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#and ‘Hank Green if he worked at Best Buy’
creature-reads · 3 months
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Creature's 2023 Top Reads
I was fortunate enough to read a lot last year and want to start interacting more with Bookblr in particular. Shoutout to Libby, the library app, through which I used to access a majority of works through. If you are an USA American and have a library card you too can access books, music, graphic novels and more through the Libby app for free.
These awards are made up by me, for my own enjoyment. I do not receive any monetary or other payment for recommending these authors. Please remember to buy books from your local stores when you can.
Best Fantasy- The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
A tale about a jewish Golem and a bedouin/arab Jinni who find themselves in New York during the early 1900s. I really must commend Wecker of how seamlessly her plot pulls together during the climax of the story, beautifully done. This is a slow non explicit romance of two people who are seen as outsiders even in their own communities. It is beautiful, it’s soft, it’s heart-wrenching. I love all these characters for their rights and wrongs. Arbili is innocent of all crimes, fight me.
Best Author- Hank Green
I read two books from Hank Green, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, and he is winning this for the glow up. While his first book wasn’t bad, the second was a definite improvement. His prose is clear and refreshing, tinged with his hope towards the future and his belief in the inherent good nature of humanity. His character development greatly improved as the series continued and I love characters who are completely aware how thin a line they are walking on, while knowing the only way out is through.
Best Fiction - Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut (not queer)
The tale of trauma and its effects from an American soldier who was a POW stationed in Dusseldorf Germany during the end of WWII. Recommended to me by a friend, I had doubts before starting this book. Reading it, however, I was pleasantly surprised to find an almost resignedly unreliable narrator and as you continue you realize its horror of war and grief that broke him and what keeps him going. So it goes.
Best New series - The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir
There's been a lot said about this series already, but I have to commend Muir in creating these increasingly unreliable narrators. This series is for people who see potential in a narrative and aren't afraid to dig. Comprised of modern humor, heartbreakingly tragedy, and horror of the most occult. It is easy to see why these books are so popular, especially here on Tumblr. This series has so much in it it’d almost be faster to list what isn’t. We’ve got a space-faring necromantic Empire run by Jod (effectively necromantic god emperor who’s also just a guy), rebels, body hopping, memes, stupid lesbians, smart lesbians, whatever Paul is, eye-color significance/powerups, mysteries, just a bit of murder(don’t worry about it), and a truckful of Catholic guilt.
Best Sci Fi -The Archive Undying by Emma Mieko Candon
BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR. This book will lure you in with giant robots and queer characters and proceed to destroy you with trauma, grief, and the betrayal of everyone you hold close including yourself. This book is not for the faint of heart. There are many comparisons to Pacific Rim and/or Evangelion, which aren’t incorrect. But I feel like a better description would be more along the lines of Brandon Sanderson with the depth and breadth of worldbuilding with character development written by …a mix of Ocean Vuong and Hayao Miyazaki?? I’ll probably end up doing a full review of this in the future. But I’ve found myself rereading this novel multiple times and finding pieces of foreshadowing, worldbuilding, and lore that I’d previously overlooked. The characters are real and their connections and relationships are bound together beautifully. If it sounds even remotely interesting to you, please try it. I and I and I.
Honorable mentions:
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
When Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu
Witch King by Martha Wells
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1, 6, 12, 39
get asked things, dork (affectionate
welp, get your reading glasses out everyone
1: 3 things that shaped me into who i am
-1: luck. from the classic things like being born in a wealthy western country, being white (not inherently lucky but made me privileged/safer), having a relatively nice familly with no financial struggle, etc, to smaller stuff. like, it's a miracle i was never bullied in school. if it wasn't for that one person, maybe i would've died. i had free access to the internet since i was like 9, and somehow never stumbled on stuff that was inapropriate for my age
i consider myself quite lucky, despite all the hardships
-2: being trans. sorry to the people who think it's cringe when we make it our whole personnality, but it is litteraly so important. so central. i cannot fathom what i would be like if i weren't trans. that's just not the same person
-3: having weird ass parents. by that i mean that they're almost not like parents, more like... people i lived with that cared for me? i of course mean that in the sense that i don't have any special emotional attachment to them and all, but also that it doesn't feel like they raised me because they transmitted so little to me. my way of seeing the world, my hobbies, my fears, my political opinions, my general knowledge, my understanding of myself and others, my skills, i got them from, well, not them. the internet school, my friends, but not my parents. truly, i don't really know these people
6: best and worst part of being online
i've been here most of my life, so all the bad is just part of it. yes, that's where all the haters are. sure, all of the horrible things in existence can be found here. but that's also where my friends are. that's where community is. that's my only way of accessing at least 50% of what makes me happy. it has taught me so much about the world and myself, has held so many fulfilling experiences for me
if i had to choose 1 worst, i'd say transmisoginy i guess? i dunno, girl, i'm not even popular enough to get hate mail
12: a piece of advice i'd like to give
like i said in a previous post of mine i'm just 18. i'm like a baby. i feel like the least qualified person on earth to be giving advice. but i'll say one thing: advices are kinda bullshit. in essence they're opinions you think will be helpfull to someone else. but in my experience, they rarely are, especially when talking about life choices, mental health and the such. i watched hundreds of hours of self help videos, listened to people, went to therapy, and i felt like a fucking moron. i knew all the things, i had the advice, but it wasn't working. in the end, what helped me crawl out of the pit is time, love, and a bunch of stuff i'll never know about. find what works for you and ditch what doesn't; it's not because a piece of advice is true that it is helpful. searching for your solution will probably work better than just trying to apply the solutions others found
39: a youtuber i'm obssessed with
hard and specific
brennan lee mulligan? absolutely obssessed. a youtuber? not really
thegreatreview (he's french)? amazing youtuber. so fucking talented. obssessed? not really
dougdoug? obssessed by his entire cinematic universe for a while now. a youtuber? maybe 50%? it's all twitch streams highlights
john and hank green? ok i'll stop there
let's settle for brian david gilbert then, the man so nice they named him thrice. please buy his bed.
most well known for his Unravelled series on Polygon's channel, like the one about the sonic bible or the one about the smash bros osha violations, his personnal stuff is simply perfect, sometimes whimsical, like "i wish that i could wear hats" or "Pumpkin Cowboy", sometimes horrifying, like the one about the american healthcare system or "Teaching Jake about the Camcorder, Jan '97", often a mix of both, like "we like watching birds" or "earn $20K EACH MONTH by being your own boss". his comedic genius is at its best when it is also at its weirdest. he's also the guy who made the sibling dance song, i guess
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vermillioncarousel · 1 year
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Winter warmth
Fandom: Shall We Date? Obey Me!
Pairing: Barbatos/F!MC(Reader)
Word count: 1584 words
Summary: Winter has arrived in the Devildom, and Barbatos worries for the human exchange student. He decides to give her a homemade scarf, but it turns out they both had the same idea.
It was common knowledge among demonkind that humans couldn't withstand the same temperatures they could. So, when the winds blowing from the Ninth Circle foretold the arrival of the harsh Devildom winter, Barbatos couldn't help but worry about a certain exchange student. Unlike Solomon, who'd use his magic to keep himself warm, and could survive conditions other humans wouldn't be able to bear thanks to his immortality, the other human currently in the Devildom would be unlikely to handle the cold of winter. And while he doubted that Lucifer and his brothers would allow MC to suffer, Barbatos still resolved to take precautions that would ensure her comfort and safety.
On one of his daily trips to the market, he ventured to an area he didn't need to visit very often, where the textile merchants sold their wares. Green eyes scanned the many stalls, salesdemons calling out the deals they were offering, but Barbatos’s gaze was drawn to one stall in particular. Colourful hanks of yarn stretched as far as the eye could see.
"Are you looking for anything in particular, sir?"
Barbatos's gaze shifted to the face of the salesdemon at the question. He supposed that he might as well get as much assistance in buying the most suitable material as he could.
"Which of your wares would be most suited for keeping a human warm?"
The demon hummed, their expression turning thoughtful for a moment.
"Suited for a human, eh? There are a lot of things to keep in mind for them, but I suggest using one of these." They waved their hand to a particular corner of the stall. "They're harmless to the human skin, of course, but these yarns are made from the fur of creatures with fire magic. They retain heat well, so they're well-suited for winter clothes."
Barbatos made his way to the part of the stall he had been directed to. He slipped one of his pristine gloves off, humming as his hands carded through the many colours, testing the texture and quality of the yarns. His eyes took note of the ones he thought would suit his human best, considering the ones most flattering to her complexion, eventually settling on a colour MC seemed to favour wearing often.
As he paid the salesdemon, he noticed them slipping a hank of bright teal in with the rest of his purchase.
"I beg your pardon, but I didn't pay for that-"
"That one's on the house," they interrupted him, smiling. "If you plan on using this yarn on what I think it's for, wouldn't you want her to think of you every time she wears or looks at what you've made for her?"
He made no attempt at arguing as they handed him his wares.
"Come again!" the salesdemon cheerfully called after him as he left, their words weighing on his mind.
Having returned to his room, Barbatos set to work. The design he had settled on creating was simple yet elegant, but he felt like something was lacking. His hand stilled as he drew the pattern for the scarf, the teal of the extra yarn drawing his attention from the corner of his eyes. The very idea of his human in his signature colour, thinking of him whenever she wore or even saw his gift to her, did things to him that spoke to the greed that slumbered deep in his bones and blood. It made him want to show her off as his, yet at the same time he wanted to keep the sight for his eyes only.
Shaking his head, he continued drawing, adding small sections of teal, making sure it was absolutely perfect before he began knitting. Regardless of his want to keep MC to himself, he would always be by her side, in a way, if she wore his gift.
He continued to diligently work on the scarf when time permitted him to, determined to finish it before the worst chill arrived, every stitch imbued with his affection, and the desire to keep his beloved human warm. The end result was Barbatos's best work yet, in his opinion.
After putting the finishing touches on the scarf, the butler neatly folded the fabric and carefully packaged it. Then he pulled out his phone to message MC, arranging for a time and place to meet up so he could give her the scarf. In the end, it was decided that they would meet up in front of Hocus Pocus in two hours, as she still had some tasks to finish at the House of Lamentation.
As the time for their meeting drew nearer, Barbatos couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous. He straightened out his clothing and hair, making sure he looked his best.The wrapped scarf had been put into a bag, and he made sure he wouldn’t forget to take it with him when the time came to make his way to his destination.
The Young Master had smiled knowingly at him as he made his way to the castle’s doors, and Barbatos couldn’t help but slightly quicken his pace, both eager to meet up with MC and to escape the inevitable teasing his prince had in mind.
He arrived at the meeting spot early, not wanting her to wait for him, but MC seemed to have had the same idea, smiling gently at him as he blinked in surprise. She, too, was carrying something, trying to hide it from view.
"I'm glad you agreed to meet up with me, Barbatos," MC said, nervously shifting her weight as she pulled something from behind her back: a neatly-wrapped package. "I… actually have something I want to give to you."
"What a coincidence," Barbatos murmured, stepping closer to her as he pulled his gift from his bag. "I have something I prepared for you, as well."
MC's eyebrows rose in surprise before she laughed softly, tucking her gift in the crook of her left elbow.
"It's probably for the best if we sit down somewhere before exchanging these. I want to see you open it."
Barbatos made a noise of agreement, returning his package to his bag before offering MC his arm and leading her to a nearby bench. They sat down closer than would be considered proper, but neither of them paid it any mind. MC shivered as Barbatos pulled out the scarf again.
"You're cold," he said softly, tilting his head to the side a little. The longer side of his hair swayed with the movement, the teal strands brushing the shoulder of his coat. "Please take this. It will be most helpful."
He handed her the package, waiting with bated breath as she unwrapped it, her eyes widening as she laid eyes on his gift.
"This is-"
"A scarf," Barbatos finished for her, watching as her hands gently ran over the knitted fabric, idly tracing the pattern. "I was worried about you, as humans generally are not very suited to the cold of the Devildom winter. Therefore, I decided to make this scarf for you." A gloved hand reached for one of her slowly reddening cheeks, tilting her face in his direction. "Will you permit me to put it on you?"
"Yes," came her whispered reply, turning to face the demon next to her more properly. "Thank you."
Barbatos took the scarf from her, deftly wrapping it around her neck. He smiled a more genuine smile than usual. His scarf looked good on her.
"And now for what I have for you," MC said as her face returned to its usual colour. She handed him the item she had been carrying around. Barbatos neatly opened it, pausing when his eyes fell on what was inside. Then he laughed, slowly unrolling a dark green scarf.
"It seems we had the same idea, hm?" he said, his eyes gleaming in amusement.
