#we've got this box of books that we called our 'library' but like... it's in one cde's house and no one knows it exists

[queen-mabs-revenge]

so i'm trying to set up a catalogue for our branch's library and a system for books cdes are willing to lend out being organised so people know where books are and with who - you know removing friction for political education and all that jazz

and oh??? librarything back end with tinycat front end ohhhhhh this fucks severely?? personal account is free and you can literally make your own little lending library system of your own? books? HELLO???

i'm in love everyone should do this omg

[ozma914]

Oodles of Books: the Gift That Keeps On Reading

"If the Beast gave me a library like he gave to Belle, I'd marry him too." -- Aya Ling

 So, my wife's bosses were going through storage units, and had to sort through all the books their daughter collected over the years. Some were damaged, but they offered to give Emily and me most of the rest. Their daughter, they said, read a lot.

Not long after, they filled our Ford Escape with so many books I was afraid it would bottom out on every hill on the way home. A few days later, they did it again. Then again.

Mountains of books! Forests of books! More books than you'd ever read in a lifetime!

Ahem. If you'll pardon me for quoting Beauty and the Beast. I may have cried a little. I also may have cried a little while we were carrying them all up the steps into the house, but enough about my back.

It was Emily who had to clean up the books because, as it happens, I'm allergic to both dust and mold. Never thought I'd be glad about that. But I forgot, and later when I was cleaning our former bedroom/new reading room (our own library!) I gave myself an allergy attack. Too bad--eight hours of sleeping off the Benadryl, when I could have been reading.

Freaking scads of books! 

We're still sorting them, by author and genre. Authors like me, who don't stick to a genre, will be a problem. But many of them were novel series (love a good series), which helped. We unfolded a table and Emily got started while I was cooking and doing the dishes, which is completely understandable when you realize how much more organized her mind is than mine.

Really, the only member of the family who wasn't thrilled was the dog. (This all happened before Beowulf passed away.) When we first put up the table he liked to lay down under it, but as we unpacked more books that space became filled, too. Sometimes he just walked up to the table and looks sadly at his former doghouse.

"I am NOT amused. I can't even read."

A large percentage of the books are what's called high fantasy, which I take it are better enjoyed when you're high. Wait, let me check ...

Oh. Well, it means epic in scope, with forces threatening a world that is not our own. Game Of Thrones stuff, and didn't it take us a whole year to read through those massive tomes. The novel I wrote (and am currently trying to sell) is low fantasy: mostly set in the real world, with the addition of magical elements. Now we're talking about Harry Potter and the Giant Dump Truck of Money.

Many others are space opera, again similar to another novel in my submission process. Think Dune, the Lensman books, and of course Star Wars. (My Junior English teacher in high school was the daughter of E.E. Smith, who authored the Hugo-nominated Lensman series. Fun old-timey SF, and possibly an inspiration for the Green Lantern.)

There are also history books, mostly involving World War II, which made me squeal a little. Okay, a lot. There are mysteries, and both nonfiction and fiction books about horses, and encyclopedia yearbooks covering all the earlier years of my life and some before. We have our own library of books--something I always dreamed of.

I took this photo to document that someone decided to leave their shampoo behind, and buy a book instead. If you never leave your couch, you don't need shampoo.

It all made me a little sad.

Let's face it: even if I gave up writing and put all my spare time into reading, there's no way I'll ever get to all these books, plus the ones I already have, plus the ones on my reading list. We've still got books in boxes in the garage. I've got friends writing books that I want to read. It makes me want to retire to a rustic cabin in the woods and just become one with a comfortable chair.

Still, just having all those books up on shelves around us will cheer me up substantially, and better too many than not enough. With books, I may never go anywhere again--but I'll go everywhere.

That's a pretty good way to spend your time.

Remember: Every time you don't read a book, the author has an allergy attack. Keep authors healthy.

We and our books--I mean, the ones we wrote--can be found everywhere:

·        Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0058CL6OO

·        Barnes & Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/"Mark R Hunter"

·        Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4898846.Mark_R_Hunter

·        Blog: https://markrhunter.blogspot.com/

·        Website: http://www.markrhunter.com/

·        Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ozma914/

·        Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkRHunter914

·        Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrhunter/

·        Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkRHunter

·        Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarkRHunter

·        Substack:  https://substack.com/@markrhunter

·        Tumblr:  https://www.tumblr.com/ozma914

·        Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ozma914

[sciencestyled]

Science and Art: The Looney-Tunes-Do-a-TED-Talk Extravaganza!

Alright, buckle up, buttercups! We're diving headfirst into the wacky, wonky world of 'The Psychology of Art Appreciation in Science Education' – or as I like to call it, "When Brainy Meets Artsy: The Odd Couple's Guide to Making Science Sparkle." So, let's crack this nut like a squirrel on double espresso!

Picture this: a science class, but instead of yawning through another yada-yada about mitochondria, you've got Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' spinning above your head, and Newton's apple zipping around like it's in a game of Angry Birds. Welcome to the art-ified science class, where neurons fire up like it's the Fourth of July!

First off, let's talk about the Mona Lisa of our story: 'Art'. Art in science is like putting ketchup on fries – it just makes everything better. Why? Because our brains love a good visual feast. Think about it; you're more likely to remember the 'Mona Lisa' than the formula of sodium chloride. No offense, NaCl.

When art waltzes (whoops, not that word!) into science class, it's like a DJ dropping the bass in a library. Suddenly, the Periodic Table is rapping Eminem-style, and the laws of physics are doing the Harlem Shake. We're talking about turning those snooze-fest scientific diagrams into comic book heroes, faster than you can say "Avengers, assemble!"

Now, let's add a sprinkle of psychology – because, why not? Art stimulates the brain's reward center, like finding an extra fry at the bottom of the bag. It's all about emotional engagement. When students see Picasso's abstract shapes shaking hands with Pythagorean theorem, it's not just learning; it's a brain party!

Art also gives science a storyline, turning a bland textbook into a Netflix binge-worthy series. Imagine learning about gravity through the Star Wars lens – 'May the Force be with you,' and all that jazz. It's like Yoda teaching physics – confusing but utterly mesmerizing.

Let's get real for a moment. We've all sat through classes that felt longer than a Marvel movie marathon. But when art enters the chat, it's like swapping a lecture for a TikTok trend – short, snappy, and oddly satisfying. Art becomes the meme lord of science education, turning complex theories into viral sensations. Newton's laws? More like Newton's LOLs.

And can we talk about the ultimate power couple – Art and Memory? These two go together like Batman and Robin, solving the riddles of forgetfulness. Artsy visuals make science stick in our brains like gum on a shoe. Before you know it, you're dreaming of DNA strands in technicolor.

Now, onto the pièce de résistance: creativity. Art in science doesn’t just open doors; it breaks them down like the Kool-Aid Man. Boom! Suddenly, students are thinking outside the box, inside the box, and creating new boxes. They're not just learning science; they're remixing it, DJ-style.

But wait, there's more! Art doesn't just add color to science; it adds perspective. It's like wearing 3D glasses in a flat world. Students start seeing the magic in the mundane, the epic in the everyday. A leaf isn't just a leaf; it's a green solar panel powering the tree – how cool is that?

Let's not forget about emotional intelligence – the secret sauce in this science-art burger. When students connect emotionally with what they're learning, it's like adding WiFi to their brains. They're not just processing information; they're feeling it. Science becomes more than facts; it becomes stories, experiences, and, dare I say, adventures.

And for the grand finale – the ultimate brain twist! Art in science education isn't just about making learning fun; it's about shaping future Einsteins who think like Picassos. We're not just teaching science; we're inspiring the next generation of creative geniuses who'll solve mysteries like Sherlock with the flair of a Broadway star.

In conclusion, the psychology of art appreciation in science education is like a rollercoaster designed by Salvador Dali – unexpected, a little bizarre, but totally exhilarating. So, let's splash some color onto the canvas of science education and watch as our brains do the Macarena in response. Because, at the end of the day, science and art aren't just subjects; they're the dynamic duo of education, ready to take on the world one zany, meme-tastic moment at a time!

[unrestricted-chaos]

Maybe it was the lack of sleep, the fifth cup of coffee, or even the midterm he needed a miracle to pass at this rate, but Ekko had had it.

"Okay, but have you considered not doing that?" He asked exasperated, this was behavior he could have expected from Jinx, not four graduate students at Piltover University.

Niahm blinked dumbly at Ekko, "Uh-- It's for science?"

One of the other blokes nodded fast, nearly dropping the idiot holding a lit match, with the stick box still poised. "Exactly, nothing abnormal about it. Just-- uh science."

Ekko groaned rubbing his face, "Just put out the match, and get Niahm down, and I won't tell Professor Talis."

With minimal grumbling, and several muttered curses towards him, the cluster had disbursed back to their tables, there course books shuffled.

