#to sound sirens every morning. after every 15 or 30 minutes

[000marie198]

The obsession of my city to sound the sirens as a wake up alarm each morning after every 15 minutes shut up I don't wanna go to school. Don't wake up parents

[honeypirate]

Can I request a All Might x reader where class 1-A finds out hes dating someone whose quirk is a siren (Can control someone when they sing)? Maybe the students reaction especially Midoryia?

I don’t know if I did this one justice hahah but I did my best!

AllMight x reader (I went for gn but I might have slipped up in a few places just let me know)

Hero name: Sirenity

“Okay class today we are having a surprise special guest coming to talk to you guys” Aizawa sounds completely uninterested in this day and honestly he did feel like it was a drag, but he figures with your lecture and answering questions he could buy at least a 30-40 minute nap, at best you’d take up the whole hour. That is if nothing went wrong and with you being the number 5 hero he doesnt think too much trouble will happen. “They are a fairly new hero but that didn’t stop them from rising to the top ten quickly” you walk through the door and chuckle when it seems you interrupted him introducing you.

“Sirenity here will be talking to you about their experience with hero training and being a side kick” You were a few minutes early and Aizawa was mentally adding the few minutes more to his nap time. As Aizawa was zipping up his sleeping bag you stopped in front of the class with a smile “Good morning class!” you say to the students who were freaking out talking to each other about how cool you are, you see a green haired boy absolutely losing his damn mind in the back, muttering to himself while staring with wide eyes. “QUIET!” Aizawa yelled from his place on the floor and the class stopped talking, the green haired boy snapping out of whatever he was doing.

“Hey guys! I’m Sirenity and if you aren't familiar with me my quirk is like a siren, I can control people when I sing. I’m also an amazing swimmer but it isn’t related” you chuckle and watch the green haired boy laugh and then scribble intensely in a notebook, a few other students gave you pity laughs or smiles and you took it, any laughter is good in your book.

“When I graduated from UA, I was actually in general studies. It wasn’t until I went to America and went to a hero university that I realized what I could offer as a hero. I actually had a little help and training from a friend to really encourage me to realize my dream.” green haired boy’s hand flies in the air, his other hand coming over his head to hold his elbow, his eyes shine as he waits for you to call on him. “Yes in the back? What’s your name?” he stands and bows “Izuku Midoriya Ma’am/Sir but my hero name is Deku!” you hold in a chuckle as you smile at his enthusiasm, realizing this is the boy that All Might talks about all the time. a blonde in the middle of class snickers but you ignore it “it’s a pleasure to meet you Deku” he stands up straight and sends you such an intensely excited look “did you know All Might in America?!” he asks and then sits back down

“I did actually, he was the friend i was talking about. I stayed in America though when he came back here” you smile at the young boy as he scribbles away again, his question and the subject making you think about those days when you first met All Might. Strong and cocky, always smiling. You didn’t like him when you first met him, thought it was weird that a kid in your same high school also came to the same area in America. You kept finding yourselves around the same people during parties which was even more annoying when you were actively avoiding him. You blame his best friend at the time who was dating your best friend at the time. After a party that ended in drinking games with truth or dare and spin the bottle, you got to know him a little bit better and you became actual friends when you both ditched before they could rope you into seven minutes in heaven.

“Hey” you say with a slight chuckle as he walks into the kitchen where you were “hey” he says as you open the fridge “do you want a bottle of water?” “yes please” you chuck one to him on the other side of the kitchen. “You’re a…. support student?” he asks and you shake your head “general studies right now, thinking about going into law” you involuntarily scowl at the thought, it was what your parents wanted and you thought they were right. “Why do you look like you would rather die than do that?” he asks, pulling a deep sigh as you confess “it’s what my parents want for me” he moves close to you until he’s leaning against the counter across from you “what do you want for you?” you shrug “I dont know” he chuckles and takes a sip of water “why do I feel like you do know?” your cheeks flush and you dont feel like you could really sell a lie right now, you sigh again “i’ve always had a dream to be a hero, but I was in the general studies course in high school and now I’m undecided here. I feel like I wasted time and now I don't have a choice” you hop on the countertop behind you, kicking your legs gently “but you always have a choice. It is never too late to be a hero someone can count on. You never know if you are the one hero that someone needs! You can do anything! What is your quirk?” you get shy from his intensity and you look at your thighs “I can control people when I sing” you whisper and he closes all distance between you, tilting your chin up to meet his eyes “that is an AMAZING quirk! You are going to be an amazing hero! I can help you if you want” he says and you feel for the first time in your whole life that maybe, just maybe you could be a hero even though you’re late to the game.

“But any more questions will have to wait until the end!” you say when you see Deku’s eyes flash up to you again, a million questions floating around his eyes and he laughs with a nod. You continue with your story, recounting the extra training you had done with All Might to prepare for your hero exams, the exams you didn't have to take in high school. How an encouraging word from a friend was all you needed at times to get your ass in gear. You talk to them about your internship with America’s #4 mind hero, Brian, who’s one choice behind his name was that he thought it was funny because its just one misspelt letter from being Brain. His birth name wasn’t even Brian.

“After my internship I was offered a sidekick position with him, around this time was when All Might came back here, I had plans to come back as well but I couldn't refuse his offer. I worked with Brian for three years, during those times I grew exponentially as a hero and as an individual. you may want to rush the process of being a sidekick so you can become your own solo heroes, getting all the praise for yourselves. But this time in your career will mean so much and I really insist that you take the opportunity every day to learn everything you can from the heroes you work with. As someone who was late to the game, I have no doubt you will grow into even more amazing and brilliant heroes. More so than those we have right now, and yes I do mean All Might. You guys are the heroes of tomorrow! That is amazing! And I’m telling you right now you have a lifelong fan already” you point at yourself and mouth ‘ME’ with a smile “I am behind you all, ready to support your dreams just like my hero supported mine.” You pause for a moment “Any questions?”

Deku’s hand was up first followed by half of the class all raising their hands. You beam at the kids response “okay when i call on you please tell me your name or hero name, whichever you are comfortable with. Deku” you look over at him “I’m guessing you have about a billion questions?” he nods shyly, his cheeks flushing “that’s fine, i feel flattered honestly how about you ask the biggest one you have right now and then after you can stay behind and i’ll answer every single one. That goes for everyone who has more than we can get through in the next 15 minutes of class” they all nod and you begin taking questions.

You had all questions about being a sidekick or a pro, how hard it was rising the ranks, a blonde boy who introduced himself as Aoyama, who you thought was adorable, asked you how to not get scared, you smiled warmly at him “to quote one of my favorite american movies, “courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something is more important than your fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all.”

You paused for a moment as you looked across the class, some really thinking about what you have said “I have fear, I feel it often, but I let the fear fuel my actions, let it make me brave because my biggest fear is about what would happen if I didn’t act.” you see Deku pause for a moment to truly think about your words before he scribbles away again.

You call on a pink haired student “hi i’m Mina Ashido! Hero name Pinky!” you love her energy “what’s your question Pinky?” she grins “I read in Hero Daily that you said you still find time for dating as a pro and that your boyfriend is also a pro. Do we know him?” she sits down and then adds “oh! What was that American movie?” you chuckle, your cheeks heating thinking about your boyfriend.

Before you could answer the door opens and All Might walks in “speak of the devil” you say with a grin and then turn back to Mina “the movie is the princess diaries. And you guys do know him i think quite well actually. Just another rebut of advice, if you guys want to date as pros, then you can find time for it if you really want that. It isn't for everyone and that’s okay too. But there is someone out there who will be an understanding partner and help encourage you. Don't give up any of your dreams, you can have all of them if you want them.” All might has stopped next to you as you talk, his hand resting on the small of your back as he leans up to whisper in your ear “I couldn't wait any longer. I missed you” your cheeks flush and the class starts to put 2 and 2 together, whispering to each other as you turn and kiss his cheek, Mina squealing in excitement, whispers flying around, blonde boy that hasn’t said anything this entire time was staring with mouth open, and you can feel the energy Deku is pouring out as his scribbles freeze as he stares at his idol and hero. His hero had a significant other and he didnt know.. He knew everything about All Might so how come he never knew he had a S/O and why didnt All Might Say anything?! Waves were rolling off the kid but you didn’t say anything about it yet, you just leaned closer to All Might “I missed you too” you whisper back to him but before you can say anything else the bell rings, signaling the end of class.

Deku stays frozen in his seat as the rest of the students get their things together and leave the classroom, some stopping to shake your hand and talk to you for another second before leaving. All Might’s hand never leaving your back. When the room is clear, somehow Aizawa slipping out unnoticed as well, your eyes flick to Deku, still seated frozen. “Young man what’s wrong?” All Might says and he finally snaps out of it.

“Do they know about …?” he asks and you chuckle “yes I do. He talks about you a lot by the way” you say and smile at the sweet way the boy’s face flushes and his eyes widen, smiling like you just gave him the best news. “How come you never told me you were in a relationship?” Deku asks and All Might laughs “you never asked me about my dating life” you walk down the rows of desks and sit in the one next to Deku’s “I’m happy to answer any more questions you may have” you say and the boy short circuits again when you sit next to him. He cannot believe how lucky his day was, getting a one on one interview with an amazing pro hero that is also dating his Idol and father figure, give him a minute, he’ll pull himself together.

You spend the next 30 minutes answering every question the young hero had for you and All Might answered some for you, ones that you couldn't really explain correctly. This was probably your most favorite interview, his questions were almost entirely about your hero work, they were thought out and original questions that weren’t superficial to make the public interested in you. This boy wanted to know every single thing about you as a hero, not you as a public celebrity. His eyes bright as he learns more, asking how you defeated your worst villain, asking your weakness was a fun one, you never got that before since it was fairly obvious.”hard of hearing individuals, ear plugs” you say and he laughs “i should have known that” All Might shakes his head, sometimes common sense eluded the boy, he was so intelligent and unafraid of asking questions that sometimes he lacked common sense for seemingly simple things.

“I’m sorry Midoriya but Sirenity here has to get back to work now” Deku frowns but understands, you give him your personal email in case he has any more questions and then you follow All Might out of the classroom. You chuckle once you reach All Might’s office, he locks the door behind you and then pulls you into his arms “if you wanted some one on one time with Deku’s new favorite hero you should have just asked” you joke as you wrap your arms around him. “I know you dont have work but i do soon and i needed a little time with my brilliant and amazing partner before then. Midoriya will understand plus you gave him a way to contact you.” you nod into his neck “how long until you have to go?” you ask and he looks at his watch “20 minutes” you smile and take his hand, pulling him over to the couch he has in his office and you sit down with him, laying back and pulling his head to your chest, pulling your gloves off with your teeth, carding your fingers through his hair. The entire time he had was spent laying together, as he moves to get up you realize something, they think you are only partners, only dating… “Hey Yagi? How do you think Midoriya will react when you tell him that we aren't just dating and are in fact engaged?”

[harry-styles-sunflower]

Wandering Hands Part 1

Hellooo everyone! I hope you are all having a lovely day! SO this is Part 1 of Wandering Hands. 

What it is: You and Harry become friends but you come with certain baggage that might make any other man run. 

Word count: 6.2k 

Warning: death and angst? (lmk if i forgot one!) 

