#this summer i saw they took out the rocks where we used to sit

[minglana]

they gentrified our village spot for hanging out... my plan (convincing my friends to bring foldable chairs when we wanna sit there) is in full swing now

[brains4brawn]

Summer Camp, Football

I was so excited for science camp, it would be my last year as I would start college in the fall. The camp was huge and divided into four major sections; Arts, Sports, Science, and Space with Sports taking up most of the land. The different parts of the camp didn't mingle too much but every Fourth of July there was a gigantic celebration.

It was great seeing old friends and getting to bunk in one of the smaller Sci cabins. My best friend Jeff was assigned with me and we went over the catalog to see what classes there were for the seniors.

In the distance we could hear the rowdy football jocks. It was a trade off, the smaller more private cabins were on the outer perimeter close to the sports section, specifically the footballers. Jeff and I just ignored them while we made our schedules for the following 8 weeks. I started to unpack my huge suitcase into the dresser beside my bed, in the second drawer was a small football key chain with the camp logo emblazoned on it. I picked it up and got a slight static shock, I showed it to Jeff and he thought that some meathead must have forgotten it. We both laughed and well both got slightly turned on at the thought of one of those jocks sleeping in our beds.

The day went by quickly and soon we had our introduction dinner and met everyone in Sci. Soon though I was in bed, tired but excited for tomorrow.

Tomorrow came to early, I awoke at 4:19 am with tons of energy! It was like lightning had struck, i bounced out of bed and began to quietly pace hoping not to disturb Jeff. I decided to go outside where I heard grunting in the distance. I followed the sounds to a flat track woven in-between some cabins where some big jocks were doing an early morning run. One of them saw me and motioned to me, for some reason i went closer. This guy was stunning, he was shirtless and showing off his rock hard body. I felt my penis begin to tent as i drew close, He asked why I was here and I made up some story that my dad always takes me on early jogs and if i could join them. He looked me over and then said that any bro is welcome to join.

I got back around 6:30 my body sore but energized. Jeff was still softly snoring on his side of the cabin. I quickly went to the bathroom and took a shower. Jeff was just getting out of bed when I re-entered the bedroom, he rushed past me into the vacant bathroom, while he was getting ready I still was overcome with energy. I went to a spot on the wood floor and proceeded to do some pushups until I heard the shower turn off.

The next week flew by as I developed a new morning routine. Every morning I'd be up at 4am and jogging with Seth and his bros. They were all really welcoming, and I was having a great time just not thinking. Heck, Jeff even commented one day that I was looking healthier. It felt weird to keep this from my best friend but I know he wouldn't understand. Even though the guys here were awesome, Jeff had been bullied practically his entire life back home.

Afternoons soon became torture as my Sci projects were becoming harder to focus on. My body was brimming with energy and I couldn't wait for the two hours of free time before dinner. Jeff and I used to sit and watch the hunky Jocks play their different sports during the afternoon breaks but now I had the urge to join them. I feel bad for ditching Jeff but now I get in the water and go for a swim or grab some boots and go on a short hike.

Its been almost four weeks since camp started and I haven't felt this good in years. Every morning I get up and run with my bro Seth and the gang, then go and work out at the sports camp gym. By the time I get back to the cabin to shower and change Jeff is already gone. I feel bad for the little bro, he's obviously gay and a guy with my bod can't be easy to room with. It still kinda sucks that I'm in a Sci cabin but at least I'm not far from the rest of the footballers. After morning PT I go to strategy sessions and game history. Then the afternoon is spent playing touch footie with the guys.

The Fourth of July was a blast. All the different sports teams came together and we had scrimmages all day. The Sci Nerds showed off some dope looking robots and the Space Dweebs launched rockets. Later on the Theater Dorks put on a talent show, then came a cookout dinner BBQ. Lastly came the fireworks. As the sky was bombarded by the light, I noticed Jeff off by himself. Not wanting anyone to be alone I picked up my things and moved closer to him. Sitting next to him it was hard not to notice just how much smaller my cabin bro was.

At first he tried to ignore me, but fuck i am not someone who is ignored easily. I scooted my perfect ass up beside him and he told me to go away. I just sat there letting him get used to my presence, I felt an odd need to be protective of the little guy. I heard a sigh and then in a whisper Jeff asked if I knew how perfect I was.

Well duh, I am tall proportionally muscular and let's face it, any guy would be lucky to have a piece of me. Something awoke inside me, feelings that I knew were there but didn't want to admit. I was Mr. Popular, big man on campus, life of the party, but somewhere in the last month I had devolved a crush on this lonely nerd.

It was after midnight when Jeff and I got back to the cabin. I woke up with the little nerd spooning against my bod. Fuck it felt good having him next to me, my morning wood pressed against his back. Jeff woke up slowly and I felt the goosebumps as he realized his situation. His head tilted up and he looked into my eyes, I took the chance and kissed him gently..... which quickly turned into a passionate make out session... which....well, let's say the little nerd is one of the best cocksuckers ever. The moment I erupted into his mouth a slight bit of static electricity passed from me into him.

From then on we became inseparable. Jeff joined me for morning PT and came to support the team in our mock tournament with our sister campgrounds, while I tried my best to support his Sci shit. By the time we left, Jeff had put on some decent size and was getting along with all my bros on the team.

Epilogue:

Two men stand in the tiny cabin, marveling at how they'd spent so much time in such a cramped space. The taller man had just finished his second season in the NFL while his shorter husband had become the CEO of his own successful startup. The men stood there, reminiscing on how they met the summer before college and how they couldn't imagine life without each other. Jeff gave his husband's hand a squeeze before the two of them started their summers as owners of this special place.

[s1ater]

no running.

pairings. adam banks x fem!reader

about. adam banks takes a job as a life guard for the summer causing a round of laughs from the ducks

warnings. swearing, gif not mine, short scenario

ricky rocks. i saw this concept somewhere on here but i don’t remember where... this is also partly old writing from when I was in my adam phase. I'm really just trying to clear my drafts.

you paused for a second, just like the rest of the ducks with their towels and goggles with their snacks and sunscreen stuffed in their beach bags and slung over their shoulders, staring up in what seemed to be the sun. 

you almost gasped, slinging your sunglasses off your face once you came to realization of what all of you were staring at from a far: adam banks sitting on the tall lifeguards chair with a whistle strung around his neck. 

it seemed all of you were quite dumbfounded with the sight of the pale teenage boy you all called a friend, and in your case: a boyfriend. 

“well, I'll be darned,” charlie squinted, making his way to the blonde boy who hadn’t even taken notice to the rest of you. charlie had the biggest smirk on his face as he stared up to adam, his hat covering the line of sight to his eyes. “never took you one for a swimmer, banksy!” 

the boy almost looked stunned as he connected eye contact with the rest of you. he tipped his head lowly, his black generic sunglasses sliding down to the tip of his nose.

“what’re you guys doing here?”

“we could ask you the same thing, hot shot.”

“i’m working…” he looked confused, like he had been knocked up the head and couldn’t figure what was going on.

"adam!" your voice comes out as a yell, mixed with confusion and pure amusement. "since when are you a lifeguard?"

he continues to match your confusion in tone, as if it were strange that all of you found this strange, "this summer?"

"yeah but when?"

"don't you have to like... train for this?" julie tips her head to the side, her hand shading her eyes from the bright sun beating down on all of you. "and pass tests?"

"yes," he says it in a 'duh' tone. "what's the problem?"

"nothing, sweetheart, we're just kind of confused on why you didn't tell any of us... let alone how you found the time to become one," you. try to suppress a giggle as you press out a voice that sounded like you were babying him.

"yeah, sweetheart," luis mocks you for a moment, "obviously you're not here for the hot chicks, so what's the deal?"

"I was just bored," he shrugs simply, "and I guess I forgot to tell you guys."

a damn lie. you knew he was probably just too embarrassed to tell you all.

"hey, I'm cool with it," charlie's hands go up in defense, seeming to also catch on to this fact. "as long as you let us in on the free snack bar snacks."

"yeah, whatever," he waves you all off. "you guys get out of here, go swim or something."

you smile, kissing your hand before slapping in on his leg before moving on with everyone else.

"try working on your tan while you're up there, banks!"

[lots-of-sun]

A/n: This is a requested piece, thank you so much for it and I really hope you enjoy! Also, I apologize that this took so long to get out, I've been busy with a lot of work at the moment.

@starheadsstuff: Hello i am here to propose a request about our boy Izaki Shun in the Crows Zero II. Not much people write about them and i saw you we're taking request so here i am !!

Izaki Shun x Fem!Reader

40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS

The rhythmic sound of the train tracks is almost expected, the same noise I'd heard for as long as I can remember. It rocks and squeaks slightly with age, the district not having enough funds to get a newer model. No one really take this train anymore, it's off the main routes and most don't put in the effort to take a scenic ride on the outskirts of the city. But that's what I like, no one's ever there to bother me. Well that was until six months ago.

He'd shown up on a hot summer afternoon, looking confused at the empty train. It'd only been two stops since mine, having just finished school for the day. His gaze was calculated, looking down towards where I sat, then back the other way. I'd looked away when his gaze brushed over me, my mind suddenly finding the window interesting. A seat by the lengthy windows, far from where I'd sat, was where he chose to sit. The entire ride until my stop, he barely made a noise and had his eyes glued to the scenery that passed by, he was like a statue. After that ride, I didn't see him for a few days and I almost forgot about him completely. Until he showed up again. This time when he stepped into the again empty car, he spoke.

"Is this a ghost train or something?" He had asked, a short chuckle leaving his mouth.

"Or something" I responded with a small smile. He'd returned it before taking the same seat he did last time.

It went on like that for months, small conversation that lead into him moving to closer seats. Then it was full conversations and sitting in the same booth as me. Now it's like routine for him to take this train, talk for the thirty minute ride until I get off and repeat the same process the next day. There was no denying he was strategic and nice and... attractive. We'd gotten close over the months and I had to admit, it was pleasant having someone to talk to.

Today wasn't much different from any other and as I sat down on that worn seat I'd sat in for years, I felt myself relax a bit. It was normal for me to feel at ease on this always vacant train, but as of late, as we approach his stop, I grow nervous. Do I look good today? Is my hair a mess? What if my clothes are dirty and I just can't tell?

