#will is a sleepy fella in every universe

[sinclairstarz]

the first rule of fucking whatever

[sonic-oc-showdown]

ROUND 3 BRACKET A

Kaleival belongs to @zepandovski

Ghost belongs to @retrochao

Find out more about them below!

Kaleival:

Kaleival is a chaotic energetic mobian aardwolf! Let's say that they can't stay still in a single place and will bite your ankle if called a shortie [she is short, smol even], she can be a little impatient and stubborn and act before thinking sometimes but still is a caring and attentive fella and friend

She mostly pass her time doing whatever waste her energy, sometimes she will suddenly feel sleepy and lay anywhere to sleep [or simply fall on the ground sleeping]

They have a clown vibe and style! So give any colorful and funky clothes for them and they will certainly wear it

Lil fun fact, due to they being a aardwolf they r a insectivore! They sometimes can be seen snacking on some fried insects :)

Ghost: (image credit @/superemeralds)

"Ghost" is a hedgehog hailing from the southern reaches of Shamar - He has spent most of his life in the desert, with one goal in mind; Raise Enough Rings to travel to Adabat, a more suited location for his best friend, Hapi, the swim chao. Ghost is a bit physically frail, he cannot run or climb, so instead, He sails across the sand dunes searching for Treasure (and adventure!) to the best of his abilities. The treasure he finds is sold back to the people of Shamar - so he spends his time in ancient ruins or being a delivery boy to save up any money he can manage for their dream.

This is, however, prolonged indefinitely; Ghost has a Curse. One that works against him at every turn. The people of Shamar are so afraid of what state the curse turns him into that the town gossip has nicknamed him "The Ghost" or "The Desert Phantom". He is effectively haunted - the curse changed his fur color from brown to white, and its hold on him gets stronger at night or when he is vulnerable/weak. He cannot control what happens during these outbursts.

He is somewhat Solitary, only coming and going when he needs to, but tries his best to be of help or kind to others when they need it. He's a sweetheart, as well as somewhat a dork, but ever since the curse, hes been a lot more stressed and represses a lot of his desires in order to keep it at bay, to prevent him from scaring, or possibly hurting others. He very obviously struggles with this, and tends to be alone more often. He really enjoys others company, though, so its been tough.

He eventually becomes friends with @theknifedance 's Ganymede, a hare who is studying at Spagonia University, abroad in Shamar for Astronomy - Leading Ghost down a new path; letting himself open up to making friends and accept help with his curse.

[aliennopossumm]

day two of @flufftober !

prompt: family, friends, loved ones ship: jleo (joe/cleo) rating: teen and up tags: Domestic Fluff, Sleepy Kisses, Alternate Universe - Human, Lazy Mornings, Not RPF, Trans Male Joe Hills, One Shot, Drabble notes: Cleo uses she/they and Joe uses he/they/zir!

summary: It's been months since Joe and Cleo had moved in together. Joe still appreciates waking up next to her every single morning.

[flyboytracy]

Okay but what if Scott rly was Alan’s dad?

I was gonna post this for Earth & Sky week if I managed to complete it but it’s smol Tracy’s birthday and it’ll probably never see the light of day otherwise so why not :D

I’m always a ho for an AU so here’s one I started over lockdown called ‘Okay but what if Scott really was Alan’s dad’

☆ ⌒ ★ ⌒ ☆ ⌒ ★ ⌒ ☆ ⌒ ★ ⌒ ☆ ☆ ⌒ ★ ⌒ ☆ ⌒ ★ ⌒ ☆ ⌒ ★ ⌒ ☆

Long before International Rescue was a thing, the Tracy boys had lived on a farm in Kansas. It’d belonged to their late mother, God bless her soul, and these days it only grew crop for an environmentally friendly fuel because Tracy money came from technology instead of the earth.

The boys’ famous army father was gone for days at a time and there was plenty of rumours why that was. Mrs Wyatt who lived down the lane from the Tracys said she’d heard the man was alcoholic and probably had been for a long time because his teenaged son had been looking after the rest of them since his poor momma died. She saw them troop past her gate every day on their way to school and back, and then to the park on the weekends when their pa’s jet wasn’t on the drive.

Mr Colton, who lived at number fifty-four said he’d taken his son to the pool at the same time that the Tracy boys had been there without their father as usual. He told Vera that he’d overheard the youngest chattering away to the red-headed one about a rocket he’d called the TV21 until the eldest had overheard and shushed them. According to Mrs Johnson who was friends with Ms Hernandez at the school, Col. Tracy had budding engineers, astronauts and a future Olympic swimmer at the home he never seemed to return to. Instead it was Scott and Virgil who took their brothers to swim meets and galas and even to the Cosmosphere. Ms Hernandez could find nothing to complain about because all four of the Tracy boys grades were above average and threw off the teachers’ bell curves when it came to subjects like science and math.

That Scott boy sure had his hands full with three brothers, his own future and a possibly alcoholic father to look after, so the whole town was surprised when he went and knocked up the Austin girl after being crowned king and queen of their grad ball. Not much ever happened in the backwater towns of the sunflower state so everybody knew about it the morning after the night Pa Austin went round the Tracy’s farmhouse to have it out with the Colonel.

The rumour mill had been on fire for months after that because Mrs Johnson had been having her usual perm when she’d heard Ma Austin tell Shirley all about how her daughter’s boyfriend had been going to leave their small town after graduation. She’d seen the way the Tracy boy cared for his brothers and had expected he’d give up his plans to join the military if he had a kid of his own at home with her.

To the town’s surprise, it turned out that the Colonel was actually a long distance father and not an entirely absent one. Pa Austin had stormed to the farmhouse that night with his shotgun in hand, only to be greeted by a hologram of the great Colonel himself, sat eating dinner on a beach somewhere as his boys ate dinner round a table in Kansas. Austin had gone round with the aim of threatening at least one Tracy with his shotgun but hadn’t got that far because Colonel Jefferson Tracy could still dominate a room from over a thousand miles away.

According to Pa Austin, his fancy hologram was just as tall as the real thing and pretty sober which put paid to Mrs Wyatt’s theory that he was an alcoholic. In fact he was a Big Apple businessman now, and a darn good one at that because by the end of the evening it had been decided that his eldest son would join the GDF as planned and the child would remain with its mother but want for nothing. Tracys took care of their own and Pa Austin said he’d realised that when the colonel’s youngest boy had kept interrupting their conversation to show him trash he’d found in the pond at the park and Tracy hadn’t brushed the youngster off at all.

The big holographic man had promised they’d feed the ducks at the weekend, which meant half the town was hanging around the park come Saturday morning.

The youngest had appeared first, full of joy and enthusiasm that his older brother didn’t share as the red-head was dragged across the grass to the pond. The second eldest was close behind them and had a couple of toy boats in his arms which left the eldest Tracy boy and his father to bring up the rear.

They were deep in conversation when they appeared, the Colonel strolling along easily with his hands behind his back like an old fashioned gentleman. Scott was by his side and gone was the little boy always running to catch up. In his place strode a man and it was rather disappointing really.

The Tracys moved away shortly afterwards. Stan the mailman said he’d seen fancy suits taking pictures of the farmhouse and the Tracys had paid for their mail to be redirected but he couldn’t seem to find an address. The Austins had an address for the Tracys, but they also had a pretty hefty NDA in exchange for a very comfortable lifestyle and weren’t much inclined to break it just to satisfy everyone else’s curiosity.

It all died down after a while and people got bored of watching Sophia get bigger. Her old flame might’ve flown out of the picture but his presence sure was felt around town when Sophia got her own car and fancy place on the Tracy’s dime.  Ms Hernandez said the colonel had insisted Ms Sophia continue her education alongside being a momma to his first grandchild and Shirley heard there was a job at the Tracy’s family business when she wanted to get out of Kansas.

Nothing exciting happened in their little backwater until the day a private jet landed on the main street and Sophia was whisked off to give birth at a very fancy hospital. According to Ma Austin, she had a private room and the colonel had parked his jet on the roof since his son wouldn’t make it back in time for the birth.

They did seem to be a good family, the Tracys, even if they’d disappeared off the face of the earth in the past eight months or so. The only trace anybody could seem to find of them was on the Tracy Industries website where each son had a mention in the CEO’s bio but real information was scarce. They disappeared off Ms Hernandez’s records and there was nothing about them on any government website. Nobody was truly surprised that the Colonel had chosen to disappear because they’d come to realise a few things after reading his bio. For one, the fella was a billionaire several times over and two, he adored those four boys of his more than anything because his words about his achievements had been clinical but the paragraph about each of his sons’ achievements had made old Mrs Johnson cry.

Of course everybody wanted to know what happened but the Austins didn’t have a lot to say. The Colonel was a very nice man who didn’t seem to have taken offence to Ms Austin’s actions. He’d offered her further education and employment instead of the lawsuit most men in his position would’ve filed. There were rumours the fella was working on a top secret project that’d change the world, but in their little backwater there were rumours about everything.

Alan Tracy didn’t pay attention to any of those rumours as he grew up with his momma in a sleepy little town in Kansas. The little boy loved many things including his momma and their house that had a big garden with a tire swing and a sandpit he used to re-enact grandpa landing on Mars. He loved ice cream and going to the park and he even liked Kindergarten ‘cause he got to draw pictures of his family and space.

But what Alan Tracy loved most of all was his daddy. He didn’t get to see him a lot ‘cause he was learning to be a pilot like grandpa, but every Friday evening a fancy car arrived to take him a little way out of town where grandpa’s jet would be waiting to take him to the island for the whole weekend.

Sometimes grandpa flew it but he had lots of meetings around the world so other times he’d see Uncle Virgil through the window and squeal with excitement ‘cause his biggest uncle had the best toys. He was gonna be an engineer and could fix any of Alan’s toys, even the one that failed a moon launch. He had Alan’s undying love ‘cause the little boy could hang from his arm like a monkey and  he had lots of fun stories about his daddy. They were best, best friends and Alan liked to crawl into that big plaid shirt and bug him ‘til Uncle Virg showed him pictures of when daddy was little.

Uncle Virg wasn’t always around though ‘cause he was studying in Denver but that was okay ‘cause Alan had two more uncles to play with. Johnny didn’t really like to play but when he was home he let Alan play with his telescopes and taught him all about space.

Alan loved his daddy but he thought he might love space even more. He loved it when Johnny took him up to the peak of the island in the dark and they sat for an hour to watch for shooting stars. Alan had fallen asleep once on the big fluffy blanket and the best thing of all was when he woke to find daddy had an arm around Johnny’s shoulders and Alan had been drooling on his shirt.

“Hey, sprout.” Daddy had smooched his forehead when he’d noticed bright blue eyes staring up at him with joy, “I love you. John says you’ve been learning about the stars some more.”

