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dumdumsun · 1 year

Text

To Nightfall

A/N: Enjoy!

Warnings: alcohol, mentions of alcohol and death

Word Count: 5119

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Chapter 17: Seven Bells

In mid-September of 1963, Sir Reginald Hargreeves found himself sending his daughter off to her very first outing with one of his colleague’s sons. He seemed to be a reasonable match for (Y/N). It was difficult to come by gentlemen her age with an intelligence like hers. Preston Hildebrand was in no way or degree of being smarter than (Y/N), but he would do.

“Reggie, she’ll be fine.” Grace reassured him from the lounge room. Reginald peeled himself away from the door, where he had been watching the two teens walking off down the street. “Come have a seat. Relax.”

Reginald sighed and sat himself in his usual armchair, gently taking his book from Grace that she held out for him. She sat herself down on the sofa and began looking through documents. “You don’t have to be afraid, Reggie. You know how your daughter is.”

“Yes, I do. Stubborn, relentless, emotional, sarcastic.” He turned a page. “She is also diligent… compassionate… sharp.”

“An absolute angel.” Grace grinned. Reginald hummed thoughtfully.

“May I repeat myself so confidently when I say that I truly believe (Y/N) is my greatest accomplishment?”

Grace chuckled. “You may.” Her laugh earned a small smile from him. “It’s crazy to think that she wouldn’t be in our lives today had I not been walkin’ down that sidewalk… She probably wouldn’t be breathin’ if we hadn’t met.”

Reginald lifted his head to watch her smile soften with affection.

“Makes ya think about how impressively the world works. How some of the best people show up in our lives when we least expect it… Like they’re meant to be here with us.”

“Yes,” He mused with a smile of his own. “Like they are meant to be here…”

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

A dull ache settled into Five’s temples as he opened his eyes. The orange light from outside casted into the bedroom, which gave it a soft glow. It was nice, he thought. The Kugelblitz could hardly be seen in a positive light, but it did give off a nice view. With a groan, he sat up in bed, the duvet sliding off his bare chest and landing in his lap. Five massaged his temples in silence, save for (Y/N)’s soft breaths beside him.

“What did I get up to last night?” He whispered, staring around at the empty bottles and mannequin legs littered about the room. Blurry images flashed through his mind. Images of him drunkenly giving some speech at the wedding, chasing (Y/N) through the halls with plastic mannequin parts in his arms, taking many breaks to copulate in nearly every hall of the hotel. But the last thing he very vaguely remembered was what happened in the White Buffalo Suite.

“There is no time.”

Reginald was talking to someone the slightly ajar door obscured.

“I can’t do this without you.”

He made a deal.

Five furrowed his brows, his fuzzy brain trying to recollect any clues as to who the mystery second party was, but all he could remember was (Y/N) pulling him away. He tried not to dwell on it too much, for the frustration was only adding to his throbbing headache. “What was the old man up to?”

Beside him, he heard the sheets rustle and he turned to see (Y/N), creaking her eyes open just the slightest in order to see him. She only needed to glance at their bare bodies to remember exactly what they were up to the night before, the two sharing a smile in recognition. With a tired sigh, she stretched her arms.

“I feel like I wanna take a bath.”

In his room, Viktor stirred awake. It had been odd, not seeing Allison in the bed across from his. He figured she had found a new room, any empty ones open to her now that the other guests were no longer in the hotel. Part of him was relieved that the tension didn’t have to follow them in the room, but another part of him was hurt that she couldn’t stand to share one with him.

He jumped in alarm at the sound of a throat being cleared. He turned his head to see Reginald standing next to Allison’s old bed, a tray of food in his hands. “Bad dream?”

Viktor fought off a wince at his headache as he propped himself up on his elbows. “Why are you here?”

“What does it look like? To feed you, child. I’m sure after last night’s festivities, a hearty breakfast should bring you a bright start to your day.”

“It’s all such a blur.” He groaned as Reginald set the tray down on the bed and took a seat at the foot.

“Ah.”

Viktor gratefully picked up the glass of water on the tray and raised it to his lips. He halted when Reginald continued to stare at him. “Is there anything else?”

“To be honest, I have some concern.”

“Since when do you care?”

“May I remind you, I am not the Hargreeves you grew up with. Yes, we share the same DNA, impeccable style, and mannerisms, but I can assure you our life circumstances are very different.” He opened the tray cover to reveal two berry scones and two boiled eggs. “And being the only sober person at the wedding, I had the unique opportunity to witness your argument with Allison. Such a shame to see a family struggle so.”

Viktor scoffed as Reginald popped the food into his mouth. “Family… What does that even mean?”

“Family are the only people who know us whilst we endure our most epic trials. I think that should count for something.”

“Why don’t you tell Allison that?” He removed the blanket from his body and stood from the bed. Just outside his window, the Kugelblitz seemed to have moved even closer overnight, its orange clouds consuming what was once a bright blue sky. “Jesus…”

“He’s due any minute now.”

Viktor’s head snapped to Reginald, eyes wide.

“That was a joke.”

He chuckled with a raised brow, earning a smile from his father. “You do jokes now.”

“Actually, what I’m here to discuss… is deadly serious.”

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

The drip of the water from the faucet into the tub every few seconds was the only sound within the spa. Five sat in the hot water that rose to his chest, absently staring at his wife, who sat across from him in the tub, eyes shut and brows raised. She seemed to still be waking up since they had gotten out of bed. She hadn’t made a single sound since they sat down.

“Feeling better?” He whispered, receiving a quiet hum.

“I needed last night.”

“See? Told you so.”

She didn’t open her eyes, but she still frowned at him playfully. Moving her brows so suddenly slightly worsened her headache, so she released the expression to continue riding out her pain. “It was the first time in awhile where I celebrated something… and then something horrible didn’t happen right afterwards.” She gently opened her eyes and smiled sadly. “I don’t think I’ll get another night like that…”

Five reached out and caressed her scarred cheek in his palm with a soft look. “I’ll try my best to keep you happy, Starlight.”

“You already do… I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He whispered, leaning forward to sweetly kiss her lips.

Within Luther and Sloane’s room, the couple looked up from where they were sitting on their floor, in hardly any clothing, to see Allison standing in their open doorway. “Sorry.” She rapped her knuckles against the wood. “Door was open.”

“No, don’t worry. Come in.” Sloane scrambled to stand, Luther doing the same. “Sorry for the mess.”

“Oh, don’t be.” She smiled and stepped into the room. Sloane grabbed a cup of yogurt and sat in a chair on the side, Luther straightening to look at his sister. “Uh, look, I just wanted to come by and say I’m sorry. Okay, I’ve… I’ve been a really shitty sister lately.”

Luther widened his eyes at the unexpected apology, assuming Allison would never come to her senses. “You know, if you’re handing out apologies, Viktor should be top of the list.”

“No, I know. I’m…” She nervously stuffed her hands into her pockets. “I’m gonna get to him. I just, um… Working my way up.” She chuckled.

“Okay.” He whispered. “Well, I forgive you.”

Her smile widened, a gentle look in her eye. “‘Kay.” She smiled at Sloane, who smiled back, before heading towards the door. She stopped abruptly as if she remembered something and turned back around. “Oh, uh, Dad called a meeting at noon today. Are you both gonna come?”

His look of confusion melted into a sarcastic smile. “Oh, I see.” He pointed at his sister with narrowed eyes. “I see what this is.”

“Luther, he has a plan.”

“Mmhm?”

“No, a plan he thinks can save the universe.”

“Really?”

She sighed at his feigned interest in what she had to say. “So, please, come. Both of you.”

“No.”

“We’ll be there.” Sloane stood.

Allison grinned at her, then at Luther. “Great! Okay.” She nodded before leaving, Luther sighing as she shut the door behind her.

Back in Five and (Y/N)’s room, the former had just gotten dressed, the latter looking through the drawers for an outfit. He adjusted his tie and walked up to her, snaking an arm around her waist from behind. “I’m gonna have a drink outside. Feel free to join me when you’re ready.”

“You just got over a hangover, baby.” She looked over her shoulder to press the side of her forehead to his. Five smiled and kissed her cheek.

“Can’t let all those bottles go to waste.”

“No, I guess you can’t.” She chuckled. “Alright, go ahead. Love you.”

“Love you.” He pecked her lips and walked out of the room. Within time, (Y/N) shed her robe and put on her undergarments along with a pair of black slacks before a knock could be heard at the door. Thinking it was Five, she called for the person to come in.

