#you have no clue how bad i want some toast

[marshmellody]

THIS ISNT WORKING AND IM HUNGRY ALL THE TIME

[shrimpalbuspotter]

I know i always harp about how i prefer canon but by god I adore fanon Snape Gang so much. like yes they are blood purists hanging around with Hufflepuffs biggest muggle sympathiser Charity Burbage. She's the acception. Also shes rich. Aurora? She gives them study prep. She's dating Charity. She gets them into all the Ravenclaw partys. She is basically their big sister despite being the same age. Snape? He is HIM. Charity NEEDS to put him in her pocket. Mulciber wants him so bad. So what that he's a halfblood? It means they have diversity! Wilkes? What a dork. Every friendgroup needs a blonde or two. Who cares that he's demented, have you met Avery! Mulciber? This guy, amiright. What an asshole. Snape can't stop gawking. So handsome... so rich??? Chad alert. Avery? Also, asshole. We gotta love him. Again, handsome. Basically Mulcibers brother. Will put his damn life on the line for these guys then act all cold and distant.

Idk man. I think they are fucking dumb and completely not canon compliant but you gotta let a guy dip his feet in the canon divergence pool every once in a while right. Also the visualisation of Charity smuggling in tons of Muggle supplies to show everyone and none of them have a clue what any of it means except from Snape, halfblood, who thinks it's funny, and Aurora, a pureblood, who just has a hunch that you aren't supposed to use that walkman to make toast.

But hey, let's not pretend they are suddenly saints. They still all wanna become death eaters (Charity and Aurora as the exception) amd they still are all blood purists. I just think a little push in the right direction of character growth, a triwizard tournament, and unexpected allys could really create some yummy scenario's ^_^

(Also I'm a huge Charity Burbage fan so any content with her just makes me happy)

[gourmetjello]

nikto x reader : intimidated

oh gosh loves it feels so good to be back after such a long break! i’m sorry i disappeared for over a month. sickness, late trainings, writer’s block, studying and barely hanging on by a thread took a toll on me but i’ll try to be back ◝(ᵔᵕᵔ)◜

i know it sounds unusual but i’ll try my best to write for other characters too. i know i’ve teased a little list before but now i’m starting to see a pattern form and these are the people i’m most likely going to write for : könig, krueger, ghost, ‘09 ghost, nikto, roach, soap, capt. soap, ‘09 makarov (•̀ᴗ•́ )و

hopefully you all are satisfied with the list! if you have any more suggestions just let me know somehow. now hope you enjoy the fic! ♡

tw ; alcohol, mention of drugs.

—

“drink up, drink up!”

a voice yelled from behind you and all you could hear was the sound of shot glasses being knocked against each other once again. the sound was so familiar by now that you even made a mental note on how glasses sound different when they’re filled and when they’re empty. actually, why was someone raising toasts with an empty glass?

“bottoms up, y’all, don’t be pussies-“

but you didn’t have a glass in your hand, not now. you just stared at the people that were having fun and you couldn’t help but think about how you even ended up here.

there was a friend that you shared with this one guy, that’s quite literally all you were one hundred percent sure about — basically nothing. you could be looking at them directly and you would have no idea who they are, thanks to the cliche ‘friend of a friend’ circle going around this whole party. nobody knew each other, but friends and relationships don’t exist when you’re just drinking, right?

so there was that guy. and when you finally saw his face for the first time, you got the chills down your spine. he immediately seemed like someone you shouldn’t really be messing with — like he was planning something evil? or maybe he already did something bad, it felt childish to think about things like these at your grown age and you couldn’t even put your finger on what your senses told you about this person. just leave him alone and get the fuck out of here as soon as possible.

just as that thought crossed your mind, a yell broke through the happy little murmurs and drunken words.

“y’all, what the fuck! get outta’ here! right now! cops outside! holy fucking shit!”

cops outside? what the hell? why?

before the panic settled in, you blinked outside and you were amost immediately sure this wasn’t the fucking police. at least ten men dressed in black tactical outfits stood right next to the huge outdoors pool in the nicely maintained backyard. the well trimmed trees gave them an even scarier look too, painting shadows in the night all over their already dark forms.

you could even see from the corner of your eye that some were equipped with ballistic shields like it was some kind of movie. you have never seen one of those in real life before, and now it gave you a really bad feeling (pretty obviously). their faces were hidden and they were coming closer and closer to the main building all of you and your.. acquaintances were inside.

the guns hanging from their torsos.. wasn’t a nice sight, to be honest. you were convinced that these men were probably legally allowed to do anything as long as they got a bit closer to what they wanted to achieve. and for that, you weren’t exactly sure what it was. come on, shutting down a (not so) little house party with people who look like came straight out of a counter-terrorism organization? isn’t that a tiny exaggeration?

you could have sworn that you only looked away for a few seconds but the next moment you looked around the whole room was empty. fuck. well that’s a situation coming your way for sure, because one of those monsters was heading right towards your direction with a slightly wrinkled paper in his hands.

you wanted to yell and scream at him, to let him know that you absolutely had no clue what this whole thing was about and that you weren’t involved with whatever stupid drug smuggling anyone around you did — since you were sure that you weren’t the target, and they knew that too. but they had to listen to anyone they could catch.

“party’s over..” a deep voice mumbled with a heavy accent. you could recognize it anywhere. a russian accent, gosh.. you’re fucked.

and soon the paper was pressed right into your face. your nose was rubbed against the thin material, not even allowing you to see whatever was printed on it. but it was most likely a person, or at least that was what you could make out when he held it a little further away from you.

“missy, you know this fella?” the man asked.

you had no idea who was on the photo. it was a man with a beard and he seemed way too damn old to be right here, in a house party with some silly college students? he couldn’t be here, you’ve never even seen his face before.

you hesitated a little, not knowing which answer would get you out of here quicker.

“do not keep that mouth shut, come on. you’ll get outta’ here faster, come on.”

your brain immediately sobered up and a small whine left your mouth as you finally took the time to examine the terrifying person that was standing right in front of you. face mask made of kevlar, a gun hanging from his side and a pistol on his right thigh. bulletproof from head to toe. ballistic shield placed next to his other leg.

this guy was going to kill you. one hundred percent. or at least le looked like he would try to do that.

“come on, we don’t bite?”

he tried to speak normally but his statement sounded a lot more like a question, like he wasn’t sure about it either. it could have been the fact that it probably wasn’t usual for them to talk to people that look like they don’t even know where they are. and you were just like that right now. lost as fuck.

you stared up at the photo of the man once again. the black and white printing was so bad that you were barely able to make out the details on it.

“i- um.. no idea w-who’s on the photo.”

“do not lie, missy.”

“i really- i don’t know!”

“well, then let me tell you so you maybe remember, hm? this dude right here,” he gently knocked the face of the man on the paper, the material gently crumbling under his heavy, gloved finger “whose house you’re at right fucking now, has a fuck ton of cocaine under these,” now he kicked the flooring, “these little tiles.”

your eyes widened and to a person who had no clue that you were just as lost here as they are, it would probably come across as some realization. but no, it wasn’t any kind of realization — you really didn’t know about any of this! and it was hard to believe too. you didn’t even see a single line of coke on this party, it was too expensive to be wasted on little college student get-togethers?

“s-sir, i really don’t-“

“we know you know.”

“but i don’t!”

the man’s eyes widened as you started losing your shit. he probably heard the unsure shake in your voice as you slightly raised it — which was probably a stupid idea, but the situation was already bad enough when you’re locked into a burning hot little room that smelled like alcohol with someone who’s straight up dressed in carbon from head to toe? this was getting out of hand.

“missy, i’ve got the legal right to shock you, and if you refuse to give out any information then i’ll just have to do that..”

you were becoming annoyed. you were intimidated as hell and you knew that you couldn’t do anything in a situation like this, you were shaking scared. this man was making you feel so uneasy.

maybe he did it on purpose because as you stayed silent he just stared into your eyes, like a madman. he wasn’t even blinking behind that mask, the black face paint covering the area around his eyes making the color of his irises pop out from the black atmosphere around it. you just weren’t sure why he was doing this.

he placed a hand on his gun now, like he was about to slip out his pistol. but he didn’t have the right to kill or shoot you or anything like that, right? right? panic was filling your brain and goosebumps were running up and down your body as you had no idea about what these men could and could not do to an innocent civillian that actually had no clue about whatever was going on!

“we can play this game, missy. but you won’t like it.”

“i’ve said everything i know! nothing.”

“for fuck’s sake, just say something, anything.”

“but i don’t know! i accidentally ended up here, too.”

“whatever. fuck you, missy.” the man grunted as he finally let his pistol down, letting you back out from the corner he had held you in this whole time. it felt like you could finally breathe again and the cold sweat running down your temples felt like a normal reaction again.

“get the fuck outta’ here and if you know anything. keep your mouth fucking shut. am i understood?”

“y-yes sir.”

you were breathing heavy as you finally made it out of that room. it was a feeling you never wanted to experience ever again — you almost got yourself killed. and you were 99% sure that if you said the wrong stuff he wouldn’t have hesitated to use that pistol. what is wrong with humanity..

the man peeked above his shoulder to look at you walk away. he didn’t take his eyes off of you until you finally exited the whole damn house. you’re never ever coming back and that’s for sure. holy shit.

—

sorry about how bad and rushed this was! :(

[strawhatkia]

love you more when the day is new.

INCLUDES ! katsuki bakugo, eijirou kirishima, and hitoshi shinsou x black!fem!reader

GENRE ! fluff

SYNOPSIS ! weekend morning antics or, what it's like to wake up to the boys !

WARNINGS ! y'all live in an apartment (not the dorms), characters have been aged up, if i miss anything let me know (it's so fcking late)

WORD COUNT ! i have no clue...

A/N ! imma do a pt.2 because i wanted to add sero and izuku but i can't fucking focus so y'all have this for now !

SONG SUGGESTION ! breakfast in bed by rayana jay, breakfast by fana hues, one love by cleo sol

reblogs and comments are welcomed and loved, so leave some please ! i will respond ! 🤍

MAIN MASTERLIST | BNHA MASTERLIST | TAGLIST

— ☾⋆⁺₊🧨💢✧ KATSUKI BAKUGO !

with how early this boy goes to sleep, waking up before him is quite literally impossible

usually it's you waking up to him on his phone as he rubs your side with his free hand, tucking you in closer to his chest while looking the most relaxed you will ever see him

he always knows when you're about to wake up, and og i am not kidding, the boy picks up on when you're heart rate changes

but there's a reason, i promise ! kats is vv afraid of losing his hearing one day due to his quirk so he kinda asked recovery girl to teach him how to pick up on someone's pulse from their neck

after that, he always positioned himself so you would be laying on his arm and his hand would be on your neck some how cute right?

this is the best time for cuddles because he is so pliant and peaceful and warm

the moment you look like you're getting up, he immediately puts his phone down (he really didn't care for it but he was bored waiting on you to wake up)

he quietly accepts your hug, tangling his legs with yours and tucking his head into your neck with a sigh as you slowly wake up

"morning suki" "g'morning" "did you sleep okay?" "hm...i was bored waiting on you" "my bad, how long did you wait?" "not long...go to bed early" "not everyone is an old man like you kats" "shut up, talking shit this early- don't laugh-"

his arms tighten around you when you shift and he continues to rub circles on your back and rub your sides in hopes of you getting to relax more so you don't get out of the bed

"babes, we gotta get up" "hm." "we can't stay here all day" "like hell we can't" "kat-"

prepare for some soft kisses to shut that nonsense up because he ain't hearing none of it

i feel like if you had a scarf on and the knot was pressing into his face, he would just snatch that shit off in the middle of your sleep and either redo it or put a bonnet on for you

"kats...where's my scarf?" "hm? i took it off" WHAT-" "the damn knot was hurting my face" "...i oughta whoop yo ass" "oh shut up, i know you feel that damn bonnet on your head ! it's not like i left your head unprotected !"

how he gets away with taking it off without you noticing is a mystery (and a profound skill)

when it comes to breakfast, he is definitely making it and no you can't help

"one of these days you'll get tired of making breakfast every morning we have off" "dumbass, if that day comes i'm either sick or you need to come knock some sense into me" "i can cook, kats, you do know that right?" "i didn't ask, you do know that right?" "aight, nigga-"

he'll never say it out loud, but you're his girl and he's supposed to take care of you so breakfast is the least he can do; plus you're still sleepy, he doesn't want you to burn yourself (never mind the years you spent making breakfast for yourself)

big on french toast with brioche bread just because he can and he loves the way you struggle a lil to bite into that thick ass piece a bread ; you stuffing your face with food he cooked always makes him happy

(if you're the type of person that dances or hums or makes a face when eating good food, just know he's looking for that cue and won't be satisfied until sees it)

also food = love pipeline !