“There’s Ursa Major!” Alan had stood up to be able to point out the little pinpricks of light that made up the Ursa Major Constellation and he still hadn’t been taller than his daddy, “Johnny says Ursa’s a big bear like Uncle Virg.”

“Johnny told you that, did he?” his daddy’s laugh had made Alan feel warm right down to his bones and he’d dived for a hug. Impossibly long arms had folded around him and Johnny, drawing them both into the safest place in the universe for so long they missed most of the shooting stars and Johnny made them go away so he could see the rest. Alan didn’t mind ‘cause dad swung him up onto his shoulders and let him get wet on the rocky beach by the villa since it was bath time anyway.

Alan loved Sunday mornings on the island when daddy was home. Alan liked to wake him up by bouncing on the bed ‘cause the sky was awake so they should be too. And then they’d get dressed in matching blue swim shorts and go for a run around the island and if he ran faster than daddy on the home stretch he was allowed to jump into the pool like Superman. Gordon was usually in there by then and kept an eye on Allie doing the doggy paddle in the shallow end whilst daddy went to get breakfast out the fridge. There was something cool that beeped super loud that time he tried to moonwalk on the bottom of the pool like an astronaut and Uncle Virg had dived in like a bowling ball to fish him out. Gordon had laughed a lot but Uncle Virg hadn’t even smiled ‘til daddy gave him one of those hugs that made booboos stop hurting.

Alan really loved his uncles but he loved his daddy most and it was hard to stand on the runway with Uncle Virg to wave goodbye. Uncle Virg didn’t seem to like waving goodbye either so Alan always held his hand to make him feel better and did his best to be like daddy so Uncle Virg wouldn’t miss him too much.

He seemed to end up being more like John as a couple of years passed and everything in his life changed. Grandpa took him to London to get measured for a suit for daddy’s graduation and he didn’t understand why Uncle Virg kept frowning at Gordon for laughing about daddy’s graduation from big school. He asked Uncle Virg what was so funny, and then Grandpa and Grandpa’s weird professor friend who used big words Alan didn’t know yet, but none of them seemed to know and even daddy missed a step when Alan asked him on their way to the fancy dinner Grandpa was hosting at his penthouse in New York for his newly graduated son. Daddy never ever missed anything which was annoying when Alan was trying to get hold of Gordon’s cookies but he’d breathed air the wrong way and Uncle Virg had to thump his back a few times.

Daddy had talked about how cool Alan looked in his little gray suit and Alan had been so happy he’d forgotten about his question ‘til after dinner when they were still at the table and he’d pulled himself onto Grandpa’s knee ‘cause Uncle Virg and Gordon were being loud and he’d been a tired little boy by then. He’d tried one last time to find out what was so funny about daddy’s last graduation and Grandpa had rested his chin atop Allie’s head.

“Your momma and daddy had you after his last graduation.” Grandpa rumbled, “You were quite an unexpected surprise for your daddy, but a welcome one. Gordon likes to remind your daddy about what a big surprise you were.”

“Your daddy was a surprise too, as I recall.” Grandma Tracy was sat with Grandpa and Alan loved visiting her but sometimes she made him cookies and he didn’t love those.

“I love daddy, not cookies.” he mumbled tiredly and fell asleep right there at the table.

That meant he missed the way his Grandpa coughed to quieten his four boys because he had something real important to discuss with them. Scott knew what it was, and Virg had an inkling because it was difficult to disguise underground excavations from a highly skilled engineer. They were sat together with Virgil’s elbow resting on the back of Scott’s chair and blue eyes softened when he realised where Alan had got to.

Alan had managed to sleep through the inaugural meeting of International Rescue and life was never the same again after he woke up.

[xcactusarto]

Heaven Help Me

an Aoyama Yuga x Iida Tenya university au fic

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33615358

Summary:

What would happen if you found out the person that ordered art prints from you is the guy you’ve been interested in and lives 2 dorms away from you?

Poor Aoyama is denying his feelings from all the times boys broke his little heart, but this guy seems different and became even more special after Aoyama finds out this dude is a big fan of his art! Will he deliver the art prints himself or just leave the package at his door?

Chapter 1 -

Yuga Aoyama, a fashion student in the university is living his life only focused on his art and loving himself too much. A blond fella with blue eyes and very fluent in the language of “love” according to him. It’s french. Don’t question him. Every morning starts with him doing his whole routine of washing his face, moisturizing, applying mascara, and a little lip balm. One look in the mirror and a kiss he would blow for himself. He was a pretty fella and a very fashionable one. After that part was done, he now has to choose what to wear which was always tough on him. He struggled for hours if he could and did when it was a day where he wanted to look like a drop-dead diva. However, his dormmate wouldn’t let him go out looking trashy, no no he will give him a piece of his mind. Aoyama looks up at his sleepy roommate and sees he is looking down at him from the top bunk. His blue eyes quickly getting teary and he then starts throwing his arms around.

“BAKUGOU DARLING! I NEED IMMEDIATE HELP! I WILL DIE IF I DON’T HAVE THAT SPARK OF FASHION TODAY! PLEASE HELP POOR LITTLE ME FROM DYING FROM THIS FASHION DISASTER! ”, Aoyama fake cries so his roommate helps him pick an outfit. Aoyama was running out of time and he would die if he couldn’t get an outfit 10 mins before his 7 am class.

Bakugou Katsuki, a blond dude with crimson eyes and a sour attitude. Bakugou is a criminal justice major. You might be questioning how this dude has to room with Aoyama and deal with his shenanigans when Bakugou’s class starts at 12 pm. Bakugou lets out a grunt and turns to not look at Aoyama. Time is ticking and there are 7 mins on the clock before Aoyama’s fashionable death. Aoyama wails and throws himself on the bottom bunk. Before giggling quietly he puts his feet up on the bottom of Bakugou’s bunk. Takes a deep breath because he knows this might be his death. Bakugou had a short temper and would probably beat him up. Which is a lie. Bakugou knows Aoyama’s stomach is so weak that if he was to hit it Aoyama would throw up. He may not look like it, but Bakugou is just a fucking Tsundere. Aoyama then kicks the bottom of Bakugou’s bunk and wails again about how he will “die”. Bakugou bares this tantrum for 3 small seconds before sitting up and screaming at Aoyama from the top bunk.

“YOU FUCKER! FINE! FINE! YOU WIN! YOU SPARKLING BITCH!”, Bakugou then jumps down from the top bunk when there’s clearly a ladder at the foot of his top bunk. Bakugou then shoves Aoyama to their shared closet and sits on the bed. He sighs as Aoyama smiles widely. “Show me. What did you plan to wear today?” Bakugou says as he rubs his eyes. Aoyama then closes the closet doors and with that, a crash, rumbling, and shoving was heard. Bakugou just looks at his phone looking at the time. 6:55 am. Aoyama had 5 minutes left before he had to run to his class, which was 2 mins away from their dorm. Bakugou wasn’t really a fashionable guy, but for some reason, he was able to pick out beautiful outfits for Aoyama when he was forced to. Aoyama often teased Bakugou about changing his major to a fashion design major since he had an eye for that, but Bakugou would deny it and said he wanted to be a “Hero” so criminal justice was more interesting to him.

“Ta-da!”, Aoyama swung the doors open and stood in front of Bakugou. Aoyama stood with his hands on his hips and blinked waiting for Bakugou’s answer. Aoyama’s outfit consisted of a pink sweater crop top, high-waisted black shorts, and knee-high boots or “stompers” as Aoyama calls them. A spark was missing and Bakugou knew this. Bakugou scrunched up his nose and got up to look at Aoyama closely.

“Maybe if you add that diamond necklace you’re so fond of, it might make this outfit look a lil more fancy ”, Bakugou said as he pointed at Aoyama’s desk that besides having a huge mirror his rings, earrings, and necklaces he also had cheese. Bakugou went ahead and grabbed it and told Aoyama to turn around and put it around Aoyama’s neck. Once done Aoyama rushed to the mirror and smiled.

“I adore you Bakugou! You do have an exquisite eye for fashion!” Aoyama says looking at Bakugous reflection. Bakugou’s face slowly turning sour and just looked away.

“C’mon fuck off! You’re gonna be late!” Bakugou said as he shoved Aoyama out the door and giving Aoyama his bookbag that had a lil keychain of a bear head. Aoyama was now in the hallway. Maybe a ‘thank you’ or ‘goodbye’ see you later would be nice for him to say since Bakugou helped him once more. As Aoyama turned to waved goodbye the door was slammed shut on his face by an aggravated and tired Bakugou. Aoyama just chuckled and rushed to class.

On his way to class and running in tall stompers that could break any ankles in a runway. Aoyama’s blond hair flowing in the air and having a phone in hand to see the time. Aoyama looked down at his phone. “Oh nO! I’M GONNA BE LATE!”.

As soon as Aoyama looked up he was now so close to the ground. He wasn’t on the ground, but he wasn’t standing. What kind of cheese witcraft did he create to be floating. Aoyama felt an arm around his waist and as the sun blinded him he couldn’t see who was holding him. As he squinted he saw a guy with glasses and weird eyebrows looking at him. His pink eyes looking directly at him. Blue navy hair and bangs slightly covering his eyes.

"You alright? You should watch where you’re going! You could get hurt”, The guy said to Aoyama as he slowly helped Aoyama straighten up. Ah so our protagonist bumped and now let’s just wait for the cherry blossoms to flow and oh my gosh did you just notice this dude might be Aoyama’s love interest in this whole story? Yes. Aoyama slowly blushed out of embarrassment and apologized for not looking. He might be late, but it would be nice if he could get this guy’s name. He looked at this dude closer.

“Nice boots”, The dude said as he looked up at Aoyama who was staring down so hard at him. This dude was just picking up Aoyama’s stuff and Aoyama just stood there like nothing.

“Those boots remind me of my friend. One boot is pink and one is black. Half and Half”, this dude kept talking and even grabbed Aoyama’s hand to put Aoyama’s phone in his hand. He dropped his phone, bag, the ability to even fucking speak at this point. Let me describe what this dude was wearing so you have an idea of what is going on in Aoyama’s peanut brain. A white turtle neck, a light brown coat, plated brown pants, and brown dress shoes. A whole hunk of a man that had the academia aesthetic. Fashionable.

As if Aoyama was shot by cupid he blushed and looked at him up and down and let out a small thanks. ‘He liked my boots..! MY HALF AND HALF BOOTS!’ is what went through Aoyama’s mind. “Well, you might want to hurry. It’s about to be 7 am”, The guy said as he waved goodbye at Aoyama leaving him behind.

Aoyama stood there dumbfounded. This guy really left Aoyama and now his sensitive tummy had something to say.

“I’m gonna throw up..” Aoyama said clenching his stomach.

Butterflies.