"Why'd you spoil such a good distraction." Jinx whined, leaning against the bookcase just around the corner. "We've been looking at particles and the elements of time for the last eight hours!"

"No, I was studying the elements of time until you came to distract me."

Jinx huffed, "You could have told me to leave-- but no, you would rather neck in the stacks until some idiots try and set the school on fire."

"I'm going to fail." Ekko groans as he watches Jinx spin away, snatching her bag and retreat out of the library, "I'm going to fail, and now I have to go chase down my girlfriend who promised me her notes on particle theory, because I'm an asshole."

Resisting the urge to collapse back behind the stacks on the benches, Ekko scooped up his things before heading back towards the dorms.

There was a 50/50 chance Jinx was at his and Ezrael's dorm, and if she wasn't. Well, he could grab a change of clothes and head out towards her crappy studio apartment at the boarder of the cities.

Jinx wasn't in the dorm, but her jacket was missing, and a very bright notebook was left on his bed for him.

Picking up his phone Ekko called her.

"Yeah?" Jinx's voice crackled through the old device.

"Thank you." Ekko huffed, "You didn't need to go."

"Didn't want to distract you."

"It would have been fine. Not like we haven't done this a few years now." Ekko hummed sliding down into his desk chair, so that he could look through the notebook.

Jinx doesn't respond right away, "Yeah, we also weren't at the stage in our relationship where we would swap spit either."

Ekko had to give her that, for being childhood friends it took them a while to get to this state. Especially after she moved back and was going by a new name.

"That's fair." He tried slowly, "Doesn't mean I like it."

"Look, we both need to study, but we also need to shower and sleep." Jinx tries, voice tired, "Have I mentioned that I hate being the reasonable one here."

Ekko grins, he is well aware that she would prefer to not be the responsible college student right now, "Sorry 'bout that. How about I make it up to you, once midterms are over we can take a day to go out on a date, maybe hit the arcade and you can kick my ass in Defense and Dynasty."

"Sounds nice." Jinx murmurs. "Next time though, can we consider maybe studying at my place? Particle theory is better with friends."

"I could be on the next bus, just say the word."

Ekko can image Jinx's lips pursed, the way her brow scrunches slightly when she isn't sure what she wants, and ever since they got together, he has had the opportunity on several occasions to trace the delicate creases, "Please."

Ekko's grin softens as he glances at the clock. "Should be at yours in twenty."

"Okay, but have you considered not doing that?"

[desertofsnowflakes]

Incorrect Order Chapter 4 (Nessian AU)

A/N: I know I haven't been able to update as fast as you'd want me to but I'll try to fix that. Your comments and feedbacks are very much appreciated. Do inform me if you wanna be added/removed from the taglist! If you happen to find my storyline similar to another fic or one of yours, I'm extremely sorry, I might've just not known. All characters belong to the author Sarah J. Mass. Enjoy!

Summary: Don't first impressions always affect the way you see someone? Well, what more with the Nesta Archeron? Nesta meets Cassian at few unexpected places and to say it didn't go well was a major understatement. Certain circumstances make them become enemies to tolerable company to friends to lovers.

Trigger Warnings: None really

1652words | Incorrect Order Masterlist | Read on AO3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The best way to keep whatever problems one has out of their mind was to do something they liked. That was the only way Cassian kept from spiraling. Since sending the woman to her own house, Cassian had more than a few moments when he wanted to repeatedly slam his head against a wall. That’s why he spent most of his time sparring with Azriel. He won’t admit he was simping for that woman in his free time too. Or maybe that was always.

Now, sprawled on a couch in front of the TV, with nothing to do but stare at a blank screen, Cassian led his thoughts to the box he kept all unwanted thoughts locked in. He thought about Tomas, her ex-boyfriend. Funny, he thought. I know her ex's name but not hers.

It took him a little too long the other day to realise they didn't exchange names. Again. He once thought that maybe she was purposely not giving him her name. That maybe, for her, he was just a random stranger who happened to save her life. He snorted. Surely anyone would know the name of the person they saved or was saved by— stranger or not. He supposed he'll have to make do with pronouns for now.

After she left his home, it took every scrap of self-restraint not to beat this Tomas dude to pulp and let him rot in the same alley he had the misfortune of meeting him in. He may or may not have been the cause for some extra injuries. Cassian appreciated the woman’s attempt at mercy. He, however, didn’t trust Tomas at all. He was dubious about just handing him over to the police. Who’s to know he won’t frame him and the woman for absurd things? Anyway, he left a note in Tomas’s house saying something like “Step out of line, lose your favourite part of anatomy. Name it and have it for your meal.” He made sure he printed so that no one would recognise his writing. Yet, all this didn’t calm his nerves one bit. He presumed he’ll have to stay on guard for some time now.

Now, back to the girl. He sighed. He didn’t dare change the sheets in his guest bedroom. He didn’t even let Mor use the room when she came over last weekend— which he could bet created suspicion. No, that room was only open when he craved her scent. He even realised one of his shirts was missing. He shrugged it off thinking he would've left it somewhere and just couldn't find it. Once she came to his house, he was constantly thinking about her. So much that now he started pinching himself often. It was the only way he could stop thinking about her— by creating physical pain.

Cassian glanced at the clock on the wall. 2.30 in the afternoon. He walked to the refrigerator and checked his freezer compartment. Huh. No ice-cream. He sighed, grabbed his jacket and keys and headed to the mall to get an ice-cream with a pout. He’ll have to leave for Rhys and Feyre’s first anniversary only around 5.30 to prepare everything. He has enough time to get an ice-cream and probably hang out for some time. Good enough to stop thinking about her. Or so he thought.

***

Nesta wasn’t sore anymore. Her headache was gone almost a week after the incident. Her nose didn’t hurt anymore. Okay, maybe a little bit. It didn’t hurt unless she bumped her nose against something. Today, her nose was dully throbbing because she hit her nose against a pillow yesterday. A very, very soft pillow and yet it hurt this much.

The man’s first-aid and medicines were really helpful.

It really wasn’t fair that he excelled at basic first aid too. It wasn’t fair that he looked so good. With black tattoos swirling over generously muscled arms and shoulder-length dark hair curling at the edges and gloriously tanned skin and hazel eyes with minute flecks of green and brown when taken a closer look at and dimples and—

A quiet “Who is it?” snapped Nesta out of her moping. She looked up to see Gwyn walking to her.

“Who is what?” she asked, feigning nonchalance. Gwyn's pursed lips and glare conveyed that her act wasn't enough.

“Who are you thinking about?” Gwyn clarified.

“What makes you think I'm thinking about someone?” Nesta retorted.

Gwyn sat on the chair next to her and started assisting with classifying the unceremonious heap of books on the table to be kept back in its correct positions on its own rack.

“Nesta,” Gwyn sighed, “Clotho assigned you this stack almost an hour ago. And you've barely finished a third of the stack. Normally, you'd finish stacks bigger than this in an hour. So there's clearly something.”

“It wasn't anyone,” Nesta mumbled.

As usual, Gwyn saw through her lie. “You were twirling your hair,” she said flatly.

Heat inched up her neck. “I was not!”

Gwyn murmured a “uh-huh” and they lapsed into an easy silence till they were almost over.

Gwyn's eyes lit up as it normally did whenever she got an idea. “Is it him? The guy you came with that day?”

Nesta scowled, “How do you know…” she broke off when she realised which 'that day' Gwyn was talking about. Nesta fought back a blush. “No, no, this isn't about him. We don't know each other. Much. Like, we've seen each other a number of times? That's it. Nothing else.” Cauldron, the first part was a complete lie. But at least the rest are true. Will Gwyn happen to know his name? Maybe I ought to ask her. Or maybe I shouldn't.

She should, she decided. She cleared her throat. “Uh, Gwyn? Do you happen to know his name?”

Gwyn frowned and asked, “He hasn't told you yet?”

Nesta shook her head and answered, “No, we, uh, forgot. I guess. We haven't really exchanged names.”

Gwyn nodded and smiled. “Well, he is—”

“Gwyn!” a voice called. “You can't expect me to come over to you and beg for you to help me. Help me only if you want to or don't work under me.”

Gwyn’s eyes widened. She abruptly stood up and mouthed, “Merrill. I gotta go. I’m so sorry.” She all but ran to Merrill, the very strict librarian Gwyn was working under.

Nesta sighed and continued her work. There wasn’t much left so she was able to finish fast. She picked her things and left the library with a word to Clotho, heading to the mall.

***

The best way to keep whatever problems one has out of their mind was to also eat something they liked. So, ice-cream it was. After having his ice-cream, Cassian was aimlessly walking around the mall. Here, not more than a month ago, he met her for the first time. Almost a month ago. He huffed out a breath. The fact that he was pining for her this long blew his mind off. He—

“This is your fault— not mine. I’m not taking the blame for this,” he told her. They bumped into each other. Again.