She was taken aback when Allison opened the door and walked in. A long silence passed through as they stared at each other. Averting her gaze, (Y/N) went back to looking for a shirt. With her inebriation slept away, she no longer had much patience for Allison’s recent behavior. If she came in to argue once again, then (Y/N) was prepared to tell her off.

“Um… so…” Allison sat down on a small sofa near the bed. “I wanted to talk about… everything that’s happened between us. I’m… I’m not proud of it. I just wanted you to know why it went down the way it did.”

“I know why it did.” (Y/N) pulled on a light grey long-sleeve that stopped just above her navel. “You lost your daughter and your husband in our last jump and no one seemed to care. Barely even mentioned it, which just made it look like it didn’t matter. You were told to just accept it and move on. You were angry… angry that I appeared to be doing exactly what you weren’t. I get it. But I wasn’t.”

Allison stared as (Y/N) buckled harness straps to her waist and her shoulders. Her sister’s new style wasn’t one she particularly understood, but it did look very flattering on her. “You just… You looked so happy and I… didn’t know what to do with that.”

(Y/N) sighed and leaned against the wall behind her. “I’m sorry about Claire. Really, I am. I miss her, too, you know. She was my favorite niece.”

The two chuckled, Allison wiping away a tear. “She was your only niece, (Y/N).”

“That’s why it hurts so much more,” She pushed off the wall and strode up to Allison, sitting beside her on the sofa. She shook her head as her throat became restricted with unreleased sobs. “I lost my babies, too, Allison. I feel like… like I’m dying every second I’m not with them.”

Allison sniffled and pushed her sister’s hair back. “I know… I know. I’m sorry.”

(Y/N) sniffled and deeply inhaled, tears falling as she gently gripped her sister’s hands. “This family is all I have… And I’m holding on tight with everything I have. I need you to hold on, too, Allison. Because if you let go… you’re gonna slip, and you’re gonna fall.” She let out a choked sob. “And I don’t want you to fall, Allison. I wanna be in your corner, and I want you in mine.”

Sniffling, Allison pulled (Y/N) into a tight hug, letting out her own cries. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry, (Y/N). No matter what, all I’ve wanted for you was for you to be happy. But I couldn’t understand how you managed to do that when I couldn’t. Then I realized that… you weren’t telling anyone how you felt. You were just keeping it all bottled up. And I hated that.”

She pulled away to hold (Y/N)’s face in her hands. “Just… no matter what happens… I want you to remember that. No matter what I’ve done or said, or what I haven’t done or said yet, I just want you to be happy. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Allison nodded and hugged her sister again before they released each other and sat back. “Also… I’m sorry about the Sparrow (Y/N). You guys seemed close.”

(Y/N) sniffled and nodded, twisting the white bracelet on her wrist. “She deserved happiness, too… But it’s very clear that the children of Sir Reginald Hargreeves will always live in misery…”

“You’re still pissed at him?”

“Pissed? I-I’m fucking infuriated with him. A-And then he calls everything he’s done a fucking ‘rough patch on a verdant lawn’? What the fuck?”

“(Y/N), you have every right to feel that way. You do. But Dad has a plan that can fix all of this. And he called a meeting-”

“No-”

“-at noon. It’s at noon, and I really think you should come to at least hear him out.”

“I’m not hearing shit out, Allison. You expect me, after I nearly killed him with a promise in my actions, to sit there and listen to anything that man has to say? No. Hell fucking no.”

Allison sighed and stood. “Do what you want. And I know I’m not anyone to ask you to listen to me, either, but you said it before. We can’t think about ourselves when it comes to the end of the world. So, maybe, you can put aside some of that hatred to hear what he has to say.”

(Y/N) looked away with a clenched jaw.

“Okay… If you don’t, me or Five can just relay it to you. Think about it, though.”

Allison sighed and left the room, closing the door behind her.

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At the edge of the world sat Five, tipping back a bottle and gulping down its contents. Behind him, on the other edge of the world, was the Kugelblitz. Everything on the other side was being sucked into the radiated black hole and he wasn’t trying to stop it. It was a jarring thing to think about.

He turned his head slightly when he heard footsteps approach him. For a second, he was about to call out to (Y/N), but those weren’t her footsteps. He’d recognize hers anywhere. Trailing his eyes up, he was met with-

“Reginald.” He greeted with a disregard to the man who stood beside him.

“I take it you know why I’m here.”

“How ‘bout I save you some time? Give you the ‘no’ upfront. I’m not the least bit interested in this bullshit plan you’ve been cooking.”

“It’s not, as you so colorfully called it, bullshit.”

Five only took another drink.

“Mind if I join you?”

“Actually, appreciate some…” His nerves were irked when Reginald sat down beside him. “...solitude.”

“Mmhm.”

“It seems I won’t get any.”

He handed the bottle over to his father. Reginald took a drink of it and winced. “Dear god!”

“Mmhm. Louis XIII, it ain’t.”

“I’ve had worse.” He set the bottle down and looked up at the new sky. “It is impressive, isn’t it?”

Five followed his gaze. “All the ways we could have screwed the pooch, this way is the most complete. I’m relieved, actually. This time, everything goes. There’s no Commission, no leaping away. No life spent going mad… with the desperation to see a familiar face.”

Reginald took another swig. “I’ve seen worlds end in ways that would knock your socks off, old man.”

“Wow! Reginald Hargreeves, you never cease to surprise me.”

“That is some comfort.” He smiled a bit. “You know, they all run together after awhile. But you never forget your first. Your home. Your original sin. You never stop wondering, ‘Did I do enough to save the people I loved?’.”

“Did you?”

“No… but I was hoping you children could help me out with that.”

Five raised his brows. “There it is.” He tossed back some more alcohol. “You can go ahead and scratch (Y/N) off your list of recruits. I think you’re the first person to ever land on her blacklist.”

With a genuine sigh of disappointment, Reginald glanced down at the nothingness below them. “One of my deepest regrets was hurting her so.” He looked up to meet Five’s curious gaze. “It seems I have underestimated the relationship you have with her. I see much of your influence in her, and I can’t say it is necessarily unhealthy.”

“What, is this your blessing or something?”

“You wouldn’t have accepted a blessing of mine.” He chuckled. “(Y/N) would have none of that. She has gained more nerve than she had when I last saw her. Though, it was only days for her. It was a change she needed, and perhaps a change that would not have occurred had you not been with her. That is the difference between her and my second-selected version of her.”

Five shook his head at that. “There were many differences between the two of them.” He gulped down another swig. “Sorry, Reg, but you can cross me off, as well. I got a message from the future.”

“What future?”

“My future self told me very explicitly not to save this world.”

Reginald quietly laughed in disbelief. “You are an arrogant son of a bitch, aren’t you? ‘Future you’. ‘Present you’. The past is as much a mystery as the future.” When Five only continued to drink, his amusement washed away. “You ruined your life once before by not listening to me. Are you prepared to do that again?”

Five stared him down with a clenched jaw, his teeth grit behind his closed lips. With a sigh, he relented. “Fine, I’ll attend your stupid meeting.”

“Excellent!” He smiled, standing to his feet.

“If…” Five gained his attention. “...you tell me what happened with you in the Buffalo Suite last night. Who were you talking to? Was it Klaus? Was it Ben?”

“No one. I was alone.” He shook his head. “Though, I doubt you were in any condition to remember. We should go. Don’t want to be late for the meeting.”

Five remained seated.

“I would move if I were you.”

He furrowed his brows. “What, are you threatening me?”

A sudden rumbling shook him, prompting him to hurriedly get to his feet and step back, the part of the ground he was just sitting on breaking apart and falling into the endless pit below.

“Shall we?” Reginald smiled and walked back to the hotel. With a scoff, Five set the bottle down and followed him.

Upon entering, an outburst of claps and cheers for the boy sounded from where the family sat. Five sighed and approached them as they all applauded for his drunken speech at the wedding, where, apparently, he had said some very heart-warming words. To the side, though, Reginald caught sight of (Y/N) walking to the lobby from the elevator she had just exited. With a deep breath, he approached her.

“My child.” He greeted, the girl flinching with a glare. “Before I commence the meeting, I wanted to deeply apologize for (Y/N)’s death. I can see that it has wounded you, and I regret my actions in the entire ordeal.”

(Y/N) sighed and crossed her arms, looking anywhere but at him. “You know, out of anyone, you should be apologizing to her. But she isn’t here for you to do that… Not even her clone.”

