#Toxic Texas Company

[the-nature-of-the-art-beast]

Disgruntled for a Reason -- Toxic Workplace

I was employed by Signet Maritime Corporation (SMC) and then I quit because it was a very toxic environment. Here is what I received from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and my rebuttals as well as a timeline of events. QUOTE from Page 18A from SMC’s appeal of the Texas Workforce Commission’s decision to allow me benefits of $204 a week. As written by Joshua Johnson of Signet Maritime –…

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#blog #Corpus Christi #Ingleside #Laurette Escobar #Signet Maritime Corporation #Texas #Toxic Texas Company #wordpress

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - March 20, 2023

🌱 - Okra to the Rescue and Other News You Can't 'Lettuce' Miss This Week

1. 4 day work week being pushed in Congress

Progressive Democrats, led by Rep. Mark Takano of California, are pushing for a four-day workweek to give Americans more time for leisure outside of work. The proposed Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to require overtime pay for any employee working more than 32 hours in a week at a rate of time and a half.

More than 70 British companies have started to test a four-day workweek, and halfway through the six-month trial, most respondents reported there has been no loss in productivity.

2. Governor Walz signs universal school meals bill into Minnesota law

Minnesota just became the fourth state in the US to provide breakfasts and lunches at no charge to students at participating schools! The bill was signed into law by Governor Tim Walz on Friday, and it's set to ease the burden on parents who struggle to provide meals for their children.

The new legislation will cover the cost of meals for all students, regardless of household income. This means that families who don't qualify for free and reduced meals but who struggle to pay for food will also be covered. The bill is also meant to prevent "lunch shaming" practices, where children are denied food or given substitutes that indicate their family is struggling financially.

3. Texas Researchers Use Okra to Remove Microplastics from Wastewater

Researchers from Tarleton State University in Fort Worth, Texas discovered that food-grade plant extracts from okra have the power to remove microplastics from wastewater. Polysaccharide extracts from plants like fenugreek, cactus, aloe vera, tamarind, and okra were found to be effective non-toxic flocculant alternatives to remove microplastics from water.

Polysaccharides from okra and fenugreek were best for removing microplastics from ocean water, while a combination of okra and tamarind worked best for freshwater. Furthermore, plant-based flocculants can be easily implemented in existing water treatment facilities.

4. In the northern California snow, stranded cows are getting emergency hay drops

The recent wave of unprecedented snowfall in California has left cattle stranded and starving. When rancher Robert Puga ran out of hay, neighboring Humboldt County officials put together an emergency rescue operation called "Operation Hay Drop." State, federal, and local officials airdropped stranded cattle bales of hay to feed them.

Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal went to the Coast Guard with the idea of a helicopter rescue, and by midday Sunday, March 5, Operation Hay Drop was underway. So far, Operation Hay Drop has been a success, said rancher Puga. The mission covers about 2,500 head of cattle over several miles.

5. Make-A-Wish Foundation no longer considers Cystic Fibrosis to be automatically qualifying due to improvements in life outcomes for patients

Given the ongoing life-changing advances in cystic fibrosis, beginning in January 2024, cystic fibrosis will no longer automatically qualify for a wish.

6. 1st woman given stem cell transplant to cure HIV is still virus-free 5 years later

In 2017, a woman known as the "New York patient" underwent a stem cell transplant to treat both her cancer and HIV. Now, about 30 months later, she has been virus-free and off her HIV medication, leading some researchers to suggest that she may have been cured of HIV.

The New York patient, received stem cells taken from umbilical cord blood that also had the HIV-resistance genes. However, it's important to note that there is no official distinction between being cured and being in long-term remission, and the medical team is waiting for longer-term follow-up before making any definitive statements.

7. Cheetahs Back in Wild in India After Seven Decades

Namibian cheetahs have been successfully reintroduced to India after the world's fastest land animal was declared extinct in the South Asian country more than 70 years ago. Two cheetahs, Obaan and Asha, were released into the wild of Kuno National Park after being brought to India last September.

The species is being reintroduced on an experimental basis as part of a major prestige project for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India aims to bring in about 100 of the big cats over the next decade. The African cheetah is a different subspecies from the extinct Asiatic cheetah, which once roamed the sub-continent in great numbers.

Lastly, I recently opened a Youtube channel. Subscribe for a weekly compilation of feel good videos.

- - -

That's it for this week :) If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Let's carry the positivity into next week and keep spreading the good news!

#best news of last week

[thelastharbinger]

Did not have the U.S. government holding hearings on previously classified information and lying making confirmations under oath that they are in possession of alien bodies and ufos in order to distract from the fact that covid-19 is still the leading cause of death in children, the cost of living is astronomical, cop city is well underway despite Atlanta residents overwhelmingly crying out against it, we are experiencing the hottest & deadliest temperatures on record, the state of Florida trying to rewrite history to say that slavery was just a mutually beneficial unpaid internship, trans lives and rights are under attack, anti drag laws, FLINT MICHIGAN STILL DOES NOT HAVE CLEAN DRINKING WATER, anti-discrimination laws being reversed, Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action, Roe v. Wade undone, universal free school lunches are on the ballot, ongoing mass shootings, climate change, big pharma killing off people by withholding live saving drugs at ungodly market prices, the erasure of separation of church and state, AI surveillance being implemented to detect fare evasion for increasingly costly public transport services, the rise of fascim, proud boys showing up with military grade weapons at libraries and day care centers, the permitted attempted coup of the capital, labor union strikes happening all over the country, people dying of heat in Texas because evil landlords want to cut off cooling over an unpaid $51 utility bill, train derailments causing toxic waste spills, corruption within the highest court in the land, homelessness rates the highest its ever been, migrants and asylum seekers being kicked out of temporary housing, the cost of food, book bans, Miranda Rights no longer being stated, mayors deciding to no longer publicly disclose how many people are dying pre-trial in detention facilities, federal minimum wage still $7.25, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, oil pipeline constructions on native lands, something like 30-50% of the nation's drinking water contaminated with forever chemicals, the rich remaining untaxed, biden going back on his campaign promises to forgive all student debt, still no free universal healthcare, ICE deportations increasing under biden admin, the u.s. yet maintaining colonies, teens and women getting jail time for miscarriages and abortions, 100 companies globally responsible for 70 or 80-something percent of all CO2 emissions, we are living in a police state, diseases resurfacing after years with no cases due to rising temps, death penalty, public services being defunded to increase military and police spending budgets, and abusers suing victims for defamation cases in court so that they legally cannot talk about it, and setting a dangerous precedent in the process in my 2023 bingo card but here we god damn are.

#2023 is a goddamn JOKE #aliens #us government #us govt #aliens and ufos #2023 bingo #land temp in spain was 140 degrees 2 days ago. owners r gonna have to start buying shoes for their pups out of obligation bc paws on fire. #i hate it here so bad #like can the aliens fix racism?

[centrally-unplanned]

I love deconstructing 'lifestyle' articles like these, they are such a gold mine of biases and narrative formation by the chattering classes. Here we have a wonderful premise:

Now, Ms. Margo is living a dream of many American women who are seeking relationships abroad, some of whom cite the toxic dating scene in the United States

Well, no objection from me that the US has toxic dating norms. But, hm, idk, 'many women' - is this a true trend amoung the American Female? Lets see who this article features:

Ms. Margo fell in love with the city (and its men). She found a gig teaching English in Paris and moved there after she graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in May 2019.

Okay, not *that* crazy but I do think I know what kind of Sarah Lawrence grad gap years in Paris before her law degree;

For Cindy Sheahan...At the end of 2017, she quit her job and traveled throughout Southeast Asia for leisure, and she started using Tinder.

That isn't...most people can't list as their full time job "Dating in Thailand";

For Frantzces Lys...she started a podcast called “Chronicles Abroad” with her co-host, who had met Ms. Williams, 40, in Malaysia. In 2018, Ms. Lys interviewed Ms. Williams, the founder of a consultancy, and the two kept in touch. They started dating years later.

Oh yeah the extremely relatable situation of a podcast host and boutique consultancy founder travelling to Mayalsia!!

“When you decide to just live your life for yourself, you actually end up stumbling upon people that match your energy and the same ideals and values,” said Ms. Lys, a 42-year-old founder of a wellness company.

Oh a wellness company, who hasn't founded one of those!!! And a link to their company, wow thanks NYT, that was definitely gonna be my follow-up for Ms. Lys:

Cepee Tabibian, who moved to Madrid at 35 from Austin, Texas, felt similarly.

Okay that could be normal, what do she d-

In 2020, she met her partner, who is Spanish. Now, she is the founder of She Hit Refresh, a community that helps women over the age of 30 move to a different country.

Jesus fucking Christ none of these people are real. They are full-hog in the industry of packaging and selling their Life of Insight & Discovery for $500 an hour over zoom sessions to non profits hosting leadership seminars, their dating isn't dating its brand management. I don't doubt they authentically love their life but this, shockingly, is not a trend, is not a sample, is not ethnographic data, this is an ad buy by a sliver of globe-trotting wealthy woman masquerading as journalism.

Absolutely the only relatable person is:

Alexis Brown, for example, noticed a lack of “effort and intention” from the men she was dating in Atlanta, where she attended Spelman College.

When she traveled across Europe for vacation from October 2022 to January 2023, however, the people she dated made it clear that they wanted to spend time with her.

Who takes way more words than is necessary to tell me she had a polycule stretching from Paris to Prague during her study abroad, which, good for her, that is what study abroad is for. Shockingly, this is not a new development in the collegiate experience!

Buried amoung the branded bullshit is Alexis's real gem and the only true 'thesis' of the article:

“The dating culture in the U.S. is that it’s cool and normalized to be indifferent to someone and not really express how you genuinely feel,” Ms. Brown, 23, said.

Which is essentially that in Europe people will "express emotion" unlike the cold, busy America. I don't doubt this, but I would hope a writer at the NYT's could have slightly more social awareness; the 'reason' Americans do not "express emotion" is that if they did you would dump them right on their ass on the first date.

Someone telling you, to quote Ms Margo:

“This one guy was like, ‘I ran through traffic just to look into your eyes once, and if you don’t want to go on a date with me, I can die happy knowing that I just met you,’” said Ms. Margo, a 28-year-old English teacher from Los Angeles.

As an opening line is cringe and uncomfortable, because they do not know you. They are lying and you know they are lying, it is a horrible foundation for a long term relationship. American dating norms have been hammering this lesson home on every participant (but if we are being honest, its primarily women hammering this home on men) and it is probably right to do. Anyone who does this lacks credibility.

But when you are in ~*Paris*~, you don't care about their credibility, because you lack it yourself. You are on vacation, you have no future, just a sequential present. If the guy who tells you your eyes are his world turns out to be a clingy failson who requires at least a blowjob a day to keep his mood stable, you can just *get up and leave the country*, you cannot be trapped because nothing is keeping you there. By placing an ocean between yourself and your social standing you can radically change your standards.

And you know what, there is something to that! Maybe the 18-point-checklist you mentally process every Tinder swipe through as you plan out your dream wedding on Cape Cod to a status-swollen ghost in a Tom Ford speckle-gray blazer while on lunch break from your quant analysis job at a digital marketing start-up in Chelsea isn't the best baggage to bring into a first date! Through radically shifting your social context it might be possible to jar your brain out of what is holding it back. Its not what you found in Paris, but what you left behind in America, that could actually make a difference... and that reality could give this article some heft.

But then say that instead of trying to sell me on the idea that:

For Ms. Margo, a Black woman who attended predominantly white institutions throughout her school years, she felt ignored in the United States, as if she “was not an option,” she said. In Paris she felt seen.

France is less racist than the campus of Sarah Fucking Lawrence against black people. No wonder the humanities are dying if they are teaching this level of self awareness.

#haven't stretched that Last Psychiatrist muscle in a while - good times #mini-essay

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Johnson and Johnson's bankruptcy gambit fails

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has foiled Johnson & Johnson’s plan to use a bankruptcy scam called the Texas Two-Step to escape paying 40,000 women who were injured when the pharma giant sold them asbestos-tainted talcum powder to dust over their vulvas, leading to gruesome cancers:

https://www.wxxinews.org/2023-01-30/appeals-court-clears-the-way-for-more-lawsuits-over-johnsons-baby-powder

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/01/j-and-j-jk/#risible-gambit

Back in 2018, a jury awarded $4.69 billion to 22 women whose ovarian cancer was caused by J&J’s toxic product, $4.14b of which was punitive, awarded because J&J ignored the link between applying talcum powder to one’s genitals and cancer, and continued to market its products as a “Shower to Shower” genital deodorant:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/13/health/4-69-billion-verdict-johnson--johnson-talcum-powder/index.html

With thousands more lawsuits in the pipeline, the company sprung into action, restructuring in Texas using a quirk of the state’s merger laws that allows a single company to “merge” into two separate entities.

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/BO/htm/BO.10.htm

The Texas Two-Step is a corrupt gambit that uses this quirk to allow large companies to escape liability for their misdeeds, by creating one company that holds the assets and profitable businesses of the firm, and another company that holds the firm’s toxic products and the liabilities they produced. The “bad” company then declares bankruptcy, leaving the “good” company to walk away with the billions it made by harming people, and leaving the victims to squabble over the meager assets from the bankruptcy.