[thiswasinevitableid]

Okay well then!!!! I am very glad and excited to share my most recent idea I had while rereading Yeti Hunting again!! And the new Incubus one too!! They're almost exactly the same idea, just different flavors I suppose. Also Joe is trans in both the ideas but that's less to do with the ideas themself and more to do with just me projecting on him sgfjgsjfhsjdh

Okay so it's like a reverse au so Stern is some kind of cryptid, but as far as Barclay knows they're just two good human friends (but maybe they wanna be a little more than friends...). And then one day Joseph goes into heat and tells Barclay he's sick to try to keep him away, but Barclay being the sweetest man alive goes to his house with fresh soup to take care of him and Joe seems really panicked about Bar being there and tries to make him leave but he is CLEARLY unwell and Barclay is very stubborn when it comes to helping people he cares about and so he plants himself down on the couch and says he's not leaving until Joe tells him what's wrong and Stern tries to hold onto his human form but it's taking too much focus and energy and whoops Barclay finds out his friend not human and currently in distress and so horny it hurts and if he can help his friend and fuck him at the same time, well then that's just a win all around (bonus points if at the end Barclay is kinda sad because he thinks Joe just needed somone to fuck him, not nessacarry Barclay, but Joe frantically assures him that he is SUPER into him and if it were anyone else he would have kicked them the hell out and probably skipped town bc he couldn't trust anyone else with a secret like this).

Or!! (This is where the incubus part comes in) Joe is an incubus and currently hiding out in his human disguise at the Amnesty lodge and it's going fine for a while, but then he starts talking to and getting to know the really hot chef. And they slowly start growing closer and closer. And maybe in this world, the power an Incubus gets from sex depends just as much on their desires as it does the human's. And this has never been an issue for Stern before, but now he's falling for Barclay and wants him and no one else so he's getting less and less energy from his encounters and Barclay is worried about him because he doesn't seem like himself anymore. Almost as if he's... dulled? When Barclay looks at him the blue of his eyes seem muted and his general aura seems... gray. And it all comes to ahead when Joe finally stops insisting he's fine and after dinner one night he asks if he can speak to Barclay privately, and he comes clean about everything and Barclay, while a little shocked, rolls with it very well and cups Joe's face in his hands and kisses him softly and it like,,, you should have come to me sooner, I'd do anything for you,,, and yeah it's really tender,,,,

Okay that's it I'm sorry it's so long and probably incoherent. I tried to use at least little formatting to make it better but it's a tumblr mobile ask, I'm not sure even the new paragraphs will translate over. The general idea is that they're close friends and Stern is Not Human and Barclay finds out under less than ideal circumstances :3 I know these are far from original or unique but I just wanted to share my ideas with you bc you're the inspiration for a good 70% of my private writings, but if you like them enough and ever feel like doing something with them that'd be cool ;3

Here you go! I went with scenario one. Content Note: some “mating” talk and mild subdrop at the end (which is, of course, taken care of)

The two canvas bags are ready to burst. Barclay peers into them, contemplating the addition of another box of tea, in case Joseph doesn’t like the other two. Mama was cagey when he asked, he doesn’t know what’s ailing the other man, only that he’s sick. 

Joseph manages Amnesty Lodge, where Barclays’ been a cook for the last six months. Barclay was initially wary of him; his cosmopolitan bearing and clean-cut appearance is so out of place in the rustic mountain town of Kepler that the logical explanation is he’s one of those city types who fell on hard times and got stuck here. 

It took less than forty-eight hours for him to prove Barclay wrong. Polite and polished, efficient and stunningly good in a crisis, Joseph handles the day to day chaos of the lodge while Mama, the owner, took care of the big picture stuff. His friendly greetings and consistent compliments about Barclays cooking gradually turned to afternoons spent at a table with his work so they could talk during lulls in business. 

When Joseph leaned against the counter, sleeves rolled up, laughing as he helped Barclay tidy the kitchen, the cook rushed headlong into his crush and never looked back. He regularly dreams of blue eyes and a movie-star face, finds his day doesn’t really start until Joseph pokes his head in to say good morning. 

He’s been without that greeting for two days now. Joseph never misses work, and his sudden absence worried Barclay enough that he checked with Mama to be sure the manager was okay.

“Joe’s fine big fella, just under the weather is all.”

The one time Barclay got sick, Joseph brought him tea and soup himself, checked in on him every hour, and--if Barclay’s fever addled brain is to be trusted--fluffed his pillows. It’s the least Barclay can do to drop off snacks and be sure his friend is okay. 

It’s a short drive to cabin Joseph calls home; he used to live at the Lodge, but as it got more crowded, he moved to his own space so those who needed a cheap, safe place to stay could have one. 

His knock on the door is answered by a brisk, “Who is it?”

“Barclay. I, uh, I brought you a get-well gift.”

Joseph opens the door to the cabin and to an entire new universe of fantasies. His normally slicked-back hair falls, relaxed, across his forehead, his loosely tied blue robe shows a tantalizing V of skin, and the dreamy-sleepy expression makes his face even more kissable. 

“Hi.” Joseph takes a step forward, taking the bags and bringing his face achingly close to Barclays’. Then he freezes, reversing into the house, “I, um, it was very sweet of you to bring all this. But you need to go.” He takes another step back, then doubles over with a groan. 

Barclay hurries across the threshold, setting the bags on the floor and steadying him over to the couch.

“Fuck, do you need me to get you like a heat pack, or a puke bucket?”

“No, no I just need to lay down, and for you to g-” he shudders, curling in on himself and tipping sideways. 

“Joseph, you’re really sick, I’m not gonna just leave you here. I mean, fuck, what if it’s your appendix or something?” He sits down next to the shaking man, rubbing his back comfortingly. 

“It’s not, I promise. Oh lord” he whines, looks at Barclay with frantic eyes, “I hope you can keep a secret.”

“Of course I can. Whatever I can do to help, I want to.” 

“Careful with those promises, big guy.” The nickname comes out in a growl as Joseph stands, undoing his wristwatch. 

“Oh FUCK!” Barclay scrambles back, almost falling over the arm of the couch.

There’s a monster where Joseph just was. Years ago Barclay saw a Maned Wolf in a zoo, and he’d swear that’s what he’s looking at now were it not for several glaring issues. First, it’s standing comfortably on two legs. It’s paws are more like hands, able to hold the watch and adjust the collar of its shirt. And he’s never seen a wolf, maned or otherwise, with spines down its back and a whip-like tail.

The creature runs a clawed hand through the fur at the top of it’s head, the way Joseph does when he’s nervous,  “So. I can’t tell you everything, at least not right now. What I can tell you is that this is the form I was born into, somewhere far away from earth.”

“Okay.” Barclays brain grinds like a broken ice machine as a familiar voice speaks to him from a fanged mouth. 

“I, um, I’m what humans call a Chupacabra. To answer the usual questions: no, I’ve never been to Puerto Rico. No, I don’t eat goats. And no, I’m not going to eat you.”

“Okay.” His heart is still racing, but not from fear, which is the most confusing was this could have gone.

Pointed ears flick, worried, “Are you in shock?”

“Kinda, yeah.” He nods as Joseph sits next to him with a heavy sigh. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to find out this way. I took the next few days off to avoid this exact scenario. I figured I wouldn’t see you, but forgot how thoughtful and caring you are.” Claws gently stroke Barclays hair, “my wonderful Barclay.”

He’s about to bring his hand up, cup those strange fingers to his cheek and whisper “always”, when Joseph pulls away. 

“I, I’m sorry. Again. I always get too handsy when I’m in heat. That’s the second worst side-effect, after the fact that being in my disguise is untenable when I’m in the thick of it. It’s like wearing a wet, wool sweater made of nausea.”

“....Hold on, you had to take time off work because you’re horny?” 

“Almost. Heat doesn’t come that often for me, which means whenever it happens, it’s intense. I have a hard time eating or sleeping, I can’t focus, and I spend most of the week masturbating. Which is not as fun as it sounds; I’m not even at the height of the damn thing and last night I humped a pillow on the kitchen floor while dinner reheated.”

Barclay groans, tries to hide it when the ears swivel his way, “Uh, guess I’m glad I brought you lots of food so you remember to eat. Shoulda, uh, put some lube or something in there as well, huh?” 

Joseph chuckles, “My nose tells me you put molasses cookies in there, so I’ll let it slide.”

“There anything else I can do to help?”

“Well…” he shakes his head, “never mind, I can’t ask you to do that.”

“Do what?”

“My heat is more manageable when I have a partner. Fucking someone relieves things more effectively than masturbation does. But I can’t-”

“I can help with that.” The offer is out before his brain catches up with his mouth. 

“Barclay, my kind have a very, um, involved mode of, um, well, I guess you foreplay. As, as much as I’d love for you to be my mate” he winces, “see, that’s what I mean. I say things like that, most of them not even possible given the fact you and I can’t reproduce.” 

“Uh, does it help if I say hearing you call me that is really hot?”

Blue eyes widen, and a tail traces up Barclays leg, “Only if you mean it.”

“I do.”

A narrow, long tongue flicks into the air, “In that case, big guy, how about we have a little planning session over dinner?”

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

Barclay parks in the driveway, next to Josephs’ sedan. He heads past the house and down a short slope to a creek, the twilight sky casting the forest in eerie grey-blue. There’s a tire swing leftover from a previous resident, and he idly pushes it back and forth as he waits for the game to start. 

“It’s like hide and seek” Joseph wipes his mouth, cleans cookie crumbs from the table, “We start outside, move inside, and you go as long as you can without me catching you. After all, I want a mate who can hold his own.”

He stuffs his hands in his jacket pocket to warm them. A yip bounces out from the trees behind him. When he turns, he quickly spots glinting eyes and bared fangs hidden in the undergrowth. 

Sprinting towards the cabin, he realizes Joseph laid a trap for him from the start; by asking him to begin at the creek, he’s forcing him to run uphill to safety, slowing him down. He lets his lizard-brain, concerned only with the fact that something dangerous is chasing him, take over and drive his legs as fast as they’ll go. The back door is locked, he double-checked that on the way down, so he doesn’t waste his time trying it, races to the front of the cabin and slams the door shut just as something huge rounds the corner after him. 

The nob jiggles, his pursuer testing the lock and discovering the thrown deadbolt. Barclay uses those few seconds to secure the windows on the first floor, throws his jacket down into the cellar as a failsafe, and bolts up to the bedroom. His hammering heart insists that locking that door is not enough, so he crawls into the closet and shuts himself up among the meticulously organized shirts and slacks. It’s not enough space for him to stand, so he tucks his knees to his chest and waits. 

“What happens if I, like, completely outsmart you.”

A toothy smile, “I wouldn’t worry about that if I were you.”

Each of the downstairs windows rattle in turn. Then the scratching starts, claws on wood coming closer with each breath. Joseph is climbing the wall up to the bedroom window that Barclay knows for a motherfucking fact he did not secure. 