A flurry of shallow doubt comes on, even when I'm sure he wouldn't notice even if I was in absolute disarray. Would he even care? Does he care? A heat rises to my cheeks at the thought of my unsure feelings being somewhat reciprocated.

The trains breaks screech, signaling the stop is here already. Suddenly I find myself fixing my hair quickly, restraining myself from fiddling any more than I already am. The slight hiss of the door opening and the sound of heavy sneakers is the only sound that draws my attention to the entrance. And there he is, taking calm strikes towards where I'm sat, his usual small smile plastered on his lips.

"Hey, Train Guy, what sensational stories to do have for me today?" My tone is beyond sarcastic, a smile making its way onto my face. He'd told me about many instances that have happened at Suzuran, bloody fights, the hierarchy, his goals. They were all very entertaining.

"I told you already, my name is Izaki. And not much, Genji's doing my head in" His answer is delivered casually as he slips into the seat in front of me, the train beginning to move.

"So the usual then?" I respond with a smirk. His only reaction is a short nod and an equally as wide smirk that mirrors mine. A short silence stretches on between us before he decids to speak.

"How's school?" His question is short, but genuine and he clears his throat afterwards, like it was hard for him to say. I narrow my eyes slightly at him, trying to read him. He'd never really had trouble saying what he wanted.

"It's good, exams are over finally so I'm basically free for the rest of the term" I answer with a tone of relief, enjoying the thought of no more stressful papers to complete.

He again nods shortly, looking out the window at the passing environment, while I watch his side profile. God, he's so handsome. I wonder what he might be thinking right now, where his mind has escaped to. The gentle sway of the train's movement is calming and I try not to stare too much.

"Still no boyfriend?" He asks suddenly, his voice inquisitive. It catches me so off guard I almost choke on my own spit.

"Uh- No, definitely not" My voice shakes slightly with nervousness, who the hell asks that out of the blue?

"Good" The one word answer pushes me further into shock, I keep my eyes on him as he turns his head to face me again. And he looks pleased, an expression I don't see him wear often. "Because I want you to be mine"

It's blunt and leaves my mouth agape, my mind struggles to process his words without malfunctioning. I close my mouth finally, looking down at my lap with heated cheeks.

"You shouldn't joke about that" I say softly, deflecting his obvious confession. I can feel his eyes on me and I keep my gaze away.

"I'm not joking, but I will understand if I'm not who you want" His voice is lowered, like he's trying to calm me.

"I do want you- you just can't be so blunt all the time" I respond, finally looking up at him. There's a wide smile that sits on his face, like this is the happiest moment of his life. I can't help but mirror his expression.

"Being blunt is easier than beating around the bush" He says conclusively, this time keeping his eyes on me and I can't seem to break away from his gaze either.

I give a small nod, it's the only reply I can muster. The rest of that train ride was a sort of bliss, the kind that follows a tense moment. We discuss where we should go for a date and he slips in a few jokes, meant for someone who's more than just his friend. And for once, I'm glad to not be the only one on this train.

[beah388love]

Wedding Bells

18+ Minors DNI!!!

Full Masterlist Legend Masterlist

Pairing: Reggie Kray x Fem!Reader

Summary: Going to the chapel’ and we’re gonna’ get married’…

Warnings: (I don’t think there are any? But if there are please tell me!!!)

“What do ya want?” Reggie asked you, a hand in your hair wrapped around his fingers. As you both looked up at the stars from the grass

“I want a four bedroom house with a beautiful garden, and three or four little us’s running around…and you.” You smiled as you looked at him cheekily.

“Oh yeah’?” He smirked, admiring your beautiful eyes staring into his own.

“Yeah” you nodded pulling him in for a kiss he gladly returned.

“That’s what’ you’re getting then” he gave you a kiss on your forehead embracing your lingering scent of heaven.

You giggled and sighed in comfort of being in his arms.

—

“Oi! Ronnie! Open the door mate!” Reggie knocked on Ron’s trailer door.

“What?” Ron opened the door rubbing his eyes and running his hand through his hair to tidy it up.

“I need your help…” Reggie said as he pushed Ron out the way and uninvitingly welcomed himself inside the trailer, about to grab a beer from the fridge but stopping himself.

“What is it?”

“Today’s the day ron, I’m gonna propose’ to y/n but I need ya help to organise it all”

-

You was reading one of your favourite books when all of a sudden you heard something hit your window, you opened it sheepishly.

“Reggie? What are ya doin throwing rocks at my window?” You asked grinning at his massive smile.

“There not rocks, there jolly ranchers” he said as he chucked one up to you and you caught it.

“Ooh! strawberry my favourite” you smiled as you unwrapped it and popped it in your mouth.

“What are you doin’ here then?” You asked cheekily

“I’ve got a surprise for ya!” He smiled knowing I hate surprises.

“Oh yeah? What is it?” I grinned back and he shook his head chuckling.

“It’s a surprise y/n’ that’s the whole point” he smirked

“Why didn’t you knock on the door?”

“You really think dolly’s gonna answer the door for me?” Reggie laughed pointing to the door.

“Nope” I said popping the P.

“You gonna climb for me again Romeo?” I giggled and he shook his head and began climbing the pipe up to my window, once he was up to my eye level I laughed.

“Oi what’s so funny?”

“Dolly ain’t here” I laughed before giving him a peck on the cheek.

He shook his head grinning “cheeky”

“What the surprise then Romeo?”

“Here’ this is for you…” he said as he handed me a bag, I opened it confused and it was a dress.

“It’s beautfiul…thank you Reggie, but what did you buy me a dress for and why are you all dressed up?” I asked confused as I just noticed he’s wearing a new suit not his normal ones.

“For the surprise!…now go put it on’ and get all ‘dolled up’ …I’ll be waiting out here” he said smirking and gave me a passionate kiss on the lips, staring at me lost in thought but after a couple of long seconds, climbing back down the pipe.

I was so confused but put on the dress anyway and got all ‘dolled up’ as he calls it, he always says how much he thinks I’m prettier without makeup.

Once I was ready, I left the house and saw him leaning on his car waiting for me.

He couldn’t take his eyes off of me, making me giggle.

“Y/n…you always take my breath away” he said as he looked me in my eyes.

“Well, you don’t look to bad yourself handsome” I grinned as he gave me a kiss on my temple.

“Where are we goin?” I asked

“It’s a surprise! God, is this whole night gonna be you being impatient” he laughed shaking his head and I nodded back jokingly.

Reggie took us to our favourite Place, it was a hidden fieldy area that no one knew about, we’d go there together all the time as kids up until now, it’s our favourite place to go to.

It was like a woody,grassy area with a little lake that we’d go in, in the summer.

He opened the car door for me and held my waist as we walked to the lake, there was a little corner near the lake we would always sit at.

And when we got there, there was a blanket and lights on the trees, like a picnic.

“Oh my gosh, Reg! Did you do this? Your so sweet” I couldn’t help but smile ear to ear and grab his chin and give him a massive kiss on the lips.

He had a massive grin on his face.

“Well I didn’t do it all myself, Ron and albie helped me” he said honestly and it made it even sweeter.

“Thank you so much Reggie” I said again when we sat down in the blanket together.

We stayed there nearly all day and night, until it was getting quite late so we packed everything up and went to go home when…

“Y/n? C’mere” Reggie said from the corner of the lake and I walked over to him and he was stood there and he looked anxious?

“What is it?” I asked and that’s when.

He got down on one knee and he sucked in a breath and opened a little velvet box with a beautiful ring inside.

“Y/n Y/l/n, will you marry me?” He spoke softly.

I gasped and forgot how to form words. I just felt tears prick at my eyes.

“Well?” He asked me and I just nodded.

“Yes! Yes! I’ll marry you! ” I beamed before he put the ring on my finger and then I threw myself into his arms nearly knocking him backwards since he was only leaning on one leg.

He laughed and was grinning ear to ear and gave me a massive kiss on the lips.

“I love you so much y/n” he said into my hair because I nuzzled my face inti his neck.

“I love you too Reginald” I smirked into the crack of his neck.

Making him chuckle.

“You little-“ he laughed as he began tickling my sides.

“Stop! Re-Reggie Stop!!! Im gonna pee myself stop!” I laughed as he tickled my sides and stomach.

Eventually he stopped and I was huffing and puffing as he laughed.

“Hang on, how did you get my ring size?” I asked confused and he began laughing even harder.

“It was so fucking hard y/n” he laughed

“I didn’t want you to have any clue I was going to propose so I spoke to Ron and albie to try and find an idea, and eventually we got one- remember when we went to Roy’s girlfriends place?” He said and I nodded confused

“And she showed everyone that thing that tells you your ring size? And the dress measurement and all that? That how I got it” he said smirking and I gasped.

“Woah I didnt even notice, your pretty smart”

“I know it was albies idea though” he grinned.

-

“Are you scared?” Dotty asked me as I did her makeup.

“A little…” i said and she gave me a little ‘really?’ Look and I sighed.

“…a lot”

“Don’t worry, you look absolutely beautiful and it’s gonna go Perfectly” she smiled and gave me a massive hug that I accepted.

“Thank you dot, I really needed that” I giggled as I put away the makeup things.

Reggie was standing at the aisle, Ron next to him.

And Reggie looked panicked.

“Oh god, my brain is fucking racing” Reggie muttered and Ron laughed quietly.

“It’s not funny” Reggie huffed.

“It’ll be fine Reggie” Ronnie whispered back as the doors opened for the bridesmaids.

I stood there with my dad, holding my bouquet and holding his arm with the other.

“Are you ready?” He asked me and I nodded.

“Before you go out there, I want your to know I love you so so much, and you are always going to be my little girl” he said giving me a kiss on the head and I smiled.

“I know” I rolled my eyes jokingly making him laugh.

The doors opened and we both walked down the aisle and when I saw Reggie, he had tears in his eyes.

“Your so beautiful y/n” he whispered to me smiling, I blushed and smirked “you don’t look to bad yourself”

“Reginald Kray, Do you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in matrimony, to love her, to honour her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do”

“Y/n Y/l/n, Do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, to honour him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do”

“Repeat after me”

“I, Reginald Kray, take you Y/n Y/l/n, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part”

“I, Y/n Y/l/n, take you Reginald Kray, to be my Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part”

“You may now place the ring on her finger and repeat after me” he says and Reggie follows his instructions.