To maintain the pretense that this maneuver isn’t just a ruse to escape liability, companies undertaking the Texas Two-Step have the “good” company guarantee some of the liabilities of the “bad” company. That’s what J&J did, and the women it injured sued over it:

https://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/222003p.pdf

The appeals court didn’t find J&J’s bankruptcy persuasive. They found that any bankruptcy for the “bad” company should come after it had exhausted all guarantees the “good” company had made. Summarizing the court opinion Bloomberg’s Matt Levine writes, “You want to file for bankruptcy while you still have plenty of money to pay claims, but not too much money.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-01-31/matt-levine-johnson-johnson-s-jnj-bankruptcy-didn-t-work

J&J has vowed to appeal. If their appeal succeeds, it will be another blow against corporate accountability and against the bankruptcy system, both of which have are at their lowest ebb in living memory. Just the fact that J&J is still in business is remarkable. Poison talcum powder is only the latest salvo in J&J’s war on women’s reproductive organs — just a year ago, the company was ordered to pay hundreds of millions for selling women vaginal meshes, aggressively marketed for incontinence and prolapse, long after it learned that these meshes could permanently fuse with patient’s pelvic floors, leading to “severe pain, bleeding, infections, discomfort during intercourse.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/13/johnson-johnson-pelvic-mesh-implant-ads-case

J&J was also neck-deep in the opioid crisis, going to far as to commission a report from McKinsey entitled “Maximizing Value of the Narcotics Franchise,” on how to use its dominance of poppy-extract to corner the market on opioids:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/30/mckinsey-mafia/#everybody-must-get-stoned

It was the opioid sector that brought popular attention — and well-earned disgust — to the US bankruptcy. The criminal Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma and proprietors of OxyContin, used a nakedly corrupt move to shift their bankruptcy proceeding to Judge Robert Drain of the Southern District of New York:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/07/hr-4193/#shoppers-choice

Drain is notoriously tolerant of corporate crime and is an enthusiastic booster for the principle of using bankruptcies to escape consequences for corporate mass-murder. Which is exactly what the Sacklers did, cramming through a bankruptcy deal that let them walk away with billions, stiffing the survivors of their opioid business:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/29/impunity-corrodes/#morally-bankrupt

J&J told women to put carcinogens down their underwear. For decades. It gave tens of thousands of women ovarian cancer. Then it tried to use Texas’s courts to walk away with billions. But this time, a court stopped them. This time there’s no separate system of justice, like the one that gave the Sacklers billions in dirty money. This time, the company might just have to pay for its crimes.

Image: James Wagstaff (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/jesse/2256760407/

Mike Mozart (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/26191532093

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

[Image ID: A picture of a white-out dust storm at Burning Man. A giant tulip rises out of the dust. Its petals are suggestive of a vulva. A giant bottle of Johnson and Johnson baby powder enters the frame from the top right corner.]

#pluralistic #j&J #johnson and johnson #bankruptcy #texas two-step #corporate murder #corruption #asbestos

[yourlocalghoulette]

Part One ~ Grand Opening

Series masterlist~ Main masterlist~ Meet the horsies~

w/c- 3k

warnings- eventual smut so MDNI, this chapter is pretty much fluff, language, reader has riding trauma but not explained in detail (yet), Joel is a softie for horses and Sarah, he's so sweet he'll make your teeth ache!

lmk if you want to be on the taglist!

horses used to be a favorite past time.

a place in your life where you could feel alive, feel comforted, feel free. an escape from reality. home.

happiness doesn't last forever, and you found that out quick. being the best in your hunter/jumper team didn't mean you had it good. hell, it made it worse. more stress, more demanding work, more pressure from trainers to hold up the team and win the gold medals. but one thing led to another, and after a few mentally and physically abusive trainers and a bad fall, you decided to quit.

quit the one thing that made you happy.

sometimes you wish you could go back in time, to when you were five and sat on a pony for the first time at the fair. your mom always smiled at the memory, saying she wished she could see that light in your eyes once more.

living in Austin, Texas, the land of cowboys, wasn't exactly helpful. horses were everywhere, from hunter barns to trail riding stables. although horses are practically shoved in your face in Texas, you've done pretty well with staying away from them. they bring back too many unpleasant memories.

little did you know that a tiny new stable across town would change your life forever.

Joel Miller adores horses. his life, heart, and soul, or at least some of it.

his daughter Sarah takes up most of his everything. she's his sun, moon, stars, and his rock ever since he woke up in an empty bed eleven years ago. well, the horses too. sometimes the only time he would feel grounded was when he was mounted up in the saddle. it's a strange comfort, knowing that you can trust the 1,000 pound animal with your life. most of the time, of course. he's had his fair share of accidents, as would anyone that's associated with horses.

after years of working double shifts for a contracting company with his brother Tommy, he finally saved enough money up to build his own riding barn.

he doesn't want to be like the showy, expensive barns that are found all over Austin, Texas. he wanted his barn to be a safe house, an escape from reality for whoever walked into his barn. he had grown up in the dressage barn his parents owned, and the toxicity among the members was palpable. everything was a competition.

Joel didn't like that at all. he thinks horses should be a man's best friend, not a ticket to a gold medal. which is why he is opening the new stable. he knows it won't compete with the larger barns around it but at least it will be a home to the few people that come to find it.

your mission to stay away from horses is hijacked when you get a call from your best friend, Sōl, while you're driving home from the coffee shop you work at.

"hey, girlie pop!" you answer the phone, jumping as her voice comes through the car speakers loudly.

"hey, babes!" you hear her cheery voice on the other side of the phone.

"Jesus, Sōl. you're connected to AirPlay and about made me cause an accident," you laugh, turning the car volume down. "what's up?"

"ok, you're not gonna like this," she starts out slowly.

"girl, just tell me," you sigh knowingly, hearing her attempted compelling tone of voice.

"I know you don't really want to be around horses anymore butttt there's a new barn opening in Leander and the grand opening sounds super fun. horse rides, food, and games. you wanna come with me?" she questions slyly, using her sweetest voice to convince you.

you let out a long sigh, running a hand over your face as you stop at a red light. "I don't know, babe. i...I haven't been around horses since...since like high school. I don't know if I'm ready for it."

"come on girl, it's gonna be a good time! and it's not like the other barns you rode at, or like Cedar Ridge." Sōl rides for Cedar Ridge, a large jumper barn outside of Austin, and is one of the best on the team. "listen. I'll send you the website and you can look at it, then decide. okay?" you can hear Sōl's grin through the speakers.

"fine. but it's only a maybe, okay, babe?" you let out an exasperated breath.

once you're back home and settled on the couch in your apartment with a bag of cheddar popcorn, you open the link Sōl texted you and scroll the website. the description catches your eye and you click on the read more button.

Sarah's Stables is a small, family-owned barn located just outside of Austin. our goal is to make people comfortable around horses and to bond with these amazing creatures. we aren't about competitions and gold metals at Sarah's Stables. we believe horses should be a second home, a place to rest your head. we also believe that the privilege of being around horses should be available to everyone, so we have affordable prices and volunteer-to-ride programs as well. come to our grand opening on July 26th!

below the paragraph is a picture of the owner, Joel with his daughter Sarah. you look closer to see that he is undeniably handsome. his dark brown eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiles widely in the photo. brown curls frame his forehead, streaked with a few silver hairs. his jawline is specked with salt-and-pepper scruff. his daughter is beautiful as well, with light brown skin and tight curly hair. you can see the resemblance in their eyes.

you sigh deeply. it doesn't look like the barns you're used to. it looks more relaxed, more fun. and it was only a small plus that the owner is easy on the eyes.

you give in and call Sōl. "i read the website. I'm in," you grin.

who knows, maybe it'll be good for you to see horses again.

July 26th dawns bright and early for Joel. he wakes up with a start to the sound of Sarah knocking on his door.

"Alarm!" she calls into his room.

"shit," he mutters, hitting the top of the beeping alarm with his palm. when he remembers what day it is, his hands turn clammy with nervousness. he glances at the alarm clock. 5:40; he has twenty minutes before he has to go to the barn to feed the horses. he rolls out of bed with a grunt, stretching his limbs. he throws on a worn t-shirt and a pair of jeans and walks downstairs.

he finds Sarah in the kitchen, scrambling eggs over the stove. "mornin', kiddo," he grunts, ruffling her hair as a small smile plays on his lips. "how'd you sleep?"

"i didn't," Sarah grins. "i was too excited and scared. scare-cited... scexcited...?"

"scare-cited sounds right to me," he chuckles, pouring coffee into a red mug.

"i was gonna make pancakes for the big day but you forgot to pick up mix. you're gonna have to settle for scrambled eggs," Sarah hands him a plate, grinning knowingly.

"Was I....I was. sorry, kiddo. I'll pick some up later. I've been a bit stressed lately, obviously." Joel sits down at the table and starts quickly eating the eggs. he picks something out of the eggs and holds it up to Sarah. "shell," he says gruffly.

Sarah grins widely with a mouthful of eggs. "calcium."

"lovely," Joel rolls his eyes. "well, i best be off to feed the horses. Uncle Tommy will be by in a few hours to pick you up. love you, kiddo." he plants a soft kiss on the top of her head before discarding his plate into the sink. he grabs his wallet and phone before sliding on his black Ariat boots.

"love you too, dad. good luck," Sarah sticks her tongue out as he slings his backpack over his shoulder.

the short drive to the barn is quiet, with Long, Long, Time by Linda Ronstadt crackling through the old truck radio. Joel pulls into the barn driveway just as the Texas sunshine starts peeking through the darkness, a sight he'll never get tired of. he can already hear the six horses banging against their stall doors from outside, impatient for their morning grain.

he fishes the door key out of his back pocket and opens the door. he's met with a chorus of snorts and nickers as the hungry horses wait impatiently for their grain.

"mornin', ya little glue sticks. you gonna behave well today?" he grins playfully, stopping at Whiskey's stall, the one-eyed, cinnamon-colored Tennessee Walker gelding. he pets the front of Whiskey's face gently, tracing the long white blaze that splits down his face. "guess what, little man? you get to give pony rides," Joel smiles, his eyes soft and full of admiration for this horse. he know Whiskey loves the kids. he's the sweetest horse, always giving you kisses and loving nudges. though he is missing one eye, his other is very expressive.

Joel parts with his favorite horse to go make feeds, scooping a variety of different grains and supplements into the six color-coded buckets.

once the feed is distributed and the horses are happily munching on their food, Joel gets to work. he sweeps the stall aisles clean of hay and manure, then shovels it into a wheelbarrow. while he's dumping it outside, he sees his younger brother Tommy's truck pulling into the driveway. When Tommy and Sarah come inside, Tommy grins, giving his brother a firm hug.

"Ain't this a sight for sore eyes," he whistles lowly. "it's okay big bro. we'll help you get ready."

Joel rolls his eyes. "fuck you."

"da-ad," Sarah grins. "that's a quarter in the swear jar!"

"you're right, kiddo, sorry," Joel mutters, shaking his head.

"alright, big bro, we gotta get to work," Tommy nudges Joel in the shoulder.

back at your apartment, you're awoken by the sun peeking through your floral-patterned curtains. you groan, shielding the light from your eyes with the back of your hand. you pick up your phone, glancing at the time. 10:23. shit. 40 minutes to get ready. a text notification pops up on your phone from Sōl 😜.

Sōl😜~ morning bb! u ready for today?? im picking you up at 11!

morning girlie! just woke up lol. I'll b ready for u! ~you

you turn on your morning playlist and climb out of bed and into the bathroom, where you dance to Take On Me by A-ha while brushing your teeth. you get dressed into faded blue bell bottoms and a yellow tank top with white flowers. you even pull out your blue cowboy boots that you'd stored away in your closet for so many years. you leave your hair down, knowing you'll probably have to wear a riding helmet later.

it's 11:05 when Sōl knocks on your door, and you answer it quickly. She squeals excitedly, pulling you in for a hug.

"babes, you look so goddamn cute! maybe there'll be some hot cowboy at this here grand opening," she smirks.

"as do you, babe! I know one's gonna be there for sure," you grin as you walk out with Sōl and into her car. "did you see the picture of the owner? whoo-ee."

Sōl nudges your shoulder across the center console. "told ya. this was meant to be."

the car ride is full of laughter, Disney songs, and off-key singing, and you finally pull up to the stables along with a few other cars. the barn is a quaint, white wooden structure with periwinkle blue trim around the open barn door and windows. yellow and white flowers hang from around the overhang over the entrance, where a big banner is posted that reads Sarah's Stables in curly cursive handwriting.

"this place is so cute! this Joel guy sure knows how to decorate," Sōl says approvingly, admiring the small concrete horse figurines standing guard outside the door.

you walk into the clean, homey barn to see Joel Miller in the flesh. God, he's even more handsome than he was in the picture.

"welcome in, darlin'!" Joel smiles warmly, shaking your hand. "the name's Joel. so glad to meet you."

you smile widely as you tell him his name. "I'm excited to be here. this place is gorgeous."

"why, thank you, darlin'," Joel grins proudly. he tries to push the thought of how pretty he thinks you are away. "do you ride?"

you bite your lip for a second before nodding. "used to. haven't really been around horses since high school."

"how come?" his dark brown eyes soften, studying your face. Sōl has ran off to see the horses at this point.

"I rode at a few hunter jumper barns on a high level," you explain. "you....probably know how those trainers can be. I didn't exactly want to go back after how they treated me."

Joel nods understandingly. "I know exactly how it is. my parents owned a dressage barn for my whole childhood. everyone's always after everyone's ass and trying to be better than the other and such. it wasn't a healthy environment for me as a kid." "dressage, huh? you seem more like a cowboy to me, Joel," you smile infectiously. "it's the accent, believe me. don't let it fool ya." he chuckles. "oh, there's some new guests. I gotta go introduce myself. there's pony rides, games and drinks outside through that door."

