and what scent are they? No. What tv show(s) have you been watching currently? For All Mankind & Stranger Things When was the last time you went to a birthday party? Last year. How many apps do you have on your phone? Too many! What pet names do you use with your significant other? I don’t really use pet names lol. I call him corkie, corkchop, cork, cor cor. Do you have to wear a name badge where you work? No job :) Do you have a dress code or have to wear a uniform where you work? No job :) What brand is your toaster, if you have one? Probably like cuisinart or something idk. I don’t feel like going to look. Are there any movies you’ve seen so many times? Yeah. What was the last thing you purchased with cash? Don’t remember. Can you hear anything right now? Yes. So Far Away x Agust D & SURAN Is there anybody else in the room you’re currently in? Nope. What’s the name of the store you usually get your groceries? Harris Teeter. Does your house have a porch/balcony? Yes. What’s your usual order when you go to a coffee shop? Depends. Have you ever seen a theatre show? Yeah. What was the last movie you saw and who did you watch it with? Nope with Correy. What is your mother’s first name? Deborah. Do you like to dance? Yea. How would you describe your sense of humour? I don’t know. What’s your favourite type of bread? Sourdough. Do you receive catalogues and brochures in your mailbox? Yeah. What colour is the sky right now? Blue. Do you share a middle name with any of your siblings? Nope. Have there ever been any bushfires/wildfires in your area? I don’t think so. Have you ever taken a ride in an ambulance? Nope. How would you label your sexual orientation? Straight. When was the last time you took a nap during the day? Yesterday. What did you have to eat for dinner last night? Steak. Have you ever been a member in a band? No. Are you double-jointed? Yeah. What was the last thing you had to drink? Zero cal cherry cola. Do you currently have any bruises on your body? Yeah. Who was the last message you received from and what did they say? Correy & it said “love you” What colour are your eyes? Blue.  Do you consider your goals easily achievable or are they pretty grand? Idk. What’s your favourite kind of accent? German, Italian, NY What time does the sun go down where you live at this time of the year? I don’t know, like 8 pm? Do you prefer beer, wine or spirits? Spirits. When was the last time you ate Mexican food? We had tacos the other night. Have you ever watched yourself on video? Yeah. What time did you wake up today? 3:40 am. What time will you go to sleep tonight? Not sure. Do you have separate emails for personal and business? Yeah. Are you the eldest, youngest or a middle child? Middle. What’s your favourite vegetable? Zucchini, broccoli What colours are you wearing today? Purple and grey Do you have a subscription to any streaming services like Netflix? Yes. Would you rather eat Italian or Indian food? Italian. Are you sitting, standing or lying down right now? Sitting. Have you ever missed a flight? ALMOST, but no. Are you someone who always needs a coffee before you can function? No. Do your neighbours have any pets? Have you ever met them? Yeah and yeah. When was the last time you washed your hair? This morning. What colour is your bedroom door? White. Have you ever seen a lunar eclipse? Yes, there was one in August 2017 and I luckily lived in one of the prime viewing areas. It was pretty cool! Do you know your significant other’s passwords? Yes and he knows mine. What was the last thing you said aloud? Idk. Do you know anyone who writes huge essays when they message you? Sometimes. What’s your favourite type of salad? Spinach &/or lettuce, chicken, hardboiled egg, cheese, onions, cucumber, carrots, ranch. I also like spinach, quinoa, chicken, cucumber, feta, and tzatziki.

[itsalliepg]

From Cordonia to NY – TRR Fanfic – Before Canon

SUMMARY: In the plane to New York, Liam, Drake and Maxwell talk about the competition for the Prince’s hand and Maxwell’s responsibilities to find someone to sponsor.

RATING: Everyone

WORDS: 914

NOTE: Hey! Here’s my contribution for ChoicesCreates 64 – Before Canon! It’s been a while since I wanted to write another TRR fanfic, and my idea was a dialogue between Liam, Drake and Maxwell right before meeting MC in New York. English isn’t my native language. I write to practice and learn, so please sorry any mistakes. I hope you like it, and if you do, I’d appreciate if you like/comment/share! Tagging @clonedhayden

The plane had left Cordonia and was flying to the United States. New York, more specifically. The blue sky was stunning, and Liam gazed out the window without noticing the conversation between Drake and Maxwell.

               _So, Tariq said he would meet us there?

               _Yes, he said something about an Italian shoe store in New York he must visit before the bachelor party, don’t ask me why, I have no idea why it’s so important.

               _I just hope he doesn’t bring it up while we should have fun, right, Liam? – Maxwell turned to Liam, and his smile broke when he saw the Prince’s frowned expression – Liam? Are you listening? – Drake nudged his shoulder and he turned to them, a little startled – Earth to Liam – Maxwell giggled.

               _Uh? Maxwell? Were you talking to me?                

               _Actually, I thought you were listening to us, but it seems the sky is more interesting – Maxwell punched his arm playfully.

               _What, thinking about your last days as a single man? – Drake smirked.

               _Yeah…something like that. It happened too fast, Leo broke up with Madeleine, he abdicated, and now I’m, like, in his place, you know? And there’s also a real chance of becoming the King before I expected.

               _I remember when you told us you didn’t even expected to be the King – Drake laughed – Leo’s kids would come before you in the line of succession.

               _I understand you. A few days ago you were just the third in this line, and now you have to find a fiancée, and who knows how hard this could be…no to mention the new responsibilities as a King you must start thinking…

               _Maxwell, you’re definitely not helping – Drake frowned.

               _He’s right, Drake – Liam sighed – I don’t want to marry because of my duties as King, but for love. And now this will be impossible.

               _Who knows? – Maxwell grinned – maybe you could find love with one of the candidates.

               _Maxwell, the candidates are ladies that we already know. Olivia, Madeleine, Hana, Kiara, Penelope…

               _And the one I will sponsor, Drake!

               _What? Are you going to sponsor someone? – Liam startled – who?

               _I still don’t know yet. I was thinking of finding an American girl and taking her to Cordonia, and then the Beaumont house would sponsor her.

               _And does Bertrand know about it?

               _Of course, Drake! We had this idea yesterday, after we met to set up this bachelor party. If we succeed, it would be the salvation for us and our money issues.

               _Bertrand mentioned it, how are you handling things? – Liam asked.

               _We’re doing the best we can. Better, I’m doing the best I can – Maxwell flinched, remembering the real reasons for their money issues, and the fights with Bertrand because of it, but he couldn’t tell him the destiny of their money – and that means finding our candidate.

               _But would you hope to find a noblewoman in just one night, in New York streets?

               _You never know, Liam, but even if she’s not a noble, we can teach everything to her! How to waltz dance, how to act in the royalty events, how to dress properly, and also the history of Cordonia. I know I can discover a perfect aspiring lady. And Bertrand’s counting on me on this mission – Maxwell saluted, making Liam laugh and Drake roll his eyes.

               _Okay, Henry Higgins, and where will find this girl? In a club? Or a bar? – Drake disdained – and knowing you, I won’t be surprise if you come back to Cordonia with a hostess, or a waitress.

               _It’s not impossible! Maybe the right girl for Liam’s where we least expect it – Maxwell moved his hands as if he were a personification of a magician. Liam shook his head negatively, smiling, but he knew Maxwell was right. Maybe the woman he always looked for wasn’t one of the nobles he had known since childhood, why not?

               _Okay, you convinced me. I’ll definitely pay attention to your candidate, I’m really curious now.

               _I’ll not disappoint you, Liam – Maxwell winked and finger gunned, making his friends laugh out.

               _Honestly, I don’t care about this competition, it’s a total madness to me. This sneak off came at the right moment – Drake sighed – we’ll be stuck on that “royal tour”, God knows how much time and I’m already about to threw up.

               _Oh, come on, Drake – Liam laughed – we’ll be together, it won’t be so bad!

               _Yeah, you have us, your best friends, to put you down on Earth, in case of all these fancy stuff go to your head – Maxwell passed his arms around their shoulders.

               _Sometimes I wonder why I’m your friend, Maxwell – Drake rolled his eyes, grinning.

               _Because you absolutely loooove my jokes, although you don’t admit it – Maxwell messed Drake’s hair, laughing.

               _And we can’t be an unbeatable trio with only two people, right? – Liam smiled – anyway, I’d rather worry about the competition later, when we go back to Cordonia. Now I want to focus on having fun with my best friends, and finally getting to know New York.

               _Yeaaaah! That’s the spirit! – Maxwell tightened his arms around them.

               _Sure, sure – Drake smiled – I just hope you choose a place that has a good whiskey.

               _Of course, Drake, as we don’t know you well – the guys laughed again and suddenly the pilot advised: they arrived in New York. They returned to their seats. Liam sighed, beaming – I don’t know why, but I get the sense this little trip will be really special. For the three of us.

[sussex-nature-lover]

Saturday 31st July 2021

Unseasonal Weather

I’m starting to write this on Friday, which so far is very dark, dull, wet and windy. In fact on Thursday, Sky news had this headline

Storm Evert: First named summer storm of 2021 to hit UK tonight

Severe gales and winds reaching up to 75mph in the most exposed parts of Cornwall could cause damage and disruption, with forecasters warning of "unseasonably strong winds and heavy rain".

Not our locaility, but we seem to have something of it too. What a shame, just as the long summer school holidays started and all the festivals and camps which had been postponed from last year have been rescheduled. Ms NW tY did so well to get her Cornish break in good time, but our near neighbour K and family must be so fed up that it’s not held out for them the same.

Speaking of them, I had anticipated Inspector Pritchard’s presence here while they’re away but he must’ve taken to their house-sitter as we haven’t seen too much of him. He is, however, responsible for a WHAT DID I LEARN TODAY? True Fact

Apparently Peacocks like Basil - well, this one does!

I’m very suprised by that as my Basil has a very strong aroma indeed. He’s polished off every last little bit of lettuce leaf and now he’s spotted the herb that I had potted up outside and just put down inside the kitchen door.

‘hhhm is this something else for me?’

A couple of pecks and it was pronounced satisfactory, so we had to pluck some and let him finish the job. He also enjoyed the remains of a packet of rocket leaves which were not needed (well, half not needed and half ‘sacrificed’ to him)

and yes, that is The Hundred cricket you can see on the TV. Some photos were taken a few days back.

We gave him a few more leaves last night. He really enjoys them.

ANOTHER TRUE FACT, according to my findings anyway, is that Oli the Fox Cub is very partial to cooked sweetcorn on the cob. I reported this the other day, but it wasn’t a one off. He’s very funny as he really does think he’s struck gold and sometimes eats where he is, but sometimes runs off with his spoils. He’s clearly unnerved by Pritchard. We saw him looking anxious and then hiding in the shrubbery just before the Inspector rocked up.

Oh, yes, that’s what I was going to say

WHAT ELSE DID I LEARN?

Foxes (this individual being the entire study sample) like Watermelon too. Guess how I know that? 😁

watermelon had been removed to a safer location

So there we are, three new delicacies at the garden café for our satisfied clientele. 

UPCOMING IN THE GARDEN:

Looks like the Hybiscus is ready to leap into action next month. It’s usually covered in flowers - stand by.

And despite the storms, the bug house has been put in situ facing East in a sheltered spot. Ms NY tE will recognise where from the below.

We’ve taken down a bird house that hasn’t been used for years. To be honest since the Sparrowhawk has been visiting, it just wasn’t in a good location at all being in full view of the fence. And speaking of Sid Viscious, I have sad news that we fear Daisy Waldron has perished. There’s a pile of suspicious looking feathers on the lawn at the base of the Wisteria and so far as we can tell, noone sitting on the nest any more. The nest has at least one egg in it from what I can see. Sad times.

PS there was a Wood Pigeon up on the roof by the bedroom window yesterday and as I’ve read out this blog to Crow he said ‘are we sure it’s Daisy because that pigeon on the roof looked just like her...’ bless him.

in loving memory

More nature photos on my other Tumblr Page HERE

[travelingtheusa]

NEW YORK

2021 Aug 31 (Tue) – Well, the caravan is over.  It was a job but we happened to fall right into the perfect time period to make our trip.  We started just as everything was starting to relax and finished up just as restrictions were starting to come back into place.  

     Newburgh was lots of fun.  We did not get to take the group to the FDR Presidential Home & Museum.  The National Park Service stopped group tours but they were allowing individual, timed entry so several of our group went on their own.  We took the group to an Italian restaurant for dinner in place of the museum.  It was a great choice!

     On Sunday, we took a small group of folks into New York City on an extra excursion. It was a long day with lots of walking but we got to see the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and the 9/11 Memorial. Some of us couldn’t go to the Top of the Rock because they were requiring everyone to have a COVID vaccine card.  That requirement was just started by New York City two days ago.

     We had our farewell dinner on Monday and a continental breakfast on Tuesday.  Then it was hugs and good byes and in one fell swoop, 15 rigs pulled out of the campground and we were standing there alone. And just like that, two years of planning, months of changes and nail-biting anticipation, and 41 days of caravan were over.

     We pack up and leave tomorrow for a race to South Carolina to help our son celebrate his 40th birthday.  We’ll be there for 2 nights then it will be another race to The Keys to join my brother, Tim, for a memorial service for his son, Joe.  