He sighed, scrambling to find the right words to say. Reginald Hargreeves wasn’t usually someone to be caught speechless, but (Y/N) never failed to bring out the unexpected. At his silence, she shook her head. “Why did you even do it? What was the point of it all?”

“My child… the day you and your mother left in 1963, it formed an unforeseeable hole in my life. Even your mutt left.”

“Mr Pennycrumb…?”

“Taken by Grace. All I ever wanted was a family like ours once again. So, in order to have even a bit of the past, I adopted you again in 1989. However, I never took into account that a different environment would cause such a drastic change in her character. She was nothing like you, (Y/N). In hopes of repairing what I had already damaged, I coddled her. I made sure to be more attentive with her than my other children. In my attempts, it only resulted in her nature to become cocky and entitled.”

(Y/N) frowned in confusion, but let him continue.

“My Sparrow (Y/N) suffered from underlying issues. She was a very disturbed and… sadistic individual. I first realized it when she was only thirteen, in a time when she was my Number One. She could not lead a unit to success, for her wickedness held her back. It held her siblings back. I was afraid… I was afraid that if she continued the way she did, she would shape the Sparrows into a team of endangerment.

“I demoted her and isolated her from the rest. She was unreasonable, ridiculously headstrong. There was no need for the Sparrows to know the truth, as it would only cause fear and rebellion. With a clone, it was a means to start once again. A blank slate. I instilled an entirely different personality within her clone. One where she was subservient and constantly seeking validation from me. From everyone.

“You have to believe me, it wasn’t what I wanted for her. It was a finer alternative than the person she truly was. I was keeping the children safe… I believed I was keeping her safe. I see now that my intentions blinded me from what I was truly doing to her. I would have ceased my wrongdoings if I had known I was corrupting her mind.”

(Y/N) stayed silent for a second, taking in everything told to her. The entire situation seemed so superfluous. All he had to do was talk to her. Her whole life, it seemed Sparrow (Y/N) just needed someone to talk to her, not isolate her. It didn’t make sense. “You were such a good father in ‘63…” She shook her head. “I wonder what happened in between.”

Reginald gave a small smile. “You were not there.”

“Don’t put this on me. If I had such an impact on your life, then how did I not teach you to be a good father to any other child of yours?”

“In every timeline, (Y/N), you are my daughter. I suppose you are the only one I planned to truly raise, for there is no other child to raise like you.” His smile widened a bit. “I love you very much, my child.”

She scoffed and walked past him, walking in the seating area. All irritation she had just felt washed away when she came face-to-face with her family, who greeted her warmly.

“Hey, there, Miss Maid of Honor.”

“Quite the entertainer last night.”

“Oh, yeah, the life of the party.”

“We need to book you more for events.”

(Y/N) chuckled and jokingly curtsied before walking over to the armchair Five sat in, sitting herself on one of the arms. Reginald returned to the room to stand before everyone. Without any context, he began to explain.

“The Norse had seven sleepers. The Blackfoot, seven stars. As a boy, I heard the legend of the seven bells. All these stories are the same. The village is under threat by flood, by fire, by a night that never ends. A shaman brings his disciples to a sacred cave. He tells them if they can ring the seven magic bells, the village will be saved, and all will be restored just as it was.”

Lila raised her hand. “Reggie? Can we get a little less Brothers Grimm and a little more ‘What the hell does this have to do with us’?”

“There is a truth to these myths. None of you can deny what’s going on around us. All of existence will be gone by the end of the day, but whoever or whatever wove together space and time, they left a way to put things back together if the universe ever faced total annihilation. There is a portal in the universe. I built this hotel around it… and on the other side… is the answer.”

Luther shrugged. “And… we’re supposed to, what? Just stroll in there, ring some bells, and fix this shit?”

“Sarcasm aside, you are mostly right. Except for the guardian.”

“What kind of guardian?” Viktor asked.

“Kinda guardian that does this.” Diego lifted his hand, where two makeshift prosthetics took the place of where his fingers used to be. “He had a sword.”

“It is a force to be reckoned with.”

Luther shook his head. “See? Yeah. This is where you lose me.”

“This is where he loses you?” Lila raised her brows. “I checked out at the sacred cave.”

“Why would the builders of this ‘back door’ need to have a guardian?” Viktor asked.

“Ah!” Sloane pointed. “To protect it from people who want to use it for nefarious means.”

Reginald nodded. “That is correct, Sloane.”

“So, I guess it’s gonna take all of us to defeat the thing protecting the bells.”

Five glanced over at Allison from where she sat in an empty luggage cart. “You’re actually buying his crap?”

“How is a guardian and bells any crazier than time-traveling briefcases and assassins with cartoon masks?”

“Actually, she’s got you there.” Luther agreed.

When no one else spoke, Ben stood and walked up to his father’s side. “I’m in.”

Five thought back to last night.

“I can’t do this without you.”

Could it be Ben?

“Me, too.” Diego stood, causing Lila to gently fall back on the couch. Five looked over at him.

“Do we have a deal?”

Diego? Did Diego make the deal?

“But I think some of us should stay back. Like Lila.”

Five immediately scrapped the idea. Diego only wanted to protect his girlfriend. It was the kind of person he was. He wouldn’t team with Reginald. Lila raised her brows at Diego and stood.

“Uh… or you can stay, and I can go.”

“No.” Allison spoke. “This is much bigger than all of us. Nobody can stay back.”

“You, my children, are all that stands between us and oblivion.” Reginald tried to convince them further. “Are we ready to go?”

Viktor looked around. “Well, I say we vote.”

“This isn’t a democracy.” Ben hissed. “Dad’s calling the shots.”

(Y/N) scoffed. “No the hell he isn’t. If there’s a chance we can avoid ending up like Diego or worse, I’d like to know it was because we actually thought on it first.”

“I agree.” Five grabbed her hand. “We vote.”

Reginald frowned at them. “The world is ending, and you want to count hands?”

“You’re asking us to risk our lives,” Luther reasoned. “I think it’s only fair you give us time to discuss it. Privately.”

With a disappointed scoff, Reginald left the lobby with a pat to Ben’s shoulder. Luther looked around and nodded. “Why don’t we meet back here in an hour?”

“Agreed.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Whatever.”

“Sounds good.”

Allison tried to hold back her anxiety as she clenched her hand into a fist. After the family dispersed, she quickly went after Viktor, who had known she was following him the whole time. When she called out for him to wait, he sighed and turned to her.

“For what? So you can hand me my ass again?”

“Look, I was really drunk last night-”

“Okay, you don’t have to make excuses. I get it. I am your least favorite sibling. I ruined your life-”

“Okay, no, that’s not-” She sighed. “Will you just stop and listen, please?”

Viktor motioned for her to speak.

“Last night, you were right. Claire and Ray are gone. But… hating you won’t bring them back. And my pain… doesn’t give me permission to hurt you.” She turned to lean against the railing, her next words choked on her welling tears. “But it’s real. And it’s something that I have to carry. Which is why if I don’t… If I don’t do something, if I don’t- if I don’t act now… it’s just another thing that slips into nothingness.

“If we stay here, we die. But if we go through the portal, we could… we could save the universe. We could save… everybody. So, can we just put our past behind us and move forward together? Can you give me that?”

At a loss for words, Viktor nodded, which caused Allison to smile.

“I love you.”

The words he had wanted to hear from her, the ones that he thought he lost, were finally spoken once again, pulling him into the routine to immediately repeat them back. “I love you, too.”

Allison moved forward and pulled her brother into a hug, Viktor reciprocating it. This was everything he wanted. All he wanted was for he and Allison to apologize to each other and make amends. To hug and become siblings again. However, something didn’t feel right. He tried to push the feeling down as deep as he could, but he couldn’t dismiss the suspicion he felt. He just hoped her intentions were pure from here on out.

On the other end of the hug, Allison blankly stared forward, all her sadness and guilt wiped away. Her mask had fallen. She was an actress, after all. She had to improvise.