Her lips quirked up. “It is kind of my fault. But blame this—,” she poked his chest, “— for making my nose hurt again.”

Just like that, his mood sobered. “How are you?” he asked.

She pointed at the cafe to her left. “Coffee?”

He nodded. Who was he to say no to her?

So they ordered coffee and talked about everything and nothing. He grinned and she laughed. He laughed and she smirked. He wouldn’t say he knew her well but he’d never seen her so carefree. Her laugh was like nectar for a starving man. Her eyes bright and welling up with tears from laughing.

“I don’t think I’ve laughed this much,” she said.

Cassian put a hand on his heart dramatically and said, “I know, I know. I’m very funny.”

Her lips kicked up a notch. She straightened as if she just realised something. He was about to ask when she drawled, “So I just realised that we still haven’t exchanged names.”

Oh. Right. Of course. “Yeah,” he nodded. “Usually, when people meet, they start with introductions but in our case we’ve literally bumped into each other three times and still we don’t know each other.” He shook his head and extended his hand. “Well, hello there. I’m—”

His phone rang in his pocket. Fuck. He was going to kill whoever was calling him now. He was so close to knowing her name. He pulled out his phone to see an incoming call from Azriel. He apologetically looked up at her and said, “I’m sorry. I wish I could choose not to take this call and instead kill this idiot but I can’t. Just give me a moment, okay?”

She nodded and he picked up his call.

“What do you want?” he hissed.

“It’s 5.30 already, you idiot. We’ve got to get the things ready for the party. Mor already went to get the cake and you’re not even at home. Where on all earth and hell are you?” came Az’s faint voice.

“15 minutes only? Mother above, I’m coming.” he said.

Az’s “make it fast” was the last thing he heard before hanging up. “I wish we could stay here and talk forever,” he said to her, “but I have something up in a short while and I totally didn’t realise time was passing this fast. I’m so sorry. It was nice talking to you. Really. And I wish we could meet again. Though without the bumping part.”

He grinned when she smiled and said, “Bye. Have a nice day.”

“You too,” he called back. He didn’t want to think he imagined the subtle look of disappointment on her face because hell, he was a walking epitome of disappointment right now.

taglist:

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[dickshardblog]

Moving Day DID NOT Go As Planned

Last time we moved, we vowed we weren't doing it that way again. We rented a U-Haul, asked some friends for help, loaded all of our belongings into a truck, drove them to our next place, and unloaded all of our stuff. "Next time," we said, "next time we're hiring movers."

And this time, we did. We found a service called Bellhop, they had good rates. We booked our move for Friday the 23rd of July. We closed on our new house two weeks before, and we needed to be out of our rental by the 31st. That would give us a week to make sure we left the property in the same condition we found it in.

By the time the movers got there at 2:00pm on Friday, I had already emptied the basement into two separate storage units by transporting boxes in my car. I packed up the library, thousands of books, and moved all of those over to the new place myself. We packed up all our DVDs and Blu-rays, and moved all of them into storage along with the shelving we used to display them. We'd packed up most of the kitchen (the counter-tops were still full of stuff from the cabinets we emptied, we figured we had a week to pack and move the stragglers) and moved the boxes to the front room. We packed up the bedroom and the nursery, and moved most of those boxes to the front room. We left some boxes stacked in the nursery.

We bought a new couch for the new house and were getting rid of the old one. So we told them we didn't need the couch moved. We had some loose items that hadn't made it into boxes on the couch, which also, was not their concern. We showed them the front room, said we needed those boxes, the curio cabinet, computer desk, leave the couch, the desk we used as a TV stand, the TV (surround sound, 4k player, cable box had already been packed and moved), from the kitchen, just the small table, microwave, washer and dryer. No need to move the refrigerator, or the stove, they belonged in the house. Upstairs, we needed two beds, the crib, chest of drawers, computer desk, TV, a nightstand, an etagere, and two small filing cabinets moved.

By this time, a full three quarters of our belongings had already been moved into storage or into the new house. The movers were supposed to come with the expectation that they were moving a two story, two bedroom house into a three bedroom two story house. After they stepped outside and conferred amongst themselves, they came back in and said they were going to need to re-schedule the move … — Scuse, please? You don't re-schedule a fucking move. Moving day is moving day, come hell or high water. Period. Full stop. End of story.

Upon questioning, they said it was to give us more time to prepare for the move … — Scuse, please? For two months we've been spending our evenings and weekends packing and moving the majority of our belongings out of this fucking house while working full time jobs and raising a child. My entire library is already moved, all of the end tables, my massive mixed media collection … two storage units, a 10x10 and a 5x10, and a good portion of my new house was already full of my stuff that I already moved there prior to moving day. What the fuck do you want me to do, take apart all the furniture? That's kind of the point of hiring movers. I don't want to mess with that. I don't want to do it so much, that I'm willing to pay someone else to do it. That's the whole point of hiring the work out.

Anyway, they left and after we picked our jaws up off the floor at the sheer fucking audacity of what had just happened, we re-grouped and scrambled to find a U-Haul truck available at 2:00 pm on a Friday afternoon in late July. Luckily, we found a twenty-six foot truck available. I reserved it, we went and picked it up. It was jacked up. The brake light kept coming on and beeping at me. The brakes seemed fine, and if I turned the truck off and back on again, it stopped until it decided to start up with the beeping again.

I got the truck home at 4:30 pm, and we immediately started loading it as fast as we could. The goal was to get as much as we possibly could into the truck, loading our bed and Rowan's crib last, so we could get the truck to our new house, and unload the crib and bed, get them set up by a fairly reasonable time, go to sleep, and save the rest of the unloading for morning. We stopped loading and headed to our new home around 9:00 pm. We were tired, sweaty, dirty, we hurt all over. And to think — the plan had been to sit back and point at things while we watched fit, muscular men move all our stuff for us. We'd paid good money for it, after all.

I think we got to sleep around 3:00 am the next morning. Nothing went quite as planned. When we got back home with the U-Haul, we realized we didn't have any of Rowan's food, nor her milk, nor any food for us, and we didn't have Sammy's dog food. So, I left Jay to fight with getting Rowan's crib re-assembled on his own while I ran to Kroger and obtained sustenance for my family.

In the morning, I tried to secure the truck for another day. It was already booked. Every 26 foot truck in a 30 mile radius was booked. I tried to get a smaller truck, any truck, for the rest of our stuff. I kept calling all of the U-Haul locations near me. Nobody had a truck. Finally, I called the national number, and they did find a 20 foot truck. So, while Jay dropped Rowan off at his friend Linda's house, I unloaded what I could of the U-Haul. When Jay got back, we unloaded the two-man objects. We went to the U-Haul, swapped out the trucks, and drove back to our old house for round two.

Jay headed back in the car to go pick up Rowan at around 7:00 pm. I kept loading until around 8:30, then drove the second truckload of furniture and boxes back to our new home. We had no plans to unload that night. We would unload in the morning, return the truck, and bring two more carloads home that evening, my Versa and his Optima. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the next week, I drove the Versa over to the old place after work and brought home a carload. Thursday, we took both cars, we made two trips with the Versa and one with the Optima. Friday, we brought both cars again, loaded them up, and finally got everything out of the old place that we meant to take.

Saturday, July 31st, eight days after some jackasses with no work ethic told us we needed to reschedule our move, I drove to the rental office and dropped off our keys.

I think that in many ways, in some states, when executed properly, the gig economy can be a good thing. In states that have adopted the Affordable Care Act, where self-employed individuals can find affordable health care options, and sensible tax codes. I think it has the potential to be good for workers, employers, and consumers alike. I rely quite heavily on services like Instacart, Shipt, Doordash, and Amazon, all of whom employ gig workers to make deliveries, do the shopping, etc. Most of the time they do a phenomenal job. And when they don't, it's usually because the person you lucked into getting is fairly new, in over their heads, not cut out for the job, and likely won't last long before they seek out something more suitable for them.

But a moving company is not suited for gig workers at all. Moving a person's belongings with the care and respect they deserve is a learned skill that most people don't possess. Let's face it, Americans love their things. Their shiny baubles. Their found treasures. I was already nervous that the movers might just be careless and break things without a thought. I was nervous that they wouldn't show at all. I didn't imagine they'd show up and then go, "Meh, too hard."

We wanted professional movers, and they sent us college kids with no work ethic, no sense of obligation to honor an agreement, and absolutely no clue what goes into moving all of ones belongings from one house to another. Every time I think back, I think up fresh, new ways I should have berated them as they beat a hasty retreat from my rented property.

Next time we move, I swear, we're hiring professional movers.

[princess-sethie-boo]

Inside/Out -Two

Inside/Out - Two

Rating: E

Main Pairing: Dean Ambrose/Cassandra Lincoln (OC)

Side Pairing: Seth Rollins/Finn Balor

Warnings: (for entire story) Language, Homophobic slurs, Smut, Violence, nongraphic mentions of Stalking, Attempted Kidnapping and Domestic Abuse.