"thanks," you stare after him as he walks away, admiring the way his broad shoulders fill out the sleeves of his navy blue t-shirt. you walk out the door Joel had directed you to, immediately spotting Sōl who is already talking up a storm with a tall, younger blonde man wearing a cowboy hat. you grab a sparkling raspberry lemonade can from the cooler and walk over to them.

"hey, girlie! bout time you made it out here," Sōl grins. "this is Chase. He rides at Cedar Ridge on my team."

he tips his hat to you as you politely tell him your name. you gently nudge Sōl's shoulder. "wanna go look around?"

"sure. see you later, cowboy," Sōl flashes a wink towards Chase, who blushes slightly.

you and Sōl walk the barn aisles, admiring the cleanliness of it. you inhale the mixture of horse, hay, and manure, an odd smell you always found oddly comforting. you take in your surroundings, admiring how beautiful the simplistic decorations are. you peek in the tack room, which is unsurprisingly clean and organized. each intricately stitched saddle sits on its own stand, polished to perfection.

"this place feels...different," you say thoughtfully, peeking into a stall and smiling at the sight of a little chestnut shetland pony.

"different how? awww, look at this cutie." she scrunches her nose up at the shetland, giving his muzzle a little boop.

"I don't know. it feels comforting....like home." you stroll down to the next stall to find a tall black percheron. the small handwritten sign on his stall reads that he's an 18 year old gelding named Amadeus, and he was rescued along with the Shetland from an animal hoarder.

"I see what you mean. feels a lot less fancy and...sterilized than the other barns we've ridden at."

"and the trainer is nicer," you say quietly, tracing the white star on Amadeus's forehead. Sōl raises a knowing eyebrow.

"is someone developing a crush?"

you shoot her a pointed look. "no....no. it's just... refreshing for it to feel like the owner actually cares."

"someone's developing a crush?"

your eyes widen as you hear Joel's voice behind you and you spin around to face him, a flustered expression on your face. "no one," you grin. "just Sōl being a bit of a menace." you try to laugh it off.

Joel smirks and looks over at Sōl who just shrugs innocently. "anyways, I wanted to talk to you before more people come. I'm in dire need of some extra help, having the barn just startin' up and such. you seem to know your stuff, and-" he gestures to Amadeus's calm expression as you pet him. "the horses seem to be relaxed around you."

you purse your lips, taking a deep breath. are you really ready for this? after so long not being around horses....no. you push that thought out of your mind. this place feels good. feels natural.

"of course. i...this opportunity will be good for me. I need to gain confidence around horses again." Joel's eyes crinkle as he smiles, obviously relieved.

"thank you so much, darlin'. you're truly a blessin'. I'll pay you of course. looking forward to see you around."

#joel miller x reader #joel miller #joel tlou #mrs ohara writes shit #horse dad joel #pedro pascal

[thesapphireprincess]

Let’s talk about doing the damn thing

By doing the damn thing I mean actually working toward your goals with physical action

What is it that you want in your life? What do you truly want that will make you happy? I’ll tell you what I want. I want to be able to come home without a single worry about my necessities in life but it is more than that. I want to be able to walk into any store and not worry about the price tag, a life of abundance. I want to be able to wake up to an alarm by choice, I want the alarm to go off because I want to wake up at a certain time not because I have to be at this job at a certain time in order to keep a roof over my head. This is what I want. I want to be my own boss and run my own business, this is what I want. What is it that you want?

It’s always been my dream to be my own boss and run my own company since I was 9 years old. I am now 23 and I got a little lost through out the years, nothing too heavy just being surrounded by the wrong people. I always wondered why when I would cut off every toxic person in my life I would suddenly be focused on my future but then another test would come and I would fail that test and be lost again and unhappy. Friend groups are not for me. Friend groups are usually toxic and full of so much unnecessary drama. I always felt left out in friend groups. I think I’m meant to be solo until I am so stuck on my path that it would take a literal meteor to knock me off. I prefer to have friends but not a friend group. At the moment I don’t have any friends because as you can probably guess I cut them all off. While I’ve been in Texas I haven’t made any solid friends. The people I’ve met haven’t been too consistent but ig that is for the best. I am not meant to have friends right now. I would like to have a few friends but I want true friends not fake ones. If I was meant to have friends right now I would simply have them, am I right?

Let’s get into the main topic of this post “doing the damn thing”. Just recently I’ve come into myself in a way that I’ve never before. Being content with who I am and where I am. I didn’t say comfortable I said content. Even though I am content with myself I’m still looking for ways to improve and grow in every way possible in order to reach my goals. There are things that I need to do and that I am working on in order to create my dream life. I hope this makes sense. Ik what I need to do to be successful and I need to do more than that. I need to push myself harder not like a working mule because never that. I mean I can feel that I am being lazy in certain areas that I shouldn’t be lazy in. It’s a slight adjustment and it’s not going to burn me. Pushing myself to work towards my goals is so important to me. I want to stick to a schedule, be organized and realistic with myself. I want a balance of work, rest and fun. I’ve been dabbling too much in the rest part so it’s not balanced. I will fix this in time. I have figured out a good schedule and now I just have to try it out.

I want to be able to date the kind of men I want to date. I want to be taken out to really nice places with men who are well dressed, handsome, wealthy, generous, smart, and kind. A gentleman. I have the image of the kind of men I want to date and eventually be with but in return I have to become a women of means. Turning myself into who I’ve always imagined myself to be is something I want. I want to be seen as a woman not a girl. Becoming her requires not only beauty but brains and trust me I have the beauty thing down. I am working on the other half, the brains. Me becoming my Dream version has nothing to do with a man btw but I definitely don’t want to be single forever. I want to be in a healthy relationship and I’m not going to pretend that I’m perfectly ok with being alone for the rest of my life or being 40 with no husband or kids. If that’s what you want that’s fine but that’s not what I want. When I am 40 I want to have a husband or 40 with a husband and kids no in betweens. I want to get married in my mid or late 20’s and then maybe have kids in my early 30’s. I deserve love and I deserve to be with the man of my dreams. Hello like attracts like. I’m done dating men who aren’t what I truly want. I want a Bruce Wayne archetype minus the mommy and daddy issues. I mean the look: dark hair, handsome, young and wealthy. A Mentally healthy and wealthy man. I want someone kind and adventurous with the means to give me and show me true romance. I want someone who can give me a life worth truly living. I want the career, the husband, the lifestyle and family of my dreams. So I will become the woman of me dreams. I’m only 23 and a lot can happen in a year especially with hard work. I refuse to be stagnant in life, I refuse to waste my youth doing nothing and I refuse to waste all the opportunities life has to offer when you choice to knock on the door of your dreams. With all of this being said, stop being stagnant. Stop wasting your time and do the damn thing.

#level up #self improvement #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #hypergamy #upscale dating #black women in femininity #black women in leisure #black women in luxury #spoiled girlfriend #spoiled wife

[berystraw]

LOVE LEAVES SCARS: INTRODUCTION

Synopsis: In which! Due to a letter calling her to go back to Texas Verity Rosewood goes back to the place she spent years trying to forget. While she is there, she tries to reconnect with the people she left. Her family, friends, and especially the person she loved most.

[L.L.S Masterlist] [M. Masterlist] [G.H Masterlist]

Case file #1:

[Name]: Verity Rosewood

[Nickname(s)]: Veri

[Age]: 20

[Date of birth]: August 22, 2000

[Gender]: Female

[Sexuality]: Bisexual

[Eye color]: Brown eyes

[Hair color]: auburn

[Height]: 5'6

[Playlist]: Top of my school 【Katherine Lynn-Rose】 Pov 【Ariana Grande】 You're on your own kid 【Taylor Swift】 Brutal 【Olivia Rodrigo】 Little Miss Perfect 【Write out loud】Lose you to love me 【Selena Gomez】 All I want 【Olivia Rodrigo】 Dollhouse 【Melanie Martinez】 Be myself 【Why don't we】 I wanna be yours 【Arctic Monkeys】 Consequences【Camila Cabello】 Mess it up 【Gracie Abrams】 Control 【Halsey】 Elastic Heart【Sia】Applause 【Lady Gaga】 Thumbs 【Sabrina Carpenter】 In my mind 【Lyn Lapid】 Happier than Ever 【Billie Eilish】 Not strong enough【Boy genius】 If Only 【Dove Cameron】

Case File #2

[Name]: Grayson Hawthorne

[Nickname(s)]: Gray

[Age]: 19

[Date of birth]: August 23, 2001

[Gender]: Male

[Sexuality]: heterosexual

[Eye color]: pale gray

[Hair color]: blonde

[Height]: 6'0

[Playlist]: Looking at me【sabrina carpenter】Can I be him【James Arthur】Labyrinth 【Taylor Swift】Daddy Issues【The neighborhood】Ador You【Harry Styles】If I killed someone for you【Alec Benjamin】Man of the House【Marilyn Hucek】Money, Power, Glory【Lana Del Ray】I bet in losing dogs【Mitski】Angels like you【Miley Cyrus】Surface pressure【Jessica Darrow】People Watching【Conan Gray】I ain't perfect【IV of spades】Mistakes like this【Prelow】Mirror ball【Taylor Swift】Favorite crime【Olivia rodrigo】Feelin good【Michael Bublé] Lay all your love on me【ABBA】All of the girls you've loved before【Taylor Swift】Set fire to the rain【Adele】

Verity Rosewood

—The one who absquatulated

"I never wanted to leave, but I had to. For me."

Being the heir of the Rosewood family, Verity has been training and learning how to manage her family's company even at such a young age. She went to different kinds of classes, may it be public speaking classes, business management, dance classes, and many more. She had to be different, to be perfect. The pressure of being the best and perfect heir was exhausting, but she had her friends, right? The Hawthorne brothers have helped her cope with all the pressure and stress her family and everyone else pressed on her. She thought she could handle it, but everyone had their breaking points.

Grayson Hawthorne

—The Heir Apparent

"And that made me hate you even more."

Grayson had been considered as the "Heir apparent" of the family for as long as he remembered. As a Hawthorne, he was taught many things, and that included never showing emotion. He had to learn how to not cry or show signs of weakness. Being one of the oldest siblings didn't help with that at all. In fact, it just added even more pressure on him. Having to be the older and more responsible brother out of the rest. It was difficult. Trying to make yourself look as if you're not broken. He is broken and hurt, yet he makes sure not to show anyone even a second of his true emotions. He was not raised to be like that.

Verity + Grayson

—The never ending story

"In this toxic and suffocating world, we had each other."

The friendship of the Rosewood and the Hawthorne family has lasted for years now. So Verity being friends with the Hawthorne grandchildren was no such mystery. The group was always seen together during classes, tea time, playing outside on the grounds, or even skipping classes together. They were inseparable, but there were 2 children in the friend group that were much closer with each other than the rest; Verity and Grayson. The two consider each other as their safe places, the person who brings comfort to each other. Due to the pressure of their families, both of them really understood each other and considered one another as the place that they could bring down their walls and become their true selves. They felt safe, comforted, and peaceful in the presence of each other. Because for once, they felt as if they had one place they didn't have to pretend as if they're perfect.

[Playlist]: Back to December【Taylor Swift】Play date【Melanie Martinez】Tattoos forever【lauv】Love song【Why don't we】Make you mine【Public】Somebody to you【The Vamps】You and I 【One direction】That way【Tate McRae】Runaway【Aurora】If the world was ending【JP Saxe, Julia Michaels】Your name hurts【Hailee Steinfeld】Why's you only call me when you're high【Arctic Monkeys】Talk too much【Coin】Overdrive【Conan Gray】The one that got away【Katy Perry】House of memories【Panic! At the disco】Back to you【Selena Gomez】Midnight Memories【One direction】Still the one【One direction】Lover【Taylor Swift】The way I love you【Taylor Swift】Favorite crime【Olivia Rodrigo】I love you so【The walters】WYD now 【Sadie Jean】Somewhere only we know【Keane】Afterglow【Taylor Swift】Kiss it better【Rihanna】Kidult【Seventeen】No one can fix me【Frawley】Fall for you【Sarah Kang, Jesse Berrera】Remember that night【Sara Kays】

#Inheritance games #the inheritance games #grayson hawthorne x reader #grayson hawthorne #grayson hawthorne x fem!reader #grayson hawthorne fluff #Grayson hawthorne imagine #grayson hawthorne story #grayson x reader #inheritance games x reader #own character #fanfiction #own work #grayson hawthorne angst #hawthorne #grayson #grayson hawthorne x oc!reader

[idolatrybarbie]

main masterlist | series masterlist | read on ao3

pairings: francisco "frankie" morales x f!reader, marcus pike & f!reader

word count: 5.4k

rating & summary: mature - 18+ only! | Francisco didn’t seem to like you very much. Maybe it was the direct approach you took—not everybody loves being confronted with allegations of terrorism. Or maybe it’s just you.

tags: angst, dark themes, the United States government comes with its own warning, emotional abuse, toxic friendship dynamics, misogyny, grief, discussed past violence.

You wake in a pool of your own sweat. The alarm clock next to you says it’s two o’clock in the morning despite unruly sun shining in through the curtains. Someone has taken a power drill to the soft spot between your temple and left ear. Your skull throbs, throat dry as bone. It takes a moment, cheek squished into the pillow, for you to remember where you are. The blackout curtains of your shoe box apartment would never let the sun in to wake you; hell, there is no sun in New York in the first place.