Pls reblog if you like it :) Thanks in advance for the support! 

~~~

It was a long day after work and you had no one but yourself to worry about tonight. It was Friday, you were at Joe’s, the bar across your apartment. You’d come in regularly. Only about every other weekend. You were drinking your troubles away with a Manhattan. The bar wasn’t too full, it was only happy hour. You heard the bell ding behind you meaning someone walked in. Some man approached the bar as you finished your drink.

“Hello, can I get a glass of your most recommended wine?” You felt him look over at you, “and a refill on whatever she’s having” he paid Joe and sat a stool away from you.

“Thank you, you didn’t have to” you slid your glass away from you.

“No problem, I wanted to” you nodded and watched the tv. Joe served you your Manhattan and the man his wine. You knew it was a glass of his Château Cheval-Blanc because you had had it yourself once. 4 years ago.

“You know, I never understood baseball too much.”

You drank your drink and looked at him from the corner of your eye. Was he talking to you or Joe? You looked around you and you were the only one close enough to hear him and Joe was busy.

“It’s a good sport if you understand it” you shrugged.

“Care to explain it to me?” He moved to the stool next to you.

You swallowed your drink and looked at the screen. You had no interest in getting a good look at the man next to you anyway.

“English?”

“Precisely.”

“The Red Sox and Yankees played in London a few years ago.”

“Wasn’t home.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah”

“Well Um. 9 innings, 3 strikes you’re out. Guy on the circle in the middle? That’s called a mound. His position is a pitcher- “

“Isn’t that what you guys pour juice out of?”

“Yeah we use the same word for a lot of things, don’t interrupt,” he smiled at you, “he’s a pitcher. He throws to the guy across him, the catcher. Catcher signals him what kind of ball to throw in between his legs. He does it based off the batter’s weakness. There’re 4 bases. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and home. When the batter hits it, he hopes no one in the outfield catches it or it gets out of park. If they catch it while it was in the air he’s out, if they catch it after it’s hit the ground he can run as fast as he can to whatever base is available. But like in order. Oh, also if someone in the outfield catches the ball, they’re gonna throw it to one of the basemen so they can tag the batter running. But if the batter touches the base before they’re tagged then they’re safe.”

He nodded along so you knew he was listening.

“Can I ask a question now?”

You nodded and sipped your drink.

“How do you know it’s a strike?”

“Oh, my bad. See the box on the screen? If it gets in there it’s a strike. Outside the box it’s a no ball but we usually just say ball.”

He nodded and gestured to your drink, “refill?”

“Oh no, I’m good. I need water” He ordered one for you and Joe gave you a knowing look and you just shook your head at him. You two were basically friends now. He’d gotten to know you over the past 4 years. You lived across the street for 5 but you came in 4 years ago. Joe came and gave you your water and you drank it slowly and watched the game. It was Yankees v. Red Sox. The Red Sox made a homer and you shook your head.

“Yankees fan?”

“Yep. We’re in New York. Kind of against the law to be anything else.”

He laughed and sipped his wine. He hadn’t drunken much, he gave you all his attention while you spoke. “My dad was a big Yankee fan. I’ve been one since the day I was born. My mom says she pushed me out and when the doctor put me in her arms the Yankees had won the game. We used to go to a game like every year when I was a kid.”

“Are they as fun as they seem?”

“Even better. During the commercials on tv, sometimes the outfield players play catch with the people on the side or they play a video of the players talking or play a game with the crowd”

“That’s pretty cool,” he put his hand in front of you, “I’m Harry by the way”. You looked at his hand and put yours in it and shook it.

“Y/n” you looked over at him. You finally took a good look at his face. He was gorgeous you couldn’t deny it. He had strong facial features. Short stubble and green eyes. They were bright. Different than your own dark eyes. He made eye contact with you for a few seconds before you turned back to the screen and drank your water.

“If you’re from England, are you here for business or pleasure?” It was New York, people came and went. Travelled. But in your small town about 30 minutes north from the city, no one really came through here unless they knew someone.

“I uh I’ve been here for about a year but I just moved to the area recently. Got a little tired of the city life, but didn’t want to be too far. I work as an editor at Simon & Schuster.”

“Wow. That’s a good job. Hell of a commute I assume?”

“About 1 hour every morning. It’s worth it. Sleep without the sound of horns or sirens”

“True.”

He turned on his stool to face you and you faced him. Your knees were touching.

“So, what do you do?”

“Teach. I’m a teacher. 7th grade social studies. Actually, I taught the Boston Tea party today” you smirked at him and put one arm up on the bar and leaned against your hand and one hand on your knee. Some fingers accidentally touched his knee but your knees were touching. You couldn’t prevent it from happening

“Ahh” he moved a pointed finger at you. You laughed and so did he. He had dimples. Cute. “Such a petty thing if you ask me” he shrugged.

You laughed and shook your head.

“A lot of history is petty.”

“Do you like teaching?” He put himself in the same position as you, his fingers brushing yours too.

“I guess. I love my kids and filling their minds with knowledge but the standards and requirements are a pain in the ass”

“Oh yeah, I’ve heard about that. Not too much freedom”

“Yeah. Like if I want to take them to a museum, I need to find a standard that validates that museum will teach them according to that standard”

“Wow. The museums here are basically free too right?”

“Yep.”

He shakes his head and sips his drink.

“It’s been like an hour and you’re still drinking your wine”

“Well Ms. Judgey, it’s a good wine. I’m savoring it.”

“It is good. I’ve had it. And I’m not judgey. I was just saying it must be warm now.”

“Eh. It’s still chill. Thanks for caring though” he grinned at you.

You rolled your eyes and finished your water.

“When did you have it?”

“Huh?”

“The wine”

“Oh, um four years ago”

“That’s precise”

“It was on an anniversary of something.”

“Wedding anniversary?” He laughed.

“Death anniversary actually.” His face stilled and he became pale.

“Shit I’m so sorry for laughing.”

“It’s okay. You didn’t know.”

“Shouldn’t have assumed.”

You saw him looking at you like he wanted to know who it was but would never dare to ask. You debated telling him. You turned back towards the screen, leaving his knees cold. He felt he had lost any chance he thought he had with you. He liked talking to you.

“Joe, jack and coke please”

He nodded and brought it to you. You chugged it down. Harry put his head in his hands. He had driven you to drink. Yikes.

“It was my husband. He died.”

He lifted his head from his hands and looked over at you. You were a widow. You looked so young. He felt bad you had to go through such pain.

“I’m sorry for your loss”

“Thanks. It was 5 years ago. I’m alright”

He nodded. Too scared to say the wrong thing.

“He was in the service. Died in Iraq.”

“Oh wow…” he was surprised you were opening up to him. Perhaps it was the liquid courage.

“Came with the territory, I guess. We were together for 10 years. Married for 5. Widowed for 5 now. If you’re trying to do the math we were high school sweethearts. Started at 15. Married at 20. He died at 25. Yes, I’m 30.” You drank your leftover water.

“Erm… Wow. Well you look good” he was nervous.

You laughed lightly and said thanks.

“Guess I scared you away now didn’t I?”

“No no! Not at all I just don’t want to fuck up and say the wrong thing.”

“Harry it’s been 5 years I’m good. I’m religious, I coped well”

“Oh okay.”

“Stop being nervous!” You laughed.

“I can’t help it!” He laughed lightly.

“I’ve got a big curveball for you,” you turned to face him and you put your hands on his shoulders as he faced you.

“I see what you did there. Curveball” he tilted his head toward the tv.

“Ooh yeah. I didn’t even notice. Well are you ready?”

“I think?”

“I have a son.”

It was what he thought. Didn’t know if he fully expected it though.

“Okay. Curveball caught? Strike? What’s the big deal?”

“Wait what? You’re not thrown off?” You were shocked. His face barely twitched or showed any surprised expression.  

“No?” He shrugged. “It’s a child. I guess I kind of expected maybe something after you said you were together for 10 years.” He finished his wine.

“Fair enough.”

“So, where is he? If you’re here”

“In-laws. They take him every other weekend. Or just from Friday till Saturday.”

“You get along with them?”

You shrugged. “I think they thought I wanted him to sign up for the force. I didn’t. Obviously. It’s a death sentence. I just wanted to support my boyfriend at the time,” He nodded as you spoke, “but they love Sam and are always there for him”

“Sam huh?”

“Samuel. He’s 7”

“Good age”

“Yeah. He’s a lil sarcastic but I blame myself. I could be that way so he’s only doing what he’s learned. But he’s really smart. He’s obsessed with rocks. Been that way since he could walk”

“That’s cute I won’t lie”

“Thanks” you laughed. You liked his company. He was easy to talk to. You had found it easy to open up. He didn’t seem creepy either. Like he just wanted to get in your pants.

“Well it’s been lovely boys, but I have a little boy I have to be up for in the morning. His grandma wants to have brunch”

You stood up and so did Harry.

“Wait let me walk you to your car.”

You lived across the street but he didn’t have to know that. Joe hid his smile when you said “okay”. Harry paid Joe for both of your tabs and walked out with you. It wasn’t too late, 6 pm. You walked to your car and his was coincidentally in front of yours.

“So um. It was nice meeting you. I enjoyed your company”

You fiddled with your keys and looked up at him.

“Yeah I did too.” you said.

“Would it be too forward if I asked for your number?” he was biting the inside of his cheek, you could tell.

Guys had hit on you before. But the wounds were too fresh and Sam was too young. He’s still young but he’s smart, and he knows some days you feel lonely. As much as you convinced him that he was the only man you needed he knew the truth. You liked his company and conversations. So, you said,

“I don’t think so,” you held your hand out for his phone and he placed it in your hand. You put your number in as “y/n 🥃🍷”. Ball was in his court now.

“Cute” you both laughed.

“I’ll text you” he said

“Mhm” yeah. Sure.

“Are you gonna get in your car?”

“Oh, it’s fine you don’t have to wait” please don’t make me get in my car. I live here.  

“What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t wait until you at least got in to your car?”

Okay you were a little impressed. Fair enough.

“Very true actually. Well bye, Harry”

“Nuh uh. It’s see you soon. I’m serious about texting you”

“Okay” you laughed and got in your car.

He got in his and you waited for him to pull out.

 Once he was past the traffic light you got out and went up to your apartment. You called Sam’s grandma the second you got in. He picked up with an ecstatic voice.

“Hi ma!”

“Hi baby, how are you? Everything okay?”

“Yeah! We’re bowling. I’ve gotten 2 strikes!”

“Oh wow. Look at you!”

“Grandpa says dad was good at bowling”

Your heart broke just a little. It bothered you a little when they spoke about him to Sam. You knew he was their son but they didn’t know how much Sam cried sometimes wishing he got to know his dad. You only spoke about him when Sam asked about him or mentioned him.

“Yeah he was actually. When we were younger, we went on a date and he won one round and I won the other. But we were too broke to buy another round so we left it a tie” you laughed at the memory. Just 15-year-old kids.

“You were broken?”

“No sorry hon, I mean we didn’t have enough money to pay for another round”

“Ohh okay.” You forgot sometimes Sam was only seven because he was so smart sometimes.

“Yeah. Well can you put your grandma on for me hon?”

“Yeah okay. I can stay over?”

“Yeah of course. As long as you want to and don’t feel forced to okay?” You knew sometimes he didn’t want to because of how much they spoke about his dad. On those weekends you faked he had a tummy ache.

“Yeah okay. Here’s grandma” he passed the phone to your in-law. You could never say ex. Your husband wasn’t an ex.

“Hello?” Her tone was already unwelcoming.

“Hey, just wanted to confirm we’re still on for 11?”

“Yeah. I haven’t cancelled.” Translation: did I tell you we weren’t going?

“Okay. Sounds great. See you there”

“Okay” she hung up.

“Yeah okay bye. Geez” you slammed your phone on the table and rubbed your temples. She was always so rude to you. When he died, she said it was your fault he left. She apologized for that but it was still something she said. You can’t take words back. You left your phone on the table and went to shower. You just wanted to take a warm shower, relax your muscles, wear some cozy pajamas, drink some tea, and watch friends until you fell asleep. Friends never did you wrong. So that’s what you did. You remember to set your alarm for tomorrow but you also remembered you left your phone on your kitchen table. With a groan because you found the position and you knew you wouldn’t find it again, you got up and got your phone. You saw you had a text from a random number. When you unlocked your phone, the message said

H: Hey, it’s Harry.

You felt bad for making him wait but whatever.

Y/n: hey

You got back into bed, not finding the position again and kept your phone next to you. Your phone lit up about a minute or two later.

H: what’s up? Did you get home safe?

Y/n: oh yeah. Thanks. You?

H: Yeah, I did thanks. So, what’s up?

Y/n: watching friends, you?

H: Same actually. Nick@nite?

Y/n: Yup 😂

H: I’m happy they play this. Especially since Netflix took friends off.

Y/n: Same. Friends is like my bedtime story now. I watch it every night

H: favorite character?

Y/n: I think it depends the season? Like I love Ross in season 9 and I love the rest. I couldn’t pick

H: I agree.

H: Would you want to FaceTime?

You thought about it. Did you want to?

H: We don’t have to if you don’t want to. (Sorry for the spam of messages btw)

You laughed at the last bit.

Y/n: we can FaceTime :)

“Harry would like FaceTime…” you slid your finger across the screen.

“Hello”

“Hey” he smiled into the camera.      

“You look cozy” he was wearing a brown robe thing w a hood from what you could see.

“Ooh I am,” he looked up at the tv, “why are birth control commercials so odd?”

They were playing a commercial for lo loestrin fe and the cartoon bought what was supposed to be lingerie and was showing her boyfriend you assume.

“I hated that pill. It was the worst one I’ve ever tried”

“Really?”

“Yeah it made me gain weight and tons of acne”

“It sucks that all that comes with just trying to prevent pregnancy”

“Yeah. You males have it so lucky”

“Well if they came out with a male one, I’d take it”

You laughed a little too loud.

“You think you’d be able to remember?”

“I’d just take it in the morning. Like a vitamin”

You noticed the way he pronounced vitamin. It was a little different. Cute different.

“I used to take mine at night, just before bed. It was easier that way for me”

He nodded at you and the show had come back. You think that maybe that whole conversation was TMI for your first FaceTime call. The episode The One in Barbados. You both laughed at Monica’s hair.

“Kind of didn’t like the whole Joey and Rachel plot line” He said while looking at the tv screen. It was like you guys were together in the same room and his company was nice on this lonely night.

“Yeah same. It was wack” he laughed at that.

“I think I love phoebe”

“Same, Regina Phalange”

“It’s actually princess consuela bananahammock.” He said with a straight face. You cracked up at his little joke and kept watching the tv.

 A few hours later and friends was over. You and Harry were basically playing 21 questions.

“any pets?” You asked.

“Nah, I work too long” you nodded.

“Favorite flower?”

“Sunflowers or tulips”

“Interesting choices”

“Thank you” you smiled. You were now in bed laying down against your pillow, “do you live in a house?”

“Yeah. Small but yeah”

“I used to, but a year after he died, I had to sell it. I like the small space better. It’s more homelike for just us 2”

He nodded and listened. “What time is lunch with your in law?”

You liked how he didn’t say ex in laws. It was a small thing but you noticed.

“11:00”

“Oh okay”

“Yeah”

“Y/n, um. I’d like to take you out. On a proper date. But I know you’re probably really busy. So, um do you think you could let me know when you’re free? If you wanted to go out on a date with me that is”

“Yeah sure” you bit back your smile. You had never done this before. Well not after your husband. It would be your first date in 5 years. You just got a good feeling from Harry.

“Oh okay” he was a little shocked.

“If not this week, then the next. Maybe Friday”

“Yeah that’s good with me”

“Well uh, I’m gonna go to sleep Harry. It was nice meeting you today”

“Yeah it was for me too, meeting you. Goodnight. Sweet dreams”

“Yeah thank you. Goodnight” you smiled and hung up. You felt giddy and happy. You looked at your bedside table and it was a picture of you on your wedding day staring back at you. You knew he would want you to move on already. You smiled and contently fell asleep.

~~~

You woke up around 9:45 to give yourself enough time to get ready. It was nice being able to sleep in a bit. Sam was always up by 8. You remembered your conversation with Harry last night. You haven't had a conversation like that in years. You'd just recently decided that you'd be open for a relationship but you weren't on any dating apps or anything either. Going with the flow you guess. You got ready quickly and drove to the restaurant where you were meeting your boy and your in-laws. You stepped out your car and so did they. Sam looked around before running to you. You opened your arms for him and he hugged you tight.

"Ugh my baby I missed you so much last night!" you kissed his forehead.

"I missed you too ma," he kissed your cheek.

You picked him up and spun him around making you both giggle.

"y/n", your mother in law said.

"Lydia, how are you?" She held her purse in front of her as you put Sam down.

"I'm good, you?"

"Good."

Your father in law approached you. He was quieter and more reserved. The loss of his son hit him hard. The two were close. He did watch out for you a bit more than Lydia. Lydia's priority was Sam, William's priorities were you and Sam.

"Hi William, how are you?"

He gave you a hug and you guys walked into the restaurant.

"I'm good. How are you?"

"Good, thank you."

You guys got settled into a booth and you already knew what you all wanted. This wasn’t the first time.

"Sam told me his science teacher is being hard on him," Lydia spoke without looking away from you. She was looking at your clothes and makeup. Seeing if it was up to her standards.

"Yes, he told me too. I already told him what to do."

"And what was that?" Here we go. Here's the thing. Lydia was your husband's mother. When he passed, she wanted to be her grandson's mother as well.

You held in a sigh before speaking. "I told him to work hard during school but if she specifically targets him repeatedly to let me know and I'll handle it."

She nodded and stayed quiet. Thank God.

"Mami, your phone vibrated," Also, your husband was Italian. You were Hispanic so you were trying to teach Sam some of his Hispanic side as his grandparents taught him mostly his Italian side. They more so taught him stuff about the culture and food, but none of the language. They swore they knew it but you've never heard them speak it.

"Thank you for letting me know mijo, but since we're all together I'll check it later." you kissed his head.

You and your husband had done a good job. He was a perfect mix from both of you. He had brown curly hair, like you. Hazel eyes like his dad. Dark eyelashes like you. A button nose like his dad that was covered in freckles like yours. Plump lips like the both of you. The food came and you all began eating.

"We wanted to talk to you about something." you felt Sam put his hand on your knee. Uh oh. He was preparing you for something he knew you may not like.

"Okay, what is it?"

William spoke up, "Well, winter break is coming up and we wanted to take Sam away for a week."

You almost choked on your food. A week? Them? With your son? Were they insane? Okay maybe you were being a little dramatic but what?!

"Um, where?" you tried to seem open about the idea.

"Blue mountain. We would go snow tubing and other things in the snow." Lydia said.

"For a week? Snow tubing for a week? That sounds more like a weekend thing to me." you ate your eggs.

"Well we would look in the town for other things to do obviously," Lydia snickered like you had sounded ridiculous. She better not start with an attitude you thought. She was asking you for a favor not the other way around. So instead of giving her a direct answer, you said "I'll think about it." You needed to talk to Sam if this was something he wanted to do or they wanted to do.

You guys had finished eating and you all eventually said goodbye. Sam wanted to come back home instead of staying Sunday. Sometimes he just wanted extra time with you.

~~~

You were driving home from unsuccessful shoe shopping when you heard Sam's little voice come from the backseat.

"Are you mad?"

"No, I'm not mad. Why would you say that?"

"Because grandma was kind of rude to you when you said it wasn't a week long thing." Every year he became more observant.

"Well I mean I didn't like that but I'm not mad. I don't let your grandmother ruin my mood."

"Okay"

"Do you wanna go?"

"I don’t know… I do but not for a week. That's too long away from you."

Your heart warmed a little and you nodded. "I'd feel that way too."

"Did dad like snow tubing?"

"I'm not sure bud, we never went"

"Oh."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't go. I went when I was younger with my mom and sister, we made it a girl's trip. It was a lot of fun."

"Really? What if we went just us two?"

"Hm I don’t know bud; I think your grandparents might get sad. I think I can tell them it will only have to be for a weekend and then you and I could go another time. Just us two."

"Umm okay that sounds good. I agree."

"Good." you pulled in front of your building.

"What was dad's favorite season?"

"Fall. He hated the heat, but he hated being too cold. And he'd get the worst allergies in the spring and he had this weird pet peeve for sneezing. It was kind of funny seeing him get frustrated though. He would look like he wanted to rip his nose off." You held his hand as you walked inside. He giggled at what you said. When you both got inside to your apartment you both took off your shoes and sweaters. You had a picture of your husband on a small table by your entrance. Every time you walked in Sam would say "Hi dad!" to it. He asked if he could watch some Disney XD for a bit and you said it was fine. You were going to make some dinner. You checked your phone and saw Harry had texted you. You were a little shocked he kept up with talking to you.

H: Hey, good afternoon. I hope brunch went well :)

y/n: Hey it did, I guess.

H: You guess?

y/n: Eh they want something, felt like a setup?

H: Ah. I get what you mean. Sorry it happened.

y/n: It's alright. I got my boy back so I'm happy.

H: Good. I'd love to meet him someday to be honest. He sounds adorable.

You thought about his text. How would Sam react? He's always saying for you to get a friend but what would happen when you actually did? It made you nervous to think about. You felt your phone vibrate again.

H: Uh sorry if that was too forward.

y/n: No, its fine. It was sweet.

H: Okay good.

"Ma?"

You jumped up slightly like you had been caught doing something bad.

"Who are you texting? You never text this much" he was grinning at you. He was happy?

"Um none ya beeswax"

"It is my beeswax when it's taking time away from you cooking my dinner," you gave him a warning look. Dang smart ass. Gets it from you. He mumbled a "Sorry" and sat up on the stool and leaned on your countertop.

"I made a friend that’s all okay?"

"A guy friend?" he smirked.

You turned to get a pot. "Mhm"

"What's his name?"

"Harry."

"I like that name."

"You would like any name if it meant I had a friend."

He giggled and nodded. "Does he know about me?"

"Of course he does. You think I could not talk about you?"

"Okay okay," he blushed slightly, "Is he nice?"

"Yeah he's pretty nice."

"Are you gonna go on a date?"

"Samuel! He's a friend!" you playfully yelled at him.

"Mom I'm not 5, I know you might want a little BOYfriend"

"Sam you are 7, and how do you even know what a boyfriend is." you were talking to him as you gathered all your ingredients.

"Grandma told me about boyfriends and girlfriends"

"Now what is she doing telling you about that?" you looked at him.

"Well we saw a couple at the bowling alley and they kissed and I said ew and she said it’s because they were boyfriend and girlfriend so she explained what that meant to me."

"Hm, okay." you trusted she gave him a good and appropriate definition.

"Do you have a picture of him?"

"We just met yesterday" you say as you open and close cabinets.

"Does he like baseball?"

"I actually had to explain the sport to him. He's not from here." you started cooking.

"Where's he from? Is he from where dad used to work?"

"No, way off. He's from a place called England."

"Where the Beatles are from!"

"Exactly," you smiled at him. He was a classic soul.

“That’s cool”

“Yeah his voice is different too”  

“I wanna meet him” he put his chin in his palm, “It’d be nice to be around another guy that isn’t grandpa.”

“He uh actually said he wants to meet you too but I think we should wait a bit. I think I should get to know him better before you meet him” You stir your pasta in the pot.

“Okay” he tapped your phone screen, “he texted you”

“Thanks, nosey” you took your phone and read his message. You had forgotten to respond.

Y/n: hey sorry was cooking dinner for the hungry boy and I

H: it’s alright. What’s on the menu?

Y/n: pasta. Penne ala vodka with some shrimp. Probably some garlic bread too. Lazy meal

H: lazy? sounds glorious.

You laughed as you texted.

“Oooh he’s making you laugh!” Sam giggled.

You covered your face and told him to go to his room to make sure he had done his homework. Tomorrow you were going to Chuck E Cheese so he wouldn’t have time to do it then.

Y/n: we’ll see how it tastes

H: do you like to cook?

Y/n: I do but I run out of things to cook so I get bored

H: yeah same. I like to experiment though.

You were feeling a little confident and flirtatious

Y/n: maybe you could show me sometime

H: yeah. That’d be fine with me 😊

You bit your lip unsure of what to say. It had been a while since you were back on the flirting scene. You felt your phone vibrate again.

H: are you vegetarian or anything? Gonna think of some ideas from now.

Y/n: I don’t follow any specific diet but I definitely don’t eat a lot of meat. More of a seafood person.

H: gotcha ;)

Y/n: ;)?

H: don’t like it?

Y/n: eh it’s alright 🤷🏻‍♀️

H: alright?

Y/n: mhmm

H: you’re teasing me, aren’t you?

Y/n: just a lil bit 🤏🏻

H: 😂😂

You finished up cooking dinner and called Sam. He came down quickly and mumbled a small yum.

Y/n: I’ll talk to you later. Gonna eat now.

H: okay 🥰

You served you and Sam plates and you both ate quietly as you watched some tv. You would say you were pretty lenient with Sam. He was very mature for his age and he respected you greatly. He barely gave you a hard time. You think he got that from his dad. His dad always wanted to please you any chance he got.

“Mami, can I sleep in your bed tonight?”

“How come, hon?”

“It’s comfier” you laughed at this because you would say the same thing to your parents when you were younger.

“Okay. But you know you can’t always sleep in Mami’s bed. You gotta sleep in your own some nights.”

“Yeah I know,” he smiled at you.

“Alright. Well can I trust you’ll bathe yourself good tonight? I don’t have to help you?”

“Yes ma, I’ll remember to wash myself good.”

“Okay, remember to get in between your toes and everything”

He nodded at you. You two finished your plates and you sent him off to shower. He kept the door open just in case he needed your help opening one of the bottles. You remembered the first bath you ever gave him. He was so much smaller compared to now and his dad kept complaining about how slippery he was. You were only 23 with a new job and new home but you were both so happy with your little boy. You cleaned up the kitchen and went up to bed where your little boy was already waiting. He had turned on the tv and was watching friends. You showered quickly before getting in bed with him. He cuddled up to your side and laid his head on your chest. You massaged your fingers into his damp curls until you heard him snore lightly. You fixed him onto your other pillow and fell asleep on yours.