“I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love” Reggie repeats softly as he puts the ring on my finger gently.

“You may now place the ring on his finger and repeat after me” he says and i also follows his instructions.

“I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love” i repeat and put the ring onto Reggie’s finger.

We hold each others hands and he says “i now pronounce you husband and wife”

He turns to Reggie and says “you may now kiss the bride”

He pulls me in and kiss me passionately, he places one hand on my waist and one on the back of my neck.

“I love you so much, y/n Kray” he whispers with a grin into my ear.

“I like the sound of that” I smile back.

[jerzwriter]

Thank you for this ask @lilyoffandoms! I've been missing our girls! When I saw the prompt, "You're so excited all the time... it's kind of adorable." I knew exactly where this was going to go! I hope you like it! From this list.

Book: Open Heart Characters: Merida (MC), Casey (F!MC), and Olivia (F!OC) Merida belongs to @lilyoffandoms, Olivia belongs to @storyofmychoices Words: 522 Rating: General Summary: Merida, Casey & Olivia spend the day at an amusement park, and one of them is quite amusing. A/N: Participating in @choicesfebruary2024 - Philia

“Come on!” Olivia pled as she walked... no... skipped several yards in front of her friends. “Come on, guys! We have to go on The Great Chace before we leave!”

Merida and Casey didn’t pick up their pace. Eyeing each other as they sauntered through the amusement park, Casey nibbled on her ice cream cone, Merida a bright pink cotton candy. It’s not that they didn’t want to join Olivia, but they were ride-ed out. Commandeering Ethan’s car for a girl’s day at Six Flags was just what they needed, but two dozen rides later, the only ride Olivia’s friends were looking forward to was the ride home.

Still, they could be persuaded. After all, there was magic in the warm summer air as the dusk began to fall, and their surroundings began to twinkle with bright, colored lights. The only thing that could rival them was their friend’s beaming face, looking much more like a child on Christmas morning than the accomplished doctor she was. Casey popped the last bit of her cone into her mouth and turned to Merida with a shrug.

“What’s one more ride?”

Merida nodded in agreement, and they let Olivia lead the way. But Casey couldn’t contain her laughter when they arrived.

“This... this is The Great Chase?”

“Yes,” Olivia clapped her hands with excitement. “I can’t wait to go on! The line’s short; maybe we can even go on twice! The car only holds two; this way, I can ride once with each of you! What do think, do you think we could....”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Olivia,” Merida said, placing a stabilizing hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Take it easy there, love. I think we let you have too much sugar today.”

“Olivia,” Casey deadpanned. “You know this is a kiddie rollercoaster, right?”

“Well, sure. But adults are still allowed to ride it! You see!” She pointed to the racing coaster as it moved around the track. “Lots of adults are riding!”

“Yeah,” Merida shrugged. “But let’s ignore the glaring fact that they’re all riding with their children...”

“Oh, come on!” Olivia playfully pouted, rocking on the balls of her feet. “Please! Please! Please! Pleeeeeeaaassse!”

Casey smirked at Merida. “You’re right. Definitely too much sugar.”

“You’re probably right,” Olivia agreed. “But I’m just so excited!”

“Of course you are,” Merida chuckled. “You’re excited all the time... it’s kind of adorable.”

“You think I’m adorable?” Olivia blushed.

“Liv,” Casey injected. “The only person who wouldn’t find you adorable would be someone without a pulse. Now, let’s go on this kiddie coaster... you know I can’t say no to you.”

Olivia took off ahead of her friends in the queue, and Casey shook her head. “Could you imagine if they guys were here watching us go on the kiddie coaster? We’d never hear the end of it.”

“Oh, they’d be total jackasses,” Merida laughed. “But, they’re our jackasses.”

But their conversation was cut short.

“GUYS!!!!” Olivia squealed, already sitting in the front car. “Whose going to ride with me first?”

“Merida is!” Casey yelled as her friend shot her a look.

“Just for this, you’re driving home!”

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.

[monstermoviedean]

hi quuen(gn) i know its been like years and its nowhere near the anniversary but i was feeling nostalgic today and was scrolling back through the j2 fallout tag and i saw u post about how u had been theorizing about it before it came to light and i just wanted to say if you ever would like to make an in depth post with all ur thoughts it would personally make my whole entire year. anyways obvi no pressure and i love all ur posting!

anon i'm sorry i took so long to respond!!! i am beyond flattered that this would make your whole entire year so i'm going to try to do it justice but please know that i appreciate you so much 🥹 this was really fun and a much-needed distraction from real life so thank you!!!

okay so the thing i must emphasize is: i don't know shit. i have no evidence. i do not have any insider connection to the fallout. i am wholly pulling stuff out of my ass. but the weird thing is...pulling stuff out of my ass has not always been totally incorrect?? (yes i know how that sounds yes i'm keeping it)

possibly helpful context: i was active on spnblr while seasons 8-10 were airing, drifted away after s10, then returned after 15x18. so i came into it with the 2012 picture of j2 in my mind: best friends 4eva, basically brothers, etc etc. at that point i also didn't know about jared's documented public bad behavior (not a strong enough term but you get what i mean). so when i got a better handle on the 2020 spn landscape it was like oh this is weird.

first off, i did not originate the j2 fallout theory. I don't know who to credit but they're a genius. and anything i say here is likely not an original thought and draws on others' ideas. frankly for a long time i believed in the fallout in the way i believe in the loch ness monster: i think it's fun, it gives me a laugh, and it's ultimately not hurting anyone, so why not? for a brief period in 2020-2021 tumblr had a groups (?) feature that was like a group chat. someone made a j2 fallout theory group (sorry, I don't remember who!), i joined, a couple dozen of us chatted and shared some lighthearted theories. it wasn't that serious iirc, we were just having fun. passing around posts and tagging them with j2 fallout, taking innocuous events and joking that they were rock-solid evidence of a fallout.

the thing is though...the j2 interactions during the period of november 2020 through june 2021 were limited. like, conspicuously so. it was too quiet. and jensen was especially, notably quiet about anything. this is the period where the "sexy silence" came from (my opinion is that the sexy silence continues to this day, but that's just me).

i can't cite sources off the top of my head for this but i'm trying to only use examples that i'm confident happened - but please take it with a grain (or lots) of salt. but here are the important events imo:

mid- to late-2019: that convention where jensen said the finale "didn't sit right" with him and he called kripke about it. kripke helped him come around to it, but he still sounded unsure (imo). i think he said something to the effect of seeing the value in that ending and understanding why it was happening that way, but definitely not the same exuberance others (ie jared) showed for it.

summer/fall 2019: the press run where jensen wore the "if they did but know" gucci jacket and looked visibly checked out during those interviews, which is kind of incredible given what we know about his ability to control his face. i have gifs.

september 2020: finale filmed. jensen immediately turns around, sets up chaos machine, and acquires the rights to spn. within a few weeks iirc.

november 2020: the interview (entertainment weekly?) where jensen was super excited about the confession and talked about coming up with the handprint on the day of ("that'll make somebody scream in their apartment"). the instagram comment on the picture of the handprint jacket thanking the crew for their work. liking two tweets about 15x18 (misha's for sure, and i think berens'?) and nothing. NOTHING. about the finale. no goodbye. no post. not even liking others' posts. just. Nothing. sexy silence era begins.

december 2020: the stacey abrams call. nothing said about the finale. we all start going "oh shit something is very, very weird here." Someone wins the jensen q&a but it either never happens or we never hear about it.

january 2021: little fuzzy on these but i think this is when he got that award and thanked a bunch of people but not jared. he was wearing a bi flannel and in the mountains. and i think this is where "moving to get away from jared" speculation started because he clearly wasn't in texas. i think this was the interview where he made his hair stand on end like a mad scientist and laughed half heartedly when jared said something about working together again.

spring 2021: not much eventful - a couple cons, not much discussion about anything regarding the end of the series. which is still so weird! somewhere in here was jensen getting new roles which were conspicuously Not walker. and he still didn't like anything on twitter. at all. for months his most recent likes were the two 15x18 tweets.

june 2021: everything blows the fuck up!!!!!!!! prior to that we had absolutely no solid evidence that the fallout was real and then all of a sudden it was live on twitter!!!

here is what i think. i think the relationship had been drifting for a while (the s15 gag reel bit where jensen is clearly irritated that jared isn't paying attention comes to mind). and when the finale was pitched and jared was fine with it - or even actively supportive - that was the beginning of the end. known deangirl here but if i had played and loved a character for 15 years and that ending was pitched to me (as a good ending no less!) i would be upset. And i would be more upset if i was the only one who was upset.

my baseless speculation is that jensen was not good with the ending (for extremely obvious reasons) and wanted a different ending, but nobody else supported a different ending. and i do believe that it's possible the ending could have been changed if both jared and jensen pushed back. i got the sense that they rarely pushed back on the writers, but if they made a concerted joint effort they could effect change. and that didn't happen.

jensen had a lot of feelings about this (not making fun of him, i really do sympathize). and jared didn't. and that felt alienating, and then the whole last season happened and covid happened and the confession happened and jared is saying the finale is his favorite episode while jensen is saying he had to fight tooth and nail for dean to die on his feet. can you imagine spending months filming your final season, knowing what it's leading up to, watching jared phone it in because it won't affect him? knowing he didn't have your back at a time when you really needed it?

again. i don't know shit. maybe jared borrowed jensen's impala and crashed it. maybe he pissed in that absurdly expensive pizza oven. maybe he insulted family business beer. who knows. i just think that jensen put up with a lot for a long time, and the finale was the last straw. and he would have been polite and cordial to the very end if jared hadn't had a toddler meltdown live on twitter. (there might also be something interesting in "oh so it's fine if dean dies in canon but if sam isn't in the winchesters it's the end of the world?!")

i hope this was satisfactory anon :) lots of love to you!!!

[510amy5]

On April 8 I got to experience something absolutely incredible: a total solar eclipse. Its hard to express just how exciting this was for me but here goes.