— ☾⋆⁺₊🐈‍⬛🌀✧ HITOSHI SHINSOU !

you always wake up first, always

toshi has trouble sleeping most days and with him being a stealth hero, sleep often alludes him

sleeping with you helps as much as it can but he still struggles sometimes so in the morning, you let him sleep as long as he wants

i'd like to think that he runs a little cold most nights so the bed being warm is important to him sleeping peacefully so in the morning when you wake up, you don't get out of the bed too quickly

he's such a cat, even in his sleep, so cuddling with him will get you an immediate response; if you tuck him into you chest and rub his back, he'll snuggle closer to you and sigh, relaxing even further into your hold ; if you kiss his forehead and rub his side, he'll roll into your touch; if you try to spoon him and nuzzle into his back, he'll hold your arms in his hands, stroking his thumb against your forearm

blankets *

it's getting out of bed that is incredibly hard because there's a chance he'll wake up which we don't want= mf needs sleep ; even if he sleeps for a little while long, he'll notice the bed get cold almost immediately

technically, this is the morning but y'all don't roll out the bed until noon because toshi needs sleep and you'll feel bad if you wake him before he actually gets up

great cuddler tho !

— ☾⋆⁺₊ 🦈🪨✧ EIJIROU KIRISHIMA !

one of the few times, his hair isn't trying to impale everything near it

despite how much gel the boy puts into his hair, his hair is very soft and fluff (also do to the fact you make him take better care of his hair bc whew-)

smooth, silky, and soft ! it's hard not to touch as soon as you wake up because it's just right in front of your face and so you run your hands through it (kiri definitely wakes up the moment you start stroking his hair but like hell he's moving away, to relaxed to move)

when he does want to wake up, he stretches very slowly before letting out the loudest groan and popping every bone down his spinal cord

"well damn, kiri, you good" "never better" "okay well don't break your back, old man, we ain't even got out the bed yet" yea haha very funny"

another cuddle bug but definitely more aggressive, pulling you on top of him and wrapping his arms around you while kissing your cheeks multiple times, laughing when you groan or yell at him to put you down

he doesn't

i envision kiri as the type to just go back to sleep as soon as he's comfortable again so getting out of the bed is a very long affair

even so, he does not stop trying to kiss you anywhere he can reach (ofc a lil softer than before) and humming when you kiss him back

he's just so soft and loving in the morning, shit is almost overwhelming

just letting you know, i fully believe that if you let him start or start it yourself, he'll kiss you the entire morning and start tearing up because he just loves you so much

©STRAWHATKIA ━ all rights reserved. all content published on this blog belongs to starsoir. please refrain from copying, stealing, profiting off my works, or using my works for asmr related work. i don’t allow my works to be used or adapted in any way without my permission.

reblogs and comments are welcomed and loved, so leave some please ! i will respond ! 🤍

wanna read more ??

boyfriend. | f. | katsuki bakugo

lip gloss, lil mama. | f. | bakugo, sero, shinsou, hawks, and mirio.

taglist : @mypimpademia @sevvnt @cosmiles @megurulvr @dreampurpledreams

eijirou kirishima taglist: @cosmiles

[multiversed-daydreamer]

Pet: Chapter 4 - The First Day

WC: ~4k

Summary: Joel and Tess finally clue you in on their plans and you three have a discussion about how this will all work. You disagree with most of it.

Tags: MDNI, Obsessive behavior, Possessive behavior, Hostage, Joel and Tess keep Reader against her will, Reader is disabled. This one is where it gets a little sketchy. Reader doesn't like being touched, Hints that reader has PTSD if you squint.

A/N: Thank you so much for those of you who have stuck with me from the beginning and welcome new readers to the ride! I hope you guys like it! Please let me know what you guys think and if I missed any warning tags, let me know so I can add them in! Check out my Masterlist for more!

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

When you wake, it’s slow and a little sluggish. Your head feels foggier than usual and you’re warm and cozy against a dark green couch. You frown, why are you on a couch? You look around and immediately regret it because your vision spins for a moment. Ugh, what the fuck? But you do remember where you are now. You’d stayed over at Tess’ because you’d been too busy doing shots instead of paying attention to curfew. Fucking idiot.

You debate on sneaking out before they wake up just to avoid the utter embarrassment of facing the scariest people in the goddamn QZ hungover. Fuck, Nick was right, Tess was not supposed to be someone you got close to. You should’ve said no, should’ve bailed again. 

A creak of the bed behind the wall alerts you to someone getting up, a moment later you hear the bathroom door close. You sit up with a quiet grunt. It’s not that bad, you’re not gonna puke or anything, just a little spinny. You slowly get your bearings, your shoes are under the coffee table, and your jacket is hanging on the back of the chair you’d sat at last night. You sigh, leaning down and snagging a shoe, pulling one on and then the other. There’s something a little too intimate about walking around Tess’ apartment in your socks. You stand as the toilet flushes as you cross the floor to put on your jacket. A sink turns on and as you zip up your jacket, it turns off, a few seconds later Tess emerges, flicking droplets of water off of her fingers. 

You give her a tight smile, nodding to her. She smirks a little at the sight of you already in your shoes and hoodie. “Planning on leaving early? Told you I’d walk you home.” 

You shrug. “I was planning on waiting for you. It would’ve been rude to just up and leave.” Tess eyes you for a moment. 

“Would you like some eggs first?” She asks tentatively. You frown, you don’t really want to stay much longer, and you don’t know what time it is. 

“What time is it? I’d like to be home around nine. Nine thirty by the latest.” You respond. 

“It was about seven when I got up. Let me get you some food, and maybe some water. How’s your head?” She smirks a little, likely knowing you had drank a little past your limit last night. You smile a little easier at her teasing. 

“A little slow… and a little spinny.” You admit. She chuckles quietly and moves further into the kitchen. 

“Water and some eggs will help settle you.” She points to the bathroom. “Go ahead and freshen up.”  You nod and mutter a soft thanks. You really had to pee. You slip into the bathroom, using the toilet, and flushing before washing your hands. You glance into the mirror and glare at how wild your hair is from sleep. You take out your ponytail and comb shaking hands through your hair. It’s not the best method, but it felt weird to dig around for Tess’ hairbrush. So you did your best to tame your hair with your fingers before putting it in a messy bun. You’ll fix it at home, it’s presentable for now. You sigh, bracing yourself for breakfast with Joel and Tess. 

You open the door and intentionally avoid the bed where Joel is still sleeping. You step over to the table, finding a glass of water waiting. Tess was at the stove with a spatula in hand, the smell of eggs and toast wafting over from her. It smells good. “Thank you for breakfast.” 

Tess smiles over at you. “Of course.” She dishes the food and butters some toast, before bringing the plate to the table. Right on cue, you hear a creak of the bed and a soft grunt as Joel gets to his feet and shuffles to the table, sitting down next to you.  Tess sets a plate in front of you and a plate in front of Joel before going back to the stove grabbing a plate for herself, and sitting on your other side, which surprises you. You had expected her to sit across from you to be next to Joel. 

You take a bite of toast and sip some water. You wonder where they found butter but you don’t ask. Joel’s presence unsettles you and you’re a little relieved that the meal passes in silence. The food helps your stomach and your head and you’re grateful . Joel finishes first, sitting back and eyeing your jacket. 

“Look at you. Already ready for the day.” Joel hums. 

You look down and shrug. “Yeah, I have a shift at eleven.” 

“What shift?” He asks, and again, his curiosity surprises you. 

“Sewer detail.” You grumble, not happy with it but it’s one of the best-paying jobs available. You finish your own breakfast and sit back. Your eyes flicker to Joel who grimaces in sympathy.

 “Oh, that’s rough.” 

You nod in agreement. “But the pay is great.” You point out. 

Tess is stabbing some egg onto her fork as she speaks up. “Is Nick joining you today?” The way she phrases it makes your hackles rise immediately. Did Joel tell her about the argument the two of you had a few days ago? 

He tenses at her question, eyeing Tess for a moment with a disapproving look before turning to you with a raised eyebrow. “Is he?” 

It’s only right now that you notice Joel has big brown eyes and full lips. He’s… handsome you realize kind of secondhandedly and you suddenly notice just how good-looking a couple Joel and Tess make together. You look down, a bit surprised by your thought process for a moment. “Uh… Yes, he’s meeting me there.” 

“Thought I told you to stay away from him.” His voice is low and level, and he’s watching you with an intensity that freaks you out.

You shrug, “I mean… we’re bound to overlap on shifts sometimes.”

Joel raises a pointed eyebrow at you. “And what about your days off?” 

Your jaw clenches. Motherfucker. Tess told him. You’re not surprised, and not even shocked. You tell Nick everything. Of course, Tess is gonna come home and bitch a little about how you bailed on her at the market and got high with a boy. But it’s not like you technically had plans with Tess that day. You two just end up walking together whenever you see each other. It’s never a planned meet-up. You shrug at him but don’t say anything. You stand instead. “I think it’s time I got home.” You scoot your chair in and turn to the front door. Tess and Joel don’t move from their spots and part of you is glad. You’re pretty sure if Tess insisted upon walking you home it would’ve ended in an argument. You’re not one for fights typically but everybody had their limit and you were at yours with their bullshit about Nick. You really need to apologize to him for not taking his worries as seriously as you should’ve. 

You make it to the door and unlock the deadbolt, twisting the handle to open it. It doesn’t budge though. You’re eyebrows furrow and you assess the door. The deadbolt is unlocked there’s not a little lock on the doorknob. When you look up you do realize that there's another lock about a foot above the other deadbolt. It looks like it belongs on the outside of the door, not the inside. It requires a key to unlock it and when you peek into the little crack between the door and the doorjamb you can see a second bolt glinting ever so slightly in the sun. You turn back to them. They’re just watching you silently, waiting for you to realize that you couldn’t leave without their help. You meet Tess’ eyes and raise an eyebrow in silent question. In response, she nods towards your chair. “Come sit for a minute.” 

Your jaw clenches and your stomach twists up in a knot. Something is wrong and fear slams into you as you realize you’re stuck here. “Why?” You stay by the front door, unwilling to move any closer to them. 