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#the umbrella academy #umbrella academy #umbrella academy x reader #tua #tua fanfic #tua x reader #tua five #five hargreeves #five hargreeves x reader #number five #number five x reader #five x reader #of starlight #and dusk #to nightfall

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dailyjimmybuffett · 2 months

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Sending The Old Man Home

They're sendin' the old man home Back where the buffalo roam Out in the Pacific, they say he was the best Now he's in his civies, headin' home like all the rest

He'll never forget Rosaline Or sleepless nights he fought upon the sea He'll only have the memories or great books by James Jones 'Cause they're sendin' the old man home

Far away, far away Another life so very far away

They'll tear down the officers clubs And write off the overdue subs So let's drink to their memories, our heroes and our pals To those crazy Navy flyers, to those swell Hawaiian gals

The sailors will dance in the street Then they'll mothball the whole damn fleet We'll only have the picture books of land and sea and foam 'Cause they're sendin' the old man home

He'll only have his memories or great books by James Jones 'Cause they're sendin' the old man home

#jimmy buffett #volcano #sending the old man home #Spotify

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layce2015 · 2 years

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Red Dead Redemption 2 (Arthur Morgan x Female!Reader)

A New Life

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Seven Years Later

The cool breeze blew through the Heartlands area, the beautiful green grass swaying back and forth with the direction of the wind. Deers and Buffalos roaming the area as a wagon rides along the dirt road. In the back of the wagon were three kids, two girls and one boy, sitting there with a golden Labrador laying down next to them. The oldest child, Annebeth, was reading a book while her two younger siblings, five year old Eleanor and seven year old Alistair, were playing with these toys they were able to keep while the two adults, Arthur and (y/n), were in the front seats steering the wagon as the lone horse leads the way to the town of Valentine.

"I think we need to stop here and get some supplies, Arthur. We're getting kinda low on food." (Y/n) tells Arthur. "I know. We also probably need to take in some jobs." He said. "So, stay here in Valentine for a few days and then be on our way again?" (Y/n) asked him. "I reckon...so you better behave." Arthur teased her. "I feel like I should be saying that to you." (Y/n) said, smirking, and he laughs. "You're probably right." He said as they pass the train station and enter Valentine.

"God, this place brings back memories." (Y/n) said as she looks around the old familiar town. "Good? Or bad?" Arthur asked her. "Bit of both." (Y/n) said as they turn a corner and started to come down the main street of Valentine, which hadn't changed much except with a few new buildings.

They passed by a saloon when a man stumbles out and then a second men storms out and charges at the first man. "You sonuvabitch!" The second man growled and they start to fight. The kids recoiled at this as (y/n) shakes her head then turns to Arthur. "Bet that brings back memories, doesn't it?" She asked him as she gestures to the fighting men with her head.

Arthur chuckles in response. “Sure does, darlin.” He replied. "Though, I don't miss it very much."

(Y/n) rolls her eyes at him. "Oh I'm sure you miss showing off how much of a tough guy you are." She teased and he chuckles. "What does that mean?" Alistair asked her. "Well, your father sometimes would get into fights with other people a few years back." (Y/n) said and Arthur turns to her.

"Hey, wasn't my fault." He said, defensively. “Yeah, sometimes they were bad people.” (y/n) said as they come up at the end of the road and Arthur pulls the reigns, making the horse stop. "Okay then...I'm gonna see if there's any jobs I can take." Arthur said and (y/n) nods. "Alright...we still got a bit of money, I'll buy some groceries." She said and they start to dismount the wagon.

"Alright, my darlings, let's walk around for a bit." (Y/n) tells her children and her and Arthur go to the back of the wagon and help the kids down while the Labrador jumps down.

Arthur walks up to (y/n), leans in and gives her a loving kiss. Alistair sticks his tongue out in disgust while Eleanor giggles and Annebeth rolls her eyes but smiles at this. The couple break the kiss before Arthur mutters. "Be careful." (Y/n) nods then whispers. "Of course." Then she leads the kids and the Labrador, Dixon, towards the general store while Arthur starts to walk around town.

Eventually he walks towards the Sheriff office and remembered that they usually asked for bounty hunters so he enters inside and both Sheriff and Deputy look up at him. "Well, looky here. Maybe this is our man." The Sheriff said as he eyes Arthur. "You a bounty hunter, mister?" The young Deputy asked as he stands up from his chair. "Maybe...it depends." Arthur replied.

"Well, I'm guessing you ain't here to pass the day...turn yourself in...or discuss the finer points of country law. Then I don't need to know much more than that...til I got a reason to." The Sheriff said and Arthur smirks a bit. "Alright..." he said and the Sheriff takes in a deep breath as he stands back up.

"You smell that? This here's livestock town, mister...attracts delinquents and reprobates like flies. Now I'm not a feller to pass a quick judgment...but I've been around long enough to know...you don't hire a Saint to catch a sinner." said the Sheriff and Arthur lowers his head and smiles to himself.

"You bring me what I need...and I'll pay you well...and I won't ask questions." The Sheriff assured and Arthur looks at him, this was all Arthur needed to hear. As long as they didn't ask questions and paid him, he and his family would be safe. He didn't know if the Pinkertons were still looking for him or just thought he was dead, but he knew he still needed to keep a low profile.

"So...what is it you need?" Arthur asked the Sheriff. "Why don't you have a look at that poster...on that wall over there." the Sheriff said as he gestures to his board behind Arthur. The former outlaw turns and sees a wanted poster for a man named Benedict Allbright.

"He's a low down huckster. He's been poisoning folks with his miracle cure...from here to Annesburg. Killed more than Landon Ricketts without even pulling a trigger. Get some kind of sick satisfaction out of it." The Deputy said as Arthur takes down the poster and examines it.

The photo showed an older man with a top hat on and a three piece suit, the reward was $50.

"The feller over at the saloon says...he thought he saw him by the gorge...straight north of here." The Sheriff said then he stares, intently, at Arthur. "You think you can bring him in? The money's good. I need him alive though. I wanna make sure the women he widowed...get compensated before he swings." He said and Arthur folds up the poster and tucks it into his satchel. "I'll see what I can do." He said. "Well good luck to you." The Sheriff said and Arthur walks out of the office.

He heads over to the wagon when (y/n) and the kids come out of the store. "Did you find anything?" (Y/n) asked him as she walks up to Arthur. "Yeah, got a bounty hunting job." Arthur replied and (y/n) furrows her brow in worry and confusion. "Arthur, you sure about that?" She asked. "He said he won't ask questions and he pays well. So we should be safe for awhile." He said and (y/n) thinks for a moment at this then gives a small nod.

"Well, if you're sure about it." She said and he nods. "So...I'm guessing you're gonna need the horse." (Y/n) said as she nods towards the horse that was hitched to their wagon. "Yeah...I think you and the kids should stay there at the hotel and I'll be back as soon as I can." He said and (y/n) nods.

They get the wagon parked next to the hotel then Arthur gets the wagon off of the horse then heads off to find the bounty while (y/n) heads into the hotel, with the kids and Dixon.

Arthur makes it to the gorge and starts to look around for Benedict. He makes it up to a cliff when he found a horse and a man sitting by a campfire. "What we got here?" He mutters as he gets closer.

"Are you Benedict Allbright?" Arthur asked the man, who was startled as he stands up. "No, sir..." the man replied and Arthur eyes him before he hums a bit. "You kinda look like him...and I was told he'd be up here." Arthur said. "No...not me, sir." The man said but he did seemed frighten and nervous. Then again, Arthur was a big guy and he could intimidate any man just by walking into a room.

"It's because...I wanna buy some medicine..." Arthur lied as he walks up to the man. "And...I heard...I heard good things. I'll pay...in gold...i-if you can help me find him." Arthur said, doing his best to sound desperate. The man seemed to relax a bit at the mention of gold but he still kept his guard up as he eyes Arthur.

"It's just...my daughter's real sick." Arthur said and the man, Benedict, fully relaxes and smiles. "Oh, well if that's the case...if it's for a sick little girl...I'd be happy to help." Benedict said and he saunters over to his bag while Arthur smiles. "I'm a healer you know...a medical man. Finest medicine in the state." Benedict said as he pulls out the bottle of medicine, walks over to Arthur and hands him the bottle.

Arthur chuckles then tosses the bottle aside, down towards the river below them. Benedict looks towards the thrown bottle, confused, and turns back only to see Arthur aiming his gun at him. "Game's over, mister. Put your hands up...I'm taking you in." Arthur said as he walks over to Benedict's bag, still keeping his gun trained on him, and looks it over.

"Taking me in? What for?" Benedict asked, confused. "Apparently that stuff you're pushing is killing folk...and there's a price on your head. I don't know, it ain't my business." Arthur said as he walks back towards Benedict. "Come on, partner, that's crap. I'm a healer." Benedict said as he takes a step towards Arthur but Arthur holds his gun up and the medical man steps back.

"I've got an aura...I speak to spirits...I'm a scientist. Folks get real angry for no good reason...this...this is a mistake." Benedict said as he lowers his hands a bit and looks down to see he is close to the edge of the cliff.

