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mariana-oconnor · 1 year

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The Naval Treaty pt 2

Here we are, back again. Last time we learnt about Watson's previous life as a school bully and I took an instant and entirely unsupported-by-the-text dislike to a man named Joseph Harrison because he was described as being nice.

This is also a problem I sometimes have in real life, btw. I am suspicious of people who seem too outwardly open and friendly. My brain assumes that they are hiding something. Maybe my soul is broken.

I'm still convinced he's a secret puppy-murdering villain, though.

"I was a happy and successful man, Mr. Holmes, and on the eve of being married, when a sudden and dreadful misfortune wrecked all my prospects in life."

Look, look, look. If there's one thing these stories have told me it's that in Sherlock Holmes world the time just before you're married is the most dangerous time in your life. Evil parents, lost loves, evil exes and all sorts of foul fiends crawl out of the woodwork of your past and try to drag you down. Engaged people should have constant bodyguards in this world.

"They should not leave my bureau were it not that it is absolutely necessary to have them copied."

I'm feeling like I'm about to have a bit of a rant about opsec and how to protect confidential documents. Percy, if you take this treaty offsite, we're gonna be having words.

“Excuse me an instant,” said Holmes. “Were you alone during this conversation?”

Exactly what I was thinking. Did you take proper precautions before talking about the secret documents that you were going to be moving from their secure location? Was anyone listening at a keyhole?

“My uncle's voice is always remarkably low. I hardly spoke at all.”

His uncle whispers constantly. Is that because he feels like true authority never shouts? Or does he have some sort of a condition? Does he just smoke so much that now he constantly has a rasp?

"One of them in my room, Charles Gorot, had some arrears of work to make up, so I left him there and went out to dine."

You mean he's working on these top secret documents and locking them up in a shared office space. But the other people sharing his office do not have the clearance to work with them? And he just... left the building? With someone else right there?

Nope. Nuhuh. If they're as important and secret as indicated, could he not have a private office for the duration. You said he's working on these after hours, so you could totally lock him in a separate room with a guard on the door (it's a fire hazard, but it's the Victorian Era, so I don't think they cared). Are there no free rooms available in this building at all? Have you never had this situation come up before?

Also, those desk drawer locks are not very secure.

“When I came to examine the treaty I saw at once that it was of such importance that my uncle had been guilty of no exaggeration in what he had said. Without going into details, I may say that it defined the position of Great Britain towards the Triple Alliance, and fore-shadowed the policy which this country would pursue in the event of the French fleet gaining a complete ascendancy over that of Italy in the Mediterranean."

Percy. That's too much detail. No. You don't talk about it. You don't talk about it. Oh my god. You are bad at this. If it's so secret that no one in your office was supposed to know about it's existence in that office, then it's way too secret for you to just go about telling these two guys who just rolled up - one of whom used to beat you with wicket stumps - anything about its contents.

Percy... please...

(image from Wikipedia)

“It was a long document, written in the French language, and containing twenty-six separate articles. I copied as quickly as I could, but at nine o'clock I had only done nine articles, and it seemed hopeless for me to attempt to catch my train."

There is a theme in these stories of people being set tasks to copy out documents that are too long for the copying time allotted. Did ACD have a job as a copyist at some point. This feels like some shade coming from personal experience to me.

A quick glance at his biography doesn't give me any indication of that, but does reference his school being run on 'medieval principles' and I can well imagine that one of the things they were forced to do was copying. But that is only my imagination.

Also, I can empathise so much with Percy here. The 'oh god, I'm going to miss my train and be stuck here if I don't finish this work soon' feeling is real and valid and very upsetting.

"I was feeling drowsy and stupid, partly from my dinner and also from the effects of a long day's work. A cup of coffee would clear my brain."

Accent on the stupid, I fear. Are you about to leave this top secret document on your desk while you go looking for your caffeine fix. Say it ain't so.

"I rang the bell, therefore, to summon him."

I stand corrected. And wow - personal delivery service of hot beverages at the office. How times have changed!

Although, since I now work from home I do get biscuits delivered to my desk every day, so I can't really complain.

“To my surprise, it was a woman who answered the summons, a large, coarse-faced, elderly woman, in an apron. She explained that she was the commissionaire's wife, who did the charing, and I gave her the order for the coffee."

OK, problem number 1 - your own colleagues weren't high enough clearance to be in the room when you're copying this, but the commissionaire is?

Problem number 2 - you don't recognise this lady. She says she's the commissionaire's wife, but do you know that. And even if you do know that, does she have clearance for this document?

ALSO - 'large' and 'coarse-faced' given the time period, this could well be indicative that this is a man disguised as a woman.

“I wrote two more articles and then, feeling more drowsy than ever, I rose and walked up and down the room to stretch my legs. My coffee had not yet come, and I wondered what was the cause of the delay could be."

Oh Percy.

Oh Percy you didn't.

You went and left it sitting on the goddamn desk didn't you?

Clean. Desk. Policy. NEVER LEAVE ANY DOCUMENTS ON YOUR DESK WHEN YOU ARE NOT AT IT. This is basic security protocol if you work with sensitive material, Percy. It's not difficult. This isn't something you do every day so you don't even have the excuse of just forgetting this one time. This is a specific document that you have clearly been told is not to be removed from its locked drawer except in exceptional circumstances. And you're wandering around the halls and leaving it just lying there. After having spoken to a woman you don't know with it right in front of her.

Oooh, we get a map. I love maps.

I thought for a minute the map was going to prove that there was only one corridor between his room and the commissionaire's office, meaning that if anyone went past, he'd see them, making him leaving the document on the desk almost acceptable. But no. There's a second corridor off. The man is a muppet.

Please have this image of an infinitely better Percy to tide you over:

"Then I put out my hand and was about to shake the man, who was still sleeping soundly, when a bell over his head rang loudly, and he woke with a start."

First instinct is that he was drugged.

But the commissionaire seems to know about the coffee... which he wouldnt' if the woman hadn't told him about it. So was she his wife? Was I off track with that? Or is she telling different lies to both parties?

“‘If you was here, sir, then who rang the bell?’ he asked.

GHOSTS!

I mean, no, but once again we have a horror movie sort of line.

“A cold hand seemed to close round my heart. Some one, then, was in that room where my precious treaty lay upon the table. I ran frantically up the stair and along the passage. There was no one in the corridors, Mr. Holmes. There was no one in the room. All was exactly as I left it, save only that the papers which had been committed to my care had been taken from the desk on which they lay. The copy was there, and the original was gone.”

I know I say this a lot but: Oh no! Who could ever have foreseen that this would happen? What a totally unpreventable occurrence! Clearly nothing could have been done to stop this. Fate is so cruel.

So nice of them to leave the unfinished copy, though.

“I recognized in an instant that the thief must have come up the stairs from the side door. Of course I must have met him if he had come the other way.”

Wow, look at that braincell chugging along. If only you had thought of this before.

"It was quarter to ten.” “That is of enormous importance,” said Holmes, making a note upon his shirt-cuff.

Obviously.

I feel like this might be because of train times. We had that comment before about Percy being afraid he'd miss his train, and now the time is important. Train timetables are where my brain automatically went to. Quick! To the Bradshaw's!

“‘Ah, that is only my wife,’ cried the commissionaire; ‘has no one else passed?’"

So either the wife is involved, or his wife is currently being impersonated. Which is a difficult task to pull off to the person's spouse, so I'm inclined to believe that his wife is just tall and coarse-faced and in league with Joseph Harrison (Stop looking at me like that! He'll be involved somehow. 'How could he possibly have known about Percy copying the treaty?' you ask. I don't know, there are two more parts of this story left. That guy's bad news. I feel it.)

“But I was not satisfied, and the attempts which he made to draw me away increased my suspicions. “‘Which way did the woman go?’ I cried. “‘I don't know, sir. I noticed her pass, but I had no special reason for watching her. She seemed to be in a hurry.’"

Like she was smuggling stolen documents???

Also, Percy is engaging his brain here. It might not be the right solution, but at least he isn't just blindly trusting that the commissionaire's wife is fine. She saw the document, he hasn't seen her since, she left after the document was stolen.

“‘You're only wasting your time, sir, and every minute now is of importance,’ cried the commissionaire; ‘take my word for it that my old woman has nothing to do with it, and come down to the other end of the street."

OK, commissionaire's also sus. We do not trust him. Maybe he isn't married at all. Maybe he's just been paid off by Joseph Harrison who is posing as his wife with a paisley scarf.

Still doesn't solve the question of how Harrison would know about the document. Unless the commissionaire was paid to tip him off about anything weird going on so he could capitalise on it. Possible.

It also doesn't explain the bell.

Why the bell? Why summon them back to the room when you're about to make your escape? I can't think of a reason for that to be a good idea. Although we only have the commissionaire's word it was the bell in Percy's office. Could have been any bell. But even then, why did they need him to find the documents gone right then and there?

Always possible someone was standing behind the door when they came in and in his panic Percy just didn't think to look around at that point. Classic locked room mystery trick, although this time there wasn't even a locked room.

“‘16 Ivy Lane, Brixton,’ he answered. ‘But don't let yourself be drawn away upon a false scent, Mr. Phelps. Come to the other end of the street and let us see if we can hear of anything.’"

This is a reasonable line for the commissionaire to take if the lady is his wife, but at the same time, there's something about the way in which it is phrased that still fills me with suspicion. 'don't let yourself be drawn away upon a false scent' is so very odd a way to say it. You'd expect more protesting his wife's innocence. The values of her character that mean she would never. This reads like someone who is very intent that Percy should indeed be drawn away upon a false scent, just the one he's dangling in front of him.

“Nothing was to be lost by following his advice."

Nooooo. Percy. You should have kept going. Believe in yourself. Sure, up to this point you've been pretty rubbish at this whole spy thing, but these were good instincts.

“How is it, then, that the woman who came into the room about nine left no traces with her muddy boots?” “I am glad you raised the point. It occurred to me at the time. The charwomen are in the habit of taking off their boots at the commissionaire's office, and putting on list slippers.”

This did not occur to me, but cool little bit of evidence, and nice to see Percy using his brain again. The man clearly used wisdom as a dump stat, but his intelligence is pretty high.

“We examined the room also. There is no possibility of a secret door, and the windows are quite thirty feet from the ground. Both of them were fastened on the inside. The carpet prevents any possibility of a trap-door, and the ceiling is of the ordinary whitewashed kind. I will pledge my life that whoever stole my papers could only have come through the door.”

Our options are these: it was the wife, or it was a third person who hid behind the door when you came into the room and then escaped while you were busy chasing after the thief you assumed had already left. The ringing of the bell makes no sense in either of these cases because it would be easier to just walk out without attracting attention back to where you are. it's not like they needed you to unlock the door. Why did the bell ring? Was it an accident?

“They use none. There is a stove. The bell-rope hangs from the wire just to the right of my desk. Whoever rang it must have come right up to the desk to do it. But why should any criminal wish to ring the bell? It is a most insoluble mystery.”

Precisely! I'm sure it's not insoluble, but as the case stands currently, I cannot make it make sense unless it was a mistake. But pulling a bell by accident is a strange sort of accident to have.

A young woman opened the door, who proved to be Mrs. Tangey's eldest daughter. Her mother had not come back yet, and we were shown into the front room to wait. “About ten minutes later a knock came at the door, and here we made the one serious mistake for which I blame myself. Instead of opening the door ourselves, we allowed the girl to do so. We heard her say, ‘Mother, there are two men in the house waiting to see you,’"

That's your serious mistake?

I mean, yeah, it's bad, but I think that is just the most recent in a series.

OK, so either the commissionaire has a wife OR the young woman is also caught up in this affair. It's becoming more convoluted to believe the commissionaire is involved, but if he isn't involved then are we to assume that old woman number 1 was indeed his wife and old woman 2 was an imposter. Or are they both his wife and he just doesn't know she's involved. He is sus, but his involvement makes everything more complicated and to occam's razor the thing, one thief is more likely than a conspiracy.

“Then for the first time the horror of my situation came in its full force. Hitherto I had been acting, and action had numbed thought. I had been so confident of regaining the treaty at once that I had not dared to think of what would be the consequence if I failed to do so."

Percy isn't very good at thinking ahead, apparently.

"It was horrible. Watson there would tell you that I was a nervous, sensitive boy at school."

Maybe that was because people beat you with sticks.

"What though I was the victim of an extraordinary accident? No allowance is made for accidents where diplomatic interests are at stake."

Uh, my dude. This wasn't an accident. This was negligence. You should totally be fired for this. Sorry.

"Here I have lain, Mr. Holmes, for over nine weeks, unconscious, and raving with brain-fever.[...]Slowly my reason has cleared, but it is only during the last three days that my memory has quite returned."

90% that the motive was not political because after 9 weeks there's no way a political threat hasn't already taken the papers and used them. No way of resolving that. But these stories often end with 'well, we can't get the bad guy', so maybe not. But I can't see them doing that in a case of national security because they tend to be fairly patriotic. It has to be somewhere close for there to be any chance of recovering the treaty.

"If you fail me, then my honor as well as my position are forever forfeited.”

You should already have lost your position. The only reason for you keeping it right now is nepotism. You were given a top secret document. You, through negligence, allowed it to be stolen. That's not even a vaguely unreasonable dismissal.

“There is one of the very utmost importance, however. Did you tell any one that you had this special task to perform?”

This is the one sticking point for my Joseph Harrison blame party. How would he have known? Unless he didn't know how important the document was, but then what's even the point?

"The authorities are excellent at amassing facts, though they do not always use them to advantage. What a lovely thing a rose is!”

Holy non sequitur, Batman!

“There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion,” said he, leaning with his back against the shutters. “It can be built up as an exact science by the reasoner. Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its color are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.”

O...kay... Objection: relevance?

“You suspect some one?” “I suspect myself.” “What!” “Of coming to conclusions too rapidly.”

Not helpful, Holmes.

“Then go to London and test your conclusions.” “Your advice is very excellent, Miss Harrison,” said Holmes, rising. “I think, Watson, we cannot do better. Do not allow yourself to indulge in false hopes, Mr. Phelps. The affair is a very tangled one.”

Oof, Miss Harrison is very direct. I like that. I hope she isn't involved, but I can't currently see a motive for her. 'Stop talking about roses and go do your job.' Heh.

“He was cold, but not harsh. I dare say my severe illness prevented him from being that. He repeated that the matter was of the utmost importance, and added that no steps would be taken about my future—by which he means, of course, my dismissal—until my health was restored and I had an opportunity of repairing my misfortune.”

I guess firing someone with brain fever does come across as a bit rude. Maybe I'm just mean.

I hope to conclude the tale in my next email.

But it says 2 of 4, Watson?

I'm still sure that Joseph Harrison has something to do with it. Sure, there's literally 0 evidence of that. He hasn't even been mentioned in this section that I've seen. He has no way of knowing about the document, no evidence that he was there. No evidence of motive (except that his sister is getting married and that makes people commit crimes sometimes apparently). But I don't like him, so I will persist.

We've got a mysterious bell, a fleeing woman who may or may not have been the commissionaire's wife and a document that no one should have known Percy had.

The only people who knew about the document were Percy, his uncle and the woman who came to take his coffee order, as far as we know.