"We did," MC replied, reaching over to put the scarf on him. "I'm afraid my work's not as good as yours, though."
She made to remove her hand from his person, but Barbatos moved before he could think, taking her hand in his, rubbing his thumb in soft, slow circles against the back.
"I love it," he murmured. "Thank you."
"I didn't want you to be cold," she replied breathlessly. She craned her head up, meeting his gaze before leaning in, placing a gentle kiss on his left cheek.
His hand that wasn't holding one of hers came to her face, holding her in place as he leaned closer. She could feel his warm breath against her face, his lips giving hers the barest brush.
"May I?" Barbatos whispered. The only reply he got was her closing the nearly non-existent distance between the two of them, pressing her lips firmly against his as her arm wrapped around him, pulling him against her.
They sat like that for a little while, kissing as snow slowly started drifting down, until Barbatos broke their kiss.
"It will get even colder," he said, admiring her face as the snow caught in her hair. "Let's return to the Demon Lord's Castle. I'll make some tea to warm us up."
"I'd like that," she replied, taking his hand as she stood up.
And as the two of them made their way to the castle, a thought came to Barbatos.It wasn't just the scarves or the tea that would warm the two of them up that winter, but perhaps also the feelings they had revealed to each other that day.
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music-for-them-asses · 9 months
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For the soft asks!
Ivory, freckles, poppy, buttery, cupcake, velvet, shampoo and sweetheart
Thank you Sarah!! 😁
ivory - describe your pajamas?
I have a couple of sets, but they're all a variation on a tank top of shorts. I wear them year round because I am a very hot sleeper, unfortunately
freckles - most-worn article of clothing?
Definitely my dark green hoodie--I wear it to work, and in the cooler months it's my go-to. It's getting ratty though, I need to buy a new one lol.
poppy - favorite pastel color?
Blue and green!!
buttery - favorite snack?
This is tough!! I usually go for salty, so almonds or assorted nuts or a hunk of cheese. I also try to eat an apple a few times a week. If it's junk food, then it's dill pickle chips!
cupcake - are you a good cook?
I can (usually) follow a recipe, and I like most of what I make. I can follow instructions, but cooking doesn't come intuitively to me like it does my dad. So I have trouble coming up with ideas a lot.
velvet - who was your first crush?
Celebrity--Michael J. Fox in BTTF or Tom Hanks in The Money Pit Cartoon--Tai from Digimon IRL--A boy in my second grade class who was SO COOL and the best athlete and he loved POKEMON! 😂
shampoo - favorite scent?
Fresh rain and ocean air! That and freshly baked cookies haha!
sweetheart - favorite mug/cup?
I have several coffee mugs I love, but my favorite is the Pusheen mug my friend bought me! 😊
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rjhpandapaws · 2 years
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New Normal
Week 5: Werewolves
Read Night Life first
Week 5: Werewolves
Tina understood eventually that she would have to move on. That someday she would have to stop spending all of her spare time looking for Gavin because she was the only one that didn’t believe him to be dead. That moment of cold water awareness came when they finally found someone willing to fill the desk of a presumed dead detective. One Connor Arkait. It seemed like the world had finally moved on without her in toe. One day Gavin’s desk was still empty, the next there was a floppy haired bright eyed rookie detective taking his place. That wasn’t the only thing that had changed either, recently she had started taking care of a stray dog that made a habit of sleeping on her deck. It was a husky, or that was her guess from what she’d seen of it. After catching it out there a couple of times she had decided to buy dog food and a couple of dishes for them. In the mornings before she left and when she got home after work she would put food out for her companion. She was still looking for Gavin. He hadn’t left much of a trail after he disappeared from the night club on the arm of someone the cameras didn’t catch. The cab had gone to the house of one Hank Anderson, and when they had spoken with him he explained that yes he’d brought Gavin home with him, they did what one would expect, and he was gone by morning. His phone had shown the same thing and been inactive ever since. His online presence was much the same, there was nothing after that night. She had even tried talking to Elijah and Chloe to see if they had seen or heard from him, but they hadn’t gotten anything since he stormed out of the Christmas party. It was like he had vanished into thin air. There one moment and gone the next.
It was past the New Year, and winter was trying it’s best to give way to spring. She was still looking for him because there were moment she could almost convince herself she saw him. Maybe a glimpse of that familiar hoodie disappearing around the corner when she was on her morning run, or maybe the stranger at the gas station that was buying cigarettes had the same green eyes. The only constants in her life seemed to be that she was slowly losing it, she now sort of had a dog, and once a month Connor would come into the station looking like he was ill. There had been a time when Tina had tried her best to ignore Connor, or even convince herself that she could dislike him. She couldn’t, he was far too kind, and there wasn’t a crime against replacing someone who went missing at their job. On top of that she worried for him those days when  he came in looking rough. She made it part of her day to try and get him a cup of tea when she went to the breakroom since that seemed to be what he liked. It was after she had been doing this for the better part of six months that she noticed something. The mornings Connor came in looking like he’d fought mother nature and lost were usually after the nights her four legged friend didn’t eat their food. It was a stupid thing to suspect, and likely just to be a coincidence, but there was a time that she managed to convince herself that Connor and the husky-like dog she sometimes fed were the same being. It was dumb because things like that didn’t exist. Surely they would have been found out by now if they did.
It was something she was content to believe, or well try to, and she would have stuck to her ignorance if fate had been willing. As it seemed though, her determination to believe things directly resulted in their coming undone. It was getting close to Gavin’s birthday and she was gearing up to call out of work when she heard whining coming from her back deck. She checked the time, it was a little early for her dog to be here but she went to check anyway and as soon as they saw her they stood on their back legs and put their massive front paws against her sliding back door. It was definitely not a husky, it was too big. It was the excited bark that got her to open the door, which probably was a mistake, but it’s not like a dog attack would make her life any worse. Now that she’d gotten a closer look she was pretty sure whatever her companion was they were part wolf. They were friendly at the very least, and didn’t let her get too far from them. Calling into the station was easier when she was petting who she now considered to be her dog. Or it was until she looked down and saw that her hand came away with some blood on it. Her new friend didn’t seem too hurt so she wasn’t sure if it was their blood or not. She still tried to coax them into the bathroom to check. It took some investigating, but she found the cut on their shoulder. She was careful to clip away the fur around there and patched it up as best she could. He, as she came to find out, stayed very still which surprised her. She wondered if he had been a pet at some point and then been turned loose when he got to be too big. It was tragic, but something that wasn’t too uncommon. He didn’t have a collar or tags so she couldn’t be sure. She resolved to keep him overnight and take him into the vet in the morning.
Tina fed her surprise guest while she cooked her own dinner in hoped that it would keep him from begging. It didn’t, but it had been worth a shot, and it didn’t keep her from feeding him either. After dinner they settled on the couch to watch tv. Tina had tried with little success to keep him off the couch, but he gave her a look that reminded her a little of Connor and she gave in. He occupied what was left of the couch space and put his head in her lap. She petted him absently and by the time she was getting ready for bed, she decided having a dog wasn’t all that bad. She began to mentally call the dog Connor because of the sheer number of things he did that reminded her of her coworker. Once she was in bed he laid on the floor beside her bed. She remembered that vividly which was why she was so confused when he was gone when she woke up. There was no way he could have left on his own. She’d taken the week leading up to Gavin’s birthday off so she had the whole day to look for him. Her search ended at the end of the hall right outside her closed bathroom door which was closed when it had been open when she’d gone to bed. She always left it open in case she needed water in the night, it was closer than the kitchen. The light was on as well and she usually kept it off if she wasn’t in there. Out of habit she knocked on the door. She wasn’t expecting anyone to answer. “Just a moment.” Connor said, not the dog, but actual Connor, “I’ll be out soon.”
“Connor?!” Was all she could manage through the shock. These sorts of things weren’t supposed to happen in real life. Connor opened the door, and it wasn’t the sight of him that snapped her out of it, it was the fact that he was wearing the pajamas she kept at her place for Gavin. Gavin, who as far as she knew, wouldn’t ever get to wear them again. It was an odd thing to see a new friend in your old friend’s clothes. He cleared his throat and she realized she might have been staring for a little too long. “I, um, borrowed some of the clothes that were in the guest room, if that’s okay.” He said quietly, and she snapped the rest of the way back to herself and got out of the way. She wiped the tears from her eyes and gave a weak nod, “Yeah... it’s fine... he doesn’t exactly need them anymore does he?” The laugh she let out was a little too close to a sob for her liking. Connor looked rather uncomfortable, “Thanks for patching my shoulder, I didn’t realized I nicked it going under the fence.” “So I didn’t imagine it?” She muttered, “It’s been you then? The whole time?” “Not in the mornings.” He replied as Tina made her way to the kitchen, “That was my brother.” She started laughing again and it was just this side of hysterical, “Any particular reason?”
It was Connor’s turn to be awkward as Tina set about making coffee for herself and getting him some tea, “Gavin talks about you a lot, so I wanted to meet you.” “Gavin is alright?” She turned away from the stove, “Why hasn’t he said anything?” Connor looked down, “It’s complicated. He got turned and so it’s easier and honestly a little safer for everyone if he was presumed dead.” “So he’s like you?” She replied, “You seem to manage just fine. You look a little rough every month or so but other than that you seem fine.” “Not quite.” He amended, “He’s a vampire, I’m a werewolf. Once a month I go out of the city and let loose, bloodlust works a little differently. It’s going to take him a century or so to get a handle on it.” She sighed quietly, “This sounds so unbelievable you know.” “I could take you to see him if you would like.” He replied as the kettle began to whistle. She took it off and poured the water in the waiting mug and held it out to him and then poured her own coffee, “That would be nice.” “We could go on his birthday if you would like, since its the weekend.” He suggested. “That works, it gives me time to get him a present, and adjust to the fact that one of the dogs I’ve been looking after - because there is two apparently- invited me to the Christmas party six months in advance.” “I didn’t think that through.” He laughed.
The rest of the week went by a bit strangely. She got to meet Silas who was her morning guest it seemed, and Richard who took Connor’s evening place sometimes. They were nice, if not distant, but it was nice to have answers. Connor tried introducing her to Hank, but wound up nearly having to break up a fight instead. “You lied to me!” She yelled from Connor’s tight grip over her shoulders, “I’ve spent all this time thinking my best friend was dead and you lied to my face!” Hank backed off slightly, “He asked me to.” He said quietly, “He thought he would be able to start over more easily that way.” She felt all her strength leaver her, and in a moment Connor went from holding her back to holding her up, “So he didn’t care? I knew he wanted to leave, but I thought he would at least say goodbye first. Does he even want to see me?” “You’re all he ever talks about.” Hank replies, “He misses you, I think.” “He could have reached out then.” She bristled, “A letter, a phone call... anything.” Hank shook his head, “It would have been suspicious, you know that too. But Connor had the right idea, you should come see him on his birthday.” “What about the blood thing?” She asked. “I’ll protect you.” Connor said and there was something to his voice that made her believe it.”
By the time Saturday rolled around she had more or less come to terms that this was just how her life was going to be from here on out. Connor came to pick her up. She grabbed the small box containing Gavin’s birthday present and met him at the door. He held out his hand and she smiled. “Ready?” He asked. “As I’ll ever be.” She replied, “And thank you for doing this.” He shook his head, “It’s not a problem at all.” He let her be in her head on the car ride over. She had a lot to think about. It had almost been a year since she’d seen him last. Was she really ready to see him again? To admit that all of this was real and not some kind of fever dream? Did it matter really? If things went wrong she could always come back to her old life. Connor could just be Connor and Gavin could still be missing if that was what he wanted. She just wanted a chance to say goodbye properly. if that was the case. “Tina.” Connor said gently as they pulled into the driveway of a familiar house, “We’re here.” “Right.” She said tensely. “You don’t have to do this.” He replied, “I could take that in and say it’s from me. If this is too much just say so.” “It’s not.” She sighed, “It’s just... strange, coming back to the place where we started looking for him.” Connor looked away from her for a moment, “I didn’t really think about that.” “He’s been here the whole time,” She said with another bitter laugh, “The whole world thinks he’s dead and he’s been here the whole fucking time.” She opened her door, and after a moment Connor did the same.  “Are you sure you’re feeling up to this?” He asked, “We can wait.” She shook her head, “He almost slipped away from me once already. I’m getting my goodbye whether he wants it or not.”