2021 Aug 25 (Wed) – Our next move was to Saratoga Springs where we toured the racetrack.  It was interesting to see that the horses have the right of way as their stables are across the street from the track.  Cars were stopped as a parade of horses crossed the road back and forth. There was a cruise on a boat on the Hudson River where we saw several eagles.  They have made a successful comeback in the area.  We also toured the U.S.S. Slater, a WWII destroyer escort. Then the group moved to Cooperstown and we toured the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  That night, we had a barbecue of hot dogs and hamburgers. That was followed by a rousing game of bean bag baseball where the women challenged the men.  The women started off strong and kept the lead until the bottom of the ninth when the men rallied and overtook the women.  It was a lot of fun.  Tomorrow, we leave for Newburgh and the final stop on our caravan.

 2021 Aug 17 (Tue) – We enjoyed Alexandria Bay and Clayton in the Thousand Islands where we toured the Boldt and Singer Castles, looked over beautiful antique boats, and enjoyed an outdoor concert on the St. Lawrence Seaway.  Then we moved to Lake Placid where we saw the Olympic Sports Complex.  Unfortunately, the Olympic Museum was closed for renovations but we did drive up to the top of Whiteface Mountain and climb to the summit.  It was breathtaking!  We toured John Brown’s Farm and Gravesite and learned about the abolitionist movement. We are currently in Ticonderoga where we toured the fort yesterday with a docent dressed as an English soldier. That was followed with a tour at the Star Trek Set Tour.  They have lovingly recreated the set of the TV series Star Trek.  It was fun to pose in the different sets and hear stories of how the series was made.  Finally, we toured Ausable Chasm today with a delicious lunch of barbecue chicken and salads.

2021 Aug 12 (Thu) – The past week has been very busy.  We moved from Niagara to the Thousand Islands.  Took a boat ride on the St. Lawrence Seaway and toured both Boldt and Singer Castles.  We went to the Antique Boat Museum and walked around a 106’ house boat.  We had a potluck with a Cajun/Mexican theme.  The food was very spicy!  The campground host and her band played music for us while we ate. The next day we went to a free concert in Alexandria Bay where we heard a tribute to the Beatles.  The music was very enthusiastic.  Today we moved to Lake Placid.  

2021 Aug 5 (Thu) – We are camped at Red’s Twilight on the Erie RV Resort near Rochester.  We went to the George Eastman Photography Museum and Home.  Eastman committed suicide when he was 77 years old.  He left a note saying that he had done everything and “why wait?”  We also went to the Strong Museum of Play.  It was three floors of everything you ever wanted to know about games. They had a beautiful butterfly garden with 600 butterflies in the enclosure at any one time.  They bring in 250 chrysalises a week.  

     We carpooled to Seneca Falls (an hour away) where we enjoyed lunch at the Ventosa Vineyards and walked up and down the historic street.  The movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” was purportedly based on the town of Seneca Falls.  We toured the museum.  We also went through the National Women’s Rights Historic Park and the Seneca Falls Waterways & Industrial Museum.  

     At happy hour, we played corn hole and beanbag baseball.  It’s been lots of fun.

2021 Aug 2 (Mon) – Sorry.  We have been so busy that I fairly collapse at the end of the day and don’t get a chance to post on this blog.  It will only go on for a few more weeks, then we will be back to normal (whatever that is). Hang in there.

     In Chautauqua, we visited the Chautauqua Institute; took a dinner cruise on the Chautauqua Belle, a steam powered paddlewheeler; toured the Lucy-Desi Museum; and visited the National Comedy Center. We had a member of the caravan (Doug) have a heart attack.  He went to the hospital and they put in a pace maker.  We left him at the campground waiting for his son to come drive them and their rig home.

     In Niagara Falls (where we are now), we saw the Falls and took a ride on the Maid of the Mist to the base of the Falls on the Niagara River.  We took a bus tour that included the NY Power Vista and Old Fort Niagara.  Today we took a ride on a canal boat on the Erie Canal and went through two locks. That was followed by a delightful buffet meal.  Jim and his wife decided to leave the caravan because he is still now feeling well.  We are now down to 16 RVs in the caravan.

     Tomorrow we leave for Rochester where we expect to explore the Strong Museum of Play, the George Eastman Museum & Home, and Seneca Falls.

 2021 Jul 26 (Mon) – We moved out today, leading the caravan with 3 other RVs.   We arrived at Camp Chautauqua at 1:40 PM.  After checking in, we got settled in then made us the sheets for where everyone else would go.  It was another 2 hours to get everyone parked and settled in.  There was a delay as Doug couldn’t get his satellite dish to stow properly and Johnny waited with him.  When they left, Doug got lost on the way.  

     Paul set up the tent and we had happy hour at 4 PM.  At 7:30 PM, we tried to show a movie – The Long Long Trailer with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.  This is in preparation for our visit to the Lucy-Desi Museum on Wednesday.  It was still too late and the movie didn’t show up on the screen.  So we sat around, waiting for the sun to lower in the sky.

     While waiting, Janet told me Doug was going to the hospital because he was experiencing chest pains.

 2021 Jul 25 (Sun) – We rode with Rick & Brenda to the Brewery of Broken Dreams. The name intrigued me and I wanted to see what the place was like. As we were getting out of the car and posing for pictures, Rick passed out and face planted, hitting the car on the way down.  After we got the bleeding stopped, we took him to the hospital.  After waiting a while, Brenda gave us the keys to the car and we returned to the campground.  Brenda called later to say they were admitting Rick for testing at another hospital.  Hank and I took care of their dog, Timmy, until she came back after 10 PM.

     At 5 PM, we held our travel meeting.  Announcements included the fact that Rick was in the hospital and Jim was recuperating from his bout of dehydration.

2021 Jul 24 (Sat) – We went to the Finger Lakes Boating Museum this morning. They split us into 3 groups.  We got the newbie who didn’t really know that much about the collection.  After admiring their large collections of boating paraphernalia, we went down into the former wine cellar and enjoyed a catered lunch.  After we were done, everyone was released to explore the area on their own.

     We returned to the campground.  At 4 PM, we had happy hour. Everyone appears to be very happy.  

2021 Jul 23 (Fri) – We took the group to the Corning Museum of Glass today. Because the drive was long (32 miles), we told everyone to go on their own rather than drive in a long caravan line. They just had to arrive by 9 am. One person didn’t arrive until almost 9:30.  We gathered outside and I assigned everyone their times to go do their projects – either a holiday ornament or a fusing glass project.  The museum itself was huge!  It is amazing how many products use glass.  

     We went to Corning with Rick & Brenda after the museum for lunch.  We had wanted to tour the Rockwell Museum but we were running out of time and needed to get back to the campground.  Western Winery did a free tasting at the campground. We also had a potluck dinner, which went very well.  Everyone had a good time.

     One of our group, Sue, came to me during the dinner and told me she and her husband were going to leave the caravan.  He has been feeling very bad and she is afraid it is his heart.  He is not able to go on and they are going back home. After she left, we discussed their situation and felt that he needed to go to the hospital if he was feeling that bad. So Paul and Hank took Jim to the hospital where they left him to be evaluated.  While they were at the hospital with Jim, I worked with Sue to file the paperwork to the Good Sam Emergency Evacuation Program.  If you are too sick to go on when you travel, this insurance policy assures you they will fly you home and transport your rig as well.  We got a case number assigned and called to find out what the next steps were.  Jim needs a doctor’s note saying he is unable to drive.

     At 10:30 pm, the hospital called to say we could pick Jim up.  It turned out that he was severely dehydrated.  They gave him fluids and he says he feels 100% better. They will sit a day or two after we leave and then follow us.  We are glad he is OK.

 2021 Jul 22 (Thu) – We took the group to the Glenn Curtiss Museum today. What a remarkable man he was!  He started inventing things at the age of 14. Curtiss was into speed and made motorcycles that went faster and faster until he hit speeds over 100 mph.  This took place in the 1920s!  He was soon billed as the fastest man alive.  He moved from motorcycles to planes, dirigible and boats, and even built the first fifth wheel RV.

     Following the museum, we went to lunch at the Switzerland Inn.  We had originally reserved the Bully Hill Vineyard but they couldn’t stabilize their chicken prices and we wound up having to cancel. We found the Switz (as they like to be called) online but it turned out to be a disappointment.  First, we arrived for an 11:30 lunch only to be told they don’t open until 12.  Then they messed up the orders and Paul saw them take 3 meals back to the kitchen. Two people did not get what they ordered but were happy with the substitute meal they did get.  The place was very small.  We were all crammed in a small room that looked out on the lake. We had wanted to sit out on the deck but the restaurant insisted we sit inside.  I think it was easier to serve us because we were closer to the kitchen. Then the bill came and I was unable to sort it out.  Instead of listing each meal (burger, fries, Pepsi for example), they had 14 burgers, 17 fries, 8 onion rings, etc.  There were many variations and they just billed the total.  And, again, the bill came in higher than what was budgeted.  

     After lunch at the Switz, we went with Rick & Brenda, Hank & Brenda, Johnny & Linda, and Joe & Diane to the Bully Hill Vineyards.  I was kind of depressed after that.  It was beautiful located high up on the hill overlooking the lake with a large outdoor patio.  They also had a tasting room, a museum, an art room, and a gift shop. What a come down to have gone to the Switz.  I hope the rest of the trip goes better.

 2021 Jul 21 (Wed) - The caravan started today!  We spent the early part of the day getting things ready. Paul and Johnny put the ladder plates on and collected forms certifying vehicle worthiness.  I finalized my briefing.  We all put the gift bags together.

     At 4:30 p.m. we held the orientation briefing.  After that, we rode to the American Legion Post in Bath. They served us a meal of salad, chicken speedies, salt potatoes, brown baked beans, and cheesecake.  The food was very good.  They were very appreciative of our payment.  We had everyone buying drinks at the bar to support the lodge.  Everything went off well.  It was a good start to the caravan.

 2021 Jul 20 (Tue) – We spent a good part of the day getting things together.  There was a quick run into town to get groceries and wine.  Johnny & Linda are eager to take on their Tail Gunner duties.

     At 4:30 p.m. folks started showing up at our campsite for happy hour.  By 5 p.m., we had quite a crowd around us.  About 2/3rd’s of the group is in the campground now.

 2021 Jul 19 (Mon) – Hank left early this morning to go to Lockport. He is picking his wife up from the airport tomorrow.  The rest of us left Laporte, PA, at 11 a.m. since we did not have very far to go.  As we were going up the long hill, there was a bang and we lost power.  We knew the repair on the turbo hose failed.  We pulled over to the side and opened the hood.  This time, the hose really blew apart.  We told everyone to go ahead.  We parked the trailer on the side of the road and drove back into town to the Ford dealer.  After hearing of our dilemma, they sold us the turbo hose they were holding for another customer and fit us right into their schedule.  They even gave us a car to use to go into town and get lunch while they did the repairs.  We were in and out in less than an hour.  Wow!

      Back on the road, we arrived at the Hammondsport/Bath KOA campground around 3 p.m.  We set up then returned to the office to settle accounts.  What a shocker that was!  They charged us more than $2,300 more than we budgeted.  The manager mumbled something about us getting put in higher rated campsites.  She is an extremely poor communicator.  She changed our campsites about a month ago but never explained they were for more money.

      About a third of the caravan is here.  We were tired and didn’t really do anything tonight.

[regnedeleclairage]

Chapter 0

—

0. I, Hollow Rage In Box.

WET FEET covered when he's strolling around in Sunday because the rain did not stop hitting the ground, making it a little bit blasphemous. He knew very well and felt with certainty that it would be a downpour today, but stupidly he did not bring anything other than snacks he just bought to accompany him in the apartment. Today was his free day, he had never thought of rushing by speeding his feet to walk quickly through the crowds of people walking in front of him. In his hands he only held one shopping bag, instead of finishing his job that left, he is now spending some of the little money he took to hit the emptiness of his stomach and relax even if it was only for one day. His fist raised, his head also lifted when he did that at the same time. The sound of the thunders slowly diminished, but he couldn't beat the raindrops. The rumbling rain that drenched the ends of his hair seemed to welcome his arrival, he smiled softly, not caring if people would say if he was crazy for smiling to himself while looking at the drops of water falling from the sky.

“Long time no see.”

Both folds forming the margin of his mouth opened, he knew that he now looked like a fool for saying such words without the physicality of an interlocutor. He spoke in the rain, it was true that only a few minutes ago he cursed the rain that fell when he was not at home. However, the rain is also part of it. And also remind him of home.

Luckily—not luckily, yesterday's trip made it requiring much deal for him to sleep because of the shift in time rapid rotatory vortex, which gradually faded away due to his usual activities. Arriving at home, he put his groceries containing snacks in the living room. Right in front of the TV along with a comfortable sofa that accompanies to complete the visuals, the minimalist ornament makes the impression that the apartment he lives in is like other apartments in general. His feet were brought to walk through the house, his hands were taken to open the doorknob of the bedroom with no intention of closing it again because no one but him lived in this apartment. He took off the clothes he was wearing, threw the clothes that were wet from the rain as much as possible into his laundry box, which was near the bathroom door. There was no choice but a t-shirt with plain shorts for everyday wear, it was comforting to finally come back to rest for a while knowing that he would be battered by work the very next day.

—

0. II, Final Step.

Name: Rainier de Saintgnue.

Alias: Rain, Son of Zeus, Lightning Boy, Captain Saintgnue. (MIGHT ADDED DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF RAINER’S CHARACTER)

Species: Demigod.

Hair Color: Black.

Eye Color: Black.

Height: 6,5”ft tall.

Age: 28.

Place of Birth: Bordeaux, France.

Date of Birth: 5th of April.