"Keep your hands up, buddy...they only want you for questioning..." Arthur said as he reaches out and grabs Benedict's gun, disarming him, and tossed the gun aside. "I have to insist this is a mistake." Benedict said. "Don't be a fool." Arthur said as he takes a step forward, which made Benedict take a step back and he starts to fall.

Quickly, Arthur grabs the back collar of Benedict's shirt collar and pulls him back up. Benedict laughs once he was back on solid ground and turns to Arthur. "You saved me..." Benedict said, laughing. "Come on, buddy, let's make this easy." Arthur said as he goes to grab Benedict but the medicine man backs away.

"You're taking me in?" He asked, again, sounding shocked. "It's just for questioning." Arthur said as he goes towards him but Benedict goes around him. "You saved my life." He said to Arthur as if that makes a difference. "Ain't we had enough drama?" Arthur said as he walks towards him again but Benedict goes towards the ledge.

"I-I'd be better off jumping." He said and he runs to the ledge but stops when Arthur yells at him. He turns and Arthur holds a hand out to him. "They expressly told me not to kill you." Arthur said. "This is about you?" Benedict asked and Arthur sighs, annoyed, as he looks down then looks back at Benedict. "Don't jump..." he said. "O-Or what? You can't shoot me." Benedict said as Arthur starts to run towards him but he makes a slight move and Arthur stops.

Arthur sighs and holsters his gun and holds his hands up. "Please." Arthur said. "I'll take my chances." Benedict said and he turns towards the cliff. "Come here!" Arthur growls but Benedict jumps. "Bye, friend!" He yells as he plummets down to the river below and Arthur stops himself from falling in.

Below he could see that Benedict was still alive as he was flailing in the water. "I really do not like you." Arthur growled and he runs towards his horse, mounts it and takes off down the hill and follows the river to get close to Benedict, who was screaming out for help.

Eventually, Arthur was able to throw a lasso at Benedict and pulls him to shore. Once he got to shore, Arthur begins to hogtie him. "Who made you God, friend? Who made you the judge?" Benedict asked before Arthur punches him across the face, letting out some frustration. Arthur then picks him up and places him on his horse. He mounts up his horse and takes off back to Valentine.

"Sir, this isn't necessary. I'm a medical man, a healer!" Benedict shouts as Arthur pulls up to the Sheriff's office. "It's all just a big mistake. I don't feel very well." Benedict shouts again as Arthur removes him off of his horse and starts to carry him. "I told you to shut up." Arthur growls as he enters the office, only to see the Sheriff and a woman sitting inside.

The Sheriff jumps once he sees Arthur coming in, carrying Benedict. "Oh, my Lord...I wasn't expecting you back so soon." The Sheriff said to Arthur then he turns to the woman. "Uh, Mrs. Calthrope was, uh...was just leaving." The Sheriff said, sounding nervous like he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to do.

"Sure...where you want him?" Arthur asked him, gestures to Benedict. "Cell in the back." He said and Arthur heads to the cells then drops Benedict down on the ground. "There's been some terrible mistake. I never did it...any of it." Benedict exclaims. "I thought I told you to shut up, partner." Arthur said as he cuts the binds around Benedict's legs then pulls him up.

Benedict was about to protest but Arthur talks over him. "But nothing! Shut up and err....good luck!" Arthur said as he shoves him into the cell and closes the door. "It's been real fun." Arthur said and he walks away. "You ain't much of a man. If you ask folks for forgiveness you remember this, partner." Benedict shouts but Arthur ignores him and goes to the Sheriff.

"Now, Sheriff...how much was you offering?" Arthur asked him. "Fifty dollars....here." the Sheriff said as he pulls out the bills from his pocket and hands it to Arthur. "Thank you." He said then he turns to Mrs Calthrope. "Madam." He said and he walks out of office.

After talking to the hotel clerk on which room his family's in, Arthur made his way upstairs and to the room they were staying in. He opens the door and gives a genuine soft smile once he sees his family. Annebeth was sitting in a chair, reading a book, Alistair was playing with Dixon and Eleanor was drawing. (Y/n) was sitting on the bed and sewing up a patch on Alistair's jacket when she looks up and sees Arthur.

The kids also look up and see Arthur and they smile at his return. "Daddy!" Alistair and Eleanor exclaimed as they run towards him. Arthur kneels down and holds his arms out as the two kids go and embrace him. He hugs them back as (y/n) smiles at this.

"Welcome back. How did the job go?" She asked Arthur as he pulls out of the kids embrace and stands up. "Well, he did give me a few problems but...I got him. Made fifty dollars." Arthur said as he holds up the cash to her. "Good..." she said as he hands her the cash. She accepts it then goes to one of the bags and pulls out a lockbox then places the cash inside of it.

Later that day, (y/n) had put the kids to bed in the second room, she had rented for them, and kissed them goodnight. She pats the top of Dixon's head and he lays down near the bed, almost like protecting the kids, while (y/n) heads out of the room and towards the room her and Arthur shared.

She looks over to see Arthur counting out the money in the lockbox, sitting on the bed. "So, how are we doing?" She asked him as she goes to sit next to him. "Well...I'd say...if we keep working...in a few months we should be able to get a home..." Arthur said and (y/n) chuckles a bit at this.

"So, in other words, we need more money..." she said and Arthur scoffs a bit at this then slightly shakes his head. "Yeah..." he mutters and (y/n) sighs. "I just wish that whole gold business up north went better." She said and Arthur nods. "Yeah...I guess we came in too late to get the gold." said Arthur as he shuts the lockbox, stands up and puts it away.

"Seems to be our luck..." she remarks and Arthur chuckles. "As long as we keep our heads low, we should be good." He said as he sits back down on the bed.

"Can you just picture it, Arthur? Our own home...no more running...no more hiding...we could add a barn and raise chickens, cows and horses...the house would be big enough to hold five of us..." she said, dreamily. "Or more..." he said and she turns to him, shocked and disbelieving. "Arthur Morgan, are you suggesting more kids?" She asked him, almost laughing. Arthur shrugs. "Why not?" He said.

(Y/n) giggles as she eyes him a bit. "You're wanting to build your own gang, don'tcha?" She asked, jokingly, and he turns to her before he scoots closer to her. "Maybe..." he said, smiling, then he caresses her cheek with his right hand as the two look into each other's eyes, lovingly.

Arthur leans and kisses her, she returns the same. It starts out sweet and loving but then it turns a bit heated as they deepen the kiss. (Y/n), slowly, wraps her arms around his neck as he places his hands on her waist. They break the kiss to catch their breathes before Arthur pushes (y/n) down on the bed then gets on top of her.

They continue to kiss, passionately, for a few moments then Arthur starts to kiss (y/n)'s jawline then down her neck. "Arthur..." (y/n) whispered, in a soft desperate voice, and she could feel his smirk as he continues to attack her neck.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and the couple stops and looks towards it. "Mommy...Daddy?" Eleanor's voice squeaked out from the other side. She sounded scared. The couple, quickly, sit up and Arthur goes to the door and opens it, revealing Eleanor.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Arthur asked her as the little girl rubs her eyes. "I-I had a b-bad dream...and I-I got s-scared...can I sleep here with you?" Eleanor asked, in a frighten tone. Arthur and (y/n) share a quick look before (y/n) turns to her young daughter.

"Of course, honey. C'mere." She said and the little girl runs to her mother's open arms. Arthur smiles at this as he shuts the door and (y/n) hugs their daughter, comforting. They get ready for bed and Eleanor sleeps in the space between the two and they share one more kiss before they say goodnight and fall asleep.