The moment they stepped through the door Gavin’s head snapped toward her and the whole room came to a stop. She watched all the color drain from his face and he looked like he had seen a ghost, but she imagined she looked much the same. “Tina?” He croaked, and her anger melted away. She nodded, not trusting her voice. His features softened and after what felt like ages he opened his arms. She ran to him and when they collided it was like hitting a brick wall, and then a bear trap when he close his arms around her. “I didn’t think I was going to see you again.” He said once he let her go, “It was the one thing I regretted about all of this.” “I thought you were dead.” She said flatly, “I kept looking for you, sometimes I could convince myself that I saw you, but it never was.” She wiped her eyes, “Anyway here, happy birthday.” She held the box out to him. The party had picked up around them and she noticed a table of gifts. She probably could have put it there, but Gavin was already opening it. He smiled when he saw the box.  “You got me a new phone.” He said. “I know why you haven’t been using yours, Hank explained it to me, but I’m paying for this one. So call me sometime, okay?” She said quickly.  He smiled, “Of course. Thank you.”
By the end of the night she had considered herself somewhat adjusted to the change. This was her new normal. She was sort-of dating a werewolf and her idiot best friend got himself turned into a vampire. All in all, not the weirdest thing to happen in Detroit.
@dbh-supernatural-challenge
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carla5172007 · 3 years
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The Kambal Oneshot
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Chubby reader. Part 1
Crispin:
Y/n walking in the street in the day light . It was hot event to early in the morning. You wear a light blue shirt with a cute kitty design, light pink skirt and white rubber shoes. Your skirt were higher than one inch. You were going to buy new clothes to fit your asthetic look.
Well you are douth about clothing choices because your body. The huge hips, chubby arms the face and most importantly your belly. The belly is the body part you hate the most. Since your intire life been treadted ugly and always scolded for being fat. Even your own mother keep telling you that. You keep trying best to not bother. Today hou have a confidence to wear the cloths you like.
You weren't expecting the heat to today.
" Thank goodness i brought my umbrella" walk to the crowd and wait to street light to go. Then you heard Two men in suit and a woman who were short. The guy one is long hair and the other were short hair. They had decame face so they must been twins.
Soon more people keep coming, Suddenly some push " Hoy! tabathoy Tumabi ka nga! " ou push from behind and drop your umbrella. Then you accidentally hit some back with your head. "Ouch !" "Hello, ayos kalang ba" you look up saw a tall man, with black coath and vest. He has short hair has, handsome face but no eye???. looking you with concerned."Miss are you ok?" You sanp to reality. "Umm yes im al right." The other twim picks up the umbrella and give it t you.
"Hey miss what's your na-" The the light turn green you walk imminently. Beacause othe loud croud you didn't hear him.
Crispin pov:
"Wow pre iniwan ka sa ere." I look a Basilio irritated look while he laughs. I nudge him quite hard so wine about the pain. " Come on kuya we should be at home. You know hank is more annoying." I look at the direction she went, i wonder where she goes.
" Kuya na kikinig ka ba saakin?!" Basilio bring me back reality.
" Ano? Ahh! Oo "
".........."
".........."
" Gusto mon puntaha young babae? No? Basilio ask waith a smirk
" Uhhhhj...
" Don't Brother ill cover up for you! Basta bumili ka ng beauty products at marenda. Kailangan mo yan pag balik." Basilio gave Crispin extra money.
Your Pov:
I found my favorite store in the SM mall. I found cute design. Thres cute sweater, High jeans, cute skirts and also some cute stuff animals. Im so excited to many to choose from.
_______________Time skip_________________
I have four bags of clothes. I should really it 4:00pm huh its been two hours. Well i should buy myself some snacks. ' what should i get shawarma or sandwich' Then you accidentally bump to Someone. "Sorry mam," Wait that voice. "I-Ikaw.." Its the same guy while you bump with. " My name is Crispin. What your name? I ask you a while ago but you didn't hear me." I was embarrassed. "(Y/n), sorry i i was bit hurry."
"Do you want me to carry that for you?" He genially
"Oh nonono! Its fine!"
Are you sure it seems alot to you. I insist to carry."
"Ahh ok."
Third Pov:
He insisted carrying your shopping bags. But why though he to help me we just bump each early. You two walk out to super mall, It was very awkward silence, but then he broke the silence.
'I like your outfit it cute on you" he compliment you with a smile.
"Wha!!"
You blush those is he really playing with you
"You couldn't take compliment? Or I m just the first?" You nodd. He replied.
"Im telling the truth thought. I can see a beauty when i see one."
"Umm your not bad for yourself" You tried to flirt but it failed you.
"Hehehe"
"What did your job?" He ask you.
"Well its not really interesting but may job is ( your job name). "
"Mine like solving crime stuff like that. it Kinda stressful, sometimes i i haven't sleep for 3 day!" You felt bad for him.
"That's really awful! Is it unhealthy for you?"
"Yeah but when i have sleep its only 4 hour. But sometimes we do have day off. I manage ."
"Hey wear almost to my apartment ment just 2 more miles. We could stop by to buy ice cream if want" you ask him since your starting to crave dessert.
"No all pay for it."
"Its fine you help carrying my shopping at least repay you."
"Ok" he smiled
You two buy ice cream your is ( favorite flavor) and he but chocolate and vanilla ice cream. You two walk and continue your conversation. It was quite enjoyable and interesting and you had fun have company .Once your inside of the building in outside your apartment door. Its time to partways.
Thank you very much. "
"Your welcome. It might be weird and to fast because you just met me but is it alright to ask.... Can i have you phone number? So you can talk each other cause... I enjoy your company we can be friends. BUTIFYOU DON'T WANTTOTHATS FINE!ITSOTIBEINGACREEPIMITALKINGTOMUCH!I'LLSTOP!"
You we speechless. Someone asking phone number to talk to you. Well this is first since childhood non of tour old friend ask your number to stay contact. And you seen him as creep. He nice and gentle men. It wouldn't hurt try to make new friends. You chuckle and smiled and said.
"Sure!"
"Really?"
"Wait ill give you my phone number, ill need my pen and paper and here another paper to write your number ... "
After you write it, you gave it Crispin. Crispin wrote his number in the other paper that you gave him.
"Thank you"
"Bye Cutie see you soon."
You have a pink blush in your cheek. What a nice guy you thought to yourself. Once you open your door and brining your clothes inside. You take a shower and change to your panjamas.
-----------------Meanwhile---------------------
Crispin Pov:
ARE INSAVE YOU GAVE SOME STRANGER THE OUR HOUSE PHONE!! AND LET ME REMIND YOU DON'T HAVE PHONE CRISPIN!! Hank angry scream
I KNOW HANK I M SORRY OKAY!!
While the two arguing! Basilio eating chips ( Nova) while watching Crispin and Hank argue and Alexandra disappointed face while wearing a face mask that Crispin baught before he went home.
Basilio
You were walking home after after you visit your grandma. It was dark in the night you wear wear a light blue belt top and jeans. You had a pocket knife for self defense but you still worried. But the you hear a loud crash when you look up a hold abandon building starting to fall on you. He quickly rush to push he you away before it hit both of you. Both of you fell on the ground he land on his face to your belly.
" Oww my- he- hey are you ok ?!" You tried to wake him his ok. Then he started to move, he the look at you observing you. He wears a mask. "Pwede ko ba malaman ang pangalan mo? ". A silence both of before he respond. "Wow your cute" WHHATT!! C- Cute???? You blush your embarrassed.
They you both heard a call. "BASILIO!" A man with a sad face mask fly infront of you. "Boss wants us to go ( street name) it more important than you flirting around." You blush more. The smile mask man slowly stood up and nod his head he ald your hand. And pull up to your feet. " Hey cutie , whats your name ? ". " Umm.. (Y/n) " " heres my phone number so we can get know each other" He hands you a card with phone number in it with name Basilio. "Thank you for saving me!." the other mask man sad " BASILIO!! There people dyeing any minute!!" "IM COMING!!" They both flying away and leaving you. " Stay safe beautiful! ❤️" the look back give you a flying kiss while his mask on. The next thing gone they were gone.
"Wow what a night .. " You look back at the phone number. Who was Basilio? What doe s look like? Those he really mean those word?... Cute? Beautiful? Hehe no way. That Basilio guy is messing with her. Right? " Hmmm maybe later when i get home "
Basilio POV:
"Well done boys if you need me ill up stairs changing ok." Yes bossing
" Ugh.. im so tired !!" I wine. "Well we should be finish early of you wodn't get distracted!!" "Hey hey calm down you two" Hank hold his hand together and look me in straight in the eyes." What did you do??
" What did you mean?! I DID NO SUCH THING!"
"He gave a random girl our house phone number."
"IDIOT! WHAT DID ALEXANDERA TELL NO TO DO!!" Hank panic
"Giving our house phone number..?"
"Giving our number!! You to don't have phone Basilio!!"Hank replied.
"Maybe that person leaks our secrets!"Crispin replied
"Wow you two are Paranoid. But she's looks cute and nice. And i always want to make new friends"
"Calling a them a Cutie pie is a way to making friends?"
" LOOK ITS JUST MY EGO TAKEN OVER! Please don't tell alexandra-"
"What are you hiding from me"She came from the behind. The kambal scream ot top of there lungs
Few minutes later
I smile and think about what happened. When i landed on top her it so soltf like a pilliow that i wanted sleep and cuddle. Its the middle of the night. I still a wake couldn't sleep. I still wait to called me.
Ring ring
"Hello im (y/n ) im so sorry i called you late"
"No no its fine"
"Your name is Basilio right ? I don't want to be rude but can i see the person who save me."
"Ummm to tell you the truth this a telephone. I don't really have my own cellphone. But we could meet if you want tomorrow."
"Really! What time because my job starts at 9:00am and it will end 4:30 pm. "
"If you had time im always free" with a confidence in his tone.
"You save me from a falling building. I think your busy saveing people"
"True but if my shift ended early tomorrow or if i don't work tomorrow we could meet. Deal?"
"Deal! "
"Great! Also can i have your phone number so i can call you back? Since i forgot i didn't have my own phone."
"Sure it's"
"Wait i need to write it! Hold on"
"Hehe its 09*** **** **** "
"Thanks i call you back"
"Its a date good night."
38 notes · View notes
ttlmt · 3 years
Note
do it bee
alright.
there’s a few things i kept seeing confusion about, so i’ll try to clear it up the best i can with my amateur enthusiast knowledge. 
disclaimer: all of this could be completely wrong. this is just what i’ve learned from working as a bookseller in the past and taking a few classes on publishing and just generally doing a lot of personal research into it both as a reader and with interest in joining the industry. i do not know dan’s individual situation, nor am an expert by any means. i am also coming at this as a canadian, so the innerworkings of uk/us publishing are just from what ive learned here.
you will get through this book: 
bee’s possibly incorrect far too long guide to the publishing industry and how international editions and signed copies might work for daniel howell’s new book ‘you will get through this night’ available for preorder now
follow @daysuntilthisnight​​ for a countdown #shamelessselfpromo
1) the uk vs us edition
the uk cover is the one without dan’s face on it. the us cover is the one with dan’s face on it. its not uncommon to have multiple covers and putting someones face on the cover is a very american publisher thing to do, personally i really like both. the cover you get is dependent on where you/your country order the book from.
if you ordered from danandphilshop or shop.danielhowell, you will be getting the uk cover, as it is a uk business. if you ordered from the us store right when the book was announced and before the signed copies sold out, it will probably be the uk cover (more on that in the bit about signed books). after that, i’m not sure because i do not know how irlmerch’s distribution works. 
one thing to note is all books have an ISBN number which is like a universal barcode for the book at all stores and it comes from the publisher. the beginning of the isbn dictates the publisher/language/product type/etc and the end identifies the particular book. the uk edition and the us edition have different isbn numbers, as will the ebook, audiobook, etc. this is a good way to figure out which edition you are buying from your local bookstore, and you can cross reference with the isbn in uk or us stores. its usually listed at the bottom of the product page online.
if you live in a country besides the us or the uk, it depends whether the book is being distributed or published in your country. distribution is often more cost effective, and is usually the way it works. as far as i know, dan’s book is being distributed (not published) to the countries on this list with the exception of the us where it is being published (not distributed). if a book is being published in a country, it will have a different isbn and sometimes a different cover. if a book is being distributed it will have the same isbn and cover as the country it is distributed from (usually the closest publishing hub, so london or new york in this case).
to know what edition is in your country, you can compare the isbn numbers and/or the covers. you can also take a look at your other books to see whats normal in your country to get sort of an idea. im assuming europe will get the uk edition but im not sure about other countries.
here in canada for example, our books are usually distributed from the US meaning you will be getting the us cover if you order the book from a canadian store. i ordered from irlmerch when dan’s book was announced though, so i think im getting the uk edition.