Current Occupation: Pilot.

Current Place of Living: New York NY City, USA.

Nationality: French, American (LEGALLY).

Affiliations: The Olympians, Delta Air Lines.

Godly Parent: Zeus.

Father: Zeus.

Mother: Genevieve de Saintgnue (DECEASED), Hera (STEP-MOTHER).

Siblings: Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Dionysus, Arcas, Amphion, Zethus, Britomartis, Polydeuces, Minos, Rhadamanthys, Sarpedon, Helen, Eileithyia, Hebe, Hephaestus, Persephone, Hermes, Henry, Hercules, Perceus (PATERNAL HALF-SIBLINGS).

Zodiac Signs Replacement: Taurus sun, Leo moon, Taurus rising.

—

0. III, Gifted.

Unlike his other siblings, although given physical strength that exceeds ordinary humans in general, because he himself is a demigod who was born directly from the Gracious God Zeus, he is presented to taken more gifts with a forceful physique than other humans. However, putting aside the fact that he has a strong physique in combat, he cannot manipulate the weather or control the water that falls from the sky. This limited ability does not cover his other abilities, namely controlling lightning, like the nickname that people give to him as the Lightning Boy. He can shoot lightning sparks in his palms and immediately take out any weapons he desire to use without carrying them at all, by a miracle he can immediately bring the weapon he wants to use by calling their names. He was also resistant to lightning strikes, a force with a pressure that could burn about twenty people he could absorb with his own body. Some things are also very useful to pursue his career on earth to become an ordinary person, who people know as the captain of one of the airlines in America. Although he can’t control the weather and the rain that falls, he can wielding the lightning and storms. His father once told him that the sky would never harm wherever his son was, and he really meant the words his father said at that time.

Physical Abilities:

Fight durability: 10/10.

Fight skills: 10/10 (SPEAR), 10/10 (SWORD), 8/10 (GUN).

Stamina: 10/10.

Physical strength: 10/10.

Speed: 10/10.

Electrokinesis:

Electrical immunity: 9/10.

Static electricity, static shocks, lighting bolts, lighting spears.

Weapons:

Cold-Forged Insignia (SPEAR), Infinite Trials (SABER), Nightmare: Lantern of Eternal Damnation (LONG-SWORD), Earthfire: Breaker of the Sun (CLAYMORE), Nethersong: Ferocity of Eternity (FALCHION), Lightning Globule (SWORD), Thunderguard Gem (SPEAR).

[halforc-mercenary]

I should never count the bear’s skin before it is hatched

Send “I should never count the bear’s skin before it is hatched“ if you wish to know what superstitions my character believes in.

At the fifth day the snowstorm had ebbed away and the dread it had brought, frozen animals, ripped appart trees, killed cattle, destroyed buildings, was by then prettily hidden under a thick white blanket of snow like under a innocent white shroud. The pithouse of the couple Mar had seeked shelter during the last week was made of four round rooms buried in the earth, three rooms for the all day life and one room for the cattle, two goats, one old Highlandraptore and during the last days also Mars draft Kevin. Only the thatched roofs were visible of the houses and now that they were covered in snow they looked like big mushrooms, round and pointy. The morning was fresh and cool, like a gulp of springwater when Mar lead her draft outside and packed her saddlebags. During the last days she had had always heard a certaine melody, so she barely noticed that she was singing quietly to herself:

“Bittida en morgon, innan solen upprann,Innan foglarna började sjunga,Bergatrollet friade till fager ungersven.”

“A good day to leave, eh. No cloud on the sky, you will reach the next village with ease.”, by the words Mars head snapped so fast up as if she had been slapped. She had hoped that she would not have been noticed when she had prepared her leaving, but the older human Tyrrick seemed to had notice- of course he had, he had lived longer as a soldier than she had!- for he stepped out of the stable behind her, rubbing his arms in the mornings coldness.

“Aye.”, the Halforc felt caught redhanded like a child who had a hand stuck in the cookiejar. She lowered her head in a hinted bow:  “My apologize for straining your and your wifes hospitality for so long, Sir Tyrrick.”“Ah, its fine, Girl! It was nice to have such a young person around, it had felt as if-”, there was a second of hestiation and the old mans smile faltered for a moment. Then the moment passed and the human ran a hand through his grey beard:“Heh. Anyway. It was nice to have someone around who could show me a few new patterns on the loom.”In the biggest of the four rooms was standing a big warp-weighted loom on which Mar had noticed the man spended his most time, it was a old thing, made from collected branches and maybe even older than the armor of a Stromgarde Soldier that lay like a boundle of old, worn out linen by the side of the room. When Mar had first stepped in this room she had wondered why someone would put their old armor so plainly to the side, in her past greatuncles house the Armor of him and his wife Brigitte had been put for everyone to see like a golden medal. She had  wondered about this until she had seen Tyrricks wife greet her with a smile that showed her long tusks in all their glory. Kim'rowas a witherbarkforesttroll and even thought Trolls lived loger than human could ever even think of living, her firered mane was rutted with grey strains as if she had braide streaks of silverwire in her hair. Not as grey as her husbands hair and beard was, but Mar had been often told that when peple lived long enough together they would converge to eachothers habits and looks. “ Kim'ro would throw me to her Raptore if I would even think of teaching her how to use the loom.”, Tyrric chuckled like a little boy. Mar did not said anything, instead she remembered what she had seen in the past days: Whenever Tyrrick would go to the Loom, the Trollwoman would sit down beside him and start singing, sometimes wild, happy melodies, somtimes sad ballades, and Tyrrick would bop his feet and his hands would dance over the warp- threads in the tact of his wifes singing, humming to her melodies, weaving her songs into fabric.Mar had watched them out of the corner of her eyes, they had never exchanged any physical affection when Tyrrick weaved, kisses and hugs and laughing they had exchanged during meals or in the kitchen, but still the young woman had felt the most like a intruder, like a outsider, like a burgler witnissing this small scenes by the loom.“ Or teaching her anything in general, its a matter of Pride for her. She thinks clothes should be made of what she had hunted down with her own two hands, eh. I am not complaining,she is doing a great job.” , Tyrrick proudly tapped a old, dark brown hand against the leatherjerkin he was wearing that was old, yet well kept and shimmering dark like obsidian in the dull wintersun.

Eder vill jag gifva en skjorta så ny,Den bästa I lysten att slita;A quiet voice hummed in the back of the Halforcs head.

It was then when the Witherbarktroll shuffled out of the house to them, yawning, a in layers of fur wrapped claypot in her long arms. Kim'ros of mosscovered skin was beautifully emphasised by the blue tunic Tyrrick had weaved the cloth for in the last three days and which hung now on her form like a veil weaved of water, as she lay a arm around the humans waist from behind.

She thinks clothes should be made of what she had haunted down with her own two hands, hm?, Mar pulled hasty the hood of her Gugel deep down in her face, drowning her freckled face in a thick shadow, hiding the very stupid grin that curled utterly goofily around her thick tusks. She was acting inappropriate with such thoughts, she warned herself sternly. Even when they were true.

A layer of quietness lay over the small group like a heavy coat, pressing down their shoulders hardly.Mar did not knew what to say, she had thanked the couple days ago when they had taken her in, but she thought that it was still not enough, that she had stepped so near to them witnissed that scene by the Loom one time too often, that a simple thank you could not outweight how she had invaded their own little world in this past days.Herr Mannelig herr Mannelig trolofven I mig.Mar pushed the melody at the back of her head. It was the Witherbark woman  who leaned down to Tyrrick and mumbled something in the humans ear in a language Mar had heard many, many, many times in  her life and yet only knew scraps and pieces of. There were still a few moments of quietness, a few seconds in which the man listened, but then the quietness was stopped by the man suddenly turning to the side and giving the Trollwoman a kiss on the chin. Mar hasty turned her head away, suddenly feeling even more like a stranger, a foreigner disturbing the routine, a outsider, by seeing this exchange of honest affection.

But Tyrrick did not allowed her to feel like this, Tyrrick  took the in furs wrapped claypot from his wife, Tyrrick stepped nearer, Tyrrick involved her in this act affection with brutal kindniss just likeKim'ro did.

“Kim'rosaid she is worried you are not eating proper enough.”, he said and held up the small package for Mar: “So since you had liked eating her goatcheese so much, she made you yesterday a extra pot for the travel. She wishes you a good trip. So do I, child.”Mar felt strangely moved and pushed that foolishness away with both her hands like a dangerous oppnent, so she only looked at the Troll and lowered her head respectfully in a hinted bow  while muttering quietly: “She shouldn´t have bothered.”,

And again it was Tyrrick who did not allowed her to hide but was loud, was kind, was friendly, was benevolent: “Ha! Don´t argue with a Troll, Girl, you can only lose. Believe me, I have first hand experience!”The Halforc was not sure if Kim'ro unerstood Common, but she pinched playfully Tyrricks ear so she must have understood at least the sense of his words.

Mar only lowered her head respectfully before both of them, because she did not knew what else to say. Then she pouched the cheesepot in her saddlebag. Quietly the young woman muttered a goodbye and gave clapped the spurs to her Horse, making Kevin hasty trott over the thick(Shroud)veil of snow beneath.

The Halforc only looked back one time and saw that Tyrrick had lay a arm around the taller Trollwoman, quietly talking to her. When the old pithouse with the snowcovered thatched roofs was out of sight, when she breathed in the air fresh  and watched the world around her laying there silent, as if sleeping under the layer of snow like under a blanket, she started to sing again quietly for herself:

“Herr Mannelig herr Mannelig trolofven I mig.För det jag bjuder så gerna;I kunnen väl svara endast ja eller nej,Om i viljen eller ej..”

[haiqyu]

Remember

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Did that old lady just disappear with the table of accessories? How did she do that? That's impossible! She couldn't have went to far.

I took Taeyong's hand and ran around the area to find the old lady, but she wasn't there. I scratched my head and looked at Taeyong. "where did she go? How did she do that? "

He just shrugged and took the situation lightly. He fiddled with the purple bracelet on his wrist. He smiled sadly at it. I huffed and crossed my arms. Does he see disappearing people all the time? But isn't disappearing people called ghosts?

"let's just walk around the area. I'll accompany you home after this. " he said while looking at the bracelet. He seemed like he was avoiding the situation.

I just nodded and tried to look for the old lady again. A few minutes later, I gave up looking for her and just plopped down onto a wooden bench. I scooted over and patted the seat next to me,signalling Taeyong to seat down too.

He took the seat beside me and still continued to look at the bracelet. We both kept quiet for a few minutes. It was getting more awkward to me, so I thanked him for the hair pin. "Hey, Taeyong. Thank you for the hair pin. It's really pretty. I really like it. " I smiled at him.

He blushed. "No problem... "

"if only you knew... " he mumbled under his breath.

"sorry, what did you say? "

"n-nothing! "

It was almost midnight. We held hand in hand as we walked towards my house. It was a quiet walk again. Neither of us said a word.

It seemed like the couple were in a palace. Who ever passed bowed and greeted them. It sseemed they were from a royal family. They walked hand in hand as well. Both hands held tightly to each other as if the other was about to leave. The female played with the bracelet on his wrist.

They both entered the room, which I assumed was their own bedroom. They closed the door and hugged each other tightly. Her head rested on his chest as they proclaimed their love to each other. The purple accessories twinkled in the dimly lit room as they started to make love. (SHIT IM CRINGING OH NY GOODDD)

I got back to reality. I looked down and realised that my cheeks were wet. I was crying when the flashback happened. I couldn't hold my emotions in and started sobbing. I didn't even know why I was crying. It felt like a reflex whenever I had a flashback. Sometimes, I would cry myself to sleep as well.

I stopped walking and continued crying. I tried to stop but the tears continued to flow naturally. Why am I so emotional? Now Taeyong might think that I'm weird. He's going to leave me. I let go of Taeyong's hand and hid my face with both of my hands. I sobbed into my hands and didn't dare to look at him.

I heard some shuffling of feet and felt two arms being wrapped around my body. The comforting smell of Taeyong signaled me that he was hugging me. He hugged me tightly and rested his chin onto my head. He sniffed his nose as if he was crying as well. I took my hands off and put my face into his shirt, making it soaked with my tears.

"it's okay... I'm not going to leave you again. " he whispered to me.

"a-again? " I hiccuped. "what do you mean again? "

"nothing. " he continued to hold me in his arms.

We stayed in this position for quite a while. No one said a word, only the sound of sobbing was heard. I calmed down a few minutes later. He slowly left go of me and wiped the remaining tears away with his sleeves. He swiped my hair away from my face. I got a good look of his face. His eyes and nose were red as if he was crying as well.

My eyes were puffy and blurry so I didn't know if what I saw was true. He combed my hair which soothes me, making me feel sleepy. Or maybe it's just the crying that made me tired. He took my hand and I told him the instructions to my house.

When we got there, he hugged me once more and waved good bye. I waved back and watched him walk off into the night. I went into my room, got into the shower and went to my bed.

I got ready to sleep but I shot up from my bed and realised. I didn't get his number. "ah shit. God dammit. I just forgot about... MMMMMM BOI"

I trashed around my bed and screamed into my pillow. Why am I so forgetful? That's such a good guy and he's a keeper. I'm so stupid! I grabbed my phone and checked my messages. I didn't use my phone the whole day but I only got one message. Wow. Relatable. It was from Johnny.

Johnny: are you feeling fine now?