The memories come in an quick onslaught. Brief flashes of the past two days flit through your mind: D.C. and the White House. Marcus’ intern. All of those flight logs. The shitty little town of Lubbock, Texas.

Looking for a sign? This is it!

Everything clicks. Your curtains wouldn’t dare let a sliver of UV rays pass through the glass of any window, but these aren’t your curtains. This isn’t your apartment and this is not New York. This is a motel—another one—in the unincorporated township of Posey. The Palm Tree Lodge, or something to that affect. Dirty, cheap. You’d managed to haggle the front desk manager into letting you book per night instead of their usual by the hour.

You could go home. Francisco Morales made it clear that he does not want to speak to you. You should go home. Tuck tail and drive to your parents’ place, confess your sins and have them console or confront you. You should call Marcus and tell him you’ve failed. 

Ultimately, you don’t do any of these things. After a long shower, you get in the two-hundred-dollar-a-day truck you’re renting and drive back to where you know Morales lives. It’s faster from the motel than the airport. Pushing the engine and speeding down back roads, you make the drive in twenty minutes. When you pull up to the trailer again, you realize that he’s not there. The truck with the half-crumpled grill isn’t parked out back. No one answers the door when you knock, no signs of life past the old blinds covering every window. Francisco is gone—for the day or forever, you don’t know.

You should be in a cushy Washington hotel room paid for by the company card, writing up story notes to send back to the Post this afternoon. Really, you should be anywhere but here. And yet here you are. You decide, plopping your ass down on the shaded steps up to the trailer’s door, that here is where you’ll stay. He’ll either come back or he won’t. For this, you’ve got the time to wait.

Francisco didn’t seem to like you very much. Maybe it was the direct approach you took—not everybody loves being confronted with allegations of terrorism. Or maybe it’s just you.

Begrudgingly, Mr. Morales let you in.

“What do you think you’re doing, showing up here?” he’d asked.

You couldn’t help but scoff. “Trying to help you. If you’d just let me explain.”

“I’m gonna need you to explain how you found me in the first place,” Francisco said.

“Mr. Morales, I understand that you want your privacy—”

“I don’t think you do. If you did, you wouldn’t show up here talking about… What? Extradition? The U.S. government? All this bullshit?”

“Respectfully sir, none of this is bullshit,” you said. “This is very real. This is serious.”

“If the government wants to come arrest me, they can do it themselves. They don’t have to hire some hussy to lure me out first,” he said.

“Excuse me? Is that what you think this is?” you asked.

“Tell me you’re not wearing a wire,” Francisco said.

“I’m not, Mr. Morales. I came here to help you, if you would listen to me. For the third time.”

He remains standing near the door, ready to see you out. He doesn’t believe you.

“Oh for fuck’s sake—” You started picking at the buttons along the front of your shirt. Sleeves rolled to the elbow, you huffed as the fabric fell open, revealing skin as you went. Clavicle, chest, then bra…but no wire to be seen.

Francisco stared at you, brain seemingly catching up with his eyes. You rolled yours, up to the ceiling and back down again.

“You believe me now?” you asked.

He only shook his head. “No.”

Maybe it’s a bit of both.

The weather is boiling once again. The shade that covers two-thirds of your body does nothing to mitigate the humidity. The collar of your shirt sticks to your skin, the grey fabric damp with sweat. It’s comfortable, the oldest item of clothing you still own. Your first big girl purchase after moving out of the house. The Rice University crest has faded with washing and time, the bottom hem threadbare, but you hold onto it. The shirt has too many memories attached to throw it away.

Rice is where you met Marcus. After declining offers from Northwestern and Duke, you showed up on campus totally lost. You thought staying in-state would minimize the lifestyle whiplash, but Houston was a world away from the town you once called home. Marcus had found you, kind of like finding a box of puppies abandoned in the rain. He befriended you and showed you the ropes of adulthood, already a junior in your freshman year.

When he moved three hours away to pursue law at Baylor, your world changed. Marcus said he would visit as much as possible, making good on the promise. Every long weekend, stat holiday, and sometimes just because, his ‘93 Honda Accord would pull up outside your pack rat apartment. He guided you when your parents couldn’t, never having gone to college themselves. He was there when no one else was. When he didn’t have to be. You’ve owed him a lot longer than you realized.

That’s where the unending trust in your relationship comes from. Marcus is good. He’s always had you. Why would that change now?

Something has changed, though. You can feel it. Could feel it on the phone that first time months ago, his voice a little too smooth; lines rehearsed.

Time goes hand-in-hand with change. It’s no shock that Marcus is a little different than you remember. But between the cold shoulder and the subtle manipulation, it doesn’t sit quite right. You’ve started waiting for the other shoe to drop—something you’ve never felt in this friendship before. Locked in a staring contest, the two of you seem to be waiting each other out.

You hope you’re wrong. You hope you blink first. You’re scared of what you will see if you don’t.

The burst of an exhaust pipe rips you from sun-addled daydreams. Eyes open, you watch as a familiar blue pickup pulls in next to yours. Francisco Morales flies out of the vehicle, stalking over. You stand from your place in front of his trailer.

“The hell do you think you’re doing here?” he asks, pointing a finger in front of your face.

“Sunbathing,” you deadpan. “What do you think I’m doing?”

“I told you to get lost.” He makes his way back to his vehicle, pulling a toolbox out of the truck bed.

“And lost I am, Mr. Morales,” you say to the open air. “Lost on why you won’t let me help you.”

“You think your funny,” Francisco says, toolbox swinging by his side.

He bypasses you at his steps, walking up to the door. He shoves a hand in his back pocket, keys jingling when he pulls them out. Seeing an opportunity, you take it, rushing up with tinny footsteps to grab them from his fingers. Francisco spins on his heel, trying to crowd you against nothing as you step away.

“Give those back. Right now.”

You eye the toolbox held in his grasp, the way his fingers flex tight around the handle. He’s resisting an urge that, given his military training, must be hardwired.

“Or what? You going to bash my brains in?” you ask. “I’m trying to keep you out of prison but if you want in so bad, go ahead.”

The muscles in his jaw tense. The toolbox falls to the dirt and gravel with a clatter, tools spilling out on the ground. Francisco says, “You have thirty seconds.”

“I’ve obtained documents—federal U.S. documents—that detail your upcoming indictment and potential extradition to Colombia, Mr. Morales. Whatever you may or may not have done, the government is convinced that you’re guilty. They’re set to hang you. All of you. I’m trying to make sure that doesn’t happen. Please. Let me help you. Let me do the right thing.” Seven seconds to spare.

Francisco’s face is stone, unreadable as he stares at you. With the sun behind him, you see the contrasting light and dark browns in strands of his hair. This man can’t go to prison if only for the fact that he’s too pretty. Still, he seems stubborn as a mule. When he opens his mouth to speak, you brace yourself for another rejection.

“It’s Frankie,” he says.

You blink at him. “Pardon?”

“Not Mr. Morales. Call me Frankie.”

“Frankie, is that a yes?” you ask.

He looks at his shoes, worn and muddy, then back at you. “Yes.”

“Okay, so—”

“Come back this time tomorrow,” Frankie says.

“Are you serious?”

“You wanna help me? Do the right thing?” he asks sarcastically. “Come back tomorrow.”

Then he steps forward, taking his keys from you before turning towards the door. Frankie walks up the steps, turns the key in the lock and disappears into the trailer. You stare at his door for a moment longer, sighing to yourself. You let yourself float back to the car, functioning on autopilot as you hold the steering wheel and drive back to the motel.

Limbs heavy with sunshine, you roll into bed. Part of you wants to call Marcus and gush about the success. You want to hear him tell you that you did a good job. That you’re good, just like him. Something holds you back from reaching for the phone. The sense that he could dismiss you; stay toeing the company line as he tells you that he can’t discuss this on a call.

No, it doesn’t quite feel that way. Disappointment doesn’t catch in your throat as you stare at his contact on your screen. A kernel of something else has lodged itself in your gut, throwing everything off. It’s an overreaction, surely…but you can’t shake the feeling.

You drift in and out of sleep. Strange dreams dance behind your eyelids between intermittent hours of pausing black. Nothing is discernible from anything else, all of it blending into one mess. Your heart pounds when you sit up next, eyes wide in the dark. Deep breaths calm your body, bringing your heartbeat back to something within the territory of normal. You can’t shake the adrenaline coursing through your veins, hands clenched tight at your sides.

You haven’t felt anything that strongly since the arrest. Six years ago, in the events before the courthouse and the lawyer: a federal officer holding you at gunpoint, your own weapons a cup of coffee and a very incriminating file folder; getting on your knees outside of a yoga studio—or was it a convenience store? You can’t quite remember. The memory has been dissected and rearranged too many times for proper examination.

Ever since, you have never been alone again. At first it was real, the ankle monitor on your left side winking at you every so often. The device was constant reminder that you were always being watched. Supervised release, they called it. Reporting to your federal probation officer, you were ordered to never step foot outside of Kendall County for the next two years. No alcohol, recreational substances, or access to any type of computers. Apparently, supposedly committing treason by accessing a government database meant you couldn’t text anyone for the rest of your days.

It certainly felt like your life would end there. Two years. 730 days that never got easier. The looks of shame from your mom started to subside around day 457. Dad was easier to come around, figuring you needed someone in your corner. He helped you get a job working at the local library, completely analog in their systems. The two of you traded off the duties of cooking every week.

The first person you called when it was over was Marcus. Of course. Your best friend, the man who saved you. He had to be the first call.

Despite all odds, he’d answered. You’ve never cried so hard. All you could do was thank him over and over. Between the tears, he managed to tell you about Teresa Lisbon.

You never really saw him as you pieced your life back together, but it always felt like he was there. The position at the library evolved into a spot at the Boerne Star, then at the KSAT station as a scriptwriter. Phone calls were few and far between with Marcus Pike. He was busy in Houston catching forgers and thieves. It always puzzled you, the art obsession. You remembered Marcus in school. He’d wanted to change the world. But this must have been his way of doing that. 

When you told him that you were taking a job in New York, he sounded so…disappointed. There was no other way to put it. You thought he would be proud. After life spun out of your control, you had finally managed to make it somewhere. But his words were placating, trying to conceal the let down with the usual script of excitement. You hung up the phone before Marcus could finish saying goodbye.

Nothing bad has to happen these days for you to lose touch with someone. Maybe that was a lie.

Even with Marcus’ absence in your life, you could never shake the sense of being watched. You figured that was a result of the probation. Once you come to accept those kinds of conditions, they never leave. Even if no one else is watching, you certainly are. Right now, you’re waiting on the moment that you catch yourself.

The Lodge and the room you’re staying in can only be described with the word grime. You can feel the filth on your hands that isn’t visible to the naked eye. The back of the sink is coated in a thin layer of dust each morning, regardless of the toilet paper wipe-down you give it. The only saving grace is the shower; a constant, even-pressured flow of temperate water to take your mind off the past and present.

You should be thinking about Francisco—Frankie. What you’re even doing out here. After months of fishing, you have finally caught him. The question is, what are you going to do with the man they call Catfish?

Ultimately, you start with what you do best: asking questions. But when you get to his place and he lets you in, willingly this time, he can’t seem to answer even the first one.

“Frankie, it’s a simple question. Are you innocent?” you ask him again.

The man meets you with uncomfortable silence, foot tapping lightly against the peeling floor.

“This is the part where you say yes.”

He simply hums, giving you a sniff of his nose. Frankie’s lips stay shut.

“You need to answer the questions if I’m going to help you,” you say, this side of exasperated. The two of you have been sat here for twenty minutes, semi-silently going back and forth over this one question. You have no clue how he’s going to manage the entire list you have prepared.

“I don’t know how to answer that,” he finally says.

“Yes or no,” you say. “And the answer’s yes…” Frankie’s jaw twitches as he clenches his teeth. A tell. “The answer is yes, right?”

Another sniffle. You sigh. Clearly this is going nowhere.

“Okay, let’s try a different question. When did you meet Will Miller?”

“No.”

“How am I—” You stop yourself, hearing the strong tone as words burst forth. Pause, readjust. Restart. “How am I supposed to help you if I don’t know anything?”

Frankie sucks his teeth. “There’s a lot I can’t tell you.”

“Then what am I doing here?”

“You tell me,” he says.

“Why do you want me here?” you ask. Frankie meets your gaze before glancing away, the corner of his left eye twitching.

There it is. His body betrays him with each question you ask, bit by bit. He wants you here. Something has led him to allowing you in this space, to let you take up his wasted time.

“Tell me about yourself.” It’s not a question. Men like this, like Frankie, don’t respond to questions. They follow orders and meet demands.

“I’m fourty-two. Five foot eleven, 210 pounds. I like long walks on the beach and candle-lit dinners, and—”

You stand from your seat at his crappy dinner table.

“Shit, wait. Okay,” Frankie says. You don’t look at him, organizing your notes to slip them back into your purse. “I said okay.”

“You’re done with the bullshit games, then?” you ask.

Frankie sighs silently, his chest caving in slightly.

“We grew up in Raymondville. Poorest family on the block, not that that’s sayin’ much. My mother, me, and my little brother. She worked nights as an attendant at the Valley View Inn. Sometimes she’d come home with those, uh…the hotcakes from McDonald’s. You knew it was gonna be a good day when Mom came home with breakfast. My brother always asked her where they got those tiny pads of butter—if they kept hundreds of little containers in the back, like the big tub of margarine we had in the fridge. And she’d always say, descuida, mis pollitos.” Frankie swallows. “Anyway. She’s dead, so.”