1.5) covers and book design
most of the time, especially with new authors, the author has very little say in the final decisions re: book cover and book design. they usually get input, and the publisher gets final say. book design is also a very different thing then general graphic design and professionals genuinely go to school for this. thats not to say there arent bad book designs or that regular people can’t do it too, it’s just something to keep in mind. 
2) signed books vs signed editions
there are a few different ways that signed books can work. primarily, there are signed editions and signed books. both are physically signed by the author, the difference is when in the process these books are signed.
signed books is the ‘old-fashioned’ way, where the author will sit at a table and sign copies of their book. the author usually signs on the title page and for a long time, this was the only way to do it. they have already been printed by the publisher so they will have the same isbn as unsigned books. signed books are usually more limited, often they can be personalized, and if you have ever gone to a proper book signing where the author signed the book in front of you, you have a signed book. signed books are also sometimes made available at the authors local bookstore because they are able to sign them in person. as far as i know, the books that were ordered from danandphilshop or shop.danielhowell during the initial signed run will be signed books. i also believe there are/were limited signed books from uk retailers, i think those are/were signed books (not editions) where the isbn matches the normal first edition of the book. 
signed editions are a fairly new thing, and have made signed books so much more accessible which is awesome! signed editions have a different isbn then their normal edition and signed book counterparts. they are technically two different books and are listed as a separate book in stores. that is because signed editions have one (1) extra page. this allows the author to be sent boxes of pages, not books, to sign BEFORE the books are bound. the pages are then sent back to the publisher to be included in the final printed copy of the book.
signed editions help authors to sign even more copies which allows for things like signing hundreds of thousands of copies of a book in some cases. if you are familiar with john green’s books (and hank’s too), he is a large part of the reason signed editions increased in popularity. for example, his book turtles all the way down had a signed edition and a normal edition, they were the same price but the signed edition included the one more page that john had signed. this also allows authors to do fully signed first edition runs, such as john’s new book the anthropocene reviewed (which comes out the same day as dan’s book lol), where every single copy of the first edition is signed (so there is no such thing as an unsigned american first edition, this is becoming more popular for some authors to do especially if the first edition print is not very a large quantity).
if you saw dan’s ig story from today (which was almost definitely a delayed post lmao), he was signing the signed edition papers that will be bound in the signed edition copies of the book in the us. as far as i know, it is only the us publisher that has this option. as you can see on the us store books-a-million, there is a signed edition and a normal edition. they are listed seperately and there are different isbns. the signed edition will be bound with the one extra page that dan has signed. 
both types of signed books have been actually signed by dan and are so cool to have if that’s something you want and are able to get. if not, you’re not missing much.
3) book piracy and pricing
i’m not here to tell you what to do, so i won’t. i know being able to buy books is a privilege and dan is a millionaire. full stop. he doesn’t need the money and you probably do.
books are expensive. the difference between cost and price of a book can vary drastically. does your calc textbook actually cost the publisher $300? probably not, but it does cost more per copy to print less copies of something (like a textbook) then it does to print millions of copies of a nyt bestseller. does a $24 book cost that much to develop/print/distribute? maybe. 
but most of that money goes to the publisher. the fact of the matter is authors get very little from the actual sale of the book (usually only a couple dollars), which okay, not exactly convincing you against piracy but hear me out. the actual number of sales a book has lets a publisher know how successful a book is, which helps to decide how many more prints/editions are made and often dictates future opportunities for authors.
a series of books that i love is very popular on tumblr, but there was a serious problem a few years ago where copies of the book were being pirated so much, sales were down so drastically, that the publisher almost didn't continue to publish the series. in the case of smaller authors or your favourite ongoing series, buying your copy of the book could be the difference between the existence of the next book or not.  in dan’s case, i don’t know what his future plans are, idk if he plans to write more in the future, but i do know that publishers look at previous sales to decide if they are going to publish a book in the future.
ebooks are usually cheaper and more accessible if money is an issue. used books, while not helping with sales, are also a great option if you’re willing to wait and look around. you can often request your local library buy a book and read it that way, or they might even already have it. there probably even audiobooks and ebooks at your local library. stores like am*zon are usually cheaper as well. online stores of large chains like b&n and indigo will often have the books cheaper to match amazon. however if you can, support your local bookstore.
of course if the author is a horrible person do whatever tf you want. also fuck the textbook industry. 
tldr: dan worked really hard on his book with professionals to make it the best it could possibly be. i think it looks beautiful, and it will help a lot of people. the publishing industry is a mess but really cool. check the isbn of the copy you ordered if you want clarification or you can just wait for the surprise. 
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prorevenge · 3 years
Text
Bridezilla Karen ends up looking like a pauper at her own wedding.
I (F48) have known “Pat” (F48) for decades. As far as I can remember, she was fixated on having 5 children and a picket fence dream life. I slowly cut ties with her in college because she was an opportunist and I didn’t trust her. She is both manipulative and forceful. Her idea of cute rubs me the wrong way. Pat likes to walk like a penguin when she wants to elicit pity, and she usually does this when she wants to evoke the underdog narrative. I’ve never seen someone act so despicable and ridiculous at the same time.
I moved on with my life. Happily got rid of her for years. Pat eventually found me on facebook. I accepted her friend request out of politeness.
Pat has become the epitome of a permissive mother. Her (5) kids do as they please and she never calls them out. She tried to force a relationship between me and her daughters and made them call me Auntie. Pat tried to drop them at my house uninvited. Her phone calls were insistent, she tried to monopolize my time and she began to show up at my job. I created some boundaries so she tried to find loopholes. It was a nightmare.
My husband and I hosted a party for the community center (not the real name) new members. The community center is actually a very informal initiative and my husband and I mainly serve the homeless population. We prefer to help strangers instead of catering to potentially narcissistic acquaintances. We don't mind lending a hand but we have encountered truly dishonest choosing beggars.
There are other services, like one of the members who helps women get their wedding and prom dresses for free.The community center location “headquarters” is actually a farm owned by an elderly couple. There is a barn, a venue and a very nice green field with an artificial lake and some fowl. They charge for the use of their facilities (weddings , etc.) but not for community oriented stuff.
Pat had always been salty at her husband for demanding that she go back to work after baby #3. In the meantime, he worked three jobs. She demanded he get her pregnant to fulfill her dream of having 5 kids. He didn’t agree, because he was already nearly 45 and felt like he might never be able to retire. She got away with bringing new babies into this world anyway. Her fascination with being pregnant comes from all the attention she gets. She had at least one miscarriage in between each kid.
Pat latched on to our group. She never missed any of our activities. I hated having her in my house, but it was an open invitation that included virtually everyone and she was very active as an event organizer. I didn’t like the way her kids behaved. We have a designated area for parties and entertainment, but her kids ended up inside my bedroom. We ended up having to keep watch of them and enjoyed zero of our own party.
I called her days later to get my point across (regarding their overall behavior) but she completely cut me off and began talking about herself and said her kids wanted to come visit again and use our pool. I never answered that. I didn't want to say “no, I will not have your brats over”.
She also called me as summer was approaching specifically to let me know her middle daughter was bored and wanted to spend a WEEK at our home. I politely declined, citing that me and my husband have to work and cannot entertain guests. .
Pat paid no heed. Her kid called me on the weekend,calling me “auntie” and attempted to coax me by saying “Mom says you invited me to spend SUMMER with you”. I quickly clarified, and offered an explanation to avoid hurting a kid’s self esteem. Nevermind. Her daughter just hung up on me.
Pat’s facebook also showed some red flags. Some cryptic rants here and there were visible, along with friends’ comments and complaints on how she asked a particular person to watch her kids only for a couple of hours and ended up leaving them all day. Another of her friends criticized her “girls night out “ because Pat had just asked them to be patient and wait until she could pay back some money that she owed them, yet she had money to spend on Friday night outings. I thought those very public comments on private matters were more like a cry of lost patience.
Unpleasant things began to happen. Like the time she volunteered to wrap the Xmas presents for underprivileged kids. We all wanted to create a mix of less costly gifts with really nice ones. Surprisingly, some nice and eye-catching toys and games went missing but turned up under her Christmas Tree (courtesy of her mother in law’s FB posts). No one could prove anything but it was hate-inducing. Or the time my daughter called me in tears to pick her up after she attended Pat’s daughter’s birthday (Casey). My daughter had been ignored all night because she didn’t gift her the expensive gaming stuff Casey practically demanded. My daughter did ask, but I said no. We would buy her a very nice and thoughtful present according to her taste. So when I went to pick her up my daughter was sitting alone in the living room while Casey and her friends stayed outside.
Stories about Pat and her family multiplied. The owners at the farm (community center) decided keep their their gates locked unless they had guests or events because Pat got in the habit of driving in whenever she pleased and it was either her kids screaming and disturbing on-going weddings, throwing rocks at the koi in the lake or harassing the geese in the yard. Or how she stiffed another soccer mom with the lunch bill and then pulled the struggling financially card. Or how other parents hated her because she created unnecessary hostile competition.
When my daughter turned 13, I allowed her to wear my grandma’s ring. It's not an expensive piece of jewelry, but it's vintage and girls nowadays wanna look boho. My Granny gave it to me when I became a teenager so I passed it on to my kid so she could wear it on her birthweek.
It was weird that she became quiet and distracted after that. She also didn’t want to go to school and my husband and I became suspicious. She never opened up, and my other kids had no clue.
We went to her school but her teachers assured us nothing had changed in her environment. My husband and I suspected she was being bullied but our kid gave us no tools to support her. My kid is very sunny, and very compassionate. She has never had any problems with other kids. I called her best friend’s mom. Natalie, my kid’s BFF, told us what was going on. Casey (Pat’s eldest) and my daughter had become “close”. I knew this and wasn’t too thrilled. I found the age (Casey was 17) gap not exactly inappropriate but I’d rather see my daughter spend time with friends in the same age range. Casey is very beautiful and a gifted student. She is also very conceited. To make this story short, she asked my daughter if she could try on the ring and refused to give it back. She later claimed that she lost it but “would look for it” so my daughter was distraught. My daughter kept asking for her ring and as a result, Casey shunned her and spread the word that my kid was trying to steal HER ring. Some kids at school took Casey’s side. So now Casey just wore my kid’s jewelry to school like nothing happened. If that doesn’t qualify as taunting I don't know what does.
My guilt comes from not being able to get my daughter to open up and feel safe telling me the truth. I talked to her and she burst into tears. I was both pained as a mother and furious that some teenage b!tch was doing this under our noses.
I went straight to Pat’s car after school. I asked to talk as Casey was about to go in. So I grabbed Casey’s hand and asked to see her jewelry. Casey froze and she tried to make a fist, so I became relentless. Casey yelled “Mom!” and Pat struggled to get out of the car. I slid the ring off (Casey has tiny hands and wore the ring on her index finger). First Pat yelled at me. After I confronted her with the engraving on the band (my grandma's maiden name), she argued it was loaned to her daughter by my kid. Then she said she bought it. I paid no heed. I did warn them that I knew Casey had become an abusive friend to my daughter.
Pat called me to tell me off. She said she was trying to raise an assertive young woman and I had just messed that up by being “overbearing”. She never apologized for her thief of a child.
Pat's husband ( Hank) is what can be described as a doormat. Pat wore him down to a knob. He had no choice but to “obey” her to keep the peace. She was a bully who actively withdrew affection when he didn’t follow her wishes, even in public. So she got kids #4 and #5 after a relentless campaign that included leaving him for two months. Her pregnancies were a nuisance because she expected to be treated like the only lady who has even been pregnant. She strolled around in a wheelchair almost immediately after getting pregnant and she would “get very sick” on weekends, so her kids were often sent to friends and family so that she could “rest”.
Pat systematically bullied Hank. She would leave town and take the kids with her. Poor Hank would look distraught, drinking on his porch or just looking really lonely. This is how she got off the hook and was able to leave her job. Hank had virtually no voice, so he struggled to keep the marriage together. Everyone liked him, but hated her equally. Hank loved to talk to other people but seemed concerned that Pat would be upset. Over time, according to my husband, Hank began to show signs of depression and mental distress.
Our friend, Lenah, runs the wedding/prom dress initiative. It's not complicated. Dresses are sourced from donations, ebay, trunk shows, etc. Unusually beautiful dresses are retained so that more than one bride gets to wear them. In some cases, a bride will pay 50 bucks, but most of the time, the dresses are donated to the bride.
Pat was involved in this. Lenah kept her in because they never had any issues and her task was limited to just shipping the dresses out.