Me: Yea... Thanks for caring man

Johnny: no problem :'))

He's a cool and caring dude but he doesn't have a girlfriend. Such a waste. But I only treated him as my friend and my colleague so...

I took about the old notebook from my nightstand. I started to write down the events today, just in case I forgot about it. I drew the purple hair pin with the purple bracelet. Taeyong seemed like a really nice guy, but I'm not sure of that's the Taeyong in the notebook. Life is suppose to be unfair, it's not so easy. I flipped to some of the pages and saw a phrase.

"The Happy Ending Never Came. " and surrounding it was some dried up tear marks on the paper.

I just wondered again. Will we ever get a happy ending in this life?

I flipped to another page. It was a family tree drawn by me in the past. Apparently Taeyong was the son of a king who died and passed the throne to Taeyong's brother. His brother's name was smudged but there's a letter 'o' in the name. His brother was the one who sent Taeyong to war...

I kept the book and looked out of the window. White particles started to fall from the sky. It's snowing... I got up and opened the window. I reached out and some snow touched the palm of my hand. I suddenly got a flashback.

Taeyong gasped for air as he laid in the snow. The snow around him was crimson red. His whole body shivering and was covered in snow. He looked up and saw another guy. He was wearing almost the same clothing as him, indicating that they were from the same tribe. He stabbed Taeyong in the heart. Taeyong coughed and tried to grip onto the sword to pull it out. The guy smirked and pushed the sword deeper into his chest. Before Taeyong died, the guy said while smirking,

"Long live the king. "

I fell onto the bed and sobbed. I gripped onto the bed sheets and continued to cry. Everytime winter comes, I would always have this flashback. But i wasnt in it. It hurts my heart and my soul. For the past 19 years of my life, I have been living in this roller coaster of emotions. Medicine didn't help. Therapy didn't help. Nothing helped. I will always be living in this misery until my soul mate comes.

I continued crying for hours and finally fell asleep.

I woke up feeling tired and lethargic. My eyes puffy and swollen. My face was red and there were dried up tears on my cheeks. I looked myself at the mirror. How disappointing. I showered and tried to freshen up.

I walked to the café quietly and slowly. The streets were covered with snow and it looked like a winter wonderland. I pulled onto my scarf and wrapped it tightly around my neck to keep myself warm. I put my hands into the pockets of my jacket. I walked into the café and got ready for my shift.

When I got to the counter, the first customer came in. I looked up and realised that it was Taeyong. I raised my eyebrows. Is he going to ask for my number? Is he coming in here for me or for the milkshake? Either way, I'm glad he's alive-i mean here.

"hey, (Y/n). Could I get a-"

"chocolate milkshake? "

"Yea... It tasted very good. "

He's here for the milkshake.

He paid for the milkshake and I went ahead to make it. After that, I pass the drink to him. He slid up some dollars as tips and a small piece of paper. I looked up and he was already on the seat, facing away from me.

"my number is xxxxxxxx. Lets go out again :)) -Taeyong"

Now I'm starting to think that Taeyong is the 'Taeyong' in the notebook. But I'm not sure. I have to go out with him to find out...

I took out my phone and typed in his number. I finally got his number. Phew... But now I have a problem. I don't know how to text him. I don't want to come out as very confident, needy or desperate. URGH

I finally calmed down and just typed, "hey!"

Now I'm starting to regret it. god, now I'm going of as overly excited. I'm died. I'm never getting laid. I'm never getting a boyfriend. I'm dying. A few seconds later, he texted back. I screamed internally and also a little bit externally.

We just chatted over the phone when we are just meters away from each other. We continued till the end of my shift. I got to know more about him and realised that he's the same age as me.

We got to hang out together after my shift. We went to another café and chilled there. We ordered some food and drinks. He paid for everything again and I felt bad. I tried to be fast but he already took out his credit card. I hit his arm playfully and sighed.

The cashier smiled. "you two are such a cute couple! Last long! "

I blushed so hard that I felt as if my head was going to pop off. I was about to deny it when Taeyong smiled back and said confidently, "thank you. We will. "

I choked on my own saliva and ran to an empty seat. I hid my face into my hands and didn't want to look at Taeyong. He's so husband boyfriend material. But I'm just not worth it. Taeyong headed over with the food and patted my head softly. "let's eat."

While eating, I took note of his habits. He nibbled his food first before taking a big bite. He sipped his drink but bring his mouth on to their straw instead of using his hands. He fiddled with his jacket everytime. Hes so cute.

We laughed and chatted while eating. That's a good process as yesterday's date was very quiet and there were less talking involved. Some sauce was on the side of his mouth. I took a tissue out and leaned over. I gently wiped the sauce off his face.

"you're such a messy eater, oppa!" the girl pouted and wiped the food off his mouth.

"I know you like it! " he pinched her cheeks.

"you're such a messy eater, Taeyong."

"but I know you like it. " he smiled.

I stopped and looked at him. It was the exact words the guy said in my flashback. Is he really... Taeyong?

He paused and chuckled nervously. He just stuffed his face with more food. After this, the conversation went quiet. Again, no one talked. His eyes wondered around as if he was avoiding to look at me.

After the food, we got up and walked out of the café together. He held my hand tightly as it started snowing again. The floor became wetter and whiter as snow continued to fall. Just then we bumped into my colleague, Johnny.

It seemed like the whole world paused for a while. Taeyong and Johnny looked at each other. Taeyong held me closer to him and his hand grabbed onto mine tighter.

"Johnny. "

"Hyung. "

[fuzzydemolitionsquad]

Lasat family slice of life story

So I took a short vacation from one project to do a personal project, and I've found that breaking away and changing up really helps reignite passion when it comes to returning to stories that have been in the works for months . . . some even years. 

This features my Southern-mountain folk lasat oc's so if you don't reeealy like that sort of thing in the Star wars universe I totally understand. If you're interested though, I encourage a read. I'm trying to improve when it comes to writing engaging characters.

The exaggerated language/words these guys speak is part researched and part imagined. The story is a fiction-y take on old-timey Appalachian culture (space Appalachian culture?) (which I love) It's gradually gets more 'lasat' toward the end.

It doesn't have a title. Maybe someone can help?

-------------

Morning

Southeast Lasan

The sun draped a ribbon of honey-colored light over the highest ridge of the Sou Mountains, alighting the tops of the tallest greenjacket trees. A pale blue moon, flanked by its three smaller satellites, lay low in the fading-star-freckled sky.

Morning had come, and the inhabitants of every mountain home, from Sarrkey Knob to Pricklebush, were awake and bustling with activity. It was the beginning of Spring, a scant few months away from the Dust Season, and the hillfolk in these mountains had much to do. The snow had melted. It was time to plant crops and repair fences and barns. Time to pull hammerhead cow calves and build mud-and- straw nests for farrowing kalgow sows.

Shoog Trodd languished in the cocoon of her feather-down quilt. She knew it was time to get up, and also knew if she didn’t get her furry brown butt out of bed soon, her ma would certainly aid her in the process. ‘The chookens won’t gathee they’s own aigs fer us’, she’d say, waving her apron at her with a flourish.

Shoog lifted the hem of her old nightgown and looked down her skinny legs to her too-large feet and growled to herself. She wished she looked more like her older sister. Sally Trodd was built like one of those Amethyst City gals—the voluptuous ones with glossy fur and whitened fangs—who had their pictures in all the prominent fashion flimsi-mags. Sal would look good in a paper poke, if the occasion ever arose where she had to wear one.

It was Shoog’s Flowering Day, the seventeenth year since her birth, but instead of being happy, she was as glum as could be.

"Gonna have to wear the same dress fer my Flowerin’ Day that I wore fer mah last birthday. And I don’t even have m’ ears pierced. Ma and pa says I’m a woman now, but I still dress like a little ol’ kid. Wish I had some pocket money to least buy some ankle garters."

A chooky rooster crowed on the fencepost and Shoog jumped out of bed. She could hear her ma in the kitchen tossing logs into the iron woodstove. Pa was rousing too. It was customary for pa to utter a few gruff ‘karabasts’ each morning before work. He wished he had more time to enjoy the morning’s light, but soon enough he would be descending into the bowels of the G.R.Gradd-Co Quadranium Mine no. seven, and wouldn’t return home until after the sun had dipped below the mountains. The one thing he looked forward to was ma’s breakfasts, even in the lean times. Today there would be fried scrapple and eggs, sweet gorm porridge and wood-sprite mushroom preserves on last night’s leftover maize bread. And caf, strong and black.

Shoog threw an old coat over her nightdress and ran a comb through her wild hair. She hustled out of her room and trotted for the front door.

"Sugar!"

The lasat girl halted at the sound of her mother’s voice.

"Come sit a spell woodja?"

"Gotta use thee outhouse, ma!"

"I ain’t gonna take long. Sides, Puggles is in there right now."

Shoog tossed her head back and closed her eyes."Chaos, Puggles, I know we is alike, but do yew always hafta go when I need to?" 

She marched into the kitchen and sat at the Trodd family’s ancient split log table. She traced her parents initials with her claw. It was a sweet testament to their love, and had been for almost seventy years.

Ma sat down with a cup of caf and propped her strong, brown-furred arms on the table. " Shoog, I was a thinkin,’ I’d like t’ curl yer hair and pin it up with granny’s blue pearl combs fore yer cuzzins and friends show up fer yer Flowerin’ Day party. What’cha think?"

The girl’s pointed ears perked. "That sounds good ma! Kin I ask Sal to pierce my ears? "

Ma’s nasal fold wrinkled in disdain. "Yew know I dun like those. They make a young female look like a fast female."

"What’s a fast female?"

"Thee kind what runs around wid all sorts a’ males. Sparkin’ all thee time and drinkin’ likker! Yew got a reppy-tayshun to keep, Shoog."

Pa, a seven-and-a-half-foot mountain of a lasat, entered the kitchen. He set his miner’s helmet on the table, squeezed ma’s shoulders and gave her a tender nose-press. They exchanged a quick breath.

"Aww, ma, stop beein’ so old-fashioned. If my Sugar wants a cupple lil’ earrings t’ make her head look purtier, then she kin have um. It’s her Flowerin’ Day after all."

Ma was incensed. Her yellow-orange eyes bulged. She pounded the heavy table and it quivered. " Rufus Aloysius Trodd! Donchee dare step on me like that! Iffen I say no, I mean no!"

Pa poured himself a large pottery mug of caf. He quickly pressed the rim of the mug against his lips to hide his smile

Shoog sulked. Sometimes her mother was such a bogan. "Well, kin I at least go to the second-hand and look fer a dress to wear?"

Pa set down his caf. "I’m sorry darlin’. Money’s tighter than a Nemoidian’s fist right now. I still owes the comp-ny store fifty creds from last month. Maybe next year."

"Next year won’t be my Flowerin’ Day." Shoog pushed back her chair and buttoned up her coat. "Pa?" She looked at her fearsome but loving patriarch. "Is yew gonna be at my party?"

" I’m reel sorry darlin. I hafta work all day. We found a new vein a’ quadranium and the boss man want us to fill thee quota afore Secondday."

"Oh." Shoog said, deflated. "I better go git them aigs. Dun want yew to miss yer breakfast."

"That’s a good girl." Ma oiled a skillet and set it aside. "Dun bother lil’ Speckle. Jus’ let her be. Thee other hens wuz picking on her sumthing awful yesterday. I think she’s gonna die."

Shoog winced. "Figgurs. She’s my favrit. What a great day this is turnin’ out to be."

The girl slammed the screened door as she exited the house. Ma and pa looked at each other and smiled.

"Oh, I cain’t stand trickin’ her like this. Do you think she has any idear?"

"None whatsever."

Ma plucked a jar of mushroom preserves off the top shelf and set it on the table."Rufus, yew really owe thee comp-ny store fifty credits?"

"Course not. I’s jus tryin’ to fatten up our story some." Rufus growled low in his throat. It was a plaintive growl, not a scary one. "Cain’t believe my youngest girl-cub is a woman-lasat. Seems like only yesterday she wuz a little sprig, wrasslin’ oalamanders in th’mud."

"An’ Puggles will follow her in a year. Then all of our cubs’ll be growed."

"If Puggles don’ stop sparimentin’ wid them damn farcrackers he ain’t gonna make it to his seventeenth birthday. I swear, that cub’s plumb crazy."

"Yew hesh-up now Rufus. Puggles is just gittin’ out his fluster-ations by havin’ a lil’ fun. Jimbo and Jax won’t stop pickin’ on him. It’s high time they got a few whacks wid Ol’ Skinner."

Pa looked down at the infamous belt around his massive girth and chuckled. One day he’d have to hang it in the shed with the rest of the tools.

"I s’pose yer right. I jus ain’t home enough to discipline them. Heh, at least we kin be thankful Puggles ain’t buildin’ bombs. He shore does take a shine to the boomin’ don’t he? Member how much he loved thunder when he wuz a sucklin’ cub?"

Ma grinned. "Shore enough I do. All dem other cubs wood be quiverin’ under they beds, but Not Puggles. He’d climb all over his crib and giggle and sway like he were list’nin to a funny song."

" Seems like only yesterday." Pa reminisced. "I should take him down to the mine, let him watch the detonite crew at work. He’d prolly like dat."

　

                                                  * * * *

Shoog crouched in the henhouse with a full basket of eggs and Lil’ Speckle tucked inside her coat. Jimbo’s prized hen, a big blue with a row of serrated teeth in her lizard-like jaw, glared angrily at the timid chooken sticking her head out of Shoog’s collar. ‘Lola’ strutted back and forth on one of the henhouse rafters, cluck-hissing, her feathers puffed and her spur toes clacking.