So either one of them told someone, the crime was merely opportunity based and not specific to that document, or one of them committed the crime.

We're going to discount Percy because why would he call in Holmes if he did it himself and he's been pretty clear and explicit in his insistence that he did not tell anyone.

His uncle could have told someone. No doubt other people were aware that a copy needed to be made and could have made extrapolations, but that seems too distanced from the narrative at this point. His uncle could have stolen the treaty himself, but it seems unlikely he'd be involved in treason based on what we've seen of him. We have no motive for his treason.

Would the commissionaire's wife be able to read French legalese? Maybe? Was the woman even the commissionaire's wife. Or perhaps the wife herself is uninvolved. She came, took the coffee... but then how would her imposter know about the document?

Whoever the woman who took the coffee order was, they're the only person who had a chance to see the document. But why would anyone think to impersonate the commissionaire's wife if they didn't already know about the treaty? I keep going round in circles.

And the bell is still weird. Accident or lure? But why lure? How accident? Hmmmm...

#Letters from Watson #Sherlock Holmes #The Naval Treaty #Look Joseph Harrison is sus #He just is #long post #I got a bit lost in speculation this time

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renticat · 1 day

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𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖

I said it's conditional yeah it's true but in the videos I said it in wrong context when I should said it's never unconditional. You know the love from narc parents are very much conditional but also, when you're trying your best to met all the conditions somehow there's always another new conditions so it's never ending trying to please the impossible and I am not lying.

It's exhausting, me and my shit now. Cheer up please well I AM FOR 5 MIN when I was really going too deep.on my daydreaming, roleplaying with my imaginary partner then my mind snapped out telling what life is really about surviving but how when I just don't want to survive anymore because I am so tired and feel trapped with no way out? And damn reality can't even let me daydream in peace anymore because she said I am too old now for that.

𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕗 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟'𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖. Seriously though someone ever said the first sentence to me and he didn't assume that I've ever tried it but it's too hurtful and scary also back then I am still trying searching for the good but now here I am again trying to make sense everything that is really making no sense for the hope maybe one day it surely get better. But when?

It's better when I am in denial and just deny all this reality as some sort of nightmares and you know talk myself something really nice and perhaps make love to myself just so when reality hits again, I know it wasn't never real. The talk is gonna be okay, is really just a talk for me now. And I hate people who hate me for my truth like they're always saying please be smile and just don't think about sadness, gosh I mean if you're living in entire different planet than me it's okay but don't tell me what to feel. Or are these people also in denial of their own life and can't bear to see someone being so cynical (honest) about this dark triad outlook of life?

Nature is not always pretty things like flowers and butterflies but also prey and the predators. It's sad and happiness side by side but ofc I admit there's maybe too much black than pink on me but it's because I'd like to keep the pink for myself as I have only too little of it. Why black associated with sadness though? Yeah it's like that because it's just is and people never really asking why. Because it's dark but then shiny things like stars looks best when the sky is so dark and that's what we were, I am the dark sky and you're like dancing stars on my eyes, talking about whatever things you like while you still adoring me or probably it was just you take pity on me.

Well you don't have to. You know I am not always dark sky, sometimes I turn into this golden sky, orangey ones is just the cycle is like north pole, too many dark nights compare to the sunny ones but yet there is.

But people pushes themselves so hard to only display and appreciate the sunny days and have the inclination to dismiss about dark days when it's not actually that bad if you have someone by your side as your guiding star but then, not everyone is lucky like that. And certainly not me right now.

find another star then, star dies too you know but also the older the sky, the more and more they becomes so tired of hearing the same lies from the stars. There's too many of them and because they're so pretty mostly it's just becoming boring and unbearable as they would not tell you when the sparks will be gone, it's just gone in an instant and the sky wasn't prepared to just move on to another stars then it's just gonna be lonely night and sometimes sunny days of enlightenment but you know the sun is not the stars is just like warm imaginary little child that everyone had in their head, your own sparks so it's great but sometimes you longing still for the beautiful stars as they give you some kind of sparks you can't produce it on your own.

It's beautiful but also painful.

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plutobutartsy · 9 months

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You Mentioned OCs. (np)

oh di i'm so excited you asked about them i'm actually jumping up and down rn bc like,,, i've had these two for YEARS, i rotate them in my mind every single day and with all the media i consume i always think ok but what if the protagonists were ACTUALLY my ocs like i'm so mentally ill about them

their names are Briar and Evelyn (Evie for short) and they're both so silly and so disgustingly in love, think vincent and lovely but ten times worse

also this got like REALLY long so don't feel obligated to read it all lol

let's start with my boy Briar

his name frequently gets mistaken for Brian and it makes him so irrationally angry lol

he's a born vampire! so no old man activities this boy is like 17 as of now

he's the one who knows how to cook! he makes food for others as a love language

also fun fact there's like an actual vampire cuisine in this universe so vampires can consume food that's not just blood and still get nutritional value out of it

his family are part of the older vampire generation technically? what i mean is his family have been vampires for a few centuries now so they're kinda rich and well known

that said, his parents are for sure around 80-100 but him and his sisters are young!

as i've said he's only around 17 and he's the youngest out of his siblings

he has 3 older sisters (20ish, 24 and 28) and they're all very protective of him because omg!!!! that's their baby brother!!!

sometimes too protective to the point where they underestimate him and make him feel bad,,, woops!

he still really looks up to them and puts them on a bit of a pedestal, making him an overachieving perfectionist while he strives to get to what he assumes is their level

spoiler alert this results in a lot of angst and him not feeling good enough despite his parents and sisters never really pressureing him to do anything

he definitely tries to hide his insecurity by overcompensating and acting more arrogant than he is but his friends can read him like a book lol

"i had this leftover because i made too much on accident, eat it so i don't feel bad about being wasteful. honestly you should feel honored to be allowed to taste my cooking" translation: "you seemed stressed so i made you your favourite meal but please don't bring it up or i'll die. hope you like it ^-^"

terrified of bugs which is unfortunate since his 3rd sister loves them and keeps them as pets

when i said overachiever i meant it. student body president. excels in most sports. top grades.

he has to be perfect or he will literally die (real) (not fake)

oh he's also scared of dogs and he's very pathetic about it. i'm talking he sees a tiny puppy and he crosses to the other side of the street.

works at a convenience store because he doesn't want to end up being a spoilt rich brat stereotype lol the old ladies at check out love him because he always offers to carry their bags to their car for them

tries to act all serious and grown up when he's around his sisters to impress them but it's a lost cause

he's a complete sweetheart please tell him he's doing a good job and watch trashy dramas and reality tv with him

okie Evie time :3

she's a witch!! wohoo magic

she has like a billion siblings

jk just 5 but still

all of them are adopted and a different magical being (for example her older brother is a werewolf) simply because i think it's funny

listen hear me out: her dad is like fucking bruce wayne, adopting kids left and right, but he's just a regular schmegular human so i think it's hilarious that he adopts a new kid and he's all like "oh great they're just human phew no stress for me"

just to find out that no, this child is in fact NOT human, and on top of that they're an entirely different species than the rest of his kids so he has to learn about their specific needs and quirks and whatnot all over again

listen it's hilarious

okay anyways

evie stress bakes!! so she always has new stuff to give to others because WOW girl you're stressed beyond measure

brought 5 loafes of bread to school once to give to her friends. "thanks but you already gave me 2 yesterday my family really can't eat all of that :(" "girl PLEASE you have to help me i have 12 more at home and my dad is fucking PISSED he told me to get rid of them immediately."

if Briar needs to be perfect or else he will die, then Evelyn needs everyone to like her or she will die

she's honestly a bit of a pushover because of that but she's working on it and has made great progress (therapy queen)

fashion lover and lover of cute things

her outfits look like a claire's threw up on her

her magic manifested when she was like 5 when she got into a fight with her brother and she just. launched his ass into the sky lol

that accident broke his leg and made her resent her powers for a bit

like she wanted nothing to do with them and straight up refused to go to a school where she would learn about them. her dad was so worried because suppressing magic longterm makes you actually sick

that is until a friend of her dad explained to her that learning to control her powers would help her prevent any more accidents

that friend is called Makena and we love her! she's a witch as well and ended up giving Evie private lessons and also helped Evie's dad with learning about magic and how to care for non-human kids

at first Evelyn rly sucked at magic like REALLY sucked at magic and she was like, are you serious this is ASS

but she was just a slow learner and is really good now :)

works at Makena's cafe in an effort to help with her social skills

i have drawings of these two somewhere but it's been a while so i can't fund them 😭

#stella's horoscope #stella's super cool ocs #cosmic communication

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halliescomut · 1 year

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Secret Crush on You Ep 10

-IDK why but for some reason I was surprised they started where they left off....Good Lord!!

-Do you think the Durex is an ad? Also, that's not a great way to open a condom, high possibility of damaging it.

-Also the bisexual lighting makes another appearance.

-Okay I had my headphones in for this ep...the kissing/almost moaning noises. Hooh!!!

-Aww, Toh's little memories montage. That's so precious.

-"I promise you that my feelings towards you will never change." This feels like a set-up and now I'm nervous.

-No, sad Jao....fix it, somebody fix it quick!!!

-Excellent advice Toh.

-This is a good idea from Som and Daisy to help Toh curb his stalker hoarding.

-God that wink.

-YES!!! Reinforce that your body type doesn't indicate your health or fitness level.

-Sky, you're killing me. "Behave" "No."

-Yes Jao. Stake your claim. It's so hilarious that Sky was completely oblivious to that chick. Fantastic.

-God they're just so precious. That's all you can even say about them!!!

-Sky...you really you maybe should have warned your friends if you were gonna bring a date that's not the gender they've seen you date before. Like, he must not have thought they'd be against it, but like...a heads up probably would have prevented some of this awkwardness.

-This backfired on Sky so hard. He's so afraid Jao will say he's not interested.

-Sky.exe error!

-"Your friends might make fun of you." Well then they're shitty friends Jao and Sky needs to get new ones. But also for the love of Jeff Satur please learn to recognize that you're a catch Jao!!

-Toh...why are you throwing a tantrum in the middle of the mall?? You're lucky Nuea thinks it's cute.

-Toh!!!...Awww, Nuea's face. I feel so bad.

-If Nuea were set up to be a different type of character I'd say Toh's well on his way to a spanking right now.

-God the bowtie. I don't disagree with the concept of initiate make-up sex since I made my partner grouchy, but like...

-Oh god it was another fantasy.

-Poor Toh's clumsiness. Baby's having a rough day.

-Smooth Nuea....real smooth.

-I should have suspected what the hand on the head would mean but...

-"Your voice right now is higher than your IQ." Damn Som.

-That may have been the most realistic sports injury I've seen in a BL. And Jao was so worried about Sky.

-Yes....matchmake for Touch. Do it bestie!!!

-I love all the couples/potential couples at the party and the teasing. It's so great.

-That fake-ass smile Sky...Jao can see right through you.

-Poor Sky though...sweet (very hot) baby.

-First kiss! First kiss! First kiss!

-Toh's stalker tendencies are showing again, but I do think he's right that Jao would appreciate one pic, but like, you shouldn't keep watching Toh..

-Uh oh....seems like next ep we're gonna meet the PARENTS, or Nuea's dad at least. Who I'm assuming will be one of the adults we keep seeing in the opening credits.

Score for this ep....gonna do 7/10, maybe 7.5 since we got Jao finally verbally admitting his feelings to Sky.

Awkward score- 8.5/10, that mall tantrum was almost too much.

#secret crush on you #nueatoh #billyseng #skyjao #touchdaisy #intouchdaisy

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rickie-the-storyteller · 1 year

Text

Steph's Crew - Part 10: Times are Changing

Intro:

This may be the longest part yet lol.

Last time, Dylan was debating running away from home because his family situation is stressing him out. This part is going to have the resolution for that whole thing. Plus, Bret starts getting himself back on track once and for all. All by himself, too, because Elise isn't really on the best of terms with him rn. This will get resolved here too.

This part isn't really going to feature Steph, btw (she has a small bit here, but nothing particularly important to the story). Which is crazy considering the fact that this is the 10-chapter mark lol. Don't worry, next time we're getting another traumatic Mel flashback to make up for it! Yay!

(Bret talking with El for the first time in a while)

Dylan on the run

Dylan: (calling his uncle) Hi, Uncle Frank. It's me, Dylan.

Frank: Hey, Dylan! It's always good to hear from you. What's up?

Dylan: Oh, nothing much really… um, how are you?

Frank: I'm good, kid. I'm good. Are you doing ok? You sound freaked out…

Dylan: I need to stay with you. I can't be here!

Frank: Uh, what?

Dylan: (stammering) I-I… I was wondering if I could come and stay with you for a bit?

Frank: Dylan, what's going on? Are you in some kind of trouble?

Dylan: No, no. Nothing like that. I just need to get away for a bit. Mum's moving away and getting married again, Dad's being a jerk, and my brother's driving me crazy. I just need some time away, you know?

Frank: Oh, kid… I'm sorry. But Dylan, I'm not at home right now. I'm in Idaho with Auntie Rochelle.

Dylan: What?! Why?

Frank: A close friend of hers has sadly passed away recently, I'm trying to help her deal. I'm sorry, but I'm stuck here, kid. It's not like I can get back to the UK right now to take care of you.

Dylan: …Why not?

Frank: Dylan-

Dylan: Can't you try to get back here? For me? You don't need to be back today… Just say that I can stay with you. Say that I'm allowed to stay with you!

Frank: Dylan, please listen-

Dylan: Say that you'll help, Uncle Frank. I need you to do this for me.

Frank: Dylan, I'm sorry, but it's just not practical right now. For me or for you.

Dylan: Please! It's not an ideal situation, I know, but I promise I'll make it worth your while. I'll be the best guest you've ever had. I'll do laundry, cook, anything you want.

Frank: Dylan, it's not about that. It's just a long way away from where you live, and I don't think it's a good idea for you to be so far from home. I mean, you go to school there. And your father will worry… and Sam is going to really miss you. Won't you miss them?

Dylan: They're the reason I want to leave! Come on, Uncle Frank. You know you want me. We'd have the best time together, you'll see-

Frank: Dylan, I'm sorry. But I can't. I can't let you stay with me.

Dylan: (wells up with tears) What?

Frank: I'm so sorry, kid. But hey, if you ever need someone to talk to, you can call me anytime, okay?

Dylan: Yeah, okay. I guess I can try and figure something else out. Thanks anyways, Uncle Frank. I love you.

Frank: I love you too, kid. You're going to be ok.

(Dylan hangs up and starts to cry)

Elise's study room

Bret: Hey Adam. I'm really sorry about that vase man. I know it was important to your sister and your parents, so I'm assuming it was special to you, too. I feel like a total douchebag for breaking it…

Adam: Oh, don't worry about it. I mean sure, it's a very important vase, but it's not like I need materialistic objects to help me remember how great my grandparents were. I never really understood the hype around family heirlooms.

Bret: (surprised) Wow, really? Huh. (pauses) I still feel bad, though.

Adam: I get it. Poor Ellie has clearly been holding in that rant for a while now. But look on the bright side - she also said that she didn't want to cut you off. I'd take that as a win if I were you. Give her some space, and I'm sure that with time, the two of you can patch up your relationship!