Pat decided to renew her vows and her bridezilla Karenzilla attitude became the icing on the cake. For starters, she bullied another couple into giving up their wedding date at the farm because she “needed her renewal to match her exact wedding date”. They were not impressed with her harassment, so they booked another venue. As a result, the farm owners were pissed because Pat was already costing them money after she had successfully negotiated a cut in their rate “because she couldn't afford it but will repay by doing maintenance work around the venue” (she never made good on her word).
Pat became attached to a particular dress that was already assigned to another bride. Lenah made it clear that she would need to pay for her own dress. So Pat played it cool and shipped the wrong gown instead. She was adamant that it was the right dress, despite all the notes on Leah’s agenda. The other bride was truly gracious about it. She was obviously disappointed, but never made a scene.
What bothered me most is that I picked that dress and bought it for 40 bucks at a garage sale (not my money, Leah’s money). It was a vintage dress, ankle length, white with lots of lace and a huge bargain. Again, when confronted, Pat “did a Casey” and used the “this is mine” strategy. We felt so bad for the other bride that we did our best to get her something nice to wear. The other bride was a true fighter, she had pulled out of welfare, earned her high school diploma and was working to get on her feet by trying to earn a certificate as an acrylic nail technician. So, her reward was to have some Karen steal her dress? Pat never admitted to messing up, but just by the fact that she claimed it was her dress, we knew.
Lenah never allowed her in her warehouse again. Their last phone fight ended with Pat bringing up the other bride’s past (like it mattered) and “this conversation is over, it's my dress and you are mistaken”. That was weeks before the other bride’s wedding.
Pat went all out on her wedding decor. She spent way too much. She hired a caterer for some food (mainly mimosas and appetizers), but the wedding invitation included a request for specific dishes for her Sunday brunch wedding. Either she ran out of banquet money or was on a complete moocher mode.I picture the penguin walking upon practically asking everyone to supply her wedding reception grub and I cringe.
There is nothing wrong with potluck weddings. In fact, they can be a nice addition to a very cozy and family oriented wedding reception. But, don’t you need to at least be close to your guests in order to ask for such a thing? Even I got an invitation. I told everyone I wasn’t going because I was very uncomfortable being told what to bring and was probably expected to give them a cash gift on top of that. Some of the older ladies in our group agreed. Some said they would not decline in advance because she is a bully and they didn’t want a confrontation.
Lenah called me the night before Pat’s re-wedding. Lenah was there to close the Saturday night bingo and Pat was awfully friendly, but that’s what she does whenever things are going her way. Lenah peeked into the garment bag and saw the exact same dress while Pat was caught up supervising the wedding decoration.
The thing with Karens is that they expect everyone to suck it up, or make their dreams come true, or they simply underestimate everyone and think we are all fools.
Lenah is a very straightforward person with a “so sue me” attitude. She told me she would just ruin the dress. After all, it was hers, so she could do whatever she wanted. If Pat wanted to take legal action, and should things get ugly, she needed to prove ownership. However, the dress was the same, the marks inside the hem and the tags were the same. Even the tag numbers that were punched to identify each dress for logistics purposes matched.
Pat had the dress altered, with some extra beading and dyed to a deep cream color. But it was obviously the same garment. Lenah and I snuck in before the venue was closed for the night. All brides are allowed to stay in a small bedroom for a small charge, so that they don’t need to drive in on their wedding day. Honestly, the makeshift chapel was gorgeous, I don’t know how she paid for it but it was full of flowers and presumptuous details. I naively brought in some ink to spill on the dress, but Lenah said she wanted “something more awful, like a nasty surprise”. Ink would be too obvious and if she saw it ahead, she may be able to snag another gown from somewhere. No, the ideal thing was to have her trust the dress was fine. So Lenah locked herself in a bathroom stall and completely cut out the back panel. She patiently put it back on its hanger and zipped the bag. We left through the emergency door with the back of the dress stuffed inside Lenah's purse. I completely hate people who target and steal from anyone they (Pat and her kid) calculate to be in a weaker position.
The wedding was scheduled at 9 AM. Pat called me at 7 AM, but I ignored her calls. I picked up by 8 AM, both curious and wondering if she suspected anything. Pat was frantic.She was crying that her dress was “missing by half”. I purposely made her explain, being annoyingly dense and continually interrupting like she does, and stalling the conversation. She asked me if I could lend her my wedding dress. I said no, sorry. She then asked me if I would help her get a dress. I was satisfied to remind her that the town's bridal shops were closed on Sunday and the others that would open were almost an hour away. The farm is already almost one hour away from our town.
If Pat could get a shop to rent a dress, she would need to try the dress on, and get it steamed. Even if the dress was ready to wear, it would easily take more than two hours (roundtrip). She tried to ask me to go pick a dress (who would pay for this??). Even if a shop were open and brought her a dress, it would add to the cost. Also, these shops open at 10 or 9:30 at earliest. By time they got to her, it would be time to wrap up the wedding because she needed to clear the venue by 12:00 for the next event.
She broke down and mumbled some stupid stuff I didn't understand. So Pat hung up on me and called Lenah instead.. She asked Lenah to bring her “anything she had available”. Lenah and I ended up delivering the most outdated, moss smelling, oversized dressed. Pat’s disappointment was a mix between angry and emotional. She also tried to wear her knee length silk bridal slip as a wedding dress but it was too obvious and it really looked cheap. She tried to get her daughter to give her her own dress to wear with an open back zipper (due to fitting issues) but Casey refused, asking if she was supposed to attend the wedding naked (she got a point, plus Casey is petite).
The dress needed a petticoat to plump up the skirt, which wasn’t available. So it dragged all over the floor and Pat had to keep pulling it up. Pat walked down the aisle with one hand on her bouquet and another one grabbing her dress. The dress looked limp and weird with the arrangements of pins (they didn’t show) that caused the sleeves and neckline to pucker into messy rims. She spent the ceremony looking uncomfortable and out of place. Very few people attended but that was not part of any revenge, that was just how people reacted to her entitled attitude.
The dress looked awful. The reception portion of the wedding had all this princely decoration, a very nice cake and a bridezilla with a dress from hell. I didn’t stay, but I was told, she was so disappointed she spent her wedding sulking. There was no dance, no actual speech. She had to change into a shirt and leggings because the dress was too uncomfortable. Everyone talked about how Pat put on her flip flops and walked around aimlessly until she ordered the ushers to start folding up the chairs within one hour of the reception. So she practically kicked everyone out and the cake was never cut.
Pat wasn’t the same after this.She was not as loud and avoided everyone. I think she was disappointed that nobody ran to her rescue, not even her family who came from out of town.
Her husband finally cracked under all the pressure and sought some help. He was slaving away and coming home to clean the house while Pat used her kids as an excuse to spend like crazy. Hank also had to do kid homework because Pat never had time or never had patience. She also refused to get a partime job so her kids could attend an afterschool and get help with their school stuff. Therapy seemed to help Hank because the last time Pat left with her kids, he didn't seem distraught. He would be riding his bicycle and could be seen more relaxed while mowing his lawn. Hank told my husband that he had contemplated suicide after their third kid. When Pat returned, he maintained the routine but was interested in going out by himself and doing things for himself. We began to see Pat alone all the time. Hank was seen less and less in the same car and eventually moved in with his parents. He filed for divorce on the grounds of emotional cruelty and I don't think he won. Instead (I’m not sure of this because this is what I was told) there was some sort of a settlement or agreement that she would not get close or interact with him unless it has to do with the kids).
I also don’t know if Pat even actually suspected who/what happened to her dress. She slowly pulled away from the community center and became less active in social gatherings. Pat also removed me from her facebook as well as mostly everyone else from school and the center.
TLDR
Bridezilla stole a wedding dress from an underprivileged woman. The actual dress owner destroys her big day.
(source) story by (/u/forestcabin123k)
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callmemythicalminx · 4 years
Text
Birds and the Bees 4- DBH Connor x Reader
Can be read as a stand alone!
Fandom: Detroit:Become Human
Warning: Talking ‘bout sex, Awkwardness
Summary: Now that you and Connor have been doing ‘The Devil’s Tango’ for a few months now, you’ve noticed something recently that seems too insane to be true. It’s time for you to see if it’s actually possible. 
A/N: I had to write another part of BATB for my first fanfic back after being away for so long. You guys really love this series and it’s one of my favourites too. Every since finishing part 3.5, I always wanted to add more as there’s definitely more ideas to be told with Connor and his innocense. I feel like this might be the last one, but who knows, I might write more in the future...
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What. The. Fuck! 
This is actually happening. The stick in your hands confirms it- you’re pregnant. For the past two months, you’d noticed that you’d missed a few periods, nearly every morning waking up with a trip to the bathroom to throw up and your tiredness had been getting worse everyday too. You’d had initial ideas that it might just be stress or your irregular cycle making you feel ill, but eventually you had to come to the absolutely insane idea that you may actually be pregnant with Connor’s baby. 
You’d tried to put off taking a test because your mind refused to believe this could be happening. Not that you don’t want a kid, you’d love to have little versions of Connor and yourself running around. But you want kids much further in the future. And also, there’s the teeny tiny odd question of how the hell this has happened! You’re human. Connor is an android. For this exact reason, the two of you haven’t been bothering with protection with all the sex you’ve been having, as you’re both clean and your boyfriend is infertile- or so you thought. 
You don’t even know how he’s going to react to this. Will he be happy or sad? And how is everyone else going to react? Yourself and Connor have only been dating for over a year, so it’s much too soon to be having children. You take in a deep breath, sighing as you move your hands down to your stomach.
“I don’t know how you got in there little Floobie, but here you are. God, I hope your Daddy is gonna be okay with this”.
You walk into the living room to see Connor seated on the couch trying to complete one of his puzzles, the stick containing the proof of your future feeling like a burning weight in your sweaty palm as you approach him. 
“Connor? I- I uh- I have something I need to show you” You announce, breaking him from his deep concentration as he stares at the pieces in his hand.
“Y/N? Is everything alright? You look really pale and I can detect your temperature rising rapidly”.
You let out a short laugh, walking forward to rest your free hand on his arm as you take a seat beside him. “I’m fine Connor, I’m just a little nervous. I’ve just found out some big news”. He opens his mouth to question you, but your worried look has him stopping short. Instead of telling him, you decide to instead place the test in his hand so he can see it for himself.
As you move to do so, a million thoughts race through Connor’s mind. Are you sick? Are you leaving him? Are you finally gonna get a dog and you’re putting a collar in his hand? With trepidation, he opens his palm as your closed hand begins to open, his eyes flickering quickly as he tries to figure out what you’re about to give him. When the light weight of the stick falls into his hand, his eyebrows scrunch together in confusion and he tilts his head slightly to the side. You hold your breath as he brings the test closer to his face, his face tilting (nearly touching his shoulder now) as he inspects it. 
You wait for a reaction, a smile or a frown, anything. But he just continues to look at it. You begin to fear the worse when he finally looks up at you and-
“It’s not working”.
You copy his earlier movement as your own head now turns in confusion, looking at Connor's oddly very calm face. 
“What-what do you mean? I just used it. I just used three of them actually to make sure it was right”.
“So you are ill then? Y/N, darling, you should have just come to me, you didn’t need to waste your money buying these things. I am quite advanced with this sort of health observation, thanks to Cyberlife, but you already know that. Which is why I don’t understand why you’d-”.
“Wait, hold on Connor, what do you think this actually is” You ask, incredulously.
 “Um… A thermometer. As I said darling, it’s quite easy for me to simply look at you and take an accurate reading of your temperature, in fact I’ve noticed recently-”.
“Connor I’m pregnant”. 
He stops for just a moment. Then…
“Oh yes, I already know. Like I was saying, I’ve noticed recently that your bodily readings have been different than usual these past few months and on more than one occasion, I have detected that you’ve been sick in the mornings and hid it from me. I was getting so worried that I just decided to do a full body scan while you were sleeping one night and that’s when I realised there was new life growing inside you”.
“Connor… I-I… You... You knew I was pregnant?! W- why didn’t you tell me?”.
“I thought you already knew? Because of your periods? When a woman discontinues having a monthly release of blood, is it clear to see that she’s pregnant with new life. That and you haven’t been buying any new sanitary products or telling me to go out on calorie hauls everytime you go through that specific time”.
You breathe a deep sigh, of both relief and shock. In fairness, you probably should have realised Connor would have been able to sense you were pregnant- he is the most advanced detective android there is. You guess that your disbelieving of the possibility of this happening also overlooked the fact that your boyfriend is a robot genius.
“If you already thought I was pregnant, did you not question why I hadn’t told you?”
He looks away sheepishly, lifting his hand to scratch the back of his neck. “I thought this was something that women just deal with on their own, the male doesn’t really do much in most cases of animals. The female is the one who cares for the baby with her body, the male is just there to protect and keep them both safe. So I thought it was just a way for you to keep ‘the bun in the oven’ to make sure you’re looking after it okay”. 