Summary: Mechanic Dean Ambrose is about to be released from prison after serving three years for manslaughter after nearly beating Randy Orton, the Mayor’s son to death after Orton attacked his ex-girlfriend, the daughter of the town’s pastor Cassandra Lincoln. Having fallen in love with Cassandra himself over the last three years, Dean will stop at nothing to protect her from the still lingering threat of Randy Orton and the judgemental views of their small town.

Authors Note: This chapter is dedicated to the thirsty girl crew in the group chat. They are without a doubt the best cheerleaders a bitch could have.

2 years, 330 days ago

Hey Cassie-girl,

Books are always appreciated, Doll. I've never read the Harry Potter series before even though Seth has been on me to read them since we were kids. They're his favorite. Speaking of my brothers I hope I'm not overstepping but since Seth, his husband and Roman decided to move to Haven for the duration of my sentence, I asked them if they'd look out for you. I'm so sorry doll but even though I'm in here I heard that Orton is getting out of the hospital finally and I don't trust him. You know what Seth and Finn look like from my trial but Ro was still serving overseas so I'm enclosing a picture of him that they let me print out in the library.

Stay Safe Doll,

Dean.

2 years, 326 days ago

Hi Dean!

Those two new guys sound REALLY annoying and they actually call themselves the B - Team? How....strange. The Pastor is being weird and controlling again. I caught him trying to steal one of your letters out of the mailbox before I could get to it, So I bought a post office box. I don't trust him not to try again. I hope this letter finds you as well as you can be under the circumstances and that you enjoyed the newest care package I've included with this letter. It took quite a bit of research to find things that fit the state's requirements.

Talk to you next week

Cassie

Present Day

"AMBROSE!" a guard yelled, "Let's go!"

Dean carefully folded up the worn letter and placed it in the box with the rest of his Doll's letters. 3 years in Statie had gone by quicker then he could have imagined thanks to his beautiful Cassie.

The last thing he could have imagined happening when he'd shown up to a routine roadside assistance call was to come upon an attempted kidnapping but that's exactly what had happened.

*"Randy let go of me!" Dean had jumped out of his truck when he'd realized that the pretty African-American girl was being forced into the fancy sedan parked next to the convertible he'd been sent to retrieve. Looking closer he recognized both Cassandra, the Pastor's daughter, and Randy Orton, the son of Haven's mayor. *

"AMBROSE!" the guard yelled again "Wake up outta Lala Land inmate, don't you want to go home?"

"Course I want out Gallows. Gotta go marry my girl." Dean said with a grin. The prison Grapevine was far-reaching and though not all the guards were as fair or nice to him Gallows and his partner Anderson were old friends of his brother in law and knew the exact circumstances of his incarceration so the two had done their best to make his 'Vacation' at the state penitentiary as trouble free as possible.

"Well then get your shit and let's get you the fuck out of here."

Cassie fiddled with her hair and fidgeted as she waited, she had just gotten a text from Anderson saying that Dean would be out in a few minutes and it was taking everything she had to keep it together. She was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of the door built into the gate opening and the sight of a tall, built man with sandy brown buzzcut hair walking through carrying a box.

This was it, after three years of just letters, phone calls and supervised visits where they couldn't even hold hands, it was time for her and Dean's life together to truly begin.

Dean squinted as bright Florida sunshine blinded him momentarily. Blinking away the spots he looked across the parking lot and froze because sitting on the hood of her bright blue convertible waiting for him was Cassie.

Dean and Cassie stared at each other for an endless moment both unsure of what to do now. They had spent almost the last three years waiting for this moment.

Cassie moved first, hopping off her car and dashing across the parking lot. "DEAN!" She yelled happily.

Dean dropped the box just in time for his future wife to slam into him, wrapping his arms around her waist he picked her up and covered her mouth with his.

Cassie couldn't believe this was really happening, Dean was free, in her arms and currently kissing the absolute daylights out of her.

Finally parting, both panting from lack of air, bright blue eyes stared into chocolate brown for a moment before Dean spoke.

"I love you, Doll" he rasped " I didn't want the first time I said it to be while I was locked up, but goddamn do I fuckin' love you."

"I love you too, Dean." She whispered eyes filling with tears.

Dean nodded, his gaze filled with unspoken emotion and released her to pick up his box of belongings again. "Let's get the fuck outta here doll. I never wanna see this place again."

The two got in her car and started the long drive back to Haven. After a few minutes of silence, Cassie giggled. Dean looked at her quizzically "Cassie?"

"It's just that we've been talking as much as we could for almost three years. Now that we can say whatever we like....its like I don't have to. We know each other." Cassie said through her giggles.

"Your brothers are at the house. They were gonna surprise you but I know how you feel about surprises." She told him.

"They never learn. I just wanted one day just us before the hoard decends. They knew that. That's why they tried to surprise me." Dean grumbled.

Dean looked like he was deep in thought for a moment as they passed an industrial park that had been abandoned years ago and looked like it was still abandoned to this day.

"Pull in here Cassie-girl" Dean stated.

Cassie looked at him questioningly but obeyed and pulled into the park and behind one of the abandoned warehouses. "What are we doing?" She asked as she shut off the car and turned to face him.

"If I have to deal with my brothers for the rest of the day and night...I want some real kisses from my girl first." He said looking at her, the passionate look in Dean's eyes sending a bolt of heat straight to her center.

"Come here babydoll, Daddy has waited long enough."

Cassie debated with herself for about half a second before climbing over the gearshift and into Dean's lap.

"Christ, fuckin' finally." He gasped as her weight settled on his lap and against his already hard cock. "Gimmie that mouth again doll."

Without any more hesitation, the two began kissing passionately, their tongues tangling, Dean's hands pulling at the back of her shirt so he could get to her skin.

Cassie broke the kiss, gasping for air "Daddy, wait for a second." She grabbed the hem of her purple T-shirt and pulled it over her head revealing breasts covered in a lacy low cut purple and black bra.

Dean groaned "Are you trying to get fucked on the hood of this car right now? Cause if you tease Daddy, Babydoll that's exactly what's gonna fuckin' happen."

"But what if that's what I want Daddy? What then?" She said giving him a pseudo-innocent look.

"Open the door and get off me babydoll, You want Daddy's cock? You got it." Dean growled.

Cassie opened the car door and scrambled off him, already heading to the hood of her car. If she was honest with herself she'd been fantasizing about Dean fucking her on the hood of her convertible since the first time she'd set eyes on him, months before that fateful night when he'd saved her from whatever Randy had planned to do.

Dean came up behind her and spanked her ass fast and hard. "2 years, 2 years of Anderson and Gallows sneaking our real letters back and forth so those fuckheads checking letters at the prison couldn't get off on all the dirty, nasty things I wanted to do to my doll."

He reached under the short black skirt she was wearing "No panties? Really, doll?"

"I took them off when I realized we wouldn't get to be alone at the house right away. You told me to pull over before I could show you so we could stop." She gasped as he started to stroke her already soaking pussy.

"Lean forward, hands on the hood babydoll." He commanded, smirking when she obeyed. "That's Daddy's good little girl."

Cassie heard the jingle of Dean's belt buckle and prepared herself to get fucked hard and fast, only to be shocked when she felt her Daddy's mouth on her pussy instead. Dean had dropped to his knees on the pavement behind her.

"Gotta get a taste first, been waiting for so fucking long." He said swirling his tongue around her hard clit before taking it into his mouth and sucking messily.

"Oh fuck, Daddy please!" Dean grinned to himself, he'd made the not so innocent preacher's daughter forget herself enough to curse, something he knew was very, very rare.

"Do you want to come on Daddy's mouth or cock babydoll?" He asked standing as he replaced his mouth with two thick fingers, thrusting them inside and cooking them to hit her G-spot dead on pulling a short loud scream from his beautiful girl.

"Cock, Daddy. Need you inside of me please." She said on a wail as he hit that spot perfectly once more.

"Birth control?" He asked as he finished undoing his jeans and pulled his achingly hard cock out.

"All set Daddy, please, please fuck me." Cassie moaned nearly mindless with pleasure now.

Dean turned her head toward him, kissing her deeply before grabbing her hips and burying his cock inside her with one hard thrust.

Two loud moans, one deep and gravelly, the other high and almost musical filled the air.

"Oh God, finally. Finally fuckin mine in every single way." He growled setting a rapid pace as he reached around and pinched her clit. He knew damn well he wasn't going to last very long and he'd be damned if his girl didn't come on his cock like she wanted to.

Cassie was primed and ready feeling the pleasure coil almost immediately in her belly.

"That's it baby come for Daddy" Dean groaned feeling her pussy begin to spasm. "Shit, fuck!" He damn near screamed as he began to cum inside his girl just as she fell over the edge herself alternating between screaming his actual name and Daddy.