I have always loved space, ever since I was a kid. I played the Magic School Bus planets game, I read about how the moon affects our tides, I learned how to make a pin hole projector for watching a partial solar eclipse at 5 years old. I started learning constellations (my fav has always been Cassiopeia) and could find north using the stars by the time I was 8. When I was 10, our family Christmas gift was a very large and fancy telescope. Suddenly I was no longer limited to my naked eyes. We spent a couple nights a week all summer looking at anything interesting we could find in the night sky. I learned to use a star chart, locate the planets on the ecliptic and of course operate our telescope (which was powerful enough that the rotation of earth was noticeable over the course of a couple mins). This is when I came up with my space bucket list.

Some items were ones I saw before the list was created, but they were amazing and helped inform my items yet to be experienced.

Space things I've seen:

Rocks on the moon

Craters on mars

Rings of Saturn

Jupiter's spot

Binary star system

Total lunar eclipse

The international space station (through telescope)

Moons around Mars, Jupiter and Saturn

Venus transit of the sun

Total solar eclipse

Space things I want to see:

Shuttle launch

Aurora borealis

Rings of Neptune

An asteroid

A comet

I was over the moon (pun intended) when I found out that I was near the path of totality for this eclipse. 20 mins drive to move an item from the bottom list to the top one. That's what this started as for me, a box to check and an opportunity to say "that was cool".

So I drove with my parents and my baby and we setup our lawn chairs at the community centre in the town south of us. Its a tiny, middle of nowhere town where everything closes on Sundays and they only have 1 traffic light. Suddenly it was on the map as people traveled in to experience the eclipse. It felt like a big picnic with people chatting and sitting out with their families, pulling out their special glasses every few moments to look up.

I watched as the moon sliced away at the sun. Bit by bit the light got darker and weirder and the temperature dropped. It was exciting but there was also something viscerally unsettling about it. My mind knew this was fun but my body knew something was WRONG. The sun is such an easy thing to take for granted. Its always there, shining away just the same. But when something so fundamental changes, your body notices. This was a duality of experience I never expected.

Then we finally reached the point of totality. This was the moment I had been waiting for, my check box experience. But it was way more than just cool. The world went dark, street lights coming on and birds breaking out in sudden confused song. The people around me cheered and hugged. And I, as I so often have before, I looked up. Understanding the mechanics of an eclipse and having it described couldn't come close to what I was now looking at. I expected a hole in the sky but you could still see the outline of the moon. Not like a "ring of fire" eclipse, but just because the sun puts out that much light and power. The tendrils of the corona reached as far into space as the sun was wide, waved and curled into lines way more organic than the sun beams I always imagined. I had heard the corona was going to make a good show due to this year being the solar maximum but that was an understatement. It was like being on an alien planet orbiting a weird star. I took a quick video for a friend and then just soaked up the moment. Totality only lasts a couple mins and too soon a diamond spark appeared on the edge. No longer safe to look at. We donned our glasses and just stared in awe. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.

Other groups started to pack up around us. We waited though, watching as the sun slowly regained purchase in the sky. The birds stopped singing, the light normalized. I changed my baby's diaper before we hopped in the car to drive home.

In history and media, a total eclipse is often seen as the beginning of the apocalypse or an omen of some kind and I can see why. It is an experience so alien and rare that it must have some deeper meaning right? I agree. In my case however, what I see is the beauty of God's creation. I see all the factors that lined up to give me the gift of this experience and I see His hand. Now I sit and work to find the words to convey an indescribable event, hoping I can share some of this experience. I can only hope I live to see this sight again.

[theoddcatlady]

Mr. Ferguson

I think the whole street breathed a sigh of relief when we saw the EMTs take a body bag out of the Ferguson house. I was only about ten or eleven at the time and it’s been a while so some details of my childhood are lost to time, but I can’t forget Mr. Ferguson.

There was never a Mrs. Ferguson in the picture, as far as I know. He lived in the house on the corner, the one with the bright yellow shutters and the gorgeous garden out back. The garden didn’t make up for the rotten old bastard he was. I wondered once if he was nicer when he was younger, when he didn’t have to walk with a cane and could actually get around without help, but my dad set me straight on that one. Mr. Ferguson had always been a terrible person and the neighbor from hell.

All day long, Mr. Ferguson would sit on his front porch in his rocking hair, grasping onto his black cane as he stared out on the street. If someone walking their dog even got close to his yard, he’d start spewing threats about what he’d do if the dog took a shit on his lawn. If a kid put even a toe on his property, he’d get up from that chair and start shouting more terrible things. I learned my first cuss words from Mr. Ferguson, he didn’t censor his language even among the smallest of ears. And he wasn’t all talk. One of my friend’s dogs wandered into the Ferguson yard, just sniffing around as beagles do, and Mr. Ferguson beat that dog bloody. The poor thing had anxiety for the rest of its life and if you so much as passed the Ferguson house with it the dog would lose its mind.

Other than him, our neighborhood was a friendly place. Summers were full of cook outs and pool parties, winters had Secret Santa gift exchanges and someone was always willing to help shovel out your driveway. You’d never be hard pressed to find a babysitter on short notice, odds are your friend had a teenage daughter willing to make a few bucks to make sure the kids were on bed in time.

But not Mr. Ferguson. People did try to bring him in on the fun sometimes. He’d scoff and tell them to leave him alone in no uncertain terms. Mom said he just wanted to be miserable. I didn’t understand how someone could want that and well, I still don’t.

One hot summer morning though, his caretaker came in to do a check and found him in his garden, dead as a door nail. Probably a stroke or a heart attack.

My mom made us go to the funeral. I don’t know why, she probably hated Mr. Ferguson the most and we were like one of five people that went. One of those people was the priest. At least it was short, the priest just said a few words about how we should treasure our lives and be good to others and then Mr. Ferguson was chucked into the ground.

That was that… or so I thought.

The accidents started happening just a week later.

I was at my friend Michael’s house, we were playing board games when we heard the crash. It was so loud it shook the house and Michael dropped his soda. Root beer spilled onto the carpet as we tried to figure out what that sound was for a second.

Then we heard his dad screaming bloody murder.

Forgetting completely about the spilled soda, we ran out to the garage where he’d been working on changing the oil in the car.

Michael’s dad was pinned by the car against the garage door, face white as a sheet as his head lolled to the side. I saw blood splattered against the off gray color of the metal and I puked while Michael ran inside to call 911.

It was luck that he survived. He never walked again and health issues plagued him for the rest of his life, but for a guy crushed by a car that’s probably best case scenario.

It was an accident, sure, but a weird one. The car just suddenly launched forward as Michael’s dad stood in front of it. But there was no one in the garage with him. So yeah. It was just an accident.

But accidents started happening more and more often.

The next one was at the final pool party of the season. We were all at the Benson house because they’d just gotten a brand new hot tub. There was probably like twelve kids running around, the sun was shining, the barbecue was sizzling. I had just gotten out of the pool to grab a lemonade and was chatting with Annie when I heard the pop.

Mrs. Benson and her friends had been relaxing in the hot tub, making jokes and laughing until the pop. Their bodies suddenly went rigid before they began rapidly jerking about and twitching. Mr. Benson shouted if she was all right and I heard this gurgled yell before Mrs. Benson went under.

The kids stampeded out of the pool and I smelled something burning before I realized that the hot tub was on fire.

Mrs. Benson and her sister ended up dying on the way to the hospital. The other woman ended up surviving but not without some serious electrical burns. Electrocution via hot tub. Just an accident. But there was one more accident we all missed until we returned to the pool to see a little body floating at the top. Three year old Maggie had fallen in during the chaos and drowned.

Mr. Benson moved away after that. Losing both his wife and youngest child in that house just killed something inside of him. But after he moved away, we all saw it happen.

His backyard became overgrown by plants. Not over a few weeks, like what happens when a house is uninhabited and there’s no one to mow the lawn. The very day after they’d left that house the backyard was now filled with dandelions, daffodils, lilies. and all sorts of flowers that shouldn’t naturally appear in the late summer.

It was like a garden.

Accidents happen, sure. But not like this. Not when a guy who’s been working home improvement his entire life ends up toppling from a ladder and breaking his spine. Not when a mom trips and falls face first into the open dishwasher and ends up getting impaled on a knife. Not when a toddler was left alone for just a few seconds and ends up nearly drowning in the bathtub.

Dogs ran into the road and ended up getting hit by cars. Kids fell from their bunk beds and cracked their heads like eggshells on their dressers. Teenagers got into fatal car wrecks. It was a mess.

Two other families ended up leaving our neighborhood and their yards had the same fate as the Benson’s- completely grown over. A morbid beauty.

Fall came and the yards grew brown but the gardens seemed to be even greener. The whispers started about a ghost. A ghost that was such a miserable old bastard in life and was now a nasty poltergeist in death.

Mr. Ferguson had never left our neighborhood.

It all came to a head when a tree was struck by lightning and a large tree limb crashed into our living room. I’d just tripped while picking up my things and suddenly the roof caved in above me. I was lucky I was on the ground. If I’d been standing, well, I’d probably not be telling you this story.

Two nights later my mom woke me up. She looked grim.

“Come on. We’re going to see Mr. Ferguson.”

When we walked out of the house, I saw everyone on our street was out. Everyone had this same grim look on their face. The deaths, the mutilation, it’d forever tarnished our street and we’d all had enough. We walked down the street, I saw several guys walk into Mr. Ferguson’s house with mallets and chainsaws, but we kept going with a few of the others. I saw that several of the adults were carrying shovels and containers of lighter fluid.

We walked into the graveyard and my mom led them right to Mr. Ferguson’s grave. She took a deep breath.

“… Start digging.”

It was the frantic endeavors of people who believed they were cursed. Dirt flew in the air and nearly pelted me in the head a few times. I hid behind my mom, who just stood there stone faced.

Even now the accidents weren’t over. A man tripped in the hole and his leg snapped like a twig. He wailed as he was dragged away by a few others before they got right back to digging. Someone else got smacked the face with a shovel and blood coursed down his face from his nose as he just kept on digging.

Finally the coffin was reached, the lid cracked open. Mr. Ferguson’s body laid inside. He didn’t even look dead, it was like he was just taking a nap.