~~~

The weekend had ended and you hadn’t heard from Harry. That was before you remembered you were the one who hadn’t answered. It was now Monday afternoon and you were picking up Sam from school. You worked at a middle school just a block away. Sam hopped into your car and told you about his day.

"Can I go to Justin's house tomorrow afterschool?"

"Is Justin's parents okay with this?"

"Yeah, we'll do our homework first too!"

"Alright, you better do it because when you get home I'm checking it all"

"Okay!"

You guys walked into your apartment and Sam went up to shower. That was the routine after school. He showers while you make a snack, after that he comes down and eats while you shower, you grade papers while he does homework, and then if he's done you let him watch some Disney channel while you make dinner. This is exactly how your evening rolls out and you decide to text Harry.

y/n: hey sorry. Busy day yesterday. You wanted me to let you know when I was free and I'm free tomorrow after 3...

You stop typing, "Sam, until when are staying at Justin's?"

"Until like 6? He said his mom was gonna cook"

"Okay," you continue typing,

y/n: Hey sorry. Busy day yesterday. You wanted me to let you know when I was free and I'm free tomorrow after 3 until like 6. I know its late notice so no worries if you're not free too.

You finish cooking, eating, and cleaning and you still hadn't heard from Harry. He was probably mad at you now. You sighed aloud and thought well it was nice while it lasted. You went over Sam's homework with him and then made sure he brushed his teeth before bed. You tucked him in and gave him a kiss on his forehead.

"Goodnight my love," you pushed his hair back off his forehead.

"Goodnight mami, goodnight dad" he blows a kiss toward the picture of him and his dad on his bedside table.

You walked out his room leaving his door ajar and walked down to your room. You grab your book and climb into bed. It was the book from Jane the Virgin. You related to Jane in multiple ways. As you were becoming a part of the fictitious world of the character Josephine you felt your phone vibrate.

H: Banzai, 3:30pm, Be there or be square.

You smiled at his assertiveness. It was kind of cute.

H: If that's okay with you.

y/n: Yes, that's fine lol😂😂

He could never be too serious you thought.

H: watching friends?

y/n: actually reading.

H: what are you reading?

y/n: snow falling, it’s from a show and stuff.

H: look at the publishing company

You looked and sure enough it was Simon & Schuster. Wow.

y/n: Wow lol, I never noticed.

H: I've read it, it's pretty good. More of a girly book, I think.

Y/n: I can’t imagine you reading this tbh.

H: it was a hard manuscript to get through. Kept me on my toes.

You continued texting and before you knew it, it was 2 in the morning.

y/n: wow its 2am.

H: I know. Time flew. You're so easy to talk to.

y/n: I could say the same about you.

H: I'm excited for later

y/n: so am I, free food.

H:😐😐😐

y/n: I'm joking!

H: sure you are.

y/n: I am, I'm excited too because I miss your company, its nice.

H: I don't have a company

y/n: Harry

H: okay okay, thank you. Get some rest, you've gotta be up early.