"Speckle, we better git outta here afore Lola shits on us . . . or worse. I’ll keep yew in my closet, but yew gotta be real quiet when I give these aigs to ma. Deal?"

The injured chooken cocked her head. She opened her mouth and waggled her tongue, panting.

When Shoog entered the house, she carried the basket over to the wash counter and set it down. She gripped the collar of her coat, holding it close to her neck, and turned to walk to the small bedroom she shared with Sal. Ma caught her by the ear.

"Yoww!"

"Hold on there. Ain’t yew fergetting something?"

Shoog huffed in indignation. "I has to scrub them aigs on my Flowerin’ Day?"

"It’s yer chore ain’t it?"

"Yeah but . . ."

" Get scrubbin’ missy."

Shoog scowled. She looked over at Sal, who was setting the table. Sal’s eyes met her sister’s as she placed a bowl of fresh churned butter on the table. For a moment, Shoog thought she looked sympathetic.

"Now I know why yew celebrated yer seventeenth birthday in the city wid yer friends. I thought it wuz dumb, but it all makes sense now."

Ma and pa looked at each other, silent as tombs.

Shoog got down to business scrubbing the eggs, trying to keep the chooken in her coat still and quiet. She thought of The Amethyst City—The Royal City—and daydreamed about the King and Queen and their well-dressed court. She thought about the beautiful but air-headed princess, and the handsome, ginger-furred prince. He was tall, with bedroom eyes, a curled mustache and pomaded facial fringes. It was said that he had over a hundred lovers, most of them married, but Shoog didn’t believe it. No lasat, male or female, could have that many lovers! She then thought about the Royal Honor Guard, the cream of Lasan’s military force. They were hand-picked from their barracks by war-council leaders, chosen for their agility and strength and smarts. Shoog couldn’t deny how good the male soldiers looked in their form-fitting armorweave suits, complete with capes, helmets and bo-rifles. A burst of painful pleasure electrified the pit of her belly and she forced herself to think of other things.

When she was done, she dried her hands on the dishtowel and stormed toward her room. Ma shouted after her.

"Breakfast will be ready in about a quarter-tick."

"I’m not hungry!"

Ma’s tough facade melted. She whispered to pa. " I don’ think I kin do this anymore. If I keep it up she’s gunna hate me somethin’ awful."

Pa laughed. " Why don’ yew jus’ let her have her gad-durned earrings? She’ll be as happy as a killow flying through a skeeter storm. They won’t turn her into a wicked woman. Our Sugar is a good girl."

Sal’s eyes narrowed.

Sadie snorted and her slot nostrils flared. "Fine. Mebbe I’ll git my ears pierced too. And buy me one of them low-cut gowns, like thee ones them street corner gals wear."

Sally spat out her coffee and made a high-pitched noise, like a reed-squirrel chipping. The thought of her strong, robust-figured mother in a slinky gown was impossible not to giggle at. Pa however, had a different opinion of the matter. He smoothed down his thick mane of a beard and quirked his brow salaciously.

"Yew git yerself a gown like that Sadie, and I’ll personally throw erryone of our brood outta thee house an tell em to stay away fer three days."

Sally stopped laughing. She rolled her long-lashed eyes.

"Gross, pa. Really gross."

She picked a warty-skinned tuber out of the vegetable bin, tossed it into the air and caught it.

"One set of pierced ears coming up." She said, flouncing and jiggling in a most impressive way.

*******

"I wish I wuz a chooken." Shoog said, filling a box in her closet with old handkerchiefs. Lil’ Speckle flopped around on her bedroom floor. She clucked feebly and pecked at a crumb of food that had fallen between two boards.

"Then I could just strut about, pecking and a’ eatin’ and shittin’ out aigs. I wouldn’t have to worry bout being a Gods-dammed loser on my Flowerin’ Day."

"Aren’t you being a bit dramatic?" Sally said, slinking into the room like a brown-furred Goddess. "It’s hardly the end of Lasan. And you better be careful. Ma will give you the back of the brush if she hears you cursing."

Sally had practiced long and hard to speak like a ‘proper’ lasat, ridding herself of that ‘inherited common-human inflection.’ The humans had left Lasan over a millennia ago, but the ancestors of those lasats who neighbored with them in the mountains still spoke the speak.

"Ooh Shoog, what do you have there? A chooken? Are you, as they say, ‘a’fixing to rile ma up?"

" Cakkhh! Shoog spat-snarled. Stop beein’ so damn snobby. It’s annoyin’! Like it or not, you is a hilltrekker jus like the rest of us, and yew always will be. And yes, it’s a chooken. If stupid Jimbo kin bring his precious Lola in th’ house, I dun see no good reason why I cain’t keep Speckle."

On any other day, Sally would jump Shoog for her insolence. The two would engage in a howling, clawing, hair-pulling battle until ma came bursting in to give their bottoms’ a good beating. But today was Shoog’s special birthday. Sal decided to let it go. She sat down on her bed, rolled onto her belly and folded her arms under her chin. She stared at her sister, a tooka’s grin on her face. "So, how do you feel you little nerf? Different?"

"Why would I feel diff’rent?" Shoog lifted Lil’ Speckle into the box and checked her wounds.

" Because you’re a ‘wahmerr’ now. Sally enunciated the Illasano word for ‘woman.’

"Don’ feel like no wahmerr."

" I mean, what do you think about the jackbeards around these parts? They give you the belly tingles yet?"

Shoog flushed. "Sometimes. But Hells, half of the boys round these parts have scrawny beards and bony shoulders."

"True. However, there’s a handsome jack visiting the Boggs. A dark blue striper without a tail. And he has a nice beard coming in." Sal sighed wistfully. "Wonder who he is and where he comes from?"

The younger girl shrugged. "Dunno. I ain’t never seen him."

"If you play your sabbacc cards right, and flirt like I taught you, he might be your boyfriend . . ." Sal said in a sing-song voice.

"Bogan’s balls, I don’ want no boyfriend. I ain’t ready fer all that. I still sleep wid that howler bear toy granny made me when I wuz five."

"I know. And you still suck your thumb."

"I do not! That’s Puggles!"

"Well, I don’t sleep in Puggles’room."

Shoog was about to make a retort when Sally held up the tuber in her hand.

"Why you got that tater? Is yew gonna throw it at me?"

" No, dummy. Ma finally took pity on you. She’s going to allow me to pierce your ears. See the yellow glass studs on my dresser? Those are for you. I liked them when I bought them, but yellow’s not really my color. Happy Flowering Day, Twig."

Shoog squealed. She hopped up onto Sal’s bed and jumped around like a jitter-tick on a hot speeder engine.

"Is yew serious?"

"Serious as a snake-bite. Now stop jumping. That’s all I need is for you to break my bed and have ma thinking me and some jack did it!"

" Ok, sorry." Shoog leapt down. She rocked on her footpads. Her eight toes kneaded the rug beside the bed.

There was a knock at the bedroom door and ma came in, a clean kitchen towel in her hand.

"Here’s the knife fer the tater and a biled safety pin. Yew sure yew know how to do this Sal?"

"Yes ma. I’ve pierced so many of my friends’ ears I’m practically a professional."

"Land a muddlin’ I shore hope so."

Shoog ran to her mother and squeezed her ample waist. "Thank yew, mama, thank yew!!"

"Alright child, alright." Ma held her out at arms length and looked at her. A tear formed in the corner of her eye. "Don’t yew come cryin’ to me if they get infected, ya hear?"

"I won’t."

Ma wiped her eyes with her apron and stood against the doorframe, watching. Sal cut the potato and set it on the clean towel then got the studs. She put them down and looked around. "Do we have any alcohol, ma?"

" Kingdom a’ Ashla and thee Great Bearded One!! No we don’t."

"I can’t do this unless I disinfect everything."

Shoog whined. "Aww, I knew this wuz too good to be true." She threw herself on her bed and crossed her arms like a petulant toddler. She glanced up. A green-bellied arach was spinning a red web on the ceiling.

"Spahder in the house!" She shouted. "Bad luck, bad luck, bad luck be gone!"

Ma ignored Shoog. "I know! Hold on a second."

She left and returned with a jar of clear, sky-colored liquid.

"That’s pa’s blue lightning!" Sal blinked her eyes, shocked. "He and Mossy only made a small batch this year. If he finds out we used it for. . ."

"What he don’ know won’t rile him. Sides, yer only gonna use a little." Ma handed Sal the jar.

The lasat girl unscrewed it and the potent vapors almost knocked her over. She dipped the clean towel in the jar and wiped it all over her hands. Then she wiped the studs. Shoog sat up and held her mid-section. Fairy-bats were flittering around in her belly.

"You ready? Sal held up the safety pin.

"It ain’ gonna hurt a lot is it?"

" Ashla, Shoog. All that whining and now you’re scared? Janey’s the biggest coward in these hills and she let me pierce her ears."

"I know but . ."

"It doesn’t hurt at all. It’s more like a little pinch than anything. Besides, I’m fast. Just close your eyes and hold your breath and it’ll all be over before you know it. Here, hold your growly-bear."

Shoog took the worn stuffed animal and pushed it against her face. Sally moved to her sister’s bed. She gripped her ear and stretched it thin over the potato. Ma steepled her hands in front of her mouth.

Sal stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth and squinted. Her piercing hand hovered over her sister’s ear. "Okay Shoog, little pinch. One. . . two. . . THREE!"

She skewered her sister’s pinna with one punch and removed the tuber.

"That’s it. I’ll leave it in there and let it stretch the hole out a bit."

Shoog removed the bear from her face. "That’s it? I hardly felt that a’tall! Do the other one!"

"Hold your krauntauns. I’m wiping the pin."

Sally pierced Shoog’s other ear and pushed the studs through. Shoog ran to the mirror to admire her sister’s work. The earrings were beautiful, like scintillating dew drops touched by the sun. Ma brushed and curled her daughter’s thick, dark brown hair and dabbed a drop of tinted gloss on her lips. "Look up." She said as she applied two coats of mascara to her lashes. Sal tried to be helpful when she offered Shoog one of her too-small short skirts and a tiny top. Ma vetoed them the moment they exited the closet. She walked her daughter over to the dresser mirror and stood behind her.

"Wooo." Shoog leaned forward and studied the visage staring back at her. "I dun look half bad."

"You look a’might purty if yew ask me." Ma kissed her cheek. " Now rest up a spell. Thee guests should start arrivin’ by sunhigh. I’m gunna go pay yer aunt Daizee a call. Bring her some tack-biscuits and sweet-nettle tea. That baby inner is making her as sick as an anooba in a melon patch."

"Well it is an Orrelios." Sal said, her eyes downcast.

"Hesh-up. I don’t want none of that talk outta you ‘round Daizee, yew hear?"

"Yeah, I hear."

******

Sugar Trodd dreamed that the prince of Lasan had invited her to the Royal Palace. Naturally, he was infatuated with her at first sight. Never had he seen such a delicate mountain flower. He compared her eyes to the torch-fires of Izrothir , her lips to a fount of heady wine and her small breasts to a pair of decadent Aztecan chocolate truffles. He found himself mad with passion and he couldn’t help but beg her to be his wife. Shoog smiled in her slumber when he breathed into her ear and nuzzled her temple with his lips. She traced the prince’s handsome brow-ridges with her fingertips and put her hands on the back of his head. She drew him in close, touching her snub nose to his. They shared a life-breath and then connected in a kiss. . .

The sounds of a gathering crowd whisked the prince away into obscurity. Shoog woke with a snort. She jumped out of bed and drew back her curtain to look at a large gathering of women-lasats arranging food on a long plank table in front of the house. Some she recognized, like her aunts and cousins and friends, but some she didn’t. Did her cousins and friends invite friends of their own?

Wood in the brick fire pit burned hot, and the mouth-watering smell of roasting prongnose wafted in through her bedroom window. She closed the curtain with a swift pull.

"Karabast! That’s all fer me? All that food and all them people?" She knelt in front of the chest at the foot of her bed and frantically pulled clothes from it. Lil’ Speckle looked at her with sleepy-hen eyes, then, unfazed, drank from the water dish Shoog had provided her.

"There ain’t nothing in here worth wearing, cept mebbe this fancy sweaterdress. Uhhggh, No!" She threw it down. "It too hot outside fer that!"

She sat back down on her bed and agonized over her choices. Then,

"You know what? Ma and Sal went through a lot of trouble to make me feel good. Least I kin do is be ‘preesh-ative. That ol’ dress a mine ain’t so bad. Hells, nobody will recognize it from last year. I hope."

Shoog wriggled into her slip and tossed the old blue dress on. It was a little tighter and shorter than she remembered. Was it possible she did that much growing in one year? She buttoned it up.

She went to the mirror and combed her curls, then put on another dab of gloss and rubbed her lips together. Ma came into the room, a colorful box tucked under her arm.

"Oh, Sugar darlin’ that old dress won’t do. Not fer yer flowerin’!"

"It’s not a bad dress ma. An’ look, it fits me better this year!"

"I dunno," Sadie rubbed her furry chin. "What do yew think Daizee?"

Aunt Daizee’s purple-striped face peered into the room. She was a pretty lasat, pretty as a jogan, but a lack of sleep and constant morning sickness had hollowed her cheeks and darkened the sockets of her eyes.

"I reckon it’s okay. But I think you’d like what’s in the box better."