Then they started pouring the lighter fluid in. It covered the corpse’s skin, his clothes. They probably added more than necessary. My mom struck the match and threw it in, shielding me from the sudden burst of flames.

I didn’t get to see the body, but I swore I heard that old man’s yelling as his body burned.

It was over after all that. The gardens were all dead by morning. The accidents stopped. And although we’d lost so many of our friends over the past year, we recovered. New neighbors moved in. We welcomed them into our fold. One or two asked about the property on the corner, the one that looked like a tornado hit it, and we’d just say it was vandals. They stopped asking. We never talked about what we did to Mr. Ferguson’s body. And soon we just stopped thinking about it.

I grew up on that street. Even now I only live a few blocks away. And for so long I wondered why our family was practically the only one untouched by the tragedy. We never got hurt, even when the tree branch came crashing into our living room.

I think I found out the answer. See, my mom passed away a few months ago from breast cancer and I’ve been going through her things. She’s always been such a good, kind woman and it was great seeing pictures of her helping plant the garden behind the church and teaching at the local school.

But in the bottom of the box, hidden under dozens of other albums, was a picture from when she married my dad. Unlike the family picture with the groom, all it was was my mom and an older man. I didn’t recognize him until I flipped the picture over.

On the back was written ‘Pauline Walters (P. Ferguson) and The Father of the Bride.’

[rothjuje]

Today is my sister’s yahrzeit. Fifteen years. How?

Alyssa saw some pictures of me and my sister the other day and she asked me who my best friend was and where is she now. I told her it was my sister and then changed the subject quickly. I feel like it would be weird at 6 to know you were named after a kid you’re seeing in pictures. I don’t know. I was around that age when I found out my twin died in utero and it made me incredibly sad for a long time. Plus I don’t want her to have anxiety that her own sister/best friend will die. I am really bad with wanting to protect my kids from any pain or sadness, we still haven’t told them zayde (what they called poppa) died. We need to, Alyssa was just so hysterical when Hef died and he was just a dog she didn’t even like. She wasn’t especially close to her great grandparents, but I think she panics when she hears the word died and I’m just really dreading it.

We spent all weekend trying to get the chicken run up and not making much progress. In TX, we just dug a foot (2ft maybe?) underneath the hardware cloth frame and lined it with boards so nothing could dig under. Here Justin wants it a permanent structure, I’m not sure why. He is cementing 9 posts into the ground and digging the holes (tons of large rocks we had to chisel out) took a whole day alone. We tried to get the posts up yesterday and the math with uneven ground wasn’t mathing. Finalllllly got the posts up from 6-7 pm yesterday. Looks bigger than I thought and I am pleased. Plus watching Justin sweat all weekend and build something for me was pretty romantic/hot. He also made dinner both nights. It was a pretty great weekend actually.

While he was gone I thought about our relationship and why we felt like strangers and yeah part of it his trips, but the other part of it is young kids/not managing evenings/nights well. It feels impossible to sit and eat dinner with the kids, the planning to have all 5 of us sitting and eating at the same time is intensive. Alyssa is easy, but George and Gen are picky in opposite ways and someone always needs something and it’s just a challenge that I hadn’t been prioritizing. And the nights (especially over summer) have been late bedtimes, and all the laundry and cleaning and random tasks and my shower need to get done after the kids go to bed because G&G follow me everywhere/undo everything during the day. Then chicken chores for the 7 still living in the basement and it’s after midnight and Justin goes to bed at 11:30. Now when he gets off work I run around doing chores while he entertains the kids, we scramble to eat together even though not convenient, I shower and get stuff done for an hour, and then we have 10:30-11:30 together. And I’m getting to bed earlier. I don’t like to rush around but I’m not going to get the things done if I don’t so it is what it is.

Poppa’s yahrzeit is 10 days before my sister’s, July won’t be a fun month for us. I find it interesting how close Justin was to his grandparents, but I can see it. They both made it a priority to call and sing to me on my birthday and they called us every anniversary. They were warm, affectionate people. They always made me feel like part of the family, and honestly it was a loss for me too. Poppa was pretty much the only grandpa I knew, and he was always there for us. Not a perfect man by any means, but he was a good grandpa/poppa/zayde. Sigh.

I wasn’t going to garden this year, because after my expensive failure in TX I didn’t want to waste the time/money without a raised, fenced-in setup. But I did end up planting snap peas, strawberries, potatoes, and squash and they have all done fantastic. With zero effort. I did not amend the soil, I did not pick off bugs, no fencing, heck, I didn’t even water them! Just planted them in the rocky soil and off the went. Wow. I’m so excited for next year, I can’t imagine what an actual setup will yield!

[radioactivepeasant]

Fic Prompts: Free Day Thursday

As per Monday's poll, here we have the Prisoner Exchange AU! If I added everything I've got for it this post would be super long, so what I'm actually doing is giving you the angsty bits from the beginning here, and later this afternoon I'll post the later and less angsty part HERE and THERE

_________<________<________<_______<____

"Shift change."

Tomsin couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief. The prisoner -- gods it felt wrong to even think that -- hadn't moved much since the force field went up, but it was still unnerving to sit in the silence with him.

"Thank the Precursors. I'm gonna lose it if I have to stare at these walls another second." Tomsin stood up and stretched, trying not to show how eager she was to escape.

Her relief, Giles, shifted uncomfortably. His arm was still in a sling where Jak had all but snapped it in two. Green eco was rationed, even for soldiers now. It would take a few days for the bone to mend.

"How's he doing?" Giles asked, peering around Tomsin's shoulder at the figure crouched in the cell.

"He was pretty violent for a couple hours, but then he just went quiet," Tomsin admitted.

"Well can you blame him?" Giles shifted uncomfortably and crept closer to the force field.

Jak, their one time hero, huddled in a corner, knees pulled to his chest and staring blankly at the wall. He rocked back and forth, completely silent.

"This feels wrong, this feels so wrong," Giles whispered.

"This isn't what we got the tattoos for."

"I know." Tomsin looked away.

"Heard the stories. But I only ever saw Jak in creature mode, y'know? I didn't think he was this young."

Giles winced at the pitiful figure's silent rocking and let a traitorous thought escape.

"Is this really worth it?"

Tomsin gaped at him. "Giles, this is Torn we're talking about! Loyalty aside, losing him would compromise the whole city! And then Veger would be the governor's second in command."

Giles shuddered. Nobody wanted the pompous nobleman taking Commander Torn's place.

"I know, I know. I just...he can't be that much older than my Rosie. Feels bad."

"It's him or all of us," Tomsin said, but she wouldn't look at either of them.

Giles knew it was to hide the uncertainty in her eyes.

Tomsin signed out and Giles took her seat. Working up his courage, he swallowed hard and called softly, "Hey, hey kid. You hungry? I can...I can get something delivered if you want. You want anything?"

Jak curled tighter -- the first reaction Giles had seen so far -- and barely audibly croaked,

"No drugs."

The words soured and withered away on Giles's tongue. The kid expected them to drug his food? Giles thought of his daughter, twelve and full of pre-teen impudence. His stomach churned, imagining her in Jak’s place.

Are we selling our souls to get Torn back? he wondered.

"I'm sorry, kid," he said quietly. "If...if I had the passcode, I'd let you out."

He was not that surprised to find that he meant it.

"The governor is pretty darn sure those Wastelanders don't want to hurt you but- well. Who ever trusted a Praxis anyway?"

"I did," Jak answered unexpectedly.

He buried his head in his arms.

"Wish I hadn't."

____________<><><><><><><><>______________

In any other context, the morning would have been beautiful. Birds were beginning to fill the empty buildings of Dead Town with their nests, and for the first time in more than ten years, signs of life filled the ruined streets. It was a perfect summer morning, still spared the waves of heat that were already sweeping the western archipelago.

It was, in Ashelin's opinion, deeply inappropriate weather for what might as well have been an execution.

Jak hadn't spoken to her since the night before. Actually, Jak hadn't spoken to anyone since the night before. He glared at the ground, but didn't seem to be really seeing it. His movements were mechanical, a kind of autopilot just quick enough to prevent the Freedom League guards from dragging him bodily to the stretch of land where the exchange was to take place. He looked...broken. Like he'd finally lost his will to fight.

Ashelin wanted to be sick.

"I...I'm sorry, Jak," she whispered. "The Council overruled me. There was nothing I could do."

She tasted the lie on her lips and closed her eyes.

"I know that you're the only person who can get through this, and beat these raiders at their own game. I hope- I hope one day you'll forgive me, Jak."

From his shoulder, Daxter bunched himself up and growled, "Don't count on it."

Count Veger marched out ahead of them and raised his staff to signal the warlord they called The Dune-Wolf.

"Show us the commander, unharmed, and we'll release the boy to you."

"Well look at that," a Wastelander -- Sig, Ashelin thought his name was, Krew's heavy-- jeered.

"A Praxis can do the right thing after all! And it only took a hostage and some blackmail to accomplish."

The Wolf snorted, an echoing sound behind his mask. "Thank heaven for little miracles," he said sardonically, and once again Ashelin was struck by the familiarity of his voice.

She could have sworn that for just an instant she felt the ice in his stare, piercing her throat when he caught sight of Jak and stiffened.

Cold and hard, he hissed, "You bring him to me in chains?"

Jak’s eyes flicked upward for a brief second, meeting his, then they seemed to cloud over again. It was the most reaction he'd shown to anything since they'd taken him from the cell.

Veger hid his nerves better than the soldiers. Better than Ashelin.

"For your own protection," he murmured, feigning deference as he stepped back. "The boy is...violently unsuited to society. Feral, in a word."

"You want feral?" Daxter snarled from Jak's shoulder, "Oh, I'll give you feral-!"

Sig stepped forward at a gesture from his commander and shoved Torn in front of him. Torn stumbled and nearly fell. He sucked in a breath. Jak looked rough. Disoriented. Clearly, this wasn't a willing trade. He looked to Ashelin, to Veger, and knew in his heart that this was always going to happen. But this marked the second time he had betrayed Jak, albeit unwittingly this time. And this time, Jak wasn't coming back.

"I'm so sorry, Jak-! I didn't want this!" Torn croaked.