Bret: It's not just that… I mean, it is that. But it's everything else, too. El was right. I talk a big game, but I don't follow through. I make promises to myself, and to others… and I never keep them. She said that I let her down. And it's true. I did let her down - I let people down all the time. I never think properly before I act… I hurt my friends… and just people in general.

Adam: Dude, relax. It's ok. You know, the first step to solving a problem is admitting that you have a problem. You're practically halfway there, which is further than the starting point. That's a good thing!

Bret: But I don't know how to fix it. What can I do to make things better? Ellie was always the one that helped me. She told me what to do, and I did it. Most of the time. Now that she's out, who's going to be my coach?

Adam: Hmmm... maybe the reason why things didn't work out with her is because you guys were meant to be friends, but you viewed and treated her as a coach and nothing more. But you know what? It's ok. You don't need a coach. You can coach yourself.

Bret: How?

Adam: With knowledge, my friend. Lots and lots of knowledge.

(Adam takes Bret to the "Study Room" - a small room with a neat and tidy desk, a computer, a printer and a large bookcase completely filled with books)

Adam: This place will have the answers you need to solve your problems. Probably.

Bret: Wow. What's all this?

Adam: This is Elise's study space. I set it up when I first moved here so that she could have a nice place to read and work when she comes to visit. It's great! I even use it when she's not around. It has all the essentials: a snack space, a comic book drawer, a music player so that she can put on some classical music to focus, a-

Bret: Wait! El likes comic books?

Adam: Oh, yeah. She's always been a big fan. Me, too! Something we've always had in common.

Bret: (stunned) I like comics, too…

Adam: Great! You two can discuss it when you start hanging out again.

Bret: IF we start hanging out again…

Adam: Aw, come on! Nothing but positive vibes!

Dylan calls Alice for help

Dylan: (calling Alice) Hello? Alice?

Alice: Hey Dylan! What's up with you? You sound like you've been crying.

Dylan: Yeah, my uncle just told me he can't take me in. He said it's too far away and he's not in a position to have me stay with him.

Alice: Oh no, Dylan I'm so sorry. What are you going to do?

Dylan: I don't know. I was really counting on him. I really thought that this could be my way out of here…

Alice: Well, you can always stay with me. My parents won't mind, I promise.

Dylan: Really? You would do that for me?

Alice: Of course I would. We're friends, Dylan. And friends take care of each other. You can stay in our guest room, there should be plenty of space.

Dylan: Thank you so much, Alice. You're a lifesaver!

Alice: No problem. Just don't get too comfortable, I'm not the best housekeeper.

Dylan: Alright. (they both laugh) Thanks again, Alice. I really appreciate this, you have no idea.

Alice: Anytime, Dylan. See you in a bit.

Aunt Rachel's words of wisdom

Bret: (calling Rachel) Hey Aunt Rach, it's me!

Rachel: (laughs) Bret! Hi. What's going on? Where are you?

Bret: At Elise's brother's place. I'm having a bit of a study session right now, believe it or not. He's got tons of great resources. (sighs) It's been a crazy week, Aunt Rach. I messed up big time at the party.

Rachel: Oh no… wait what happened, exactly?

Bret: I broke Elise's vase, and she's really mad at me. And I got into a fight with another one of my friends, too - Alice is upset because I purposely avoided including her. I'm the reason Dylan didn't invite her to Ben's party.

Rachel: Well, did you apologise to them?

Bret: I have apologised to El. I remembered she has a brother, so I went to his place and found her there.

Rachel: And?

Bret: Let's just say she wasn't too happy to see me.

Rachel: Aw… Not that I can blame her, but still.

Bret: (sighs) Yeah. She's still upset, but at least she was willing to hear me out. And I've been trying to call and text Alice, but she hasn't responded yet.

Rachel: (laughs) Don't worry, dear. Things will work out eventually with them, it just needs time.

Bret: Yeah, I know. But I'm worried, Aunt Rach. My friends mean so much to me. Especially El. She's always been there for me, and I don't want to lose her.

Rachel: I know, Bret. But maybe this could be a good thing for you. Maybe this is a chance for you to really think about your relationships with... certain friends.

Bret: Uhh… what do you mean?

Rachel: I don't know… I just couldn't help but notice how much you're stressing out about losing Elise as a friend. It sounds to me like you have a lot of admiration for her.

Bret: I do admire her.

Rachel: She's really special to you, isn't she?

Bret: Yeah! She really is. She's been there for me through thick and thin, you know? She always encourages me to open up, and she helps me a lot when I need support with stuff. She inspires me to be a better person. Spending time with her brings me joy. And she's like, one of the few people in my life that always kind of stuck around, whether I deserved it or not. She's the only one who really gets me…

Rachel: Well, you need to make it up to her somehow. Elise is one of the most important people in your life, and you can't risk losing her over a silly mistake.

Bret: For once, I actually agree with you, Aunt Rach. Thanks for the advice. Still not sure what you meant, though. About the "thinking about my relationships with certain friends" thing.

Rachel: Right… well you know, sometimes we don't fully realise how we feel about someone until something like this happens. Sometimes we can't comprehend our feelings for someone until we're at risk of losing them.

Bret: Wait, what?! You think that- (laughs) Aunt Rach, you know I don't like Elise like that.

Rachel: (smirks) Are you sure about that, Bret? Maybe you're just afraid of your feelings.

Bret: I don't know, Aunt Rachel. I've never really thought of El that way before.

Rachel: Well, it's worth thinking about, isn't it? Elise is a wonderful person. And you clearly hold her in high regard… those kinds of feelings towards a person often develop into affection.

Bret: No way! She's just a friend. A really good friend. But a friend.

Rachel: Uh-huh, sure. Look, Bret, I'm not saying you have to declare your undying love for her or anything, but maybe it's time to start considering the possibility that you might like her more than you realise. I mean, you just gave a speech about why you like her…

Bret: As a friend!

Rachel: (sighs, shaking her head) Whatever, Bret. It was just a suggestion… What time will you be back?

Bret: Well, I'm just finishing up here… should make it home in time for dinner.

Rachel: Good. See you in a bit!

Back in school

Stephanie: HEY! Dylan! (runs over to him and gives him a big hug) I am so relieved… Glad to see you didn't run away to another county, mate.

Dylan: (chuckles) Yeah, I had a change of heart. Plus, Uncle Frank wasn't available. But I'm staying at Ally's place for the time being.

Stephanie: Oh, well that's good. I'm just so happy to see you safe. And still in school with us.

Dylan: I'm happy to be here, too. So, prom is coming up… got any plans?

Stephanie: (sighs) I don't know. (laughs humourlessly) What about you?

Dylan: Nothing official yet. But I'm thinking about asking Alice to go with me.

Stephanie: Oh my God, that's so exciting! You should definitely do it.

Dylan: Yeah, I really want to. Don't tell her that, though. I want it to be a surprise.

Stephanie: Don't worry, I won't.

Dylan: I'm just so grateful to her for helping me through all this. I mean, she doesn't even need to… she's doing this because she cares about me. I just wanted to do something for her, too.

(Stephanie smiles at Dylan, clearly excited for him)

Alice: (walks in with a smile) Guys, guess what? I got an A on my computing project and my teacher submitted it to a competition!

Stephanie: Wow, that's amazing, Alice!

Dylan: Uh, yeah! That's great, you should be proud of yourself.

Alice: I am!

Stephanie: You got any prom plans, Alice?

(Dylan glares at her)

Alice: Uh, no… nothing yet. Why? Don't you have plans, Steph?

Stephanie: Funny you should say that. Guys, I have some bad news. I hope all of you are listening. Ellie, Bret, I'm talking to you, too. Quit acting like strangers and gather around. I'm only saying this once, so pay attention.

(Elise and Bret, who are sitting on opposite sides of the room, stop doing what they're doing and start paying attention to the conversation)

Stephanie: Unfortunately, I won't be going to prom this year.

Dylan: What?

Elise: Why not?

Stephanie: Ben's out of the country doing his job, and I just can't bring myself to go without him. It's too depressing, you know?

Alice: Aww, that sucks…

Bret: But we'll still have a good time without you. (the rest of the group glare at Bret for his badly worded comment) On your behalf, I mean.

Alice: Oh Steph, it's not going to be the same without you. (hugs her)

Stephanie: I do want all of you to have fun, though! Don't worry about me too much, guys.

Bret and Elise make up (a few weeks later)

Bret: (immediately lights up when he sees Elise) Hey, El.

Elise: Hey. (smiles)

Bret: So… (awkwardly) I haven't seen you around for a while. How have you been?

Elise: Fine. Busy. (chuckles nervously) I just got back from this week-long debate trip with our school’s team.

Bret: Right! I’ve heard about that competition. You guys came third! That’s hella cool. Congrats.

Elise: (blushes) Thanks, Bret. And you? What have you been up to lately? How have you been?

Bret: Busy.

Elise: Oh?

Bret: Yeah, I’ve been trying to get back on track. I’ve spent the last couple of days trying to make amends.

Elise: (surprised) Really? Wait, who with?

Bret: People I’ve wronged. So everyone, pretty much.

Elise: (taken aback) Wow…

Bret: I’ve been more helpful around the house as a way to make things easier for my aunt… you know, to make up for not really appreciating her in the past. And it’s fun, too. Spending more time with her and all.

Elise: That’s nice…

Bret: I’ve volunteered to be a student mentor for the younger years to be more helpful to the teachers at school. I assist in lessons and make sure that the classrooms are clean and tidy. Only when I have free time though. And I’ve patched things up with Alice, too.

Elise: Thank God.

Bret: Yeah. And I apologised to your parents about the vase. So, they know it’s not your fault and all. I’m even paying to sort it out. Either get it fixed or replace it, whatever you guys want.

Elise: Well thanks, Bret, that’s really nice of you. But how are you getting the money? That vase was one of a kind, it would probably be very expensive to replace…

Bret: Oh, I got a job this week too. Did I not mention that?

Elise: Wow, really? You got a job?! Finally, it’s about time.

Bret: Yeah! And I am working on getting my driver's license by the end of the year.

Elise: (impressed) My gosh, Bret… you’re really doing it. You’re changing your life. I’m so proud of you. Really. (smiles)

Bret: I couldn’t have done it without you, you know. You’ve really inspired me. I couldn’t be more grateful to have someone like you in my life.

Elise: (blushes) Aw… Thanks, man. (playfully jabs him on the shoulder) I love being your friend, too.

Bret: (smiles, then sighs) I’ve really missed you, Elise.

Elise: I’ve missed you, too.

Bret: (hesitantly) Do you think- Maybe could we- Um… Can we start hanging out again? You know, like old times. You don’t have to say yes if you don’t want to.

Elise: (thinks about it, then smiles) I’d love to.

Bret: (shocked, but happy) Woah, really?! I mean, great! Let’s get together this weekend, I’ve been dying to see this movie with someone, but nobody’s interested.

Elise: (laughs) Maybe there’s a reason for that, Bret.

Bret's feelings for Elise

Bret: (walks in, dropping backpack on the floor) Hey, Aunt Rach! I'm home.

Rachel: Hello, darling. (gives Bret a hug)

Bret: (smiling) Guess what happened today?

Rachel: What is it, Bret?

Bret: I ran into Elise! And we talked for a while. We're talking again!

Rachel: Aw, that's wonderful.

Bret: I've missed her a lot, man. It was so great to catch up with her.

Rachel: Well, I'm glad you had a good time, love. (teasingly) Did you finally ask her out, or what?

Bret: What the- no, Aunt Rach. We're just friends. I told you…

Rachel: Look honey, I'm not shaming you for having a crush on a girl. Having a crush is a completely normal thing. Just be honest with yourself about how you feel, dear.

Bret: I am being honest… and to answer your question, no I haven't asked her out. I am going to be hanging out with her on Saturday. We're going to see that new Dragon Hunter movie together. You know, the one I've been dying to see for months. I finally have someone to go with!

Rachel: That counts as a date! Doesn't it?

Bret: No, Aunt Rach. It doesn't. Neither of us used the word "date" during the conversation, so it isn't a date. It's just two friends catching up. That's all.

Rachel: But-

Bret: Now if you'll excuse me, I have homework to do. (walks away)

Rachel: (follows) I know you like her, Bret! You've liked her forever.

Bret: (shouts from the other room) I'm not listening anymore, Aunt Rach!

Rachel: You sure you don't have a crush on her, hun? I mean, you light up like a Christmas tree every time you talk about her.

Bret: Shut up!

Rachel: And you talk about her a lot, too. Almost constantly. Always good things.

Bret: SHUT UP!

Rachel: I bet that's because you think about her constantly, too. Maybe you even dream about her…

Bret: ALRIGHT!!

(long pause)

Rachel: Alright?

Bret: Alright… maybe I do like her.

Rachel: (whoops triumphantly) I KNEW IT!

Bret: I mean, maybe she's a bit cute. And maybe I've thought about her in that way before… once or twice. But I don't know if I'm ready to tell her that I like her like that yet.

Rachel: Oh, why not?

Bret: Our relationship has been through a lot. I have known her since primary school, for fucks sake! And we've only recently come out of an argument. I'm not ready for such a huge change with her, and I'm pretty sure she'd feel the same way.

Rachel: Right. Well, you shouldn't do anything you're not comfortable with doing… just be yourself, dear.

Bret: (sighs) Everyone always says that…

Rachel: Honey, I know you're probably worried that she won't like you back, especially after everything that went down between you two recently. But think about this: if she likes you for who you are, then it's great. If not, it's not the end of the world. Just enjoy the time you spend together and see where it goes. Don't put pressure on yourself to make things work out. Just have fun with your friend.

Bret: (nods) Yeah.

Rachel: She's lucky to have a friend like you, you know. I mean you're a really great guy, and you've been working so hard to better yourself. Just be yourself with her, and don't be afraid to tell her how you feel, when the time comes. Or if it ever comes. And don't forget to treat her with respect and kindness. It goes a long way.

Bret: Alright…

Rachel: Oh, I'm so proud of you! And I'm excited, too.

Bret: I can tell…

Rachel: (squeals) This is so great!

Bret: (playfully shoves her) Calm down, Aunt Rach. (pauses) Thanks for the advice. (smiles)

That's enough for now. Yay! The tenth part of this story is out.

How do we feel about the new ships in this lol?! Bret and Elise are the ship I was trying to set up from the start (basically), while Dylan and Alice kind of started happening a little while later… to be honest, I'm kind of second-guessing myself with them. Part of me wants to make them a proper ship, but another part of me just wants to keep them platonic. We'll see which part of me wins in the end lol.

Dylan has a place to stay, and Alice has made up with him (and Bret, but that was done in the background lol). Meanwhile, Bret is getting his life together independently. And he has finally made up with Elise! I'm glad. I mean, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

And Rachel has made Bret realise that he likes Elise. Like, romantically. Which again, I knew I was planning for that all along, but I honestly don't know what their dynamic will be like once they actually get together lol. We'll see where it all goes eventually…

Thanks for reading, guys.