Jesus. It really is all or nothing with him.

You say, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“It’s fine. You know, people die,” he says. “Cancer, by the way.”

“Huh?”

“That’s how she died. I figured you might ask. They said they found it a little too late.”

You don’t know what else to say. There’s something plain and aching on his face, an open window to all the hurt Frankie holds over this. It makes you feel bad. Terrible, really. Your mind hitches to the track of what could have been done to make this better. Who could’ve stepped in? Who could have saved this family?

It’s exactly what you want. What you need. This right here? This pain, spun the right way, might just save his life. His buddies too, if they’re lucky. You pretend to scribble something down, clearing your throat before moving onto the next question.

You leave shortly after that, getting through twelve of the fifty questions. Crude notes on his childhood, family life, and a few answers dipping into his time in the military litter your notepad. The experience isn’t exactly Frankie opening up. You’re prying him apart, bit by bit. There’s no guarantee of a pearl waiting for you when everything is said and done; you don’t even know when that will be.

Back at the motel after a criminally long shower, you lie awake in bed. Sleep won’t come no matter how hard you try. At this point, you’ve given up.

Something isn’t sitting quite right. The refusal to spare you even a word, then sliding right into a deeply personal admission is…strange. That’s not how people work. Well, normal people. You’ve known for a while now that these men are not exactly the most well-adjusted folks. Replaying the day in your head, the interaction puzzles you.

You dial Marcus despite your better judgement. He answers on the fourth ring.

“How do you know if someone’s guilty?”

“Jesus,” he says, voice thick with sleep. You hear shuffling on the other end. “It’s four o’clock in the morning.”

“What about it?”

“A little early, don’t you think?” Marcus asks.

“Think of it as returning the favour,” you say. Then, “So, how do you?”

“How do you what?”

You sigh, frustrated, ready to hang up already. “In your line of work as a professional narc—how do you, Marcus Pike, know when a suspect is guilty?”

“My gut.”

“Oh, come on,” you sigh.

“I’m serious,” Marcus says.

“So they teach bowel movements at the academy? Makes a lot of sense, actually.”

“Very funny. I don’t know, uh…usually you’ve got evidence against them.”

“Let’s say it’s circumstantial. Or you don’t know what it is,” you say.

“Like, it’s classified?” Marcus asks. For a moment, all you can hear is his breathing. “What’s this about?”

“Nothing, just ans—”

“Is this about…” he trails off, dodging the unintentional self-incrimination attempt. “Is this about that thing from breakfast?”

“Answer the question,” you say.

“You first.”

“Marcus.”

“If you’re going in blind, you want to observe the behaviour of the suspect. If they’re dodging questions, how they react to pertinent details or things tangentially related to the crime they’re suspected of.”

“What about…manipulation?”

“We see it all the time. Trying to appeal to your better nature, justifying the crimes without directly linking themselves,” Marcus says.

“And?”

“Telling you what you want to hear. Sometimes guys will answer one half of the question but not the other, or something to that effect. A smaller sacrifice to keep the bigger deal under wraps.”

Shit.

“Are you okay?” Marcus asks.

You didn’t realize you mumbled that out loud. “Fine. Sorry to bug you so early.”

“Wait, wait. Hold on. Seriously. Is this about that pilot?”

“I thought—”

“Don’t worry about it. Just answer the question,” he says.

“There’s something off. I don’t know what it is, but I can feel it,” you tell him.

Marcus sighs. “Want me to look into it?”

“I can’t ask you to do that,” you say.

“You’re not. Consider it done. I’ll let you know if there’s anything later on. Alright?”

You’ve missed this. Missed him. Marcus who helps you, protects you, uplifts you. The one guy who can always get you out of a jam; always has a solution. All of your uncertainty melts away at his question. Marcus is your best friend. He loves you.

“Alright.”

When you pull up to Frankie’s place again, he’s waiting on you. His works boots are scuffed with mud, a shiner bluer than the moon gracing the skin around his right eye. Getting out of your truck, you try to school any look of worry off your face. A neutral mask takes the place where gaping concern should be as you greet him with a quick hello.

“You wanna come in then?” he asks, shielding his face from the sun.

You follow him inside, setting your purse down and pulling out your notepad once again. Frankie hasn’t sat at the table with you quite yet. He stands at his fridge, fishing something out. He comes away from the tall appliance with a clear plastic pitcher of something liquid, vaguely foggy yellow.

“Would you like something to drink?”

Looking up from your notes, you pause to stare at him. It’s the first nice thing he’s done so far in this…working relationship. It takes a moment for your mouth to catch up to your brain.

“Uh, sure,” you say dumbly.

He pours out two mugs of something, both emblazoned with a fiery racing logo. Walking closer to you, he hands you the taller one. You take it with both hands, fingers clutching the ceramic like it’s some sort of precious artifact. Sipping slowly, the drink washes sugar onto your tongue, followed by a wave of mild tang. Lemonade.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Frankie says.

“So I figured we would start where we left off,” you say.

A beat passes where neither of you speak. Then Frankie says, “Can I ask you a question?”

Narrowing your eyes, you say, “Shoot.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Why are you trying to help me?” he asks. “Most people look at the things I’ve supposedly done, and then they look at me. Doesn’t usually end up that they feel like helpin’ out.”

“I’m not like most people,” you say.

“That’s pretty clear,” Frankie says.

This moment of whatever ends at that. You delve back into your list of softball questions, writing down brief notes on his answers. Anything here could be good to mine for an article. Background on his family, the shallow waters you’ve broached about the service.

You ask, “What’s life like now?”

Frankie seems to almost flinch, giving you a bit of a double take. “Life now?” he repeats.

“Yeah. What’s the day-to-day of Francisco Morales?”

“Get up around four—except for the days you’re coming around. Shit, shave, brush my teeth. Uh…I usually get to work at six, get off at eight.”

“So it’s dark when you leave and dusk when you get home?” you ask.

Frankie hums, considering this. “Yeah, I guess so.”

You write that down, eyebrows pinching as you swallow down the gloom that rises in your throat. From what you have so far, even if he was guilty, a part of you can’t really blame him. The hand he’s been dealt is dog shit. All those things he’s done for this country, supposedly so great, and this is the life he has to show for it?

For any other profession, being such an expert in his field would have awarded him a comfortable existence. A nice house in some plain, cushy suburb. Two-point-five kids and a dog, a wife. Maybe a divorce, considering his general demeanour, but still. He deserved that life. He deserved a choice. From what you’ve pieced together, it wasn’t an option. Not sustainably.

Finally, you can’t help yourself. “Can I ask what happened to your eye?”

“It’s nothing,” he shrugs. “Little altercation with the neighbour. It won’t be happening again.”

Looking out his side window, you’re only now noticing the lack of the dainty little RV that’s usually parked a few spots away. The body was striped pink and green, faded with sunshine and age. It reminded you of a grandmother’s doily, especially in contrast to the mired trailer of Frankie’s that sat so close by. You can’t imagine anyone living in that thing to have wanted to hurt a fly.

“You get into it with granny over her shortbread recipe?” you ask, laughing lightly.

“The granny’s punkass grandson, actually,” Frankie informs you. “Said some stupid shit. Had no idea what he was talking about, so I set him straight.”

You hum. “Right.”

“If you don’t like my way of doing things, you can leave,” he says, motioning to the door.

The tonal shift gives you whiplash. “I didn’t—” you stop yourself as your phone buzzes, pulling your attention away from him. You slip it off the table, quickly reading the notification.

A message from Marcus. Call me ASAP.

You look up at Frankie again. He’s watching you expectantly.

“Well?” he asks.

“Clearly you’re upset,” you say. “Maybe I should come back another day.”

You’re confused and, you hate to admit, a little hurt. Just when you start to see some progress here, Frankie rips it away. Quietly, you pack up your things and turn to leave. You’re waiting for that sudden epiphany, that movie star moment when he’s supposed to realize what an ass he is and hastily apologize. It doesn’t come, and you let the screen door slam shut behind you.

Standing by the door to the truck, you call Marcus.

“Hey, what’s up?” you ask.

“I found some new information,” he says.

“Alright. Anything good?”

“Where are you right now?”

“Just leaving the Morales place.” You pull open the driver’s side door, tossing your purse into the passenger seat. “What’d you find?”

“You should get out of there first,” Marcus says.

“Just tell me, god. The suspense is killer.”

He says your name, snapping you out of your lackadaisical daydream. “He’s guilty.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve got security camera images from the drug lord that they supposedly shot and robbed. They’re all here. All five of ‘em.”

You freeze. “You're sure?"

"Certain."

"How could I have missed this?” you ask.

“You didn’t miss anything. Highly classified. I’m even breaking a few too many rules for the department’s liking right now looking at it myself,” Marcus says. “They buried the good stuff, kid. I’m assuming so they had it in their arsenal should this thing go to trial. To stop fuckers like us from doing what we’re trying to do.”

“And what is that exactly?”

Your whole world comes crashing down in one phone call. How sad.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it. You thought you were doing the right thing,” he says. “Just…get out of there. Come home.”

Home. That sounds like exactly what you need, ego bruised and hope shattered. All of this work, and for what? Another mistake. You’re still the same fuck up you’ve always been.

“Hey!” you hear a deep voice call from behind you. Turning, you watch Frankie descend from the porch of his trailer, holding something.

“What was that?” Marcus’ voice seems so out of place here.

“I’ll call you back,” you mumble into the speaker.

Hanging up before Pike can get another word in, Frankie’s walking up to you now.

“You forgot this,” he says, presenting you with a pen.

“Thanks.” You pluck it from between his fingers, manner cool and reserved.

“Look, I’m sorry. I need to stop doing that,” Frankie says. Here comes the movie moment. “D’you wanna come back inside?”

Here, you’re at a crossroads. Two paths lay before you, distinctly forked down the middle. Go to Marcus… Or stay with Frankie.

There’s that familiar warmth that doesn’t seem to always welcome you anymore, but when he does, it’s a refuge from everything else. But when it’s cold, it’s freezing—Marcus can ice you out oh-so-easily these days. Then Frankie, an uncertain tiptoe around a test of rusty nails. On the other side is a sweetness that you’ve only seem a glimpse of, a sadness you can feel in your chest. Something tells you that’s a rabbit hole you’re never leaving if you decide to drop down.

The decision is unfortunately yours. You hope Marcus can forgive you.

You slam the truck door shut with your elbow. Pointing the tip of the pen at Frankie, you stare him down. “You have to stop being such an ass. It’s not doing you any favours.”

That manages to pull a laugh out of him, breathy and garbled in its tired reluctance. He looks like a man who hasn’t laughed in a long time.

Back inside his crowded home, you bypass the chair and sit right on the edge of the table. Feet dangling, you set your purse down where your seat usually is.

"I've got a question for you," you say.

"Isn't that your job? You've got about a million of 'em," Frankie says.

Ignoring the dig, you press on. "You did it, right?”

"Excuse me?"

"What they say you did. The heist, the money, the murder. That all happened?" you ask further.

Frankie looks away, jaw clenching under muscle. He'll need to work on his poker face. "You saw the files, surveillance photos. You know what it says."

"If you think I'm the type to blindly trust the United States government, you are sorely mistaken," you say. "The files say one thing—they tell one narrative, give me certain thoughts. I wanna hear it from you."

That seems to pique his interest. "Certain thoughts...such as?"

You kill his line of questioning as quickly as it blooms. "It doesn't matter what I think. What matters is if you're guilty. So I'll ask again: did you do it?"

You know he did. Hell, in all likelihood, he knows that you know. This is a test. A simple regimen of pass or fail to see if you should even keep going with this.

"Yes," Frankie says. He doesn't look at you, almost like he can't. The word falls from his mouth like a tooth on a string; you've slammed the door shut and yanked it from him.

"Good," you say. He raises an eyebrow. "Getting you to admit it now will be easier to maneuver in the story. And in court."

"I don't understand."

"If you're going to prison, it should be here," you say. "Not because you deserve it. But because over there, you’ll die." 

#frankie morales #frankie morales x reader #triple frontier #frankie morales x you #marcus pike #the mentalist #pedrostories #pedro pascal fanfiction #fic: revisionist history

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this press release from the Center for Biological Diversity:

Two federal agencies have confirmed the cancellation of applications for permits proposed a decade ago to drill and frack eight new wells on federal public land in Los Padres National Forest. The announcement, made April 3, comes just weeks after California officials proposed a statewide ban on this extremely dangerous fossil fuel extraction technique.

Together, the two actions signal the end of the toxic era of fracking in the Sespe Oil Field. Fracking has occurred here for decades unbeknownst to the public, but when the polluting practice was uncovered through a series of Freedom of Information Act requests in 2012, a pause in fracking occurred amidst public opposition and an outpouring of scientific studies showing the dangers posed to human health and the environment.

The eight applications refocused the spotlight on the Sespe and the public health and environmental risks posed by fracking.

“This announcement closes the chapter on a toxic and dangerous legacy of fracking in the Sespe,” said Jeff Kuyper, executive director of Los Padres ForestWatch, one of the organizations that mobilized residents to oppose the fracking plan. “While fossil fuel extraction here continues to pose grave dangers to our public lands, communities and climate, today we celebrate this important step forward as we continue the transition to clean energy.”