Jak did not seem like he was even aware of his presence.

When the two prisoners reached the halfway point, Sig all but threw Torn at the Havenites. He grabbed Jak by the arm and yanked him away from the guards as if they were going to change their mind and whisk Jak back into the city.

"Easy, cherries," he murmured, softening his grip, "Y'all just sit tight. S' gonna be okay."

The Wolf tilted his head to watch Jak for a moment. The boy was slumped, listless. Resigned. Slowly, the warlord's posture tightened and tensed until he looked to be a hair's breadth from killing someone.

"Take them back to base camp," he commanded.

"Aye, sir."

Sig wrapped his arm around Jak’s shoulders -- and Daxter by extension.

"Come on, boys. Let's get that wristwear off you."

The Wolf watched as Sig led Jak to one of the ominous looking vehicles behind them. Then he lifted his chin and gestured with his staff at the Havenites in a parody of a magnanimous benefactor.

"The House of Mar thanks you for your...cooperation, Count. Governor," he declared mockingly.

His guards kept their eyes trained on the slack, horrified faces of Ashelin, Torn, and Veger until the Wolf had swung himself back in the retrofitted Hellcat.

[hhighkey]

Haunted // Chapter Five, kyoto p1

Inumaki Toge x OC (female)

Chapter Rating: general

Story Contains: unhealthy relationships, strangers to lowkey!friends to lovers, family issues, OC is in high school going into university after summer, she thought curses were ghosts, bad parents want their child dead, 18/19 character ages, toge is so in love, eventual sex prior to relationship, soft dom toge, dacryphylia, over protective/ possessive toge, jealous toge

Word Count: 2573

KEY: 'text written with single quotations are writing/typing in notes or messages by toge' and bold text is when japanese sign language comes in

Tags: reply to be added

Masterlist

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THE afternoon sun bathed down on the buildings that sat up upon the hills looking down onto the Kamo River, paths alongside. The blue sky above was dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted in the gentle breeze above the city of Kyoto. Tourists and locals alike were out and about- many walking, cycling, and or relaxing on the banks of the river. Two girls in specific had gotten up early to begin their long walk to see different temples and end up sitting on a tiny hill where rocks went down to meet the water. They were enjoying their trip and no school, giggling about recent social media posts, etc.

It had been five days since they were attacked by a curse. Four days since Keiko was given the choice to join Jujutsu High. Three days since Aki's Grandma took the two to Kyoto. The friends didn't know how to talk about what happened that afternoon, when they saw each other for the first time after they just laid in Aki's bed watching television. No words could describe the schock and how they were trying to come to terms with how fast it happened.

Keiko's long black hair continued to whip into her hair as each time she'd laugh annoyed trying to tame it. Finally, she used a hairtie from her wrist to put it back; which she hated low ponytails. Aki was glued to her phone searching up things for them to do, where to shop, and pictures of Kyoto in other seasons.

"I wish we could come back in the spring, look at these pictures of when the cherry blossoms are fully blooming." Aki showed her the phone, where it showed pretty pink blossoms adorning the trees, sky and ground.

Keiko glanced around and back to the picture, she could only imagine how majestic it would be to experience that in real like than a picture. Few months earlier and they would be, "wow.. I mean we can during uni, we’ll have much more time.. hopefully."

"That's a great idea, I can’t wait."

"Let’s just pray rumors of uni being easier than high school are true."

"I know! Sort of an oversight there in my opinion to make high school more demanding." Keiko laughed, "I can't believe that's coming up... we’ve worked so hard."

"Don't even wanna think about it! Parents started getting all emotional lately." Aki groaned, "too much work, let's just not go. Convince your parents to let us mooch off them forever."

"I wish! But hey, if we hate University of Tyoko we can just transfer here." she thought back to Aki's grandma forcing them to do a small tour to get the girls thinking about university, "it's too close to home really.”

"Not like we knew your parents would suddenly let you leave town months after we decided.. though the six hours to get here was pretty lengthy.”

"I knowww but probably because we didn’t take the train." Keiko poked her.

"Ah true, but hey we really lucked out getting on the same dorm floor."

"Though I was gonna cry when we got the placement emails! If was smart of your grandma to have us email housing.” Keiko smiled.

"Literally! I swear if somehow fucking Emiko ended up in our building I’m dying."

"You still hate her?" she laughed at Aki's face of disgust,

"Always will!"

Keiko knew they’d be in different major taking different classes, around new people. They had their different hobbies and strengths in school and life. With Keiko having had private tutoring and being stuck at home, she found herself enjoying books on anything she could get her hands on. So suddenly math and science made sense to her as numbers just solved themselves, whereas Aki was torn between economics and teaching. Keiko had safety in her family life so leaving home seemed like it could be a great idea. Sometimes it felt like there wasn't much for her in Tokyo besides Aki; why stay? University was a touchy subject for a lot of students she felt. Keiko didn't necessarily have any strong emotions about it besides a mixture of laziness and excitement. Primary thankfulness to still have her best friend by her side.

A sudden VIBRATING snapped Keiko from her thoughts. She stumbled to reach into her purse to grab her phone.

"Oh?" Keiko murmured as she saw a text message from a number she didn't recognize.

"What's what?" Aki asked trying to see her friends phone screen,

"Text from an unknown number."

"Who!?"

"Inumaki.. forgot I gave him my number for a second." Keiko flushed red.

"What does it say?" Aki only knew the little about what Keiko told her- he'd saved them and he had been the most welcoming to her.

"Just saying that it's him."

"Oh, lame." Aki huffed, "you better tell me everything about this boy! I am gonna get you a boyfriend somehow,"

"Shut up, it's not like that! Lemme just respond," Keiko giggled shaking her head, knowing this she'd be spilling everything she knew about him to her.

4:55 pm

UNKNOWN: Hi it's Inumaki Toge:)

KEIKO: hi!! do u prefer to go by toge or inumaki? people seemed to call u by ur surname but i have to know what to put your contact as :)

UNKNOWN: Both is fine!

KEIKO: cool! also cool u texted

TOGE: So how are you doing?

KEIKO: well, i feel a lot better now knowing i'm not losing my mind or seeing things.

KEIKO: sorry I left abruptly btw...

KEIKO: Aki is okay, so i'm okay. we're in kyoto rn it's nice

TOGE: That city's nice! n glad you guys are okay. Injuries looked bad

TOGE: And you're good, sorry about Gojo

KEIKO: yeah, it's like all i see when i sleep now. and i am liking it here, much different than tokyo 

KEIKO: and its k, i wasn't doing great

TOGE: Can I ask you something?

KEIKO: yeah sure

TOGE: Would you mind coming to visit when you're back?

KEIKO: uh oh did your teacher put you up to this

TOGE: Yes and no

KEIKO: i don't have much of a choice do i ? lol

TOGE: Not exactly, but I'll stay by you if you'd like.

KEIKO: that'd be nice. ur teacher's a little straightforward

TOGE: He's interesting. You'll also be meeting the principal too

KEIKO: oh great :/

TOGE: You'll be fine :)

"Sounds like they want to see me back at Jujutsu High." Keiko groaned as she figured there was no point in responding right now. She wished the conversation with Inumaki didn't go that direction, "yeah it's super pretty there and cool to learn about curses and what not I guess, but I just want to be left alone right now."

"Aw his texting seems cute, glad he cares about us." Aki proclaimed looking through the texts, "At least go to see this boy! And when have you been such a debbie-downer? This could be that adventure we wanted."

"Seems a little dangerous to me... and I guess I would like to see Toge again."

"Uh ohhh crush incoming!" Aki teased.

"Oh my god, no way, I don't even know him. I'm just glad someone's being nice over there it's weird." Keiko scrunched up her face to give Aki a playfully annoyed look. She put her phone back in her purse so her friend couldn't stare at the messages some more.

"Maybe I can meet him sometime."

"Of course! He saved us. I hope if I have to go back I can meet some other people, being stuck with Gojo will definitely have me running again."

Keiko knew that eventually she'd have to explain more to Aki. It was all on the tip of her tongue ready to spill out, she knew she'd be ready to talk soon. It was also obvious that Aki was itching to as well.

"God I am burning up, I need some more of that breeze," Keiko growned as she stretched her legs out more letting a soft groan out.

Keiko studied her friend's features with careful eyes as she felt more precious than normal. At times, Keiko only saw the 'unconcious and bloody' Aki when she looked at her. At first it startled her, made her stare because she didn't know what to say. But now, at least, she could push the dark thoughts from her mind and appreicate the fact she still had her best friend.

"Ready to go get some tea then?" The two had one more thing planned for the night- Ippodo Tea. It was located in a quiet neighborhood almost an hour from where they currently were. Aki had chosen to go shopping the last few days and stop at known food places, besides seeing Kyoto University the tea shop was the one place Keiko wanted to go. "We should catch the train to get there it'll get you out of the sun," Keiko continued excitedly, "did you know they celebrated three-hundred years last year? They opened in 1717."

"Three-hundred? That's insane... and you would know that,"

"I know." she rolled her eyes pretending not to hear that last part, "I heard their tea is the highest of quality, like top in the world. Literally so happy we're going. They do tastings so you can try different kinds. Finally get to make my own matcha," Keiko was practically drooling over the thought of fresh, high quality tea that would surpass what she made by a long shot.

"You know, you're cute when you get all excited about things!"

"Thanks," Keiko stuck out her tongue at Aki as she watched her friend bounce up to her feet, where she stood above Keiko with her hands on her hips, in a triumphant manner. She grinned down and said,

"Come on lets go slowpoke."

-

Maybe it was the fact neither had the experience of a trauma together, or separately that bled into the other's life to know how to handle it. They were still children in the eyes of society as a whole, but adult enough to choose paths that would take them to the rest of their lives. They shouldn't have been subjected to the evil that appeared in the alley that day, the curse that almost killed them and changed their trajectory forever. The mood was sullen between the two girls as they sipped their tea they so dutifully learnt to make and understand the history of. It was like dark, tear filled clouds hovered over their heads as their gazes evaded the others- like it was hitting them in the moment of silence.

"For the first time I haven't known how to talk about something with you." Keiko said, a solemn look in her eyes as she stared down at the half empty tea.