@starjane312 @trinswhimsys @reiya-djarin

#fandom #fanfic #fan fiction #reader insert #x reader #arthur morgan #rdr2 arthur #red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption two #arthur morgan x female reader #arthur morgan x y/n #arthur morgan x reader #video game imagine #rdr2 fanfic #rdr2 fandom #rdr2

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syncrgistic · 3 months

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(TW // injury mention)

( WOO DO HWAN. CIS - MAN. HE / HIM. ) ⸺ Ꮺ ⋆ greetings, buffalos ! walking around campus, sporting his letterman jacket we’ve spotted JAMES "JAE" CHOI, a THIRTY - TWO year old who contributes to our thriving community as a GENERAL TRAINER + HANDYPERSON. according to our intel, he’s been around the sanctuary for TWELVE YEARS and what we know about him, aside from the fact that he DOES agree with the decision to close the gates, is that what he lacks in book smarts, jae makes up in street smarts and people skills ( he may not be able to do complicated mathematic equations but he can talk his way out of anything ); jae loves cars and his nissan skyline is his prized possession. it's pretty beat up as a result of the outbreak but that doesn't stop him from working on it even if most people think it's a piece of junk; he has a slight limp due to a severe acl injury. doesn’t that make him fantastic ? we think it does, and that’s why we appreciate him so much, grateful for what he gives to our community.

stats

full name: james jaehyun choi

nicknames: jae, jamie, jj

date of birth: 25th march 1992

age: thirty two

gender & pronouns: cis man & he/him

education: high school diploma

occupation: general trainer & handyperson

hometown: seattle, washington

language(s): english, korean

faceclaim: woo do hwan

personality

positive traits: funny, adaptive, playful, spontaneous, extroverted

negative traits: dim, judgemental, quick tempered, irresponsible, absent-minded

mbti: esfp ⎯ the entertainer

enneagram: 7w6 ⎯ the pathfinder

moral alignment: chaotic neutral

temperament: sanguine

zodiac sign: aries sun, aquarius moon, leo rising

character parallels: jason mendoza (the good place), jesus foster (the fosters), joey tribbiani, jason street (friday night lights), andy dywer (parks and rec), troy barnes (community), dean winchester (supernatural)

bio

(tw: injury mention, hospital mention, allusions to depression, alcohol mention)

youngest of the choi family, but the eldest and only son, jaehyun was born into high expectations before he even came out of the womb. the weight of the family name rested on his shoulders, the vice man of the house if anything were to happen to his father. he was his parent's pride and joy. it was just a shame that he couldn't quite live up to the life they had paved for him. there were only two options for jae, take over the family restaurant or become a doctor/lawyer/successful business owner. except jae didn't want any of those things. he wasn't particularly good at anything either like his sisters were. he was just very average at school, barely scraping in some of his subjects but one thing he was good at was sports.

unbeknownst to his parents, jae traded piano lessons for football practice instead, forging permission slips and shoving his jersey at the back of his wardrobe but there was only so long he could hide his secret from them. he didn't have the heart to tell them that he was barely scraping by school either. but then came college applications and the schools that his parents wanted him to apply to were way out of his league with his grades even with a miracle. luckily, his football coach thought jae could have a chance at getting into college on a football scholarship, but that meant that he also had to break the news about his extracurricular activities. they were furious at first but they couldn't stay mad at him if it meant a full ride college scholarship. there was still a chance for him to become something.

except nothing interested him. all jae wanted to do was play football, box or work on cars. he must have switched his majors at least 3 times before settling on something that he thought would be easy and low effort. he couldn't lie, he still struggled but being one of the star football players had its perks, such as getting other people to do his assignments for him or getting an extension from professors because he didn't have time due to his "gruelling" practice schedule. looking back, he let the reputation get to his head, like he was untouchable, treating people like they were beneath him.

it all came crashing down in a split second. third degree acl tear. surgery. you won't be able to play pro football again. jae wasn't sure what hurt more ⎯ his injury or the fact that he wouldn't be able to play like he did again. when he was sat in that hospital bed, looking at the lone balloon and obligatory "get well soon" flowers from his team, he started to regret all his life decisions. maybe he should have listened to his parents when they told his that football wasn't forever and he had to think about the future. maybe he shouldn't have been so cocky, treated people so badly.

the recovery months were probably the hardest ⎯ learning to walk again, not being able to do things by himself, and worse of all, having to see his teammates prepare for the next season without him. for months he felt like he had no purpose in life. his future was looking bleak with no sports career, nor promising professional career. he'd sit in his room, making mixes on his dj deck and watching practice, critiquing them play like he was a commentator on espn. something must have worked because the coach offered him a deputy coach position, soon to become full-time when he retires. it wasn't quite the same as being on the field but it was as close as he could get and he took it without hesitation.

soon after though, the virus happened and his plans were derailed once again. jae found himself in the same position as before, unsure of what his role was in all of this, spending his days drinking beer in his room and gaming, hoping that it'll blow over soon. 12 years later and he's found himself in a trainer position and helping around as the group's handyman.

tldr: a himbo, fail-son, former athlete who had a life-changing injury that changed his whole outlook on life and is trying to find his purpose.

#survivors.intro

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wannab-urs · 8 months

Note

okay okay okay!!! I honestly want to ask like most of these, but I settled on these

1 (u can send it in DMs); 13; 31; 42

for the ask game 😘💛

13. how do you feel right now?

I’m sleepy. A little sad because one of my dogs got hit by a car this morning, but I think he’ll be okay! Just scraped up. Anyway yeah not great this morning lol.

31. 3 random facts

1. I own an unofficial potbelly pig rescue

2. my favorite food is either hot wings (classic buffalo) or mexican street tacos (steak, plenty of lime juice)

3. i’ve broken my left ankle twice

42. favourite book(s)

The Color Purple by Alice Walker, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by TJR, The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, Beloved by Toni Morrison, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen ???? I can’t pick favorites but obviously I like the classics and then the non classic is just my favorite from this year lol

and i’ll put a selfie under the cut but i just woke up so i look awful lmao

#asks #answered #aly baby

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bomberqueen17 · 2 years

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back at it

so my middle-little sister did like, the responsible thing, yeah, and booked a moving company for Friday. They said they’d be there between 10am and 1 pm. She was ready for them at 9.

They never showed.

Around noon they said they’d be there at 3:30. That was the last she heard from them for a while. She notified them she’d only reserved parking until 5pm, and if they came after that there’d be nowhere for the truck to go except in the street parked in a driving lane. At 4:30, people started parking in the reserved spaces.

At 5:30, our younger sister came with her minivan and got M-L’s mattress, at least, since she’d already moved all the sheets and bedding to the new house, and they piled the cat carrier and all the cat’s remaining things in, and took M-L to the new house.

After 7pm the moving company was like “... sorry we got delayed, should we still come?” and M-L was like “and park where? no” so they have sworn up and down that it was a one-time fluke and they’ll come promptly on Sunday and do her first before anyone else. (That’s today.)

So we’ll see; she figures she can wait to flip out until Monday, because if they don’t come she’ll have to pay another month’s rent. We could haul everything out with a Uhaul and some people, sure, except that there’s a piano we definitely can’t move. So. Uh. Yeah.

Anyway. I spent all day yesterday doing laundry and pretending like I’m the kind of person that has weekends, but my car is loaded and I aim to leave just after 6am. Just gotta finish this granola and use the bathroom once more.

I should admit that this short week back in Buffalo, I did do some writing, but almost all of it was for an AU that I think I’m going to finish then file serial numbers off and change genders and redo as an original novel because it’s entertaining me so much. We’ll see how that goes. I’ll post my inspiration thing and a snippet later and see what people think.

Okay gotta finish this granola.

#about the author #the grind #apparently

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sapphiredhearts-a · 10 months

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TAG 10 PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET TO KNOW BETTER

color: gold and literally any shade of purple ( fun fact I always said I didn't have a favorite color and when my youngest sister was a toddler she INSISTED it was purple and I had to have one and it stuck bc cute ) .

song stuck in your head: literally have been ricocheting between foolish one and timeless to the point where i'm merging the lyrics in my head half the time.

last song you listened to: on my spotify - timeless . but my husband had the carplay when we got dinner so if we're going off the real last one it was dna by kendrick lamar

dream trip: greece . but RECENTLY I found out going to japan wasn't as expensive as I thought & my grandma was adopted but she was born there and is japanese and I want to go now so badly to do some research and just bc japan ya know

3 favorite foods: kay this has two answers . before i got pregnant : yellow cake w chocolate icing , grilled cheese , and pancakes ( preferably my grandma's <3 ) . after I got pregnant : my mother-in-laws arroz con pollo , buffalo chicken wraps / dip , and queso smothered over refried beans and rice from cinco down the street . ( honorable mention : subway sandwich SMOTHERED in vinegar , salty fries from mcdonalds , and my mother / father in law's tacos and homemade tortillas ) .

anything you want right now: i really want to be able to buy some cassandra clare books on kindle :( . other than that tho - some sleep and also for my ultrasound to come quicker bc it's 10 days away and i want to see my boy .

TAGGED BY: def stole this from @salvatoraes TAGGING: @rihtual , @tiredhearts , @roseguided , @annalisevogel , @okeancs , + any new follower I missed !! and also anyone else bc i adore u guys .