“I’m relieved that these long-pending drilling and fracking applications have been cancelled, averting a major threat to condors and steelhead,” said Lisa Belenky, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Condors have suffered from oil wells and pipelines in this area in the past and steelhead critical habitat in Sespe Creek is downstream from the oil field, so this is a win for biodiversity. We can’t allow expansion of fracking and other oil and gas extraction on our public lands. Ending fossil fuel production is critical to reducing greenhouse gas pollution and supporting real climate solutions.”

Seneca Resources — a Texas-based oil company — filed the original drilling applications with the Bureau of Land Management in 2013, seeking permission to frack eight new wells in the Sespe Creek watershed along with the construction of nearly two miles of new pipelines, a 12,600-gallon tank, and other industrial facilities in this remote area upstream of the town of Fillmore. Carbon California, a Colorado-based company, eventually took over operation of the Sespe Oil Field.

#fracking #oil and gas industry #California #condors

[tapioca-puddingg]

The Guardians of Light and Content Creation

More headcanons that no one asked for :p

Sora ❤️

plays fornite, minecraft and roblox

plays with Ven and Lea

i think horror games might be too scary for him but he tries anyway

tries to get Riku and Kairi to play with him but they ain't havin it

occasionally enjoys RPGs too

calls Riku when he gets stuck on a hard part

sometimes plays fighting games with Riku. He always loses

Riku 💙

I can't see him doing content, I feel like he'd be more of a private person

although i feel like he might show up in Sora's streams from time to time

he's the person Sora calls when he gets stuck on a hard part

Sora also calls him to get his reaction to certain things. if not in person, then thru discord

also plays fighting games and Mario Kart with Sora and Kairi sometimes. He wins almost every time, Sora accuses him of cheating

Kairi 🌸

as for gaming, i can see her streaming rhythm games, like Project Diva

also plays Terraria

plays Animal Crossing with Xion

sometimes plays Smash and Mario Kart with Sora and Riku. she's gotten a couple wins, but Riku is surprisingly good at the game and wins a lot

very down to earth and is sweet with her chat

Bonus: Namine 🤍

artsy fartsy

does art streams

maybe art tutorial videos

likes drawing the Guardians of Light

she takes requests from the GoL too

i can also see her learning to paint

also plays lofi hip-hop

Roxas🍦

didn't even know what games were until Lea showed him

now he's hooked

likes JRPGs and MMOs

convinced Lea to play FF14 with him

he's a hardcore raider. he gets very intense

stays up til the wee hours of the night until Lea and Isa force him to stop playing and go to bed

joins Lea and Xion for meme reactions

Xion 🐚

​i can see her streaming or doing videos of chill games like Animal Crossing or the Sims

​has lofi hip-hop playing in the background

​joins Lea and Roxas for meme reactions

also likes playing party games with the squad

Lea 🔥

​Horror games and asymmetrical horror games (Dead by Daylight, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc)

also ​Lethal Company with Ven, Roxas and Isa

​he tends to scream and freak out. Isa gets frustrated with him in-game

​Everyone else laughs at him (hey what are friends for)

​meme reaction videos occasionally

​plays with funny mods

Bonus: Isa 🌙

Similar to Riku, he doesn't create content, but he does play games sometimes

​also enjoys listening to podcasts and reading

​will tune in to Lea and Ven's streams on occasion

​is amused by Lea's screaming when he's not playing with him

​plays games with Lea and Ven

​does not understand Roxas and Lea's memes

Aqua ❄️

i think it's canon that she likes to bake, so i think she could run a cooking channel or a cooking blog

she'll have terra or eraqus come in at the end to taste test the food

canonically is into arts and crafts, so maybe she'll make videos about jewelry-making and 3D printing

i can also see her making crystal bracelets

maybe she could run her own online shop?

Terra 🤎

defo a gym bro

​does workout tutorials

​does those videos where he shows what he eats in a day

​canonically is into woodworking so he could do content surrounding that too

​and 3D printing

​i just think 3D printing is cool okay

​plays Smash with Ven. Things get pretty heated between them

Ventus 💚

also streams minecraft, roblox and fortnite

also Lethal Company

also likes Sonic

tries to get Terra to play with him, but those type of games just aren't for him

"You kids and your video games"

Aqua doesnt too much understand it either

plays with Sora, Lea, and Isa

tries to play asymmetrical horror games

plays Smash with Terra. that game might singlehandedly tear their friendship apart

Bonus: Vanitas ☠️

plays online games

CoD, Overwatch, etc

Typical toxic gamer. You don't wanna hear him in lobbies

Has been banned from vc multiple times

None of the GoL wanna play with him lmao

Rip

#kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts 3 #kh3 #square enix #kh sora #kh riku #roxas #kh roxas #kh xion #xion #kh axel #kh lea #kh aqua #kh terra #kh kairi #kh isa #kh saix #kh vanitas #vanitas kh #namine #kh namine #headcanons #kh headcanons #kingdom hearts headcanons

[green-blue-heller]

I'll preface this lil message by saying, of course people change. They get older, their tastes change, their views change etc. But.

I would just like to throw my thoughts about all this at you, and acknowledge just how much the people you surround yourself with affect you.

Taking one Jensen Ackles as an example (this is just my personal observation as somewhat of an outsider). When he and JP were best bud dude bros Jensen got a lot of 'homophobia' allegations, he was almost painfully shy and uncomfortable, interactions with Misha at this point were mostly practical jokes and gentle bullying. Strikes me as performing masculinity, and generally everything seemed like a performance to me, like he was playing a character.

It seems that now most of his time is spent around/talking to Daneel and Misha, as well as Jason Manns etc. Two forward thinking, open people. The change in him has been extraordinary. He now has his own production, with brilliant and well rounded queer characters. He's vocal of his love for his friends, his family. He's able to talk openly and alone at cons, and when asked he will sing songs? Incredible. His interactions with Misha have become so soft and loving, so protective of him.

It's just a wonderful thing to see. The support and love between them, whether you believe it to be romantic or not, is palpable. And I think a perfect example of how surrounding yourself with positivity and support can change you completely.

Yes! I love to see it.

I hate how he was referred to in the past because honestly, I don’t see it. I never did, even when I wasn’t well, as insane as I am now about them lol.

Jensen has talked the last year or so about shedding that performative and toxic masculinity that our good ole Texas boy had ingrained in him from birth.

I’ve said this before, but I don’t think pre-Covid Jensen would have been comfortable enough with himself to post a video of him playing with his daughter, with his nails painted.

And that’s not a dig or anything against him.

Everyone has to start somewhere in order to grow and better themselves. And I think that’s something we, as humans need. It’s just everyone’s start and the bar they set is different.

Jensen used to hide sincerity in jokes and bits. And he still does to a point. But we also see a lot more of earnest Jensen who just wants to gush about the people he loves - friends, family, and romantic partners alike.

This man has literally created a production company that essentially revolves around queer rep.

And it’s beautiful.

#jensen ackles #toxic masculinity #growth #i love to see it #anon #asked and answered

[yourlocalmerchgirl]

Texas Transplant PT 2

Paring: Tommy Miller x Reader

Part 1 Part 3

Word count: 6k

Summary: Tommy is tired of living in Joel's shadow. He feels broken and unloveable, just going threw the motions of life. Then you walked into his life making him realize it is possible for him to be loved and cared for.

Tommy Miller x reader AU (outbreak never happens)

Warnings: Slow Build, Pining ,Mutual Pining ,Fluff Tooth-Rotting Fluff Falling In Love, fluffy tommy, protective Tommy, mentions of PTSD, Panic Attacks, toxic/ controlling ex, toxic family, divorce, some angst.

A/N: I’m so nervous to start posting this story but I’m extremely proud of this instillation and how this story is progressing

Your eyes flutter open when you feel the warm morning sun on your face. It’s takes them a moment to adjust to the light, realizing you’d fallen asleep on the couch. Sitting up you let out a big yawn and stretch, swinging your feet down to the floor. You can hear Stacey upstairs so you holler up to her “do you want coffee?”

“Yes please!”

You make your way to the kitchen making up two iced coffees.

You find Stacey reading in her reading chair, handing her her coffee you set yours down on her night stand and dramatically flop down on her bed pulling a laugh out of her.

“Ugh I can’t believe I fell asleep on the couch it’s been a while, and with company here no less.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it, it’s been a long couple days and Tommy wasn’t offended.”

She watches as you smile at the mention of him and wipe it off your face just as quickly when you realize she sees your reaction.

“Oh he said to tell you he said goodnight too by the way” Stacey says with a teasing grin on her face.

“Ahh he’s so nice”

“Well thanks for covering me up and setting me up with water last night”

Stacey pauses a couple of beats which makes you look at her with a puzzled expression when you see she’s just looking at you, giant smile spread across her face.

“Why are you looking at me like that weirdo?”

“I didn’t cover you up” she says smirking wider

“What do you mean?” Brows knit together in complete confusion.

“That was Tommy”

Complete surprise washes over your face rendering you speechless for a moment.

“Are you fucking with me?” You ask while chuckling.

“Haha no I’m not”

“He saw you were sleeping all curled up and asked if he should wake you, I told him you’d be alright and that you can be grumpy when you get woken up sometimes”

“Oh Jesus you told him that?” You ask covering your face in embarrassment.

“He thought it was funny, so then he asked if he could have a blanket to cover you up with so I gave him your favorite one, while I was getting the blanket he went into the kitchen and got a bottle of water.

When I gave him the blanket he threw it over his shoulder before he very softly straightened out you legs and then tucked you in.”

You swear you face is the color of the ripest tomato on a hot summer day. As your processing everything Stacey is saying. You can’t sort your thoughts out enough to get any words out so you just stare down at your coffee.

“He like you (y/n)”

“There’s no way a guy like Tommy would like me”

“He told me how happy he was to have spent the day with you. I saw his face lit up when he talked about you”

“He’s a huge flirt who’s an incredibly nice guy, I’m sure he’s just being nice. He calls you sweetheart and darling, so does Joel isn’t it just a southern thing?”

“It is but it’s his tone, when he says stuff like that to you it’s in a different tone then when he does with me or when Joel says it.”

“Tommy is beautiful, a guy like that could have any girl in the room, I doubt he’s interested in me, a divorced girl with anxiety, thick tights and a soft squishy belly.”

“Ah! You said he was beautiful, your into him aren’t you?!” She says excitedly like you her told a secret you weren’t supposed too.

You’d be lying if you said you weren’t into him. There was just something about him that you couldn’t explain. It’s as if there was this magnetic pull between you two even though you just met. But you aren’t ready to admit it yet. You didn’t want to get your hopes up after everything you’ve been through, that somebody like Tommy would be interested in you.

Avoiding her question all together you sigh as you sit up.

“I suppose I should get my shit together and work on unpacking”

“I wish you wouldn’t be so hard on yourself” Stacey calls after you as you leave the room.

Flopping down on your bed helped but let your mind wander to Tommy. Should I text him? Would he be bothered if I did? I don’t want to bother him. But I should atleast apologize for falling asleep and thank him for caring to cover me up.

Tommy’s pov

Tommy sits in his usual spot at the cafe like he does nearly every Sunday morning. It’s been apart of his routin for a while now, getting breakfast and his coffee and sitting, spending time with Sarah when she has free moments and trying out the new drink recipes she try’s to come up with as a special. But this morning is different, his mind races with thoughts of you as he stares out the window. He hasn’t stopped thinking about you since last night. Wondering if you also feel the magnetic pull that seems to be between the two of you. Even though the two of you just met there seemed to be this energy between you guys, like you were supposed to meet. The way you laugh makes his heart skip a beat and they way he can’t help but smile when he sees you

Has him feeling a little scared. He’s never connected with anyone they way he’s connected with you and it’s caused an inner fight with himself. He’s torn, on one hand he wants to text you, to tell you good morning, to check in and see if you slept ok on the couch, to see how your day is going. But on the other hand he doesn’t want to to bother you, to come on to strong and freak you out, to get his or your hopes up. You see because for every ounce of confidence Tommy has he has equally that much self doubt and low self esteem. Tommy was shy and tender inside of his rugged confident exterior. Despite having all the love in the world for his brother Tommy’s always felt like he’s lived in Joel’s shadow. Everyone loved Joel, wanted to hang out with him, wanted to date him, called him when they needed someone. But for Tommy it was the opposite, he had a huge heart and he wore it on his sleeve, giving the whole thing to anyone he cared about, but people always just take advantage of that. Calling him when they wanted something because they knew he wouldn’t say no ( he always just wants to help). Girls date him to either try to get with his brother or just to use him and dump him when they’ve gotten what they’ve wanted.

All these feelings amplified by the PTSD he struggles with from being in desert storm, which inevitably drives people away that did originally have good intentions. All he wanted to do was help make the world better, make things better for people and make people proud of him. But he didn’t feel like he did any good and only came back worse than he left. He suffers from panic attacks and nightmares that he cant control and most people take off when they have to experience one for themselves. All he wants is to love and be loved in return. To have someone that excepts him for who he is that he can share his life with. Someone to come home to at night, that he can can take care of and make as happy as they make them. Tommy had given up all hope that that was possible for him, that was until you walked into his life.

Tommy’s phone buzzes in his pocket, pulling him from his thoughts. He pulls it out to see a text from you, not being about to control the smile that appears across his face. This doesn’t go unnoticed by Sarah, thinking about how it’s been a long time since she’s seen her uncle as happy as he has been the last couple days.