“Because she asked you too,” Joel said back, his voice a warning. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. Nope… this is gonna end terribly. You walk over to the chair and grip the back of it with your hands, sitting feels far too vulnerable right now. 

“What?” You ask lowly, staring at the table, not meeting their eyes. 

~

Tess frowns at you. She’s not too pleased with your behavior, but you’re not outwardly defying them so that’s something. You’re starting to get scared, they could tell by how tense you are that you’re freaking out a little. “We want you to stay here for a while,” she says gently, preparing for the immediate backlash you might go for. 

Your brows furrow with confusion. “I have to get ready for work.” Next to Tess, Joel’s jaw clenched. 

“Don’t worry about work, we’ll get you excused so you’re not in trouble,” Joel assures. Not that FEDRA would ever get to you now, not that anybody would. 

“Why?” You ask again. Tess can tell you’re low on patience, you want to leave, and the thought pisses her off a little. 

“Because we want to keep you.” It probably wasn’t the best way to reveal you to your new life, but you’ve always seemed to enjoy Tess’ honesty.

~

Your eyes snap to hers, and you blink at her, completely speechless for a moment. “I’m sorry... You what?” You can’t believe the words that just came out of Tess’ mouth. ‘You can’t leave.’ you remind yourself. Finally, after months of looking for a red flag with Tess, she gives you one when you’re trapped in her fucking apartment. 

“You shouldn’t be working with your condition anyway. You’re gonna end up hurting yourself.”  Joel points out. Fury and embarrassment warp through you at his words. Condition? Just because you were disabled doesn’t mean you can’t work. You meet Joel's eyes with a fiery glare. 

“I am perfectly capable, thank you very much.” You snap at him. You expect him to respond in anger, instead, he smiles. 

“I know you’re capable, I’ve seen it. But they should minimize your hours at the very least. Burnout is still a thing, and you give off the impression that you’ll go until you literally can’t anymore.” Joel responds, once more giving you wide-eyed pointed look. “We’re trying to help.” 

“No offense, but that’s none of your business, Miller. I am an adult, I’ll figure it out for myself.” 

Joel sighs, shaking his head and standing up. You step back, making sure to stay well out of arms reach of him. Joel looks to you in surprise for a moment, pausing the same way Tess had last night, before turning and heading back towards his and Tess’ bedroom area. Your eyes flicked to Tess, who nodded toward the empty chair. “Please sit down.” 

You sigh and take a seat, pulling your chair back from the table to keep your distance from them. Joel rummaged around in his dresser for something. Tess leans her forearms on the table, bringing your attention back to her. “Joel saw you first when you first came to burning shift. Said he was surprised FEDRA would ever let you sign up for it.” Joel was now on his way back to the table, hiding whatever he got up to get behind his back so you couldn’t see it. He ends up sitting back down next to you. 

“Shouldn’t have been working in burning shift. Ever.” Joel pipes up. 

“It pays good! And it’s not like there’s a whole lot of options, I was just trying to grab what was available.” You defend. 

“I saw you a few weeks later at the market.” Tess continues as if you and Joel's continual argument about work didn’t exist. “Joel told me how you showed up on burning shift. I was surprised. After having a discussion we decided we wanted you.” You open your mouth to protest but Tess continues, “You won’t need to work anymore, you’ll be completely taken care of. You’ll stay here with us, for now, you will not leave this apartment and one of us will be here with you at all times. Once you get settled, we’ll start taking you back out again.”

You shake your head… what the actual fuck was she talking about? Her words make your panic flair. ‘You’ll’ not ‘you’d,’ they’ve made this decision without you’re input and you want to think you’re smart enough to change their minds about it. “No thank you.” That is all you can come up with. “I’d rather do the work myself and figure it out myself. I have no interest in relying on anybody.” 

~

Tess smirks at your words, ‘Well… aren’t you a prideful one.” She can’t help but taunt you just a little bit. You’re cute when you’re trying to figure out how to outsmart them. “Let me know when you successfully figure out how to leave.” She sits back in her chair, feeling more than a little smug. She gestures to Joel, who had grabbed the collar and a small padlock to put on it so you couldn’t take it off. 

Tess wiggles her fingers at you. “Give me your hands.” You sit back, eyes flicking between the two of them. Tess gestures again. “Come on now, it’ll just be for a moment.” She’s thanking you mentally for putting your hair up in the bathroom, it won’t be in the way when Joel gets the collar on. You shift but don’t move, already testing Tess’ patience. Joel stands and you startle a bit. Tess leans forward and grabs your hands gently, soothing you softly. “You’re safe here. We’re not gonna hurt you.”

~

You jerk against Tess, trying to pull out of her grip. Her fingers tighten around your hands and you try to stand up again, feeling Joel step up behind you. A large hand lands on your shoulder, keeping you in your chair. “Relax. Nothin’s gonna hurt, I promise.” Joel murmurs quietly.

“What are you doing?” You don’t even bother to hide your panic as you try to escape them. They’re too close, they’re touching you, and you want to scream. “Stop touching me.” 

Tess shushes you, shifting to kneel down in front of you, her hands moving up to grip your forearms. “You’re okay. We’ll let go in just a minute. Count to thirty for me.” Tess coaxes you gently into some deep breaths and into counting with her.

~

 Joel’s thumb rubs your shoulder gently, waiting until you are counting with Tess before moving his hand to wrap the collar around your neck. He’s as quick and gentle as he can be, looping the end of it through the buckle and tightening it to the correct size. 

~

As soon as you feel the leather tighten around your throat you yelp and move your hands upward to fight Joel. Fuck counting. Tess keeps your arms in place, she leans forward to put some weight onto your thighs, keeping you pinned in the chair as Joel quickly fastens the collar and hooks the tiny padlock into it, and snaps it shut. 

“Easy. Easy, I’m done.” Joel tugs lightly at the padlock and dips two fingers under the collar, making sure it isn’t too tight. Once satisfied with his work, Joel steps back. “I’m done. I’m done.” 

Tess squeezes your arms before pulling back with a soft smile. You immediately reach up to claw at the collar. “What the fuck.” 

“Easy,” Joel says again, taking his seat and gently prying your fingers from your throat. “It’s just a reminder. You’ll be fine with it on. You won’t even notice it after a few hours.”

You scoff, glaring at him. “Reminder? No. No, take it off.” You’re losing, you realize. They’re not listening to you. You swallow, focusing yourself on your goal. Escape. “I don’t want this. I want to go home now.” 

~

Tess has to admire your stubbornness and your focus on trying to talk them down from this. “You are home, pet.” She replies. Joel’s eyes darken at her words, and his hands twitch around yours. 

“Welcome home, pet. We’ve been preparing for you for months.” Joel squeezes your hands. 

~

You shake your head “I don’t want this. I don’t want to do this. I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in whatever this is.” You try to pull away from him but he keeps his grip, fingers strong around yours. 

“You’re not leaving. I think you’ve figured that out already. We already told you, we are keeping you. You’re not going to change our minds.” Joel’s voice cut through your head like a knife. You yank away from him, standing up and pacing to the living room and back again. 

~

Joel stands to intercept you but Tess stops him. “She can’t go anywhere. Give her a minute to process.” Joel looks back over to you, but your back is to him, you’re looking out the window. So he sits back down and looks at Tess who shrugs. 

~

You glare at the window. They’re by the wall of the QZ, which makes sense for smugglers you suppose. There are no people outside this close to the edge and their place is too high up to survive jumping. You frown. What the fuck were you gonna do? You turn back to them, you don’t go back to the table, but you do lean against the white shelf on the wall giving them your attention. 

“We have one basic rule for you right now.” Tess addresses you. “Just do as you’re told. That’s it.”

Joel glares at you. “Something you haven’t done yet.” 

You glare back. “I’m my own person, just because you’ve offered advice to me doesn’t mean I have to take it.” 

“It wasn’t advice, I told you to stay away from that kid and you didn’t listen.” Joel growls, clearly pissed you still hang out with Nick.

“Yes.” You nod, “Because why the fuck would I listen to you?” Knowing their plan now, at least now you understand why they hate Nick so much. Tess has been planning on taking you for months now, and yesterday you openly admitted you had a thing for Nick. No wonder she responded weirdly. 

“Because,” Tess cuts in smoothly, “you are not you’re own person. You are ours, and if you disobey us, we’ll punish you.” 

You pause at that threat, it stops you in your tracks. No. This isn’t a situation you were ever supposed to be in. The whole reason you pushed your group to go to a Quarantine Zone in the first place was to avoid raiders and slavers. You were supposed to be safe here from this exact situation. Fuck, you really owed Nick the nicest home-cooked meal you can make, and a huge ass apology. “What happened to ‘we’re not gonna hurt you?’”

Tess sits back and eyes you with a sharp look. “We have no interest in hurting you. But what is the first thing you start with when bringing home a new pet?” She asks you. 

You glare, jaw clenched so tight that in any other circumstance, you’d be worried you’d chip a tooth, but you’re too freaked out and angry and scared to care right now. 

“People train pets so they know how their owners want them to behave.” Joel interferes when you refuse to answer Tess. You stare at the ground, letting his words sink in. “We won’t hurt you, but we will discipline you so you learn what to do and what not to do. Just like any other pet.” You nod in acknowledgment and glare at the lock on the door that keeps you from your freedom. They have to go out at some point. It’s only a matter of time before you at least figure out where the key is… likely on one of them. 

You watch Joel stand up, he looks at you before once more heading back towards the bedroom area. He disappears behind the wall for a moment before coming back with a giant pink pet bed in his arms. He places it next to the shelf with the radio on it, right underneath a ring thats been drilled into the wall. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that they’ll probably leash you there at some point. It makes your body tense and you edge away from Joel. 

He turns and spots you backing away from him. He holds his hands up in surrender and steps away from the bed. “We found this for you. We figured you might like it.” 

You eye the bed and then Joel. “Are you expecting me to sleep there at night?” The bed seemed comfortable to sit on, like a beanbag chair, but you’d definitely fuck your back up if you had to sleep on it. 

Joel looks at you and shakes his head. “No. No. Probably wouldn't be too comfy for an entire night. It’s just a spot for you during the day.” He points to the bookshelf. “We got some books you can read, stuff like that. Just a little place that’s yours while we’re busy with stuff.”

You nod but don’t point out that you already have an entire apartment that’s yours that you can go to while they're busy with stuff. Instead, you eye the couch. That won’t be too comfortable in the long run either. 

“You’ll sleep in bed with us at night.” Tess pipes up from behind you. You whip around to look at her. 

“What?” Sleep in bed with them? Next to them? You can’t do that. 

Tess gets up from the table and walks over to you. You flatten yourself against the wall and she steps in just a hair too close, slowly reaching a hand up to brush her fingertips against your cheek. You pull back but she follows you, keeping the contact. You look towards the window again, and you’re glad she doesn’t force you to look at her. You’re pretty sure if you meet her eyes while she’s this close, you’ll burst into tears. 

Joel closes in as well, his hand reaching for the top of your head, gently massaging your scalp with his fingertip, much like one would pet a dog. You swallow against the rising emotions as they gently touch you. “With us,” Tess says, confirming what you’d already heard. “You’ll sleep with us, and we’ll keep you safe and warm.” 

You swallow again, blinking rapidly as tears well up in your eyes. There are so many emotions running through you right now and you don’t think you could name a single one. A tear slips free and slides down your cheek only for Tess to swipe it away. If you were so safe with them, why does your heart feel like it’s shattering into a million pieces?