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barzysunflower · 2 years

Note

hello! i just got accepted into the uni and program of my choice!! could you write a barzal x reader fluff regarding this please

i hope you have a good day :-) i absolutely love your writing btw hehe

note: first of all congrats that’s absolutely amazing and thank you!! second, I assumed you got into grad school (?) so this is what the blurb is about, but I guess that’s just a small detail.

mat barzal x reader

word count: 667 (& no warnings)

you get into grad school

You were an anxious wreak, had been for days now. The decisions for your grad school applications were about to come out and you were only given timeframe, not an exact date. So when three days passed and you still hadn't heard back, you assumed the worst. The people closest to you had been great about calming you and reassuring you, especially your boyfriend, Mat. He took you out for dinner or brought home your favorite takeout, took you out of the house to literally do anything but let you stare at your laptop waiting for an email to come in. Now, only the fourth and last day the university could give you their decision, you were already prepared for the worst.

Mat walked into the kitchen where you were still eating your breakfast. "Okay, I gotta go to practice. Promise you'll do more than just refresh the app?" You just nodded in response to which he wrapped his arms around you from behind and pressed a

gentle kiss against your cheek. "Don't worry, you'll get in, babe. You're a perfect candidate."

"Yeah, but so are a thousand others." You pouted.

"They're idiots if they don't pick you. Ok, I gotta go, but please don't stress too much." He gave you a long kiss before leaving for practice.

For the next couple hours you busied yourself with random tasks and compromised with yourself to only check every 30 minutes. And finally, after checking three more times, you got an email saying your application has been updated. Your hands were shaking as you clicked on it, but a huge wave of relief crashed over you when you read the words you were dying to hear. A loud scream escaped you and you started jumping up and down. Then you reread the words again and again to make sure your mind wasn't ticking you. But know there it said it: Accepted.

The first person you wanted to call was Mat, but he was still in practice and couldn't pick up. So you called your parents and your best friend and waited until you could finally tell Mat. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, so-", but he was interrupted by you screaming into the phone. "YOU GOT IN?!"

"Ya!", you managed to get out, still very excited.

"I told you! Aw, I'm so proud of you! Ok, we have to celebrate. We'll go out tonight, eh?" He could tell you weren't able to talk so you hung up and he made his way back to the apartment after making a quick stop.

*****

"Hey, hey! Where's my future grad student?" Mat's voice carried through the apartment and you jumped up excitedly off the couch. He walked in with some flowers and a little bag in his hand. You sprinted to him and jumped into his arms. Laughing, he caught you easily and embraced the hug.

"I did it!" Your smile was as wide as it got, so was his.

"I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it." He kissed you gently and carried you into the apartment, setting you down on the kitchen counter. "I got these for you." He handed you the bouquet and the little bad. Smiling you smelled the flowers and gave him a kiss.

"Thank you." The bag contained your favorite box of chocolates.

"I didn't have time to pick out an actual gift, I wanted to see you as soon as possible, so I'll get something later."

"You don't need to get me anything! I'm only accepted, now I have to do well. Plus, these flowers are enough. I love them." You pulled him into a hug and kissed him. "And I love you. I know I haven't been super fun to be around the last couple days."

"It's ok, I understand, don't worry. I love you." He pulled you close so your head laid against his chest. He pressed a kiss on top of your head. "My little smart-ass."

#mat barzal #mathew barzal #mat barzal x reader #mat barzal imagine #mat barzal fic #mat barzal fanfiction #mat barzal blurb #new york islanders #hockey #nhl fanfiction #nhl imagine #ny islanders #nhl blurb #blurb #nhl fic

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miraculous-trinity-leo · 3 years

Text

Whacky Gotham, Goofy New York, and Chaotic Paris.

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7)

Chapter 5: Then Let The Games Begin

•—–—–·†·–—–—•

Soooo, the Batfam is panicking, Gotham's confused as to why Iron Man is flying over Gotham like a madman, and Maria is with two of Gotham's Sirens (but only Ivy and Harley know this) having a wonderful time playing with Bud and Lou.

Let's start with the Sirens.

Harley is watching over Maria and Tikki as they sleep with Bud and Lou, Ivy walkes over to sit next to Harley, handing her a cup of tea.

"So, what's the diagnosis?" - Ivy

"She has some sort of trauma, has class issues... and handles more than she should, but still does everythin', on top of bein' a hero. She's been through some sh-t Pam." Yeah Harley may have found out Maria's a hero (if the tiny god and magic were anything to go by).

"Is she alone?" - Ivy

"No, thankfully, she has supportive parents, and friends that aren't little sh-ts. I think they're also heroes, she also has a lot, and I a mean A LOT of pent up emotions, she doesn't show anythin' negative, only positive things. She seems to shrink in on herself if she thinks she does somethin' wrong. Pam, we both know there's a limit to how much crap a person can take before they snap, and she's such a sweet kid. There has to be somethin' we can do to help her Ives." Ok she found out alot, but in Marias' defense, they have trustworthy souls, and they were the only other people (besides her friends) that she talked to about it, yes she had her Maman and Uncle to talk about hero stuff, but for the stuff her class does, she only ever vented (without being negative) to her friends.

"Her class is visiting the Botanical Gardens in three days, and it's a 2 part tour, so we can see just what's going on. If it's bad then we scare them a bit, if it's bad bad... they can handle a few slightly poisonous plants right?" - Ivy

"God I love the way ya think Ives, do ya think she can stay with us? I mean look at how cute she is with Bud and Lou... Oh my god, she's cuddlin' dem, and ya gave her a flower crown, how'd I miss that?! Where's the camera?"

Harley took a picture to remind her of this wonderful moment. As Ivy and Harley looked at the picture, they both promised to keep Maria safe, and maybe become sorta kinda-ish parents to her while she's in Gotham.

•—–·Now back to the Bat-Chaos Bat-Cave·–—•

Tim took over the chair and was now searching the possible locations with Jarvis, Damian was sitting on a different chair, trying to act cool, but he wouldn't stop looking over at Tim, to see his progress. Bruce was talking over the comms with Tony. Dick and Jason, weren't helping (they kept feeding each other worse and worse ideas of what could have happened to Maria). Then they heard Jarvis speak.

"I have found the most likely area Ms. Dupain-Cheng would be in. Her phone died about 56 blocks away from her hotel, if we don't count kidnapping, or murder, she would have thought about asking for directions, but may have decided not to considering the city she is in. So that leaves us with a possible 15-25 mile radius from her last known location. I think it best to divide into groups of two, have Oracle stay and update you if anything on security, and or traffic cameras happens. Bruce will be with Tony, Dick will go with Tim, and Jason will go with Damain to search within the area. Stephanie and Cassandra will search around a 5 mile radius near Wayne hotel." as Jarvis continued to explain the other details, the Batfam began to suit up, Batman met up with Iron Man, and they took the North area, Nightwing and Red Robin took the East area, while Red Hood and Robin searched the South. Steph and Cass were on foot in civilian clothes, searching the West area they were assigned.

They searched for the whole day, and came up with nothing. Until Oracle saw a video from a traffic cam around 9pm, 15 blocks away from where her phone died. She called it in and everyone went back to the cave. Once everyone was at the Bat-Computer, Oracle pressed play, the cameras didn't have sound, and it wasn't close enough to see if she was ok.

They watched as she went to an overgrown parking lot and sat down. She was looking down at the ground, and that's when they spotted two figures round the corner and spot her. They watched as the two figures approach Maria, and saw the startled reaction she had. They realized it was Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy that were talking to her, then they saw Maria collapse. They watched as Harley made sure she was ok, looking over to Ivy before looking back to Maria and picking her up. The last thing they saw, was Maria being carried away by two of Gothams' most dangerous rouges, but now they knew where to look next.

•—–· Back to Ivy and Harley ·–—•

Harley continued to take adorable pictures of the children.

"God, they're so f-ckin' cute!" - Harley for the 20th time

As Ivy continued to watch while caring for her plants, Catwoman walked in.

"Hey girls, got the stuff for movie night, so what are we- Holy mother of cats! He adopted another f-cking child didn't he! Where the hell does he keep finding them?! 7 was ment to be the god DAMN LIMIT!!!" - Catwoman

Maria jumped at the sudden shouting and may have accidentally summoned a yo-yo (one made useing creation magic and protection magic) before saying.

"Tikki where's the akuma?! How long was I out?! Forget it Tikki spot-" she then realized she wasn't in Paris, and seeing a new face, she also realized she just spilled her secret to another person within the same day... kinda

"Fffffffffffudge sunday that fell on the pavement!" - Maria shouted in baker profanities

"That's not how ya curse sweetheart. It should go more like-" Harley was cut off by a vine Ivy had summoned.

"Harley, cursing makes the plants sad, you know this." - Ivy said removing the vine

Harley just walked over to Maria and whipsered it in her ear.

"You're supposed to say it more like this, ' ..... .... ... .. ....... .. ... .....' ok?" - Harley ended with a big smile

"... I will never see this world in the same frickin' light ever again." - Maria

"ehh close enough." - Harley

"Can someone please tell me, WTH is going on here, on our special girls day off?!" - Catwoman

"She is a new member of the Sirens as of today, and as a member, she's unda our protection, so effective immediately." - Harley

"Cool." - Maria

"Harley." - Ivy

"Wut... first things first, if she is going to join, she needs to be very flexible, know how to fight, and be incredibly intelligent." - Catwoman

"She beat Ed's @ss with a gun pointed at her, and solved every riddle with ease, so I'm positive she'll be an amazin' addition to the team." - Harley

'God she sounds like a new mother now' "But we don't know how good her flexibility is." - Catwoman

"I know, hey Maria, ya wanna do some tricks with me, of course we need to stretch first, but do ya wanna give it a go?" - Harley

"Sure." - Maria

Ivy and Catwoman sat down on a couch a few feet away from where Maria and Harley stood in the empty part of the building. They started out with stretches, and to Catwoman's surprise (and Harley's delight) Maria copied Harleys streches perfectly.

"Ok, now that that's done, we'll start with some cartwheels, then move on to flips, then handsprings and so on." - Harley

Maria gave Harley a nod... and they were off... literally, Harley did a cartwheel into a handspring, and a few backflips, Maria executed it flawlessly. Harley did some more complicated gymnastics tricks, and Maria did it, Harley did triple backflips going into a cartwheel, into a summersault, and Maria did that perfectly as well. This went on until both Harley and Maria were slightly out of breath, both having massive smiles on their faces.

"Ives, please let her join, she's like a mini me." - Harley then hugged Maria and they somehow both tripled in cuteness as they both did puppy (or Puss In Boots style) eyes at Catwoman and Ivy.

"Sure Harley." - Ivy said walking over to give Harley a small kiss on the cheek.

"Okay... but she doesn't have a costume yet, and she still has to think of a name for herself." - Catwoman

"Is a mouse good, like a mouse themed costume, that or a Turtle themed one. What do you think Harley?" - Maria

"Mmmm, I like that with the mouse you can always toy with Cat, ya know, cat an' mouse stuff, turtle seems... weird even fawh Gotham, so personally I would pick mouse, just because of the cheesy jokes you could do." - Harley

"Very funny, ok then, give me a moment." Maria then reached out her hand, her eyes then started to glow an icy blue, and a small portal opened in front of her, she reached in and pulled out a small pendant necklace. After she put it on a small mouce appeared and greated itself, Marias' eyes going back to normal after closing the portal.

"Hello I'm Mullo, nice to meet you all."

"Omg omg omg, It's soooo f-ckin' CUTE!" - Harley

"Best to assume all of them are extremely cute Harls." - Ivy

"What the Hell did I miss in the week I was gone?!" - Catwoman

"Ehh, not much, oh but Iron Man did fly aroun' Gotham a few times earlier this mornin' like a madman." - Harley

"Oh sh-t." - Maria

"Maria are ya ok? That was ya first official proper curse in my presence." Harley said looking over to the girl.

"He's gonna kill me." - Maria

"Wait, what do you mean Marigold?" - Ivy

"... He's my Uncle, and I never got to text him I was ok, since my phone died before I met you." - Maria

"Hey, I'm sure he'll understand, now what are we watchin'?" - Harley

"I think we have more important matters other than movies at the moment!" - Catwoman

"Ok, Me Myself and Irene it is." - Harley

"No! You basically kidnapped Iron Mans' NIECE!!!" - Catwoman

"Technically, she fainted and us bein' the good Gothamites we are, decided to take her with us, to make sure she was a-okay." - Harley

"I'm ganna need more than just a six pack of soda to get me through this... Just put the movie on already." - Catwoman

Catwoman sat at the far left end of the couch, next to her sat Ivy, then Maria, and then Harley, Bud and Lou by their feet. All of them sharing one big blanket (Becuase if Iron Man did show up, or any of the birds, then Maria was in a protective burrito and they may not see her right away) and they started the movie.

•—–·–—•

"Oh god, the poor cow." - Maria

.........

"Hahahaha, he stuck a whole f-ckin' chicken head in that guys @ss" - Harley

"The poor chicken." - Maria

"Maria you don't want to see this part." - Ivy then lightly covered her eyes for the ehem, chicken extraction.

.........

"Anyone up for another movie?" - Harley

"That depends." - Ivy

"Any suggestions Cat?" - Harley looked across to the other end of the couch to see Catwoman already sleeping.

"She took her cat-nap already? Seriously?" - Harley

"... What about Pirates of The Caribbean?" - Maria

"I'm good with that." - Ivy

And they started the next movie, Maria was happy, it felt like when her maman and papa would sleep with her when she made a pillow fort. It was a loving atmosphere, it felt safe, and nothing could ruin it. Marias' eyes became heavy, and she leaned her head on Harleys' shoulder, falling asleep after a few minutes.

Ivy paused the move looking over to see both Harley and Maria sleeping, soon Ivy also fell asleep in the comfortable silence.

…………………………

Around an hour later Maria woke up in a panic, she had a nightmare, and kept looking around frantically for someone with tears running down her face.

"What's the matter hun?" - Harley said looking around to see if someone had gotten in. When she looked back at Maria she saw that she was crying.

"What happened?" Harley asked in a kind voice that was filled with motherly love.

"I, just *hic* had a bad dream that's *hic* all, I'm fine." - Maira said trying to wipe the tears away.

"You're ok, I promise nothin's goin' to happen to ya as long as Ivy and I are here, ok hun?" - Harley hugged Maria, and she could feel the girl let out a few more sobs, and quick breathes.

"Thanks Maman." Maria didn't even realize what she had said, it just felt natural for her to say it.

"You're welcome hun." 'Omg I'm gonna cry, she called me maman!' Harley rubbed small circles over Marias' back, and began humming until she fell asleep, she continued to hug Maria until she also fell asleep.

•—–· Back to the Chaos Bat-Cave ·–—•

"What do you mean she's with two of Gotham City's Sirens?!" - Tony

"Tony, calm down, I'll call Selina, she can talk to them and get this all sorted out." - Bruce

"Your fiancee is a Gotham Siren too?! Why didn't you tell me?!" - Tony

"Why isn't she picking up? And unlike some people, this family doesn't like outing our secret identities... on live TV." - Bruce

"Oh well excuse me for not keeping my secret identity a SECRET!" - Tony

"I'll try calling her one more time." - Bruce

"Bruce, it's 3am. Who in their right mind ever stays up this late.... aside from this family." - Tim with a giant coffee mug in hand.

"... I'll just call her one more time." Bruce then connected it to the Bat-Computer so everyone could hear.