#my baby stole my sweet tooth and i'm still bitter about it tbhhh #☾ ` out of my mind ; ooc post .#☾ ` wanna play ? ; dash games .

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ichayalovesyou · 2 years

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Service, Sacrifice, Compassion, and Love (Pike Fan Playlist)

This Is Why We Fight by The Decemberists • We’ll Make It Through by Ray LaMontagne • One Last Time from Hamilton • Our World/Brothers from Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas • The Ballad of Bobby and June by Mitch & Mickey • Sons & Daughters by The Decemberists • Marked Man by Mieka Pauley • Safe & Sound by Taylor Swift & The Civil Wars • 1,000 Light Years Away from Slime Rancher • Bird by Puta Volcano • Fight As One from Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes • Hero by Chad Kroeger & Josey Scott • It’s Hard to Be Human by Kina Grannis • After The Storm by Mumford & Sons by Mumford & Sons • This Island Earth by The Nylons • Barking at the Moon by Jenny Lewis • The Light of Hope from Sonic Forces • I Wish You Peace by Eagles • The Book of Love by The Magnetic Fields • Mars by Sleeping At Last • I Am Here by P!nk • The Truest Stars We Know by Iron & Wine • Ghosts That We Knew by Mumford & Sons • Call It Dreaming by Iron & Wine • Irish Hour by Saint Sister • Dance with Me by Orleans • Caught in the Briars by Iron & Wine • Hopeless Wanderer by Mumford & Sons • The Old Churchyard by Offa Rex • Fall On Me by Andrea & Matteo Bocelli • Resurrection Fern by Iron & Wine • Trampoline by The Unlikely Candidates • Medicine for Melancholy by Rivers Cuomo • Glad Man Singing by Iron & Wine • Home to Me by Devil & the Deep Blue Sea • The Spiritual by Jukebox The Ghost • Walking Far from Home by Iron & Wine • Savannah by Relient K • Blackbird by Sarah McLachlan • The Trapeze Swinger by Iron & Wine • Superman (It’s Not Easy) by Five For Fighting •

Falling Slowly by Peter Hollens & Alex G • The Traveler by Star Hopper • Right for Sky by Iron & Wine • Corners Of The Earth by ODESZA & RY X • Dead Butterflies by Architects • Don’t Carry It All by The Decemberists • Carried Home by Iron & Wine • Someone New by Hozier • Boy With a Coin by Iron & Wine • Smiley Faces by Gnarls Barkley • The Woods by Cosmo Sheldrake & Erin Robinsong • Godless Brother in Love by Iron & Wine • Twinkling Lights by Annalise Emerick • A Little Better by Gnarls Barkley • The Sound of Silence by Disturbed • Dear Doubt by Michael Schulte • Towards The Sun by Rihanna • L’esprit De L’escalier by Red Handed Denial • Scarborough Fair by Dan Avidan & Super Guitar Bros • Helsinki by The National Parks • Pet a Cat When You Encounter One by Akira The Don & Jordan Peterson • The Big Electron by Melodysheep • Drive by Incubus • Solace by Red Handed Denial • Flaws by Bastille • Blame by Air Traffic Controller • Warrior by Anilah • Fields and Pier by Avriel & The Sequoias • Three Little Birds by Branches • It’s All Too Much by The Beatles • Quarter Past Four by Avriel & The Sequoias • In Our Bedroom After The War by Stars • Heaven’s Eyes by Caleb Hyles & Johnathan Young • Just Breathe by Pearl Jam • A Beautiful Thing by Terra Lumina • The Call by Regina Spektor • The Parting Glass by Hozier • For Good from Wicked • Traveling Song by Ryn Weaver •

Across the Seven Realms from The Bard’s Tale IV • Glorious by Stephanie Mabey • Good Grief by Dessa • Alba II by Faun • History Read by The Altogether • Unsteady by X Ambassadors • Hey Brother by Avicii • Sometime Around Midnight by The Airborne Toxic Event • Brother by Kodaline • 21 Guns by Green Day • Stand Up by All That Remains • Castle of Glass by Linkin Park • The Peacock by Beirut • Defend Atlantis by Flobots • Nocturne by Blanco White • The Devil & The Huntsman by Sam Lee • Poor Atlas by Dessa • Speak For The Dead by Daniel Pemberton • Nature Girl by Cryoshell • Dare You to Move by Switchfoot • Ghost Stories by The Narcissist Cookbook • Mushaboom by Feist • Onward to the Edge by Symphony of Science • Follow the Sun by Xavier Rudd • Time In A Bottle by Jim Croce • For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield • Your Bones by Of Monsters & Men • Dark Days by Punch Brothers • Seize the Day by Melodysheep • Mountains by Message To Bears • These Streets by Bastille • Vissel by José González • Oh St Johns by The Saint Johns • A Glorious Dawn by Carl Sagan • Ends of the Earth by Lord Huron • Agoraphobia by Autoheart • Dearest Sarah by Goodnight, Texas • Another New World by Punch Brothers • After All by The Altogether • Hell or High Water by The Rescues

Song list in plain text below the cut

This Is Why We Fight by The Decemberists • We’ll Make It Through by Ray LaMontagne • One Last Time from Hamilton • Our World/Brothers from Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas • The Ballad of Bobby and June by Mitch & Mickey • Sons & Daughters by The Decemberists • Marked Man by Mieka Pauley • Safe & Sound by Taylor Swift & The Civil Wars • 1,000 Light Years Away from Slime Rancher • Bird by Puta Volcano • Fight As One from Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes • Hero by Chad Kroeger & Josey Scott • It’s Hard to Be Human by Kina Grannis • After The Storm by Mumford & Sons by Mumford & Sons • This Island Earth by The Nylons • Barking at the Moon by Jenny Lewis • The Light of Hope from Sonic Forces • I Wish You Peace by Eagles • The Book of Love by The Magnetic Fields • Mars by Sleeping At Last • I Am Here by P!nk • The Truest Stars We Know by Iron & Wine • Fighting Onward from Sonic Forces • Ghosts That We Knew by Mumford & Sons • Call It Dreaming by Iron & Wine • Irish Hour by Saint Sister • Dance with Me by Orleans • Caught in the Briars by Iron & Wine • Hopeless Wanderer by Mumford & Sons • The Old Churchyard by Offa Rex • Fall On Me by Andrea & Matteo Bocelli • Resurrection Fern by Iron & Wine • Trampoline by The Unlikely Candidates • Medicine for Melancholy by Rivers Cuomo • Glad Man Singing by Iron & Wine • Home to Me by Devil & the Deep Blue Sea • The Spiritual by Jukebox The Ghost • Walking Far from Home by Iron & Wine • Savannah by Relient K • Blackbird by Sarah McLachlan • The Trapeze Swinger by Iron & Wine • Superman (It’s Not Easy) by Five For Fighting

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buffaloareafishfrygal · 11 months

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June 2, 2023

Potters Field Restaurant and Pub

425 Potters Road

Buffalo, NY 14220

I decided to venture out for an out of season fish fry to celebrate “National Fish and Chips Day!” Every year the first Friday in June! Mark your calendars for next year. Why is it that South Buffalo has so many great fish fry joints?

We pulled up around 5:30 pm. Tiny parking lot that holds maybe 8 cars but we were able to find side street parking on Woodcrest Drive without a problem. Fun neighborhood pub vibe with friendly people enjoying a drink at the bar to kick off the weekend. We sat ourselves inside at one of the 12 tables surrounding the bar. There was outside seating available on their front patio too. (6 tables) It’s a small venue but I really like how it doesn’t feel crowded as you eat.