A shuff as the window slides open, the cryptid landing with remarkable stealth on the bedroom floor. Barclay tracks him by the light coming under the closet door, his mouth covered so his breathing won’t give him away. The shadow pauses, sniffs, and then the bedroom door opens and shuts. Barclay’s not moving until he hears the front door do the same. 

Just as his legs start to protest being smushed up against his chest, the door reopens. Snuffling signals Joseph closing in, and an instant later the only light coming in is from the far ends of the door. Slowly, his last line of defense rolls to the right, revealing the creature crouching on the other side.

“Not a bad effort, big guy. You actually confused me for a minute with the scent trail of your coat downstairs.” Joseph reaches for him and Barclay, remembering that he’s not supposed to give up until he’s pinned, leans away. 

“That’s how my mate wants to play?”

“J-just following your instructions, babe.”

An intrigued purr, “I guess you are. All the more reason you’re the perfect partner for me.”

The words Barclays dreamed of hearing for months distract from the claws closing around his ankles. He lets out an undignified yelp when Joseph pulls his legs straight out and drags him out of the closet. Once he’s free of the forest of clothing, the cryptid picks him up and drops him on the bed. He moans and Joseph snickers, joining him on the bedspread. 

“Fuck, Joseph, no one’s ever been able to do that before and it’s so, so fucking hot.” He arches his back and shifts his limbs to help Joseph undress him.

“It’s because you’re the perfect size; big and strong, large enough to give me a decent cuddle when I’m human, but still small enough to be an easily subdued mate.” He gets the humans’ jeans and boxers off, hesitates, and then tosses them on the floor with a pained expression, “I’ll fold those later.”

“Gonna hold you to that. Also, wanna point out that it wasn’t that easy to subdue me.”

Joseph nuzzles his cheek, claws caressing his thighs, “Barclay, I was jogging while you were sprinting.”

“You coulda caught me right awaAAy ohwhatthefuck.” Tingling heat glides down his throat as Joseph licks a stripe along the skin, “fuck, it, it feels like the time I tried hot wax.”

The cryptid sits up slightly to look at him, “Is that a...good thing?”

“Fuck yeah. I really fucking liked it but it was fucking murder with the chest hair.”

Joseph runs his claws through the hair in question, “I like it.”

“I know, I saw you eyeing me that one time I used the springs at the lodge.”

“You can’t prove anything.” Joseph leans back down, curling his tongue around Barclays left nipple. The sensation makes him buck his hips, which Joseph correctly takes as a signal for more. He moves to the other side, takes his time teasing it and licking down the sensitive center of Barclays chest. Noses his stomach, nips his sides, and slides the alien heat of his tongue into the crease of his thighs. 

“Y’know I, ohfuck, I assumed from all that talk yesterday you’d get right to fucking me.”

Joseph kisses the inside of one thigh, “I, um, I thought about it, almost ripped your jeans to shreds and took you on the floor. But I wanted to be sure you were turned on. You’re not just a warm body, Barclay. You’re my mate. That means your pleasure matters as much as mine.” He licks up Barclays’ cock, hardened from rubbing against the soft fur of his belly, and sighs, “and what a mate.”

“Fuck” he squeezes his eyes closed because if we watches that mouth saying everything he wants to hear in between sucking his dick, he’ll cum in ten seconds flat. 

A final lick to the tip and then Joseph hops off the bed, “Did you prep the way I told you?”

“Uhhuh.” 

“Good.” Joseph returns, sets several items he can’t see by his feet, “that’ll make things easier. First things first” he produces a cock cage, sliding it into place, “these are a few things I smuggled over from my original home. This is enchanted, so it can go on an erect cock but still prevent the wearer from cumming until it’s removed.”

“That’s just cruel, babe.” He sits up on his elbows to kiss Josephs snout, earning him a pleased yip. 

“If you cum too fast, I won’t be able to properly breed you.” He winces again, “sorry, I sound like one of Indrids romance novels.”

“Again, gorgeous, I find it really fucking hot.”

The spines on Joseph’s back ripple, “You think I’m gorgeous? Like this?”

“I do. Also kinda scary, but in a hot way.” Now it’s his turn to cringe, “see? I sound like cheap porn written by an eighth grader when I’m horny. The way you sound is fine.”

Joseph lovebites his ear, then retrieves the other two items from the end of the bed. 

“And how does this look, big guy?”

“Like it’s either going to kill me or make me cum like a dozen times.” He furrows his brow at the strap-on. It’s narrower than the average human dick, with a pointed, slightly up-curved tip. What’s worrying him are the spikes. 

The entire shaft is coated in short protrusions. They don’t end in points, thank god, but if they’re at all stiff this is going to be miserable. 

“Here” Joseph waves him over, “touch it.” He guides his fingers along one side and the spines bend fluidly under his touch, and now all he wants to know is how they feel inside him. Joseph also moans, bucking his hips so the toy slides along Barclays palm.

“It’s, ohlord, also enchanted so that the wearer feels it as an extension of their body and can cum with it. Also, please decide in the next thirty seconds whether you want to be on your back or your stomach.” Amber pre-cum drips down Barclay’s fingers. 

“Stomach is better for meWHOAH, ohfuck, okay we’re doing this.” Now flipped on his belly, he raises his ass. The cryptid kneads it appreciatively before holding it open and sliding his cock in with once, graceful thrust. 

He bottoms out with a groan, which is more articulate than Barclay is managing to be as the spines rub and glide inside him, finding every patch of nerves, every angle to drag against in just the right way. Joseph hauls him onto his knees and then he’s off, growls and yips filling the as he fucks him. Barclay only just registers the bed banging into the wall so forcefully the headboard is cracking when claws sink into his hips and Joseph pulls him all the way onto his cock and pulses into him. 

“Holy fuck that was fast.”

“I, I didn’t jack off once today. Didn’t want to waste it, wanted to save it all for my perfect mate.” He’s thrusting again, not as hard but twice as fast, “shit, you feel so good, big guy, please tell me Mama okayed your time off for tomorrow.”

“Wh-why are we talkingAHnnn, about this now?”

Hot breath tickles his ear, “Because now that I know what’s like to cum in you, I don’t plan on cumming anywhere else for the next day and a half.”

“Ohfuckme” Barclay groans happily into the pillows as Joseph empties into him, cries out when his tail whips across his calf.

“Shit, did that hurt?”

“No, no it felt good, fucking-A babe every fucking part of you is amazing.”

The cryptid whines, pleased, and wiggles his hips, giving Barclay an idea. 

“That’s, uh, that’s why I want you for my mate, because you’re so fucking goo-mmph” his face presses harder into the pillows as Joseph pins his shoulders down and fucks into him, snarling “yes” over and over again. When he finishes this time he hunches over, nipping Barclay’ shoulders and neck. 

“You catch on quick, big guy.”

“Thanks, babe. Uh, are we gonna switch it up at any point or am I staying like this until tomorrow night?”

“No, we can fuck however we want. After” a fuzzy hand rubs circles on Barclay’s abdomen, “I’ve cum in you enough times that I can feel it from out here.”

Barclay moans, tightening around him as his hips snap once more, already imagining being full and fucked out. Maybe it’ll take all night. He’ll be limp if it does, but right now nothing sounds better than melting into the bed while Joseph fucks his ass like it belongs to him. 

After forty-five minutes, his cock is aching, his mind holds only thoughts of how good it feels to do as Joseph tells him, and he’s been cum in so many times that wet, obscene sounds accompany the cryptids thrusts. Said sounds pale in comparison to Josephs’ voice, which is spinning increasingly impossible scenarios the longer they’re in bed. 

“I hope they take after you.” Joseph murmurs. 

Barclay just manages to turn his head, “Who?”

A muzzle playfully nudges his cheek, “Our kids.”

His heart seizes and shakes at the words; they both know that’s not what will happen. Joseph warned him he might say things like this, said he could tell him to knock it off if need be. 

“Maybe they’ll, ahnn, they’ll have big, beautiful brown eyes and bigger hearts, just like you.”

He doesn’t want him to stop. Every thrust hits deeper, every point where their skin meets buzzes brighter when he talks like this.

“H-hope at least one looks like you, blue eyes.”

A guttural whine, tingling heat as Joseph laps tenderly at the back of his neck, “We’ll just have to see, usually we’re born in threes so, soOH, oh I’m close, shitshit” 

“That’s it babe, fill me up, c’mon, c’mon I want it so bad, Joseph, baby, please.” 

There’s a howltrill as cum spurts into him, Joseph panting as he smooths his hand around Barclays side.

“There, that’s done it.”

Barclay whimpers as he pulls out, his mind and body pulled tight, certain that if he doesn’t cum soon he’ll propose marriage instead and that’ll be a fucking disaster. 

Joseph carefully rolls him over and unlocks the cage, “Do you want to cum?”

“More than anything. Oh!” he’s unprepared for Joseph to sink down on his cock, “oh fuck, yeah, wanna cum so bad babe please, I’ll be so good, be such a good mate if you just let me cum in y-fuuuck” A trio of sensations levels him as he climaxes; his vision whites out, his hips jerk more violently than they ever have before, and a line of cum drips down his leg. 

Somewhere far away, Joseph says, “I think we’ve earned a break.”

He nods, body limp as the cryptid climbs off him. Then he’s falling, spinning helplessly down in a pit of realizations. 

Joseph didn’t mean any of those things he said. His friend needed a mate and Barclay, lovesick fool he is, was eager for a chance to play pretend that he didn’t think about what would happen when the game ended. Even if Joseph keeps him here through tomorrow, the next time they meet at the Lodge he’ll act like nothing happened. 

Fuck, Barclay didn’t even get to kiss him during all this, and now he’ll never get the chance, never, nevernever-

“Shit, I should have put a towel or a spare blanket down. Now I’ll have to strip the bed before I can--Barclay? Oh, oh baby, what’s wrong?” A hand pets his face and he turns away from it, refusing to open his eyes. Joseph takes his hand instead, “it’s okay, I’m here, whatever you need I’ll-”

“Don’t. Don’t say that. You can’t give me what I need, it isn’t your fault I, I know I’m not really your partner and I, I…” he sniffles, wipes his palm under his eye. 

“Barclay, look at me please.”

Reluctantly, he opens his eyes just in time to see Joseph dip down and kiss him. It’s awkward, their mouths not made to fit together, but he savors it all the same because it’s Joseph, his Joseph, kissing him like he hoped he would. 

“My heat can make me say some ridiculous things. What it can’t do is make me feel affection where none exists. In fact, the reason I wasn’t able to keep my disguise on yesterday is because being near you meant being near the mate I wanted most in the world. I, um, suspected you might share my feelings, but I didn’t want our first interaction as boyfriend to be me asking if you wanted to spend a day or so with me while I was in a sex haze. But then you offered to help, and I wanted it so badly that I barreled ahead without making sure you understood that this was me declaring my feelings. I’m sorry.”