Shoog’s heart skipped a beat. She eyed the colorful package tucked under her mother’s arm and her mouth dropped open. She felt like a magnet drawn to metal.

"Happy Flowerin’ Day my darlin’." Ma handed Shoog the package. It was wrapped in pink foil paper and tied with a big white bow. Shoog whistled through her front teeth.

"That’s the nicest wrappin’ paper I’ve ever seen in my whole life! I don’ wanna rip it."

"Oh go ahead, rip it!" Sal said, coming into the room.

"No. It’s too purty to waste. I kin use it again." Shoog sat cross-legged on her bed with the box on top of her knees. She was dying to see what was inside.

After carefully removing the bow and paper she removed the box top and unfolded the dish towel containing her present. She held her hands to her mouth and gasped. Inside, was an elegant strapless dress the color of fresh-churned butter. Shoog lifted it out of the box. It had a scalloped front and was gathered at the waist. The opening in back, plunging to mid spine, was laced with delicate yellow ribbons.

"Great Bearded One, if this ain’t the purtiest dress I ever did see!" She held it up in front of her and twirled. "And strapless too! Ain’t this gonna make me look ‘fast’ ma?"

" Yer auntie says it’s an elegant dress. It ain’t meant t’ make yew look fast. Hit’s meant t’ make yew look like a lady."

"It’s gorgeous, Shoog." Sal said with a hint of jealousy.

*********

Shoog greeted her guests. They oohed and aaahed and told her to turn around. Great aunts pinched her cheeks and friends and cousins made big productions out of her new look. They ‘Oh my Godded’ and ‘You’re so luckyed’ her so much, she felt like a celebrity. When she slipped away for a second to get some pucker-fruit punch she looked into the throng of lasats and felt her face contort into a confused frown.

Where were all the males?

Every guest, except for the youngest cubs, were female.

Shoog saw her eldest sister Mae placing a bowl of rarrcot and swamp-plum salad on the table. She went up to her.

"Hey mama Mae."

" There she is! The belle of the ball. The most beautiful girl here. And to think, yew were a rough-and tumble little jack-boy the last time I saw yew."

"Aw, I’m still a jack-boy. I ain’t never gonna stop huntin’ and fishin’ wid pa, or stop wrasslin wid the fellers."

"Yew might wanna reconsider that last one." Mae said, wiping the rim of the bowl with a wet cloth.

"Uhm, speaking of fellers, where’s all th’ males at? I ain’t seen a peek of Jimbo or Jax or Muss or Puggles. Not even Mawsy. And there’s beer here, I know it!"

"I’m sure they’re around. Somewhere." Mae winked and tweaked Shoog’s chin. She turned at the sound of a grating female voice. "Oh, I see someone invited that ol’ loon-cootie Lottie Bingo. She’s prowbly thumping the Great Bearded One’s book, preachin’ about the sins of the flesh and fur." She frowned. "Bless her heart. Well, excuse me darlin,’ I have to find some more cutlery. I brought my wedding set of aurodium plate, great-Aunt Tilda and Winnie did too, but a lot more lasats than we anticipated turned up to see yew flower."

Shoog hugged her sister and skipped off. She joined her friends and kin on the grassy hill behind the barn and stood in a long line. They played malogi’-majlogo, a once-competitive game that was rumored to come from the fabled planet of Lirasan. Most historians and lasopoligists believed all lasats living on Lasan came via a human transport over three-thousand years ago, as no bones found in middens were any older. Lasats had to come from somewhere. Perhaps the legend of Lirasan wasn’t so far fetched as many once thought.

The girls clapped their hands loudly, calling out the name of the first girl in line. Cousin Hildi stepped out of line and performed a dance she had conjured up the night before. She flapped her arms like a killow and stood high on her toes and cartwheeled until he landed on her tail. Laughing, she skipped her way to the end of the line. Next was Sally. Her dance—though impressive— was as predictable as it was sensuous, and was hard to clap to. Other girls followed, each one with their own trademark dance style. Then came Shoog’s turn.

Pumped with adrenaline, she ran out in front of the gang of laughing girls and raised a ferocious scream so loud her younger cousins covered their sensitive ears. She crouched low and prowled and paced. She bared her fangs and popped her eyes. They burned a deep orange around their pinprick pupils. The girls went wild. They clapped in quintuple-beat, clap clap. . . clapclapclap. . . a warrish beat. Shoog knelt in the grass and shimmied her shoulders. She slapped the palms of her hands on the ground and whipped her head around then sprang from her crouch, eight feet into the air, landing in a pose reminiscent of that of a sprinter at a starting line. She stood, thrust out a bent leg and raised her face to the sky before letting out another scream. The girls were about to applaud the dance when the most blood-curdling roar they had ever heard split the air through the holler. Shoog stood up straight. A beaming smile covered her face. She knew that roar.

Coming up the rising path was a large troop of males, her father in the lead.

"Pa!" She lifted her dress and ran straight for the giant lasat, her companions not far behind. The eerie moan of traditional polished horn prong-pipes heralded the males’ entrance. The blowing of the pipes informed colonies of lasats that a clan leader was approaching. Even in the royal city they used wrought-ore versions of the ancient instruments whenever the King and Queen made an appearance.

Flanking pa were his sons. Rufus jr. and Zelbert. Muss and Naylor. Jax and Jimbo and Puggles. Even Trapper, who spent most of his life in solitude in the high mountains. As she got closer, Shoog saw Mossy, and also cousin Zeke and Bubba. A phalanx of other kin and family friends followed behind. Shoog leapt at her father who caught her in a hug then hoisted her up onto his shoulder. They marched through the crowd of women-folk and stood at attention in the yard. On the porch, pa’s well-fed anooba Gracie horrked and slobbered and ran her tongue over the jutting spade of a tooth in her lower jaw. She galloped up to Rufus and stood upright, putting her long-clawed paws on his chest. Mossy grabbed a beer from a washtub and cracked it open on the beastly creature’s tooth. The young boys in the crowd laughed.

The male lasats were dressed in their finest woodsmen-warrior garb, which included sleeveless, multipocketed jerkins and arm bracers with pouches. They wore gray prongnose-wool skilts—with clan colors and designs around the bottom— and leather codpieces and knife sheaths. Most bore two bandoliers that crisscrossed their chests and each male carried an impressive arsenal of weapons. Pa’s old rifle was slung across his back and two throwing axes hung at his hips. Whip-killow feathers wreathed his bony dome, and his face, already fearsome, was painted white, like a skull. There were males with shining daggers and lacquered bats. Males with falchions, slugthrowers and plasma spitters, pole-bows, maces and spears.

Each male was fearsome and striking, even little Puggles, whose painted face and shark-jawed visage made him look like a strangely formidable foe. The trio of smoke-screamer grenades in his bandolier also helped.

Shoog kicked Gracie’s paws off Rufus’s chest. " Don’tchu get my dress dirty y’ whip-tailed bitch. I’ll brain ye!"

A lasat in the back, pa’s friend Tabe, guffawed like a drunk at a circus.

"That thar is deffy-nit-ly yer pro-genny ol’ Roof! Shore as a tick loves a furry ass-crack."

"We is gonna have t’ get more beer." Ma whispered to Daizee.

The purple-striped female caressed the small bulge in her belly. "Um, or mebbe not. I’m sure some of them boys brang they’s own distillate. Hey!" She yelped. "Easy little one. Land’ a muddlin’, only five months old and she’s kickin’ like a cow!"

Shoog poked her pa’s snub nose and wiped the white paint on his jerkin. "Hey pa, why is yew fellers all fancied up an’ armed to thee teeth?"

Rufus tickled Shoog’s ear, like he did when she was small."I wuz unner thee impression they taught yew kids history in school!"

"They did! But all we loined about wuz thee portent ‘citified lasats’."

"Damn shame. Well Sugar, hits like this. Back in the day, b’fore miners and mines an’ banks and comp’ny stores, there wuz th’ Clans o’ Thee Forest. Some clans wuz small and sum clans wuz big. Our linny-age goes way back. There wuz Trodds what wuz picked to fight in thee barbarian wars."

"Oh yeah! I ‘member grampy saying somethin’ like that!"

"Anyway, prommy-nunt clan leaders wuz a’might fond of they’s kids. When a girl came of the age for broodin,’ her pa threw her a big party so young-jacks could come to show their talents and try they’s hands at wooin’.

"Hell, I ain’t gonna do no broodin, er, breedin! Not fer a long time!"

" Corse y’ ain’t! This wuz thee old days, ‘member?"

"Oh yeah. So why all the weapons?"

"Well, a Clan leader had to pertect his daughter frum jope-jacks and briggards, so he employeed his own personal army a’ kinfolk an’ frens t’ keep her safe."

" That’s purty wizard pa."

"What?"

"That’s neat."

Rufus lifted his daughter off his shoulder and set her on the ground in front of him. His face was stoic, cool and composed, but under the skin he was weeping. His hook-baiter, his lizard spooker, his fire-starter, was now a woman. Suddenly he was glad for all his faithful ‘warriors’. There were boys showing up at the party that he didn’t know. One thing was for sure. They wouldn’t want to know him if they messed with Shoog.

**********

Ma eventually broke down. From the moment she woke, she told herself that she wouldn’t cry today. She was certain her spirited and independent daughter would breeze through the ceremony without nary a sniffle or a tremor, but as the visitors crowded around the decorated stump and Rufus helped Shoog up on top of it, ma could tell her poor girl was nervous to the point of fainting. She looked so small, so vulnerable.

Pa pulled a dog-eared book out of one of his breast pockets, licked his thumb and turned the pages. The book, with its crackled parchment pages was over nine-hundred years old. It had been passed from clan patriarch to clan patriarch, and when the time came for Rufus to be bested in combat by one of his sons for title as clan leader—most likely Rufus jr.—he would pass it down as well.

Ma stood next to pa. To his other side was Shoog’s sister Hallie, the Trodd family medicine woman. She held a dipper of water with bits of maiden’s-foot fern floating in it.

Pa found the page he was looking for. He cleared his throat. He could speak old Illasano, but he was very much out of practice.

" Shrrwall mirol." He intoned. "Harrkg dasa, harrkg mojallan, miuuk ti, ti’as Sugar bilo nen dauhirra wahmerr."

(Honored guests. Beloved friends, beloved family, we today give our child-daughter Sugar to womanhood.)

" Ashla fuegolo malinta. (Ashla be near)

"Ashla fuegolo malinta!" Chanted the crowd.

" Umdayrr ti’as rrip ti’as pial." (Today she sheds her skin)

"Umdayrr ti’as comass a sharrgo!" (Today she feeds the fire!)

"Pil ti’as songerr naberskerr!" (May she be strong as a warrior.)

"Pil ti’as oovak mana." (May her womb be fruitful.)

Shoog rolled her eyes and blushed and the crowd burst out in laughter.

Jimbo parenthesized his mouth with his hands and shouted. "Dun git knocked up tonight!" Jax slapped his knee and brayed.

" Shet-up yew dumb-asses!" Shoog yelled back, stomping her foot. Pa cracked up. He took a deep breath. He had to regain his composure before continuing.

"C’mon Roof! Yew kin do it!" His brother Jethro cried.

"Ahem. . . "Pil ti’as rrrmaeso, kon hoorr’baerbo mah foshzam." (May she summon the wisdoms, the heart-knowing.)

"Chh lengg ti’as sorrvive." (As long as she walks the land.)

"Ashla glorrae." (Ashla blessed)

"Ashla glorrae." Everyone said, solemnly.

Ma was now sobbing. Daizee squeezed her shoulder.

"Well, I reckon that’s it fer the prayer." Pa said, closing the book and carefully putting it back in his pocket. Ma dabbed her streaming eyes with a handkerchief.

"Oh Rufus, that wuz beeyootiful. Absolutely beeyootiful."

Mossy came forward with a torch and set the stacked kindling wood in a pit in front of the stump on fire.

"Y’ ready Twig?" He asked Shoog.

"Ready as all ever be."

The girl-now woman reached out and took her beloved growly-bear from her father. She looked down at the crackling fire and tossed the toy in.

"Ti’a parrile a muart." (" The child is dead")

Hallie washed her sister’s hands with the fern-water.

The crowd cheered and ran forward. Many held dried snake skins in their hands which they threw on Shoog, symbolically shedding her of the remaining spirit of childhood.

"Time fer vittles y’all!’ Daizee clapped her hands and yelled. "This young’in in me is a’ chompin at thee rope!"

Everyone congratulated Shoog and ran to find a place at the main table. The prongnose was pulled out of the fire, as were fifty chookens, a pair of suckling kalgows and a haunch of beef. It wasn’t much meat, but there were plenty of side dishes brought by guests to be sampled.

Shoog watched her bear burn until nothing was left but a pair of melting button eyes. She sighed, jumped off the stump and joined the rest of the throng.

After supper, the shine came out, which meant roughhousing. A handful of guardsmen pledged to stay sober just in case the fun turned into full-blown fighting. Hallie came up to pa, a concerned look on her face.

"Don’t look now, pa. Bubba is head-sparrin’ wid uncle Bocephus. And a few other fellers."

A passel of lasat men—attended by woman with cold rags—rolled around on the ground, holding their bony craniums and groaning.

Rufus groaned as well. His hefty, good-natured nephew loved to smack skulls with other lasats, even when sober, but he often failed to think about the force behind his weight. In this county, he was reigning head-butt champion.

"Time t’ give fat-boy a spankin’. Rufus pounded his palm with his fist.