y/n: true, see you later! 😊

H: see you🥰

~~~

Part two is up now!

[eretzyisrael]

Continuous Updates: Missile Strikes On Israel

The News on the Israeli Street and Today’s BlogContinuous Updates: Missile Strikes On Israel2:00 pm Tuesday:

The missile fire emanating from the Palestinian terrorists in Gaza continues unabated.

There have been 14 more barrages of missiles fired at southern Israel since our last update two and a half hours ago. We had our last barrage here in Ashdod at 1:11 pm.

When we write “barrages”, we are talking about simultaneous fire of 4-8 missiles at a time. So far, we have not seen 16 or even 32 missiles fired at one time though that is likely to come tonight.

As of this hour, approximately 200 missiles have been fired at southern Israel.  We say “approximately” because the IDF seems to have stopped counting three hours ago–and, as we all know, it dramatically undercounts missiles during times of combat. A few were fired at targets in the central part of the country. As usual, the hardest hit areas are the communities along the Gaza border, namely Sderot, Nahal Oz, and Nirim.

Another attack on those communities is taking place at this moment.

11:30 am Tuesday:

PM Netanyahu’s press conference has been delayed until noon.

More than 125 missiles have been fired at Israel since 5:45 am.

In the last 30 minutes:

The IAF hit a motorcycle loaded with Islamic Jihad terrorists in Gaza. Two were killed and 5 were wounded.

An IAF missile destroyed the top floor of a residence in Jabalya–apparently belonging to a senior Islamic Jihad operative.

Another Islamic Jihad terrorist bites the dust?

11:00 am Tuesday:

PM Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Kochavi are scheduled to speak shortly.

Numerous barrages of missiles have been fired from Gaza in the last two hours. More homes have been directly hit (such as in Netivot) and shrapnel has been raining on cities in the south. Click here for an amazing video which shows a missile striking an intersection about 3 miles from our house here in Ashdod (scroll down to the video). Miraculously, no one was wounded or killed.

As of 30 minutes ago at 10:30 am, MADA is reporting that 29 Israelis have received medical treatment from the missile fire. Of this 29, 13 were wounded by shrapnel and 15 were injured while running to a bomb shelter; an 8-year-old girl in Holon went into shock and had to be resuscitated.

The target we referred to in our first update this morning who was apparently eliminated in Damascus was a liaison between the Iranian Quds force and Islamic Jihad in Gaza.

9:00 am Tuesday:

More than 75 missiles have been fired at Israel since 5:45 am.

We’ve been in our bomb shelter here in Ashdod several times in the last hour as missiles have exploded all around us and overhead.Here’s a photo of an intercept over the house at 8:31 am.:

At 8:31 am this morning over our house in Ashdod.

The top of a house in Sderot that was hit by a missile about two hours ago–the residents were in their bomb shelter and were physically unwounded:

Fortunately no one was where the missile exploded.

8:00 am Tuesday:

In the last 30 minutes, missiles targeted: Sderot, Yad Mordechai, Bat Yam, Holon, south Tel Aviv and Jaffa, Karmia, Ashkelon, Rishon LeZion, Rehovot, Mazkeret Batya, Gan Yavne, Givat Brenner, Nahal Sorek, Nahal Oz, Beit Elazari, and Kissufim among other places.

There was a direct hit on a house in Sderot.

Schools canceled in Tel Aviv and supermarkets closed.

7:30 am Tuesday

Two Iron Dome intercepts over our house here in Ashdod a few minutes ago:

One picture says it all–these are the areas receiving incoming missile alarms at 7:04 pm:

7:00 am Tuesday

Incoming missile alarms each involving barrages of missiles:

6:04 am: Ashkelon and Zikim

6:18 am: Kfar Aza

6:29 am: Nir Am, Sderot

6:35 am: Ashkelon

6:51 am: Sderot, Erez, Nir Am (explosions heard here in Ashdod)

6:56 am: Karmia

7:00 am: Sderot, Nir Am

The IDF is currently attacking targets in Gaza City.

Unverified report: Abu Al Ata’s wife was also killed in the IAF attack on his house in Gaza.

Unverified report: Senior Palestinian terrorist Ziad Nahala assassinated in Damascus.

All schools have been canceled in southern Israel including those in Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Beersheva.

6:00 am Tuesday:

We have just emerged from our bomb shelter here in Ashdod after an Islamic Jihad missile attack on our neighborhood. There is no word of impacts or intercepts, but we heard at least 6 explosions.

The rest of southern Israel is under attack with missile strikes on Ashkelon and communities along the border.

These attacks follow Israel’s targeted assassination early this morning of the head of Islamic Jihad Abu Al Ata.

More incoming missile sirens are now sounding in the area. We are moving to our bomb shelter again.

We will have continuous updates every hour during the day.

[fandima-moved-read-pinned]

Would it be awesome to see you do all 100 asks? Yes. Will you do them? We shall see.

Wanna bet 

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? - More cereal than milk! 

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day?- No, actually. I hate the cold ^^' And if there's cold air on my cheeks then it's on my nose and that's no good 

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? - Usually a post it note! Not very random, but it's normally what I have on hand. 

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? - Depends on my mood! Sometimes I'll take my coffee black, other times ill add a fricc ton of creamer, whipped cream, and sugar. Also sometimes I mix coffee with hot chocolate and it's amazing. 

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? - Very. 

6: do you keep plants? - Always. I still have the carnations from Valentines Day (which surprisingly haven't died yet) 

7: do you name your plants? - Nope. 

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? - just a mechanical pencil or a graphite pencil. They usually end up being sketches. But if I like how it looks I'll go over them in pen. 

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? - Yes and no? I'd do it more often but I don't want anyone to hear me. Especially my mom. 

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? - Side, always facing the wall. 

11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends? - The only one I can think of off the top of my head is *slap slap slap* *jumps out window*. No I will not explain. 

12: what’s your favorite planet? - Pluto! Or Make Make. Make Make used to be my favorite because me and my brother would pronounce it wrong on purpose. But Pluto is ver pretty. 

13: what’s something that made you smile today? - seeing my brother's reaction to his birthday present from me! I made a little felt monkey with bushy eyebrows (I needle felted it) 

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? - Probably very messy. But also it would constantly smell like food! 

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! - Mars is shrinking. It is Smol. 

16: what’s your favorite pasta dish? - Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp! It's what I usually ordered at Olive Garden until I found out that it was expensive and was probably stressing out my parents. 

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? - Don't laugh okay but pink! I want to dye the bottom half of my hair bright freaking pink. Like hot pink. 

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. - That time I slapped a guy twice for picking me up. That guy was my best friend. He picked me up from behind and I sorta whipped around and slapped him. The first time he didn't put me down, he just laughed. So I slapped him again. He got the hint. 

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it?- I don't. I tried a while back, but I figured it would be easier just to talk to people about my issues instead of writing them down. 

20: what’s your favorite eye color? - Green. Or dark brown. 

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. - Not sure what this means, sorry. I've got this pencil pouch that has a tree print on it that I've used for a few years now even though it has a hole it it. Does that count? 

22: are you a morning person? - No. I wake up at 5:30 am on weekdays and usually don't get out of bed until I have ten minutes to get ready and leave. 

23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? - Stay in my room and draw! Although I don't have lazy days. Every time my mom comes upstairs I immediately start cleaning because if I don't she'll yell at me for being lazy. 

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? - Yes. Take a look at who sent this ask. Also my other two online friends! One of them I spam with worms on a string and the other I just know I can trust and I don't know why. 

25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into? - the only place I've broken into is my own house. I had to climb the backyard fence to go through the back door because me and my brother forgot our keys. 

26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit? - My plain black tennis shoes. I need to get new ones because these ones are old and barely fit but every time I mention it, it's like I never said a word. 

27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor? - Candy Cane! 

28: sunrise or sunset? - Sunset! I get to see the sun setting behind the Rocky Mountains and it's really pretty. 

29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? - exist 

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? - Yes. I'd rather not talk about it. 

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. - socks can burn in hell for all I care. I hate socks. I only wear them if I have to (like while wearing shoes) 

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. - I remember being at a sleepover a few days before I moved (this was in South Korea) and I woke up at 3:34 am (yes I remember the time don't ask why) because one of my friends was playing Megalovania on the keyboard. Then she turned around and asked who the hell took her pretzels. They were under her pillow. 

33: what’s your fave pastry? - c w a s o a n t (with jelly inside!) 

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? - I still have this stuffed animal now (I have all of my stuffed animals. I haven't brought myself to get rid of them). It's a little pink blanket with a bunny head named Squeek. Not Squeak. I didn't know how to spell that. 

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? - No. I don't have any. 

36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now? - https://youtu.be/7TqLXIBG-6g   not a band but still

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? - Messy! It may sound strange, but I can't find anything when it's clean. It also feels empty unless I've got stuff all over the floor. 

38: tell us about your pet peeves! - When I tell remind someone of the rules and they say "okay" and continue breaking them. Like we aren't supposed to put pans in the dishwasher because it ruins the pans. Yet my brother always puts them in there. I remind him and take it out, and he says "okay" and puts it back. I also hate it when I ask someone to stop doing something (usually when it's making me nervous or upset) and they ask "WhY?" in a really annoying tone and keep doing it. I ALSO hate it when I'm in charge and yet no one listens to me. 

I also don't like it when no one says thank you. It makes it seem like they don't appreciate me. 

39: what color do you wear the most? - Grey. I want to wear colorful clothes but the last time we went clothes shopping and I asked for pastel colors, I walked out of the store with grey, light grey, brown, and dark blue clothes. 

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you? - I have a locket that I made for my seventh birthday. It has little charms in it (a rose, my first initial, a heart key, and a birthday cake) and it's gold. I love it and I don't know why. 

41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving? - There's a book series that I don't remember the name of but it's about a girl who is forcibly turned into a siren by three other sirens. She has to eat human hearts to live. It's kinda gorey, kinda romantic, lots of action. I love it. 

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! - Unfortunately no, I usually get coffee at a gas station ^^' 

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? - My dog Freyja! Whenever I take out trash, she comes with, and when the sky is clear I like to point out the starts with her before we go back inside. She's very sweet. But I can't stargaze for more than a minute. 

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? - Last year I went on a trip to Florida to stay with my grandparents for a week. I remember waking up one morning with a beautiful view of the ocean and the sound of waves crashing onto the shore. My grandparents have an apartment of sorts that faces the Atlantic and you can literally go down the stairs and go swim in the ocean if you want to, it's like a two minute walk, not even. I love the ocean and the sound of waves and seagulls is always calming to me. But my house is very loud and there's no peace here. 

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? - Yes. When I have a bad feeling about something, I address it. It's not always true, but I don't want to risk anything. 

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. - Sorry, I don't know many puns. I guess I'm just not a pun-ny person. 

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? - fucking macaroni with bread crumsb that shit is nasty af 

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? - Storms, especially tornados. Now my biggest fear is death. Whether I'm the one dying or its someone I care about. 

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? - Not really, I don't have money to buy anything ^^' Even when I do have money, I spend it on art stuff. That reminds me that I need to fix my radio. 

50: what’s an odd thing you collect? - Fabric. I have so much and I don't even use it. But when I see a nice fabric, I get it (if I have money). 

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? - 'Old Timer Rock and Roll' (probably not the name of it) always reminds me of my dad. One day we were driving in his Jeep, just us two, and I mentioned that I wasn't a fan of the music on the radio. We ended up compromising and that song was the first one on the radio station that we switched to. 

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? - I am unfortunately not up to date with the memes. Although the ones where it's like "you've mc-ed your last Donald" or "you've ratted your last tatouille" always make me exhale aggressively. 

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? - None of the above! I've been wanting to watch Heather's though. I just never get around to doing it. 

54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? - My brother. Not the same one from before. 

55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point? - nothing, sorry. I'm not very dramatic. 

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? - when they pour their heart out about a certain subject that they love. I know a lot of people tend to bottle up their opinions but when someone trusts me aniugh to tell me all about it, it's just sorta nice. 

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? - I just sorta spaced out for the first have then did a little dance for the rest of it. I love the line "I see a little silhouetto of a man" and it's more upbeat and the music just makes me dance a little 

58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? - bold of you to assume I have a group of friends 

59: what’s your favorite myth? - There's this one I heard as a kid that involves a faceless girl on the side of a highway who tries to steal faces. 

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? - I can't think of any off the top of my head, but poetry is nice! 

61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received? - I don't really remember. I try to only give gifts that are meaningful. 

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? - nope! I usually drink milk! 

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? - I usually leave my music to its own devices, but all the books are organized by series and genre. 

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? - Blue! Just any other afternoon sky. 

65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with? - My older brother. We don't get to talk much. 

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? - Colorful, with a few white flowers! 

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? - Those are usually the days that I don't feel anything. 

68: what’s winter like where you live? - The weather is all over the place. A little snow, then the next day, it's like 60°F. Not even joking. It snowed Friday and Saturday was warm. 

69: what are your favorite board games? - Monopoly and Battleship! 

70: have you ever used a ouija board? - No, but I really want to. But my dad won't let me. 

71: what’s your favorite kind of tea? - I don't really drink tea, sorry! 

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it? - Nope. I'll forget it anyway. I usually set alarms for certain things but then I don't do it. 

73: what are some of your worst habits? - Biting the inside of my cheek and scratching/pinching my arm when I'm nervous. 

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. - kind, a good listener, talented, and understanding 

75: tell us about your pets! - We have four dogs. There's Emrys (the dog I've posted pictures of before), Cirilla (a husky German Shepard mix, very sweet), Cayde-6 (a Rottweiler mix I think, super energetic, loud, and steals food off the counter even when someone is watching), and Freyja (a German Shepard mix, puppy, also very sweet! She knows the phrase 'give hugs' and she always comes with me to take out the trash for whatever reason). I also have a Guinea Pig (who I want to get a friend for because she's lonely, but my parents keep saying no) names Neo. 

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t? - Working on my Someconsious series, cleaning, and probably checking in with some friends. 

77: pink or yellow lemonade? - Pink 

78: are you in the minion hateclub or Fan club? - Hate club. I don't like them. They're just annoying and bright and their language is stupid to me. 

79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? - One of my exes surprised me with a cars and roses out of nowhere. It wasn't Valentines Day, it wasn't my birthday, he just went out of his way to do something nice for me when I was having a rough week. 

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? - They're a sort of off white. I want to paint them light lavender or pale blue but my parents have only painted the living room and refuse to paint anywhere else for whatever reason. I know we can afford paint, I know we have time. They just stopped caring. 

81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. - Not sure what it means by abstract, but I'll try. Her eyes are similar to the bottom of a small river. The brown in the middle with green rings on the edges remind me of a river I used to go fishing in back in Oklahoma. 

82: are/were you good in school? - I'm okay. I have all A's and B's, but I have easy subjects that aren't very hard. 

83: what’s some of your favorite album art? - I don't really listen to albums, my music taste is mostly individual songs. Even then I don't really pay attention to the art. 

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? - I want to get a quote of sort on my ankle. Something in another language so I can tell them it means something mysterious and deep when in reality it's the description of a toaster oven that hasn't been cleaned since 1995.

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? - I read a few webcomics if that counts! I like Castle Swimmer a lot! Gay fish bapeys are best fish bapeys. 

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? - I don't know what those are, sorry 

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? - The Princess Bride and the Last Unicorn. But I'm biased because they're both a part of my childhood. 

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? - not in particular! 

89: are you close to your parents? - I'm only close with my dad. My stepmom can go fuck herself. She just told us that's she'll be making a schedule for the next two weeks because there won't be school. One of the weeks was spring break anyway! We aren't missing much! 

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. - I like Palm Beach in Florida! It's fairly quiet, right next to the ocean, and filled with retired people who are all really nice. 

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? - Nowhere, we don't travel much. I really want to go to Florida again though. 

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? - I don't add cheese at all! It sort of ruins the texture for me. Especially the grated sprinkle cheese stuff l. I hate now it feels. 

93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most? - I just keep my hair down. I don't like it in any other way. 

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? - My brother. His birthday is today! 

95: what are your plans for this weekend? - cry a lot cry some more lose feelings for a few hours draw watch YouTube art videos then try not to yell at my mom like I did last week

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? - I just get it over with so I can do whatever needs to be done. Or I schedule it for when I'm not going to be using it. 

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? - INFP-T/Mediator, Scorpio, and Hufflepuff 

98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it?- A few weeks ago. And no, I did not enjoy it considering I was supposed to be working on an important project that day. 

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. - Where We Started, If You're Going Through Hell, and We Like to Numb (a mix of We Like to Party and Numb) 

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? - Future. In five years I plan on being in college and I want to see what I should be prepared for and if my interests have changed. 

This took me at least an hour and a half. Thank you though! I 

[itshighjccn]

all I wanted, and all I needed...

[ FULL PLAYLIST ] 

@moonieisms

01. thru these tears by lany

“ in the end I'm gonna be alright but it might take a hundred sleepless nights to make the memories of you disappear but right now I can't see nothing through these tears. out of sight but you're not out of my mind, so it might take somebody else at night to make it feel like you were never here but right now I can't see nothing through these tears. ”

02. someone you loved by lewis capaldi

“ but now the day bleeds into nightfall and you’re not here to get me through it all. I let my guard down and then you pulled the rug. I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved. ”

03. all I want by kodaline

“ when you said your last goodbye, I died a little bit inside. I lay in tears in bed all night, alone without you by my side. but If you loved me, why did you leave me? ”

04. jealous by labrinth

“ 'cause I wished you the best of all this world could give. and I told you when you left me there's nothing to forgive but I always thought you'd come back, tell me all you found was heartbreak and misery. it's hard for me to say, I'm jealous of the way you're happy without me. ”

05. break my heart again by finneas

“ you can’t help it if your mind has changed, so go ahead and break my heart again, leave me wonderin’ why the hell I ever let you in. are you the definition of insanity? or am I? ”

06. bruises by lewis capaldi

“ counting days since my love up and got lost on me. and every breath that I've been takin' since you left feels like a waste on me. I've been holding on to hope that you'll come back when you can find some peace ‘cause every word that I've heard spoken since you left feels like a hollow street. ”

07. you could be happy by snow patrol

“ most of what I remember makes me sure; I should have stopped you from walking out the door. you could be happy; I hope you are. you made me happier than I'd been by far. somehow everything I own smells of you and for the tiniest moment it's all not true. ”