Y/N: Hey, sorry I feel asleep on you guys last night, I feel terrible. But it was really nice spending the day with you. Hope you’re having a good day! 🙂

Tommy feels his cheeks flush as he reads your message. You saying you enjoyed spending the day with him sent the butterflies in his stomach into overdrive.

Tommy: oh don’t worry about it sweetheart,it’s no worries at all. It’s been a long week for you I don’t blame ya at all. I really enjoyed spending the day with you. Glad I didn’t bore ya to bad.

Y/N: Your not boring at all! Your lucky you got anything out of me, I’m usually pretty quiet with new people. But Im comfortable with you. Or else I would of been real boring hahaha

He can’t help but beam at you saying that you were comfortable with him, when you usually aren’t with people.

Tommy: I’m down at the coffee shop if you’d like to get a coffee or I mean both of you are welcome to come down.

Y/N: oh thank you so much for the invite, maybe I could get a rain check? I’ve gotta get my shit together and really work on some unpacking.

Y/N: ah but you’re more then welcome to come hang out at the house if you’d like. Won’t be super exciting or anything but I or well we would be happy to have the company.

Tommy can’t help but chuckle at your shyness but also so happy that you invited him over to hang out.

Going back up to the counter to see Sarah “do you happen to remember what (y/n) had?”

“Yea of course, it was super simple why do you ask?”

“Well she just invited me over to hang out and I thought it’d be nice to bring her one”

“You’re such a sweetheart Uncle Tommy,

please never change”

“Actually could you make a couple? I’m not sure what Stacey likes but I don’t want to not have something for her”

“Oh course, I’ll make those right up” Sarah says so happy see Tommy happy.

“All set uncle Tommy” Sarah says setting the coffees and a box of goodies on the counter.

“What’s this?” He says gesturing to the box

“I put together a box of goodies to take with you, I’m sure you’ll be there for a while so there’s 3 of our new Turkey paninis and some cookies and muffins for everyone for lunch.”

“Thank you so much Sarah, I’m sure they will love everything”

“Tell them I said hi!” Sarah says waving him off as he heads out.

“Hey…I hope I didn’t upset you earlier teasing you about Tommy” Stacey says as she flops down on your bed while you’re unpacking a box

“Oh no not at all, it’s just I-I I think I do like him, I’m just not ready to admit it. It’s just been so long since I’ve had or been open to feelings like that.”

“It’s just nice to see you so happy around someone else”

“Ugh also I’m pretty sure Tommy is coming over” you say nervous laughing

“Oh really now” Stacey laughed raising her eyebrow dramatically

“Well I texted him and he invited us to come to the coffee shop but I told him we were getting our shit together and working on unpacking and before I knew it I was inviting him over to hangout”

Stacey can’t hold back the full belly laugh that bubbles up which in turn makes you you laugh. Only for her to laugh even harder at your expression when there’s a knock at the door.

“You better go answer that, sounds like your lover boy is here” she says as you smack her arm in embarrassment.

You can feel your cheeks are still heated when you open the door. You’re both unable to contain the immediate smile across your faces when you see each other. The energy between the two of you is palpable, you swear the whole neighborhood can feel it. You can’t help but notice how the early afternoon sun backlights him perfectly. Highlighting his toned arms and chest, his tight fitted plain black shirt fitting him perfectly. The way it shows off his slightly slicked back jet black curls. The way it illuminates his sun kissed olive skin sprinkled with freckles.

“Hey Tommy, let me help you with that” you say smiling warmly at him. When you move to take the pastry box from him your hand accidentally brushes his. Instantly making you blush. His eyes flutter open and closed quickly at the touch. His whole body burns from your touch.

“Oh god I’m sorry about that, I’m not very coordinated” you say shyly pulling you’re gaze quickly from his to Stacey coming down the stairs.

“Oh don’t worry about it sweetheart, neither am I” god she’s so beautiful when she gets shy Tommy thinks to himself, finding every part of you breathtaking. The 3 of you head to the kitchen gathering around the counter.

“I uh brought coffees for you ladies but I wasn’t sure what you liked Stacey so I brought you the same thing (Y/N) orders”

As he says your name he rests his hand on your lower back. Surprisingly to both of you, you don’t flinch or move away instead you instinctively relax into his touch more without being conscious of it until he moves to putting his arm around you, resting your hand on your hip.

It’s all feels natural like it’s not out of the ordinary at all. The 3 of you carry on like it’s nothing. His touch lights your soul on fire in a way that nobody ever has before.

He must feel this too, the magnetic energy that seems to be between the two of you. You think to yourself. You indulge this feeling by leaning into him as you raps his arm around , hand settling on your hip, his thumb lightly drawing circles.

Tommy feels weak in the knees when you lean into his touch, like there’s electricity coursing through his body. His heartbeat quickens, pulse pounding in his ears that all washes away when your head falls back lightly resting on his shoulder. The way your body completely relaxes under his touch, letting out the softest relaxed sigh. Letting him know you were ok and felt comfortable and safe made him melt. Never has he felt such a strong immediate connection with anyone like this before.

“Would you be able to help us hang up the stuff in the living room while your here Tommy?” Stacey asks pulling both of you from your thoughts.

“Oh course’ I could do that for you ladies” he answers, happy to help.

“Everything is leaned up against the walls we want it hung on, doesn’t have to be hung up in and particular way.” Stacey says motioning to the living room.

Tommy lets go briefly to turn to look where Stacey is motioning.

Stacey giving a classic wild eyed we need to talk look. “Well I’m gonna head up stairs and work on unpacking”

“Oh I’m heading up behind you I forgot my cup and snack wrapper up there this morning”

“I’ll be right back Tommy”

As you turn to follow behind Stacey, Tommy reaches out and grabs your hand lightly stoping you in your tracks. His expression is soft, big brown eyes searching yours for something, anything that tells him everything is alright.

“Is it ok sweetheart, me holdin’ you in my arms like that?”

Your heart melts at his question, the genuine nature behind it.

You can’t control the smile that pulls at your lips or the blush that rolls across your cheeks.

“It’s more than ok, i-it was very comforting, I promise I’ll be right back”

The last two months have been a whirlwind, but you’re settling into your new life with ease. You and Stacey have become extremely close with Tommy and Sarah, both of them coming over multiple times a week. Even Joel had come around and dropped being so grumpy all the time, now that the 5 of you have been having weekly dinners that Sarah has named the Found family dinners. You’re so grateful for your new found family, the Miller family has been such a bright light in your life since moving to Austin and you’re finally starting to feel like your self again after years of hell.

——————————————————————

The house was empty, finally getting some time to yourself and there was only one thing on your mind- Tommy. Tommy occupied your thoughts most of the time. Since the day you met him it ignited this feeling inside you that you never felt before. There was something there between you, that you both seemed scared to explore further, but you both yearned too. His touch grounded you in a way you didn’t know was possible. You had yet to tell him much about your past, fearing that if he knew, any and all feelings would disappear and you couldn’t bare loosing Tommy or any of the Millers from your life.

That’s when you hear a knock at the door, pulling you from your thoughts. You freeze for a second, panic washing over you as your not expecting anyone. The person pauses and gives another round of knocks, this time a little stronger. You tip toe out into the living room to peak out the window to see who it is. You hear foot steps leaving the porch as you pull the curtain enough to peak one eye out quickly. Much to your surprise you see Joel on your porch. He whips around when he hears the door swing open.

“Hey Joel, everything alright?” You say, brows knit together in worry.

“Oh yea sorry sweetheart, I was just bringing these books back that Sarah borrowed, she keeps forgettin’ too and I don’t want them to get packed up with her college stuff.”

“You just gave me a scare, you don’t come over by yourself a lot, thought something was wrong.”

“Would you like to come in for a drink?”

“Oh I don’t wanna interrupt your day, I thought Stacey was gonna be home”

“Shit Joel you really know how to make a girl feel special” you tease

Joe loved when you went toe toe with his sarcastic grumpy humor.

He laughs “well shit I just assumed when Tommy said he was coming over here to do something, that he was taking you somewhere since the two of you are damn near inseparable”

You feel your cheeks heat up, damnit Joel got you on that one.

“Oh no he’s taking Stacey to the Lowes in Dripping Springs. She ordered a bunch of patio furniture and stuff for the back yard so Tommy offered to take her to go get it all.”

“They should be back in a little while, your welcome to hang around once we set everything up I think we were going to test out the fire pit and have a few drinks”

“Sounds like a good time”

“I’ll go grab us some drinks and we can sit out here, you want your usual?” You always kept things that Tommy and Joel like to drink in the house.

“Yes Ma’am” he replied with a warm smile.

Joel has become quite fond of you and Stacey, it really meant a lot to him that you two formed such a close bond with Sarah since she really didn’t have any mother figures since her mom took off on them when she was a baby and Joel never brought any of the women around that he dated.

“Hey…uh..is Stacey seeing anyone?”

“Why, you interested? Want me to put in a good word?” You tease

He chuckles “no but I’d like to set her up with a friend of Tommy and I’s if you think she’d be into it?”

“Who’s this guys? He’s not a creep is he?”

“Jesus your on a roll today sweetheart” he says full belly laughing.

“Hey I have to protect one of the only people I have in my life”

“I’d like to set her up with our friend Jensen, he’s a real good guy, I think they would be a good match he’s a lot like the two of you into a lot of the same stuff.”

“Oh yea, he’s really nice, I think that’s the guy that Tommy and I ran into the other day. Is he the one that works with you guys part time and owns a brewery?”

“Yea that’s him”

“He’s definitely her type, I think she’d go for it”

Stacey’s POV

“Can I…ah…talk to you about something?” Tommy asks nervously when we get back to his truck.

“Yea of course Tommy, everything alright?”

“Yea..um i-is (Y/N) ah..do you know if she’s seeing anyone?”

“I don’t think so”

“Really?” I can hear a hit of excitement in his voice.

“She’s spends all her time with me or with you, if she’s seeing someone she’s sneaking out at night because I haven’t seen them” I say chuckling which makes him laugh as well.

“D’you think she’d go out on a date with me if I asked her?”

I can’t help but smile at his question, knowing she feels the same way.

“I do, I honestly think she would love to go on a date with you”

“Wait…really? Or are you messing with me?”

“Im being serious, Tommy. I see the way she smiles or perks up when ever you come up in conversation or she hears your voice. I see the way she looks when you enter a room or the way she listens so intently any time you’re talking. We’ve been best friends for a long time, been through a lot together, I’ve seen her at her rock bottom worst and I’ve seen her at her best. But truthfully I have never seen her as happy as shes been since you came into her life.”

Tommy blushes “I care about her so much and hearing you say those things makes me feel so happy because I feel the exact same way towards her. I honestly have never felt as happy or at ease as I have since she walked into my life.”

“ I’m just worried that my issues with panic attacks and ptsd will be to much for her and push her away”

“She’s been through a lot too Tommy, not saying that it’s anything like what you’ve experienced, I’m just trying to say that she as issues too with anxiety and feeling like she’s to much for people because of her past but I’m sure you see she has the biggest heart and she’s very understanding and it would take a lot to push her away, she truly does like you”

————————————————

Joel notices how you perk up and smile so widely it hits your eyes when you notice Tommy pulling up. Also notice Tommy doing the same when he sees you on the porch. Before they get out of the truck Joel leans over and whispers “I’ve never seen him as happy as he has been since you’ve been around.”

“Since you’re here you old fucker you wanna help me unload and set up all this stuff so the girls don’t have too?” Tommy asks Joel with his classic smirk on his face as he comes up the steps.

“Hey sweetheart, sorry I missed ya earlier when I got here” Tommy says placing his hand on your shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

“It’s ok, I guess I can let it slide this time” you tease as you reach up giving his forearm a squeeze as his hand still rests on your shoulder. Pulling your gaze up to him you lean into his touch, he can’t help but smile down on you fondly when he meets your gaze.

The 4 of you are all sitting around the fire pit having some drinks and sharing the a few laughs.

“Y’all’s families must miss you since moving down here.” Joel half comments half questions”

You immediately pull your eyes down to the ground not thinking you’d be having this conversation tonight.

Stacey jumps in answering “my parents do miss me some bust most of my family doesn’t speak to my since my uncle left me the house because they were all fighting over it and pissed I got it. Not that I was really close with any of them anyways” she says shrugging.

“Well if you guys moved away we’d miss the hell out of you if that makes you feel any better” Tommy interjects being completely sincere.

“My family doesn’t really miss me either, honestly some of them don’t even know I moved” Tommy picks up on your anxiousness right away, the way your leg begins to bounce as you talk. Stretching his arm long the back of the patio couch he lightly placed it on your upper back drawing tiny soft circles with his thumb trying to calm you.

I just have to rip the bandaid off and have this conversation

“I was already estranged from a lot of my extended my family, I cut them out for being a constant toxic point in my life and the rest of them that I did have communication with stopped talking to me because… ugh … ah fuck… because of my divorce.” You rub your face in your hands, letting out a deep sigh, eyes glued to the ground.

“I-I was married up until about a month before we moved here. But we had been separated for a long time before that….about 4 years. I-it wasn’t a good situation. I felt miserable and stuck the whole time we were together.”

At this point Tommy’s touch gets stronger as we starts rubbing you’re back

“He…my ex was very manipulative, always glass lighting me about the people in my life, mostly my friends until I slowly only spent time with him, he hated the idea of me having anyone else to give my energy and attention to other than him.”

The more you talk Stacey notices both Miller brothers clenching their fists at you describing what you’d been through.