They stay close, murmuring softly to you as you try to come to grips with this new reality. You won’t get out today, or likely the next few days. They’re on high alert and still trying to set some kind of routine. Your best shot is to play along until an opportunity arises. So you nod, accepting Tess’ words for now. 

You still don’t look at them but Tess leans forward to press a kiss to your temple and Joel presses his forehead against the hand he has on your head. “Welcome home, pet.” He whispers softly. Crowded between them against the wall, another tear falls.

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

Previous | Next

A\N: Thanks for reading, I hope you all enjoyed it! Let me know what you guys think!

[acnhconfessions]

i want a game thats kind of, mostly like acnh with all its customization and yes the fact you can keep the villagers hostage bc im evil like that. but with all the charm and coziness that acnl seems to have. listening to the music from that game or looking at screenshots from the game, i get this overwhelming cozy feeling of both like, a warm summer night and a festive winter day. i never got to play it bc i was still tiny when it came out and then when i got interested in ac they stopped selling acnl, also i have no clue how to use an emulator lol.

for some reason it reminds me of like, falling asleep mid-day while reading and laying in the sun. or like, going out for a walk while its raining and seeing all the worms start to come out of the dirt. or just going about your day completely normal until you see 1 little thing and youre suddenly transported back into childhood as nostalgia washes over you. it feels like buying yourself a little snack after work, or like making dinner using vegetables you grew yourself. like home brewed coffee. nl tastes mostly sweet but with a bit of bitterness and saltiness. nl would taste like toast with jam on it.

of course, thats just a romanticized version of it but comparing that with the real experience i have with acnh is just kind of... i know acnh seems to be the most hated game at the moment but honestly sometimes it feels like chore. some days i dont even talk to my villagers and just go straight to the dlc. the flowers multiply too fast and its really bothering if you only want a certain flower color or they spread so much theres not enough room to place things. i use my house as more of a storage unit than something to decorate. it feels... inorganic, far too sanitized (and thats coming from a germaphobe). if i were to compare how thinking of it right now makes me feel and compare that to how just looking at acnl makes me feel its like...

having a job thats technically easy but draining, and then after a long day you see a motivational poster as you leave. feels like throwing your old clothes in the trash instead of the thrift store. its like those shitty 5 minute crafts with the incomprehensible script. its like a starbucks or dunkin donuts, its not bad tasting but you would only get it on your way to work, you wouldnt sit down at the coffee shop and eat there. it feels like having to pay $4 for 2 tomatoes. so... it just feels corporate and clean. not hating if youre all about that acnh capitalism life!!! it just doesnt feel right. animal crossing is supposed to be like, THE cozy game but nh does not feel cozy.

idk, maybe pocket camp is that game? its a mobile but it came out inbetween nl and nh, im just not sure if i wanna spend date on that

[noneedtoamputate]

Every Beautiful Thing Outtakes - Chapter One

These are scenes that just didn't fit in my main story. The entire chapter is posted here, and is also posted to A03. This falls between Chapters 4 and 5 in Every Beautiful Thing.

The waitress came around to drop off menus. "Get you a drink?" she asked. Ellen ordered coffee, black.

"Do you have tea?" Chuck asked. She shook her head.

"I guess I'll have coffee. Cream and two sugars, please."

"You really don't like coffee, do you?" asked Ellen.

Chuck shrugged. "Never really drank it before I joined up. Then it seemed like I had it all the time. It was usually burnt. And it … reminds me of things during the war." He looked far away for a moment.

"When I came home, tea was a lot easier to make,” he started again, pointing at his left hand. “And tea is great because restaurants never have it, and my friends give me a hard time about drinking it.” They both laughed. “Always had it black in the army, so if I add enough cream and sugar now, it isn’t too bad. Won’t have more than one cup, though.”

Their drinks arrived. “Do you know what you want?” Ellen asked Chuck. He nodded. “You go first,” she said. She scanned the menu quickly and didn’t pay attention to his order.

“Pancakes, please,” Ellen said.

They put their newspaper sections down when the food arrived. A stack of fluffy pancakes for Ellen. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and buttered toast for Chuck.

She reached across for the syrup and saw, just for a moment, Chuck eye her plate. Several realizations entered her head at the same time.

Chuck’s breakfast order was classic. No one would think twice about anything on his plate. It was also easy to eat if you only had one good hand. There was nothing that required a knife.

And she didn’t have a lot of evidence to work with, but she assumed Chuck had a sweet tooth. He devoured the chocolate chip cookies she made for him, and he took his coffee with two sugars.

She doused the pancakes with syrup. She cut them lengthwise, turned her plate, and did the same again.

They dug into their food and sipped their coffees and returned to their newspapers. The waitress refilled Ellen's coffee and brought Chuck a water.

When Ellen was about three quarters done with her breakfast, she pushed the plate away. “I can’t have another bite,” she said. “Help yourself if you want.”

She opened another section of the paper so Chuck couldn’t see her face, but she peered over the page and saw him eye the plate. She quickly darted her eyes back down, pretending to be reading. She heard the plate move closer to him.

The next week she ordered waffles, back to pancakes the week after that, each time leaving some of her breakfast for Chuck to finish. Week four, she got crepes just to mix it up. Chuck asked for one more egg and two extra slices of bacon to his regular order.

“Just in case you aren’t full before sharing,” he said.

She wasn’t sure what to say now that Chuck had figured it out. She looked at him, trying to gauge his feelings.

“Thank you,” he said.

“I don’t know how much you’ll be thanking me later. Just so you know, I’ll never say no to bacon,” Ellen said.

“Just so you know, I don’t offer my bacon to just anyone,” Chuck replied.

*

Chuck liked watching Ellen do the crossword puzzle every week, her eyes scrunched up in concentration while she considered the clues, her face excited when she solved the whole thing.

She tapped the pencil on the table while she read the clue aloud.

“Send a Dear John letter,” she said. “Four letters.”

“Did you ever send one of those?” Chuck asked jokingly.

Ellen put her pencil down.

“No,” she said simply. “I wrote a letter every week for four years. He ended up marrying a nurse he met overseas.”

Chuck stared at her, dumbfounded. “Shit, El. I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I was just …”

“I know, Chuck,” she interrupted.

She dove into the whole story.

His name was Steve Somebody. Chuck couldn’t be bothered to remember his last name. They met in college and had walked out together the year before he enlisted. He got sent to India, some desk job.

“India was pretty terrible,” she explained. “It was just so … different. And so far. No USO shows. No Marlene Dietrich.” She sighed. “Guys got dumped every week. They even had a little club for guys who got letters. Just an excuse to go to the bar more than anything, but it was happening a lot.”

“But not to him,” Chuck pointed out.

“No,” Ellen admitted. “He always wrote how the other guys told him how lucky he was to have a such a loyal girl back home.”

And when he came back to that loyal girl, he said he needed time, that things had changed. A month later, he was on a train to Milwaukee. He never bothered to tell her there was someone else. A mutual friend had to tell Ellen. Steve started seeing the nurse the last year of the war and didn't know how to break it to her. So he didn't.

“That’s terrible,” said Chuck. “You must have been …” He couldn’t find the word.

“Annoyed,” supplied Ellen. “I felt annoyed. Annoyed at all the time I spent writing letters and worrying about him. Annoyed at the money I spent sending him things, at having to explain everything to my family, his family, our friends. Annoyed at all the dates I turned down. Do you know how many dates I turned down? I only lived in San Francisco. Not a solider or sailor or Marine to be had for miles around,” she said sarcastically.

She took a sip of her coffee.

“After about two weeks of being annoyed, and eating chocolate, and downing gin and tonics, I realized that if he was the love of my life, I wouldn’t be annoyed. I would have been devastated. I would have been heartbroken. So, I picked myself up, got dressed up, and went out dancing with some girlfriends.”

“And?” Chuck said, knowing there was more to the story.

“Well,” Ellen said slowly, “a lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”

“But?” Chuck urged her on.

“I did let a Navy man know how grateful I was for his service.”

Chuck laughed. “Navy, huh?”

“Well, I was still a little annoyed at the army.” She looked him in the eye. “I’ve gotten over it, though.”

“Good,” he said.

“Jilt,” she said. “Four letters.” She picked up her pencil and filled in the squares.

He walked her home after breakfast.

“You know, we don’t have to go out to breakfast every week,” he said.

“Are you trying to get out of going to breakfast with me?” she asked.

“No, no,” he said quickly. “Just, if you have other things to do on Sunday. I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

She stopped walking. “Chuck, if I ever have something else I need to do on a Sunday morning, I’ll let you know. But if you every stopped wanting to go out for breakfast with me, I would feel something between annoyed and heartbroken.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that,” he said.

“No,” she agreed. She squeezed his hand, and they continued on their way.

[longlostreader]

Billy Hargrove- I hate you pt 6

The smile didn’t leave Billys face as he drove home. He hadn’t been this happy in years. You were just so perfect. Sure you could be a bitch sometimes but he loved that side of you too. After tonight he knew he was really falling for you. Billy wasn’t one to be so cliche especially with feeling like love, but he swore he felt sparks when you kissed him. He still couldn’t believe you did it. The moment kept replaying in his head over and over. He was determined to do whatever he had to to make you his girl.

 Your parents already seemed to like him too. That was a bitter sweet moment for Billy. Seeing your parents so happy and in love. He knew that’s exactly the type of relationship he wanted with you, but deep down it hurt him seeing how perfect your family was and remembering the home he was driving back too. Billy was already looking up to your father so much. He didn’t even realize it. When your dad called Billy son it was a wild feeling. He didn’t just want you to love him, he wanted your family to love him too. He kept imagining more perfect nights like tonight. You in his arms playing dumb bored games and laughing with your parents. You were his key to happiness. To a better life. Those happy thoughts were caught short when he pulled into his driveway. Thank God Neil wasn’t home yet. 

He walked in and Max was sitting at the table finishing up her homework. “Were picking someone up on the way to school tomorrow. Don’t be weird okay?” “You. Billy. Are driving a girl to school? She must be pretty special.” Billy wanted to tell her to shut up but instead he said “Yeah. Yeah she is.” and went to his room leaving behind a very shocked Max. Billy practically passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow. The last thought he had before drifting to sleep was you. 

Billy woke up early the next day. He cooked himself an actual breakfast instead of just his usual cup of coffee. Max stopped dead in her tracks when she walked in the kitchen to see Billy dancing around and humming to himself. He noticed her mid spin and immediately stopped moving. “Um sit down Max I made you some too.” Max didn’t have a clue what to say as she sat down at the table. Billy had never ever done anything like this before. He presented her with a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast and went to the fridge to grab her some orange juice before he sat across from her and dug into his own plate. She timidly took a bite of the toast never taking her eyes off him. Billy felt her staring and finally looked up from his plate. “What?” He asked with a mouth full of food. “Ew don’t talk with your mouth full. It’s just. You’ve never done anything like this before. This girl really is special isn’t she. I’ve never seen you in such a good mood before.” “I’m crazy about her honestly. It’s really weird. I’ve never wanted to be with someone so bad before.” “Well if she makes you this happy I’m excited to meet her, but seriously when you take her out swallow your food before you start talking.” Billy just responded with an eye roll and they finished their breakfast in silence. 