08. in my veins by andrew belle

“ oh, you’re in my veins and I cannot get you out. oh, you’re all I taste at night inside of my mouth. oh, you run away 'cause I am not what you found. oh, you’re in my veins and I cannot get you out. ”

09. I can’t make you love me by dave thomas junior

“ cause I can't make you love me if you don't. you can't make your heart feel something it won't. here in the dark, in these final hours, I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power but you won't, no you won't. 'cause I can't make you love me, if you don't. ”

10. hurts like hell by fleurie

“ how can I say this without breaking? how can I say this without taking over? how can I put it down into words when it's almost too much for my soul alone? I loved, and I loved and I lost you. and it hurts like hell. ”

11. breathe by taylor swift

“ I see your face in my mind as I drive away, 'cause none of us thought it was gonna end that way. people are people, and sometimes we change our minds but it's killing me to see you go after all this time. music starts playin' like the end of a sad movie, it's the kinda ending you don't really wanna see. 'cause it's tragedy and it'll only bring you down, now I don't know what to be without you around. ”

12. lonely again by gnash

“ you said you would care, you said you'd be there. you said you'd be here, so how come you're not here? lonely again , I said I’m lonely again. how'd I get so lonely again? I think I’m lonely again. would you come hold me again? ”

13. need you now ( acoustic ) by dean lewis

“ but I don’t need your love, I just need you talking next to me when I wake up. talking next to me when I wake up next to you. when I’m hungover too because you’re the only one who comes when I’m lonely. you’re the only one who comes when I’m lonely for you. ”

14. what a time by matt johnson ( cover of niall horan & julia michaels )

“ I feel a little nauseous and my hands are shaking. I guess I need you close by. my throat is getting dry and my heart is racing. I haven't been by your side in a minute, but I think about it sometimes even though I know it's not so distant. oh, no, I still wanna reminisce it. ”

15. two ghosts by harry styles

“ the fridge light washes this room white, moon dances over your good side; this was all we used to need. tongue-tied like we've never known, telling those stories we already told 'cause we don't say what we really mean. we're not who we used to be, we're just two ghosts standing in the place of you and me. we're not who we used to be, we're just two ghosts swimming in a glass half empty trying to remember how it feels to have a heartbeat. ”

16. lose my mind ( acoustic vers. ) by dean lewis

“ oh, now you're looking at me and I'm looking at you like a fool but you don't know what it feels like to fall in love with you. no, you don't know what it's like when you can't go back. ”

17. i’m so tired by lauv & troye sivan ( stripped vers. )

“ strangers, killing my lonely nights with strangers. and when they leave, I go back to our song, I hold on. hurts like heaven, lost in the sound. buzzcut season like you’re still around. can’t unmiss you and I need you now. yeah, I’m so tired of love songs, tired of love songs, tired of love songs, tired of love. just wanna go home, wanna go home. ”

18. too much to ask by niall horan ( acoustic vers. )

“ my shadow's dancing without you for the first time. my heart is hoping you'll walk right in tonight, tell me there are things that you regret. 'cause if I'm being honest I ain't over you yet. that's all I'm asking. is it too much to ask? ”

19. ex by jamestw ( acoustic vers. )

“ they think they're trying to help, introducing me to someone else. I play along 'cause I haven't got the heart to tell 'em that if I dance with somebody, I might want somebody else. and if I want somebody, I might fall in love and forget what it was to be wrapped in your arms so tightly, to be your man. so tonight I'll be dancing alone 'cause I'm afraid if I forget then you'll just become an ex. ”

20. i miss you by clean bandit & julia michaels ( acoustic vers. )

“ and I know we're not supposed to talk but I'm getting ahead of myself. I get scared when we're not  'cause I'm scared you're with somebody else. so I guess that it is gone and I just keep lying to myself, I can't believe it. ”

21. looking for you again by matthew perryman jones

“ sifting through mishaps and photographs, I think of you much more than I should. and I’m falling down like it’s holy ground. I’m looking for you again. ”

22. golden leaves by passenger ( acoustic vers. )

“ do you remember how this first begun? teeth were white and our skin was young. eyes as bright as the Spanish Sun, we had nothing we could hide. now, my dear, we are two golden leaves clinging desperately to winter trees. got up here like a pair of thieves while the sirens blare outside. what's left to say when every word's been spoken? what's left to see when our eyes won't open? what's left to do when we've lost all hope and what's left to break when our hearts are broken? ”

23. bloodstream by stateless

“ wake up, look me in the eyes again. I need to feel your hand upon my face. words can be like knives, they can cut you open, but the silence surrounds you and hunts you. ”

24. tell me that you love me by james smith

“ no more lazy mornings with you lying next to me, no more late night talking before we lay our heads to sleep, no more looking in the mirror with you stepping on my feet. without your arms around my shoulders, I've lost the strength to be. ”

25. paper hearts by tori kelly

“ trying to remember all the good times, our life was cutting through so loud. memories are playing in my dull mind. I hate this part, paper hearts. and I'll hold a piece of yours, don't think I would just forget about it. hoping that you won't forget. I live through pictures as if I was right there by your side but you'll be good without me. ”

26. what if i never get over you by lady antebellum

“ what if I'm trying, but then I close my eyes and then I'm right back, lost in the last goodbye? and what if time doesn't do what it's supposed to do? what if I never get over you? ”

27. reason to hate you by rhys lewis

“ can you just lie to me and ruin these memories? 'cause I've gotta forget somehow so I'm begging you, burn us to the ground. 'cause I know it's over but I don't know what to do. so help me get over, help me get over you. ”

28. surrender by natalie taylor

“ we let the waters rise, we drifted to survive. I needed you to stay but I let you drift away. my love, where are you? whenever you’re ready, can we surrender? I surrender. no one will win this time, I just want you back. ”

29. leave a message gnash

“ sorry I lost you but I got something to say before I leave. I'm sorry that I miss you but it's cool, get to see you in my dreams. thanks for showing me how love feels, thanks for showing me how loss feels too. thanks for making me strong when things fall apart. thanks for the try, at least we had a good start. just wanted to hold you down, but you put me on hold. and I gave you all my heart and I gave you my soul. baby every little thing is going to be all right. you'll always be on my mind, can't always be in my life. I know one day you'll smile with all the happy you need, I hope one day you'll smile with all that happy at me . ”

30. p.s. by gnash

“ some days I feel like givin' up, givin' in. losin' hope, losin' friends. I've been trying hard not to lose my breath ever since you left, but if this is the end. when good ain't good enough, the road is ridin' rough, you'll always be alright with me. if you ever feel alone, I just wanted you to know I wrote you this song to sing, it goes like p.s., I miss you when you feel alone. p.s., I'm with you, wherever you go. p.s., I get you, so, p.s., come home. p.s., I love you, that's all that I know. ”

[lokisgame]

Uncommon Cold

Around 9:30 am and three unanswered phone calls on her landline and cell, Mulder began to worry. He came in later than usual, blaming the alarm clock failing and his cellphone’s dead battery, rushing to work without even glancing at his machine. He thought Scully would be here already. It wasn't like her to be late, even if all they had planed for the day was paperwork. By 10:15 he was rushing through the parking garage, dialing Skinner's office to notify his boss he was taking a personal day.

Driving through town he forced himself to stay calm, scanning both lanes for any approaching sirens, police or ambulance, some sign of a car accident, but the streets were calm that day, nothing but the usual Monday morning traffic. Her car was parked in her usual spot as he crossed the street. No one answered the door. It didn't feel like something bad had happened but a sudden thought of walking in on her, while she's with someone lit up all the dark corners of his mind. Mulder swallowed hard, where did that thought come from, did he just feel a cold gust of wind brush pass him? It was ridiculous, he fished out his keys, found hers among his own with the familiarity of using it for the past six yeas, and for better or worse, let himself in.

By Scully standards, the living room was a mess. Her quilt laid abandoned in a heap on the sofa, half empty mugs surrounded by piles of crumpled tissues littered the coffee table. The kitchen sink full of weekend's worth of dishes explained a lot of things and calmed him considerably. A low cough sounded from the direction of her bedroom, the door slightly open. "Scully?" He pushed the door slowly and found her curled up in bed, pale as a sheet, hair damp with sweat. "Mulder" another weak cough "what are you doing here" "What do you think I'm doing" he crossed the room and crouched beside the bed, hand automatically resting on her forehead "you're running a fever" he tucked the bedding closer around her. "Yes, doctor, that is correct" she moved to get up and he helped her, pulling the sheet back around her, his hands running on different protocol than his brain at the moment. "Let me go, I need the bathroom" She reached for her bathrobe, but he beat her to it as well, draping it over her shoulders. She swayed a bit as she walked away but he didn't follow. Instead looked around the room, straightened the sheets, fixed the pillows and picked up a few tissues that didn't reach the trash. He brought a glass of water from the kitchen, leaving it on her bedside table with some Tylenol just in case. She came back and climbed into bed, pulling the comforter up to her chin. "Why aren't you at the office?" She asked as he sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her glassy eyes and chapped lips. "You didn't come in and didn't answer your phone" her cough interrupted him "I got worried" "It's just a cold, Mulder" she sipped some water and grimaced as it hit her undoubtedly sore throat "you can go back to the office, I'll be fine" "Scully, you're too sick to stay upright and I know your mom's out of town" he spoke softly, almost pleading, doing his best not to make her dig in her heels in pride and independence "so unless you tell me there's a boyfriend I don't know about whom you can call right now to drop everything and come take care of you, I'm staying." "Fine." Her lack of protest took him by surprise and all he could do was smile. "Try to get some sleep, call me if you need anything, I'll be in the next room" "Okay" she gave up and laid down, letting him tuck her in.

She hated hovering so he left her in peace, leaving the door open a little and went to the kitchen, to make himself some coffee and plug in his cellphone before the damned thing died a second time this morning. He smiled looking around, Scully was human, and like most humans when sick, all cleaning habits took a back seat. He turned on the tv, the volume turned low to a background hum, hung up his suit jacket, rolled up his sleeves and went about straightening the place, picking up mugs, tissues and plates. He took care of the kitchen as well, did the dishes, dried and put them away, swiped the counters, just like she did every time he stayed for dinner. All these chores, felt much more natural when he did them for her. He could easily picture himself doing this every day. Being almost forty and fending for himself most of his life, he wasn't as inept at it as she might think. His biggest problem was that doing it for himself didn't feel as urgent or necessary as it would be for someone else. For her, he did feel like trying and after all this was her place, he was used to it looking a certain way. Around 1pm he looked in on her and finding she was still fast asleep, decided to make a quick trip to the store to pick up lunch and some groceries.

He never thought himself capable of feeling so close to anyone. The line between them was really a circle, co-workers, partners, friends. The circles closed around them, smaller with each year, surrounding them instead of dividing. Each one more comfortable than the last. He realized that "home's where your heart is" and all those other clichés, rang true only when the feeling was there. He went... home, and today home was where she was. He took the gym bag from his car, glad he packed it this morning. Ready to stay the night on the couch if things went south.

"Scully, wake up" a soft voice and cool touch on her forehead pulled her out of fitful sleep "You need to eat something." "Don't want to." She mumbled, his hand felt cold and she was starting to shiver. "Please, just some soup, so you can take your pills. Your fever is spiking" she couldn't argue with that. "Okay" she pushed back the covers a little, forcing herself to sit up, shivering as seemingly cold air hit her damp skin. He pulled up a pillow behind her back and handed her a mug. The soup was hot but not throat burning as she sipped at it slowly, and although she lost taste completely, the warmth made her nose run and in turn made it easier to breath. She sniffed and he passed her a tissue, exchanging it for the cup for a minute. Red colored the thin paper and his eyes went wide with panic. "Relax Mulder" though her voice was thick and tired, she made an effort to reassure him "three days of blowing your nose may result in bursting capillaries" "I know" he tried for unconcerned as he handed her the soup back but she shook her head 'no'. The fear was there, inside him, irrational because she saw the doctor last week and was declared cancer-free. A trigger was a trigger and it took a minute to fight it back. He handed her two pills and a glass of water. "Are you feeling nauseous?" Another head shake "Just cold and weak" she said as she slipped back under the covers "what time is it?" "Half past 6, you slept through the day" he moved to the floor next to her, tucking her back in by virtue of long arms reaching easily behind her back. Scully closed her eyes and pressed her face into the cool side of her pillow "My head hurts" "Hold on, I’ll be right back" Mulder got up and came back with a wet hand towel and a bowl of water. He folded himself back on the floor and placed the wet cloth over her forehead. The cool compress eased some of the tension gathering in her temples, and somehow, as he smoothed her hair away, his gentle touch made her feel a bit better. She knew she'd be too tired to this for herself if he wasn't here. "Better?" the smile was in his voice as she nodded against his hand. "Mulder, you really don't have to stay" she said, even as she was starting to shiver inside again. Somewhere in the back of her mind she felt embarrassed he saw her like this, but surrendered when he gently wiped her face before wetting the towel again in cool water. This was Mulder, he never judged her, not really. "Save your breath Scully" the washcloth returned to her forehead with his hand "I'm not going anywhere" She felt too weak to fight him, so she just reached one hand from under the covers, palm up. He took it, letting her pull his hand under the sheet, hugging it in silent thank you. "Try to sleep" he kept stroking her head, slow and gentle. "Talk to me" her eyes closed. Changing the wet compress from time to time, sitting next to her bed on the floor of her bedroom, Mulder talked until he too dozed off.

She felt better the next morning. Not as dizzy and congested. She drank the glass of water he left for her, got up and went to the bathroom. Mulder was up and in the kitchen making breakfast. "Hi, how are you feeling?" He asked by way of greeting. "Better, thank you" she managed a soft smile. "Toast and tea?" "Yes, please" She found fresh pj's in the bathroom and brushed her teeth sitting on the edge of the bathtub, still weak but instantly more human once finished. Joining him in the kitchen, breakfast ready and waiting, they ate in companionable silence. The radio played in the background, a newspaper folded on the sports section between them. She looked up at him as he scanned through it and it struck her. What a guy thing to do it was, a man was staying at her apartment and, oddly enough, she didn’t mind, liked it actually. Mulder finished his toast and looked up, meeting her eyes with a smile. "You're staring at me, c'mere" he chuckled and leaned over the table reaching to press his hand first to her forehead then the back of his fingers to the side of her neck. "You're no longer burning up" he declared finally. "Yeah" she wanted to point out, that she had a perfectly good thermometer in the medicine cabinet, but resisted it. Instead she got up and took the tea with her to the bedroom. "I changed your sheets" he called after her, returning to his reading.

Chicken noodle soup, half a sandwich and a nap after lunch, seemed to work wonders for her and by late afternoon, she was ready to get up, feeling almost like herself again. Mulder was still there. Sprawled on her sofa wearing jeans and a t-shirt, he must have made a trip home at some point when she slept. "Hey" he saw her wrapped in a comforter from her bed and immediately made room "Welcome back to the land of the living room, Scully" She picked up a pillow, propped it against his thigh and laid down, curled up under the blanket. He was watching some documentary about tropical reefs with the sound turned low and the screen looked like a big blue saltwater aquarium, teeming with coral and colorful fish. She watched the fish, he watched her, hand resting around her feeling as natural as if they did that a million times. "Scully" Mulder spoke quietly into the blueish darkness of the room "I've got your message"

[canaryatlaw]

okay. well today was pretty good. I had set my alarm for like 9:35 because Jess and I were gonna meet up for breakfast at like ten, but I woke up like about an hour earlier than that because somebody was jumping on my chest again (and by somebody I mean my cat, of course) and wasn’t gonna fall back asleep so we said we’d meet in 15, so I got ready and walked over. Now, I’m very much a bread-based breakfast person, like pancakes, french toast, and waffles. A truly well done belgian waffle is my favorite, followed by french toast and the pancakes. This place as several types of french toast and pancakes which I’ve tried most of, but only one waffle that is just described as a “cheesecake stuffed waffle” and I really didn’t know what to think of it because like how is that even a thing??? but apparently I got curious enough to order it today. It came with eggs too, which I didn’t know and I’m not a terribly big egg person, but oh well. So it comes out and it’s basically a waffle folded in half with what pretty much just looks like a slice of cheesecake in the middle. well I guess that makes sense. It was pretty damn good, but of course it was super filling so I couldn’t even finish it and didn’t touch the eggs, which I ended up bringing home to see if the cat wants them (after checking that cats can eat eggs, which they can, just not raw ones) but she ended up not really eating them. But yeah, we finished up and paid then came back to my apartment as we had some binging to do. First up was the campy Christmas movie Nick Zano (the human, not the cat) was in called “Desperately Seeking Santa” and also featuring Laura Vandervoot, who played Supergirl on Smallville and the villain Indigo in s1 of Supergirl (the show). It was an abc family production and like, you know the type of super corny holiday movies they put out that it seems like every actor has been in one. This was pretty fucking hilarious, for more reasons that it should’ve been just as a romantic comedy, but Nick Zano of course was great and his character was pretty much identical to Nate, just a big softie lol who’s trying to get the girl. It was cute and entertaining, but also of course cheesy. After that we put on Love Actually because I didn't think I’d seen it before and Jess insisted I needed to see it. So we watched it and I recalled watching at some point like, two super specific scenes, so I’m not sure if I watched the entire movie before or just seen a few scenes because I didn’t really remember anything else lol. but yeah, that was very cute. After that we went back to binging Brooklyn 99 which is forever hilarious of course and honestly like I forgot about most of the jokes in season 1 so I got to enjoy them all over again. We did that until like 4:30 or so when we decided to go grab an early dinner, I had randomly decided I wanted italian food, just because I haven’t had a good bowl of pasta in a while, so we hit up one of the italian restaurants on main street that we hadn’t been to yet because it was kind of *fancy* lol but they didn’t mind that we weren’t exactly dressed up for the occasion. so we got pasta and I actually ate a good portion of mine lol and it was very satisfying. So that was nice. After dinner Jess headed back to her place to start backing for tomorrow, so I returned to my place to do the same. The unfortunate announcement that came today that threw a wrench into my cosplay plans was that Katie Cassidy had to cancel coming to HVFF NJ due to changes in the filming schedule, and that special cosplay I had been being very hush about but was also very excited for was going to be from the clip we see in the season 7 trailer of black siren pretending to be lawyer Laurel and like, that is just the ultimate cosplay for me because LAWYERS so I was grabbing everything I could for that and was really excited, but oh well, I’m sure I’ll get to use it at some point in the future because it was gonna be pretty epic. So I changed plans to just wear normal clothes on Saturday and go ahead with my cosplay plans for 3x10 Sara for Sunday in Portland, so that’s what I packed for. Just after I had finished packing, we got the announcement that Matt Ryan had been picked up last minute as a guest (certainly in an attempt to mitigate their losing Katie, because there really aren't many big people going) which is awesome because we love Matt Ryan, I just saw him two weeks ago at WW Chi and didn’t expect to get to see him again so soon so I’m excited. But with this news, I needed to reconsider my cosplay plans, and of course Constantine is with Sara in the hospital in 3x10, so I could really do that cosplay two days in a row, in NJ with Matt on Saturday and in Portland with Caity on Sunday and like....that would be so epic??? So my plans changed to that, which was easy because it didn’t involve any unpacking or repacking lol. Once I had all that finished I watched some great british baking show while also designing the little “hospital ID” card I was adding to the 3x10 cosplay that will hopefully give people a bit of a hint as to what the cosplay is because I know it’s gonna be a fairly obscure one, but tbh I don’t really care that much about other people recognizing them as I do about celebrities recognizing him, and I’m confident the right people will, so that’s good. I watched a few episodes of the great british baking show before readying clothes for my interview tomorrow morning, because that’s a thing!! I think I mentioned it the other day?? If I didn’t, it’s with the personal injury firm that is really my first choice out of my current possibilities (not including any child advocacy opportunities that are not currently available) which still isn’t what I really want to be doing but it’s a HELL of a lot better than workers compensation on the insurance side or real estate law, which frankly sound horrifically boring to me. The interview again is super on the south side, so I’m gonna have to uber there which is gonna cost a bundle, but if I did get the job I’d most likely be working out of their loop office thank GOD but might need to be flexible about traveling other places to take depositions and such. So I’m hoping that goes well. I may end up emailing OPG tomorrow and being like “just checking, you’re still not hiring right?” because while this is a good option I would not be happy if I accepted a job doing that when a job that I actually want to do becomes available right after. But yeah, hoping that will be good. After that I pretty much got ready for bed and now I’m here. It’s almost midnight (or past 11:30 at least) and I gotta get up at 7:45 so that I have *plenty* plenty of time getting ready and getting there because you know I do not play around with being late, I just don’t make it a possibility in any predictable situation (barring like, a car crash or something that I obviously can’t control), so I have to get up early and I’m now tired and going to go to bed. Goodnight lovelies. Happy Friday. 