“His family bullied me and was very cold to me the entire time we were together, always acting like our relationship was new, like we hadn’t been together for 8 years all together and he never defended me or stuck up for me. When I met Stacey and it was clear he couldn’t get ride of her he was so nice to her because he wanted her to tell me how nice he was, but it never worked. He was nicer to me when she was around so she ended up coming everywhere we went for the most part and coming to our place constantly. She helped me get out of there secretly when I had the courage and we got our place together. She’s been my absolute rock in this and I honestly don’t know where I’d be. The last 4 years have been taxing trying to fight him to get divorced, he dragged it out for so long thinking I’d come back to him because my family loved him and told me constantly that I was throwing my life away by leaving him. But he finally agreed to sign the papers when he finally found someone that was crazy about him”

“And then we move down here and I finally start to see myself coming back, finding a incredible found family with you guys and Sarah, I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy in my entire life.” You can feel your eyes well up with tears as they start to fall down your cheeks, still unable to look either Joel or Tommy in the eyes for fear of what they must think.

“I-Im s’glad she had you Stacey, that you guys had each other” Tommy says, his voice cracking a little from the rush of emotions. He cared about you so much, none of this changed the way he felt about you, it just pained him to think you felt like you couldn’t talk to him before now.

But when Tommy moves to wipe away the tears you stand up abruptly “ahh anyone need another drink, I -i um I’m gonna get another drink” your voice cracks as you try to keep yourself from completely losing it infront of them. You frantically push open the sliding glass door pulling it shut quickly, your chest heaving breaths in frantically as the damn breaks.

You’re crying so hysterically, face in your hands that you don’t hear Tommy coming in right behind you. The only thing going through his head is making sure you’re ok, making sure you feel loved and cared about. It’s in this moment as he sees your body trembling that he realizes how strong his feeling are for you. How all he wants to do for the rest of his life is take care of you, shower you with love, to have the life he always dreamed about;with you.

You feel his familiar large hand rubbing your back as he leans against the counter next to you, then and only then do you finally look at him. You know you must look like hell when you make eye contact with him, tears steaming down your face, eyes puffy and sore, face beat red. “I-I I’m sorry.” Your voice a horse whisper as you move to turn your face from him, he lifts his hand to softly cup your face. Brushing away the tears from your check with his thumb. “ oh sweet girl you have nothing to be sorry about, breaks my damn heart seeing you hurt like this” his voice soft and soothing, the warmth of his hand a welcome contrast to everything your feeling. When you close your eyes and lean into his touch he moves his hand to cradle the back of your head while his hand on your back reaches around you pulling you into a tight embrace. Without hesitation you wrap your arms around him, holding him as tightly as he’s holding you, letting out a sigh of relief. “I’ve got you sweet girl, don’t worry I got you. I’m not goin anywhere”

Squeezing you tighter he whispers “This doesn’t change how I feel about you”

You nuzzle you’re face further into his chest. “Your so special Tommy” your voice is barely above a whisper but he hears you. Leaning down he kisses the top of your head softly before Joel and Stacey are coming through the door to check on you.

“I’ll give you guys a minute. I’ll be right out side if you need me sweet girl” he says whispering into your ear so only you can hear. “I like sweet girl” you squeak out, it’s barely audible, you have no idea if he hears you, but he does. Your statement causes butterflies to run wild in his stomach.

Stacey checks in with you before giving you a moment with Joel and heads to follow Tommy outside.

“She was afraid we would see her differently, that I would see her differently wasn’t she?” Tommy asks, a slight crack in his voice.

“Yea…she was, she’s been terrified to bring it up because of how everyone else has treated her about the whole thing”

Joel comes back out of the house. “She will be back out in a minute, she just wants to wash her face, imma head home I think, give you guys some space.” He says gesturing to Tommy.

“Yea…I think I’ll head up stairs and do some reading” Stacey adds.

You come back outside. To see Tommy on the patio couch with your favorite blanket and a pillow and some waters.

“What’s all this?”

“I thought you might want to lay down and look at the stars, thought it might be relaxing.”

God this man was incredible, he’s remembered everything you’ve ever said to him, even details you’ve only mentioned once.

“Ok” you smile wildly just completely taken by everything Tommy.

“Well grab your blanket and comm’er and get comfy” he holds out his arm for you to be able a snuggle into him.

“Do you want the pillow?”

“C-could I lay with my head on your leg?”

He beams so brightly at your question. His smile reaching his eyes.

“Oh course you can sweet girl, whatever makes you happy and comfortable”

You shimmed down on your back, getting comfortable before you settle your head down on his leg. He rests his arm around you laying his hand on your belly. The warmth of his hand through your shirt feels like heaven, his touch being the one thing that seems to relax you these days. The two of you stay there for a while stargazing and talking.

“Im gonna grab a drink, do you want anythin’?”

“Sure, I’ll take one. It’s getting a little chilly, you can grab the other blanket from my room if you want”

“Or you could snuggle up closer to me so we can both use that one.” He quips with a giant smile.

“Ok you’ve got yourself a deal” you say fighting back a giggle.

The love and care between the two of you is palpable but your both scared to really do anything about it.

Tommy’s inside getting the two of you drinks when it happens. One of the houses on the street behind yours starts lighting off fire crackers out of no where, glass can be heard shattering in the house from the open kitchen window. Tommy. You jump up and race inside, you don’t need to think about what’s going on. You get inside at the same time Stacey is racing down the stairs. You find Tommy in the kitchen, surrounded by broken glass and trembling uncontrollably. Another round of fire crackers goes off. Tommy let’s out a pained scream before dropping to his knees, covering his ears and trying to shield his face the best he could.

“Holy shit what’s going on?” Stacey’s asks in a panic.

“I-it’s the fire crackers. They’re causing a flash back for Tommy” you say dropping to your knees in-front of Tommy.

“Can you shut the window above the sink before more go off?”

Very light you place you your hands on Tommy’s arms, softly running them up and down them “it’s ok Tommy it’s just me it’s (Y/N). It’s going to be ok, you’re safe, you’re here with Stacey and I. In our home, it’s just the 3 of us” you say softly, hoping he can hear you.

“Follow my voice, your safe honey I’ve got you I’m right her with you. I’ll be here every step of the way for you, I’ve got you baby dont worry.” Tommy begins leaning forward in your arms, completely falling into your embrace. Squeezing him tightly you start rocking you both side you side. He pulls you closer to him, needing to feel the warmth of you.

“It’s ok baby, I’ve got you, I’m not going anywhere, I’ll always be right here.” You whisper. He nuzzles his face into your neck and begins sobbing at your words.

“Do you think you could help me lift him up? I’ll get him into my bed, and help you take care of this, I’m terrified he’s going to cut himself on all this glass.”

“Tommy honey Stacey and I are gonna stand you up and get you to safety in my room is that ok?” You can start to hear more going off as your waiting for his answer. He begins trebling again at the sounds but shaking his head yes into your neck.

Tommy wraps his arms around your neck and Stacey supports both of you as you stand him up. His hands have a death grip on you as he steadys himself, his face nuzzled in your neck, head resting on your shoulder as you guys begin helping him down the hallway to your room. You pull the covers back and the two of you slowly sit him down on the side of the bed, but he doesn’t let go of you. So you kneel down on the floor and start taking off his boots.

“Can you grab a bottle of water for him?”

Stacey nods and rushs out of the room, returning quickly.

“I grabbed waters and some crackers incase he needs something to eat at any point”

“Thank you” your voice hushed.

“Let’s get you comfy, can you let go of me Tommy so you can lay down? I’ll get you some shorts to put on.”

Tommy reluctantly let’s go and curls up on the bed. You stand and move to grab him a pair of over sized mens lounge shorts that you wear and pull out sleep shirts and a tank top for yourself.

“Here’s a pair of shorts babe, I’m gonna change real quick and help Stacey clean up. “

You set the shorts on the bed and go into the bathroom to change. You stand in there and silently listen for any movement. You hear Tommy get up and change and get back into bed, you change quickly and make your way back to the bedroom. You move to crack the door open when you hear him call out. “Please don’t leave me, will you lay with me?”

Stacey’s outside the door when you open it “it’s ok, you stay with him I’ll clean up the glass, he needs you more than I do”

You smile warmly at her. You shut the door, turn on some soothing acoustic music and turn off all the lights before joining him in the bed. Your head barely hits the pillow before he’s on you, wrapping his arm around you pulling you tightly into him as he nuzzles in face in the crook of your neck. “I’d be lost without you” he whispers before his breathing softens and he drifts off to sleep.

#gabriel luna #tommy miller #tommy miller x reader #fanfic #joel miller #the last of us #tlou hbo #tommy tlou

[the-path-to-redemption]

I genuinely, sincerity and truly hate going back to this topic all the time, because we should've known better by now. But Rooster Teeth and by extension CRWBY will NEVER do proper LGBT+ rep, because they will always sprinkle in their inherent queerphobia into said "representation". Same thing with their racism and misogyny, and we should fucking stop thanking them from moldy crumbs when there's so much more queer media to enjoy.

The only genderfluid characters were either animals or someone not even on screen for 5 minutes back in V4. The only trans character was a side character who the heroes actively goes against for being reasonable. The only confirmed gay man was written as a bitchy, stereotypical cunt who shits on his friends constantly and was voiced by a creep. The wlw reps are either fethisizing as hell, or just there to ensure an audience that willingly walked into this bullshit. Hell, the main characters who were confirmed bisexual women had 10 YEARS to get to this point of their relationships, and the only reason why they're confirmed is to make sure the toxic ass fanatics stays happy and keep giving this cesspool of a company money.

Money that doesn't even go anywhere but to line the pockets of the abusive management. The same people who called a trans woman slurs, abused her until she was fucking dropped, and countless other fucking inhumane shit committed against their animators and employees. Stop fucking enabling them because you wanna see queer reps that aren't even good.

Maybe if the stannies weren't so fucking xenophobic themselves, they would've watch other media from other countries (especially Asian countries where being gay is still socially unacceptable and gay marriage haven't been legalized yet) and drop this Texas ass anime.

#pathi's personal thoughts #rwde #rwby critical #fndm critical #anti rooster teeth #queerphobia in fandom #queerphobia / #abuse / #abuse mention /

[carriesthewind]

HA HA

Consequences for shitty lawyers doing bad things is very rare, but thanks to Alex Jones's toxic touch, poisoning any lawyer stupid and greedy enough to come close, sometimes it does happen:

(Context for those unfamiliar: Reynal was Alex Jones's lawyer for his Texas Trial last summer - the "Don't Lie To the Jury" guy who accidentally sent plaintiff's counsel the partial contents of Jones's phone, revealing he had blatantly lied to the jury. While Alex Jones and his company are now in bankruptcy for real, Reynal delayed the Texas trial by several months by, essentially, putting three companies that were worthless shell companies into bankruptcy. Not only was this act clearly part of a bad faith scheme to delay the trial, he also mislead the court and the plaintiffs, as well as failed to comply with multiple other obligations, to facilitate the bankruptcy delay scheme.)

(In short: Reynal was correct that it's a bad idea to lie to the jury. However, he should have remembered: it's an even worse idea to lie to the court.)

#infowars #alex jones

[traegorn]

I dont think I even know who Vic Manogwhatever is lmao am I missing something or is my internet experience curation just working out well for me?

Vic Mignogna is a voice actor in anime dubs (or was). He was best known as the voice of Ed in Fullmetal Alchemist and Brolly in Dragon Ball Z.

He is also a well known sex pest and creep* in the convention scene.

Back in 2019 a bunch of his victims came forward and finally went on the record, including fellow voice actors Monica Rial and Jamie Marchi. Funimation announced they would no longer hire Mignogna for future projects, and most cons cancelled his appearances.

And that would have been it. He could have ridden this out -- bigger creeps have done that before. But a right wing YouTuber, best described as "Technically a Lawyer" decided to raise money for Vic to sue his accusers on GoFundMe and convinced Vic to do so.

So Vic did. He filed a defamation suit against Marchi, Rial, Rial's fiance (for some reason), and Funimation. And Vic hired the absolute worst lawyer (at the advice of the YouTuber -- guess who manages that YouTuber's trust fund...). All along the way, Vic's fans (using the hashtag "IStandWithVic") harassed anyone who would speak against their hero. They claimed the victims made things up, they tried to misdirect... kiwifarms was involved... you get the picture. And in the end, in late-2019, after the defendants gathered a dozen sworn affidavits from other victims of Mignogna, the judge threw out Vic's case via Texas's anti-SLAPP laws and ruled that Mignogna had to pay the defendants about a quarter of a million in legal fees.

All of this was bad, and you'd think it would have ended there. Vic filed a lawsuit guaranteed to make him toxic to employ (what employer wants to start contracting a voice actor who might sue them on the off chance they decide to replace him? And Sony/Funimation wasn't going to take him back), and now he owes a bunch of money over it.

But YouTuber "Technically a Lawyer" and company convince Vic to APPEAL the ruling. So he does.

And what happened this month, three years and one pandemic later, is that Vic lost his appeal. Not only that, but because he incurred more legal costs for the defendants... HE MAY HAVE TO PAY SO MUCH MORE MONEY.

And Vic's fans, who have been led down this road with promises that the case will turn around any day if they just donate a little bit more... they're big mad.

And it's amazing.

(*- The convention I work for literally blacklisted Mignogna like a decade before this all happened after some of our staff had uncomfortable encounters with him at another event. Con organizers have been talking about this long before anyone went on the record)