**********

The afternoon sped like a hooch-runner into the night.

Shoog excused herself from the crowd—and the boys in it who shoved to the front to ask her to dance—and found a place behind the hen-house where she could be alone. She had partaken of a few sips of snowberry wine and was feeling content and happy. Spark flies hovered beneath the branches of the old greenjacket in the yard and over the maize tassels in ma’s garden. Little cubs clambered about on the tire swing and bigger cubs climbed the tree itself, proving their bravery. She had to look twice to determine whose kids they were. It turned out they were Mae’s grandkids. She waved to them and they waved back with their sticky, cake-and-punch fingers. Puggles ambled over, a Lasan Blue Ribbon beer in his hand.

" Sum party, eh Shoog?" He drained the beer can and crushed it against his furry brow.

"That’s gonna hurt in the mornin.’Hey, how’d yew git that anyway? Yew know pa will tan yer tail if he see’s yew wif a hard drank."

"Beer ain’t a hard drank. Mossy said so."

"Ohh. If Mausee told you a turd wuz a turnip, wood yew bile it in water?"

"I reckon I woodnt."

The siblings sat in silence for a few seconds. The sounds of lasats laughing and singing and debating politics merged with the sweet melody of fiddle music. It was emanating from the barn, where lasats were dancing the night away. Some of the brawnier males took their jerkins off and performed frightening warrior dances. Everyone hooped and hollered and begged for more. Most of the males charged with ‘policing the crowd’ were asleep on the lawn or under the table, their drained jars still clasped in their hands.

"Sorry bout yer growly bear." Puggles looked up at his sister with large honest eyes. "Why didn’t yew pick something else fer the far?"

Shoog smiled at her brother and squeezed his hand. "Well, thee whole point of thee ceremony was fer me to give up m’ childhood. It needed to be a might parful symbol, something sad an’ a lil’ painful, because honestly Puggles, growin’ up hain’t all what it’s cracked up to be."

" Yew ain’t happy bout bee’in a woman-lasat?"

Shoog took another sip of her wine. "In one way, yeah, I s’pose so. I have more say in things now. But in another . . . look what I’ll be missin.’"

She pointed to the cubs in the tree, carrying on like they hadn’t a care in the world. Puggles chhuhhed.

"Beein’ a growed up means more ‘sponsibility, but yew ain’t never gotta give up on fun. That prayer pa said, hits a million-years old. It ain’t meant t’ be follered zactly the way he said it."

"Ye think so?"

"Well, dats whut I think! Shit, ahs’ll never let a-dulthood turn me into a borin’ stiff!"

Shoog got out of her chair and gave her little brother a hug. "Yew is smarter than yew give yerself credit fer."

She smiled sweetly. Then she punched him in the stomach.

"Owwww!! What’s that fer?"

"That’s fer them farworks you sent up. Honestly Puggles, Booger? You spelt my name Booger?"

Puggles gripped his belly. "Errybody else thunk is wuz funny!"

"Yeah I bet they did!" She pulled his sparse beard. He yanked her hair. They started to wrestle.

Ma and pa stood at a distance. " Yew see that Sadie? Sum things never change."

"I swear to the Bogan, ifffen she gits that dress mussed up, I’ll snatch her head bald."

Rufus turned Sadie toward him and embraced her. A devilish smile split his face.

"Why Rufus, what’s gotten into yew?"

" I wuz jus’ thinkin,’ How’s about we talk more about that strapless dress you is plannin’ to buy?"

-Finito-

[veliseraptor]

okay let’s try this.

Here are my WIPs! Send me a number and I’ll add 150 words to that story or edit for 15 minutes, depending on how complete it is. If I get the same number multiple times, I have to write more for that fic!

Eleven WIPs eligible for this meme under the read more.

1. Loki’s expression twisted, spasming for a moment before he wiped it utterly blank. “What do you want,” he said, and if Steve could see how tightly he was wound he was doing a passable imitation of that not being the case. Thor looked at Steve and appeared to resolve to ignore him. 

“Loki,” he said darkly. “You should not be here.”Loki’s lip curled. “Nor should you. Or has the All-Father deemed his beloved son above the law?” (Thunderstorms)

2. “I am – not weak.” Ren grabbed onto Hux’s jacket and dragged himself upright, eyes boring into Hux’s only a few inches away. “I killed General Solo. What have you done? Built a bigger Death Star only to lose it moments later?” He sneered. 

“I destroyed Coruscant,” Hux snapped back. “I crushed the Alliance capital at a single stroke-”

“And clearly that has done so much to weaken their resistance.” The wound across Ren’s face ploughed through his features, a furrow of ruined flesh it was hard to look away from. Hux gritted his teeth.

“I saved your pathetic life, Ren.”

Oddly, that made Ren let go. He pushed Hux away and took a stumbling step back. “Not of your own initiative, I think,” he said, but the anger was gone from his voice. Hux was almost disappointed. He wanted a brawl like he hadn’t since the Academy, even if Ren wouldn’t supply much of one right now. (we will all burn together)

3. Even confined to the dungeons, Loki haunted Odin.

He lurked in the empty place Frigga kept stubbornly set at the family table. He hovered, unnamed, in the corners of council meetings on the Jotunheim question. He circled the fringes of troubling dreams in which a rangy, lean, half-feral Loki stalked and tore apart his younger self, while Odin stood by and watched. (The Breaking Light)

4. “Out of curiosity,” Natasha said. “How far did Amora go before she turned you over to the other guy you won’t name?” The wound looked at least to her like it was healing well. Natasha was almost jealous. The harsh edge on Loki’s breathing reminded her that the price was having to do this without any painkillers whatsoever; that mitigated the jealousy some. 

“It is…blurry,” Loki said, after a moment. 

Natasha pressed her lips together. “It doesn’t seem a little weird to you that it’d be hard to draw a line between what was – sexy fun and what was torture and betrayal?” (Privation)

5. “Loki,” Thor said. He did not feel any shame for the rawness in his voice, the layers of feeling: anger, relief, confusion. “Is it truly you?”

“An interesting question, semantically speaking,” Loki said, and it was his voice, caustic and clipped and achingly familiar. “What does it mean to be truly oneself?”

Thor worked moisture into his mouth. “You – you are alive.”  

“Apparently.” (Sword Age, Wolf Age)

6. “Loki,” Steve called after him. He paused. “If this…if this happens again? Don’t…I’d rather you didn’t wait three hours to do something about it.”

“That is not an order either,” Loki said, back still turned to him. 

“No,” Steve said. “It isn’t. I don’t want to control your every move. I just want to keep everyone safe. Including you.” 

“Of course,” Loki said silkily. “Would not want beloved Thor to be upset.” He left, walk still a little unsteady. Steve went to the doorway to look after him, frowning, a distinct sinking feeling in his stomach that everything had just gotten a lot more complicated. And probably unpleasant. (Tear My Castle Down)

7. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross announced at a press conference yesterday that the alien known as Loki is in government custody. 

The announcement came in the midst of controversy surrounding Secretary Ross’s handling of the crisis precipitated by the explosion at the signing of the Sokovia Accords. Ross stated that Loki had been apprehended after some time of eluding pursuit. While he assured listeners that there was no need to panic, many were alarmed by the implication that Loki, who was believed to have been removed after his attack in 2012, has been on Earth for an indefinite amount of time. (keep your bright eyes looking up to the sky)

8. “Do Asgardians – Aesir – even get married?” Bucky asked. “What does it mean to them? Have you thought about that?” 

Steve frowned, a little – hurt. “Are you trying to talk me out of it? Do you think it’s a bad idea?” 

“I don’t know,” Bucky said. “I’m just…surprised, I guess.” He paused. “Married. Yeesh.”

Steve looked down at his hands. “It’s not – it’s not a done deal or anything. I just…” It felt sappy and romantic and stupid, trying to put his thoughts into words. “I need to stop putting things off for later,” he said finally. “And Loki…I want him to know that I’m serious. He has so many fears about people leaving and I…” 

 Bucky’s expression had gone odd again. “And that’s not something you worry about at all,” he said, a little too softly to be wry. (as we dream by the fire)

9. The first time he saw mention of the Avengers it was like a sharp stab to the chest. He slipped a newspaper from a stand and read the entire article, but it was not truly about the Avengers at all: merely about the Captain, who had apparently uncovered a deep-seated corruption in the ruling class of his country. Loki had almost entirely lost interest when Thor’s name caught his eye, like a magnet:

After the incident in Greenwich last year, when a battle involving Thor wreaked havoc on the city, some are starting to question the potential cost of having these superhumans in our midst. “We must be grateful for the exposure of these dangerous elements,” Senator Brand, D-NY, said at a press conference. “The question must be asked, however: who pays for the damage?”

Loki read the short sentence bearing Thor’s name over and over as though it might reveal some secret to him. It did not. His mind supplied to him the image of Thor in Asgard, raising a goblet high and carousing with his friends in celebration. He probably doesn’t even think of you, the poisonous whisper assured him. The moment he looked away from your corpse you were as good as gone. (post svartalfheim au)

10. Now it was Sharon’s turn to look awkward. “This is a decent building, Steve, but sound still travels.”

Oh, Steve realized. Oh, damn. She’d heard Loki and thought it was him, and he should’ve figured something like this would happen but he’d been operating on some stupid hope that somehow it wouldn’t be an issue? Like that had ever been true.

“Uh,” he said, scrambling for an explanation. “I’m – it’s fine. Honestly.” Oh, that sounded honest, and explained everything, absolutely. He didn’t want Sharon to think – oh, hell. What she already thought, obviously, and he could feel his face getting warm but on the other hand there wasn’t exactly a viable alternative. That screaming you’ve heard is just Loki – yes, that Loki – having fits on my couch because Hydra had him in a concrete dungeon for two years doing god knows what. 

“Steve,” Sharon said, and then stopped, making a face. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s none of my business.” 

“I didn’t mean that,” Steve protested. “I really am-” He realized belatedly that he hadn’t shaved in almost twenty-four hours, had slept only in two or three hour intervals, and his clothes were hopelessly rumpled because he’d forgotten to do laundry this week. Based on the look Sharon was giving him, it showed. He closed his eyes for a second to hold back the urge to swear. “It’s been a long week,” he said. (Steve Rogers’ Halfway House for Notorious Supervillains)

11. “You can’t-” Clint cut off, clenching his teeth. “You can’t fucking do that. Just, just walk out-” He took a harsh breath. “Fuck you. And sit down.”

Loki’s eyebrows pulled very slightly together. “Pardon?”

Clint pointed at the couch. “Sit. Down. Just – sleep on it. At least. All right? Give it a day before you make any stupid, drastic decisions.”

Loki just looked at him blankly. “I was not asking,” he started to say.

“I don’t care,” Clint said harshly. “You owe me. So sit. Stay. Twenty-four hours. Think about my suggestion.”

Loki didn’t move to sit down. “I know what I want, Agent Barton.”

“Too bad,” Clint snapped. “You don’t get what you want.” (we’re not friends, we’re strangers with memories)

[erikadreamsblog]

last nights dream + dreams from the previous night

I had a few dreams last night, as usual i have at least 3 a night. I feel as though my mind brings me many things to work through. Even the strange ones are of use to me in understanding the context of my emotional state.

 As a grow tired with describing the full version i will simplify the dialogue to concise explanations, and my thoughts on such.

My dreams from the previous night:

Dream #2:    

I was in a two story house, well built, beautiful southern style home, with huge plot of land, maybe a few acres. My and my father on the second floor.  the lighting outside reigns down and hits the ground outside of the house near me, as i move it hits the ground near me always. My father is yelling with excitement, moving from the safety of one side of the house, away form me, too where i am. He is yelling lovingly with verbatim at the sky. and i plead with him to stay away form the windows, and to move away from near me. I fear for his safety, somehow it’s as if the lighting hitting me didn’t bother me, but if it hit him, i feared that. He obliged, and moved to the other side of the couch in the middle on the room, and then lighting hit, and i fell. I fell backwards on the couch in the middle of the room, and the whole house fell. The house crumbled underneath me, and us. And as we ran out, we got inside a carriage with no ceiling/top, and  pulled by a horse. we trotted away form the crumbling house, i looked back and saw the heap of what was left, a roof on top of broken house material on the ground. The lightning had stopped, or rather, it stayed in that area. and as i controlled the carriage i took it along a path that was created with strings. This path begged for me to take it, and follow it, and idid just that. The path led us to safety, out on the open road. It looked like we were in the middle of a forest, with a dirt road, the sun beautifully burning down above us. We were safe, and as my father sat next to me, we moved froward with all our belongings in the carriage. 

My thoughts:  

A lot. Me and my father had, had a discussion that night. I learned something beautiful regarding me, him, and the Lord. that is how i explain the lightning. However, the crumbling of the house, perhaps it is recognition to my father and his movement, as well as my own. Together we may unconsciously releasing what holds us back, and moving forward on the path the lord has provided for us.

Dream 3: 

 I dreamed of a possessive man again. This moan usually shows up similar in stature, every time he appears i feel as if i know him, and yet i don’t. This man followed me, showing him love for me, tied me up, weighed me down with rocks, came after me, looked to slip me up, but ended up slipping himself up. He tried to keep me to himself. This dream was me trying to get away from him, and yet loving him. as he tied me us, and weighed the bag i was in with rocks, i felt his love for me. It was in that love that i felt he just wanted me to “stay” and yet i would then run from him. this man was tall, short brown hair, but i never saw his face. I usually don’t. In my dreams i’m too focused on running that i don’t even think to see who is coming after me.