You blink. You blink again. Then you let out a small laugh and bury your face in your hands shaking your head. That has to be the weirdest thing to come out of your boyfriend's mouth, even after everything he’s said these past few months. When you look back up at Connor again, you see him looking at you, head titled again and you let out another laugh, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. 
“Oh Connor… We’re not animals, even though we do act like them sometimes, especially rabbits,” You let out another small laugh, while Connor smiles nodding in agreement “, Couples bring their babies into the world together, supporting each other. Granted the woman does do pretty much all of the work, but the man doesn’t just ‘protect’ and keep them safe, though it is appreciated. They help keep the mother healthy, comfortable, relaxed, loved- like you will right? You do want this baby don’t you Connor?”
“Of course, this is what I’ve wanted since we first made love”.
“Wait… what?”.
“Well, ever since you told me that sex is primarliy to create new life, I have been questioning Cyberlife about installing a new function within me to make me fertile. Though I have been quite enjoying our love making, I still haven’t been able to get the thought out of my head that we haven’t been doing it properly. So thankfully, Cyberlife agreed, on the grounds that it will be a good step in the right direction of progressing human-android relations”.
“So when did you become fertile?”.
“About half a year ago, maybe more”.
“Jesus, Connor, we’ve been having so much sex, it’ll be a wonder if I’m not pregant with twins”.
“I know, I’m surprised it took that long for you to become pregnant. And, statistically speaking, twins are only 3-4 out of every 1000 births, and there are many contributing factors. Sex can contribute to some extent, but it in our case it seems to have helped massively. Just last night, I did a scan again and saw that there are in fact two life forms inside you- how did you know darling?”
“Only 3-4 out of every 1000 births, eh? Well, that’s- WAIT WHAT?!?”
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“What the fuck?! Twins” Hank utters as he places his half eaten burger down on his arm rest. 
To be honest, it probably wasn’t the best idea for you and Connor to tell him that you're having two children at this specific moment in time, eating the food that you had brought him for dinner to help ease this situation. The smarter thing to do would have been to tell him before, then give him the burger and drink from his favourite takeaway to calm him down. But as you sit there next to Connor with guilty smiles on your faces as you look at a horrified Hank who looks like he’s gonna be sick, you definitely know you should have told him sooner. 
“Wait, wait, wait, how is this even possible?! You’re an android and Y/N’s human, how does that work?”
You begrudgingly reply “It’s a long story”.
Connor however has no shame and immediately launches into re-telling the story of how you two began having sex. You have no power to stop him as you know this story is getting told no matter what because he is Connor afterall, so you simply sit back and stare down at your wine glass in embarrassment, feeling like you’ve been caught with your hand in the cookie jar. 
Every once in a while, you’ll look up and see Hank growing progressively more green as your boyfriend retells how he first asked about sex and then anal, and then your many different sexual escapades including the one where he was in a meeting with Amanada, and then finally how you got pregant. Connor, still as innocent as ever, goes into great, unneeded detail not realising that this isn’t something he should really be telling his dad. Even Sumo looks sick, paws nearly over his ears as he lays at your feet. 
Finally after some time to reflect on what has just been said to him, Hank, looking equivalent to a cucumber in colour and looking faint, mumbles “So you two rabbits have been doing it everywhere huh?”.
As Connor happily nods in response, you sit in shame, taking a much needed gulp of wine, then another as Hank takes a big sip of his own drink.
 “We even did it on your desk.
Wine. Soda. Everywhere. Again.
*Sigh*
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A/N: I realise a year later that I wrote the reader to be drinking alcohol during this... while she's pregnant. Don't drink if you're pregnant fellas, my dumbass forgot that 😌
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sassy-headcanons · 3 years
Text
Hancon Headcanons:
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Who hogs the duvet
Surprisingly Connor does. He powers down for the night and just rolls over . Hank is left with no covers staring at the ceiling contemplating what he’s gotten himself into
Who texts/rings to check how their day is going
I don’t feel like they really need to. They live and work together. They’re really only apart when Hank’s taking a shit. Connor does know not to try and keep a conversation going when Hank’s in the bathroom alone, something about talking while on the toilet makes his skin crawl.
Who gets up first in the morning
Connor because of his android systems only needing a certain amount of sleep to be at full capacity. Even if he was human though, he’d still get up before Hank. That man can sleep for 16 hours and still be tired when he wakes up.
Who suggests new things in bed
CONNOR. He is not some blushing virgin afraid of sex. He was made to learn and investigate crimes. He wants to know everything and anything and Hank is more than willing to show him.
Who cries at movies
Hank, but he tries to keep it in
Who gives unprompted messages
Connor. He is still learning social cues and sometimes just sneaks up on Hank to tell him he looks nice today or something soft like that
What They’re like when they’re sick
Hank: Oh my fuckling god he would be such a hassle to deal with. Whether it be seasonal allergies or the flu he is a drama queen and blows everything out of proportion.
Connor: Connor can’t get sick , but I like the idea of computer viruses getting into androids systems and creating cold and flu-like symptoms. So, Connor would be running warm like a cellphone that gets left under the covers for too long and his blue blood would be steadily dripping from his nose like a runny nose. Lots of system reboots and about a day worth of sluggishness and he’d be back to his usual adorable self.
Who gets jealous easiest
I feel like it’s a draw. Humans flirt with Hank and Connor starts seeing green, Androids flirt with Connor, and Hank gets a little grumpy. However, if androids start flirting with Hank.. Connor’s about to fuck a bitch up.
Who collects something unusual
So we know the androids can store memories in their hard drives. So what if Connor has a little folder hidden in his systems that’s just still shots and videos of Hank smiling?
Who is the tidiest and organized
CONNOR! We’ve all seen Hank house
Who gets most excited about the holidays
Hank has a really difficult time celebrating the holidays because of his son, but after seeing how excited Connor got about the idea of Christmas and Hanukkah and everything else he decided to try and start new.
Who is the big spoon/little spoon
Hank likes to be a little spoon, but it was something he was never comfortable telling his ex-wife. He’s used to be the big strong man in the relationship, but in walks Connor with his behavior analyzing software, and just knowing . I don’t see them falling asleep spooning but before bed cuddles are a sure thing. Connor one night, without saying anything, just flips Hank over and snuggles up behind him, wrapping his human up in his arms, and pecks a kiss on his neck. Doing what Hank does to him when the roles are reversed and Hank just fucking melts.
Who gets most competitive when playing games and/or sports
Connor but only because he should be able to win without trying, so the few times Hank or another human have beat him at something sparks something deep in his hardware.
Who starts the most arguments
Hank’s temper likes to rear its ugly head at the worst of times, especially when Hank is wrong but doesn’t want to admit it. Connor can be a little slow on the social uptake, but he will not stand for being talked down to and before you know it an argument has started, and neither wants to stand down
Who suggests that they buy a pet
Sumo is adorable and loved by everyone, but Connor is for sure a cat person and I feel like he and Hank would adopt an android cat that missing parts from a previous abusive owner and name it after the lead singer of their favorite metal band
What couple traditions they have
Connor starts taking Hank to Cole’s grave on a regular basis again to help him grieve and afterward he rewards Hank with the greasiest carb disaster of a burger for working through his trauma without being self-destructive
What tv shows they watch together
Hank likes showing Connor reruns of shows he was watching as a kid/teen. Connors favorite so far is Wizards of Waverley Place
How they spend time together as a couple
Listening to music in the car is a staple in their relationship. Outside of work, they like to take Sumo to the dog park and go on walks together.
Who made the first move
They had one of those rom-com moments where they both started to confess their feeling at the same time, stop, and laugh at the silliness of the situation.
Who brings flowers home
Connor because that’s what the other deviant told him people do for those they care for. Hank at first doesn’t know how to feel because no one has ever done that for him before, but soon it becomes a ritual for them.
Who is the best cook
Connor hands down, anything Hank makes is slightly burnt and dripping in grease.
Who snores
Hank
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anna-justice · 4 years
Text
I Do - Upstead
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Summary: It’s the most important day of Hailey’s life and like always, Jay is right beside her.
Warnings: Swearing?
Requested: Yes! #19, “Do you know how hard it is to love someone when you know they don’t feel the same way?”
Jay wasn’t exactly sure what he had done wrong that had put him on the path to where he was now: seated in between Adam and Trudy at his partners wedding.
The rest of the unit was buzzing, excited for their friend and coworker. And of course Jay was happy for her, that was all he wanted, for her to be happy. Even if that meant her being with someone other than him.
He sat still in his seat, unphased by the chattering around him. Kevin and Mouch occupied the other seats around them, along with a few more miscellaneous members of the force and several from the CFD. It was a big venue and it was almost entirely full. He was in the second row, the only people in front of him being Hailey’s brothers and their families.
He was trying to keep a smile on his face, it was Hailey’s day and he refused to ruin it. He could mope at home, alone, with the full bottle of whiskey he had bought specifically for this day after Hailey finished off the last one.
2 weeks earlier
It had been over a year since Hailey returned from New York, but the consequences of the trip hit Jay like a punch to the gut everyday. Hailey was gone for almost three months, leaving a heartbroken and anxious Jay behind. He was convinced that she felt the same way as he did, but after months of nothing leading up to her departure, he figured it was time to move on.
So he tried, after spending the first few weeks in a trance, dragging his feet across the bullpen floor, he went on a date. It was unsuccessful, to put it kindly. He would admit, he was an ass. She was a sweet girl, but she wasn’t Hailey.
A month and several dates later, he met Laney. She was beautiful, funny and very successful. It was by chance that they met, she was a lawyer and she and Jay just happened to cross paths during a case. Jay took it as a sign, she fell into his lap and he was obviously attracted to her. So, they went out and by the time Hailey finally returned from New York, Jay had a girlfriend.
Hailey had spent her entire stay in the big city fantasizing about a possible relationship with her green eyed partner. Which was scary for her, because she wasn’t one to usually day dream, especially about a man. So, when she landed at O’Hare, she had an entire speech prepared.
Just like he said he would be, Jay was there to pick her up. Giving her a tight hug when she reached the mouth of the terminal. It was like she hadn’t even left. Of course she remembered that he had promised her Bartoli’s, she had been waiting for it for weeks, but she wasn’t sure he did.
They were in his truck, where the two had sat together a million times, but something felt different. Hailey didn’t like the uneasy feeling in her stomach, so she spoke up. “You still want to get Bartoli’s? I miss Chicago deep dish.”
Jay smiled softly, chuckling at the phrase that Hailey had texted him so many times over the past few months. He was about to say yes, but then he remembered that he had plans with his girlfriend. His girlfriend that Hailey knew nothing about. “I would love to, but I can’t. I have plans. Can we take a raincheck?”
“Yeah, sure.” Hailey said, trying her best to hide her somber expression. Jay nodded, focusing his eyes back on the road. “Who do you have plans with?” She asked.
Jay’s breath caught in the back of his throat. He had spent the last few weeks developing real feelings for Laney. She was an amazing girl, and he owed it to himself to give their relationship a real shot. But, with Hailey finally sitting next to him again, he couldn’t even remember her name.”Oh, uh, Laney. My girlfriend.”
The last word sent a shock through Hailey’s heart, she had spent months convincing herself that Jay loved her too. Now she realized she was wrong the entire time and it hurt like hell. It felt like her whole world was crashing down around her. “That’s great Jay, I’m happy for you.” She said, as genuinely as she could. She turned away from him, looking out the window to mask the tears gathering in her eyes.
Jay hadn’t been with anyone since Camilla, and they both agree that he was only with her to deal with the pain of losing Erin (and his PTSD). There had been no one since then, and Hailey had just always assumed that she had time. Time to confess her feelings, time to show him how great they would be together. To her, he had always been hers. Apparently she was wrong.
The next night Hailey found herself at a bar other than Molly’s, drinking alone. It was strange, not celebrating her return with her unit, but she didn;t feel like she had anything to celebrate. She started back at the CPD the next day and she needed a quick and easy remedy for her feelings for her partner. At the moment that solution was tequila. That was until a tall, dark and handsome man approached her. She realized that in her half drunken state, if she squinted she could pretend he was Jay.
“Hi, I’m Brandon.” He said, taking the stool next to her.
Hailey gave him a small smile. “Hailey.”
“Can I buy you a drink, Hailey?” He asked.
Hailey smirked, “I’d like that.”
After a night of drinking turned into a first date and then to a second. Hailey found herself with a relationship of her own. And even though she knew that a small part of her heart would always belong to Jay Halstead, she was perfectly okay with trying to be at least content with someone else.