•—–· Back to the Sirens ·–—•

Catwoman's phone is ringing like crazy, waking everyone up, including a tired, annoyed, and confused Selina.

"Wth does he want at 3 in the morning?!" - Selina

"Just answer it so we can keep sleepin'." - Harley still hugging Maria

"I'm putting it on speaker, so you lot can testify against his @ss in court, for disturbing the peace."

•—–· Over to Batsy ·–—•

"Selina I need to ask-"

"WHAT THE F-CKING HELL DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT A GOOD NIGHTS REST!" - Selina

"Oooooh, she sounds pissed Bruce." - Jason

"I'm sorry to call you at this hour, but we need to find a girl that looks just like every single one of my other kids." - Bruce

"Bruce... I thought we agreed that 7 kids was. the. f-cking. limit." - Selina

•—–· Back to the Sirens ·–—•

Selina looked over to Maria before muting the speaker.

"Do you want them to know you're here Kitten?" - Selina

"... I'm tired, I haven't had coffee, I have no filter, so f-ck it, act like you never saw me today, and let them drown in chaos. " - Maria

"I think I like filter less Maria." - Harley

"Okay." Selina shrugged her shoulders and then un-muted her phone, putting it back on speaker mode.

"Where was she last seen?" - Selina

"She was last seen with Harley and Poison Ivy, I want you to see if she's still with them." - Bruce

Selina looked over to Maria and Harley, both of them shook their heads with mischievous grins.

"I've been with them all day, and I haven't once seen a girl that looks like your kids. Now can I go back to sleep, and forget this ever happened?" - Selina

"WHERE IS MY NIECE!!!" - Tony

"Oh, hey Tony, didn't know you were there, don't know who, or where your niece is, but good luck trying to find her. Oh and Bruce, I'm shutting my phone off so you don't keep calling till the butt crack of dawn. And congrats it's now 4am. you owe me a lunch date, uh-ba-bye." Selina then hung up her phone and turned it off.

"That went pretty well if you ask me, now I'm going back to sleep." - Selina

•—–· Back to Batsy ·–—•

The room was silent for a few minutes before Jason spoke up.

"Does that mean that Pixiepop ran away and is even more lost now?!" - Jason

"Oh god, what do we do, what if she got hurt?!" - Dick

"What if she got kidnapped?!" - Jason

"What if she's with a big time Gotham Villain?!" - Dick

"... What if she got more coffee?" - Tim

"Oh Hell No" - Jason/Dick

"... Lets all go to sleep, and when we wake up, we'll head over to their base and double check. She could've just said that because I called her at 3am." - Bruce

"But my niece is still out there!" - Tony

"You're going to sleep Tony." - Pepper then dragged Tony to his room.

•—–· Back to Maria ·–—•

Selina went to a different part of the building, where Maria assumed the bedrooms were. Ivy had gone to the greenhouse to be with the plants, and now it was just her and Harley left on the couch, and she couldn't sleep.

"... Harley?" - Maria

"Yeah hun?" - Harley

"I can't sleep." - Maria

"Well, watcha wanna do till ya get tired?" Harley asked sitting up a little straighter to get a better look at Maria.

Maria gave a sly smile, and looked Harley in the eyes "Want to go free-running on the rooftops?"

"... Alright, but lets get some coffee, and a snack in us first." - Harley gave her a side hug, before getting up to go make the coffee, and grab some snacks.

After they had their coffee, they climbed to the roof of the base. Harley was in her outfit, bat in hand and ready to do some bonding.

"So, how does ya outfit work?" - Harley

"Like so, ready Mullo?" - Maria

"Yes Maria" - Mullo

"Ok, Mullo, Get Squeaky!" A bright light flashes, and when Harley could see again, Maria was in a dark gray suit, wearing black knee high boots, with a strip of pink at the knee, and black elbow length gloves with the same pink strip at her elbow. Her mask was a slightly lighter gray on the top part, and pink on the bottom. Her hair was pulled into two buns with pink ribbons that faded to gray, and to black at the very tip. Her jump rope around her waist forming a tail going just below the back of her knees.

"Just when I think ya can't get any more adorable. So what should I call ya?" - Harley

"You can call me Multimouse." - Maria

Soon they were racing and doing tricks off different roofs, they were really enjoying themselves. From one of the roofs they heard a commotion in one of the alleys, when they looked down they saw a man holding a woman at gunpoint.

"Not good, seems like he's got issues, probably lost his lover, most likely has additions to drugs and alcohol, and seems to be a little tipsy." - Harley

"I've got a plan." - Multimouse

…………

Multimouse droped a little way behind the guy, grabbing his attention while Harley got the lady to safety.

"You know there's a help center two blocks from here that would be more than willing to help you." - Multimouse

The crook just raised his gun to her trying to keep it steady as he spoke.

"Give me all your money little girl, or else I'll hurt you."

"1. That's not how you hold a gun. 2. That is no way to treat any girl. and 3. Instead of money, I'll give you my jump rope." - Multimouse

"Why the hell would I want your jump rope, that thing looks worthless." the crook lowered his guard enough as Multimouse pretended to hand over her jump rope, only to use it in a quick motion to dismarm the man, as Harley promptly knocked him out with one swing.

"Lets neva have ya at gunpoint again, okay hun? I'm afraid my heart can't take it." - Harley said while tying the crook to a lamppost.

"Sorry, but it was the best idea I could come up with at the moment, besides, any guy with a gun would feel like they have the upper hand if they're facing a random little girl with a jump rope, rather than Gothams' Harley Quinn with a bat." - Multimouse

"Sadly I'm just too popular with the kiddos on the street." - Harley

…………

They continued to stop a few more muggers on the way back to the base, and when they got back they peaked around the corner to see the whole Batfam plus Iron Man talking with Ivy and Selina.

"How much you want to bet we can get back out before they see us?" - Whispering Multimouse

"... Lets try hidin' in the kitchen." - Whispering Harley

As they tried to sneak by (still in their costumes) Selina just walks over and draggs them to the group.

"Here, now let me sleep!" - Selina

"Dang it Selina we wanted tah see just how long we could hide out in the kitchen!" - Harley

Selina did a double take now realizing they both went out.

"... You didn't." - Selina

"We wanted tah go free-runnin'! So what?" - Harley

"She could've gotten hurt Harls." - Ivy

"My suits magic, I am invulnerable to bullets, normal magic, swords, knifes, anything staby staby, and I can withstand any temperature in it." Multimouse said with a slight pout.

"Hold up, is she a magical girl?" - Red Hood in the background

When Selina let go both Harley and Multimouse went behind Ivy for protection.

"We can still make a run for it." - Harley whispered to Multimouse

"... Ok, I'll meet you on the roof." - Whispering Multimouse

Harley gave a nod as she slowly inched her wasy closer to the door that lead to the roof, as she saw Iron Man approach Multimouse.

"Please get out of your suit, we need to talk about why you're here-" - Iron Man

"Multitute!" - Multimouse

Harley then saw Multimouse shrink into dozens of tiny little versions of herself as her clones spread out in all directions, one of which was heading right for her.

"Wth, you never told us she could use magic!" - Red Robin

Harley picked her up, and slipped through the door without anyone noticing.

"That was great, but how do ya get back tuh normal size?" - Harley

"Simple, I just merge back with my clones." As she said this, all her clones came back, and she merged with herself, becoming normal sized again.

"Where to?" - Multimouse

………… So now The Batfam is trying to find many long gone Mini-Multimouses, and Harley seems to have disappeared with her. Harley and Multimouse are now running over the roofs, heading for Wayne Manor.

"So why are we going to Wayne Manor?" - Multimouse

"Because, Batsy will neva think of lookin' for us at his own home, at least not fawh a little while." - Harley

When they arrived at the Manor, Multimouse de-transformed as Harley knocked on the door.

"Ms. Quinn, Ms. Maria, pleasure to see you here, please come in." - Alfred

"Are any of the bat-birds here?" - Harley

"Ms. Barbara, Ms. Stephanie, and Ms. Cassandra are the only ones here at the moment." - Alfred

"Do ya think you can keep us bein' here a secret from Batsy?" - Harley

"Harley? What are you doing here with Maria?" - Barbara

"It seems that Ms. Harley and Ms. Maria are now playing hide and seek with the rest of the family." - Alfred

"Did someone say hide and seek?" - Steph

"Yes, so could we maybe try and keep this a secret from everyone else, please?" - Maria

"Sure, it was starting to get boring around here. We can all hide in the living room no one ever use. Barbara you show them the way, I'll get the food/drinks and boardgames." - Steph

"Is this alright with you Alfred?" Maria

"It's all right Ms. Maria, you can hide out in the old living room." - Alfred

"Thanks Alfie, ya the best." - Harley

"Thank you Alfred." - Maria

"Ok then, follow me." - Barbara

…………

In the old living room, Harley, Maria, Barbara, Steph, and Cass began to formulate a plan.

"Ok, so the best way for them to never find you is to have your phone off, stay away from any and all cameras, and show your face to no one." - Steph

"So, do you have anything in mind that you might want to do?" - Barbara

"Can we put them on a wild goose chase?" - Maria

Cass nodded to Marias' suggestion approvingly.

"I can hack a few traffic cams to help with that." - Barbara

"We can also throw in some useless hints, to throw dem even further off our scent." - Harley

"Good idea Harley." - Barbara

"Thanks, but how long do ya think we should make it last?" - Harley

"As long as Maria wants it to." - Barbara

"Then let the games begin." - Maria.

•—–—–·†·–—–—•

Chapter 5 complete. Hope everyone is stayin' safe, Rockin' those Positive Vibes, and havin' an absolutely wonderful day. BUG-OUT 🐞💮🐞

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echo-three-one · 3 years

Text

Run run run....

Table of Contents

Previous Chapter : Going Dark - Part 1

Chapter 23 to another story made by Ray (echo-three-one) Comments and Reviews appreciated! I hope you enjoy! Love you all ❤️

Going Dark - Part 2

John "Soap" MacTavish

London, United Kingdom

Soap never knew that the bloody guy would pull that trick off his sleeve. He's been sick of the same ringing he first experienced when they went out with Francine.

So he did what he could and quickly got up to his feet as soon as he saw Alex attempt to halt the hostage on his tracks. That bastard's going to pay for stomping on Alex like that.

With comms down once again, he had to act fast, stomping down the stairs, never leaving sight of the runner. He could sense someone following him and assumed it's any of Roach, Price or Jack. And it looked like Ghost caught wind of what happened too.

"Oi! Let's flank him!" Soap roared across the empty streets as Ghost and Roach split ways and ran toward their target.

They're not kidding when they said the Shadow Company is at par with the 141, the guy ran like a horse which Soap never expected from his build. He could see Ghost and Roach sprinting from his sides, one wrong turn and he's done for, but he still had one last trick.

He raced to the emergency stairs as his heavy feet clanged against the metal. Soap followed, optimizing the steps on edges to gain on him. Going up the rooftops was his biggest mistake.

"Bollocks, he's still running!" he announced as he felt his ears crackling.

"Well…. st….by…. do….airs.." His earpiece crackled through the static. It's recovering but they're already far off MacMillan's truck where their line connected.

He leaped. Soap almost stopped in his tracks as the runner courageously leapt across the huge gap and rolled on to the next building. He braced himself and continued dashing across the roof and did a mighty leap, his arms circled like he was swimming and he carefully placed his feet to perform a proper land and rolled.

That's going to hurt as soon as the adrenaline fades, but he quickly got up and made use of his remaining burst of energy.

The runner stopped in his tracks as soon as Roach emerged from the opposite fire escape, raising a pistol pointed straight at him as he raised his hand in surrender.

"Nowhere to run now." Roach said, cautiously walking near him. He's aware that his phone is still inside his pocket and that they had no idea when it'll go off again.

He didn't talk, but he looked panicked. He was sweating all over and his face was beyond recognizable. It looked like he's out of options.

"Tell us Where Shepherd is…" Gary pointed the loaded gun on his head, the desperation in Gary's eyes were obvious.

"There's an abandoned plane graveyard near Afghanistan…" he whimpered. His voice was shaky enough to warrant the truth.

"What's he doing there?" Soap added.

"He's trading the blueprints for the I.P. Address… Please that's all I know" he begged and they quickly left the place, walking back to MacMillan's car.

"You got something?" Ghost asked as soon as Roach's feet landed on the dark alley.

"A place. In Afghanistan." Roach answered.

"And he also had the I.P. Address.." Soap added.

"But that's impossible… didn't Samantha already forget about it?" Ghost asked but there was a quiet pause. Their brains almost looked like working together.

"Holy Crap." Roach finally broke the silence.

And from that moment they realized the other reason behind Samantha's memory returning. One way or another, her memories were once again toyed with.

"So how was it?" Price asked the team that ran off to chase the runner.

"We got an address. An abandoned plane yard in Afghanistan." Roach replied. Soap turned to Alex as he sat at the back of the jeep tending to his wound.

"You okay mate?" he asked walking close to his ally, who was wincing in pain.

"The guy's boots are heavy." He chuckled and so did Soap.

"Listen, Alex. We heard that Shepherd has the I P. address, did Samantha tell you anything about remembering it?" Soap asked as the whole team fell silent and turned to the two.

"Not really. What's bothered me is that she remembers everything except after when Shepherd explained his plans to her… Could it be that…" Alex trailed.

"She remembered because they undid their operation on her…" Jack continued. The whole group stood in silence.

Price's phone rang and delivered them with more bad news. It looked like while chasing the runner, Shepherd had caught wind of their activity and had some of London police scour the nearby streets for them.

"Da, It's time to go, my comrades." Nikolai announced as soon as Price relayed the message. Their ride home was compromised.

"Where to?" He asked.

"I know a place." Soap said.

TRAIN STATION

It looked like Soap's hunch was right. None of the people onboard to Scotland mind about the faces of the fugitives flashed on the news recently.

Their day packs had reserved clothes and they opted to change to something more civilian. Soap could smell the fabric conditioner France used to wash his newly bought clothes and couldn't help but miss her. If they weren't on a rush, Soap could've topped up for international calls.

"How long is this trip? 7 hours?" Price asked a civilian with surprised expressions.

"Wow. It's like a plane ride, but I'm still in the same country!" Jack cackled at the idea. He does have a different sense of humor. Just as Alex described him.

The rest of the team took this time to rest, they sat on the emptiest part of the train, away from the people that might recognize them and report their presence.

"I've contacted Samantha. It looks like they're having a small problem over there." Alex said.

"Someone saw one of us fugitives and tried to get inside the house to claim his bounty. At first they just talked him off but he's persistent now. So they decided to fly to our location and regroup there. And Soap, where exactly are we going?" Alex asked. Soap took a careful look around his team and felt nervous about his decision.

"Our old house. In Scotland. It's far off civilization. I think no one would look for us there." he muttered, gaining a nod from Price and Jack. Soap sighed in relief as soon as they thought of it as a good idea. Roach actually felt excited despite having to go there by train for seven hours. He immediately made that decision a few minutes ago without anyone's approval, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Hey, you three… Thanks for chasing that runner while we were out. Go catch some sleep. We'll watch over this train. It's going to be a long trip." Price nudged and Jack nodded. Soap gave a pair of earbuds to Price, the old man immediately looked at him with question.