Billy made sure he looked good. He kept a couple extra buttons of his shirt unbuttoned and probably sprayed too much cologne. Smelling good was just as important to him as looking good and he always kept extra gum or mints on him. He even dabbed on a little chapstick before he yelled for Max that it was time to leave. She climbed into the backseat so she wouldn’t have to move once they picked you up. 

As soon as you heard his car coming down the street you grabbed your bag and headed out the door. You wore a shorter skirt than you usually would to school and put on a little extra makeup. You wanted Billys eyes on you today no one else. Billy parked outside just as you started heading down your porch steps. He stepped out to open the passenger door for you. His eyes widened when he finally took you in. You looked hot. Your shirt showed off your beautiful thighs and all Billy could think about was his head between them. He tried to shake the thought as you approached. “Well look at you being such a gentleman. Picking me up and opening my door, I’m shocked Billy.” You teased. Billy just chuckled and said “You look beautiful princess. Not sure how I’ll be able to keep my hands off you today.” Your face went red hot as you took your seat in the Camaro. “Hi! I’m Max.” You heard from behind you. You turned around to see an adorable red headed girl with a bright smile. “Hi Max, I’m (Y/n). It’s really nice to meet you.” Billy just started to drive away from your house when Max asked “So are you two dating?” “Max! Stop talking.” Billy shouted. She just stuck her tongue out in response and you laughed. “No, not dating. We’re just partners on an English project.” You explained. The rest of the car ride was filled with the loud bass of Billys rock music. You were actually starting to enjoy the sounds and made a mental note to ask him about some bands later. 

Pulling into the school parking lot you got a little anxious. You knew there would be a lot of eyes on you, and you’re sure a lot of angry glares from girls Billy had slept with before who never got a ride to school or even a phone call from him. Billy parked the car in his usual spot and opened up the door for you. Max stepped out behind you and grabbed her skate board. “See ya later (Y/n)” she shouted behind her as she rode over to the middle school. Thats when it happened. All eyes were on you. You froze, your body completely tensed up. You could hear faint whispers around you. Billy noticed how uncomfortable you looked and put his hand on your back pulling you closer to him. “You okay?” He whispered in your ear. The motion pulled you from your trance. Your eyes met his and your body instantly relaxed. “I am now. Can we hurry up and go inside though, I’m not used to so many eyes on me.” “Of course.” His hand never left your back as he lead you inside. Even some of the teachers were staring. No one would have expected Billy Hargrove to show up with a girl, especially you. You were very vocal about how much you hated him, but here you were. Together. In front of everyone. “Whats your first class?” He asked. “I’ve got newspaper with Nancy and Robin.” “Can I walk you there?” “If you want to. You don’t have to.” “I know I don’t have to princess. I do want to, I just wanna make sure this isn’t too much for you right now.” “Well thank you. I really appreciate it.” You made it to the door, thank god there was never anyone in this hallway. Theres only 4 of you on Newspaper right now anyway. You, Nancy, Robin, and Jonathan. Billy turned to face you. “I’ll see you after class princess.” He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was around before kissing you on the cheek and walking away. 

Why was he being so sweet? This wasn’t the Billy you or anyone else knew of. He was being gentle and considerate. Your thoughts were cut short when you walked into the classroom and saw a very wide eye Robin looking at you. “I saw the whole thing.” She said. “Robin, I’m begging you please don’t say anything.” “Are you two dating?” “No no we aren’t dating-.” “Oh my God did you sleep with him!?” “No I didn’t sleep with him. Please just drop it and I’ll explain everything later.” “Fine, but don’t think you’re finding a way out of this conversation, and don’t think 

I haven’t noticed the short skirt and makeup either.” “I promise I’ll tell you later. I just don’t want Nancy hearing right now.” As if on cue you heard Nancy and Jonathan coming down the hallway. You gave Robin one last pleading look and she held her hands up in defense. You let out a small sigh of relief just as Nancy walked in. “Hey guys! You ready to get started?” She said with a bright smile.

Newspaper always seemed to end too quickly. The bell rang and the four of you left laughing. I’ll see you guys at lunch you said as you rounded the corner. You felt two strong arms grab you and pull you into an empty classroom. You yelped as he pulled you closer into his chest and heard him chuckle. ���Billy you asshole you scared the hell out of me.” “I’m sorry, I just haven’t had a moment alone with you since last night.” “Oh and why exactly would you want a moment alone with me?” You teased. “You know why. Now are you gonna let me kiss you again or do I have to take you on a date first?” “You wanna take me on a date?” “Yeah, I was thinking classic dinner and a movie, but I’ll take you to do whatever you wanna do.” “You actually thought about this? Like you seriously wanna take me on a date. In public?” He laughed again. “Thats what I just said isn’t it? Unless you don’t want to.” You responded by kissing him. God you missed his lips. You couldn’t get over how soft they were. He picked you up and sat you on a table standing between your legs. His hands danced up your thighs and he squeezed the doughy skin causing you to let out a soft moan against his lips. He took that opportunity to slip his tongue into your mouth. You could feel him starting to get hard. You almost forgot you were in school. Almost. You lightly pushed him off “Billy, we have to get to class. I can’t be late.” “Fine. So can I pick you up tonight? 7, for our date?” “7 is perfect now let me up I gotta go.” “Okay okay. One more kiss before you leave?” You laughed as you leaned in. He kissed you slower this time. Savoring the feeling. “Bye princess.” “Bye Billy.” The smile never left your face as you walked into your next class. You made it into your next class just in time. The teacher gave you a questioning look, you’ve always been extra early. You just took out your notebook and got ready for the lesson. It was extremely hard to focus. You were going on a real date with Billy. He never took girls out, just slept with them. You weren’t sure what made you different but it made you weak in the knees. 

Your second and third period seemed to drag on today but thankfully it was time for lunch. In your extra efforts to look cute today you totally forgot about breakfast so you were starving. You made it through the line quickly and made your way over to robin. You sat down and your eyes wondered across the lunchroom. You were pleasantly surprised to see Billy sitting between his friends without his usual fan club of girls hanging on his arms. His eyes met yours and he shot you a cute smile and a wink. You smiled back before Robin broke your attention. “So you gonna tell me what’s going on with you and Hargrove now?” “Oh um yeah well long story short were partners on our English project and um. I guess we’re going on a date tonight.” “You guess you’re going on a date tonight. I thought you hated his guts.” “Well I mean I did but he’s a lot different than I thought ya know. At least with me he’s really sweet.” “Well you know if he breaks your heart I’m licking him, and then I’ll write the worlds most embarrassing eulogy in the school paper.” “You laughed at her comment. “Thank you Robin, you’re the best.” “I know I am.” “Where’s Nance?” “Probably sneaking off with Jonathan.” You both continued the rest of lunch talking about the paper and upcoming movies and halloween costume ideas. The thought brought you back to Billy. Would you two be together come halloween? Would he be willing to let you dress him up in a cringy matching costume? It wasn’t long before the bell rang and you said goodbye to Robin again. You were anxiously waiting for last period. You just wanted to see Billy. 

Thank God the bell finally rang and you made your way to English. Once again Billy made it there before you, waiting in the seat behind yours. He watched you walk in with that signature smirk on his lips. “There you are princess.” “Here I am. Gosh Billy its almost like you missed me or something.” “Maybe I did.” “Oh? Well maybe I missed you a tiny bit too.” “So, drive in theater alright with you? They’re playing Terminator at 8:15.” “Sounds great, you didn’t just pick some gore movie so I’d have to hide in your arms right?” “Of course not. I’d never do a thing like that.” You let out a small laugh before turning your attention to the teacher as she began her lesson. The last 20 minutes of class were spent reading more of Pride and Prejudice. After about 5 minutes into the silence a note fell on your desk. You opened it up to see the very sloppy handwriting:

Do You Like me? 

Yes or No

God he was such a dork. You circled Yes and handed it back to him. Pretty soon another note landed on your desk. 

But do you like like me?

Yes or No

“You’re such a child.” You whispered back to him. “Just answer.” He said back. You wrote Maybe and tossed it back. You watched him roll his eyes and start writing again but you were both interrupted by your teacher. “This is reading time not note passing time.” You both mumbled a small ‘sorry’ and got back to the book. The bell finally rang and you’ve never been more excited. Billy walked you to your locker again. “So I’ve got basketball practice again. Did you wanna stay and watch or do you wanna go home before our date tonight.” “I think I’m gonna go home, I’ve got some homework to catch up on.” “Do you need a ride. I can drive you home real quick.” “Thats okay, I can have Robin run me home, or catch the bus. I don’t want you to be late.” “Alright Princess. I’ll see you at 7.” “Bye Billy.” “Bye beautiful.” You were beaming walking into the parking lot. You quickly ran to meet up with Robin and she of course agreed to give you a ride home. As long as you gave her all the details about your date. When you got home you immediately ran to the shower. You may have lied about having homework. You just wanted to look perfect tonight.

[listsofvaryingimportance]

Episodes of Psych Which I Rewatched out of order in Favorite order

The Old and The Restless (Season 2 Episode 12): Peak Henry moments and one of the first episodes I ever watched so it goes at the top

Lights, Camera... Homicido (Season 2 Episode 13): Yo entiendo español y me gusta telenovelas. Plus the killer isn't obvious unless you've watched the episode 5 times.

Extradition: British Columbia (Season 4 Episode 1): When rewatching the show in whatever order I wanted I started with the Despereaux episodes so you know I love them.

Extradition II: The Actual Extradition Part (Season 5 Episode 10): Despereaux and the kissing at the end

Indiana Shawn and the Temple of the Kind of Crappy, Rusty Old Dagger (Season 6, Episode 10) Another Despereaux and he fakes his own death.

100 Clues (Season 7 Episode 5) One of the few episodes that I greatly understand the parody material, and I love the movie Clue. It's just so good.

The Greatest Adventure in the History of Basic Cable (Season 3 Episode 4) It took me far longer than it should have to rewatch this episode. The supernatural reference is a small plus. Overall, has a heartbreaking ending which also reminds the audience that Henry is a reliable dad.

Tuesday the 17th (Season 3 Episode 15) I saved watching this episode until the night I went back to work at camp. Honestly, it's a thriller, and Gus' involvement sets a fun episode premise.

Shawn Interrupted (Season 6 Episode 6) I'm questioning how high to put this because of the bad portrayal of mental illness, but it is a favorite episode.

Dual Spires (Season 5 Epsiode 12) I don't exactly understand the source material, but I was fascinated the whole way through.

Death Is In The Air (Season 4, Episode 13)

We'd Like to Thank the Academy (Season 5 Episode 13) One of the best one episode side characters and a reminder on why Shawn never became a real cop.

Scary Sherry: Bianca's Toast (Season 1, Episode 15) I love Juliet! Also, sororities. But also, why is Juliet the queen bee?

Ghosts! (Season 3, Episode 1) I love the episodes where we are reminded that Gus has a real job. This episode shows off Shawn's devotion to Gus.

The Head, The Tail, The Whole Damn Episode (Season 4 Episode 15): Pretty good, but the beginning is a whole lot better than the ending.

Office Space (Season 7 Episode 11) Sometimes I question if ACAB should include fake psychics who accidentaly tamper with crime scenes

Not Even Close, Encounters (Season 5, Episode 3) Although it is an interesting episode, and the ending is great for their childhood best friend. The bad guy is obvious from the beginning. But I do love so corporate baddies.

Lock Stock, Some Smoking Barrells and Burton Guster's Goblet of Fire (Season 8 Episode 1) This might be a surprise because I love Despereaux, but this episode just feels like they wanted one more episode with him for the final season.