When contentment turned to love and then eventually a marriage proposal, Hailey found herself saying yes. She loved Brandon and Jay was still with Laney, so she decided to give herself a chance at happiness.
And even after all of that, somehow, Hailey and Jay found themselves in their current situation. “The thing that works,” also known as Jay’s coping mechanism, was in full swing. It was an activity that never left them. Even though they were both with other people, they were still partners, still best friends. And unbeknownst to the other, they had both decided that having to share their person with someone else was better than not being in each other’s lives at all.
It had been a while since they had a drink on Jay’s couch together, Hailey had been busy wedding planning and Jay was spending most of that time with Laney, but that wasn’t possible anymore. The reason for that night's drinking antics was Jay getting dumped.
After a year together, Laney chose to end things. Jay told Hailey that the feelings faded and they weren’t happy anymore, but really, Laney told Jay that she refused to love a man that loved someone else. The realization had hit Jay like an 18-wheeler. He had been pushing his feelings for his best friend away for so long and with one sentence they came flooding back with a force like never before. He lost count of how many times he apologized to her, but Laney wasn’t having it. Her only response was “I knew from the beginning that you loved her, it’s my fault. Do you know how hard it is to love someone when you know that they don’t feel the same way?”
Jay wanted to say yes, but he realized that it would be counter productive.She left his apartment in a hurry, stating that she would be back for her things some other time. Jay stood in the middle of his living room for a long time before heading to grab a beer. The “save the date” card pinned to his fridge catching his eye as he closed the door. He felt physical pain as he stared at the photo. Hailey was grinning ear to ear, holding up her hand while pointing to the ring on her finger. He glared at the man whose arms were wrapped around her waist. He downed the whole bottle, barely feeling the buzz, he grabbed his phone and called the last person he should have, but he didn’t care. He needed her, in whatever way he could have her.
An hour later Hailey was sitting in front of him, a glass in her hand. She was trying to console him, it was obvious he was heartbroken, but she didn’t know what to do.
If Jay was honest, the breakup with Laney wasn’t really the source of his sadness. Once again he was alone, drowning in his love for his best friend, only this time she was engaged to be married in two weeks. What the hell was he supposed to do with that? So, while Hailey was trying to help with work through the pain of Laney leaving him, he was nursing his own wound, that she unknowingly kept cutting deeper.
Hailey was a bit of a mess, she was two weeks away from her wedding> A wedding that Jay was supposed to bring Laney to. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, they were supposed to be happy with other people, she wasn’t supposed to love him anymore. She had only allowed him a tiny piece of her heart so long ago and now after all the time he was starting to take over again. She convinced herself that it was only because he was single again, she was letting her mind run wild with “what ifs.” That was all they were, but what if she was making the biggest mistake of her life by letting him go?
The sound of music pulled Jay back to reality. The reality that he was pretending wasn’t real. He ignored his friend's sympathetic looks and turned his attention to the aisle like everyone else. Brandon and the pastor came first, standing at the front. Next came Kim, whose arm was linked with one of Brandon’s groomsmen. Next came Vanessa, who walked down with the best man since she was the maid of honor.
The anticipation was eating away at Jay as the music changed and a little girl made her way down the aisle throwing flowers. He recognized her as Hailey’s niece Clara, who was her oldest brother’s daughter.
They all stood as she reached the front and everything else after that seemed to happen in slow motion. The doors at the back of the church swung open to reveal Hailey and Hank, who she had asked to accompany her down the aisle. Jay felt a smile grace his face, she looked breathtaking. She was smiling wide as she walked down the aisle, her blonde hair pinned back with a amiple veil flowing behind it. Her dress was beautiful, yet simple, with a deep neck and long sleeves. It hugged her figure until it fanned out slightly at the waist. For a second Jay forgot that he wasn’t the one standing at the altar.
He was reminded of the depressing fact when the two made eye contact and he watched Hailey’s smile falter. However she recovered quickly as she looked back at her husband to be. When she reached the front of the church and everyone sat down Jay wished the ground would swallow him up. It was over, officially, Hailey Anne Upton was no longer his, not even in his mind. He couldn’t let himself dream anymore, not of her.
It all hit him so fast, the thought of her being Detective Moore instead of Detective Upton (even though Hailey wasn’t one to change her last name) was unfathomable. There would be no more night of him crashing on her and Vanessa’s couch. She wouldn’t stay at Molly’s til last call with him anymore, she would be a married woman. She was going to have someone to go home to, someone that wasn’t him.
He could feel the anger building in his stomach, none of this was Hailey. She had always told him that she didn’t want a big white wedding, she didn’t need one. But here she was, getting married in a church, in a gown with hundreds of people watching. It wasn’t Hailey and everyone here knew that, well everyone except for Brandon.
He was so buried in his own thoughts that he didn’t even hear Brandon say “I do.” Now it was Hailey’s turn and he tried not to read into how nervous she looked.
“Do you, Hailey Anne Upton, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?” The preacher asked.
Jay watched as Hailey took a deep breath, she looked around the room, before briefly meeting his gaze. Jay held his breath, this was her last chance, their last chance. Hailey looked back to Brandon. “I do.”
In that moment Jay felt his heart shatter into a million tiny pieces and there was no doubt that everyone around him could see it. He met Vanessa’s eyes and she gave him a sympathetic look, but Jay just shook his head. It took everything in him not to get up and walk out, the pain was becoming too much.
The preacher began again, “Brandon and Hailey’s closest friends and family are here today to bear witness to their union. Will you promise to love and support their marriage in all the days to come? If so, please respond: We will.” As a chorus of “we wills” sounded around him, he stayed silent. He couldn’t bring himself to say it, even for Hailey’s sake. “Now, if there is anyone who objects to this union. Speak now or forever hold your peace.”
The room was so quiet that Jay was pretty sure that everyone around him could hear his heart beating out of his chest. He loved Hailey with everything in him, he loved her so much that he was willing to come watch her marry someone else, but he loved her too much to let her make this mistake.
Before the preacher could continue Jay jumped out of his seat and everyone in the room gasped, pulling the couples attention to him. Jay looked at Brandon, who was glaring daggers at him, and felt an overwhelming amount of guilt. But he didn’t care, because the look on Hailey’s face was the reassurance that he needed to continue.
“I love you.” He blurted out, earning another shocked gasp from the congregation. He jumped over Adam and Kevin and made his way into the aisle. “I love you, Hailey. I do. I have loved you for as long as I can remember and I’m sorry, but I can’t let you marry him without knowing that.” He rushed. “I’m going to walk out of here, and if you don’t feel the same way, I hope you have the happiest and most fulfilling marriage anyone could ask for. But, if you think that you could love me even a fraction as much as I love you, meet me outside.” With that, he turned and high tailed it out of the church, avoiding everyone’s gaze as he left.
Hailey stood at the altar in shock, she couldn’t move, she couldn’t breathe. She had no idea what to think. She looked to her bridesmaids, her closest friends, and they both gave her bright smiles. Vanessa grabbed her hand and squeezed, “If you want to stay here, I will carry your train out. But if you want to go to him, I will happily drive the getaway car.” She said in a low whisper.
“Hailey?” Brandon asked, panicking.
Hailey turned back to her, tears in her eyes. She handed Vanessa her bouquet and grabbed his hands, saying the three words that would change her life forever.
Jay paced back and forth outside of the church, it had been several minutes and at first he was convinced that Hailey would follow him out. Apparently he was wrong, and now he had lost her forever. He doubted there was anything left of their friendship left to salvage.
He turned away from the building and started the long walk to his truck, feeling his heart throb in his chest. “Jay!” Someone shouted and he spun around.
Hailey stood there, in her wedding dress, but without the veil and bouquet. He was almost sure he was hallucinating. “You, you came?”
Hailey nodded, her voice shaky from the tears she had shed at the altar. The words, “I’m so sorry,” being repeated to Bradon so many times before she chased after Jay. “Yeah.” She sighed out, shrugging.
They took a few cautious steps toward one another, before breaking into a full sprint. They met in the middle, Jay holding her face as he pushed his lips to hers. Time felt like it was frozen, like the two of them were the only people in the world. Hailey wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer, deepening the kiss.
After a long time Jay pulled away, pressing their foreheads together. “Let’s get out of here.”
Hailey nodded as she smiled big, squealing as Jay swept her off her feet and into his arms. They made their way to his truck, laughing the whole way. When they got there that sat in silence, just smiling at each other. Jay reached across the center console, placing a hand on her cheek and brushing his thumb over the soft skin. Hailey breathed out contently, closing her eyes.
“You look amazing and I’m sorry I ruined your wedding.” He said and Hailey laughed.
“I don’t think you ruined it.” She said, placing her hand on top of his. “Well, at least not for me.”
Jay smiled, “I love you, Hailey Upton. And one day, we are going to do this all again, however you want to and I am going to make you Hailey Halstead, or Hailey Upton-Halstead or just Hailey Upton because as long as you are my wife I don’t ca-”
Hailey cut him off with a kiss, practically throwing herself into him. Jay grinned into the kiss, bringing his hand to her perfectly curled hair. This time Hailey pulled away, pressing one more peck to his lips before putting some distance between them. “Jay Halstead, I cannot wait to be your wife.”
A/N: This was so long, I’m sorry! I had so much fun writing this and it might be one of my favorite things I have ever written! I’m sorry if it seemed super unrealistic or all over the place, but I loved writing it so much. Thank you for reading!
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wontshutup · 3 years
Text
Chapter 2: Time
Intro  Chapter 1
So, Chapter 2 is here! I finally managed to sit down to write it. I’ve been going through a lot of changes around me so it might not be the best...Also, I think it might be going kind of slow. Well, hope you like it.
-Milo
Notes: reader is gender neutral(if by any chance I mispronounced the pronouns, let me now), it is written in your POV and Five’s.
Warnings: I think none, but let me know if anything might be triggering. bad writing maybe. 
He wasn’t expecting that.
He didn’t really know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t a teenager about to burst into tears from a feat of laughter. He was very confused, baffled by their reaction, what was it they found so funny? His patience was running thin and was doubting himself, he started to wonder if this was a good idea, maybe he got confused, maybe it wasn’t them. A cold feeling rose upon his ears and neck, partly from embarrassment, partly from deception.
The youngster wiped a tear away and recomposed themselves, hands tightly clenching at their stomach for what Five believed was tummy pain from what just happened, he was waisting valuable time in this mockery. He started his step towars Klaus who was waiting for their orders in a nearby table.
“Wait! Aaaah I-I´m, phew let me” He turned towards them again, hands tucked inside his pockets as to hide his fidgeting. They let out a soft laugh, one that Five hoped was last, and recomposed, a smirk painted upon their features. “Aaah,Sit down old man, should I still address you like that?” 
Five’s relief overtook his exasperation, it was them. Finally allowing himself a little more confidence of what to do next.
He took the seat across them and looked at them. They were leaned on the table, elbow on top supporting their face, they looked at him expectantly, and that’s when he realized, he didn’t really know what to say, he didn’t have a right way to start.
He went through his mind, trying to carefully form his next sentence, eyebrows furrowing in concentration. He opened his mouth, closed it quickly, to which they raised their brows, encouraging him to speak. The silence becoming uncomfortably long.
 “We-” he started, only to be cut off by someone.
“You got yourself some company” the voice of the barista interrupted him just when he had made up his mind to speak.
He felt as the blood started to rise to his ears, resisting the yell at the guy.
“Yes this is an ex-collea-classmate! of mine,” they said catching themselves mid sentence. “I believe you have something for me?” they continued as if Five wasn’t even there.
“Sure thing, here, your pie and bitter black coffee,” he said with an emphasis in bitter
“make that two” Five spat out quickly, a hint of arrogance in his voice. He was clearly bothered by the sudden interruption and in dire need of coffee as the strong scent of his companion’s flooded his senses, making him the more aware of the situation.
“Please” added the teenager with an embarrassed look to which the young man nodded, eyeing Five quickly before going back to the counter. “You were saying?” they asked as they took a spoonful of the pie before them.
I need your help That was the first thing he thought, the only thing he thought, but he had to be reasonable, that was no way to approach them at the moment.
“How have you been?” he asked instead, out of compromise. It had been a fair amount of time since he had seen them, but being honest, he wasn’t interested in cordialities.
He looked at Y/N who looked at him with narrowed eyes, he knew they didn’t buy the clearly fake interest in them. A smug smirk painting across their face, as if mocking them.
“I’ve been fine, thanks, but why don’t you get to the point already?”
********************************************************************************************
You couldn’t help it, it was just funny, unsettling, but funny.
“Does it have to do with the” you snorted “shrinkage?” you asked making circles in the air motioning to point out all of his young figure. 