"I don't think we've been ready the last few days. Had to process, it's weird because it feels like it didn't happen. Like it was all a dream at this point."

"I feel that," Keiko replied, "but also you were definitely unconscious for the worst parts... not that I'm trying to minimize anything, I swear."

"I know." Aki wanted to reach across and grab her hands, try to console her but she felt frozen, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect or help you, or experience it too. I don't know what I'd do if I watched you almost die."

"It's not your fault. I'm okay, really. And I think the fact it was me who did something about it helps. Just the pure pain of losing you and even Kaito made something just... happen. I can't explain."

"I'm proud of you. And thankful we didn't die that's for sure."

"Me too and Aki, I have to tell you about when I was at Jujutsu High without you guys," Keiko took a deep breath as she talked about Gojo wanting her to join the school, figured she could be useful. And as she began to talk about her dad, her voice cracked. With a kind look from Aki she took a deep breath and continued. Keiko couldn't even believe her own words as she said "they're jujutsu sorcerers Aki... My dads one of their leaders or something. Gojo told me to be careful."

"Wow. I-I don't know what to say about that. Now you have some answers..."

"There's no way about any of it." Keiko knew it would be a dangerous denial for her to keep thinking that way; but, it was eating her up. For days she tried not thinking about it while they began their trip, but as things slowed down she had more time to think. Keiko never kept things from Aki like this so she could think, however family ties seemed like an okay thing to keep private as she tried to sift through everything she knew.

"Maybe you should consider joining Jujutsu High to some extent... what if you can really help people? Find out the truth about your parents?"

Keiko frowned as she was suddenly deep in thought. What Aki asked was a good question- she literally saved her friends. What if more people would need her? There was a nagging feeling in her that Gojo or Jujutsu High wouldn't be leaving her alone anytime soon. Keiko didn't want people dying but she also didn't know if she could be the one to help. She didn't think she was fit to take on something like that. But she always wanted to help. Make a difference. However, the world of curses seemed dangerous, not anything she signed up for or thought that would be how she'd help.

"Don't you think it's weird my parents suddenly gave me freedom. How my mom's been so strange towards me...." her voice grew quieter with each world she spoke. In her mind it seemed absurde, questions her parents; but, as she said it aloud she realized maybe it wasn't so crazy after all, "what if they didn't want me knowing about this? And not to protect me..."

"I-" Aki stopped herself before she said anything. It was a complicated situation for two girls aged seventeen, normally she'd have something to say if it was about a boy. Boys and school were always the biggest issues in their lives, mostly.

"I feel stupid, confused Aki. I feel like I can't stop thinking about it unless we're engrossed doing something. At night I've been laying awake while you're fast asleep. It's terrible."

"I'm so sorry... that jujutsu doctor gave Kaito and I someone's number if we needed to talk. I think I'm going to take them up, maybe we could go together. Or I think you should go back to Jujutsu High."

"Or we can pretend like we didn't almost die?" Keiko laughed with a tinge of bitterness.

"That feels like it would be easier..."

Aki watched her friend with sad eyes as she reached across the table grabbing her hands in her own. She knew things may not get any better if they tried to run. She also knew that everything happening was well out of Keiko's comfort zome, she seemed to be struggling this whole trip, seeming absent-minded, "I promise we'll get through this. Together and with Kaito too, he barely knew us and this happened. Us three need each other at the least even if we decide we want nothing to do with the jujutsu sorcerers."

[fxreflyes]

Prithee tell us about your favorite visits to museums, firefly. It’s a long and silent January night and your stories will keep madness from us. (To be read in the voice of a Dickensian child of 6 years old, sitting before the hearth.) ���️

hey hey!! :) my favorite seafaring vessel, a joy as always to meet u here. fret not, i will not let madness consume you! <3

(the context for the voice definitely helped, i most certainly did read it in the voice of a dickensian child. i can hear the crackle of the hearth as i pen these words!)

oh where to start! this is a bit of a brain dump, but is semi-chronological and images included in the order of discussion

first, summer of 2016, going to the hermitage and making puns about all of the art! they were not good puns. i believe my brother called the statue below a "boar"ing statue. it was quite hot since we went in summer and we were very surprised that the musuem had no ac since there is generally some to protect the art from the elements. so twas a very sticky and humor filled walk thru some art that has seen quite a lot (pic 1)

fall of 2018, went to the met's heavenly body's fashion exhibit with 2 friends from high school. i love & still go to musuem's w one of them, she's v sweet. the exhibit took place in the part of the museum that is older and looks like a church, so it was v prescient!! (pics 2-4, the leather jacket was so cool)

spring 2019, went to the met again (can u tell i went to college in nyc) and to the frick for my art history class to do a scavenger hunt for the class. quite honestly the most fun assignment ever. it was going through the museums and finding the art and writing about it. there were 50 or so things to find out. we went 3 times total for 3 sessions of the hunt. went w my dad for one, he has said he wants to do more even now

fall of 2019 i went to the met's instruments of rock n roll and saw instruments from a lot of famous musicians! i have a bunch of pics of them, but was v fun i went w my dad and got a bunch of music taste from him so that was cool. i was v amused by this many headed guitar hahaha (pic 5)

winter 2020 i went to a black tie gala in an art musuem so that was v fun & festive!!!

ok covid took a hit to this list so fall 2021! natural history musuem in london! went w my brother bc he was doing his masters same time as i was studying abroad there. i mean it's gorgeous. my brother is v interested in rocks so spent a while in the geology section! lots of cool rocks.

feb 2022, went to the met around my bday! my bf flew to visit me. saw very cool swords. pictured below!

summer 2022, went to the Louvre and the musee d'Orsay! saw the painting of dante and virgil in hell which was v cool, i have always loved that one.

for the sake of brevity, lets go to feb 2023, went to the whitney to see my fav artist edward hopper and an exhibit on him! went w the same friend as i went to the met in 2018 w. went w my brother too. fav exhibit ever probably, just bc i love hopper and i have included my fav painting by him, new york movie! my mom had a book on hopper growing up on our coffee table so always read it

oh my this is not brief. the fire is dwindling! ill stoke it.

this summer! the prado in madrid! i love goya so seeing his work was just so cool. they v sadly didnt allow photography in the museum but saw his black paintings the ones w saturn eating his children.

i hope my little tales help stave off the madness <33

[eregyrn-falls]

Anyone who would like to have these points emphasized to them should look up a couple of books that I read cover to cover and really enjoyed* (for certain definitions of "enjoyed"):

"Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite"

and

"Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon"

Both are by Michael P. Ghiglieri, along with others more specialized in those parks. They are both just basically "here is every single death (and quite a few disappearances) recorded in the park, and a sometimes brief, sometimes longer write-up about the circumstances of each". They're hefty books, but still, in the 100+ years that these parks have existed, it's a finite number, you know? And they're both VERY readable.

I happened to read them both after visiting Yosemite, but before going to the Grand Canyon; so that when I took a trip to the latter, I made sure to drill into my friends' heads "DO NOT EVER leave one person out of your sight", because the main takeaway from those books is, "And they were never seen again, and their body was never found." One of your hiking companions might sit down on a trailside rock to rest for a little bit and tell you to go on, they'll catch up, it's only a half a mile to the end of the trail... do not fall for this. It won't hurt you to sit or stand with them for a while until they're ready to go again.

But mostly the phrase that I made sure stuck in everyone's head was, "Do you have enough water? No, you don't -- here, take some more." Especially in the desert southwest parks (where we went during summer), but this goes for most parks if you're hiking in warm weather.

Because another salient example was that when we arrived at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and were walking into the visitor center, there was a big sign on a stand right beside the door, and it said (to paraphrase), "Are you in good enough shape to run a marathon?" It went on to report that, not that long before, a woman who had run the Boston Marathon was visiting the GC and went for a hike with a friend. Like MANY PEOPLE, they underestimated the distances (especially common in the desert parks, where you can see for a long way and you are bad at estimating how far away some of the things you can see actually are), and underestimated how much water to take with them, and underestimated how warm out it really was. They hiked for too long and didn't drink enough, and started to experience heat exhaustion. The marathon runner went into heat stroke sooner, IIRC. She sat down in the shade, while her friend tried to hike out to find help. The friend did make it out and survived. The marathon runner died.

The point being: even if you are young and very in shape and athletic, you can still make some very unwise decisions when you head out on a hike into the wilderness. Most people who visit the parks are NOT nearly that in shape or athletic, and they are often making bad decisions, too. Bright Angel trail is the most well-known trail from the South Rim of the GC down to the river. It's 7.8 miles down. (Another sign we saw frequently in GC: "Down is Optional; Up is Mandatory".) There is a park ranger who is stationed to hang around the first few hundred feet of the trail, where it finally just goes below the rim, and their sole purpose is to stop tourists who are descending the trail wearing flip-flops and carrying one (1) 12 oz. bottle of water.

Another anecdote: on the same trip, at the end, two of us went to Mesa Verde NP in Colorado. When we arrived, there were signs posted on basically every building door with a photo of an older man, who had gone missing only the week before. Obviously, the signs were to alert people to watch for anything unusual that might help find the guy (who by that point was probably no longer alive; and in fact it would turn out, he definitely wasn't).

This was Dave Stehling, who was 51. He was there with his wife and elderly parents. They all stayed around the visitor center, while he decided to go on a short, paved quarter-mile hike to a look-out. (Mesa Verde mostly consists of the mesa top, and most trails to see the cliff dwellings and other sights drop down into the canyons. The park is a maze of deep canyons and steep drops from the mesa.) He did not take water with him, although the temps were 90-100 F that day. His wife described him as a little directionally challenged sometimes; but he was on a very short and clear path near the visitor center. An extremely easy hike. Witnesses placed him as having diverted onto the longer (2.8 mile) Petroglyph trail; either he took a wrong turn, or he decided he wanted to see the petroglyphs. Even that longer trail should only have taken a hour to walk.

He disappeared. Despite a massive search (made difficult by the terrain), his body was not discovered for 6 more years. He was the subject of theories about paranormal activity by David Paulides (the guy behind Missing411, who is the source of a LOT of conspiracy theories about people going missing/dying in the national parks/public lands and the NPS covering it up; most of his theories involve Bigfoot, and/or portals to other dimensions, sometimes both). And yes, Stehling's disappearance seems to defy logic. How could you go missing on a short trail, where there is a very finite area into which you might have fallen, and not be discovered by a huge search and rescue effort?