Dead Bear Walking (Season 5, Episode 15) This episode could be so much better if they leaned further into the documentary style for it. Also, the whole bit of letting Lassie get his sister's love is a little trite.

Last Updated 6/6/23

Episodes I have watched and need to add to the list:

Six Feet Under the Sea (Season 3, Episode 10)

Lassie Did a Bad, Bad Thing (Season 3, Episode 11)

Ferry Tale (Season 5, Episode 7)

The Amazing Psych Man & Tap-Man, Issue #2 (Season 6, Episode 4)

Dis-Lodged (Season 2, Episode 14)

[coolbeanzeaglbones]

Aquabats Christmas fic epilogue

The commander must’ve dozed off, because when he had woken up, the sun was shining in his face and they were on the highway.

He looked over to Jimmy, “Are we almost there?” He said, yawning and stretching. Jimmy nodded, “Yeah, go wake up the others.”

The commander was going to unbuckle his seatbelt before realizing that he didn’t have it on. He got up and walked down the hallway, but when he passed the living area, he saw that the others were already up, they had already decorated again, “Commander, we saved the star for you!” Ricky exclaimed, holding the star out for him to take.

The commander contemplated it in his hand before putting it on and plugging it into the strand of lights, “Light it up Ricky!” Ricky obliged and the lights glowed, the pretty twinkling colors were beautiful, “Oh,” Bones got up from where he had been sitting at the counter, “We got you stuff, we really got good stuff, we got it from Rite-Aid!” He gestured to under the tree.

They were wrapped in newspapers, all rumpled and a bit torn in a few places, “Oh, um, I didn’t get you guys anything.” Jimmy must’ve put autopilot on because he cut the commander off, leaning in the doorway, “Don’t worry about it, the fact we get to play the tree lighting ceremony is good enough.”

The commander was so surprised that he didn’t know what to say. The commander thought that this was the best Christmas ever, “Open mine first!” Crash said excitedly, shoving the one he had gotten for him into his hands. He colored it with markers and made it festive.

It was a beach towel, “For the beach!” He exclaimed. The commander was so happy, “Woah, super rad!” It has a sea horse on it.

It was the most merry Christmas he had ever had, Jimmy had gotten him a container of coffee, so they made some and had a toast, “To Christmas! May it stay in our hearts!” He clinked the mugs together, “Merry Christmas!” The commander stood up, “You guys have no clue how much I appreciate this, I want to make another toast, to all of you,” he raised his mug again, “For being the best band in the world, seriously.”

They continued laughing and joking until they had arrived at Mount Slushington. They were not prepared for this because they did not have anything Christmas related.

That’s when Bones went into his locker, “I knew that we were unprepared, so I bought a whole crap ton of these!” He held up a handful of those 50 cent Santa hats from the Rite-Aid, “This is gonna be great!” Ricky exclaimed, taking one of the hats and putting it on his head.

The commander watched the three of them joke and laugh and decided, “hey, Christmas isn’t so bad” he joined in the festivities. This was going to be the best Christmas ever.

[starseedfxofficial]

The Only Momentum Trading Guide You'll Need to Master the Dead Cat Bounce When it comes to momentum trading, most traders treat it like catching a speeding train—exciting, sure, but it can leave you with a face full of coal dust if you don't do it right. And then there's the "dead cat bounce"—the moment in trading when even the biggest drop gets a temporary rebound. It's like watching your cat fall from a bookshelf, miraculously land on its feet, only to tumble over seconds later. Yup, the dead cat bounce is exactly what it sounds like, but in the world of Forex, it's a trading opportunity disguised as a bad joke. But what if I told you that understanding these awkward market hiccups could be your golden ticket to riding profitable momentum swings? Sit back, grab a cup of coffee (or something stronger), and let's dive into some expert-level tricks to turn these seemingly unpredictable bounces into a steady part of your trading portfolio. Dead Cats and Momentum—Sounds Like a Band Name, But It's Not Momentum trading revolves around the concept of "riding the wave," while the dead cat bounce is more like sneaking in when the wave looks like it's over but has just enough oomph for one last push. It's often misunderstood and even feared by new traders who don't want to be left holding the bag when the wave finally breaks. Here’s the first secret: Momentum trading is not about luck. It’s about recognizing patterns and market psychology. Imagine momentum as that one friend at a party who’s still dancing well after the music has stopped. You know the vibe—there’s just enough juice left in the tank, and if you time it right, you get to enjoy the fun without the embarrassment of hanging around too long. The Sneaky Bounce: How to Spot a Dead Cat in the Wild Think of the dead cat bounce as an emotional rebound in the market. Prices plummet, everyone freaks out, and then suddenly, there's a flicker of hope. This brief recovery is where momentum traders can step in, but it's not without risk. The key is learning to spot when the market is genuinely ready to recover and when it’s just a fleeting blip. Tip #1: Track Volume for Clues One surefire way to sniff out a dead cat bounce from an actual recovery is to watch the trading volume. If there's a significant volume spike without a corresponding significant price change, it's probably just the dead cat being thrown around (yup, dark humor—but accurate). Serious traders know that strong momentum comes with real conviction, which translates into rising volume alongside price. Tip #2: Support Levels are Your Wingmen Another helpful trick for momentum traders? Treat support levels like your trusty sidekick. When a price rebounds off a strong support level but lacks volume, it’s often the market faking you out. This isn’t a hero’s comeback; it’s more like a last-minute encore from a washed-up rock band. Only a sustained move with volume should have you thinking about entering a momentum position. Momentum Trading Missteps—The Things That Make You Go "Meh" We've all been there—you think you've caught the perfect momentum move, only to have it stall, dip, and wipe out your profits. It’s kind of like buying a flashy pair of shoes on sale, only to find out they pinch your toes and no one else thinks they're cool. Mistake #1: Ignoring Overbought/Oversold Conditions The biggest myth about momentum trading is that it’s all gas, no brakes. In reality, ignoring overbought or oversold conditions is a surefire way to lose money. Indicators like RSI (Relative Strength Index) can help you avoid getting caught in a momentum trap. Think of it as reading the room before deciding if you want to keep dancing. If everyone else is already exhausted, maybe it’s time to call it a night (or cash out). Mistake #2: Forgetting Stop Losses—Seriously, Don’t Do This A momentum trader without a stop loss is like a tightrope walker without a net. One unexpected gust, and you're toast. Always know where to bail if things go south—even dead cats need a backup plan. Hidden Momentum Gems: Advanced Techniques to Consider If you're serious about leveraging dead cat bounces in your momentum strategy, you need to understand a few less obvious tricks. Here’s where we go from good to elite: Elite Technique #1: The Divergence Setup Hidden divergence between price action and indicators like MACD or RSI can be a goldmine for spotting dead cat bounces. If the price makes a lower low, but the indicator shows a higher low, that’s your divergence—and potentially a trade setup no one else sees coming. Elite Technique #2: Riding News-Driven Momentum Big news releases can often lead to exaggerated market moves. Remember, a dead cat bounce doesn’t always happen on its own—sometimes, it’s fueled by misguided headlines or overreactions. Use tools like the Latest Economic Indicators from StarseedFX to stay on top of sudden market movers and exploit the volatility. Get those updates here. Let the Momentum Ride—But Don’t Miss Your Exit Momentum trading isn’t about endless optimism; it’s about controlled enthusiasm. The whole idea is to hop on for the ride—but not the entire journey. Using take profit levels strategically can make all the difference. Pro Tip: The Fibonacci Exit Plan A great way to plan your exit is by using Fibonacci retracement levels. If a dead cat bounce reaches the 38.2% or 50% retracement, that’s usually a sweet spot to consider taking profits before momentum fades. Remember, everyone else is either riding the hype or running scared—you’re the calculated trader who knows when enough is enough. Join the Momentum Master Class—Your Next Steps If you find yourself wanting to dig deeper and learn advanced momentum strategies, why not join an actual community where people talk the talk and walk the walk? The StarseedFX Community offers live trading insights, daily alerts, and direct access to expert analysis. You can be part of a circle that isn’t just riding waves but making them. Check it out here. Quick Recap—The Tricks of the Momentum Trade - Track Volume: A dead cat bounce with low volume is not worth chasing. - Support Levels: Use them as your checkpoints—don't believe a rebound unless it has volume and conviction. - RSI & Divergence: Overbought/oversold indicators are critical to avoiding false signals. - News Momentum: Be the one with foresight when the market is overreacting. - Exit Strategy: Use Fibonacci levels to decide when to jump off the ride. Trading momentum and exploiting dead cat bounces are both about timing and finesse—it's the art of knowing when to jump in, how long to stay, and when to gracefully back out. Kind of like a good party, honestly. Not everyone gets it right, but if you do, it makes all the difference. Final Thoughts: Momentum May Be Temporary, But Skill is Permanent Remember, the market's ups and downs are inevitable, but your reaction doesn't have to be. Leverage momentum trading not just to chase returns, but to build the confidence that comes with understanding what most others overlook—like why even a dead cat can still bounce (albeit just for a little bit). Have thoughts on dead cat bounces or a particularly funny trading story? I’d love to hear them—drop a comment below! —————– Image Credits: Cover image at the top is AI-generated Read the full article

[ducknotinarow]

SF Mikey - Have you ever ... questioned the readings yvonne gives you

| send my muse ‘have you evers’ and they have to answer truthfully!

Was Mikey maybe too invested in the so called idea of cards being able to to tell the future or whatever? Yeah maybe but it severed as a nice distraction and even a bit of a comfort as well. With everything going on? Sensei..Dad was gone. He was just here in the lair and suddenly he was sucked away like the dst bunnies under the couch. Not even a trace of Splinter was left behind taking his belongings with him. Seemed just t far fr this mystery spooky ghost guy and his stupid portals .

If they hadn’t taken his dad away Mikey might actually be enjoying how everything felt like his vide games he was often playing all night long. They could even get power ups? And if they were beat to hard they get yanked back to the lair like a game over nearly. It was like everything Mikey ever hoped real life to become like. Too bad his Dad was in danger. Splinter hadn’t even a clue where he was. That terrified Mikey to his core.

Sure he didn’t know a lot of things himself but that’s why he had his brothers and father for, so they could KNOW all those things in his place. Well not s much Raph he was more dense than a brick sometimes. But the rest f them? Yeah, he counted on them. And maybe it was naive of him but to him his Dad just had the answers to everything. Not in the way Don might but in his own wise old guy way. And without that? Mikey just felt so lost.

Ashe was mindlessly toggling the buttons of his controller, he sometimes like to mess with the mapping of his buttons for games he had played over and over again to points of knowing even inch of the levels. Added some difficulties for a sort of challenge. Well Von sat beside him shuffling her deck of magic cards. Mikey slightly listened to the sound of the card’s shifting around in their place. He had asked her before to do a reading about Splinter.

He kind of forgot most of what she said. Well more like the way she worded it all but that happened a lot when he spoke to Von. All Mikey wanted to know was was Splinter at least okay? Her cards said he was in the least okay he wasn’t being hurt. But that felt almost worse? Why was he being kept then? What were they using thier Dad like this? Splinter might be a mutation but he didn’t deserve to be treated like this!! Like some captive. Was that even right?

More like a prize? Yeah that seemed more fitting and the just rubbed Mikey the wrong way. Splinter was their last prize to earn. Mikey noticed Von was staring at him now as he smiled at her. “Sorry Vonnie I ain’t spill my beauty secrets” He joked which did earn him a smile from the butterfly mutant.