"What's this? A hearing aid?" Price asked.

"Our runner wore that so it might be the reason he wasn't affected by his own blast." He muttered before crossing his arms.

"Thanks, mate. I'll let someone have a look at this." Price nodded and Jack immediately inserted with a suggestion.

"I know someone near Glasgow. A close friend of mine."

"That's great. He's closer." Price agreed and Soap slowly drifted himself asleep, trying to rest his tired legs all while also trying not to worry about Francine.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND

The never shifting scenery of the road home sent John MacTavish into a little nostalgia trip. The sound of trains screeching across the station reminded him of so many things from the past. The road they're walking along now was the same road he's walked on everyday of his life, and now after a lot of years, he can't believe he's back.

"I don't see anything nearby, are you sure we're not lost Soap?" Roach asked.

"We aren't. The house is just obstructed by the trees. They've grown taller since I last left." he replied enthusiastically. He looked obviously excited to see his home.

As soon as they reached the short curve, a huge cream-painted house greeted them from the distance. He could hear Alex and Roach's collective oohs and aahs every step they took closer.

"When you said old, I was really expecting it to be abandoned." Roach mused.

"It is, actually. My parents are off… somewhere else." he replied leading the way inside the house. The pool was already dirty and most weeds already outgrew the fences.

Soap pushed the huge wooden double door open and was greeted by the same visage of their entrance way back when he was a kid. Same pictures hung on the walls of his adventures as a kid up to the recent photo of his graduation. His mom was always proud of him no matter what, but he couldn't forget the way she looked at him once he chose to enlist to the riskiest job ever.

The rest of the team helped themselves to discovering the inside of the house, looking at photos, sitting on the couches and grabbing a glass of water. Soap quickly gave them a tour of the house and that they're free to pick a guest room of their choice. It was appropriate that they'd feel comfortable after a tough day.

"Nice place you got here, comrade. Why'd you give this all up for a life that's always hanging on the ledge?" Nikolai asked, tapping his shoulder.

"I don't even know." he muttered and Nikolai chuckled, making his way to the living room. The team was quick to adapt to the place. Roach and Ghost already chose their rooms and he assumed they already attempted to recover while the three older men gathered around the television and watched the news. Alex was by the telephone, probably contacting Samantha. He wanted to check on France himself, so he planned to go to his room and make a call.

"The New York attack stopped." Price discussed with Nikolai and Jack, the three began speculating about a lot of things. Soap would love to join in the conversation but he decided to update on Francine first.

His room looked the same as when he left, the same shade of blue wallpaper, the same color sheets that were changed weekly and the same things on top of his bedside drawer.

Dialing her number, which he subconsciously memorized, he immediately placed the receiver on his ear and anxiously waited for her to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" her voice sounded different over the phone, but it still sent shivers across his spine as soon as he heard it.

"Hey. It's me." he replied.

"Angelo?" she asked, her voice almost sounded like she's fighting herself not to laugh.

"It's John."

"I know, silly. Who would mistake you for anyone else with that accent." she retorted.

"Do ya like it?" he teased, making sure he emphasized his Scottish accent well.

"Why'd you call?" She changed the topic. She wasn't budging on his teasing, but he knew she's already blushing on the other side of the line.

"Did Price give you the landing coordinates?" he asked.

"Yeah. Maxine looked it up on the map. It looks like a shady house in the middle of nowhere. Who are you?" she joked.

"Great. I'll see you here. I-" he hesitated. He wanted to tell her how much he misses her. But even with his oozing confidence, he felt like chickening out this time.

"Yeah. We're on our way. Take care out there John." She said and dropped the call. Soap sighed and plopped himself on his bed, deeply sighing at his actions. This girl was making him crazy… and the funny thing is he's all fine with it.

Next Chapter : Going Dark - Part 3

Notification Squad my Beloved

@smokeywhalee @samatedeansbroccoli @enderio @beemybee @whimsywispsblog @ricinbach

#horrayfic #codmw #john soap mactavish #john price #simon ghost riley #alex echo 3 1 #gary roach sanderson #whateverittakes

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sincerelyasomebody · 4 years

Text

Give An Inch || Oscar "Spooky" Diaz

(GIF Credit: @merakiaes)

A/N: Not proofread, apologises. Feel free to point out any mistakes with the Spanish translations. Thanks!

Pairing(s): Spooky x Reader ▪︎ The Core 5 x Reader (platonic relationship)

Summary: A helping hand is mistaken for something else.

Warnings: fluff, language, mention of smut (very light), mentions of a baby, sexist comments,

Word Count: 1815

- ♤ - ♡ - ◇ - ♧ -

"Come on, (Y/N)." Jamal begged, trying to snatch the bag filled with candy, "just one more and I promise I'll stop asking."

"No, Jamal," she reprimanded the teenager, "you've eaten enough candy as it is."

He huffed, the rest of the group laughing at his misfortune. Oscar shook his head, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, clicking his tongue, "eh, just give him one."

She looked at him, "and have him throw up on himself? I don't think so." She glanced over at the group and back at him, "besides, he keeps grabbing the (flavour) ones and there's hardly any left."

With a laugh, he kissed her forehead, "so it's not about his well being? It's 'cause he keeps taking the ones you like?"

"Shut up," was her response.

That made him laugh harder, causing the group of teenagers to look back at the couple. Cesar smiled at how carefree his brother looked whereas his friends were still surprised, despite knowing of the couple's marital status.

They and their families, the Santos and (Y/N)'s family were present at the courthouse, a simple but elegant affair. Despite her mother's protest about a big wedding, (Y/N) was more focused on spending the rest of her life with Oscar and Cesar (they were a packaged deal). She didn't care where they got married.

It had been months since that court appearance and (Y/N) and Oscar had fallen in love with each other more everyday. Yes, they had their disagreements, but before the sun set apologises were said and a round of cuddles were given. He may have been a tough Santos leader, but Oscar was big on affection.

A relaxed date night for the pair turned into an eventful group outing. (Y/N) didn't mind, having grown accustomed to having the teenagers around (even Jasmine with her big personality, something she really admired). Oscar was annoyed, but adjusted to having her attention shared.

The teenagers began to disagree on whether to try their luck with the games or grab a bite to eat. The girls wanted to play some games and the boys wanted to get some more food. (Y/N) decided to make the decision for them, looking at Oscar, "you go with the boys and I'll go with the girls," she laughed, taking note of his unimpressed look, "they're not that bad."

Right on cue, Jamal and Ruby began arguing about the most problematic person in the 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days cast. Cesar stood by, saying nothing and somehow got dragged into the debate. (Y/N) shook her head and pecked Oscar's cheek, "good luck."

And with that, she walked off with the girls in tow.

The three walked around for quite a bit before deciding on playing Whac-a-Mole; no lines, reasonably priced and the prizes were really good. (Y/N) handed the attendant the money and watched the game light up.

"How do you plan on winning?" Monse asked, knowing that a bunch of the games were rigged.

"By imagining something that pisses me off," she replied. Both girls quirked an eyebrow and watched as she hit almost every single mole that popped out of its hole. When the game ended, she glanced over at them, "see?"

They laughed at her chosen stuffed animal being a wolf, knowing her obsession with dogs, when the attendant asked about her prize. Taking a step back, she allowed the girls to decide if they wanted to play a game.

Unbeknownst to her, a figure had been watching from afar and decided right at that moment to start up a conversation.

(Y/N) felt a presence move closer, she smiled thinking they were passing by, but instead stopped right in front of her. Her eyebrows furrowed, as she took in the person; solid build, tall and tanned skin.

"The name's Damian," he introduced himself.

She nodded, "hello, Damian, I'm (Y/N). Did you need something?"

Before he could reply a mallet hit the side of his head. She covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, eyes looking at the direction of where it flew to find Monse nodding towards Jasmine, the girl giving a sheepish grin. (Y/N) turned back around to find Damian rubbing his head.

"Well… uh, that was… something," he muttered, picking up the object and holding it out.

"Sorry," Jasmine apologised, taking it and giving it back to the attendant.

(Y/N) noticed his cheek darkening, "you might need some ice for that," she held up her finger, "follow my finger, please." A couple seconds later, she concluded, "you don't seem to have a concussion, but you should check out the medical tent."

He smiled, "you in the medical field?"

"A nurse at the local hospital."

"Beauty and brains," he complimented

She shook her head, "come on I'll take you," she glanced over her shoulder, "tell the guys where I'm going, okay? I shouldn't be long."

Monse and Jasmine nodded at her instructions, sharing a look when she walked around the corner, hopefully Spooky wasn't nearby.

But of course, luck wasn't on their side.

"You girls win anything?"

They turned around and found Cesar walking ahead of the group, a grin plastered across his face holding up a teddy bear and handing it over to Monse. Jamal and Ruby holding a slushie and a churro in their hands. Spooky took notice of the missing figure, his eyes staring at the pair, "where's (Y/N)?"

Jasmine piped up, "at the medical tent," when she noticed their concerned faces she quickly added, "don't worry, she's not hurt. She took a guy there 'cause I hit him in the head with a mallet."

"You hit him with a mallet?" questioned Ruby, taking a sip of his slushie.

"Sí, pero no propósito," she gestured to the truck, "I was using it for the game, they really need to tape that shit down."

Jamal's eyebrows scrunched together, "aren't those things attached?"

"Yeah, they are," Monse replied, "well.. one used to be."

As the group got on the subject of other carnival games, they didn't notice Spooky slipping away to find (Y/N). Always being down to help whoever with whatever, it didn't come as a surprise to him hearing she had walked the guy over to the medical tent. It was a trait he loved about her, but of course it had setbacks.

With a heart as big as hers, there were some people who liked to take advantage of her goodwill.

If the guy fell into that category, then he was in for a rude awakening.

He walked around the corner, avoiding a bunch of kids running with their parents trying to keep up with them. Passing by several tents he found the one he was looking for. It wasn't that hard as an ambulance, cots and paramedics stuck out among the food trucks and carnival games.

His eyes focused on her, her hands clutching a stuffed animal, a smile crossed his face taking note of it being a wolf. She let out a laugh and continued talking to the person next to her. He moved towards them, his pace picking up when he noticed her twiddling her thumbs, a subtle sign that showed she was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"Cariño." He called out.

Her head turned in his direction, a big smile on her face as she rose to her feet. When he was close enough, she wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. When she released her hold, she pecked his lips.

Quickly bending down to pick up the wolf plushie.

After shaking it, she held it up to his face, "say hello to the new love of my life."

He kissed his teeth, "new love? The only new love of your life is gonna be the baby I put in you, esta noche."

She gasped and hit his chest, laughing when he pulled her in and kissed the top of her head.

"Uh… you're taken?"

The couple turned to the figure holding the ice pack to his cheek. (Y/N) nodded, "yep, happily taken." Holding up her left hand to reveal just how taken she was.

Damian shook his head, "you're married and walking around as if you're single? Wow, aren't you a great catch."

Her eyebrows furrowed, at the switch in his tone, "excuse you?"

"You led me on."

"Led you on?" She scoffed, "how?"

He gestured to the tent, "you brought me here."

"Yeah, I brought you here to make sure you were okay," she replied, "and before you say anything about me staying with you, I thought I'd keep you company before your friends arrived."

"You have to train her better," Damian shifted his focus to Oscar, "can't have your wife leading men on like some bitch in heat."

Before (Y/N) could blink, Oscar gripped the front of Damian's shirt and pulled him close their nose centimetres apart, "don't fucking talk to her like that, understand me?" Damian just blinked, causing Oscar to give him a shake, "I asked you a question."

He nodded, "yeah, I won't. Ever again."

Oscar loosened his grip, nodding towards the bruising on the side of his head, "next time it'll be a bullet," at the scared look he received, he smirked, "now, apologise to my wife, pendejo."

"I'm sorry."

"She has a name."

"I'm sorry, (Y/N)."

"What are you sorry for?"

"I'm sorry, (Y/N) for calling you a bitch and assuming that you were interested." Damian apologised.

She nodded, "thank you."

"When a woman is interested, she'll make it clear that she's interested." Oscar explained, "if she isn't interested, back off."

"Right, got it."

"But with your obscured view on women, I doubt they'd be interested," (Y/N) snickered, "all that muscle on you and you're nothing but a punk ass bitch."

Oscar held her hand in his, giving the back of it a kiss, "come on," when they were about a metre away, (Y/N) called out, "enjoy the rest of your night, Damian. You sexist pig."

This received a few stares from those surrounding the other tents but the couple kept walking as if nothing had happened. (Y/N) allowed Oscar to lead them back to wherever the group of teenagers were. When she spotted them, she stopped her movement, causing Oscar to halt in his.

"What's wrong?"

She smirked and moved in close, fingers fiddling with the button of his shirt, "do you wanna get started?'

His eyebrow arched, "get started on what?"

"On putting that baby in me…. Unless, you've changed your mind and -"

She laughed when he gripped her hand and dragged her in the direction of the car, throwing a comment about texting Cesar that she wasn't feeling well and to stay the night at Monse's when she asked about the group noticing their disappearance.

- ♤ - ♡ - ◇ - ♧ -

Spanish Translation(s):

Sí, pero no propósito - yeah, but not on purpose

Cariño - dear or darling

Esta noche - tonight

Pendejo - asshole or bastard

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traumasurvivorshelpingsurvivors · 3 years

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tw death , suicidal thoughts

hello, here to unload my feelings i guess? i've been hearing news of deaths, and seeing the extent of people grieving about their family member's death brings forth complicated feeling in myself. for context i don't love my family, and while i'm actually kinda neutral and don't dislike them or wish them ill will, i have this want to get away from my family because they're bad to my mental well-being. they're not bad people, but being stuck with them 24/7 during the pandemic makes my mental health worsen to the point of having mild suicidal thoughts. it's not bad enough that i actively want to kill myself, but i do think of death sometimes. so back to the topic, i just... feel kinda guilty for feeling like this? there's the feeling that there are people being sad their family member is dead, and here i am not being thrilled of staying alive. also, one of my biggest wish is to one day completely cutting off contact with everyone from my family, and again, seeing people so devastated from their loss just makes me feel like... an asshole? i'm not exactly sure myself how to put my feelings into words... but it's probably something like "i still have family members around me, the way these grieving people no longer do, yet i'm not being grateful and instead wants them to be gone? how selfish of me." honestly to be honest i don't even care what happens to my family once i'm gone, they can be having the time of their life and being happier than when i was with them and being a burden who hinders their happiness, so technically my wish is just wanting the best for everyone involved, but i just can't shake off the feeling of me being selfish asshole who can't appreciate the gift of family

Hey friend,

I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling. I totally sympathize with having a family that’s hard to get along with, and with COVID making it hard to do anything besides stay at home, it’s understandable you’re going through this. If your mental health takes a turn for the worse, please do not hesitate from contacting local suicide prevention organizations.

Is this feeling of selfishness stemming from any particular source?? Sometimes, with people who are very self centred, they want others to feel like they’re a grand gift to the world, and you’re selfish for not appreciating them enough. You don’t have to be eternally grateful to your family, and you shouldn’t feel selfish for not wanting to.