Barclay climbs into his lap, not caring about the mess he makes in the process. The cryptid laughs, hugs him close.

“I, I shoulda said something sooner too. Not that I regret how we spent our first date.” He kisses Josephs chin.

“Me neither, though I don’t think it quite counts.” He rubs their foreheads together, “can your boyfriend take you out to dinner on Friday?”

Barclay grins, looks into loving, blue eyes, “Yeah, he can.”

[creaturecarnival]

Gogomaggedon Part 3

Hey, It’s Gogo’s Time, Motherf*ckers! (That’s my slogan pitch for Gogo’s edgy new reboot for the 12-18 age range.) Anyway, here’s the review.

[Part 1] [Part 2]

Name: Ichiro

Description:  Don't stare into his eyes. You'll be overcome by his great mental power.

Ability: Dagger Eyes

With a description like that, it sounds like Ichiro is kind of an asshole! But y’know, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt here, maybe it’s like a Cyclops thing, and he can’t help the effects of his weird eye-powers. But then couldn’t he just... wear some sunglasses or something…? Whatever. He certainly doesn’t look remorseful for his brain crimes, as his only facial feature is a pair of eyes and a furrowed brow. Pretty basic, but still manages to look cool.

3.5/5

He also gets a Most Wanted form, which I’ve never particularly liked, but never really disliked either. However, I did just now notice that they painted on teensy cloven hooves, which is pretty adorable. His fangly grin is also endearing, and overall, he’s a good imp fella.

4/5

Name: Chiru

Description: The moon reflects in his eyes when he's sleepy.

Ability: Counting Sheep

Mmh. Hard pass. The face is positioned too weirdly high up on the head for me to find it cute, and this kind of design isn’t really my thing.

2/5

Name: Nuclos

Description: Absorbs pollution and leaves the air really clean.

Ability: Pollution-Reduction

I always liked Nuclos when I was a kid. I mean, I think we can all agree that gas masks are pretty universally badass-looking. Out of context glorification of a product of one of the most horrifying events in human history aside, Nuclos is a real stand-up guy in his free time, and his design reminds me a lot of a Snifit.

3.5/5

Name: Nuchan

Description: Serious and thoughtful. He acts like the chief Gogo.

Ability: Action Planning

This is basically just Nuclos with different, more abstract markings on the mask. Not bad, though. I think I actually like the wistful, almost sorrowful look on Nuchan’s face better than Nuclos’s relatively standard gas mask look.

4/5

Name: Boy

Description: The best blindfolded runner. He never falls over.

Ability: Sensory Space Radar

Underwear headass. As a kid, I always thought that was a pair of underwear and just sort of accepted it, but apparently it’s a blindfold. I still only see underwear, though. He’s nice to look at even if he’s just got his (or maybe someone else’s 😳) got dam undies on his head 24/7.

3/5

Name: Om-Poh

Description: Uses spells to play better. Sometimes it works.

Ability: Multiple Faces

Oh? Multiple faces, you say? I don’t see them, but okay Gogo’s Crazy Bones, whatever you say! I kind of forgot I was supposed to be talking about how these are evolutions to the Series 1 guys, but it honestly gets so nonsensical and is referenced so little that it’s kind of pointless to do for every one. Like, I guess Boy just sort of turned into some ancient stone-faced carving? I guess I gotta hand it to Gogo’s for making some truly Crazy Bones.

3/5

Name: Neko

Description: Uses its body to protect the other Gogos from fire.

Ability: Flame Catcher

Is fire really that big of a problem for Gogos? That seems like a very specific ability, but I suppose most of these are, aren’t they? I like how the arms curve upward to form the silhouette of a flame, which makes it look like it’s doing the Caramelldansen. And... God damn. That mouth. It’s like… I don’t know. A fucking porkchop.

3/5

Name: Nebub

Description: Concentrates the water supply to put out any fire.

Ability: Firefighting

So the entire composition of Neko’s body has changed to water, but it still just. Really wants to fight fires. I definitely prefer it over Neko, and find the curious, cat-like eyes a lot more endearing. I do wonder why they chose not to cast it in the translucent plastic, though! It seems like it would fit thematically pretty nicely, but oh well.

4/5

Name: Hazard

Description: When faced with danger, it just grits its teeth and carries on.

Ability: Courage

Another white-tummied friend, Hazard is another mascot-level Gogo with a lot of personality for its simple design. Those three lines at the bottom of the teeth are definitely an interesting addition, and personally remind me of a cookie cutter shark’s teeth! With a name like Hazard, I would’ve assumed the description to include something about what it’s able to do with those chompers and how, I dunno, hazardous they are? But no, apparently that’s a snarl of determination! The only hazard here is Hazard’s perseverance! Keep on truckin’, babey!

3.5/5

Hazard’s wanted design is one of my ultimate favorites. I love the harlequin-style red/yellow patterning, I love the face-in-a-void face, and I love the white tummy holdover from vanilla Hazard’s design!

5/5

Name: Hazer

Description: His game style is funny and he goes crazy watching others play.

Ability: Unintentional Humour

Holy shit I love that description. Oh my god. I can only imagine what the hell it’s supposed to mean and I’m really enjoying it. Like. Does he just cheer wildly and generally freak the fuck out? Who knows, but I’m betting whatever it entails, it’s Gir-like in nature. Visually, Hazer resembles a nervous little dog in a parka, which is just perfect. I love you Hazer.

5/5

That’s all for part 3! Thanks for reading!

[sodawithcereal]

Part 3: Full House

Part 1 ┃ Part 2

A family of animal lovers alright. They have a stable with goats, chickens and even ducks in the lake. Anyway, Eddie being late caused Mrs. Mason to worry about him. That even though he is a grave keeper he is still a child above all else. Eddie sounds like a broken record at this point and tells her that it’s ok because he likes graves and he is fine. He tells her about the ghost he encountered by the tool shed but mama Mason doesn’t believe in ghosts and tells him to stop saying strange things. She then tells him to go inside the house and to take off the mask. 

Eddie being a stubborn little fella, will not listen to his mother and keeps the mask on, he does not seem to mind having it on. That is the official mask of a grave keeper and he is quite proud of it. He gives in and finally takes it off. He forgets to take off his gloves but leaves them on anyway. His gloves have been overused and wonders if he should get new ones. He’s really happy that he was praised for his hard work today and is sure his dad will buy him a new pair. We are now able to walk freely and have the opportunity to explore his room. The bed is not interactive so no sleepy time for Eddie yet. He has a bunch of papers laying around and uses those to study. He also has various books (most likely about graves). The pile of junk to the bottom left are stone samples. There’s not much interaction in the room so we headed out only to find Carl on the hallway. 

The doors have the grave keeper mask symbol and name plates right below (is that a thing in the Satsu universe?). There’s also holes on the wall next to the door. Could that room belong to Albert? There’s also an empty bird cage and an owl on top of a shelf. When interacting with Carl, Eddie asks what is wrong and he replies that the owl flew from his cage and will not come down. Even with Eddie calling out to him the owl refuses to leave that spot. Carl says its ok and we are able to leave. Before heading downstairs, I went ahead and checked on the door again (the one with the holes) and it is indeed Albert’s room. He goes on describing that the holes on the wall were caused by Albert’s rampage. 

After heading downstairs we can see that Eddie’s house has been turned into a mini Zoo. There’s animals everywhere and I mean everywhere. There’s even multiple squirrels and lizards on the wall. We are greeted by one of the family dogs and energetic George who wants to stay up and play all night. In case you’re wondering, there’s no music here, only the sound of the clock. Almost everything in the room is interactive. The books on the shelf next to the fish tank are (you guessed it) about tombs, ect. According to Eddie, mom and dad’s voices can be heard up ahead. Before heading there, I went to explore the room to the right.

It’s a storage area for the masks & gloves. There’s also an empty animal cage and explosives are neatly placed on the top right shelf. Nothing else to do here so lets move on. Back to the living room, I tried going through the door on the bottom left only find out that it leads outside and mother will get angry if we do so. We are left with no choice but to go through the top right door which leads to the kitchen. There’s seasonings and alcohol on the shelves. Bread for breakfast is already placed on the table smelling nice and delicious. Kitchen utensils and tableware can also be found (it’s a kitchen, duh). Lets eavesdrop on mom and dad, shall we? The topic of conversation is Albert's behavior. Mother is concerned but father tells her not to worry about it. Mother tells him that he should worry after Albert went on a rampage breaking part of the wall next to his room and she starts crying. Father comforts her and tells her not to cry. Albert is a violent person, he has hurt and killed some of the family animals in the past and that hurts mother’s feelings. Father tells her that he is the oldest son and has to take responsibility (he will someday inherit the family business), father will be keeping firm watch over him. Mother seems to have calm down now and father tells her that he has faith in Albert and that he too can be become a great grave keeper.

I gained control of Eddie and try to talk with the Masons only to have father yell at me. Eddie tries to play it off as if he just got there and proceeds to talk about his damaged gloves. Father praises Eddie once more for being a hard worker and that makes him happy. There are gloves that appear to have been passed down from brother to brother. Albert’s gloves have been passed down to Carl (hand me downs) and that Eddie can now have Carl’s gloves. Mother tells him she will make new ones....but not for him. It’s best to receive the ones from Carl. Eddie seems a bit disappointed but gives in and says he will give his to George. Father reminds him that they’re not wealthy people and hopes he understands. All the excitement he felt before vanished after that. 

❈ The post is getting too long so I’ll end part 3 here. Eddie’s theme song should be the I’m Fine song (especially during the chorus and Suga’s rap). He says it so many times in the game. Could you blame him though? He just doesn’t want to worry his family. A special thanks to those who support and encouraged me even with my extremely broken Japanese. You guys are awesome and I appreciate every single one of you.

[parkeur-blog1]

daydream, night watch

⇢ summary: peter parker was never good with words nor actions, but when he first sees you he knows—deep inside his heart—that he just can’t let you go.

⇢ pairing: peter parker / fem!reader

⇢ genre: romance, fluff, slightly florist!reader

⇢ w.c.: 2.7k

⇢ warnings: mild language (but not so much, just lil bit) and maybe minor embarrassment      

a/n: hello there fellas! this is my first post ever here on this blog so i really hope you who’re reading this piece of work enjoy my story :) requests are welcomed too!!

First encounters are not always very magical, neither are they like we dreamt.

When Peter Parker first landed his eyes on the hysterical form of you, there were paper sheets flying over the wind and a very frustrated body running from one side to other of the street, gauchely trying to gather as much documents as your hands could hold—and to be at least honest, you could not pick even three of them. You wheezed, annoyed by the fact that your chemistry essay was vanishing from your vision and traveling to a place very far away from where you were.