Our waitress Molly greeted us and got us a our beers. She was very sweet. Nice selection of everybody’s favorites. Not a ton of choices, but something to please all tastes. I ordered the beer battered fish but they also had Italian breaded and panko. Broiled options were lemon pepper, Cajun, or Parmesan crusted. Skinless haddock also available in a half size. Fish came out crisp and piping hot. Great taste and perfectly cooked. (9)Just a wee bit greasy but not overwhelming. Besides that my only complaint was the portion size wasn’t huge like others in town. I’m afraid if I ordered the half, I would have wanted more. They had a great offering of sides. You know I need my holy trinity! Each fry comes with coleslaw and Mac salad and then you choose your potato. (Choices! Now that’s the bomb in my book!) Cole slaw was not very crispy. A mix of green and purple cabbage with carrots mixed in. Oil based dressing. Kinda bland. (7) Mac salad was elbows with carrots, egg, and celery. Lightly dressed. Good not great. (8) Now here is where they get MAJOR props from me… you can choose your type of potato. Fries, sweet potato fries, potato salad or German potato salad. I wanted to try more than just one, so I ordered fries and a side of German and American potato salad. They only charged me $1 extra for each. What?!? I was ecstatic. The holy trinity just became the fab five! Fries were skin on. Nice and crispy with the perfect amount of salt. Run of the mill but nicely done. (9) Potato salad featured onions and peppers with cubed white potatoes. Flavor fell short. Definitely missing something.(6) German was a pleasant surprise. Again featuring cubed white potatoes. Had a nice vinegar kick but could have used a touch more bacon. (8) Tartar was really yummy. Creamy with a heavy pickle presence.(10)

Overall a very solid fish fry. (8.5) Just the choices alone bump it up a notch. Great atmosphere and from what I hear, new owners. South Buffalo peeps. Staff was friendly and very efficient. I will be back for sure!

#fishfry #holy trinity #fishfrygal #haddock #fishfry gal #southbuffalo #handicap accessible

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wordpimp · 1 year

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The pool is a slide

Ft Payne driving the streets confusion Birmingham Savannah halfway to nowhere a singular gas station with a pretty view, and telepathy. Buffalo wild wings, where is the car, where is the store. Bass pro shops, a red state, blue pocket for a letter from nowhere, I can feel the weirdness creep back. Letterkenny flannel, the ag hall. There are some good songs, a missing sock, thirsty mouths. A friend called last night about camping. Might go rafting, cool the mind in a white vein. That was the last time I went about three months ago. Sometimes I think it was yesterday. Some of the last words on paper, I eat the page and misplace Freud, Cixous. Who else can think? A book. A book burns, words are ash. The dream is a language to touch, a rich langauge. Hands raised out of fear maybe. Hope, or a guess. Glass camera water, head. Well here in America. Wear nylons to bed to appease the dry gods.

#poetry #prose poem #dreams #birmingham #savannah

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ausetkmt · 1 year

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The New York Times: Viewing the Civil Rights Movement Through Children’s Books.

“Picture the Dream,” on display at the New-York Historical Society, shows that children, far from being mere witnesses to the civil rights movement, have played central roles in it.

In a verdant rural setting, a weathered gray fence separates two girls, one Black, one white. The Black child extends her hand as the white girl, already straddling the fence’s top rail, reaches down. Although they barely grasp each other’s fingers, a viewer can sense their curiosity, their anticipation, their desire to surmount this barrier.

The scene, a watercolor by E.B. Lewis, is among the first works visitors encounter in “Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement Through Children’s Books,” on view through July 24 at the New-York Historical Society. Created for Jacqueline Woodson’s book “The Other Side,” from 2001, the painting reflects two of this exhibition’s major themes: that progress stems from everyday, individual action as much as from collective effort; and that children, far from being mere witnesses to the civil rights movement, have played central roles in it.

“It was kids themselves who are on the sidewalks and streets, going to jail, getting bitten by dogs, taking the attack of billy clubs,” Andrea Davis Pinkney, the exhibition’s curator, said in an interview at the museum. “And that is happening right now. This minute.”

The show, which traces the civil rights movement from segregation to the present, captures those terrible moments, along with interludes of joy. Organized by the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Mass., and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, “Picture the Dream” is the first exhibition to chronicle this history through children’s literature, Pinkney said. When the show debuted at the High Museum in August 2020, she added, some visitors thought George Floyd’s killing and the following protests had inspired it. But while “Picture the Dream” had been planned much earlier, subsequent events, including the racist massacre in Buffalo last month, have only sharpened its relevance.

“A picture book can never heal a tragedy,” Pinkney said, but “it can help us,” she added. Books allow families “to come together — an adult and a child — and say, ‘Let’s talk about this.’”

The potential to provoke such conversations was key to selecting the exhibition’s art, which comes from 60 books, nonfiction and fiction. Pinkney, an editor at Scholastic and an award-winning writer — she frequently collaborates with her husband, the illustrator Brian Pinkney — knew the show would commemorate milestones, including the Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott in 1955 and 1956 and the Selma-to-Montgomery marches in 1965. But in addition to honoring events, she wanted to feature a range of mediums and artists, including young illustrators like Vashti Harrison, as well as renowned figures like Faith Ringgold and Jerry Pinkney (her father-in-law).

The artworks, combined with explanatory text, constitute a kind of picture book themselves. Pinkney wrote the words as if she were creating a story, exhorting young museumgoers to get ready to walk: “Look down at your shoes. Are they sturdy?”

Pinkney and her collaborators also divided the show into chapters: “A Backward Path” explores the Jim Crow era; “The Rocks Are the Road” focuses on the movement itself; and “Today’s Journey, Tomorrow’s Promise” celebrates its rewards, while stressing that there is still much to be done. Along with famous faces like Rosa Parks and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., each segment features surprises, not the least of which is seeing the illustrations at full scale.

“The original artwork speaks with a different resonance,” the illustrator Bryan Collier, who has four works in the show, said in a phone interview. Because, he added, “it tells you a little bit more, it expands the idea of what a picture book is.”

The collage-and-watercolor illustration that Collier created for a picture book of Langston Hughes’s poem “I, Too,” depicts a Black Pullman porter in a striking close-up, staring resolutely through the translucent stars and stripes of an American flag. What visitors learn is that African American railway porters circulated news to Black communities around the country.

“When you say, ‘Pullman porter,’ you’re talking about a community organizer and a leader,” Collier said. Such a figure, he added, was “a driving force to tell that poem.”

The exhibition pairs Collier’s illustration with a 1959 copy of “The Negro Travelers’ Green Book” — a guide to places that were safe for Black motorists — as well as a digitized version visitors can read. The historical society supplemented the show with these objects and others, including segregation-era “White” and “Colored” signs and a photograph by Stephen Somerstein of children in a Selma-to-Montgomery march. The photo complements P.J. Loughran’s illustration of a marching crowd for Lynda Blackmon Lowery’s vivid memoir, “Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March.”

“I think kids and adults sometimes go to a museum, and they see illustrations or pictures of things, and they think: ‘Well, was this real? Did this really happen?’” Alice Stevenson, the vice president and director of the historical society’s DiMenna Children’s History Museum, said in a phone interview. “And we wanted to be able to give some touch points throughout the exhibition to really ground people in the reality of what these illustrations are representing.” (Visitors can also see historical footage in a short film, “Picture the Dream,” on the Bloomberg Connects app.)

The added objects heighten the impact of searing portrayals like Eric Velasquez’s charcoal drawing of white adults and children heckling Black girls marching, from Angela Johnson’s book “A Sweet Smell of Roses.”

“History itself did not see fit to sugarcoat itself for me,” Velasquez said in a phone conversation. As a Black man, he added, “I portray it the way I remember it.”

The exhibition is unflinching in acknowledging that not all Black children survived the struggle. Philippe Lardy’s image for Marilyn Nelson’s poetry book “A Wreath for Emmett Till” features the face of Till, a 14-year-old murdered by white racists in 1955, encircled by thorns and chains. Tim Ladwig’s illustration from Carole Boston Weatherford’s book “The Beatitudes: From Slavery to Civil Rights” is less stylized. It shows Till’s portrait and his coffin, but uses the raised lid — the boy’s mother insisted on a public viewing — to hide the brutalized body.

In choosing such images, “we were going to lean right into the truth,” said Pinkney, who added that the educational organization Embrace Race had evaluated the accuracy and the tone of the exhibition’s content.

The show’s final section strikes a more optimistic note, with illustrations like Velasquez’s portrayal of Barack Obama at a jubilant campaign rally, from Michelle Cook’s “Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack and the Pioneers of Change.” The historical society, however, has also interspersed three works that children created in 2020 — not for picture books but about Black Lives Matter protests.

“We want kids to be able to respond to the past in their own lives,” Stevenson said.

Perhaps the best call to action is the books themselves, all shelved within a reading nook in the show’s concluding segment. Here, too, an outstretched hand appears, part of a joyful blown-up illustration that Collier painted for Useni Eugene Perkins’s book “Hey Black Child.”

“That’s always the goal — to read books, to embrace them, to love them,” Pinkney said. “And to know that a picture book can be your North Star.”

#The New York Times: Viewing the Civil Rights Movement Through Children’s Books #Childrens Books #Civil Rights Movement in America #American History #childrens books #childrens history books #Black Children's Books

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