Family CAN be a gift, but for many people it’s not. So when people are grieving, I think it’s safe to assume these are people who are liked by those doing the grieving. You can dislike your family without snubbing your nose in the face of the bereaved, especially considering you just wish to cut contact as opposed to celebrating their deaths (but no shame to those who do celebrate the deaths of their abusers).

Parents in general are usually tough to deal with in early adulthood, so you’re incredibly valid for wanting to cut contact. Once you’re out from underneath them, you may reconsider NC and may eventually grieve them one day. Or not, either choice is great. But regardless of everything, whatever choice you make, you should never be feeling like you’re supposed to feel a certain way towards others.

Hopefully this helped ease your mind anon.

Mod Soul

#trauma talks #suicide tw #death tw #mod soul

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robyndehood · 3 years

Text

My Son's Story (pt. 1)

DISCLAIMER: I Know it's a bit of a long read, but it's important. Please read. I promise it isn't boring. Thank you!

Hi Everyone,

Intro

This is my first real attempt at Tumblr. Please contact me if anything I post violates a rule or is not considered appropriate. Anything I post, I truly mean no harm nor offense to anyone. But I need to write daily again to regain my gift and share it with the world. I have been working on my version of the "great American novel" for years. As a child, I was well on my way to becoming a successful author, but people had other ideas for my career path - and to put it bluntly - my contribution to society. Writer's block set in and then what was second nature to me - creative writing, became a lost skill. Or maybe a distant memory. Writers know that half the struggle as an artist is the dilemma of our own aspiration towards perfection. But nothing is perfect. It is a social construct and the antithesis of true beauty.

The Ultimate Birthday Gift

So, that said, let's talk about my son. He's three - he's actually turning four in December. He was born on my birthday and has been the greatest gift that I have ever received. I won't pretend that he is perfect or even generally compliant with my directions. But he's loving. He's empathetic. He's brilliant. He's beautiful. And most of all, he is the sweetest person I have ever met.

I am going to go slightly off-topic for a bit; just to paint the full picture. I don't want to ramble and I am definitely a believer that a short and to the point message is almost always far superior to a long and complicated message. But bear with me because this snippet of the backstory is essential. And my son's story is important.

Appalachia

We live in Pittsburgh, part of the Appalachian Mountain Range. There is no other way to say it than the unadulterated, ugly truth of it - Pittsburgh is racist. Very racist. Beyond that, there is a general lack of common courtesy to outsiders, customers of businesses, other patrons in stores, etc. And the rudeness, is actually pretty much unrelated to the racism. It sounds strange and surely, minorities who are on the receiving end of it would certainly assume that racism was the reason why they said "excuse me," "thank you," etc. and about half the time are ignored like they're a ghost. But don't get it twisted - there are many times the aforementioned behaviors by many Pittsburghers IS induced by racism AND a lack of common courtesy and manners. You see, their deep-seated tribalism is indoctrinated into many Pittsburghers so completely from a young age that they know no different. It would be difficult for them to understand this article and I'd bet anyone ten bucks that if enough PIttsburghers read this post - they will attack my analysis of Pittsburghese culture as though the post itself is a blitz on the entire city.

Brown or White?

I am latin and there aren't many latins in Pittsburgh. But when we moved to Pittsburgh when I was in seventh grade, people knew my last name. Summer had just passed and I do get brown. I can get brown very quickly in the right type of sun and I get brown eventually in the sun that exists in cloudy and northern Pittsburgh. In seventh grade, some boys decided it would be funny to call me "estupido," and up until two years ago, I avoided sun exposure that would reveal my "brownness" like the plague.

Subversive, Subconscious, and Secret Racism

So, not long after I started that strategy, I was treated as white. (Side note: latins can be any race; but it seems that societal constructs are seeking to change this long accepted designation and categorize latins as some in between, brown race and not an ethnicity. To be honest, I am ok with that and now proud to be latin.)

The reality of being treated white in Pittsburgh for many years was that I learned what white people actually said when they were only with other whites. The most common thing that was said was one white person mumbling to other white people that someone was a "dumb n******" or a "dumb monkey." I've heard white adults refer to children who were black as "n***lets." But it was always this crocodile smiling through their teeth behavior. They'd never dare say it to a black person. Instead, they'd just indirectly discriminate against them.

I do have to mention that by no means do all Pittsburghers behave this way. It's just too many of them. I don't know the percentage, but if I had to guess I'd say - 50% plus.

Yes, Racism Happens All The Time Even if You Don't See it Happen

Many white people will tell you that racism is gone because they don't ever observe it and Obama was president - a black president. Therefore, everything is now over. I can admit that I have experienced my share of discrimination when my skin darkens. But I had no clue how bad it was for black people out here until my son became the recipient of the ugliness of it all. To me, racists are by definition ignorant cowards; so it makes sense they'd pick on a small boy whose only family is his mother.

Evil Always Starts Slowly

If one reviews history, every evil dictator or regime began slowly chipping away human rights. By the time the citizens realized the dire state of their country, it was too late. Their freedoms were already taken away and mechanisms to fight back had also been methodically erased.

When my son was born - a boy who is half African (his father (if you want to call him that since he is basically not involved) is from Ghana); no issues arose for the first two and a half years. But then the indirect discrimination started. The same rules that applied for white children didn't apply to him. I could give so many examples. But let's just say, as a rambunctious boy, if my son mimicked a white boy's same rambunctious behavior, we were confronted and the white family was not confronted.

One day I made an appointment for my son's hair to get cut at Philip Pelusi. They made the appointment knowing that he was only two and a half. The receptionist let me know that the stylist was a "Grade A Stylist," so I would have to pay more. I was fine with paying more; cool. After the appointment was made, I mentioned to the receptionist that my son was mixed race. We ended the call and I began to get my son ready to leave. Within ten minutes, the salon called back and informed me that they didn't/wouldn't cut my son's "type of hair." I promptly returned the call and explained his hair was curly, that's all. They blatantly lied and told me that the stylist doesn't cut ANY curly hair. Right. So, if a white lady came in with curly hair she would be turned away? I doubt it. Either way, the stylist is "Grade A." She is also licensed to cut hair by the state. Shouldn't a requirement for state licensing require one to know how to cut all "types of hair"?; I saved the recording, by the way, and still have it.

As months progressed, little by little wherever my son and I went in "white areas," we felt hostile vibes. Other incidents occurred that couldn't be proven as racial discrimination, but I knew. Whites behaved as though my son didn't deserve to be around them.

Southern Hospitality

We traveled down south a few times in the past year. Yes, some of the south is very racist still to this day. But not where we drove. Suddenly people responded when we said "excuse me," "thank you," etc. No white families prevented my son from playing with their children. No one told me my son was a nuisance or put out that vibe.

The Lesser of Two Evils?

But we had to come back each time because we live here and I've been working my way out of the projects that I have lived in for four years. Shootings. Open drug use and sales. The smell of crack in the hallways. Infestations in other apartments that come our way no matter what we try. People peeing on the hallway floors. Yes, seriously. Young children being encouraged to bully and beat up other kids. Children stealing or attempting to steal my son's toys because their mothers buy them none. Gamgmembers as young as twelve.

So, I concluded: "yes, we will move, but until then, we only sleep in our apartment and we do not play at the projects' playground." I figured IF I saved a certain number of money since I have a car that I saved for and bought last year, we would make it in our new, chosen city (Tampa or Jacksonville).

But then the racism against my son in the "white playgrounds" became worse. One day he was playing with a five year old boy at an indoor playground. The mother had no issue with it. The father of the boy arrived half an hour in, promptly scooped the boy away from my son, and told his son that he had told him he was not to "play with n*****s." My son couldn't understand why he could no longer play with his new friend and kept calling to him, "friends again!" while sobbing because he thought he had upset the boy. I had to leave with my son because of it.

Another time, a ten-year-old boy taunted my son on an outdoor playground and called him a "dumb monkey." My son first attempted to yell, "I NOT DUMB MONKEY," a few times; but the boy persisted and even smirked in my direction. My son ran to me and asked me to make the boy stop. No parent in sight and again, I just had to leave with my son.

Enough is Enough

Finally, last month or so, my son and I were at our usual laundromat doing laundry. We had finished. My son skipped a few steps in front of me and tried to open the glass door but couldn't push the bar to open it because of his height. He placed (yes, placed..lightly) his foot on the door to try to give it a bit more of a nudge. I was a few seconds behind him so just pushed the door open and we went to our car to load our clean laundry into it. In retrospect, I saw an older white male go next door to the beer store right after we walked out of the laundromar. The beer store employee approached us as I loaded my laundry into my car and then intended to leave.

The beer store employee told me he was getting "reports that kids were kicking glass." He said kids. Plural. And what he said made me envision a bunch of grade school kids kicking around broken glass on the sidewalk or parking lot. I responded calmly that "I have one kid and he's been with me the whole time. He wasn't involved." The beer store employee wanted drama to transpire. It was obvious. He said in a threatening manner: "Just so you know, I have cameras." My son and I exchanged glances because we were confused. What kids? Kids were kicking glass. Where? What glass?

Again though, I calmly responded that my son wasn't involved and he should check his cameras. He told me he was calling the cops. So I got my three-year-old son in his car seat and set a time limit of ten minutes to wait. We weren't running when he didn't do anything. The cops of course showed up about a minute later. It's ridiculous because in our projects (different police department than the laundromat police department), there have been shootings where children were outside playing when several clips were emptied into crowds and the police station is a block away. I know people called and it took an hour for them to arrive on scene.

Long story short, the laundromat cops knew it was a bullshit call. The supposed "kicking glass" was because my son placed his foot on the door to try to open it when we were LEAVING. The police eventually informed us that was the alleged "kicking of glass." There was no kicking that happened. The door wasn't even dirtier, let alone damaged because my son tried to use his foot to open the door. Lightly, by the way.

Even though the police were kind to my son, for the next week, my usual gregarious child was terrified to go anywhere. He eventually told me it was because "the cops will chase me and take me to jail because I bad guy now."

He's over it now. Mostly.

But we still have to pick between the craziness of playing at our aforementioned projects or going to a "white playground" and risking my son being rejected. It's usually a 50/50 shot that he will be rejected. If he gets rejected, he gets very upset.

Again, these are problems we never faced on our travels down the southern eastern seaboard. We didn't get treated like this at the destinations or on the journey by car to and from the destinations.

I knew we were living in an extremely racist and rude area, but one day I found this. It's a map delineating the results of a study conducted by Google and others regarding the level of racism in different parts of the country.

I already knew this much. But it's good to know I'm right that we are in the worst part of the U.S. for racism and the kindness we received traveling to those certain southern states was no illusion. And I did ask locals before I found this map if I was right that people are kinder to all colors in whichever given area.

Not the Worst Thing That Happened But the Last Straw

People talk a lot about Karens these days. This lady looked like she jumped right out of a Karen meme. My son was two feet away from her while we waited in line and she said as obnoxiously as possible: "Can you handle this? Please get him out of MY space." Yeah, I didn't let it go. At all. Her argument was that she said "please" so it's OK to make my son feel like a "this" and not a little boy. I held him while he sobbed. Long story short, I decided right then anywhere has to be better than this.

It isn't me just knowing people are being nasty to my son and I'm upset. He understands. He had an evaluation for something and he tested very well. He cried about each of these incidents. He just wants to make people smile and make friends.

So, next month we are going for it. I'm no where close to the aforementioned goal. I have some savings. We may end up in shelters at first after savings dry up in a few weeks. But we cannot survive up here. Nor can we advance here.

Side Note

I wrote this mostly to inform others of the status quo and reality of racism and the real effects it has on one tiny boy. And I know it will just get worse if we stay since it's this bad already.

But if you anyone knows of any resources to help us get on our feet in a month in Tampa or Jacksonville (Tampa is my first choice, but either one.) I have applied for housing, even though I didn't and don't want to go back to projects; but I'd take one down there over watching my son endure so much pain any day of the week.

Ok, so final part: I'm going to say upfront I feel extremely awkward with this paragraph because this isn't my way (years before my son was born I was homeless for a stint and never sat with a sign or a cup. Just couldn't do it), but for my son, I'm going to drop my cashtag here. Everyone is struggling and I know there are people with much worse problems. I appreciate anyone who has read this far and can help spread the reality of what I wrote about. That's the reason for the article; but if help is received at all because of it, we would be grateful but it's definitely a far second most important reason for the post. Here it goes, for my baby, in case it'll change his life and give us that better foot up, here it is: $RobyndeHood

#black love #blm #race and politics #kids #parenthood #parenting #latinboys #latin women #writers on tumblr #black lives matter #black stories #nonprofit #karens

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mysticalmusicwhispers · 3 years

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HELLO I'M BACK!! GUESS WHO HAS A TERM BREAK COMING IN A FEW DAYS I'M VERY HAPPY :D this ask is Very Long so i'm going to split it up into a few parts

part 1/2

But honestly, it would probably be something like “I’m going to bring a (dead) chicken to class for show and tell and you two need to act horrified and cause a ruckus because it would be fun and it would scare the other kids :)”. (this is probably bullying, so in an effort to make them slightly better kids, an alternative plot is that a stray cat has been coming to their school and in order to make friends with it, they feed it a whole-ass dead chicken Nyo China got from the butchers and was planning to cook for dinner. The teachers are horrified and confiscate Yao’s backpack for fear of germs and salmonella.)

hhhhhh the first idea is SO FUN my gremlin repressed anger eight year old self would've loved it. the idea of bringing a stinking plastic bag to school, opening it, revealing a dead, fly-infested chicken and then maybe playing a small game of lobbing the chicken around for funsies is both simultaneously horrifying and amazing. however the second idea is also amazing, one of my previous schools had stray cats and staff and students would feed and pet them (and i miss it :( ) and it was the Best feeling... or maybe they could do BOTH? but this time they're planning to bring a dead chicken to feed the cat (aw, even if yao probably gets detention. also a lecture from nyo china on what exactly you should feed a cat, including why you shouldn't steal the chicken she bought to feed it.) and the next time they can bring like. a bunch of dead flies to show their classmates but in a not bully way. i went once to this family friend's house in a part of the countryside that had an abundance of flies. (i literally haven't thought of this in years i'm remembering so many childhood things because of this omg) they had this paper covered with glue that the flies would land on and then be stuck on the paper. it was both disgusting and amazing to watch a black mass of bulbous bodies straining with their legs (which were probably thinner than my hair) to escape the paper. i also think that indchuran, being both little sadists in the making and having an abudnace of fascination like many children, would take great delight in watching an unsuspecting fly landing on the glue, watch it still, glancing around eerily similarly to when humans realise they have gotten themselves in a bad situation, and then start struggling with all their might to get out. but fuck the flies tho they landed on our food all the time there and it sucked. they can die :)

THE PROBELM is... how will they get that many flies in what i assume would be a gentrified ass area with frequent fumigation efforts given that nyo china would not accept anything than the best elementary education for her ward?? (i have a solution) maybe indus has friends in the countryside and she goes with aditya to visit them. and while they are talking aditya wanders about and discovers a few pieces of paper filled with flies. because he is a gremlin, he is Fascinated with these pieces of paper, and he takes one out to Further Examine. all the adults yell at him, but he is Fascinated and will not be stopped. and then a Thought occurs to him: who would probably enjoy this as much as he would? duh, his friends of course! good things must be Shared even if they're kind of disgusting! so what he does is he gets a disposable plastic tupperware like container, very gently places the fly paper into it, pokes a few holes for air, sprinkles some sugar because he thinks that'll keep them alive, and wraps most of it up in duct tape he found so indus can't see it. unfortunately most of the flies died on the way home because the container was stuffed into aditya's bag and the paper slid to the side + there wasn't enough air, BUT the dead flies are still a Sight to behold when he visits iran's house (which yao is /coincidentally/ visiting) to show them. then he brings it to school after the weekend, and everyone is Fascinated and thinks it is Very Cool, at least until the teachers see it and start screaming. they throw it away but indchuran get an Idea to put dead flies into the bags of people they hate (this is now just bullying) so that opens up a very few interesting weeks of attempts to collect flies in a fumigated city and Horror for the school. fun times for all!