That, you thought, was my only salvation. Without that piece of work you would probably fail the subject—considering that the essay was a component for the last test you’d to take (to be exact: 40% of your mark depended on that stupid assignment). You sighed; you’d have to manage the entire night for that, making the whole thing again.

Peter shifted the weight of his body and gulped—Ned rolled his eyes, completely aware of his friend’s new-born platonic love—he peeks a paper close to where he was standing, and with all courage he had ever had inside his physique Peter took his way to you. To Ned’s eyes his actions were clumsy and his words sounded like whisper and made no sense at all. He remembered how Peter had been when Liz was still around and how he had heart eyes over her—it was annoying.

Ned called Peter once, warning him to just let the thing go, after all they still had to go to class, but the brunette boy simply ignored his friend’s cries.

Peter touched your shoulder. “Hum, excuse me.”

You turned your body to face him. “Ah, yes?”

“I guess,” he said, stuttering “I guess this belongs to you” Peter handed you the paper.

“Thank you” you gave him the sweetest smile you could.

You didn’t know, but Peter Parker melted under you gaze, completely amused by the beautiful sight of you and your smile. He had never seen you before that day, but he’s utterly sure you were the most gorgeous girl in the universe; not only because your eyes were almost closed when you smiled, neither because your perfume was a mixture of lilies and mint—which made Peter feel a little dizzy due to the dulcet scent—but yet because you showed him the purest reaction he had ever expected.

It didn’t take much, though, for you to perceive some hesitancy coming from him. The boy in front of you had locked his eyes with yours for a moment, and then the silent had paired. After that, he’d coughed and gulped repeatedly; he’d rubbed his hands and slid them inside his pockets, then had taken them out and massaged the back of his neck. He’s so embarrassed, you noticed, but there was no reason to be. Now, with the funny scene before you, the only thing you could possibly do was chuckle.

The brunette widened his eyes and watched you laughing at his posture. He turned his head to his friend, who was starting to giggle too.

You took a deep breath. “What’s your name?”

He blinked once and then twice, not believing you really asked that question.

The boy cleared his throat. “It’s Parker,” he coughed “I mean, Peter Parker.”

“Well Peter Parker,” you winked “nice to meet you.”

Peter nervously grinned; his words were stuck on his gullet, willing to slip out of his mouth and yell to the world that love at first sight was indeed real, but all he did was keep his lips glued. To your eyes, he was completely uncomfortable with the entire situation—maybe he just wasn’t very good with conversations, or when it comes to girls he was always unprepared—so you slightly shrugged your shoulders and

“So,” you said “I better get going.”

He really wanted to hold your wrist and stop you from leaving, but all he did was follow you with his eyes, watching you go away and then vanish in the crowd of people. He foolishly smiled, already memorizing all your features and your delicate gestures. Ned stepped closer and called Peter’s name, finally bringing him back to reality.

“She was pretty,” he said.

“I know right” Peter agreed.

“Yeah,” Ned touched his friend’s shoulder and “but you didn’t ask for her name, dumbass.”

“Oh, man”

And that was enough to darken Peter’s entire day. He kept running the previous encounter inside his mind, trying the best he could to remember every single thing from the place where he met you—the coffee shop, the floristry, all the buildings and some houses. Ned told him to stop because it’d be so much in vain doing all that effort to find just a girl, but Peter ignored his friend once again.

It’s not just a girl; it was a girl who made his heart almost burst out of his chest.

He sat down on his chair inside the classroom—the next subject was physics so he was pretty comfortable with just driving his attention to anything else but the teacher. Peter rested his head in one of his hands and tapped his fingers on top of the desk; the noise following the pace of his thoughts.

It was so odd. He had never felt that way before; so desperate. He swallowed his saliva like it was poison, the liquid burning his throat all the way down—Peter Parker felt impotent. Not even his powers would bring you back to his vision; not even his powers would make you appear in front of him again. From once he wished he could go back in time and just make a question as simple as ‘what’s your name’, and then maybe he would not be feeling so regretful.

Truth to be said, he should not feel regretful at all. You did not know him, he did not know you.

Regardless, he still felt the necessity of having you around.

Ned tried his best to light Peter’s mood up, saying all sort of nonsenses to make his friend chuckle or at least smile; though it was in vain, he kept doing whatever he could to transform the disappointed expression on Peter’s face into something more…joyful.

Worthless.

The school day became a burden (it’s already, but especially that day it felt like ton on Peter’s shoulders), and when the bell finally rang Peter sensed the easiness filling his chest. He lazily walked home, not as excited to reach his room as he’d always be. All the way he had his earphones immersed in his ears, fulfilling his audition with his favorite songs and beats; he tapped his hands on his thighs following the music’s rhythm. He didn’t even bothered throwing web on the buildings and flying back home—no, he was too exhausted for that—but for once, he forgot how stupid he had been earlier on that day.

However, when he finally laid down on his bed all he could think about was you. 

“Peter,” Ned whispered “I said I’d be your guy in the chair, not your guy who spends the night awake watching an empty street”

Peter sighed. “I know, Ned,” he said; the blame completely visible in his voice tone “I know.”

“Look,” Ned wheezed “we’d never seen that girl before, I am pretty sure it’s pure coincidence. There’s no need for us to be here the entire night—like we were psychos—guarding this dark and terrifying street.”

“Ned, I—”

“Peter, shouldn’t you be, like, webbing people or something?” Ned asked and it’s pretty much clear that he was already annoyed. “I mean, did you forget you’re Spider-Man?”

“Shit, Ned, no!” Peter shouts “I mean,” now he whispers “can you be louder? It’s just—”

“Shush” Ned said “I’m starting an idiot jar. Any time you do or say anything idiotic, you have to put at least a dollar in it—more depending on how stupid the thing that you said or did was. Because” he wheezed “you must be really really idiot to fall in love so easily.”

“You have no words,” Ned sighed, shook his head and continued “I am doing this for once because I know how bothered you’ve been. But after this you should give up, it’s not like she’s the only girl in the world.”

Peter knew; he was fully conscious of that assumption. You were not the only girl in the world—but still, he couldn’t take you out of his mind not even for a second. He yawned and blinked his eyes for ninth times; he and Ned had been there since the beginning of the evening, the sleepiness reaching out for him like a positive polo of a magnet reaches out for the negative one. The worst part of it all: he knew he wouldn’t endure much longer.

The best part: Ned would probably wake him up. Or he thought so.

They both rested their bodies on a bench; Ned’s head leaning on Peter’s shoulders, and Peter’s head leaning on Ned’s. The cold air was freezing and it could snow in any moment, but Peter found it very refreshing—a new different feeling.

He’d been searching for you for dear life; jumping from building to building peeking girls with the same body shape, same hair color and same anything he could find. Similarities could bring you back to his sight, he’d say, so Peter kept his hopes high bringing his stamina to nearly 0% every single day. And a week passed by, then two weeks passed by—and soon a month since he had met you and Peter had nothing but your image in his mind. He hissed and hissed about it, not believing you could simply disappear.

So the last drop of belief he had was patrol the night. Exactly where you met him. Exactly in front of the flower shop.

Ned endlessly protested about it—and he would forever do it—because he was sure Peter would forget you soon, but for his despair it hadn’t happened. In the end, reluctantly, Ned stood by his friend’s side, immersing his hands inside his warm pockets and shrinking his neck as much as he could, causing it to be completely englobed by his scarf. He felt his eyelids heavy and before he could blink, Ned was already in deep sleep.

Peter only knew his friend had fallen asleep when the boy snored. He had never paid much attention on it, but now the sound of Ned’s growls caused him to giggle—and then the giggle became another yawn, and then Peter knew he was reaching his limit.

And, for his happiness, it’s already Sunday—and that meant I don’t need to worry with neither waking up early nor school. With the last drop of energy left, Peter straightened up his body, giving Ned as much comfort as he could, and then he fell asleep himself.

You, on the other hand, were completely worried with time. Sundays were not the correct synonym for resting and at 6AM you had your sneakers on and a very comfy hoodie covering up your torso. Slowly, you stepped out of home and walked your way to the floristry where you worked—you had this part-time job there, and once in a while they asked you to work on Sundays too—listening to your favorite playlist. You’d dance a bit following the song’s rhythm, but soon stop because it’s too weird to be so happy in a Sunday morning.

When you reached your workplace your pace slowed down and you held the front door’s key in your hand; you were excited—and that was so uncommon—that you didn’t even notice two sleepy bodies on a bench just feet away from the flower shop.

It’s around eleven o’clock in the morning when your boss touched your shoulder and gave you an odd look.

“What?” You tilted your head.

“Those two,” he pointed a finger to two boys, outside the floristry, sleeping “they’ve been here since—I don’t know since when to be exact.”

“Do you want me to call the police?”

“No,” your boss violently shook his head “maybe they’re homeless, they must eat.”

“So,” you began “you want me to buy them something to eat?”

“Yes, yes. Here, take this,” he handed you some money “and buy them whatever they like.”

You took the money, not so uncomfortable with the idea as much as you thought you’d be. With fast steps, you walked all the way to the two tired forms on the bench and cleared your throat, aiming to wake them up with a sound. None of them moved an inch; you sighed and prepared yourself to yell a ‘hey, sup? Wanna eat something?’ but you stopped right after you recognized a face. Peter

“Parker?” You said; your voice sounding much louder than you wanted it to be.

“No, Mr. Stark, please don’t leave me without my sui—” Peter shouted, but shut his mouth when his eyes met yours “Oh, hey! Hi! Hey, hum, hi” he stuttered.

It’s cute, you admitted to yourself, when he stutters while talking to you; his nervousness showing.

“Hey, Peter.” You smiled—and once again, the brunette boy felt the adrenalin being lunched on his veins and increasing his heartbeat. “So, did you two sleep here?”

Peter looked down, only now noticing that Ned had fallen down and his head was resting on the bench’s cold material. He took off his own scarf and put under Ned’s head, transforming it into a pillow.

“Ah, no, no” he denied, vigorously shaking his head—and not convincing you at all “we were just walking and we were so so tired because ya know we’ve been exercising every morning and then Ned is not completely on shape so we just decided we should rest and we fell asleep and—”

You cut him off. “Peter, please talk slowly.”

He nervously laughed. “Ah, sorry.”

“Anyway,” you looked down to Ned and then moved your gaze to Peter, “are you hungry? My boss gave me money because he thought you guys were homeless and asked me to buy you something.”

“No, no!” Peter stood up abruptly. “No, no.”

“Well, if you don’t want to grab a meal with me is completely fine, don’t overreact.”

He widened his eyes. “No! I really really want to grab a meal with you. I mean I’ve been looking for you since that day you were trying to gather your—” he stopped as soon as he realized he was talking too much “I mean, it’s not that. I just don’t want your boss to buy us anything.”