“What’s up Von born?” She mentioned if he was okay or in need of a card reading even. Mikey blinked though hard to tell with the whites of his eyes only visible right now. “Oh I was just spacing out sorry Von. Donnie says it takes more brain power for me to think so everything else shuts up ya know?” He answered with not fully joking but keeping the more funny humor in their conversation at the moment. “About your card reading and all just wondering if Dad is okay ya know?”

That might be a bit a surprise with how all in Mikey had gone in when it came to the readings a such. “But I mean ya been dead on with everything else. Like about what cereal I should have. You said if I ate cinnamon toast then we would be more fortune or something like that? And we got back Dad’s apron that same day.” The truth on some of his more insane reading requests were coming to light now. “I know Raph aint much for the cards and all but I dunno.”

Of course, poor Von was very much aware of how little Raphael care for the card reading stuff.

“If they can tell me the day will be great cause I ate the better cereal than I think it also means that Dad is okay…wherever he is that is of course.” Mikey says relief showing on his face. “I just kind of hate that they are using my Dad as like a game achievement. I’m glad he aint being hurt by why take him ya know?” Mikey continues to word out his thoughts to Von then he thinks more and set the controller down so he can properly give her his attention slightly rubbing at the back of his neck. “But uh sorry for how much I been bugging you with everything. I don’t mean to just ya know wanted to see how much I could trust what you told me I can lay off though I’m sure it’s getting annoying after all.” Mikey was good at doing that after all.

[doctors-journal]

4 November

I got back from my shift this afternoon to find Justin sprawled across the floor of my flat. It gave me a shock after a long morning in the operating room. I could see that he was breathing, and his eyes belatedly opened as I entered. He groaned, but held up a hand to stop me from hurrying to his side to examine him.

“I’m fine,” he said, sounding anything but, “unhurt, at least.”

“What is it, then?” I asked as I closed the door behind me, still keeping an eye on him. “Do I need to call Emma?”

He didn’t move from the floor. “Please don’t, I couldn’t bear the embarrassment.”

“I think it’s a little late for that.”

“No, I never told her. She can’t know I was so stupid.”

I sat down on the floor next to him. “Justin, what did you do?”

“I was out investigating, I just had to know. There were so many cases, it couldn’t be a coincidence that all of them had something to do with Sherlock Holmes, right?”

“You mean you found something after all?”

He stared up at the ceiling as he ticked them off, “My informants were just a couple of con artists who cut their losses when I stopped paying them for their ‘clues’, the dancing figures were probably just drawn by a child, the wedding dress was thrown in the Serpentine by the angry groom, and the plaster bust was destroyed by a wayward cat named Macavity. Need I go on? It was all just a bloody case of selection bias—I fooled myself by seeking them out.”

I gently put a hand on his shoulder. He twisted away at the touch. So, I stood to give him some space.

He let out a terrible moan.

“That’s it,” I said. “I’m calling Emma.”

“No! You don’t understand.”

“So, you drew some false conclusions, I don’t see how that’s any more foolish than getting addicted because Sherlock Holmes did.”

“She knows I don’t make good decisions, but I’m supposed to at least be intelligent. That was all I had. We all had to have something to stand out from the crowd, and I was supposed to be the clever one.” Justin was shaking.

I knelt down beside him and this time he let me put my hand on his side. “Come on, Justin.”

I tried to help him up, but instead he fell into my arms.

“It’s okay…” I gently rubbed his shoulder. “There’s no risk of you not standing out from the crowd.”

“Please, it hurts so bad! Just a little! It’s all I need! What’s left to hurt?”

I felt a little foolish myself for how long it had taken me to realise what was really going on. I gently helped him up off the floor and onto my second hand sofa.

“What you need is food. I know it’s not fun, but the cravings will go away, you just have to wait them out.”

I went to the kitchen to find something quick and edible.

“Is eggs and toast all you can make?” he asked, coming to loom over my shoulder while I fried some eggs. I could feel him at my back.

“No, it’s just easy and digestible,” I insisted.

He looked dubious, but accepted the plate of eggs on toast when I was done. “What about you? If I have to eat, you do too.”

I couldn’t argue with that, so I made some for myself too. He picked at his food a little, but eventually he finished it, and I think it did us both some good.

“Sorry you had to put up with that,” he said while I was occupied with the dishes. “I didn’t want Emma to see, but I couldn’t trust myself on my own.”

I looked over my shoulder to meet his eyes. “It’s good that you came.”

I turned back to the dishes to give him some privacy. As soon as I turned away, he collided with my back, his chin against my shoulder and his arms around my waist.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

On an impulse, I managed to turn my neck enough to kiss the top of his head.

We lounged around my flat for the rest of the afternoon. It’s still a bit bare since between work and visiting Justin, I haven’t spent much time there, but just having him there made it more comfortable. It feels emptier now that he’s gone back to Emma’s—eventually, he texted her and she came to pick him up. I suggested that on my next day off maybe he could stay the night, and he seemed pleased with the idea.

[the-firebird69]

To find the trike and I don't know when this would happen if it'll happen so thinking about it I'm sitting there frustrated again and really you don't have to do anything to disappear which is also another thing or the other guy can take your place and so on so they do. So I wonder if it'll be before the election or after it am I thinking something this big John remillard would want to do something but cheesman would be the one up to it and he wants to make it public to try and use that as an anchor make it public has an anchor who would issue the back of John reimillard but self motivation and to use it as cheeseman and that would be the trike he would issue with me it and say you're a mean idiot for selling it and say you sit there and on the money and you're stupid and it's the max money not yours and you're stupid that's all they're going around ruining you and you don't know it you don't know they're ruining you because you're stupid so it's my money but I can't really touch it cuz I had to sit here it's a case of Hansel and Gretel no but they say it is so they're trying to get a foreigners ready to handle the Mac proper and it doesn't seem to have worked and I kept telling them it didn't work and they're really dense people and ignorant in their technically ignoring what's going to happen with the heavy that's coming out is there going to learn what I'm saying is true

Zeus Hera

And that little f**** doesn't have a clue what he's doing he's going to get wallops over and over and place he a vegetable and he's going to go after his brother which is a huge idiot mistake and they don't have any unity and it's upsetting to a lot of people who understand the math and to us it was very upsetting now we have something else we can do and they can go pound sand and they love doing that sand pounding and these people are senile the radiation is not help them since it's out right now they're saying it's a burst of 2.5 rad right now. And don't get huge radioactive void but yeah this was going to happen and we see what it is it's John remillard and it's supposed to be maniacal and some sort of Master criminal and really he's exposing things by doing this so he thinks he has an ace up the sleeve and everybody has to go after him and he thinks he's tying them up and he's not he's a tiring person is a little baby boy and he's wrong but it worked out okay he's got his cover and we like it it's going on now in a few more things to review but this is exciting for me finally and I say no I guess it was exciting when he started talking about it and I started to get more motivated and they're saying a lot of people did and it saved a lot of people and what they're doing and how they're doing it is helping too that they are destroying each other for real. This is coming up and it is a time and a place for it the time and place for what we originally said which looks like what they're doing but cheesman is the one who came forward. And he has good instincts and John remillard is working them. But his body is toast and cheesman his body is not. It's one reason but he's doing it on purpose cuz he's a moron. And they're not going to switch the question is when is this stupid s*** supposed to happen because apparently cheesman is trying to get rid of John remillard and he's doing it as payback because of what happened to his back so people got that. Other things are happening this is Major news I got to get with my husband and tell him when I think it is

Hera

Olympus

We see that they're having fun in their kids but really they're in love and they have a family somewhere and they're working very hard to help them they're helping a lot these kids are great and I'll tell you they're good at it my son has been tired and exhausted for a long time but he just gets up and does the work you do too but they are pretty damn good at recovery I have to say. He's very happy to hear it if he's having a hell of a time we got poison real bad we're going to bring lawsuits everywhere no we are and we want support and we want we need support people we need attorneys and we need them bad and legalese we need clerks law enforcement anything like that it's great and right now. She wants to talk about the timing that I do too and it's about the election and they mentioned it if he gets elected as cheesman they might not take much weight to it so believe it's afternoon November 5th which is a month away and not very far but right after and there's two months they're going to fight like hell and it will be cheesman showing up at speeches and things when it's really Trump and our son and daughter say there's a way to do that and it's about skin and it's gross so we're going to leave you with that thought

Thor Freya

They've known about it they did help plan it more so than us and this stuff is very intricate and scary and dangerous but we did figure out when but Thor and Freya are pinpointing it more than my husband and he forgot about the delay. But I know that would be it right there and it's really exciting I felt better since knowing it it's not about these guys getting toasted cuz they get toasted a lot they're quite dumb and a horrible it's really about having some mobility being able to go to a hotel room if I need to and really the guy is the biggest sucker on Earth for ruining himself and substituting that in for someone having a few grand but he probably had no choice and it's trapped here and it is for the short story Charlotte's Web and there's a couple others like that there's one about babe and the lumberjack the famous One these are stories that are in Florida and there were Big trees Paul Bunyan and babe we're down here but these stories mean that he would be stuck here as long as the as well as the real story of the revolutionary war and the reenactment periods are starting to match up and people are getting it more shortly

Thor Freya

Olympus

[dorefasolsido]

8.

***credits to the original creator***

FOOD

What is your favorite salad dressing?

Idk, not a big salad person. I like when my family adds shredded cheese on my salad, and then I only eat shredded cheese lol

Favorite sit-down restaurant?

Moon sushi.

Favorite pizza topping?

Just standard ingredients for capricciosa.

What food could you eat for two weeks straight and not get sick of it?

If chocolate counts, then chocolate, I do that anyway.

What do you put on your toast?

Cheese spread, normally.

What food do you eat the most?

Chicken?

Do you like food?

Sure.

Do you LOVE food?

I’m not that passionate about it, but when it’s good nothing’s better.

Do you even eat at all?

No, I photosynthesize in the sun.

What do you put on your ice cream?

Usually nothing, but sometimes chocolate syrup or sprinkles.

Do you like steak?

Yeaah, but not like too much.

Or are you a vegetarian?

Nope.

How about a vegan?

Nope nope.

What food do you hate the most?

Tomatoes!

TECHNOLOGY

How many TVs are in your house?

Just one here.

Do they all work?

Yup.

Do you have Comcast digital cable?

I don’t know but I don’t think so.

AT&T Uverse?

No?

Dish Network?

Nope.

Something else?

Yup.

What’s your favorite show?

Hmm, Squid Game, The Haunting series, AoT though that’s technically an anime, but it’s so so good.

What’s the worst show?

Lol I don’t know. Besides, I love bad shows sometimes, they relax me.

What color cell phone do you have?

It’s this really cool blue. Sadly, I broke its back glass very early on, so now I hide it with a phone case.

What kind?

Huawei P20 Lite.

What does the first text message in your inbox say and who sent it?

Ah, not gonna check now.

What was the last text you sent and who did you send it to?

Something to my best friend, probably asking her how her work’s going.

Who was the last person to call you?

My parents, I think.

Who was the last person you called?

Probably same, I hate calling people.

CURRENTLY

Are you missing someone?

Hm, I don’t think so.

What are you listening to?

Just outside noise, kids screaming, usual stuff.

Watching?

My computer screen where I’m tying this lol

Worrying about?