[buckymorelikefuckmebarnes]

parallel

bucky x reader

warnings: sloooow burn, eventual smut, fluff, and a little angst

There is a theory out there, created by someone much smarter than I am, that says that we live a thousand lives, all parallel to the one we are living now.

What happens when you stumble onto that doorway?

6:30 am, 9th ave., Hell's Kitchen, New York

Why did you take the morning shift? You knew you were a night owl. After 8 months you still hadn't adjusted.

Coffee.

That's what you needed. You straightened your cap and adjusted the radio on your shoulder before stepping out of the cruiser and into Joe's Cafe.

There was a reason that this place was your favorite and it had very little to do with the mediocre coffee and quite a bit to do with the handsome man behind the counter. His dark hair was tied in a loose bun at the nape of his neck and he had a smile for every customer. You didn't know very much about him but that didn't stop you from fantasizing about having the nerve to ask him out someday.

James smiled at you as you stepped up to place your order.

“Morning officer, the usual?”

You nodded with a grateful smile.

You were in here every morning before your shift and you always ordered the same thing. No reason to read too far into him remembering your order. You scolded yourself.

He punched in your order and you took a seat near the counter. Your mind started to wander as you tried to keep your eyes from his face.

James was a vet. That much you knew from eavesdropping on a conversation he was having with customer one day. Lost his arm to bad infection from a piece of shrapnel. Would have been a lot worse if his friend hadn't pulled him to cover when he did. But he wasn't about to let it hold him back.

You glanced down at your watch. You had 15 minutes before you had to take over for Amanda.

James called your name and sat the cup on the counter, throwing an extra smile your way before taking the next person in lines order. You grabbed the cup and made your way to the door. The small smile on your face grew as you took a look at the messy handwriting on the cup.

Meet me here after your shift?

:) James

A real excitement bubbled up in your chest as you pulled away from the curb and you had to hold in the noise that normally came with it until you were sure you were out of sight.

You could feel the smile on your face as you walked through the station to Amanda's desk. From the tired look on her face you could tell that she'd had a rough night. You cleared your throat, leaning on the corner of her desk to get her attention.

“Ugh! It has been a night.” She complained as she stretched her arms over her head. “Give me just a second to finish this report.” Her fingers flew across the keyboard for a few moments and then her eyes were back on you.

“What are you so smiley about?” She asked tilting her head to the side.

“Nothing, Manda. What is going on?”

She squinted her eyes at you before starting to speak again. “A few home invasions. No one hurt. Nothing taken, a decent amount of damage though.

You raised a startled eyebrow at her.

“There was no sign of forced entry, and no suspects.” You watched her face fall. “We can't seem to figure out how they got in or out. All of the doors and windows were locked. It's crazy.” She scrubbed her hands against her face.

“Fingerprints?” You asked, feeling yourself being sucked into the mystery of it all.

“None that we have on file.”

You let out a huff. “Well, if we don't have anything to go off of hopefully when can catch the guy in the act.”

“That sounds like your problem for the next few hours.” She stated pushing away from her desk. “I'm gonna try to catch some sleep. Oooooh. What's this?” She asked, picking up your cup.

“Nothing.” You responded, your thoughts preoccupied with the home invasions.

“Doesn't look like James would call it nothing.” She said teasingly.

You smiled up at her. The name breaking you from your trance. “Nothing yet, that is.” You wiggled your eyebrows in a way you knew would make her laugh.

You were rewarded with a small giggle before she grabbed her purse. “Good luck, honey. Be safe out there.”

10:00 am, 51st street, Hell's Kitchen, New York

You were pretty sure that it had been 10am for two hours. The day was going by slower than you could handle. You tried to deal with it by letting your mind wander but your thoughts kept going back to James. The butterflies in your stomach were distracting until a call came over the radio. The dispatcher said that there was a call from Stella Tower on west 50th. A woman in the neighboring apartment heard what sounded like fighting. You were the closest available unit.

10:40 am, Midtown Precinct South, Hell's Kitchen

“I turned on the siren and made my way through traffic. In just a few minutes I was close enough to park the car along the sidewalk and make my way inside. I found the apartment quickly. From the sounds coming from the other side of the door the fight was still going on. I was able to push into the room and I was shocked by the destruction around me. Broken furniture and shattered mirrors surrounded two men who were still beating the shit out of each other. One was in what I could only describe as a magician's costume and the other looked, well he looked like he was made of rock. I called for backup and made my way towards the men. I called out warnings but the men ignored me. The magician guy spun his hand and kicked the rock guy into a shimmering, god was it a portal or a doorway?”

You put your head into your hands.

Retelling the story to your superiors was humiliating. You sounded like a lunatic.

“I think you should go home for the rest of the day, you obviously saw something traumatic and your brain isn't letting you process it. We'll talk to you tomorrow morning and see if you need to be put on administrative leave.”

Your mouth popped open in shock but no words came out.

“We'll see you at 7 tomorrow. Get out of here and get some rest.”

You nodded and grabbed your bag, leaving your radio and cap in the top drawer of your desk. You stepped out into the street and called a cab to take you home.

11:30 am, your apartment

You were laying across the width of your bed trying to make sense of the day when your stomach growled and an idea hit you like a freight train.

You got dressed and grabbed two slices of pepperoni pizza from the pizza parlor next to Joe's. You peeked in to see James leaning on the counter talking to a customer with a smile on his face. You took a deep breath and squared your shoulders before opening the door.

The bell above you chimed lightly. James looked up and smiled at you. He saw the take out containers in your hands and raised an eyebrow at you before turning towards the back of the shop.

“Hey Trent! I'm gonna head out for lunch real quick. Can you keep an eye out up front?” He yelled as he untied his apron and threw it on the counter.

Trent's mumbled reply must have been a 'yes' because James wasted no time leading you to the tables in front of the store.

“So you couldn't wait?” He joked.

“Um... no. I had a surprise afternoon off and I figured if I didn't do it now I wouldn't. Plus I needed to take my mind off of work for a bit.”

“Rough day.”

“You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”

You two talked for his entire lunch break and ended up trading cell phone numbers before parting ways. There was a skip in your step as you walked back to your apartment. You sent a text to Amanda, knowing that she would be curious tonight when she came in to work.

Hey. Some crazy shit happened this morning at work. They sent me home. Might be off for a while. However, had lunch with James just now. So the day wasn't a total loss. Text me when you get up.

You made it to your apartment and without anything else to do you settled in to watch Netflix and nap.

You woke up nearly 6 hours later with a stiff neck and 7 text messages from Amanda, each getting more desperate for details before dropping down into a more serious tone.

Lunch with James. Ooh ;)

Tell me more.

Wait! They sent you home?

What happened?

Y/N! Don't leave me hanging!

Just talked to the captain.

Doesn't look like they are going to want you in tomorrow. What did you see?

There was also a voicemail from Captain Martin asking you to return his call.

You sighed and dialed his phone number.

“Y/N?” He asked across the line.

“Yes, sir? You asked me to call.”

“Yeah. I think it would be best if you took the rest of the week off. Rest up your mind before you come back Monday.”

You stuttered into the phone for a few seconds before forming an answer. “Yes, sir. I'll see you Monday.”

The line went dead and you started to wander your apartment aimlessly. After a while you started to clean up and organize the mess that a full work life had left you with.

By the time you had gathered up the last load of laundry your stomach was growling like crazy, you grabbed the baskets you sat on the floor in the living room and headed to the 24-hour laundry place down the road.

You scrolled through Facebook on your phone while you waited for a set of washers to open up. On a whim you decided to search for James. It didn't take long for you to find him and you spent a good five minutes scrolling through his profile. You went to send him a friends request when your phone vibrated.

Hey. Dinner tomorrow night? X James

You smiled as you typed out your reply.

Sounds great. Tomorrow at 7?

You stuck your phone into your bag and tossed your laundry in a freshly emptied washer. Your stomach rumbled and you glanced out the windows, looking for something quick to eat.

You spotted a sandwich shop down the street and headed towards it. The sun was setting behind the buildings and you wrapped your arms around your torso to battle the early evening chill. You hadn't gotten far when you heard a woman scream. You took off running full speed towards the sound, you dialed 911 and gave the information you had to dispatch. You hung up and found the source of the sound. A frightened looking elderly woman was pointing down a nearby alley that had a faint gold glow.

“mostro, mostro e strega!” The woman cried out in italian and you ran towards the glow.

The two men from earlier seemed to still be going at it.

This has to be some kind of joke. You thought to yourself as you charged towards them. You knocked one of the men through the portal from earlier before it closed behind you. You stood, prepared for a fight as the magician dusted off his robes.

“What the hell was that?” He asked, clearly annoyed that you had stopped the violence.

“Excuse me?” You asked, anger creeping into your voice. “You have been causing so much trouble! I got suspended because of you and your stupid rock buddy. Wait. Where am I?” You took in the scene around you. The area looked familiar but you were certain that you had never been in such a dodgy area before. A sudden feeling of unease filled your stomach and you started to panic. The man stood in front of you with a knowing smirk on his face.

“You're in another dimension... and handling it quite well I might add.”

Your vision started fading and the man's voice sounded like it was under water. Your legs buckled and your body hit the pavement below you.

[smeteora]

rituals

The young woman smiled broadly, and looked pleased.[1] The inside of the ship was finished, as finished as a ship ever was; that could be told in a single eye blinking glance. [1] The walls were of a gleaming silvery finish that retained no fingerprints. There were no angles; walls, floors, and ceiling faded gently into each other and in the cold, metallic glittering of the hidden lights, one was surrounded by six chilly reflections of one’s bewildered self [1] He plunged into the silent streets.[2] Her streets, the Seine river. Spring evening, warm air. - Red sunset. “I am becoming fond of Paris”, she said. [3] There was this magical reflection of a series of parisian facades and in front of them the trees of the spacious avenues of the riverbank along the seine. Her river winding under the bridges.[4] Nevertheless, the ship followed one given direction.[4] It kept on going until the rose windows she was familiar with appeared. Seen from the river, this is one of the most impressive facades along the waterfront. [5] She knew the ship was heading home.

Is that the main entrance, shrunk out of all proportion, squeezed in against the top border of the concrete wall?[6] The ship, it sails past the obstacle of noise, neither transmitting nor receiving, and cancels out the Sirens. [7] Curiously she turns around to watch the sunset slowly disappear behind the closing entrance gate which controls access to the interior. Then the body becomes sensitive to the cold.[8] In the darkness she tries to touch the heavy stones surrounding her. “Touch is the last remaining means of guiding yourself”, [9] she thought. Meanwhile the ship was docked and she was escorted by the helmsman. 

To ascend the portico, it was necessary to use the ramp as the entrance road to the palace.[10] As doing so, the well-known heavy and irregular sound of footsteps came closer. It was drowned out by the loud classical music which was resounding throughout the generous atrium. “Music is never tragic, music is joy”[11] Softly, she was singing to the music, a sleepily joyful tune he did not recognise.[12]  At the present moment, there was a formed sentence in his head [12], the old, fragile man insisted on taking off her coat. Once again she refused his offer with a smile which won’t keep him from asking again. 

"Good night, all.”[12]  “Good night, madam.”[12]

He followed her with his eyes until she disappeared.[13] Instead of contemplating the ceiling, she began receiving the sky where [14] the turtledoves were churning the air with their wings above the poplars whose tops were swaying in the wind [14]. Her chest has been widening all the way to the clouds that were passing. . All Paris was spread out under her feet, her undulating horizon, her river winding under the bridges, her stream of people flowing to and fro in the streets; with the cloud of smoke rising from her many chimneys; with her chain of crested roofs pressing in ever tightening coils round about Notre Dame.[15] The evening hour when a thousand holes appear on the surface of the earth.[16] Where is the source of light? [17] She’s hunting single point light sources producing scallops and patterns.[18] Consciously she rises, in order to “remain” a little while [19]. She listens to the noise of a lorry that is not yet visible, or the sounds of a conversation only one of whose participants is visible. [20] “The secret is perhaps more difficult to bring to light than the unconscious”[21], she whispered. The more we immerse ourselves in this space, the more we see and the less we hear. And the more we withdraw from it, the less we see and the better we listen.[22] At the time the urban fabric became more blurred and the patterns started to vanish into the air, she was closing the door behind her very carefully.[23]

Night continued to fall.[24]

She awoke with the sun in her eyes, which, at first, produced on her the effect of being a continuation of her dream. [24] …She looked at the sky: it seemed as though she feared that she should wake up from her dream.[24] Bernini originally drew her stretching her right arm upward, but later he partially erased this gesture.[25] The room within was suffused with a dim, grayish light—daylight diffusing through thick drapery.[26] Together with the folds of drapery, .. which billow around her as though lifted by a strong wind, this gives an incomparable impression of life and movement, in the play of light and shadow and the unexpected forms.[27] “Is there a correspondence of the folds in front of the drapery with those behind?” - she asked herself. It all seemed to her to have disappeared as though behind the curtain of a theatre.[28]

The sound came in a matter of minutes, and was like the gentle stroking of a mellow gong.[29] It swelled till she could feel the vibration physically, and then slowly faded. Now it was the church bell which spoke.[30]

He gazed upon and adored the things that she wore, her knot of ribbon, her gloves, her sleeves, her shoes, her cuffs, as sacred objects of which he was the master.[30] The young woman came forward, bowed and took her seat. The aroma of roasted coffee early in the morning makes her muscles and skin quiver with delight. [31] The excellent bread was unchanged, the coffee was as strong as ever [32] and every single dish was part of the perfect arrangement. Thus you can see the marvellous order of things, found everywhere you look.[33] 

When Breakfast was done, it seemed to him more than likely she had some duties of her own to attend to.[34] "Are you going out on a new mission soon [34], Mrs. Murdoch?” There was no response. He looked at her silently, allowing no hint of personal reaction in his face.[35]

She turned to leave the room.[35]

“For the poorest rice farmer and the meanest servant, just as for the rich aristocrat, the daily soak in superlatively heated water is part of the routine of every late afternoon.“ [36] The afternoon bath plays an important role in life, especially of the young woman. She washes thoroughly before she’s entering the bath so as not to dirty the water. The extremely hot water and steamy atmosphere make her feel almost liquid inside, an inner heat that lasts long after the bath is ended.[36] She became addicted to the experience of the sense of wandering and drifting gently underwater. It is this sensation that makes the space distinct and unique. [37]

She leapt out of the water, put on her tunic and girdle, and disappeared. [38]

[1] Asimov_Complete Robot Anthology, [2] Hugo_Les Miserables, [3] Levy_Baroque and the Political Language of Formalism 1845 1945, [4] Hugo_Les Miserables, [5] Saunders_The Art and Architecture of London, [6] Morris_Castle A History of the Buildings That Shaped Med, [7] Serres_The Five Senses, [8] Serres_The Birth of Physics, [9] Serres_The Five Senses, [10] Fu_Traditional Chinese Architecture Twelve Essays, [11] Deleuze Guattari_A Thousand Plateaus, [12] Asimov, Complete Robot Anthology, [13] Hugo, Les Miserables, [14] Serres_Biogea, [15] Hugo_Les Miserables, [16] Deleuze Guattari_A Thousand Plateaus, [17] Serres_Hermes Literature Science Philosophy, [18] Serres_The Parasite, [19] Derrida_Signature, [20] Deleuze_Cinema 2 The Time Image, [21] Deleuze_Desert Islands and Other Texts, [22] Serres_The Five Senses, [23] Kafka_The Trial, [24] Hugo, Les Miserables, [25] Lavin_Drawings by Gianlorenzo Bernini, [26] Asimov, Complete Robot Anthology, [27] Magnuson, Rome in the Age of Bernini 2, [28] Hugo, Les Miserables, [29] Asimov, Complete Robot Anthology, [30] Hugo_Les Miserables, [31] Serres_The Five Senses, [32] Rybczynski, City Life, [33] Williams, Daniele Barbaros Vitruvius of 1567, [34] Asimov, Complete Robot Anthology, [35] Rand_The Fountainhead, [36] Heschong_Thermal Deligt in Architecture, [37] Ito_Tarzans In the Media Forest, [38] Calasso_The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony

[hotdrinkliam-blog]

she ages like fine wine / hartbig

Hannah has been in love with Grace for 15 years. She confesses in very extreme conditions. 

“I can’t shake off these blues,” Hannah said, putting down her phone. Her roommate, Mamrie looked over from her magazine.

“What’s up, Sprout?” the redhead asked, and Hannah looked at her with a somber expression, which made Mamrie raise her eyebrows in surprise.

“You look like someone died,”

“Yeah, my heart. Probably for the 7000th time in the last few years.”

Mamrie sighed, folding her magazine and putting it away. She got up and headed over to the bar, looking through the bottles. Hannah leaned her head back over the side of the couch, stretching her back and staring at the ceiling in despair.

She was in love. Terrible as it was, it was love. Unrequited. She was in love with her best friend since high school - Grace Helbig. The cheerleader and athlete, the woman that looked even better with every year, she was in love with her. Hannah had tried to show it in many ways, from over the top gifts, to poorly disguised romantic dates, yet Grace didn’t seem to get it at all. And even if she understood, she didn’t mention a thing, didn’t even ask Hannah to stop.

“Here,” Mamrie said, handing Hannah a glass of wine. “Spill it all out. Your feelings, I mean.”

“It’s Grace.”

Mamrie rolled her eyes and Hannah just nodded. When wasn’t it Grace?

“God, have you seen her? That woman…”

“I see her every other day and you do too. There is a picture of all three of us right in this room. Let’s assume I have seen her, Hannah.”

“No, not like that. We’ve known her for years and… She ages like the fine wine that I’ll be drowning my sorrows in.”

“For fucks sake, Hannah.” Mamrie said, taking a sip from her glass and sighing in annoyance. “Just talk to her for once. “

“I can’t!” Hannah exclaimed, waving her arms, despair on her face and a wine stain on the floor.”Oh, oops. I’ll clean it up.” “Later. Explain to me, why you can’t go up to her and talk things out like an adult? Because you’ve been acting like an infatuated ninth grader who thinks they’ll never see the classmate they have a crush on after graduation. You’re 30, not 15.”  

“Don’t remind me about that,” Hannah sighed, taking a sip. Mamrie had described exactly what had happened 15 years ago, when they all still went to school. She would sit on the bleachers, watching Grace train for some state-wide competition.

“It’s been 15 years, Hannah, and not even once have you tried to talk to her about it.”

“She’s… she’s always said she’s straight, so how could I? I thought about asking her to prom, but she had a guy back then, so I obviously couldn’t. Do you even remeber prom?”

“Don’t remind me. Jersey girls and make-up…” Mamrie gave Hannah a look, and they both laughed.

“But seriously, just talk to her. She’s single now. Even if she says no, you’ll at least finally have closure and will be able to begin moving on. You’ve gone through enough problems because of this. Now, finish that wine and go to sleep.”

“I guess… I guess you’re right, Mamrie.”

The next morning Mamrie left for work, reminding Hannah to get her shit together and call Grace. Hannah said she would, but truth be told, she was scared to death of the thought. She knew Grace had recently broken up with her boyfriend, the name of whom Hannah hadn’t even bothered to remember, to think about him less and not be so jealous. Revealing her feelings now seemed kind of tactless, but if she didn’t, Mamrie would probably kick her out of the house for a week or two.

Hannah spent a hour cooking up veggie burgers, drinking scotch like usual, when her phone ringed. It was Grace. Hannah’s breath hitched and she could feel her heart skip a beat. She picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hannah, you have to help me!” Grace pleaded, her voice muffled and disorted by heavy breathing.

“What- What’s wrong, Grace? Are you okay?”

“It’s my ex, he’s gone completely mad. He’s been stalking me for weeks and I’m afraid to even go out of my house. And now his car stopped across the street from my house. I can see him sitting there and staring at my door. I’m afraid to go outside, Hannah.”

“Call the cops!”

“I can’t! What if he gets rid of them and then comes right to me and,” Grace sniffled, “I don’t want to die, Hannah.”