You giggled. “You’re very cute, Peter Parker.”

He gulped, completely amused by your words. Peter thought it was a dream, so he roughly rubbed his eyelids and shook his head once and twice. He didn’t believe you were actually in front of him, smiling and calling him cute; Peter had a smile drawn on his face from cheek to cheek—and it looked so charming to you that you couldn’t hold the small laugh leaving your mouth.

Peter gathered as much air as his lungs could and said: “You know my name, but I don’t know yours.”

You shifted the weight on your body from foot to foot. “Oh, that’s correct Peter Parker.”

“So,” he began “what’s your name?”

“I’ll tell you, someday,” you said smirking at him “maybe after you ask me out.”

Peter nearly chocked with his own saliva, totally flustered by your words. Before he could say anything else you added

“Now you know, Peter Parker” your voice sounded like melody to his ears “I work at the flower shop, every day from 3pm to 7pm. Just pick the date and time.”

You turned on your hills and took your way in the floristry. Because you had your back to Peter, you didn’t see how he celebrated this event—neither did you see when Ned woke up startled by Peter’s loud whispers and when both of them said low ‘yeses’ throughout the air, truly happy because now Peter Parker had a chance with you.

[arckhaic]

What is the softest moment you have ever experienced? Also sending hugs

i experience new soft moments every time my cat makes that noise. you know the noise ... like she’s curled up and sleepy and you reach over and pet her and she goes merrfph and i literally break down. it’s the most softest thing in the universe, i could craft stars with how soft it is. 

hugs you and then probably cries again into your hug because that’s the mood this day fellas 

[the-record-columns]

April 17, 2019: Columns Gene Brock returns, and he has the legacy of Jackie Robinson with him...

Pictured are two of Gene Brock’s most prized possessions. Above, from 1951, Gene is with, left to right, Don Newcombe, Gil Hodges, Cal Abrams, and Roy Campanella. Below, in 1953, Gene got lucky again and had his photo taken with Jackie Robinson and Gil Hodges. That was the only time that Gene met Robinson in person, but years later, was able to tell the story to Robinson’s widow at the 1997 All-Star Game in Cleveland, Ohio.

By KEN WELBORN

Record Publisher

Last year, on Nov. 28, I wrote a piece about becoming acquainted with Gene Brock of Rockledge, Fla., through the Wilkes Central Class of 1955's reunion the week before. 

The bottom line on the column was Gene's love of the Brooklyn/Los Angles Dodgers baseball team.  As a tall skinny kid with no appreciable sports skills, he still loved sports—especially baseball—and especially the Dodgers.

Also in that column I mentioned that when the first Little League teams were formed in Wilkes that there weren't enough adult coaches, and Gene, a junior at Wilkes Central at the time, got to coach one of the teams. He won a championship to boot. 

Well there's a bit more.  The second year of coaching, Gene was assigned a new young player named Johnny Swofford. Yes, that John Swofford. Gene said Johnny could run like the wind, and was a great fielder, but wasn't much of a hitter.  So, Gene taught him how to bunt, and Johnny was so fast that he would beat out the throw to first base over and over again.  Johnny ended the season with a batting average just under .400—mostly from bunts.  

And speaking of Swofford's—there is a story about Jim Swofford, too. Gene Brock also had a Saturday radio show on WKBC-AM called "A Date with the Duke," and he said Jim would sometimes stop by and do a live song or two on the radio.

As I write today, however, it is Monday, April 15, the anniversary of Jackie Robinson's first Major League Baseball game in 1947, playing for the then Brooklyn Dodgers, famously breaking the color barrier. 

I do not have room to begin to tell you about Gene Brock's history of being a Dodger fan, but suffice it to say he is among their biggest supporters—and I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Ray Lowe of Milles Creek is right up there amongst him. 

Gene was actually interviewed, along with seven others, by Peter Golenbock for his book entitled "In the Country of Brooklyn:  Inspiration to the World."  Each of these interviews had to do with the influence Jackie Robinson had been to them, but they were edited out of the final draft of the book. What follows are some brief excerpts of Gene Brock's interview, used with permission from Mr. Golenbock.

"I was born in 1937, so I was 10 when the Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson. I started paying attention to Jackie Robinson, what he was doing with the Dodgers, and I got to know practically every Dodger on the team.  From 1947 to 1957 I listened to over a hundred Dodgers games a year (on a FM radio station in Gastonia).  During the summertime I would spend my time helping out around (my dad's ) store.  In fact, when I turned 12, I became one of the clerks, and my dad knew how much I liked baseball, so he let me play the radio, which you could hear throughout the store.

"Jackie coming to the Dodgers really was what kindled my love affair with the Dodgers."

In the interview, Gene also noted that he liked history and enjoyed baseball having statistics back past the turn of the century.

"So everyone knew I loved the Dodgers, and one day in October of 1951, an older gentleman named Carl Canter said he was going to Winston-Salem to see a baseball game and would I like to go?  Two barnstorming teams were appearing...among the players would be four Dodgers, Don Newcombe, Gil Hodges, Cal Abrams, and Roy Campanella."

At the game Gene randomly met up with a lady who worked for the Winston-Salem Journal who took his picture with his four heroes and ran it in the paper the next day.

"From then on I was a baseball worshipper."

“Two years later another barnstorming tour came to Winston-Salem and this time the notice said Jackie Robinson was going to be there.  Waiting at the dressing room door, Gene had asked a man to take a picture with the Brownie camera he had with him "...when out pops two Dodgers, Gil Hodges and Jackie Robinson.  So I stood in the middle between those two, and got my picture snapped with my old Brownie camera, and it turned out pretty good...That was the one time I got to meet Jackie, and he was such a gentleman to me. Of course, that fanned the flames, and I became even more devoted to him and to the Dodgers.  I was a Dodger fanatic.”

"Jackie inspired me:  all the things he stood for and fought against in his battle to have the right to play in the Major Leagues and do anything every citizen should be able to do."   

So now it is Tuesday morning and I am woefully sleepy because Gene Brock and Ray Lowe had both reminded me that the Dodgers would be playing on Monday night a special game where all the players would be wearing Jackie Robinson's number—42.  It was in Los  Angeles and didn't even start till 10 o'clock. 

But I hung in there—maybe dozing once or twice, but I stayed with it and saw Joc Pederson's walk-off home run win the game for the Dodgers, 4-3, over Cincinnati.  And, I did something I swore in 1958 I would  never do again after the Dodgers left Brooklyn for the Left Coast—I pulled for the Dodgers to win a baseball game.

You're welcome fellas.

     “Because God loves Israel, I do, too”

By EARL COX

Special to The Record

Many people spend a great deal of time criticizing Israel and the Jewish people - the people God Himself calls the “Apple of His eye.”

At the United Nations, Israel comes under constant condemnation and at her borders she comes under constant attack from Islamic terrorists in Gaza to the south and Hezbollah in the north.  Iran is also a direct threat to Israel having positioned its well-trained soldiers in strategic locations inside of Syria. 

To make matters worse, many in the Christian church have been taught a false theology known as “Replacement Theology.”  In a nutshell, this theology embraces the idea that God is finished with the Jews and wherever in the Bible (New Testament) that it speaks of the Jews and Israel it is really referring to Christians and the Church. 

A careful read of Romans chapter 11 should dispel this myth.  However, this lesson is best left for theologians.  As we approach Passover and what Christians call Easter, now seems an appropriate time to share one of the many ways The Lord God Almighty continues to bless the world through His people - the Jews, the people of Israel.

In the field of medical science, Israel is a world leader. You’ve heard of heart transplants, kidney transplants and bone-marrow transplants. Now doctors at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem have added a new type: the vein transplant. A recent report explained how this new concept saved the life of 60-year-old Israeli, Avi Yavetz.

Suffering from a circulation disorder that causes blood vessels outside of the heart to narrow and become blocked (known as PVD), Yavetz underwent the first ever live vein transplant. In one of his legs, the veins and arteries were obstructed and blood wouldn’t flow. An amputation was a near certainty. However, Israeli doctors determined that Yavetz had an artery and veins inside his leg that could restore blood flow however he was missing a vein large enough to connect the artery with the smaller veins. This was the result of past surgeries he had for PVD which left his remaining veins unable to carry the load.  Then, an “eureka moment” struck. Israeli Professor Ron Carmeli, chief of vascular surgery at Hadassah, came up with a novel idea - using a live vein donated by a family member. 

Professor Carmeli subsequently removed a long vein extending from 27-year old Snir Yavetz’s groin to his foot then surgically implanted it into the elder Yavetz.

Vein transplantation has been done before – but only from a corpse. “A donation from a living person is the first of its kind,” Carmeli said.

Two weeks later, Professor Carmeli reports that the vein is functioning and Yavetz’s leg “is safe from amputation.” However, according to reports, this patient is not yet out of the woods. “The treatment of this patient is the same as every transplant patient, just like someone who has undergone liver and kidney transplantation,” Carmeli points out.

Yes, God has truly blessed the people of Israel with genius and creativity which they freely share with the world.  With anti-Semitism on the rise across America and around the world, we all need to examine ourselves. Do we need a transplant ... perhaps a heart and attitude transplant?  God loves His people with whom He made an eternal covenant.  How can we Christians love Jesus and not also love His family?  As I sign off on each of my radio broadcasts, “Because God loves Israel, I do, too.”   

Carolina Moonshiners

By CARL WHITE

Life in the Carolinas

Growing up in the foothills of the Carolinas I recall many stories of moonshiners and revenue officers on the chase of a hidden liquor still under cover of lush foliage.

I remember one summer afternoon when I was visiting my grandma; I heard what can best be described as a loud window shaking boom. I ask what it was, and she said with a slight chuckle, sounds like they have cut another still. She was not a fan of alcohol consumption as she had witnessed the adverse effect of excess with certain people close to her. I think that was my first somewhat official introduction to the idea of illegal whiskey.

Over time I would hear things about folks that lived relatively close. The legendary Junior Johnson of NASCAR fame was first known for his involvement with moonshine. There are many stories of his early days of skilled driving on country roads and evading capture. He was just too darn fast.

It was in the September 1950 edition of The American magazine that Vance Packard wrote about Moonshine in Wilkes County, N.C. An extensive story titled Millions in Moonshine gave a proper accounting of the nature and size of the moonshine business in the county and the effect it seemed to have on economic growth.

It appears as if there was a time that the business of making moonshine was so large that when an investigator was asked, what would be required to wipe out moonshining in the county, Packard wrote that, the investigator grinned and replied. Two divisions of U.S. combat troops.

Those troops were never ordered to visit Wilkes County.

A few years ago, there was an outdoor play called Otto Wood the Bandit, written by Jerry Lankford, that told the story of Otto Wood, a notorious bandit from Wilkes County. When he was a young boy, he traveled to West Virginia where he learned how to make moonshine from his relatives the infamous Hatfields — who were best known for their feud with the McCoy family.