He laid across her back for a moment as they caught their breath before putting themselves back together and continuing the drive home to Haven.

[candicereeves]

(( To many to tag so just gonna tag Main: @centralcitysfinest-rp ))

Standing in the Science Lab of the Waverider, Candice debated on what music to put on while she worked. Just as she was about to ask Gideon for some music, a screen near by flicked to life. Looking over at the screen she immediately recognized the man looking at her.

"Gary, to what do I owe the pleasure? I thought our usual D&D game was postponed for this week, or did I miss it? Time gets confusing." Candice said.

"No this isn't about that Candice. At least not this time around. Besides you threw off the whole campaign last session." Gary commented.

"Huh.. almost like when you sent the Legends off in 1980 London." Candice quipped back. Gary adjusted how glasses and gave an awkward chough.

"Right, well anyway I actually called for a reason. Some coincidence that I happen to call you alone in the science lab right?" He said.

"Little creepy when you put it that way." She said watching him. "You do know that if you're creeping up behind me I have no problem torching your ass right?" Candice said.

"I'm not on the Waverider, at least not yet. See the thing is, we actually need you here at the Time Bureau. See we've noticed the Legends have become rather... Well crowded..." Gary said.

"Still not liking where this is going Gary." Candice said as she watched him. Though she did have to admit, he was a bit right, the Legends were crowded on the Waverider.

"Well the thing is in order to help build bridges between the Legends and the Time Bureau, some of you will be working here, present day Central City. You'll be paid, and of course given normal hours. Sort of a nine to five kind of job." He said with a smile as he explained.

"That sounds so corporate. You do know that I like the Waverider for a lot of reasons." She retorted as she grabbed a nearby piece of tech to work on.

"Candice, we're inviting you to help the Time Bureau with tech." Gary said. Looking over she gave a small curious glance.

"Go on." She commented as she watched him.

"We've noticed the stuff you've made. That pistol alone is closer to Rip's pistol than anything our techs could come up with. Plus our time couriers could use some upgrades. You'll get to take them apart." Gary said.

"Fisrt off the Tesla Pistol is a divergent of Rip's pistol, second you're going to allow me to take apart a time courier so I can upgrade them?" She asked.

"Among building weapons and tech. You'll also be responsible for keeping track of the time map. Might of been thanks to a certain dm explaining how well you kept track of events in our D&D game." Gary boasted.

"Really Gary? You used our D&D game to help convince Ava into giving me access to all of that?" Candice asked.

"Possibly." He replied. Letting out a sigh she looked around the lab. "You still want to stay I know. Candice we need you here. Please help the Time Bureau, your our only hope." Gary said.

"You're not gonna Princesses Leia me. I'm not your Obi-Wan." She said with a sigh. "Look if I'm going to join the Time Bureau, there are a lot of things I need." Candice said.

"A list of demands? Candice I can't promise you will get what you want." Gary said. "I mean if it were up to me I would probably say yes." He added.

"That's cause you're a push over Gary. They aren't demands, you already won me over with the time courier. This is a list of things I need in order to work, and possibly to help whoever else is on my team. Wait who is on the team besides me?" Candice asked as she got sidetracked from her own train of thought.

"Well... Let's see, Rip Hunter will be the leader naturally, You as the team technician, Leo Rivera and Leo Snart as the Field Agents, and someone named Terry McGinnis as a Field Agent and History Consultant." Gary explained.

Candice let out a soft giggle at the fact that the team had two Leos. "Ah yes Team Leo, where you don't know who is who." She joked.

"Candice this is a serious list." Gary said as Candice laughed a bit. "Fia! Focus please!" He said trying to get her to focus.

"I'm sorry Gary, but you have to admit Leo and Leo on the same team is so stupid and funny." She said. Gary let out a sigh as Candice calmed down a bit.

"You had a list of demands you were going to make." Gary said. Candice rolled her eyes as she looked back at the screen.

"Not demands, requests. I need my own lab to work in. Not a small crammed room, I need space to work on multiple projects at once." She explained.

"I think that will get approved, I mean that just seems like a no brainier, but you do know that we won't be able to give you anything to big." Gary said.

"Yeah I know, still nice to have room to spread out. Also this is more for the team than just me, we need a meeting room, something kind of like the study on the Waverider, actually it might be better if I just worked up a floor plan." Candice said.

"This is starting to sound like its own building Candice. Pretty sure we can't get that approved." Gary said.

"Trust me it won't be as bad as you're thinking. Just wait til you see the floor plan. In any case, I am going to need to be allowed to play music while I work. Nothing worse than being bored while working on a project." She said with a groan.

"I'll run it by Director Sharp." Gary said. "Is that all?" He asked.

"Let's see, meeting room, personal science lab, kitchen, library, relaxation room, bathrooms, ability to play music, I think that about covers it." Candice said. "I will miss Gideon though, and the others...." She added with a sigh.

"We can see if there is a way for you to keep in contact with Gideon and the others Candice. If you draft up a floor plan I will see what I can do about making it a reality." Gary said.

"I guess I should pack up my room. Well what little stuff I have here on the Waverider." She commented. Letting out a sigh she looked back at the screen. Candice could feel her heart sink a bit, she loved the Waverider and the adventure that came with it.

"I uh... I guess we'll contact you... At the very least I have your number from when we started playing D&D together." Gary said. Candice gave him a nod before the screen turned off.

Looking around, Candice grabbed a few of her items before heading off to her shared room with Zari. Peeking her head in, she didn't see the other woman. "Guess that makes this easier." She said to herself.

Walking away Candice got Gideon to make her a box to store her stuff in. Packing up what little she had, few extra clothes, couple of books, as well as some tech she had built in the science lab, she set off to leave the Waverider.

"Guess this is bye for now Gideon." Candice said as she stood at the cargo door.

"For now Ms. Reeves, but I am sure we will talk again soon." Gideon replied.

"I know, but some dumb science lab at the Time Bureau is nothing like the Waverider. I just... I don't know felt more at home here." Candice said.

"I know Ms. Reeves." Gideon said. Giving the frame of the doorway a light punch tap, she looked up at the com.

"Guess I will see you around Gideon." Candice said as the Cargo door open. Turning away, Candice left the Waverider. As she walked away, she gave one last glance before watching the ship vanish into thin air as the stealth plates hid the ship from sight.

Giving it a moment of thought, Candice didn't want to head home cause she didn't want to potentially wake Charlie, and heading to S.T.A.R. Labs would be kind of creepy without Cisco being around.

Digging into her pocket she pulled out her breeching device. Pressing the button a portal opened and she jumped through. There was no harm in heading home for a small bit, besides at this moment, Candice kind of wanted to be around her parents.

Jumping through the portal she landed in the near identical spot on her Earth. Taking a deep breath, she looked around to make sure no one had seen her. "Now to head home." She said as she pocketed the breeching device.

Walking into her parents house, she closed the door quietly. Setting the box of stuff down as she walked in, she noticed some lights on. "Hello?" She called out.

"Candice? What are you doing home?" A female voice called from the kitchen. Candice walked in and gave her mom a small smile. "Sweetie, you were just here not to long ago, aren't the Legends going to be upset with you for taking so many vacations?" Her mother asked.

"Yeah this is just for a little while, not a full vacation like last time. Where's dad?" Candice asked as she took a seat at the kitchen table.

"He's working late, but he should be home soon. So. What is wrong dear? The girl you like reject you?" Candice's mom asked.

"Mom!" Candice said like a teenager that was embarrassed. "I just.. I'd rather not talk about that right this moment." Candice said.

"Oh sweetie, come here let me give you a hug." Her mom said as she walked around to hug Candice.

"Ah gross! Mom hugs!" Candice joked as she hugged her mom.

"So what is wrong. Something is up I know it. If it isn't the girl, then it's your new team." Her mom said as she walked over to the fridge.

"Yeah. I'm going to be on a new new team. Still the Legends, but working for this group called The Time Bureau." Candice explained.

"Yet you're not happy with the job are you?" Her mom asked. "Aren't they the ones that trapped you in London?" Her mom asked. Candice gave a nod of confirmation. "So why are you working for them instead of being on the ship?" Her mom asked.

"It's a new way to alleviate the crowdedness of the Waverider as well as build bridges with the Time Bureau. I get to be head tech girl for the team, and helping outfit the Bureau with new stuff." Candice explained.

"I get to do a lot of cool stuff for the bureau. I get to take apart some of their closely guarded tech to help improve it and I get my own lab which is nice since I've always been sharing it with someone. However the Waverider afforded me visits to the unknown and being stuck in the present is going to be boring." Candice said.

"It sounds like a more stable job though. One that would afford you more time with that woman you were telling me about last time." Her mom said with a small smile.

"I know and I can go back to volunteering at the hospital for the kids, I missed that while zooming around on the Waverider." Candice said.