“Okay, okay, Grace. Keep your door locked, pack a bag of necessities. I’m going to call Naomi and arrange you to stay in her place, okay?”

Grace just sniffled in answer. Hannah reassured her one more time before dropping the call. She shot a quick text to Mamrie explaining the situation, then called her sister, Naomi, who agreed to help in a heartbeat.

Grabbing a paper bag, she shoved in the veggie burgers inside and put them on the kitchen counter. Driving to Naomi would take a good 8 hours and they couldn’t afford to stop for more than five minutes anywhere if Grace’s stalker would even think of following them. She headed towards the door, but when she put her hand on the doorknob, she remembered something.

Baseball bat.

She hurried to the closet to grab the bat, hoping, that she wouldn’t actually have to use it, but if that fucker would even think of harming Grace, Hannah wouldn’t hesitate to deck him right in the face.

She finally got out of the house and without hesitation got in the car and speeded off to Grace’s place. There was only one car on the street - it must have been him, everyone else at this time was at work. She stopped right in front of Grace’s door, turning the car in a way so the passenger side would be adjacent to the door. Hannah got out, holding the baseball bat and nonchalantly looked around, glaring at the other car before walking to Grace’s door and knocking.

“Who’s there?” a shakey voice asked from the other side.

“It’s me, Hannah. You ready?”

“Yeah.”

“Quick, come, get in the car.”

Grace came out, a sports bag hanging from her shoulder. Hannah took a moment to appreciate the woman. Pale ash hair, lips like cooling embers in a fireplace, attentive eyes the tone of pine bark, face carved in cream colored marble. God, Hannah was in love. But her scared expression broke Hannah’s heart. She had to get her away from this place, bring a smile to her once again.

“You have everything you need?” Hannah asked, while Grace was locking the door. Grace nodded in answer and practially ran over to the car, getting in. The other woman didn’t hesitate to follow.

“Goose is at Chester’s, I told him I need him to take care of her for a couple more days at least. I don’t want to burden him with this right now. My ex shouldn’t be defending me from another ex.”

“I mean, we could always use a bit of muscle, but it’s your choice.”

“I’m happy that he still likes me enough to take care of Goose, I don’t want to push my luck.”

Hannah just nodded, starting the engine and speeding away from the house. She didn’t have to wait long for Grace’s alarmed voice to announce that her ex was following them.

“How do we lose him?”

“I have an idea.” Hannah said, staring to speed up, coming close to the allowed speed limit. The scotch she had drunk earlier wasn’t helping her make smart decisions, right now she just wanted to lose the pursuer.

After several minutes of silence and a fruitless attempt to disappear in side streets, Hannah turned to Grace and began speaking.

“You know, I should have told you this a long time ago,” she started, heart beating faster. She glanced in the side mirror - the other car was still right behind them. She drove out on the highway and pressed the gas pedal, going over the limit. Grace didn’t seem to react to Hannah’s sudden recklesness.

“Mamrie was right. It’s been too long.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I,” Hannah began, but got interrupted by the pursuing car driving into the lane next to them and trying to keep up with them. The man driving had rolled down his window and was yelling something at them. Hannah showed him the middle finger and drove even faster,swerving right and left to get ahead of all the other cars.

“I love you, Grace. And before you say anything, not as a friend, no. I’ve loved you since 9th grade, since you got accepted in the athletics team. I wanted to take you to prom, but you had a boyfriend. I wanted to bring you to New York, but you got there first. I wanted to share a house with you in LA, but you found Chester. I’m not saying it’s your fault, I’m just saying I never took a chance. 15 years I suffered from unrequited love, and…” she made a sharp turn, going off the highway onto some wet dirt road, still speeding. “And I can’t do it anymore. Grace Helbig, I’ve drank a whole wine brewery while crying over you, and I need you to know that.”

Grace stayed silent. She didn’t even look at Hannah. No, her eyes were pinned to the muddy dirt road.

“Grace, say something.” Hannah pleaded, eyes watering. Suddenly, her arms jerked, the steering wheel twisted and they flew off the road, right into a great oak tree.

A crash, a hit, and darkness.

Hannah slowly opened her eyes. The safety pillows filled the car saloon. She tried to push it away, but every part of her body hurt. Slowly, she crawled out of the car. Her vision was constantly changing focus.

Grace...Grace!

She scrambled to her feet as fast as she could, getting over to the passenger side and pulling open the bent door. Grace was laying there, coughing out blood. The older woman slowly turned to Hannah, and, strangely, there was a soft smile on the bloody face.

“Grace, I…”

“Do you really want me that way?” Grace whispered. Hannah’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Hannah just nodded, her vision bluring even more.

“Take my hand.” Grace asked, and Hannah did so, struggling through the pain.

“Hannah, I… I’ve loved you for ages too.”

Hannah let out a loud sob, but quickly got herself together, getting her phone and calling the ambulance. After that, she sat down on the ground right next to Grace, who weakly put her arm in Hannah’s hair. It began raining, and they passed out with the sound of ER sirens nearing them.

[covid19updater]

COVID19 UPDATES 03/28/2020

US: Trump greenlights call-up of one MILLION reservists to battle Covid-19 LINK

Massachusetts: Some idiot decided to lick an orange line train today. The MBTA has since removed the train from service. LINK

World: The two-metre social distancing rule being used to keep people apart may need to be four times bigger to prevent coronavirus from spreading, a new study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) suggests. LINK

RUMINT: BREAKING - #COVID19 drives command teams charged with homeland defense into Cheyenne Mountain bunker. Another US military command and control element is also now isolated in a third, undisclosed location. 

World: 8 strains of the coronavirus are circling the globe. Here's what clues they're giving scientists. LINK

California:  L.A. has identified what may be the 1st coronavirus case among the homeless population; individual is now isolated, Garcetti says.

RUMINT: Top White House advisors are saying we may not be able to open until June at the very earliest and that warm/hot weather is NOT killing COVID

China: Doubts surface over Chinese virus death toll after thousands of urns spotted in Wuhan LINK

World:  Malaria Drug Chloroquine No Better Than Regular Coronavirus Care, Study Finds LINK

New York: SITUATION NEW YORK: OVER 45 500, 603 RIP More than 6,000 people with Covid-19 are hospitalized in New York To date, more than 6,000 people with Covid-19 have been admitted to several hospitals in New York. Nearly 1,600 of those patients are in the Intensive Care Unit. This is reported by news agency AP. In the state, 519 people have already died from the effects of the virus, in total there are more than 44,000 confirmed infections in the state. UPDATE: New York City reports 1,124 new cases of coronavirus and 84 new deaths, raising state total to 45,934 cases and 603 dead In the tweet below, the sound of loud sirens in New York can be heard almost continuously: LINK

US: Total U.S. coronavirus tally at the end of each Friday: • Jan 17 — 0 • Jan 24 — 2 • Jan 31 — 7 • Feb 7 — 12 • Feb 14 — 15 • Feb 21 — 30 • Feb 28 — 65 • Mar 6 — 310 • Mar 13 — 2,224 • Mar 20 — 17,962 • Mar 27 — 102,636

Indiana: Marion County, Indiana, Travel Status now listed as "Red" - Emergency Management movement only. LINK

RUMINT (Russia):  Good morning from a hot, sunny Moscow. +14.7C outside now Went for a walk, our town is very dead, unusually and eerily quiet as well. Most everything is closed and those few who are outside are all wearing masks. Very strange atmosphere, if the weather was foggy I'd call it apocalyptic.

Japan: Tokyo reports new daily record of 50 new COVID-19 cases, residents urged to stay home

Germany: Covid-19 cases in Germany surge 6,294 in one day as death toll hits 325

Spain: SPAIN'S CORONAVIRUS DEATH TOLL RISES TO 5,690 (FROM 4,858 ON FRIDAY) -HEALTH MINISTRY. SPAIN'S CORONAVIRUS CASES RISE TO 72,248 (FROM 64,059 ON FRIDAY) -HEALTH MINISTRY

Iran: #BREAKING:: Iran has confirmed 3,076 new #coronavirus cases and 139 new deaths, raising the country's total to 35,408 with 2,517 confirmed deaths

Pennsylvania: Persons infected at multiple locations of local grocery chain LINK

UK: UK - Allmost two thirds of critically ill #coronavirus patients are overweight and 37% are under 60, NHS audit reveals

UK: Total of 1,019 patients have died after testing positive for #coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Friday, the Department of Health said, up from 759 the day before

Italy: BREAKING: #Russia brought “bio-weapon attack” cleaning equipment to #Italy to cleanse streets and buildings, morgues, etc.

US: NEW: CDC guidance on masks expected to change in next 10 days. Americans will be advised to wear masks in everyday life. Current recommendation is for high-risk groups only.

Philippines: Phillipines +272 to 1,075 68 RIP. THERE IS NO HOPE THIS WILL GO AWAY WITH WARM WEATHER

Italy: #BREAKING: LOMBARDY ADDS AROUND 542 NEW CORONAVIRUS DEATHS, RAISING THE DEATH TOLL IN THE REGION TO SOME 5,944. (Note: Yesterday they added around 541 new deaths)

US: PENTAGON SAYS IT HAS ACCELERATED THE PROCESS FOR HOW DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZES THE USE OF NATIONAL GUARD FORCES UNDER TITLE 32

US: BREAKING - Trump considers imposing a quarantine on New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut amid worsening #COVID19 crisis in the United States.

NYC: @NYPOST NYC Deaths now at one every 9.5 minutes LINK

RUMINT (NY):  my friend just texted me...there is a mass exodus of nyc happening...heavy traffic north bound on NY state thruway...lots of camping trailers...i dont know where they are going because nothing is open up here for camping trailers..upstate ny is gonna get infested from all the citidiots...we dont want them!!!! go home!!!

NY: Regarding Trump’s talk of a quarantine: "I don't know how that could be legally enforceable," added @NYGovCuomo. "And from a medical point of view, I don't know what you would be accomplishing. but I can tell you, I don't even like the sound of it -- not even understanding what it is, I don't like the sound of it."

France: France reports more than 4,600 new cases, 319 new deaths

Texas: Houston Covid-19 cases jump from 69 to 232 - KHOU

Michigan: JUST IN: Michigan reporting nearly 1,000 new COVID-19 cases. This is the largest daily jump for the state: 4,650 total cases and 111 deaths.

EVENING:

New Jersey: 700 #NewJersey police officers have tested positive for #coronavirus, State Police leader says

Alabama/Florida: I-10 Alabama-Florida check points are in full effect LINK

India:  BREAKING - Man quarantined after returning from Lanka runs nude, **bites elderly woman to death** in India. LINK

US:  So far today in the #US we have had 16,078 new cases of #coronavirus, 301 more deaths.

NY: @NYGovCuomo on what President Trump putting in a lockdown of NY state would mean: “This would be a declaration of war on states...a federal declaration of war.”

US: 450 Navy medical specialists deploying from Jacksonville, Florida, head of U.S. Northern Command says Gen. Terrance O'Shaughnessy, leading the American military response, has set up four regional commands across the country each led by 2-star general to battle Covid-19 pandemic

Florida: Just now @GovRonDeSantis announced he was setting up checkpoints on I-95 to stop vehicles entering Florida with New York plates and instructing them to self quarantine and to essentially register them in a state database for follow up. @CBSMiami

US: US coronavirus death toll leaps to over 2,000 as number of fatalities DOUBLES in 2 days LINK

Canada:  Canada. 30% of hospitalized patients under 40 years old Canadian health officials, cited by CNN, said on Saturday that 30% of hospitalized patients are under 40 years old.

[stephenjaymorrisblog]

Disclaimer:  All names have been changed to protect the innocent.

  Larceny Incorporated

 February 15, 2020

 By Stephen Jay Morris c/w Pamela Amodeo-Morris

©Scientific Morality

             Moving is a nightmare, as many of you know.  Try moving across the country.  You do what you can to cut corners and save money.  However, the axiom rings true:  you get what you pay for.  In this conservative era of laissez-faire idiocy, there are dishonest hucksters hiding in the back offices of hundreds of warehouses.  Pamela and I were victims of one.

           When we walked away from our home in Oregon, we ended up living in mobile homes in the Southern California desert for six and a half years.  Living in a mobile home is a heartbeat from homelessness. Many mobile home parks are ghettos for poor white people.  I pity the poor, but some of them are damaged people who get on my nerves.

Our first home was not in a park, per se, but was on a residential street of a small city. The coach, as park managers and owners reference these homes, was situated on a large, privately owned, corner lot.  Its street was near a major intersection, where police and emergency vehicles’ sirens screamed day and night.  Druggies and drunks would walk past our walled yard all hours of the night, shouting threats at each other, and dark figures in old cars would frequently park just outside our bedroom window late at night, engine idling and gangsta rap blasting from their sound systems.  Unlike most mobile homes in the desert, which are primarily landscaped with small rocks and concrete, this one was heavily planted with fruit trees, rose bushes, shrubs and plants.  The landlord, who was an elderly man, was a great collector of native and non-native plants and trees.  He paid a neighbor to come and water the property twice weekly, and more during the intense summers.  It usually took the guy about three hours to complete the task.  We finally moved from there when the landlord wanted to reoccupy his property.

Since 2012, our primary goal had been to move to New York.  We wanted to be near Pamela’s family and within driving distance of New York City. But, with tight finances again dictating our fate, we rented a second mobile home in the same town.  (Just before this move, we got sidetracked a bit and almost moved to Texas, to be near Pamie’s sister.  In hindsight, though, everything worked out for the better.)

Unlike the first rental, this mobile home was situated in a large, beautiful, well-managed park, tailored for the 50+ community.  It was a great improvement over the latter:  spacious, insulated from the downsides of city-life, and owned by a responsive, absentee landlady.  However, the homes here were situated very close to one another on small, leased lots. With our focus steadfastly fixed on New York, we unpacked only our basic living necessities.  The vast majority of our belongings remained boxed and stored inside the home, in a large, unused area apparently intended as a recreation room. As such, it resembled a warehouse.

The neighbor to the right of us was a loud mouth, Trump supporter.  Every morning, he sat on his front porch, cell phone to his mouth, loudly berating the ills and failures of the Obama Administration and the country’s “nanny state.”  He initially tried to hustle me in his efforts to find customers for his “car repair business.”  He soon got the message that I was not interested in his business or his company. Lord, have mercy!

This move was supposed to be temporary, but we ended up living there for three and a half years. I had my heart attack in the small backyard at the end of our second year there.  My beloved Golden Retriever passed away there 14 months later.

All the while, Pamela searched relentlessly for a New York home.  She worked with several realtors and finance brokers via phone and email.   She even flew east twice to look at potential houses.  Finally, when a move looked imminent, Pamela searched found a long-distance moving company that quoted us a price at about 50% below the competition!  I’ll call them “L.A. Bowel Movers.”  The salesman, or “move coordinator,” called himself Jeremiah.  I immediately thought that Mormons owned the company.  Like Howard Hughes, I trusted Mormons.  Well, I later came to learn that this was no Mormon outfit.  We trusted Jeremiah.  We sent him a deposit and booked a move.

           However, as time went on, potential new home deals fell through.  We spent loads of money on required house inspections. But one house after another, something would go awry.  We canceled and rebooked our move with Jeremiah at least five times, and each time, he promptly and without incident, inked a new date for us.  Jeremiah was a charming guy, affable and easy-going. Usually, that would be a red flag for me.  However, anxious to buy our very own home in New York, I was suckered in.

           Switch and bait:  One thing I found odd was that this company hadn’t sent anyone to give us an on site estimate.  Jeremiah had provided it by phone and email, based on details Pamela gave of our current home’s size and the gross weight of our belongings recorded in past moves.  That was yet another red flag we ignored.

           Cut to moving day.  We were aware of the company’s policy:  No goods loaded until 50% of the total move balance was handed over.  Payment could only be made by cash, cashier’s check, or postal money order.  Another red flag we overlooked.  Pamela had already obtained a cashier’s check in the required amount.

The movers showed up 30 minutes late.  The truck they brought was 26 feet long, much smaller than we’d expected.  We soon learned that it was intended only to accommodate the total cubic footage and weight on which the original phone estimate was based, with room to spare.  Our entire load would later be transferred onto a contracted mover’s semi-truck.  Well, the moving team’s lead man, Jose, surveyed our entire household’s possessions.  He then informed us that more space would be required on the truck to accommodate everything; approximately 546 more cubic feet. This, of course, translated to additional costs of over $3,100.  We panicked; we didn’t have the extra funds!  They had us over a barrel!  After several phone calls were made between Jose, his boss, Jeremiah and us, Pamela and I discussed our dilemma in private.  We were stuck.  We had no choice but to pay up and get the truck loaded.  Our new home was scheduled to close in six days, we had a plane to catch, our lease was up, and we had a team of people depending on us! After some protests, we obtained an option to request a discount.  The lead man’s boss accepted it, we agreed for the move to proceed, and we handed the cashier’s check to Jose.  During this entire ordeal, five workers sat in front of the house, waiting for their orders.  It seemed as though they’d been through this before.  Funny, the movers ultimately managed to load all of our stuff onto every cubic inch of the small truck.   Go wonder.

Cash only:  Fast forward:  we successfully arrived in New York and, after several hotel stays, we were invited to be guests at our realtor’s home while awaiting the closing of our new home and arrival of the moving truck. This home’s very remote location left us with no cell service, which was the sole means by which the mover (driver), Don, could reach us.  Fortunately, there was a land line we could use while there.  We phoned the mover and, with great difficulty, we provided that phone number to him.  Immediately, a communication problem with the mover became evident, as he spoke with a heavy mid-Eastern accent in very broken English; his comprehension was even less.  He informed us he would be arriving in five days.

           Two nights before the expected arrival date, Don phoned to inform us that he would be arriving the next morning, between 7 and 10 a.m.  This meant we had to hustle, get to bed early, and arrive at the house in time to meet him.  Well, we arrived at 7:15 a.m. and waited.  After almost two and a half hours, we decided to leave, figuring he wasn’t going to show up.  Just before we got into our rental vehicle, we saw this semi-truck coming up the road.  They arrived at 10:30.

To our astonishment, there were only two guys to complete the delivery:  Don and his partner.  Just the two were going to move our voluminous amount of stuff from the truck and into our new home!  Don, the leader, was an unctuous dude who was short in stature with the biggest Napoleonic complex I had ever witnessed!  As we came to soon find out, he also had a persecution complex and argued with us several times in his broken English.  Pamela would instruct him how to set up furnishings and he would either ignore her or angrily dispute it.  It was below 30 degrees out, but he insisted that we turn off the heat and leave all of the doors open the entire time!

The other major hurdle was the requirement for the means of payment.  Total due was over $5,200.  We had been instructed, only after we’d left our former home and place of banking, that the driver would only accept cash or postal money order. We had neither, and had no easy access to our funds.  We were limited by our credit union to withdraw no more than $2500 a day.  We’d already obtained that amount the previous Friday, after great effort and a long drive in the snow and rain, from and to our remote guest house.  But, now, while the move delivery was in progress, we had to leave the movers alone at the house to travel again to areas unfamiliar to us.  Finally, we were finally successful in purchasing the remaining funds at a post office in the form of postal money orders.  We returned and paid the funds to the mover, obtained his receipts, and painfully endured the project through its finish at 9:30 p.m.  We were so frustrated, defeated, and exhausted that we told the movers to simply leave us to finish assembling the furnishings that were still lying in pieces on the floor.

           When it was all over, I was pissed off and Pamela was exhausted.  As time went on, we found damage to some of our furnishings.  We opened boxes and found more damaged goods.  When it finally came time to use our clothes washer, it made a terrible banging sound. We ended up going to the laundromat twice.  A repairman later found it had been damaged during the move.

           Not only did the movers fuck us over, but our vehicle transport company also ripped us off.  I won’t get into that right now.  If you are telling me that capitalism is superior to socialism, I will reply that that is similar to comparing Scarlet Fever to cancer.  Both diseases should be cured.

Unless I become a millionaire, I will never move again.

[backroadblues]

June 5th, 2017 - Mainz to Boppard & and Kelkheim, Gernany

Today is our last full day in Germany and tomorrow we head home. We decided to take a Rhine (or as the German’s spell it, Rhein) river cruise. We left the house by 7:15, so we could head to the town of Mainz to catch one of the river boats that sales up and down the Rhine river. We get to Mainz by 8:10 and there is a boat leaving at 8:30AM. We park at the Hilton am Rhine and it is just a short walk over to the river boat ticket office. We ask the agent if the we can go to Koblenz, she says yes. Once again, I learn that in Germany you have to be very specific with your questions. I’ll come back to this later.

With our tickets in hand, we hop on board the MS Godsburg. It is a large cruiser operated by KD (Koln/Düsseldorf) Ship Lines. It has a main deck that is indoors and is set up much like a large restaurant surrounded by large picture windows so that anyone sitting here has a good view on either side of the river. There is also a large open air deck up above, with low railings and cafe tables set up nearest the railing on either side of the ship. My research suggest that its best to be sitting on the left hand side of the ship when going down stream toward Koblenz, or at the very bow of the boat, however the bow is closed to passengers today. There is friendly waiters who are eager to take orders for food and beverages. There is a slight premium for shipboard service but not as much as I was expecting.