But I've read enough about this kind of thing by now to have read statements by people who work in SAR. And one of the take-aways is that until you experience it firsthand, it's hard to appreciate how difficult it actually is to locate a person who is lost in the wilderness. There are multiple stories about volunteers who played the role of the victim in SAR training -- who would just go out and lay down in the woods and be still and quiet, while a search team tries to find them. And they consistently report the searchers walking past them within touching distance, but not seeing them. (Usually, that has to do with underbrush, but it's also just a testament to how much a body can blend in with its surroundings even if you would *think* it would not; even if you'd think the clothes or something would stand out.)

Stehling's body was found a little over 4 miles away from where he'd disappeared. It seems like he had fallen, probably sustained injuries, but tried to hike out of the canyon he'd fallen into by following it downwards. (I'm not sure that an autopsy was ever released, which is why I don't know if he sustained injuries or not; but in a fall like that, it does seem very likely.) He might have been unconscious during the height of the searching, hidden in dense, scrubby vegetation. In June, he would have had to hike further to finally hit running water. But in the temperatures they were getting at that time, he almost certainly succumbed to hyperthermia.

All of this is just to emphasize what's said in the posts above and in the replies or other posts. A lot of tourists visit the national parks, and they think the word "park" means that it's a tame, safe environment. So many people express shock at the idea that the environment and landscape can hurt them, even though the NPS does post warnings all over the place. They don't take the idea of hiking seriously, and often don't have the right supplies or equipment. They don't realize that even the shortest, friendliest-looking trail can have hazards. They think a running stream looks inviting and they'll just dip their feet in to cool off, and don't realize how fast the current is running or how slippery the rocks are. One of the shortest, flattest, best-paved trails in Yosemite (from the ring road to Mirror Lake) has a sign right by the road warning people that there may be mountain lions around, and not to allow children to run ahead, or trail behind.

And yeah: BISON. And bears. Just yesterday I opened my weather.com app on my phone and on the front page is a video story about some tourists who dragged two black bear cubs out of a tree so they could pose with them to take photos. (This was NOT in a national or state park, but is still an example of people being idiots about interacting with wildlife.) The cubs got away quickly, and authorities "decided not to press charges because the cubs were released quickly". (They should have pressed charged, ffs.) These people will likely never appreciate how lucky they were that the mother bear did not show up.

You really don't need Bigfoot to explain weird disappearances, or paradoxical undressing (something that regularly happens as hypothermia sets in). You don't need holes between dimensions to explain how someone wasn't found by SAR, but their body was later discovered in an area that had been searched previously.

All you need to know is that in 2023, across all of the properties in the national park system, there were 325.5 million visits; an increase of 13 million over 2022 alone. The total population of the United States is 333.3 million. I wish we had a way to estimate how many of those millions were unprepared for the wilderness, but who took risks they shouldn't have anyway. I'd be willing to bet that number is pretty high.

You can't have *nearly the population of the U.S.* venturing out into the wilderness and not expect some of them to die or go missing. Honestly, the surprisingly thing is that it's as relatively rare an occurrence as it is -- deaths and disappearances in the parks still make national headlines.

Any conspiracy theory about people going missing in National Parks is automatically silly to me. Like "Why are National Parks such a hotbed of disappearances???" because they're full of idiots. You've got thousands of people who've never pissed outdoors in their life wandering around the woods/desert/mountain with zero experience and zero gear and zero understanding that this place can kill them. You don't see as many disappearances in wild areas because people don't go to them unless they have some background knowledge. Whereas you get tour buses full of old folks and suburban families shuttling people into National Parks 365 days a year. If you took the same amount of buffoons and dropped them in the actual wilderness the disappearances would be significantly higher than at the parks. Use your brain.

[sinaisabellis]

New York Summer 2018

There was a big convert going on at Central Park.

I met a guy prior to that event whom I liked. We met each other on the streets close to where I was staying at the time. He was drumming I was listening and we ended up talking for a while. I liked him a lot and we were laughing non stop. He made fun of me and vice versa. He said he liked the way I talked and I loved the way he spoke and looked.

I met him a couple more times while I was there, once randomly on Washington Square. I had gotten into a fight with someone and sat quietly next to him while he played the drum. We met up a couple of nights, sitting on the steps talking and laughing. I liked him a lot. Apart from these few nights we were strangers.

It was my last week in the city and I wanted to see him before going back home. He told me he was gonna play in the park. I didn’t know where to find him and walked around for a while. He almost didn’t recognize me, my hair was purple then and I think the weeks of being away had taken a tool on me. I was restless. I kept wandering of, trying to convince him to move closer to the stage. I had even found a whole in the fence but he didn’t wanna go.

We argued a bit but there was no way he was gonna change his mind.

We moved on from one of the main roads to a smaller path and sat in the grass under a lantern. The rhythmic sound of his drum in my mind and the trees around me the crowd of people around us and the echo of music.

I got thrown out of my thoughts by two shots coming not from far where we were sitting. We both stood up. It didn’t took long and a stream of people came running towards us, screaming and crying, running down fences.

I didn’t know what to do / I turned towards him, he looked over the stream of people (some talking on the phone) with no intention of running and said: don’t move. Right, everyones running from god knows what and I’m supposed to stay? He might be running with the crowd. It was in that moment that I decided I was gonna stay close to him.  I’ve had such a hard time finding him and for whatever reason, he was with me now.

He asked me to walk backwards, away from the people and closer into the woods.

We didn’t go far, a little into the woods standing next to a big rock a little taller than me.

I remember I put my back against the rock that was now holding my entire weight.

We didn’t say much. He started playing the drum again and I don’t think I had one rational thought in my head.

It got late as we moved out of the park. It felt strange to move my legs, being back on the streets with lights and cars. I felt as if the park had swallowed me whole and standing outside of it now felt surreal.

I still couldn’t say much and didn’t wanna take the train.

You gonna walk all these blocks? I don’t know why we were fighting.

He brushed the whole thing of asking me if I was still upset about it.

I left and started walking. Thats the last time I saw him.

I had a hard time falling asleep that night.

In the morning I woke up to a text from my dad sending me an article about what went down that evening, asking me if I had heard anything about it.

I called him and we spoke for a while.

[khywren]

SORRY I'M INSANE 🫶🏼

1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, & 25 (sry 🥲)

well i did say to bring it on. 😂 putting these under the cut since it's a long post!

1: song of the year?

going off of my spotify, it's this one:

3: favorite musical artist / group you started listening to this year?

i actually don't think i have one! i did listen to a lot of new stuff this year and added a lot to my playlists, but there weren't really any new artists that stood out to me. i definitely had one last year, though - i was not immune to the astarion to sleep token pipeline and i was very happy about that because they were my artist of the year (surprise surprise) and their music goes hard.

4: movie of the year?

dune part 2. i had a lot of problems with some of the things they changed, but overall it was a gorgeous and enjoyable movie. i only saw 2 movies in the theatre this year, so there was not a lot of competition for this one. 😂

5: tv show of the year?

i THINK i watched severance this year, so i'm gonna say that. it's so good! i would definitely recommend watching it for anyone who likes dystopia or psychological thrillers.

9: best month for your this year?

answered here!

11: something you want to do again next year?

start another impossibly complicated cross stitch. the astarion one took 500 hours and destroyed me (physically and mentally) but i did have a lot of fun watching it come together and i gotta start making the other companions so i can get those signed at some point! gale is up next, so my wrists better prepare themselves.

13: how was your birthday this year?

pretty good, actually! i asked my fiance if he would make soft pretzels for me because i was going through a "i want a soft pretzel every day" phase and they turned out so good!

16: post a picture from the beginning of the year.

date night~ this pasta was soooo good. 17: post a picture from the end of the year.

the deer who live in the woods behind where i work at are pretty chill. this one took one look at me, decided it didn't care, then went right back to munching the grass.

18: a memorable meal this year?

my graduation dinner! some of my friends and family came out to support me at my graduation and we all went to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner afterwards. i don't remember what i ate, but i was just happy to be spending time with everyone.

19: what're you excited about for next year?

going to another big con! fan expo this summer was the first big con i've been to since 2019 (thank you covid), and i forgot how much fun i had going to panels and buying merch. and i just love travel in general.

20: what's something you learned this year?

before i got too busy to keep up with it, i had joined an online history book club and the first book we read was all about viking history. it was my first time reading about that time period and i really enjoyed it.

21: what's something new about your place of residence (room, home, or general location) now vs the start of the year?

i got these REALLY nice memory foam pillows that have basically eliminated the awful back pain i used to have when i woke up in the morning. they were like $30 a piece but worth every penny.

22: favorite place you visited this year?

i answered this here, but i think the other place i really enjoyed was this lighthouse that's about an hour or so away from where i live. the views are spectacular and i love just sitting by the ocean and listening to the waves crash against the rocks. it's so soothing.

23: if you could send a message to yourself back on the first day of the year, what would it be?

just to hang in there and not to give up. this year was very challenging for me for a multitude of reasons and really tested my resilience. i had a lot of really low lows, but things have really started to turn around these last couple months and i'm hoping i can ride the momentum for a while longer and finally get to a place where i'm really satisfied with where i am in life. it never feels like it at the time, but in retrospect i can easily see how far i've come despite how much i was struggling, and that helps motivate me.

25: did you create any characters (in games, art, or writing) this year? describe one.

(art credit)

i've talked a lot about ysera already, so i'm gonna take the time to talk about my little goblin from my current d&d campaign. her name is newt and playing her is basically like if i let all the intrusive thoughts win. she's a homebrew class that my DM helped me design from the ground up: she's a spellcaster who uses a big, fancy grimoire, but she can't read so most of my spells are chosen at random and translated into another language so that i don't know what i'm casting when i cast it. i have summoned hot dogs. i have almost TPK'd the party. on occasion i do something useful. 😂 i do have a few stable spells that i can use if all else fails, but of course they're not as fun. everything about her is chaos and i have so much fun with her.