The front door opened and a small sound of someone almost tripping came from the main hall. "Lonnie! Why is there a box of crap in the hallway?" A man's voice called out.

"Ted! That isn't a box of crap, that is Candice's stuff." Her mom called back. Though she did give Candice a parental glare at leaving stuff in the hallway.

"Sorry Dad! I thought you were home when I set that stuff down." Candice called out.

"What are you doing home?" He called out as he closed the door.

"Just needed a place for the night. I'll be back on Earth-1 in the morning." Candice called out. "Here let me come move my stuff before you trip again." Candice said as she got up from the table.

Heading into the hallway, she smiled as she saw her dad. Wrapping her arms around him, it was clear that she caught him off guard. The man gave a soft chuckle before hugging her back.

"Everything okay Candice? This is twice in what? A few weeks?" He asked as Candice pulled away from the hug.

"Yeah, but like I said I'm heading back in the morning, just needed a place to stay for the night, and all my Earth-1 places were just not where I needed to be for tonight." She explained as she grabbed her box of stuff.

"Alright pumpkin, what happened?" He asked her.

"Just got transferred from adventure to a lab. That's all. Mom knows more gonna go put this in my room." Candice said as she headed upstairs.

"Wash up while you're up there! Dinner will be ready in a bit." Her mom called out as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Ugh! The worst!" Candice jokingly called back. Reaching her room, she placed the box on her bed before heading to clean up. She didn't really need to eat, but Candice wasn't going to pass up her mom's cooking.

Heading back downstairs she smiled at her parents. "I'd say I'm starving, but I don't lie." Candice joked. Her mom rolled her eyes a bit.

"Doesn't stop you from eating." Her dad joked.

"Look even a nuclear reactor needs fuel and mom does cook some really good food." Candice said.

Her mom slid a plate in front of Candice with a smile. "I caught your dad up on everything." Her mom said.

"So... I have to ask, what is so bad about the Time Bureau?" Her dad asked.

"Well one they have hated the Legends for a while, even getting us stuck in 1980 London for a short time. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm going to go join the Time Bureau branch, but I'm going to miss being able to zip around time." Candice explained.

"You know you didn't used to need time travel to have adventures Candice." Her mom said.

"Yeah well that is cause I worked with the Flash, got kicked off the team, help stop Reverse Flash, sealed up the world ending breech, came back and helped stop Godspeed." Candice explained. "Even then between vanishing and showing back up I was in a new Earth and learning new things." She added.

"Sweetie, you can always learn new things from a stable job like the one at the Time Bureau." Her mom said.

"I know Mom, it's just... I don't know saving time was fun and different. It was learning more about Earth-1 from actual history instead of reading about it in books." Candice said.

"What's wrong with book?" Her dad interjected.

"Nothing dad. It's just what is better, reading history written by the winner of an event, or living through that event in real time?" She asked.

"Fair point, but still I'm sure there is plenty for you to learn from in books." Her dad said.

"I know dad, just I'm going to miss it is all." Candice said.

"There feels like more you're not telling us." Her mom said.

"The Waverider, and the Legends felt like home away from home. We we're all a bunch of people who didn't fit anywhere and oddly enough fit together like a big weird family." Candice explained.

"And you feel like you're loosing that family by being at the Bureau." Her mom commented.

"Yeah.. a bit.. plus the ship has an A.I. named Gideon and I'm going to miss having her around. I asked the Time Bureau if there would be a way for me to keep in contact with Gideon, but stuff has to be approved and what not so I gave them a list of requests." Candice said.

"Please don't tell me you demanded stuff just cause you hate the group." Her mom said with a sigh.

"Mom! I said requests not demands. I plan on working there I just need some things in order to be efficient, my own space to work of stuff hence my own lab to build and tinker with and the ability to play music while I work." Candice said.

"Music can distract you Candice." Her mom said with a sigh. "Don't expect them to hand over that kind of stuff, they are going to have to justify allowing you that kind of freedom. If it comes down to it they might find someone else." Her mom explained.

"Mom, they need me the Legends can make due, Zari is really good at tech for the Waverider, but I built the Tesla gun after getting a glance of Rip's pistol and my speed force knowledge of how to throw lightning. That kind of engineering skills is not something they are just going to avoid just because I asked for some music and my own space to work." Candice said.

"I hope you're right sweetie, I'd hate for you to not get that job." Her mom said. The rest of the meal, they talked about mindless stuff, how things were since she was last there a week ago.

Once they were finished eating, her dad headed off to bed while Candice stayed and helped her mom clean the dishes. "Candice, are you sure you're alright with the job change?" Her mom asked.

"I mean we've already talked about this, I'm having to leave my family for some corporate job." Candice said. Her mom gave a small chuckle at her.

"It's not going to be a corporate job like you say it is dear. If they truly want you to be the head technician of this new team, it sounds like they hold you in high regards. I know another man that wanted to hire you for a corporate job as well." Her mom commented.

"Yeah, but Wells was impressed by my frozen spiders." Candice said with a smile.

"Please don't remind me of those. Do you know how many times I nearly put them in one of my drinks." Her mom said. "And do not get me started on that pet scorpion you had." She added.

"Look you guys bought me the scorpion, not my fault dad got spooked as smashed him with a hammer." Candice said.

"You left him out of his cage. Of course your father freaked out." Her mom said.

"I know, I just left him for a few seconds so I could go to the bathroom. I didn't really he would of traveled so far." She said. "Though I do have to say I was rather impressed by the scream dad let out." Candice said with an amused smile.

"You're dad couldn't speak for a week cause he damaged his vocal cords." Her mom pointed out.

"I know, and I helped be his voice at work that week remember, you guys pulled me out of school so I could help him." Candice said.

"You know, your dad and I worry about you." Her mom said as she dried off her hands.

"I know Mom, I'm okay I promise. I'm still working on the Multiverse phone thing, that way we can stay in contact more often, but it's been challenging getting it to work. Needs more tests and stuff." Candice explained.

Her mom smiled at her and handed over the hand towel. Candice took them and dried off her hands. "Go get some sleep, you have somewhere to be in the morning." Her mom said.

"Mom..." Candice said with a pouting lip. Her mom stared her down and Candice smiled at her. Wrapping her arms around her mom she let out a content sigh. "I love you." She said before heading up to bed.

Her mom smiled at her and returned the words before heading to bed herself. In the morning, Candice grabbed her box of stuff and headed downstairs. She said her goodbyes to her parents before heading out to find a hidden place to breech.

Jumping through the portal, Candice was once more met with the sounds of Earth-1. Letting out a sigh, she headed home to her place, at least long enough to set down the box of stuff. She couldn't lug that around all day.

[100yearoldcomics]

June 25, 1922 Bringing Up Father by George McManus

TOP PANEL [ID: Jiggs stands around the house, arguing with a parrot in a birdcage hanging from the ceiling while he smokes a cigar. /end] Parrot: Awk! Jiggs: What are you hollerin' about? I can't git out, either!

MAIN COMIC [ID: Jiggs and Dinty Moore sit happily around a makeshift table in someone's backyard, made from a wooden barrel. They lean back in their wooden chairs, Jiggs lighting a match, Dinty already puffing on his cigar. The cook, Casey, walks up to their table. /end] Jiggs: That sure wuz some corned beef an' cabbage you cooked, Casey! Casey: I got lots more! Dinty: Put some up in a tin box fer Jiggs to take home, Casey!

[ID: Jiggs walks happily down the street, carrying a metal lunchbox under his right arm. /end] Jiggs: If I kin sneak this into the house, I'll have a grand feed tonight when Maggie's asleep!

[ID: Jiggs gets home and is greeted in the entryway by a suspicious Maggie. /end] Maggie: Where've you been all morning? I've been waiting an hour for you. We've got to call on the De Jecteds. What's in that package? Jiggs: Books!

[ID: Maggie drags Jiggs along with her outside. He's still carrying the lunchbox and looks terrified. /end] Jiggs: Can't I leave this bundle in the house? Maggie: We haven't got time. Hurry up! Besides, it looks swell to carry books with you. Mr. De Jected is a great scholar!

[ID: Maggie stands with a depressed Jiggs in the foyer of the De Jecteds' house - Mrs. and Mr. De Jected stand in front of them, greeting each other. /end] Maggie: This is my husband. You two ought to have lots to talk about. Mr. Jiggs is crazy about books. Mr. De Jected: Really? We must exchange our views.

[ID: Jiggs follows Mr. De Jected sadly into his library as the man pulls a hardcover book out of a hardwood shelf. A thin black /end] Mr. De Jected: First of all, I must show you this rare set of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Jiggs: I heard that it wuz on the decline, but I didn't know it had fallen!