My thoughts:  I thought for a moment it was related to the man i love. But i feel like from now on i will move past that thought. I will dig deeper into the man that try’s to control me in my dreams. For now i’ve come to the conclusion that perhaps it is me verse me. That the controlling man is my Ego, and that my Ego comes to me as a masculine persona and is trying to keep me from ascending on my path. Dreams about men really take me in for a loop if i am unable to solidly identify the man. When i wake up form those dreams i’m always upset with myself for not taking the time to really look at the mans face. Like i see the man, but do i really see him for who he is? 

Dreams from last night:

Dream 2:

My grandma drove me to CA from NY on  a road trip to  Fest concert. I’ve been to it before. The whole time she was crashing the car, and i felt like we may really not make it. she drove along, on the wrong side of the road, as cars behind us followed. When we finally made it, she took the wrong path and went to the ticket booth even though what we really needed was parking. And as the ticket booth opened up, we weren't in line, and we sat on the side of the building while she pulled out pie and asked me if i wanted some. At some point i called my Best friend and asked her where we were supposed to go because i knew that she knew exactly where to go.

My thoughts: 

My grandma doesn't actually like driving anymore, she is old. SO this dream was strange But recently i have been developing a better relationship with all my loved ones, for the past few months. since yesterday was mothers day i had actually seen my grandma ( from the other side of a glass sliding door since today in this world is as it is). i feel like this dream represents a journey that perhaps i have gone with my grandma, that maybe although we didn't end up where i thought we might have, that we ended up in a nice location  nonetheless. That there is care and love between us both, and that we are here at the concert of life, ready to be together and share a relationship beyond expectations.

That really brings to my mind the idea of what we expect and what the reality is. I’ve never been one to expect anything from anyone due to the past i. have had.  I actually had the opposite, i use to expect absolutely nothing at all from people. It was a negative view that no one could ever be for me what i truly wanted and in knowing that i released everyone from any expectation. In that mindset, i never really connected with people, because i gave them no chance before they even started, and in the lack of expectation, i had no real connection. Sometimes it is expectation and hope that someone can be there for you, that starts the strings of relationships. I am no longer like that. The personal journey i’ve gone on has made me realize i actually want to expect at least what i deserve, and nothing more than that. 

Dream 3: 

(Precursor: i met a man who i fell in love with at first sight some time ago, I written about him before while clearly stating that anything i write would be minimal because of how much i care for him. He brought the spark back into my soul, and made me realize that i could expect for what i deserve, and that above all i am worthy, i am enough, i am passionate, i am expressive, i am protected, i am insightful, and that i am understanding. I will be forever grateful for that, and what he brought to my life. Of course he is no longer in my life, in fact i don’t think he ever really was to begin with. It’s sad how the best people in your life can leave, but he was the best person, and i hope the best for him.)

This dream was simple, and loving. We cuddled. Thats all i will say about it, and i will not imply anything further.

My thoughts: I love him.

[beautytipsfor]

U.S. Screening Snarls Travel; Airlines Cut Flights: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- Airlines are halting flights, and other business are grinding to a stop. People around the the world face more draconian restrictions on gatherings and travel.Europe now reports more daily coronavirus cases than China did at its peak in February. Cases jumped 20% in the U.K., which faced criticism for its approach to the virus. Currencies seem headed for more volatile swings after a turbulent week, early trading shows. New Zealand’s central bank slashed its benchmark rate.Key Developments:Cases top 164,000 worldwide, as deaths exceed 6,400Italy adds 368 deaths in one day, raising total to 1,809The U.S. totals 3,125 cases and 61 deathsIreland asks pubs to closeFrance tightens controls at German borderSubscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis team here.Click VRUS on the terminal for news and data on the coronavirus and here for maps and charts. For analysis of the impact from Bloomberg Economics, click here. To see the impact on oil and commodities demand, click here.Ohio Shuts Bars, Restaurants (3:50 p.m. NY)Ohio is closing all bars and restaurants indefinitely after reports of crowds still gathering as St. Patrick’s Day faces the limitations imposed by the spread of coronavirus. Carry-outs and delivery will still be allowed, Governor Mike DeWine announced at a press conference in Columbus.“This is a very, very crucial time,” DeWine said. “Delay means more people will die.”Travel Limits Roil Airports (3:15 p.m. NY)Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport was among facilities overwhelmed this weekend with passengers, including many coming from Europe, who faced new screening measures.As pictures of lines and stories from travelers were shared on social media, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said the White House failed to prepare for the influx of returning passengers in response to President Donald Trump’s new travel restrictions.New Zealand Cuts Rates (3 p.m. NY)The New Zealand central bank slashed its benchmark interest rate by 75 basis points as strict border controls look set to tip the economy into recession. In an emergency move, the Reserve Bank cut its cash rate to 0.25% from 1% and said it will remain there for at least the next 12 months.U.S. Airlines Slash Flights (2:50 p.m. NY)American Airlines will slash long-haul international flights by 75% through early May as demand collapses and governments impose restrictions to slow the virus’s spread. Delta Air Lines further cut its international flights. United Airlines earlier said it would cut April domestic capacity 10% and international 20%, but warned additional reductions could follow.D.C. Shuts Night Clubs (2:20 p.m. NY)Washington, D.C., ordered nightclubs and multi-purpose facilities to close and told restaurants to remove bar seats and stop serving patrons who are standing. The district also limited indoor gatherings to 250 people. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said restaurants and bars must set tables and booths to ensure patrons are at least six feet apart.South Africa Declares Disaster (2 p.m. NY)South Africa declared a national state of disaster, closed 35 ports of entry, banned gatherings of more than 100 people and shut schools starting the middle of this week. Flights will be halted from Italy, Iran, the U.S., U.K. and South Korea, the government said.President Cyril Ramaphosa in a televised speech discouraged citizens from non-essential domestic travel.N.Y. May Be ‘Overwhelmed’ (1:45 p.m. NY)New York Governor Andrew Cuomo warned that the state’s health-care system is about to be “overwhelmed,” but he stopped short of ordering schools or businesses to close.Instead, he asked companies to close voluntarily and let employees work from home. Schools will remain open, he said, because many families rely on them for food and child care.New York has 729 cases -- the most in the U.S. -- with three deaths.Ireland Asks Pubs to Close (1:40 p.m. NY)The Irish government asked pubs to close for at least two weeks after video of bars jammed with drinkers in defiance of guidelines appeared on social media. Industry groups say it’s impossible to police social-distancing guidelines.The government also pleaded with citizens not to replace pub visits with house parties.Europe Outpacing China at Peak (1:30 p.m. NY)Europe is reporting more new cases each day than China did when the disease peaked in that country, the head of the World Health Organization said. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said canceling sporting events can help slow the spread.The situation will worsen in many countries before it improves, said Maria Van Kerkhove, a WHO epidemiologist. While the situation is improving in Asia, countries where the disease has peaked could experience relapses, she said.SAS Idles 90% of Staff (1:15 p.m. NY)Scandinavian airline SAS AB is idling up to 10,000 employees, or 90% of staff, to cope with fallout from the coronavirus and related government measures that have restricted international air travel.The airline will also cancel most flights staerting Monday, according to a statement. SAS said it will maintain certain routes in order to enable flights to return from various destinations.Dutch Schools, Bars to Close (1:15 p.m. NY)The Dutch government ordered schools, gyms, restaurants and bars to close until April 6. Suspending classes puts the Netherlands in line with most other European countries, though it’s a reversal from Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s insistence last week that schools will stay open.Manhattan Project Approach Urged (12:20 p.m. NY)U.S. hospitals are preparing for a surge in patients as testing becomes more prevalent, revealing the extent of Covid-19’s spread, which led one administrator to urge more action.“We need to think about this in almost like a war-like stance,” Peter Slavin, president of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”He urged the government to wage a Manhattan Project-type effort, as it did in World War II on the atomic bomb, to spur the health-care industry to make more surgical masks, eye protection gear and gowns.Portugal Limits Crowds (12:10 p.m. NY)Portugal is banning events with more than 100 people, Internal Administration Minister Eduardo Cabrita said in a broadcast on SIC Noticias. The government had already blocked events with more than 1,000 people.U.K. Cases Rise 20% (11:43 a.m. NY)The U.K. said 1,372 people have tested positive for coronavirus, up from 1,140 a day earlier. An additional 14 deaths brings the total to 35. Health Secretary Matt Hancock defended the government, which hasn’t closed schools or halted mass gatherings as have many other nations.Hash tags including CloseTheSchoolsNow and lockusdown were trending on Twitter in the U.K. Sunday. People over age 70 will be asked to stay home in “the coming weeks,” Hancock told Sky News.Health Insurers Drop Copays (11:20 a.m. NY)U.S. health insurers are dropping coronavirus testing copayments and requirements that treatments be approved in advance. The America’s Health Insurance Plans trade group posted details of the emergency steps taken related to Covid-19. Insurers include Aetna, Anthem, the 36 Blue Cross Blue Shield Association plans, Cigna, and Humana.Kroger Offers Paid Time Off (10:55 a.m. NY)The Kroger Co. will allow paid time off for workers who have Covid-19 or are placed under mandatory quarantine, it said in a statement. Two employees -- in Colorado and Washington state -- tested positive. The grocer said it is seeking workers for immediate positions in stores, manufacturing plants and distribution centers.Nike Shuts Stores for 2 Weeks (10:45 a.m. NY)Nike Inc. will close all U.S. and western Europe retail stores through March 27 to help slow the outbreak. The closures, which include Canada, Australia and New Zealand, will take effect Monday. Nike will continue to pay employees during the shutdown, the company said.The company said Nike-owned stores in South Korea, Japan and most of China -- which were closed in February -- are currently open.Europe Cases Surge (9:09 a.m. NY)Spain’s diagnosed cases of the coronavirus jumped 35% to 7,753 on Sunday and the death toll more than doubled to 288, the Health Ministry said. In Switzerland, 2,200 cases marked a 62% increase. The number of deaths in the Netherlands rose by eight to 20, while confirmed cases increased by 176 to 1,135, according to a daily update from the RIVM National Institute for Public Health and the Environment on Sunday. Several countries cautioned that fewer tests are being performed as more people fall ill.Mnuchin Sees No Recession (9:03 a.m. NY)Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he doesn’t expect the coronavirus pandemic to tip the U.S. economy into recession, even though growth will slow. “Later in the year, obviously the economic activity will pick up as we confront this virus,” Mnuchin said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”Goldman Confirms Cases (9 a.m. NY)Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has confirmed to staff its first two cases of coronavirus as the Wall Street bank steps up plans to split up teams and allow more employees to work from home.In a memo seen by Bloomberg News, Goldman Sachs told staff that it had received confirmation that an employee from its London office who was off sick with suspected coronavirus had tested positive and was at home in isolation. The other case is in Sydney.Ski Resorts Shut (7:50 a.m. NY)Vail said it will halt all of its North American resorts from March 15-22 and “use that time to reassess our approach for the rest of the season,” the company said in a statement. Alterra Mountain Co., which operates resorts including Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado, Squaw Valley in California and Vermont’s Sugarbush, said it will suspend operations from today until further notice.Iran Deaths Leap (7:45 a.m. NY)Iran’s deaths from the virus rose to 724 over the past 24 hours, with 113 new fatalities reported since yesterday. Total confirmed cases now stand at 13,938, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a statement on state TV.Singapore Says U.K. Cases to Surge (7:18 a.m. NY)The U.K. and Switzerland are effectively not trying to combat the coronavirus and cases are likely to surge in the coming weeks, a Singapore minister said. “These countries have abandoned any measure to contain or restrain the virus,” Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said at a press briefing Sunday.The city-state said Sunday it added 14 new cases, the biggest one-day jump.France Limits Domestic Travel (7 a.m. NY)France will gradually reduce domestic transport links by air, rail and bus in a bid to limit travel and fight the coronavirus epidemic. The move comes a day after the government closed restaurants, cafes and non-essential stores.European Cases Climb (6:30 a.m. NY)Belgium’s health ministry reported 197 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total of confirmed infections to 886. Finland, which has implemented tighter testing criteria, had 240 cases. Poland’s cases rose 63% from Friday to 111 cases of coronavirus and three deaths. The count is rising as the nation is now testing all those who are in quarantine. Full border controls are in place as of today, and cafes, restaurants and shopping malls are closed. Slovakia reported 54 cases, an increase of 10.Austria Bans All Gatherings (6 a.m. NY)Austria’s chancellor said the country is widening restrictions to ban all public gatherings of more than five people. “We’re aware those are massive restrictions but they are necessary,” Sebastian Kurz said on Twitter. Austrians are asked to isolate themselves and have no social contact outside their households. The number of confirmed cases jumped to 800 on Sunday, from 602 on Saturday. In neighboring Slovenia, public transportation has been temporarily shut down.EU Medical Exports Eased (6 a.m. NY)Germany and France will lift restrictions on the export of medical equipment, allowing for deliveries to Italy, the EU commissioner for the internal market said. Germany will send 1 million masks to Italy.\--With assistance from Boris Groendahl, Yudith Ho, Thomas Penny, Tara Patel, Golnar Motevalli, Harry Wilson, Macarena Munoz, Thomas Mulier, Joost Akkermans and Hanna Hoikkala.To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Steve Geimann in Washington at sgeimann@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: James Ludden at jludden@bloomberg.net, Ian Fisher, Linus ChuaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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