We start out bright and early on the upper deck. The ship’s initial point of departure is Mainz and there are only about 20 people boarding, so Elisa and I have our pick of the seats. We also purchased a map/guide of the sights we will see on this ride. We are seated on the left hand side of the boat near the front with unobstructed views forward and of the landscape on the left bank of the Rhine. It is 8:30 in the morning, the clouds are thick but the sun breaks through intermittently and best of all there is no rain in the forecast. I have my rain jacket with me just in case, and it is a good thing becasue it is downright cold out here on the water. Eventually, we head downstairs to get out of the cold.

As we leave Mainz the boat will be making several stops at towns along the way, and the ride to the end of the line will take over 3-½ hours and we are only traveling about 35 miles. There is a lot of barge traffic out on the river at this time of the morning. We see a great many barges heading upstream that are riding very low in the water, with their open holds carrying a wide variety of different cargo. We see coal, containers, sand and other raw materials. However mostly what we see are tanker barges carrying crude oil upstream, having picked it up in Rotterdam and taking it to refineries up river. We also see a lot of tanker barges carrying refined petroleum products back down stream - heading to Rotterdam where they will export them around the world. Between Mainz and Rudisheim, the scenery is mostly industrial. This journey takes about one hour.

As we approach Rudisheim, we see the dock filled with tourists - mostly Asian - waiting to board. With that is sight, Elisa heads up to the top deck to nab a prime spot before they all board. I stay back finishing my breakfast I ordered. When i head upstairs to join Elisa, I see the top deck is very crowded, we are lucky to have gotten our prime seats once again. The trip up river from Rudisheim is where things start to get really beautiful. We are headed into the Rhine Valley Gorge. In this section, the hills on either side of the Rhine are steep and dotted with many different castles. There seems to be the ruins of castles almost every ½ mile. These castles largely popped up in the 1400’s when Germany was not yet united and the land was carved up into over 350 nation states. The Rhine river was a key corridor for the transportation of goods into and out of the area. This was a time when there was no motor driven vehicles. Navigating the fast moving waters of the Rhine was treacherous and would require assistance from handlers and animals on the shore. The castles would pop-up along the way by self-appointed “Princes”, who were people with money and they would extract tolls and fees for services from the barges making their way up and down the river. Because of the valuable cargo moving on the river there were also robbers out there and barges could seek refuge or protection from the various castles in return for fees paid. As the castles popped up, so too did towns. The land that these towns would occupy were on lands claimed by the castle owners, consequently the people in those towns would have to pay taxes to the castle owners in return for the use of the land and for protection from mauraders. I suppose from this chaos of extortion modern governments would arise.

We see so many stunning castles along the way. Many are in ruins but others are very well preserved and have been rehabilitated to house hotels and restaurants. There is one stretch of river that makes some sharp bends and the river also narrows. Consequently the current runs fast here. There is a tall stone cliff on the right hand side of the river and they call it the Lorelei rocks. Legend has it that beautiful sirens would sing their enchanting songs from the top of the rocks and distract the sailors and they would wreck their ships. I think that the sailors of yore were simply looking for something to pin the blame on for any accidents they might have. Sort of the equivalent of - “oh, a cat ran out in front of my car, and I had to swerve into the tree to avoid hitting it.” Once we get past the Lorelei, we pass two castles on the right hand side that are very closely situated with one another. At the very top of the hill, between the two castles is a very large and high wall. Legend has it that these castles were owned by brothers who had a disagreement. They call the wall the “hostility wall”. The legend goes on to say that the two brothers would end up killing one another in church in the town below the castles. After about 3-½ hours on the river its about 12:00 noon, we are nearing the town of Boppard. It is about 5 miles away from Koblenz, our desired destination. We are told that the boat we are on will be turning around at Boppard and heading back down to Mainz. We ask what about going to Koblenz and we are told that if we wait in Boppard for 3 hours there will be a boat that continues on to Koblenz.Well, it sure would have been nice to have that little piece of information from the agent when I was buying my ticket. We don’t have time to wait another 3 hours for the boat to Koblenz.

Instead we walk around this quaint little town and we learn that settlements in this location date back to Roman times around 4BC. The settlements would expand and grow through about 12AD. Roman walls and thermal baths are found in the area. By 12AD the Romans would be pushed out the Saxons. Boppard wouldn’t re-emerge until around the 11th century. Because of its location, it is fought over occupied by many different groups. In the 1400’s there is a 30 year period of wars and during that time the town of Boppard would be occupied by the Spanish, French, Swiss, Bavarians and Prussians. As the feudal system began to develop in the late 1400’s Boppard would pledge it’s allegiance to the Counsel of Trier. In return, Trier would protect the city and its prince. However, the city would have to build a palace and taxes would be collected from the people, further subjugating them. It sounds like a tough life back then if your weren’t a 1 Percenter. It’s now about 1:00 and we decide to fine a place for lunch. We need to get to the train station by 3:00 so we can make it to Elisa’s friends house by 5:00 in Kelkheim which is near Frankfurt.

So, we look at this one restaurant and we see that there are about 10 tables inside with most of them empty. There are also a few tables in front of the cafe outside and in the shade. Over all it doesn’t look too busy, we thine we’ll be able to get a quick bite to eat. As I sit down at one of the tables inside the restaurant, I have a view outside and I"m looking out on the plaza and I see an area with about 30 tables under umbrellas. It takes our hostess about 15 minutes just to give us menus. That’s when I notice that our hostess along with one other waiter, are also waiting on the 30 tables out on the square - all of which are full of diners. They are doing their best to keep up with all those tables plus the ones inside, where we are sitting, and the ones right out front. We feel really sorry for them because they are really overwhelmed. We finally place our orders after waiting 40 minutes. Our food comes out by 2:15, we wolf it down and are dashing to the train station. We see a sign pointing across the street to the ticket office. We dash over there but it’s closed. I’m assuming we will have to purchase a ticket on the train. As I figure out what track we will be leaving from, Elisa decides she needs to use the restroom. By now it is 2;30 and our train arrives and departs at 2:44. I see that there is a ticket machine on the landing where the train will be arriving. I go up to buy our tickets. The first machine I go to is not accepting my credit cards. It’s now about 2:38. I find another machine, finally it is working - I buy our tickets. It is now 2:40. My phone starts ringing, I’m sure that Elisa is wondering where I’ve gone since she doesn’t see me in the entry way of the station. I dash back down and urge her to come onto the platform. We are finally on the right track with our tickets in hand and the train arrives on time at 2:44. Once again Minerva is with us and everything works out.

The train ride is very smooth and quiet. I don’t know how those Germans get this trains to run so quietly. If only they could do that with Bart. I takes us about an our to make our way back to Mainz. By now, my phone is totally dead from having taken so many pictures on the river boat ride. Elisa’s phone is also very low. The challenge is to figure out how to walk the mile from the Mainz train station to the Hilton Hotel where our car is parked. Normally, we would use my phone’s GPS and maps to help guide us, but my phone is dead. I take a look at a rough map that we have and I have a good general idea of the direction we need to go. For some reason, Elisa does not have confidence in my dead reckoning skills - it might have something to do with the fact that my nickname is “wrong turn Rex”. I’m pretty sure I’m going in the right direction, but she is sort of in a panic. Fortunately, her phone has just enough charge left in it to lay out a course on the GPS and we are in deed going in the right direction. After about a 15 minute walk we see the Hilton Hotel sign in the distance. We are back to our car by 4:30. We have to be in Kelkheim by 5:00 and our GPS now says we are 36 minutes away. Close enough.

If you read yesterday’s blog post, you know that we reconnected with Terri, one of Elisa’s high-school friends, whom Elisa had lost contact. We had such a good time reconnecting, with them we made plans for dinner at their home in Kelkheim. Today was a German Holiday for them and it would not be too much of an inconvenience. They make us a fantastic dinner. Gary has deep fried a small turkey that has a garlic and herb rub on it. It tastes great. Terri has made some asparagus. - Elisa is thrilled because it’s so hard to get veggies when eating in restaurants here. Terri also make some really tasty roasted potatoes. The capper to this great dinner is the homemade Creme Brûlée that Terri has made. She has a little trouble getting the torch to stay lit so she can caramelize the sugar on top but Gary gets it going. It is really good

Terri and Gary live in a beautiful home in this suburb of Frankfurt. It is sprawling and occupies 2 levels plus a basement. They have been leasing it since they arrived in Germany over 6 years ago. The owner did an excellent job of renovating it. The home is very unique, in that the basement which occupies the full footprint of the home at one time had a dance studio and pub in it. This is fantastic, since Terri and her husband Gary love to entertain. What also makes this the perfect home for them is that Gary used to operate a karaoke and DJ business. So he has plenty of room to set up his sound system and all of their parties include karaoke down in the basement / dance studio. Elisa thinks she has died and gone to heaven. She loves to sing karaoke and she hasn’t really been about to do it since we moved into the new house. She, Terri and Gary sing several songs and I must say they sounded great. I am a happy audience for them.

As we begin to roll up on 10:00 pm we need to head out and let Terri and Gary get their rest so that Terri can go back to work tomorrow. Also, we need to re-pack our bags and get ready to head home to California tomorrow.

So this may be my final Aufwiedersehen. I will write an epilogue to this installment of my Backroad Blues Blog.

I’m so long winded, that I’m sure few of you have had the time or inclination to read my ramblings. I do it so I can remember what we’ve done on our many trips. I also do it so that I can share our experiences with all of you.

Thanks, Rex

[hellofastestnewsfan]

EDENVILLE, Mich. — People living along two mid-Michigan lakes and parts of a river were evacuated Tuesday following several days of heavy rain that produced flooding and put pressure on dams in the area.

Two Midland-area schools were opened for evacuees, and more than 50 roads have been closed. The evacuations in Michigan followed days of heavy rains in parts of the Midwest that also brought flooding to Chicago and other parts of Illinois, as well as Ohio and other states.

“The water is very high,” said Catherine Sias, who lives about a mile from one of the dams located in Edenville, Michigan. “Last night, emergency responders came door-to-door to make sure everybody got out. We have mild flooding every year, but this is unusual.”

Sias, 45, has five cats and two dogs and was about to check into a hotel that allowed pets when she learned it was probably safe for people not living in low-lying areas to return home.

“I’m on the high bank, about 20 feet up,” she said. “A lot of people are having a harder time. Most of them are going to be dealing with flooding in their homes.”

Some residents, like Jon St. Croix, went to shelters set up in area schools.

“We were laying in bed when I heard sirens,” St. Croix told the Midland Daily News. “A fire truck was driving around, broadcasting that (we needed) to evacuate. It’s a scary thing — you’re sleeping and awake to sirens.”

St. Croix, 62, his wife and a next-door neighbor were among more than a dozen people sheltering in one school. Their home was not flooded, but St. Croix said he had seen flooding in the area.

Volunteers at the schools said about 120 vehicles were in the parking lots of a couple of schools and about 30 people had been staying on cots inside, according to WNEM-TV.

About a dozen people hunkered down overnight at a school in Sanford but had left by early Tuesday afternoon, said Tom Restgate, an American Red Cross safety officer.

The cots inside the school were spread out to observe social distancing recommendations to fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Restgate said.

Heavy rains also caused flooding in parts of northwestern Indiana, including Crown Point — the Lake County seat — where about seven inches fell over the weekend.

Floodwaters swelled quickly on Sunday when 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) of rain fell within 15 minutes, swamping streets and sending water into basements and homes, including Mayor David Uran’s residence.

Those waters receded Monday, but Uran and many other residents were continuing to clean up the watery mess on Tuesday, said Uran’s chief of staff, Greg Falkowski.

“He got between 2 and 3 feet in his basement, so that’s what he’s working on right now,” Falkowski said Tuesday afternoon.

In Chicago, water that flooded some areas downtown was receding on Tuesday, but Larry Langford, a fire department spokesman, said that he did not expect power to be restored at the iconic Willis Tower for days because the rains caused the building’s subbasements to fill with as much as 25 feet (7.6 meters) of water. The building was closed to tenants and visitors.

And in DuPage County, west of the city, a search for an 18-year-old woman who was swept away by a surging DuPage River last Friday remained suspended on Tuesday because the water remained too high and the current too swift to conduct the search safely.

Tony Martinez, spokesman for the DuPage Forest Preserve District, said the area of the river where the woman was swept that is typically about 25 feet wide remained 200 yards wide.

“We hope to resume searching later this week,” he said.

The driver of a pickup truck in mid-Michigan had to be rescued by first responders after the vehicle was swept away on a flooded road in Tittabawassee Township, WNEM-TV reported.

School buses and dump trucks were called out Tuesday in southwest Ohio to help evacuate people trapped in flooded areas in a commercial area with dozens of businesses in suburban West Chester Township.

By noon, West Chester Township spokeswoman Barb Wilson said a dozen people had been taken to a nearby high school, while other people were able to make it out of the flooded area in their own vehicles.

There were no injuries reported immediately in the area just off Interstate 75 north of Cincinnati.

Flood warnings in Michigan were issued following widespread rainfall of up to 4 inches (10.2 centimeters) since Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Heavy runoff pushed rivers higher.

“A lot of the rainfall came and hit the Saginaw Valley over the last 48 hours,” meteorologist Andrew Arnold said Tuesday morning. “For the most part, the rain is over.”

The weather system was moving into Indiana, Ohio, parts of Illinois and the Tennessee Valley, Arnold said.

More flooding was forecast for parts of the Tittabawassee River, which was at 26.5 feet (8.1 meters) Tuesday morning. It was expected to crest Wednesday morning at about 30 feet (9.1 meters). Flood stage is 24 feet (7.3 meters).

Midland County 911 sent out a series of alerts saying the Edenville and Sanford dams were at risk of failing, and those living near Sanford Lake, Wixom Lake and other area waterways should evacuate.

Midland County Emergency Management later said that the dams were “structurally sound.” It said water flowing through the dam spillgates couldn’t be controlled, however, so evacuation measures remained in place.

In 2018, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked the license of the company that operated the Edenville Dam due to non-compliance issues that included spillway capacity and the inability to pass the most severe flood reasonably possible in the area.

The Edenville Dam was rated in unsatisfactory condition in 2018 by the state, while the Sanford Dam received a fair condition rating.

Both dams are in the process of being sold.

There were 19 high hazard dams in unsatisfactory or poor condition in Michigan in 2018, ranking 20th among the 45 states and Puerto Rico for which The Associated Press obtained condition assessments.

Just to the north in Gladwin County, the weather service issued a flash flood warning for the Cedar River below the Chappel Dam. And other parts of the state saw isolated flooding following heavy rains in recent days.

from TIME https://ift.tt/2WN1hiH

[newstechreviews]

EDENVILLE, Mich. — People living along two mid-Michigan lakes and parts of a river were evacuated Tuesday following several days of heavy rain that produced flooding and put pressure on dams in the area.

Two Midland-area schools were opened for evacuees, and more than 50 roads have been closed. The evacuations in Michigan followed days of heavy rains in parts of the Midwest that also brought flooding to Chicago and other parts of Illinois, as well as Ohio and other states.

“The water is very high,” said Catherine Sias, who lives about a mile from one of the dams located in Edenville, Michigan. “Last night, emergency responders came door-to-door to make sure everybody got out. We have mild flooding every year, but this is unusual.”

Sias, 45, has five cats and two dogs and was about to check into a hotel that allowed pets when she learned it was probably safe for people not living in low-lying areas to return home.

“I’m on the high bank, about 20 feet up,” she said. “A lot of people are having a harder time. Most of them are going to be dealing with flooding in their homes.”

Some residents, like Jon St. Croix, went to shelters set up in area schools.

“We were laying in bed when I heard sirens,” St. Croix told the Midland Daily News. “A fire truck was driving around, broadcasting that (we needed) to evacuate. It’s a scary thing — you’re sleeping and awake to sirens.”

St. Croix, 62, his wife and a next-door neighbor were among more than a dozen people sheltering in one school. Their home was not flooded, but St. Croix said he had seen flooding in the area.

Volunteers at the schools said about 120 vehicles were in the parking lots of a couple of schools and about 30 people had been staying on cots inside, according to WNEM-TV.

About a dozen people hunkered down overnight at a school in Sanford but had left by early Tuesday afternoon, said Tom Restgate, an American Red Cross safety officer.

The cots inside the school were spread out to observe social distancing recommendations to fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Restgate said.

Heavy rains also caused flooding in parts of northwestern Indiana, including Crown Point — the Lake County seat — where about seven inches fell over the weekend.

Floodwaters swelled quickly on Sunday when 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) of rain fell within 15 minutes, swamping streets and sending water into basements and homes, including Mayor David Uran’s residence.

Those waters receded Monday, but Uran and many other residents were continuing to clean up the watery mess on Tuesday, said Uran’s chief of staff, Greg Falkowski.

“He got between 2 and 3 feet in his basement, so that’s what he’s working on right now,” Falkowski said Tuesday afternoon.

In Chicago, water that flooded some areas downtown was receding on Tuesday, but Larry Langford, a fire department spokesman, said that he did not expect power to be restored at the iconic Willis Tower for days because the rains caused the building’s subbasements to fill with as much as 25 feet (7.6 meters) of water. The building was closed to tenants and visitors.

And in DuPage County, west of the city, a search for an 18-year-old woman who was swept away by a surging DuPage River last Friday remained suspended on Tuesday because the water remained too high and the current too swift to conduct the search safely.

Tony Martinez, spokesman for the DuPage Forest Preserve District, said the area of the river where the woman was swept that is typically about 25 feet wide remained 200 yards wide.

“We hope to resume searching later this week,” he said.

The driver of a pickup truck in mid-Michigan had to be rescued by first responders after the vehicle was swept away on a flooded road in Tittabawassee Township, WNEM-TV reported.

School buses and dump trucks were called out Tuesday in southwest Ohio to help evacuate people trapped in flooded areas in a commercial area with dozens of businesses in suburban West Chester Township.

By noon, West Chester Township spokeswoman Barb Wilson said a dozen people had been taken to a nearby high school, while other people were able to make it out of the flooded area in their own vehicles.

There were no injuries reported immediately in the area just off Interstate 75 north of Cincinnati.

Flood warnings in Michigan were issued following widespread rainfall of up to 4 inches (10.2 centimeters) since Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Heavy runoff pushed rivers higher.

“A lot of the rainfall came and hit the Saginaw Valley over the last 48 hours,” meteorologist Andrew Arnold said Tuesday morning. “For the most part, the rain is over.”

The weather system was moving into Indiana, Ohio, parts of Illinois and the Tennessee Valley, Arnold said.

More flooding was forecast for parts of the Tittabawassee River, which was at 26.5 feet (8.1 meters) Tuesday morning. It was expected to crest Wednesday morning at about 30 feet (9.1 meters). Flood stage is 24 feet (7.3 meters).

Midland County 911 sent out a series of alerts saying the Edenville and Sanford dams were at risk of failing, and those living near Sanford Lake, Wixom Lake and other area waterways should evacuate.

Midland County Emergency Management later said that the dams were “structurally sound.” It said water flowing through the dam spillgates couldn’t be controlled, however, so evacuation measures remained in place.

In 2018, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked the license of the company that operated the Edenville Dam due to non-compliance issues that included spillway capacity and the inability to pass the most severe flood reasonably possible in the area.

The Edenville Dam was rated in unsatisfactory condition in 2018 by the state, while the Sanford Dam received a fair condition rating.

Both dams are in the process of being sold.

There were 19 high hazard dams in unsatisfactory or poor condition in Michigan in 2018, ranking 20th among the 45 states and Puerto Rico for which The Associated Press obtained condition assessments.

Just to the north in Gladwin County, the weather service issued a flash flood warning for the Cedar River below the Chappel Dam. And other parts of the state saw isolated flooding following heavy rains in recent days.