[ID: The man takes out another book and opens it, standing in the middle of the room to read it. Jiggs stands behind him curiously. A rather large, thin Scottish terrier stands next to him, just as curious. /end] Jiggs: That looks like a book I read once. Mr. De Jected: This is very old. Are you interested in poetry?

[ID: Jiggs reads over the man's shoulder and points to his book. He kicks the dog out of his way. /end] Jiggs: Oh! Yes, I've read that book. Mr. De Jected: Is that so? This is a very old French dictionary!

[ID: Mr. De Jected stands on a small ornate table to reach the top shelf of a bookcase. Jiggs turns, bemused, to his dog. /end] Mr. De Jected: Do you like to read Shakespeare? Jiggs: Oh! Yes, I read every thing he writes as fast as it is published!

[ID: Mr. De Jected shows off another book to Jiggs, who reacts with overjoyed surprise. /end] Mr. De Jected: Here's a quaint book. It's a Greek cook book. I love to read about wonderful dishes although personally, I prefer corned beef and cabbage to the finest ducks! Jiggs: WHAT?

[ID: Jiggs whispers conspiratorially in Mr. De Jected's ear. /end] Mr. De Jected: Really? Jiggs: Sure!!

[ID: They sit together in the kitchen, eating from Jiggs' lunch pail. Even the dog eats some out of a dish on the floor. /end] Mr. De Jected: By Jove, the next time I am out looking for books, I'll call on you!! Jiggs: Yes, an' I'll show you where you kin git some food fer thought.

[royadventures]

february 21st, 2022--10:34pm

previous log

ahh i'm exhausted and i wanna sleep but i have to wait for T to finish showering. her blankets are still wet from being washed and so she'd sleeping in my tiny ass bed with me tonight,,, i can barely sleep in the same room with non-family, let alone squeeze together on a tiny bed so we'll see what happens lol.

today... we left the house at almost 12pm to head to seong... something health centre LOL to get our vaccine certificates! we took the bus for the first time and both felt like we were in a kdrama ;-; it was cute until i got stuck trying to find my T money card to tap off and the door almost closed on me (shout out to the ahjussi who stuck out his foot in front of the door so it wouldn't close!).

we went to starbucks first and T bought some sort of strawberry drink? she used her credit card and it actually gave her the option of paying in cad!! so a 6,400 won drink was $7.62. not bad ! it tasted bomb, too.

we went to 7-eleven and i bought mint choco milk (yes, mint choco milk) and those sandwiches filled with strawberries and cream. the milk tasted like literal melted mint choco ice cream--it was so strong i couldn't have it all at once. the sandwiches was yummo! just wish one of them had more strawberries, heh.

the highlight/focus of today was coex mall! it took an hour to get there; i believe we took line 2 and line 6. at some point, the metro went above ground and crossed han river and i was so <333

also spotted Daehwi!

we ate mcdonald's before we went into the mall because both of our heads were spinning out of hunger! we paid using the machine touch-screen... thing and T was able to use her card again! we bought bulgogi burger happy meals ! they didn't come in a box :c the burger was super slippery because of the bulgogi sauce but it was good! like a teriyaki sauce almost but sweeter? so light!! the fries were unsalted so we had it with ketchup~

i must add, today my basic korean skills came in clutch, yo! i successfully asked where the washroom was and also have learned how to politely say goodbye when you leave a store ^-^ heh heh...

of course we went to the starlight library ^-^ it was smaller in person? but it was really pretty and had an open feel to it.

we then looked around the stores. a lot of places were super expensive so it was a lot of eye shopping, but it's interesting that they accept foreign currencies when you use your card there! there's also an airport, aquarium and theatre in the mall which is pretty cool, but it is a little difficult to navigate. most of the mall is on the first floor, though. upstairs, there's not much to be seen!

we went into a bookstore and they were selling albums! i bought sf9's rumination for ₩15, 000 (quite a steal!) since i was saving buying that album till i got here, but i'm not extremely happy about my pulls T.T i think i just dont like the style of the them? but that's okay!

i also bought a korean poetry book !

we were tired after walking around and decided to head back... but not before making a stop at a sulbing!!! in myeondong,, if that's what it's called T.T

it was a large portion that you definitely have to share but it was so. good. there were frosted flakes at the bottom which somehow just worked so well?? and the condensed milk,, it was good even after it melted!

we also went here, it was across the sulbing, and i think it's the most authentic place we've been to. like literally self serve pickled radish+kimchi+water, tiny but stuffed sith seats, a drawer under the table with cutlery, two old ladies working hard. the price was so good too! around ₩5,000 and you can get a nice warm bowl of something filling. i only had these mini dumplings since i was full, but now i wish i had more 😭

we finally came home after that and now i'm writing on the next morning. T and i were up in my room till 12am just talking. being with her is nice,, she knows how to keep the mood/envrionment good?? and somehow we slept on my tiny bed hehe. i didn't sleep too bad, prolly cause i was so exhausted.

oh, we impulsively bought train tickets for Busan, so we'll be going there this week!

next log

[punkscowardschampions]