Another native of Wilkes  County, Buck Nance, says that he started making whiskey as a teenager. He now makes his unchanged family recipe at Copper Barrel, a legal distillery on Main Street in North Wilkesboro. He also has an impressive and notorious history with fast cars.

In my many visits to Western North  Carolina, I learned about the colorful moonshiner Popcorn Sutton. He spent much time in the Maggie Valley area and enjoyed somewhat of a celebrity status. His story has as many twists and turns as the mountain roads he traveled when making his highly sought after product.

I have interviewed many people who were close to Popcorn. His story has been shared in books and on TV shows, however, for me, the greater interest has been in talking with people who were close to him.

It is logical to expect that I would find people who knew him in Maggie  Valley. I was, however, surprised when interviewing someone in Conway, S.C., regarding an unrelated story that I noticed part of copper still laying in the corner of the office we were in. The subject of interview noticed that I had spotted it, he said, do you know what that is? I replied, sure I do, that’s part of a liquor still, how did you come by it, I ask. That question opened a conversation that lasted no less than an hour. He told me the story about how he had met Popcorn Sutton years ago when visiting the mountains for the cooler weather. These two men from very different backgrounds became friends and from what I understand a drink or two may have been involved.

There are many stories of legendary moonshiners in the Carolinas and even more of those who choose to be less known.

That’s enough moonshine for this week. Moderation is best.

[sweetearthquakecollectorthi-blog]

FDA Authorizes New Therapy For Head Vermin.

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[crashpaddiaries]

Dear Crashpad Diary #16

Happy New Year beeeeeasts!!

I wish you all the most fantastic and unimaginable things for 2017… it will be memorable and whenever… in the future… you think back and visit this year… your thoughts will be fulfilled with happiness and your face will be hit by a smile bigger than you can support… you know those one that you get cramps in the jaw??? hahahaha

So… the post is this year but with some reminiscence of 2016… which was… how can I relate to this year??…. well… the best year ever would suit pretty well!! hahaha but… it is defo the best year ever… until 2017!! hahaha

I have no doubt that the new year will come with some surreal surprises and experiences!! =) ENJOY it as hell!! hahahah

The latest adventures of last year involves crazy buses… people dying and reviving… urban legends and loads… loads of fun!!

I had to break the line up of the trip…. cuz so far on this trip I was keeping the same path the Portuguese people took in the past… haha following my roots… leaving Europe… towards south… getting to South Africa… then India… but.. because the visa issue we had to break the rule and go to Sri Lanka… did the portuguese have the same issue with the visa?? hahaha

Actually I am not mad at all because of it… our days in Sri lankan soil have been fantastic and enjoyable.. some time too adventurous… have you ever seen how the bus drivers act in their traffic?? haha That is madness… they don’t stop honking… almost going over anything the whole time… does not matter if it is a car… motorbike… tuk tuk… bike… dog… post… traffic light… they don’t even respect if there is an old couple on it…. they dont stop on the bus stops… actually I don´t know how they call it there… cuz bus stop should have the purpose to the bus park in that place so the people inside could leave safe and happy wherever and whenever needed… right?? So…. they should rename it… maybe Bus Dive area or Bus Jump-and-keep-running-if-you-can area hahahahaha cuz it is an extreme sport ahahahah

Fair enough I always left the bus in the final stop… I mean… when it was properly parked and safe haha I would not mind get injured climbing but commuting…. I have to decline the offer Sri Lanka hahaha

I don´t know… I think the drivers are on cocaine haha… they play freaking loud techno music and act a bit weird not to say much hahahaha

Great experience though…. got the bus… paid 50 sri lankan rupees… almost witnessed 45 accidents in 10 minutes… got stuck in the traffic without moving for other 30 minutes… decided to walk… hopped off… of course because of the traffic the bus was not moving…. but the driver was still honking…. the pay trance was running and I was already few meters away… ahead haha in your face bus!! haha You know that you made the right move when the universe give you back the money you paid on the bus… I crossed the street and there was the 50 rupees note waiting for me!! And around 1 hour later I got to the hostel to meet Stephen and get the flight to India!! Hooooooray!! =)

During my time in Sri Lanka I got the opportunity to travel alone for few days… something that I hadn’t done  in the last 2 years… I love being on my own and always do… but travelling in other country is another stuff… the freedom and the possibilities are awesome! Took the trains to the heart of Sri Lanka… visited temples… mountains…. hang outside the wagon… enjoyed the cold breeze…. how I love travelling!!

If you´re ever in Sri Lanka… don´t miss the scenery train to Ella and Kandy!! =)

I got to the Hostel at 9pm… our flight would be at 2am… we had time… 10 mins later the rain came as I´ve never seen in my life… it was so incredibly hard that we were in the rooftop and we could not chat among us because of the noise… hard to believe!! And quite long… almost an hour raining uninterruptedly…. I was sure that our flight would be delayed if not cancelled…. but nature is kind and everything worked out well!! =) There we go India… good to see you again! =)

Left Sri Lanka at 2am ish… got to Chennai (India)… had to get the stamp…. wait for the other flight to Bangalore…. got there…. ate a burrito haha…. went to Decathlon cuz Stephen had to get a new boot… tried to do some slackline there…. realised that I was sleepy…. lied down in one of the crash pads there for an hour… we had to kill time… our bus to Hospet would leave only 10:30pm from the centre…. after that we went to an restaurant… ate again…. waited…. went to the mall… at this point I was like the walking dead…. we found some sofa…. sat and did not move for a while…. hours passed by…. and its time to go to the bus…. and another hour waiting…. I was already gone…. wasn’t interacting at all… needed some sleep urgently…. hahahahaha

The bus was a sleeper bus…. but I didn´t sleep…. I died there and was waken up in Hospet by Stephen…. the adventure was almost over… we only needed one more bus or tuk tuk… cross the river in a boat and walk a little…. hahahahaha yep…. we do sacrifices for climbing!! =)

Once in Hampi… the climbing can’t stop hahah we got loads of great sessions… sweet problems and nice people….

Alfonso… our friend from Ireland also has arrived for christmas…. he had his own adventure coming from Bangalore…. but switching the sleeper bus for a daily one… full of people and stopping in every single city…. took him 10 hours to get to Hampi…. what a brave guy hahahahaha But I´m sure it was worth it…. we´re having such a nice time!!  

The Christmas morning we decided to go climbing… early morning we headed to the Crystal Ball area… on the way we passed by a couple that asked us if one of our friends was gone missing the christmas eve…. cuz that morning they found a guy passed out on the road… bleeding… unconscious…. with no IDs and in a pretty bad shape was taken to the hospital…. well… we weren´t missing anyone but got concerned as it is unusual here….

The climbing day was fantastic and we got as usual… wrecked…. that day we heard loads of stories about the guys… the legend started hshshhah

Some said that it was a scam and some people did sth bad to him…. we heard that he was well…. we heard he died… we heard he was climber…. we heard he was not…. the police was around but we did not see any…. until few days later…. the day they took the crash pads of everyone that was in the plateau climbing after the sunset…. that was the new rule… no climbing after darkness… cuz the guy supposedly told the police that it was dangerous….. haha Who is the guy??? Is he alive??? hahahaha what a mess….

And the police kept all the crash pads piled up in the plateau but did not know what to do with it… people that rented their did not know what to do…. some of the officers did not even speak english…. what a mess again hahahahaha

In the end they gave back all the seized crash pads…. and so far we don’t know whats the story with the guy!! haha Hope he is ok!!

Though…. I heard he was not actually a guy… it was an alien that because of the level of the energy Hampi has, got attracted on his way back home (Pluto) and in a meteor shower came to India…. as the gravity is different in his place and he did not have any shoe proper to the approach (shout out to 5.10… where is my sponsorship???)… he was walking through the egg shaped boulders… slipped…. didn´t have any spotter… neither crash pads (shout out to Petzl…. where is my sponsorship??? hahah)…. he fell and started the legend! hahahahaha

Talking about crazy people…. Myself and Alfonso went to the temples…. visited some new ones… had awesome time…. but the latest one brought me some weird experience haha

We were there… to see the monkeys and the elephant…. started taking pics of the elephant…. its important to emphasise that… to get in we had to pay… and to use the cams we had to pay a bit more… there were people with the elephant… people giving money to the elephant which would take it… give to a guy and then “bless” the person putting the trunk in their head… afterwards… getting some food… over and over… and wed took lots of pics…. after getting bored by the sameness and annoyed by the elephant´s “habitat”…. we went to the monkeys…. they are everywhere…. and the cams kept shooting loads…. the shooter was pressed pretty continuously…. as my lens are fisheye and wide-open…. I normally get freakin close to the subject…. almost in their face… and with the monkeys was not different….

Almost ready to go away we split and suddenly a guy came talking loads of pics of me… coming with the cam pretty close… you know when you try to understand whats going on live… as the things happen?? haha there you go!! haha

And that was me… I was there… in a photo shoot… without any clue and being photographic raped hahaha I thought at first that it could be because of the monkeys…. cuz I was getting really close and he wanted me to feel like them… which would make sense… but the old guy was really aggressive and shouting at me…. did not get at all…. until I started paying attention on what he was saying…. “thief”… “Fuckin thief”…. “you took thousand of pics of the elephant and did not give any money to him!!” hahahahaha

Oh… thats the reason… money… well… its funny how people get mad for nothing…. hahaha

I tried to argue with him that we paid at the entrance but there are some people in this world that don’t respect even the atmosphere inside a temple full of kindness and good vibes….

haha but as he came close to me shouting again I decided give him the same act he gave me… he took pics of my face right??? I put my big Canon 7D… with my big fish eye… as close as I could (without hit him in the face… even though that would be delightful….)… if you know nothing about photography…. its nice to know that this cam takes 8 pics per second…. and each pic makes a nice and loud noise…. hahahahaha it was like shooting the old fella hahahahahahah

I think that cam had never given me such a huge pleasure!! hahahahah but the pics I made with it are great anyways hahaha check them out in my Flickr page!!

After that he tried to punch me… I avoided engaging cuz it would mean trouble…. fighting an old indian guy… inside a holy temple…. no good!! hahahaha

Alfonso was chasing monkeys and didn´t even see it hahaha his big arms would have helped keeping the old grumpy and penniless guy away!! hahahahah

Good story though…. and good lesson learnt…. never fight back with the same weapon… unless your weapon is better that your opponent hahahahahahah just kidding!! =)

haha… cool… I had few other things to tell yas but got excited once again and wrote way too much…. hope you enjoyed…. we´re enjoying over here too!!

Have a fantastic life and smile everyday beasts!!! Keep climbing strong and having fun!!

2017 will be spectacular!!

Cheers,

Evan