😔 finding and reading that encyclopedia is probably one of my formative memories now and i wish it wasn't 😔 i bet yao during his teenage years would look back on it and be like "... oh my GOD." but i think he would appreciate her directness even if he didn't absorb all the information correctly or remember most of it lmao because it seems like only a very small percentage of the world has actually good sex ed and i don't think indchuran's school would be an exception. at least nyo china like you said instilled a good sense of consent with them 😔 also the idea of saying fuck in mandarin makes me break out in hives the AUDACITY of saying fuck in your first language but of course he would. he WOULD. nyo china probably wouldn't even have purposely taught him that which is why he doesn't know what it means, just that it's an insult, but once they come up to her to complain all she does is give them a Terrifying Contemptuous Glare and steer yao away from them. yao is her kid and therefore entitled to say fuck whenever he wants.

First things first I hope you had a good term break! this is... very overdue sorry about that :(

Second, ALSK:FJ:SLFDKSFDLKJSLDF the fly infested chicken is disgusting and I want so badly to intervene,,, they need hELP. Please learn about proper sanitation, children, I’m begging you T-T. Also, headcanon accepted: they’re ostensibly bringing it to feed the cats (which is hopefully allowed) but also they want to terrorize (or awe) their fellow classmates with this discovery. Watch the school call up nyo china about this, but she gets annoyed only because yao wasted human food in order to feed cats, not because he brought an inappropriately dead chicken to school that scared the younger kids and fellow classmates lol; what a great value system. Also this scenario def happened: School: your child got in a fight. Nyo China: Oh no! Did he win?

I am both fully revolted and half fascinated by the flypaper thing because on one hand I CANNOT stand flies, and killing them is 178% gross. But also the way you described it is... very compelling and I would like to experience that, gross as it is lol. So yea I can definitely see those three nastily observing the flies getting stuck to the flypaper one by one... they all intently watch the flypaper with round and curious eyes and it really looks very cute from far away, three heads of fluffy hair close together and bent over something, carrying on an animated whispered discussion, until you get closer and see that they’re watching flies on flypaper •—•;; An even more gross scenario would be if one of them accidentally squashes one and they crowd around to see what fly guts look like 😭 bonus points if it happens during school. Also YES to Indus’s countryside friend; I feel like India would have a lot of fun exploring over there and would be able to bring back v cool stories for city slicker Yao, and also Iran (although I don’t know where they’d live precisely. I feel like they’d probably have a medium sized house with very nice art and Classy furniture (they got good taste from somewhere), but they’d also knows a lot about how rural areas work and stuff, so uh.. suburbs? Or something like that?)

“then he brings it to school after the weekend, and everyone is Fascinated and thinks it is Very Cool. . .” O—O sigh... three balls of absolute chaos. At least the other kids are fascinated this time instead of apprehensive ^-^ but the dead flies in lockers AL:KDSLFDSJF PLEASE NO me as an elementary student would have been absolutely horrified and I. really hope they get detention for that lol; Please Tone Down kids 😔 (also do y’all get flies in the lights at school? Because every single classroom I’ve been in has either had flies, wasps, moths, or some other black spots in the lights and they’d multiply as the year went on 😭 I never thought about it too much but... what if they linger around to watch the lights get cleaned? o-o)

“i bet yao during his teenage years would look back on it and be like "... oh my GOD."” YEAH there’s always a select few memories that make you realize “what even WAS that” and I think this is one lol. Yao just buries it in the back of his spacious mental closet and makes India and Iran swear not to bring it up again but inevitably they do :))))) they find it rather hilarious, actually. Also yes at least Nyo China did a good job in that department!

“also the idea of saying fuck in mandarin makes me break out in hives the AUDACITY of saying fuck in your first language but of course he would” lol I wrote that thinking he'd call someone a 王八* (because it could technically pass as a regular noun o-o. Who knows, maybe he was insulting someone for being slow like a turtle but it got out of hand due to word choice lol) but... the second scenario is quite something... I don't know whether I should laugh or cry. RIP the other parents who just have to fervently hope that disgraceful kid from next door grows out of his foul mouth soon (he never does, just gets better at pretending his language is elegant and not at all dirty XD)

*for non mandarin speakers 王八 is literally a soft shelled turtle, but is actually a pretty big insult in mandarin :)

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punkscowardschampions · 4 years

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Ava & James

Ava: So, campus bars Ava: Avoid entirely or cheap enough to make the cringe worth it? 🤔🤔 James: use your student loans wisely enough that cheap is avoided entirely Ava: Ugh 😏 I thought you'd give real advice if I got you off the clock James: go with your gut, option 1 James: you're not striking me as someone to base their social life around KCLSU's quiz night Ava: I love trivia like I love cheap white wine spritzers and school spirit James: knew you'd fit right in Ava: Can I put that resounding endorsement on my application then, James? James: it'll carry more weight if you accidentally add the I when you write my name James: but I didn't say that James: slip of the pen, that's all Ava: My lips are sealed Ava: There's plenty of time to meet him and double up on kudos James: I hear the girl's hazing rituals are savage James: stand you in good stead that will Ava: No one is scarier than a high school girl Ava: Nor as petty and sadistic Ava: I think I'll survive James: they've toned it down since that girl had a mental episode post head shave James: sure you will Ava: Very chic Ava: Do you wait 'til the UCAS app has gone through to drop the horror stories usually or are you really bad at this whole recruitment thing on purpose? James: it's my 1st time playing tour guide James: potentially I'm less than cut out for it Ava: I won't lodge a formal complaint Ava: Unless you're turning over DMs as feedback, in which case, awkward James: I won't be, some girls think I have more sway than I really do James: awkward indeed Ava: God Ava: Not even my first choice Ava: Though makes you wonder how effective attaching nudes to your cover letter would be James: they'd have to take that on a case by case basis Ava: 🤞 that you don't get the one token woman on the panel James: not your 1st choice, no need to cross anything Ava: Hypothetically, James II Ava: Why was it yours, then? Ava: Student life evidently not being it James: it was my only James: it's gonna end up being Teddy's too Ava: He hasn't turned up to business studies in time Ava: But slip of the pen, I get you James: my older sister got all the brains and none of the sense of fun Ava: Know the sort Ava: Bet I still likes you better though James: I wouldn't go that far Ava: Too far for a taster sesh Ava: Understood Ava: Don't suppose you'll point me in the direction of where you actually hang now then? James: I suppose I could Ava: Please Ava: Bored is an understatement Ava: I'll still show up all present and correct for the debrief thing tomorrow James: it's such a good thing here isn't your 1st choice Ava: You should give me the real tour Ava: I'll keep my lips sealed James: can't I get another please before you do? Ava: Please do not invite your brother Ava: He got us kicked out of Mahiki last month it was so tragic James: he's a disgrace Ava: Most of them are James: I don't associate with anyone who still goes to Mahiki regularly Ava: It's pretty played out James: if they'll let Teddy in they're getting desperate Ava: 😂 awh James: you ready now? Ava: Already out Ava: Figured you better pick me up from The Vault Ava: Consider it a mini hazing of my own James: keep your lips sealed that I'm going within 100 yards of the place and sure Ava: Don't worry Ava: The others are at the cinema or something equally as lame the school put on for our 'overnight entertainment' Ava: I'm sick Ava: No selfies James: the hangover'll make it look & feel convincing Ava: That's a promise you can put your wallet behind Ava: I am a guest James: you don't want put your fake ID on the line either Ava: Bold of you to assume I've ever needed to buy my own drinks 😏 Ava: I didn't bring it alright, shut up James: you don't need it, I'm only playing Ava: 😾 James: how many drinks has my brother bought you? Of course I need to 1 up him Ava: Total? Ava: Not as much as he'd like but lots Ava: Not trying to milk this sibling rivalry or anything, have known him ages Ava: Well before Mahiki would let him in, like James: hardly a rivalry, you know him well enough to realise Ava: True Ava: You do what feels right and I'll let you know by the end of the night then James: very straightforward James: I like it Ava: You don't know me well enough yet but that's par for the course James: I knew your brother for years & I didn't know him James: we'd need more than an evening Ava: I'm as comparable to my brother as you are to yours Ava: Probably James: show me, I'll show you Ava: Deal Ava: But we will need more than an evening Ava: to make it fair James: you can have until you're bored Ava: You'll want longer when you aren't anymore James: I'm used to things not lasting as long as I want Ava: I'm not your average Ava: You'll see James: bold of you to assume I've ever settled for average Ava: I didn't say THE average James: I heard you say my average Ava: No need to be offended by better, is there? James: bemused at most Ava: You're welcome Ava: but you are meant to be entertaining me, not the other way 'round James: you brought up fairness James: & it's a good point Ava: How do you propose we make it fair then? James: I entertain you tonight, you entertain me whenever you've thought of your own tour worth taking me on Ava: That's actually a good idea Ava: and entirely fair James: Teddy'll cost my dad more to secure his place than I did, I've got some brains on board Ava: No doubt Ava: Gave his name to the right kid, clearly James: My sister was undoubtedly relieved James: though Diana has its own pitfalls Ava: 😬 The jokes write themselves James: they do Ava: Perks of having a relatively untouched name James: it does suit her, she's very much a martyr Ava: Did you do an English degree? Ava: You're good at painting a picture with words Ava: See 👸 so clearly James: sadly not James: maybe I'll go back & do it if I ever finish the current one Ava: Student forever vibes Ava: Fuck real life James: then again, being the kind of dad who drops their kid off for classes & pulls up his own chair at the table doesn't sound like a great idea Ava: Just make sure its not their first choice, yeah? James: oldest's already smarter than me James: won't be a problem Ava: There you go then James: where's yours? Ava: Currently undecided Ava: It's more a case of sorting the 2-5 James: & how's that going? James: this place being a solid 5th Ava: Its been a solid mix of fun and boring working it out Ava: Better than another night in Mahiki at any rate Ava: I'll have to decide eventually but even my mum can't demand I do quite yet James: don't over complicate it James: they're not all that different James: I've got friends studying all over the map and they're still basically doing the same things I am Ava: See, that's what I figured Ava: But try telling that to a woman who was Cambridge or bust Ava: It's more about the vibe of the place, the people, the ethos and the lecturers not being the worst stereotypes of boring/creep Ava: again, if I tell her vibe is on my criteria she'd actually kill me before I could apply anywhere so 🤷 James: your secret's safe with me James: even if our mothers were friends, mine is currently not speaking to me Ava: How's that? James: it's something I'm fairly used to James: she's not a big talker James: more of a fan of a dismissive hand gesture Ava: Gotcha Ava: Not a whole lot to miss James: she's got lots to say about my parenting style but who hasn't Ava: Shame you don't talk to my brother now James: I don't suppose he sees it as a shame Ava: Probably not Ava: He's not one for regrets James: me either James: it's why we started out friends Ava: Feels like ages ago Ava: Since he still lived here James: it kind of is James: he left before he left Ava: It's complicated James: it's not my business Ava: Not mine either so Ava: Whatever James: car's here James: are you going to make me get out for you? Ava: You're meant to come in here Ava: Don't you trust I can keep my lips sealed? James: I don't trust it to be entertaining in there James: hence it's not part of the tour Ava: Please James: Oh Ava James: [but does come in we all know he would] Ava: [clearly making him stay for a drink and play pool or something in this student ass bar] James: [when you're whipped for someone you're not even dating lol] Ava: [When Chloe is your missus] James: [to be a fly on the wall in their relationship tbh literally imagine] Ava: [oh lordy how you have not been missed girl] James: [at least the new kid is young enough she can dress it up still and it can't talk back so she can pretend she gives a shit and isn't blowing his phone up rn] Ava: [in full show-off-to-all-my-friends mode still, somehow still has some lol] James: [lord when you don't even like and comment on pics of your own child anymore though bye do not approve of your aesthetic choices Chlo] Ava: [so awkward, when you only get a look in for the boring/hard bits] James: [basically just get to parent Jay cos she's well over that] Ava: [poor James tbh] James: [have your fun now lad I don't blame you even though everyone else will] Ava: [lord people gonna be SO mad] James: [how far we gonna take this during the tour cos obvs flirty vibes been flying about but like he can't just jump her cos married and she's younger] Ava: [she fully initiated this whole thing lbr but maybe don't sleep with him yet babe as you are aware he's married and has kids so like, some thought even though you young and reckless that, he could always stop it at a makeout 'cos then how embarrassing for her and she'd have to leave it for a bit like what was I doing, angst etc] James: [I vibe with that cos they are gonna be drinking a lot as the night goes on so that'd make both of them give less of a shit about the consequences but because the night is going on eventually chlo is gonna be like are you coming home ever because I like to think he hasn't cheated since she got pregnant with this kid and has actually been trying even though he's miserable af clearly] James: [like maybe it was really bad before and he was actually gonna leave her so she was like simply must trap him and did] Ava: [v much a her move I support it] James: [yeah cos she's invested this much time into him she's not just gonna let him go easily] Ava: [when you have no idea what you've signed yourself up for here babe] James: [I'm rooting for them rn cos nobody else is and I'm 100% that bitch, must not get invested yet when we've only just begun] Ava: [same tho so whoops] James: [he'd be so into it though too we all know that makeout would be 💣🔥] Ava: [hence breaking it off would be hard af, Chloe gotta be blowing his shit up to the degree he thinks maybe one of the kids is hurt lol] James: [literally Chloe is the teenage girl in this situation, girl chill out] Ava: [I'd feel bad if you hadn't also cheated loads and trapped him in this sham life soooo, grant you idk how much Ava knows of that rn but she'd clearly have a rep] James: [yeah I feel like Ava would be knowing some shit cos same circles and Chlo ain't slick plus like he's gonna eventually tell her cos god knows he needs someone to talk to] Ava: [we will get there boy] James: [at least it'll be less awks for her cos it'll be obvious that he didn't wanna break shit off and how hard it was to do] Ava: [there was obvs a vibe to pursue in the first place, still tomorrow morning lmao] James: [he'd so go too hard pretending she doesn't exist like nobody's picked up on the vibe and it ain't obvious okay boy] Ava: [I hope there's some other drama gone down on this little excursion so yous can fly under the radar, someone hold hands at the cinema lol] James: [shit like that always happens don't worry you two] Ava: [thank God for teenage shenanigans when you out here homewrecking on the low] James: [you should do some Chlo texts at me for the lols even if I don't reply cos busy lol]

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