If I’ll be able to balance my freelancing gigs with a full-time job or if it’s better to just stick with freelancing because I like that more.

Where are you?

On my living room floor.

What’s it like there?

Pretty nice.

How are you feeling?

Not bad, actually, last night I felt kinda eeeh so I thought that mood would continue today, but I slept really well (and really long because I didn’t feel like doing anything at all) and today I feel much better.

Is anyone with you? Who?

My sister is on the balcony a few feet away.

Are you hungry?

Not really, but I could eat.

What do you want to eat?

Idk, I’m feeling Mexican food today, but that’s not gonna happen.

Thirsty?

Nope.

What do you want to drink?

Orange juice would be nice though.

What time is it?

3 PM on the dot.

LASTS

Thing you ate?

Spicy chips.

Thing you drank?

Pretty sure it’s water.

Thing you said?

No idea lol

Movie you watched?

Princess Mononoke in open-air cinema, such a cool experience!

Store you went to? What did you buy?

A supermarket, I bought some sandwiches, the aforementioned chips, some chocolates.

Person you talked to?

My sister.

Person you hugged?

No clue, not much of a hugger.

Kissed?

Not much of a kisser either lol

Yelled at?

Also not much of a yeller, so it must have been a very long time ago.

Book you read?

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman.

Thing you touched?

My laptop.

Person you became friends with on Facebook/Myspace/whatever other site?

Oh idk.

RANDOM

Are you a righty or a lefty?

Righty.

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?

A wisdom tooth only.

What is the last heavy object you lifted?

I bought some 5 kg weights for my sister and had to carry them in my backpack.

Have any scars?

Sure.

How did you get them? Any interesting stories?

Hmm, a pretty recent one is from rollerblading, my wheels got stuck on a little stone and I fell almost headfirst into some construction debris. Luckily, since I have plenty of rollerblading experience, I know how to fall, so I didn’t get seriously hurt -- just got scrapes all over. My elbow was in a particularly bad shape and now I got a nice scar to forever remind me of my adventures.

if it were possible, would you want to know the day you’re going to die?

Nope. Not how, not when, nothing.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

I actually wouldn’t. I never thought my name suited me, but then one day it hit me that it’s such a short, convenient, easily pronounceable name that all my foreign friends can use too, so now I like it.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?

Uhhh well no, but I’d probably try for $1000. That’s good money for my country.

How about 10 bottles of ketchup?

Again, I’d try. Maybe if I had enough time, I could.

10 bottles of maple syrup?

I’ve never tried maple syrup so it’s hard to say.

A bottle of vinegar?

Okay, I draw the line there.

10 jars of peanutbutter?

With enough time, sure.

How many pairs of flip flops do you own?

None, I don’t find them comfortable.

Favorite month?

November.

Do you always answer your phone?

Lol no. I mean, I do to my family and sometimes friends, but if an unknown number is calling, well... sorry.

It’s four AM and you get a text message, who is it?

Actually, I’m the one who’s most likely to answer messages at 4 am because I often work at night. Plus, I know everyone’s sleeping then so they won’t answer right away. Sometimes I feel so pressured when I answer a message and a person writes back immediately, the exception being when it’s something urgent or arranging plans or so.

If you could change your eye color what would it be?

Probably blue. I’m cool with my boring brown eyes now tho

Do you own a digital camera?

Nope.

Do you take lots of pictures of yourself?

Not a lot, but more now than I did before.

Do you take them in front of the mirror in the bathroom?

Rarely, but it happens.

Have you ever had a pet fish?

Nope.

Pet hamster?

Nope.

Bird?

Nope.

Favorite Christmas movie?

I guess I’ll go with Home Alone.

Favorite Christmas song?

Christmas Love by Jimin.

Can you do push ups?

Loool absolutely not.

Can you do a chin up?

Nope.

Does the future make you nervous or excited?

Right now it doesn’t make me feel anything particular. I’m usually of the excited kind, though.

Ever been in a car accident?

Yes, but everyone involved was okay somehow, even though a motorcycle scraped my family car at high speed. Luckily, the guy riding it had a helmet and all that, so he only sustained very minor injuries.

Do you have an accent?

I mean, everyone does? But yeah, English is not my native language, so I probably do have a vaguely East European accent.

What song always makes you cry?

Always? Well, none, but H. by Tool usually makes me feel that particular tightness in my chest.

Have any plans for tonight?

Just German lesson.

What were you doing at 12 AM last night?

I just arrived home from cinema then, so eating.

What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?

Why are there so many notifications on my phone

[icarus-suraki]

When Issy left, it was too late to start anything. I pinned the Tumblr post on the wall and called it a night. At least Issy didn't steal my hat. Or maybe she kept it and that thing standing over there was the dextromethorphan getting to me.

When I woke up it was morning, which was different, and I was hungry. Hungry for answers, sure, but mostly for bacon. Good thing this lousy city is lousy with lousy places to eat lousy breakfasts. And if you know the right one, you might get some answers too.

My favorite place is the one on the corner with the big plate glass windows where you can sit inside like you're in "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper (1942). But it doesn't open until 2--am, that is. Funny thing about "Nighthawks" is that it might be connected to "The Killers" or "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place." Those're both Hemingway. Funny how things always seem to circle back around again.

Nighthawks was closed. Wavos was full of stoners that time of the morning. I settled on Johnie’s Coffee Shop. The Hollywood googie look isn't my scene, but they'll serve me.

I sat down at the counter.

"Hey, Harry," the waitress said.

"Hodie," I said.

"What can I getcha, dollface?"

"Fried egg, toast, bacon."

She shouted the order back to the cook in diner lingo that I don't feel like transcribing here right now.

"And coffee if you've got it," I said.

"Always got that," she said, pouring it.

I tried to look nonchalant and talk over the rim of my coffee cup but I drank too soon or talked too late and wound up blowing bubbles instead.

"What'd you say?" the waitress said.

"I said 'Seen Mr. Ellmann around at all?'"

"Now what's a big man like him doing in a place like this?"

I shrugged. "I thought maybe you saw him somewhere else. Maybe one of those Phi Beta Kappa meetings."

"Honey, I had to skip the last two to keep this place open."

She walked off and I turned to look out the front windows of this joint. The coffee was terrible; just how I like it.

All of a sudden there's a woman on the outside looking inside. Does she see me? I thought to myself. No, she doesn't really see me: from that angle, with these windows, she sees her own reflection. I turned back around since I was trying not to notice that she was hitching up her skirt and while she was straightening her stockings her hair had gotten wet.

Too bad. At least it wasn't raining.

While I chowed down on breakfast it was starting to dawn on me, like a sunny side up egg yolk over a bread horizon, that what we had here was a twofer. I lined up the toast on my plate for some visual representation for no one. See, what Issy wanted was to find Tricky Dick Ellmann and then, with Ellmann's know-how, see if the post was accurate. Artie might not be involved but that didn't mean jack when it comes to stories kicking around in this town.

Ellmann's house is up in the 900 block on Dewey Street, one of the big houses, so it's not like his place is hard to find. As for the man, he's either there or he isn't. And if he isn't, you just have to wait for him to come back. And for all the clue I had, he was somewhere out in the footnotes of the headlands.* I had my fill of bacon already so I wasn't looking for a steak-out. (Listen, my ma thinks I'm funny.)

So maybe--the waitress shorted me on coffee when she came around--the way to solve this is to figure out where this post came from and then get old Ellmann in all his wisdom to confirm it. That's a little more legwork but I like legwork more than stakeouts. I think better when I walk.

I was chewing the last bit of burnt toast when the waitress brought the check. $0.15, which was higher than last week. I paid with a quarter and got back out on the street.

I figured it was time to call my old friend Goggles.

*He isn't. I checked. --Issy

It was a rainy Monday night when she came up to my office. I saw her silhouette on my frosted pebbled glass door and I knew this was going to be trouble.

They don't make frosted pebbled glass doors like they used to. I had to source this one specially. I cut the door to fit it in myself. The landlord didn't like that but he doesn't understand aesthetics. Same reason I keep my blinds half-open all the time for those angular and linear shadows: aesthetics.

I put the decals for my name up on the door too: Harry Cross, Researcher. The letters were backwards for me on account of being inside my office: ɿɘʜɔɿɒɘƨɘЯ ƨƨoɿƆ γɿɿɒH

Then the letters were ||||| ||||| ||||||| when she opened the door.

"Hello, Hodie," she said.

"Hodie" is what they call me if they know me: Harry "Hodie" Cross. It was a long-ago yesterday that I got that nickname. I'll tell you why tomorrow.

"Hey, kid," I said.

You could call her a leggy blonde. Blondes come in only a couple of flavors in these kinds of stories: icy and honey. But she wasn't a blonde. She was pretty leggy, though, considering she had two of them. She'd be leggier if she had more but you take what you can get. So you could call her a leggy blonde if you wanted but I'm not about to. She was maybe somewhere between 17 and 43 and she looked like she had a lot on her mind. I'm telling you all this for your benefit; she's my cousin so don't get any ideas.

She took my hat off the rack and put it on as she walked over on those two legs; the hat looked better on her than on me.

"How're your brothers?" I asked.

"Fighting," she said as she sat down on the other side of my desk.

"Too bad," I said.

She shrugged. "It happens every night."

This kid here, Issy, she's got two brothers, Shem and Shaun and they've each got a share of the city. Shem's got a lock on the stationery business in this town and Shaun's got a mail delivery racket going. It never ends with those two and sometimes I think Issy just plays referee when they're brawling.

I kicked my feet up on the desk. "So what brings a girl like you to a nice place like this? The rain? The park? Other things?"

"I need you to find someone for me, Hodie."

"Yeah?" I lit another datura cigarette. I couldn't find the one I'd just had in my hand. "Who?" I lost my cigarette again.

"Ellmann."

I gave her a look. Two-ells-two-enns Dicky Davy Ellmann was another big man in this town, but for the right reasons. He was smart; he knew his stuff, and if he didn't know, he knew how to find out. A regular tome, that guy.

I found another datura cigarette in my hand and lit it. "With that blue and black jacket of his, he should be easy to find." I paused for a second. "You don't think he's…I guess some people would call it 'recycled'?"

"I don't think he's in the box."

We all know the old cardboard box where you end up when it's time to leave the city of letters.

"Still in the old place, then, huh? Why're you looking for him?"

"Because of this."

She slid a Tumblr post across the desk towards me:

I read it and gave a low whistle.

"I need to know if it's true, Hodie. And if anyone's going to know, it's Ellmann and nobody knows where he is."

I leaned back in my chair, which I also had to source specially as a vintage piece since the aesthetics demand something other than a pink gamer chair in this establishment, and kept looking at the post.

"Why not just ask the usual crowd?"

"With Artie out there causing trouble?"

She was right: Artie Intel was a thorn in everyone's side these days. He liked to talk but only about three words of what he said were true. It was all good language but it was all wrong--not even fiction, just plain wrong. Real gift o' the gab with this one. And a town like this might run on fiction but sometimes you just need facts. The problem was that people were starting to listen to old Artie and starting think what he was saying was making sense.

"Hodie, please?" she said. "You've got a nose like a bloodhound."

"It's not that big."

"You got droopy eyes, though."

She had me there.

"And droopy ears."

That was maybe going too far.

"All right," I said. "I'll take the case."

"I knew you would, Hodie. And I know you'll find him."

I tossed the post back onto the desk. "When I set out to find somebody I find 'em. That's why they pay me."