Ali & Ro

NYD Catch-up

Ali: *Daintliy throws the tiniest of pebbles at our window 'cos I'm in trouble enough if this goes tits up without also breaking a window* Ropunzel, Ropunzel, let down your hair! Ro: allow me to busily make tea while I loudly quiz Tess and whoever else may be in earshot about their resolutions Ro: I can't believe you're only just getting home! I was going to ask how you're evening was but I think I can guess Ali: You're a 🌟 Ali: We need to fully mind-map and dream-board ours later, I've got so many ideas already but I at least need in on that tea action first, builder's brew please and thank you 😘 Ali: Shh 😉 I've been in bed since 1 💤 like an 😇 Ali: Hehe social media never lies, not mine at least Ali: I'll tell you all about it, whilst Ma tries to tell you she quit the fags years ago, like 🙄 Ali: 💃 Ro: Of course. Well, there has been a kitty there so the universe should stay on our side with that one, hopefully. Ro: Hm yes, if anyone asks you got back before I did, there's not much I can do if social media decides to answer instead though alas Ro: Oh Tess, no offense intended, but truly I'd much rather hear what you have to say Ali: Oh, Bluebs, hope she was alright with the fireworks, I paid Rocky with a selection box to keep her company but bet he was too busy being a hooligan come 12, nutter...but I'm sure she hid herself nicely warming the blankets for us anyway, like 😽 Ali: Did you and Meena have a good time? With all dem 💶💶💶 you can both more than make up for missing the hottest part night of the year, ay Ali: Bless her heart, though perhaps take her pack away from her still, you'll be helping her and, you might need one after I fill you in, like 😉 Ro: I can't tell a lie there was some bribery involved for us too with the older kids. They had me baking and the text advice I received from Tommy wasn't as helpful or coherent as usual Ro: We definitely earned our crusts it has to be said Ro: I think Meena would've liked to join you so you might want to play down the finer details when you fill her in but no complaints here, fussy children aside Ro: I draw the line at that level of trickery, we'd both be caught if I even tried I think Ali: I think its to be expected, babysitter rules are there are no rules, or very few, ESPECIALLY when it comes to sugar 😋 Lucky kiddos, I would kill for a sweet treat rn Ali: Maybe I can push it and see if the old man is any fit state to do a fry-up too, mmm Ali: We should deffo ring Tommo then and be annoyingly loud and cheerful 'cos he always gets hangovers un🍀 🦆y Ali: Payback Ali: Well her brother was there so she wouldn't have been able to have all that much fun, like, I'll be sure to downplay it though, tact is so my strong suit 😏😂 Ro: Oh? You'll be glad to hear then that I had the foresight to make enough cookies to bring a batch home. There's still a few that could be claimed by you if you're quick enough. Ro: I can make no such promises about a proper breakfast but time will tell I suppose, I'd consider it favorable if you work a little of your own magic Ro: You have plenty left don't you? Ro: We'll likely need an actual spell to wake Tommy after all Ali: Faster than a speeding bullet, me Ali: I can climb these drainpipes like nobody else 🐈💪 Ali: I'm sure we could concoct a pepperup potion, getting him to drink it is another kind of magic altogether Ali: even if we settle for calling it an energizer smoothie or something muggle Ro: Perhaps we could say it has lots of biotin that'd make him more inclined for sure Ali: When quiff is life Ali: He truly is sweet 16 Ali: And 15 is looking up for me too, fingers crossed and knock on wood rn, this is gonna be our year, Posy, and that ain't the after-affects still talkin' Ali: Wished on every 🎆 in the sky Ro: Wishing is very powerful so I'm not surprised, I am very intrigued though Ro: Go ahead Ali: I'm in 💚 Ali: 🙃 and now hiding under the covers eeeeeeeeeeeppppp bye Ro: Did Marlene get off work early last night and surprise you? That's so lovely Ali: No, no, no Ali: It's all but ended and it will be if my feeling is correct and reciprocated Ali: We'll be better off as friends, honestly, I can't give her what she wants but I can be there for as a mate so that's what's best, she'll see that given a bit of time, I'm sure of it Ali: That said...do you think I'm a total slag for who did surprise me last night now? 😳🙈 Ro: Oh okay. That makes sense Ro: No Ali, I'd never Ro: Is it someone I know? You've mentioned Meena's brother already... Ali: Oh lordy no 😂 Drew is an alright lad really but no, he's not the sort, definitely would not be reciprocated, he's got half the girls at School after him and he loves that Ali: More power to him but you're getting warmer Ali: you know the lad him and Meena live with, don't you? Caleb Cavante, in my year too Ali: 😍 Ro: I think so? He's always in the music block isn't he? Ro: He smiles a lot. Not in a weird sense though I don't mean that Ali: Oh Ro 😂 you make ME smile Ali: sounds like him, cool hair Ali: obviously, I knew of him before last night but it was just like...right time, right place, you know? Ali: Sounded triter than all the 'new year, new me' posts aren't I? Ro: Not at all Ro: It sounds like a fairy tale and we're treating it as such! Ro: Did you kiss him at the end of the countdown? Ali: Oh no, I forgot to lose a shoe...Typical, on the one night to make throwing dancing shoes aside count! But I suppose he won't have to search the kingdom high and low Ali: Back at School Tuesday Ali: At least this promises to make my weekdays more entertaining at any rate Ali: Mhmm 😊 *Gameshow host voice* BUT THAT'S NOT ALL Ro: What else is there? Did he lose a shoe instead? I dread to think what I'm missing here... Ali: [Improptu selfie with the tattooed finger over her lips like a moustache] Ali: Not saying that trumps 'Facebook Official' but 😎 Ro: !!!! Ro: did Caleb get a tattoo too? Ali: Oh silly me, yeah Ali: [Photo they took together post-tattoo] Ali: Big n Lil dipper, its cute, right? Ro: Oh my god! You better not post these, Tess will kill you, but Ro: I think that's adorable Ro: Did it hurt so much?? Ali: She'll love it Ali: we did it ourselves, on each other Ali: thank god he wasn't really crap, unfair, I'd have to go over it myself 😂 Ali: Not really, doing lil dots like that by hand is probably the most chill way to do it, it really wasn't anything to think about even Ali: I could do one for you, really get the mumbot shorting a circuit 😈 Ro: Really?! Weren't you scared?! I would be. Ro: Ali that's so brave. He must have trusted you and vice versa to such a degree Ro: Only you'd get all of this out of the way before a first date has even happened Ro: No wonder you're so giddy Ali: Nah it's not scary, you can watch next time I do one on me, if you like, see for yourself Ali: Promise it isn't dead gory or anything Ali: I'm thinking of doing a Clitocybe rivulosa, our 👑 achievement in witchery to date, you want in? Ali: Won't show Mum that one forreal, she'd lock us in separate dungeons again 👎💔 Ali: Yeah...it felt good to get that shit out of the way, this way, if he wants to look down at his hand ever again and not be reminded of a bad memory, we'll have to make it good Ali: Clever, non? Everyone will think its ridiculous, I know, but I trust his intentions now, which is more than I can say for any of my previous Ali: Bar Marlene, of course, although technically she didn't set her intentions but not in a malicious way so we're letting it slide Ro: Do you sincerely promise? I'd like to see the whole thing for myself before I make any of my own but Ro: It does sound lovely. I'd be jealous if I wasn't so pleased Ro: No offense to Marlene, oops, I'm getting carried away here Ro: It is happy news though Ro: I mean, a love letter on skin, that's just Ro: It makes me speechless Ali: 🤞 Ali: ❌💚🙏☠💉👁 Ali: Me too, it's catching Ali: It'll be better in the long run, she can find her a wifey Ali: I know, I just- ahh Ali: He just text, asking if I got Home alright Ro: Sorry but this boy is a keeper Ro: that's so gentlemanly it's like we've stepped into Austen Ro: Are you nervous about school? It just sounds so magical and classrooms are so...well, not, aren't they? Ali: Better! He wasn't stand-offish and rude to me at the party, only to be won 'round by my wit, humor and independent spirit Ali: Clearly, he's more clued in and go-with-the-flow than Darcy, a win in anyone's books, even Jane's Ali: Hmm, not particularly, nah Ali: I'm not overly concerned with what other people think, so that won't spoil it, fat chance Ali: and we've always had a certain talent for making the mundane magical, haven't we? Ro: Jane would be spinning! Lydia with all her apparent lack of concerns for 'social conventions' has nothing on you and I have little doubt you'd be overjoyed by whatever 'disgraces' Caleb had in mind Ro: A much better match that anything she'd have conceived no doubt Ro: School seems so far off still but now I really am envious that you've made certain you'll have reason to look forward to it. Very unfair! Ro: The only fly in the ointment, potentially is what Marlene might say, how much are you going to tell her? Ali: 🙊 Ali: I'd be happy to regale you with the night's disgraces but I have even less doubt that you'd rather not hear about those details Ali: You're not trying to tell me you've previously nearly eloped with Caleb yourself though, are you? 🤔 Georgiana Darcy is a pretty good fit for you Ali: Now that would be a scandal worth the gossip 😏 Ali: Perhaps you can join me and make the music block your new haunt for a bit, give the library chance to REALLY miss you, like Ali: Hmm, no doubt she'll say things she'll regret when her pride is less hurt Ali: but they aren't prejudices against my 'fake' sexuality I haven't heard before, from her as well, so 🤷 Ali: I understand why, not that I agree with her. For one, I can attest to the reality, and also, I've not got any issue with experimentation, whatever the outcome but I see her frustration Ali: Serious as she is, about, everything Ali: It'll be okay, if she doesn't want to be my friend then alright, her loss frankly, but I'll always be there for her if she chooses Ro: To be honest, no I would not. It's much too early in the year, and day, for all that Ro: Oh goodness! Flattered as I would be to considered an accomplished woman, I fall short in all necessary regards, least of all the elopement alas Ro: Hm, as much as I both enjoy, and clearly need the practice for that comparison to hold true in any sense, I think I'll leave you to the necessary haunting yourself Ro: True. She's always been very vocal, hasn't she? I can understand if you slightly relish the opportunity to leave her speechless just this once too Ro: And it really would be her loss if she chooses that path to go down anyway Ali: What can I say? I'm an overachiever Ali: Couldn't even help myself, like 😎😂 Ali: No you don't, and you're a year younger, you're well ahead of the curve set and it ain't even necessary for a lady to have pleasant hobbies and talents in our day and age so Ali: You're an overachiever too, that's why I loooooove you 💚 Ali: S'cool though, suppose we don't wanna turn up en masse, put him off his A game, bit rude Ali: It is one of the things I admire about her but less so her dogmatism Ali: No one is always right about everything, even me 😜 Ro: Thanks I suppose Ro: Though I probably shouldn't pass on that wisdom about not always being right to everyone else at the kitchen table Ro: Not if I would like to live to be a year older at any rate Ali: Honestly 🙄 Ali: No wonder they love Marlene so much Ali: Ma is gonna be gutted, no doubt it'll be all my fault Ali: like lowkey but damn, woman, show a little loyalty when your daughter can't 😂 Ro: She'll calm down as long as you keep your gentleman caller away from the door for a while I'm sure Ro: When is the first date set for actually? Oh so exciting! Ali: Yeah, we've both agreed as much Ali: For Lene's sake as much as mother's Ali: Gotta get my house in order Ali: I don't know, ooh, what should we do?! Ro: There's always the open mic if he'd adore being serenaded Ro: Sounds like you'd have time to work on a dedication if not a song Ali: THAT IS A FANTASTIC IDEA Ali: I'll bring out an old classic, best to stick with what I know and am best at for max best impressions Ali: Can always go new and exciting with the outfit 🤩 Ro: Exacty Ro: Your full of good ideas when it comes to that Ro: Oh! We should go donation diving. New year, new clothes to peruse through Ali: Yes! We must we must! Ali: Best time of year for it, ungrateful fuckers binning their unwanted presents Ali: Regift 'em our way 🙏 Ali: Marlene wants to meet up later Ali: Looks like we're doing this today then, ugh, we can hit the charity shops tomorrow maybe? The sales rush shoulda died down a bit at least Ro: That works for me, I'd rather not fight for my faux furs, somewhat defeats the desired purpose Ro: I'll be around if things with Marlene go according to plan, or otherwise and you need to talk it out Ali: Agreed, though I'm down for granny bashing our way to the bargains if needs must Ali: I'll be getting some practice in today, like 🙃 Ali: Thank you though, Posy Ali: Sure it'll be fine Ro: I know it will. You can do this Ro: I can condone that much at least, your shopping behavior less so Ali: 😽 Ali: With you on my side, how could I fail? Ali: She is getting narky though so watch me waltz down the stairs and out again like missed me missed me