He narrowed his gaze at you, clearly annoyed, you couldn’t really blame him for it though, not after braeaking into a laughing fit after confessing who he was, on another hand, it was payback for making you go through such an uncomfortable expirience. It was enought to go through the daily torments of your mind and the always alert mindset you brought yourself to keep at all times.
“It’s just, in case you haven’t noticed, you’re small” you took a sip out of your drink carelessly, enjoying the mix of the beverage as it went through you mouth with the amusement the situation brought to you, your eyes never leaving his face. His jaw clenched, clear sign that whatever had happened to him was not something he liked. Being honest, you weren’t being fair about the situation yourself but you decided to ignore the feeling.
“Yes, I have noticed” He said with a harsh tone. Appart from the down ageing he seemed to have some other matters going on, you decided to cut the banter.
“Now don’t get mad, what was it that you wanted to tell me?” you considered you had said enough to bother him, instead offering him a now nicer expression, encouraging him to speak.
You had gone through a lot of unpleasant situations throughout your life and knew that Five had many of his own, he had shared a couple of matters related to him with you and having de-aging being remarked to him wasn’t going to be of any help, god knows under which circumsmtances that happened and what he’s going through now.
His eyes moved as if reading invisble lines on your face, he was clearly thinking about what to say to you next
“Well, I-” after finally seeming to find the words he got interrupted once again.
“Oh Fivee!” Said a main in his 30s, he had medium lenght hair and big green eyes, somewhat of a cheaper version of what Jesus was meant to look like. 
“Not now Klaus” Five said to him exasperated. 
“Oh sorry little guy” he then looked at you “Hey! Aren’t you going to introduce us? I’m Klaus” he said, extending a hand with a big HELLO tattooed on it. You knew who Klaus was. Back at work The Umbrella academy was a common thing for your coworkers to talk about, they were all the rage in the 2000s department, however when ending up living in this time there was no trace of what The Umbrella Academy was instead, something called The Sparrow Academy had taken their place, but that was all you knew about them. He too seemed oddly familiar in actual timeline imagery, that exact image of him you had seen a lot of times while trying to avoid one of Destiny’s Children from giving you another pamphlet.
“Nice to meet you” you shaked his hand in return.
“So, should we leave?” he waved a paper bag in front of Five’s face.
“Actually Klaus, I’d like to stay” he nodded towards you.
“Oh, sure, I see, a little privacy” he nudged him in the shoulder. “About your coffee..”
“I already ordered one” Five told him in a way that seemed as if he was telling him to leave.
“Alright then, it was a pleasure to meet you..?” he fished for your name.
“Y/N” you smiled back.
“Beautiful name!, well it was a pleasure, hope he doesn’t bore you too much” and with that he left.
You returned your eyes to Five, he pinched the bridge of his nose, he looked tired, more than that, exhausted. Then a cup of coffee was laid cautiously in front of him, the smell stronger than your cup’s due to the new heat his drink emitted.
“Thank you” Five said under his breath to Ethan. He took the cup in his hands and took it to his lips, he was  letting the pleasant smell  engulf him for a moment.
“I need your help” he met your eyes, sincerity accompanying his words, like a plea. 
And at that moment you pulled yourself back to what was actually happening for a second.
He needed your help, what for? The last thing you knew he was dealing with wasn’t precisely friendly business and even worse, he hadn’t meddled with the kindest of people to be honest. Last news you had about him was that he had blown up the Comission or something of sorts, that sure angered the people in power. You knew that even if he wasn’t bad he was a dangerous man with worse enemies, and being envolved wasn’t any good.
 “I know you might have your doubts about me, but listen” he must have noticed the doubt on your features, now he had your attention. “I need you to trust me”  his eyes held yours firmly, insisting.
 You evaluated for a second. For a long time you did everything to stay out of trouble, getting away from everything related with The Commission...
“What is it exactly?” you decided to give him a chance.
He sighed in relief, whatever it was, it was clearly important to him.
“My family needs your help” he said regaining a bit of the confidence you knew in him, lightening the air between you. His family, that was something you could work with.
“Oh so now it’s your family and not you?” you went back to mocking him, to which he puffed out some tension, giving you a smug look.
“You’re insufferable kid” he grinned before taking another sip of his coffee, his eyes giving you a silent Thank you.
“Don’t” you warned him, taking a sip of your coffee, furrowing your brows “Aand now it’s cold”
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Text
FOR THE OLD TIMES AND THE NEW ONES.
Obispo “Bishop” Losa x Reader
Anon asked: imagine dating bishop for about 5 months, and he starts getting jealous of your relationship with ez not knowing that you two were childhood friends and you hadn’t seen each other since what happened to his mom.
Word count: 1.3k
Thanks to my lovely beta reader @chibsytelford 💘
Author comments: I hope you all enjoy. Gif credits: @angels-reyes
Tag list: @starrynite7114 ​ @chibsytelford ​ @dazzledamazon ​ @mara-mpou ​ @sammskellington ​ @gemini0410 ​ @1-800-imagines ​ @briana-mishell24 ​ @sassymox @arved 💥 (if you wanna be tagged, send me a message!)
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Bishop loves every small surprise you give him. No matter what. A note in his pockets, a dinner, something you buy 'cause it reminds you of him. Whatever. He also talks sometimes about how good would be introduce you to the club, meeting his family. And you always have answered ‘maybe it's too soon, don't you think?’ He usually nods shrugging and gives you a kiss, as if he doesn't care. But he does. But he doesn't know that it's another of your surprises. You've been together unofficially for almost eight months, and officially for the last five. You know he's the one. And you know by Tranq you're the one. And that's the point. You met his friend some months ago on a fuel station. Bishop always talk about them, so you just went to tell him who you were. Obviously, you had to show him some pictures of both to make him believe you.
Hank text you last night to tell you that they were coming today by evening, after two weeks in Arizona, doing whatever they were doing. Bishop used to call you every other day, at least, for two minutes to know that you were okay and tell you how much he missed you. So, the surprise of being at the club when he comes back to Santo Padre will be awesome, and you know he will love it. Tranq also told you were you could park your car so no one would see it. Following the instructions, leaving it on the car scrapping garage, you walk towards the clubhouse. There's some motorbikes next to, but none is the president's. You know it well. That metallic and shiny green that amaze you. Putting his Iron Maiden shirt well on you and crossing the main door, you continue to the bar finding the prospect.
“Hey, ah... I'm Bishop's girlfriend. Tranq told me I c— EZ? Ezekiel?”
When the younger turns on his feet with the glass he had between his fingers falling down, and a surprised smile on his face.
“(Y/N)...? What the hell?”
He jumps out of the bar, holding and lifting you between his arms, screaming full of happiness as you do. It's been eight years since everything happened. This shit with his mother, the jail... Cupping your cheeks, he leaves a lot of kisses all around your face, hugging yo again as soon as he can.
“Shit, I... I...” He tries to say, but you can't talk either, wrapping his neck with your arms. “Let's have a beer”
So, sitting on the porch over the stairs. You talk almost for one hour. You talk about the jail, about Angel and Felipe, about your parents, about Stanford and that you were working in New York. About that you ran over Bishop and this is how you met. You talk about memories, holding hands, feeling bliss of being together again. You were best friends since ever, but he took you away from him when he was sent to prison. He wanted to protect you, but he never called you after he came free. And you can't blame him, when EZ said that he wasn't ruin your life.
Some motorbikes coming closer call your attention, leaving somewhere above the floor your beer to getting up with a huge smile on the corners of your lips. Before you're able to walk towards Bishop, EZ leaves a kiss on your cheek to get ready for do his ‘prospect job’. And yes, you see the gesture of the president changing to somewhat confused, but you decided to not give it any importance. Waiting for him on the stairs with your hands tangled behind your back. He walks next to you, carrying his helmet on his forearm, and putting inside it his sunglasses and the leather gloves. You're ready to jump at him, when he grabs your left wrist dragging you inside the clubhouse.
Letting you go in a bad mood, after hurtting you a little, he closes loud the door.
“What the fuc' are you doin', ah?” He yells at you, throwing the helmet somewhere around the room.
You swallow saliva, biting your lower lip with your gaze away. Maybe, it wasn't a good a idea, nor a good surprise.
“I ju—just thought you would like see me here”. You say then, after some seconds trying to choose the better words to explain yourself.
“Yeah! But I don' like seeing you fuckin' flirting with the fuckin' prospect in my fuckin' club in front of my fuckin' family. What the fuc' is wrong with you, girl?”
“Flir— what? He's my friend, Bishop”.
“Since when, ah? Since he opened you a fuckin' beer?”
“Since kindergarten”.
“You said... What?” His mood changes extremely fast, rubbing his face with both hands, walking to the closer sofa.
“We went to highschool and Standford together, till his mother was murdered”. Crossed-arms you frown with a strange pain growing in your chest, after he treated you like this. “I didn't know he was a Mayan, nor Angel”.
“I'm sorre', querida...”
“Don' shout at me again, Obispo. And before accuse me of “flirting” with someone else, use your mouth to ask”.
You leave him there passing away the other men you don't know, straight to Angel, who receives you with the happiest gesture ever on his face.
“Dammit, mami! You're fuckin' beautiful”. He says cheering, holding you close as you do. “EZ told me you're back to Santo Padre and... god, it's fucking amazing having you around again”.
“Yea', I missed you, idiots”. You say chuckling, letting him guide you to the picnic table to sit there. “You look good”.
“Ya' know, always”. He answers proud twisting his neck for a while. “Yo, what's up with prez, ah?”
“He just... got jealous because of your brother. I met Hank some months ago, and I wanted to give him a surprise. And well...”
“You gave us too, mami!” He interrupts you, palming loud the wooden table. “Don't be mad at him. Prez is always talking 'bout the girl who ran over him and his motorbike”.
“Oh, god...” You laughs then, hiding your face between both hands, remembering it. “Shit, it was an accident, but I met him. So... Every cloud has a silver lining”.
“Go talk with him. I'll call pops to ask him to come”.
“That would be awesome. I missed that man too”. You nod getting up, ready to walk close to him.
You left Bishop for almost ten minutes, hoping this was good enough to calm himself and think about what he said and what he did. Crossing the open door, Hank makes you a move with his neck to tell you that his inside the Templo, before offering you some beers to share with the Mayan president. Going in and closing the glass door, the man drags back his chair with his gaze on the floor and pursed lips. You walk towards him, leaving the drinks next to the ashtray, to rest your waist against the edge of the huge table.
“So...?” You ask raising both eyebrows.
“He's younger than me”.
“And...?”
“And you look... happy or whatever when he kissed you”.
“And what?”
“That I was fucking jealous to see my girl with another man”.
“And?”
“Are you fucking joking on me? 'Cause it's not funny, (Y/N)”.
“He's younger and maybe I looked happy, but, c'mon, Bish! I only could run over you”. He chuckles, whilst sitting on his lap and placing one arm around his neck and your free hand on his chest, leaving there some caresses. “Did you like the surprise...?”
“'Course, baby. I didn' understand why Tranq was so fuckin' annoying about bring me here first. I just wanted to go home and see you”.
“Well, surprise, mi rey!”. You hug him laughing, while he sinks his face against your collarbone holding you tightly and taking a deep breath of your smell.
“I'm fucking happy you finally meet my family. I'm serious”.
“Yea', I know. Even if at first they thought I was a fuckin' whore or something like”.
“I told them what happened, while you were outside with Angel”.
“And what they said...?”
“That I'm a shithead”.
“Yea', you are. Sometimes”.
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andmaybegayer · 3 years
Text
Last Monday of the Week: 2021-03-01
First Monday of the Month. My boss just quit at work which means I'm now the only formally trained engineer left who has any particular specialization in embedded systems. This week is going to be a doozy.
I also wrote a Very Long set of media updates because I’ve been consuming some stuff that makes me think a lot. Never a good sign.
Listening: I spent all of Saturday playing Minecraft after talking with some friends about it during the week on IRC. Practicing what I preach with regards to my Large Biome Supermacy policy, which does involve a lot of walking. Hence, I started catching up on The Adventure Zone: Graduation again, I'm like ten episodes behind.
https://maximumfun.org/episodes/adventure-zone/the-adventure-zone-graduation-ep-32-by-a-haircut/
I don't really enjoy Travis' DM'ing style. It's very loose and he has a tendency to let players run wild without much structure which is a tricky thing to handle. He does a lot of worldbuilding and character design but doesn't seem to plan much in the way of arcs. That pays off sometimes (returning to the school to realize they broke a promise they made a few sessions earlier and had to deal with consequences, for example) and when it does, it’s really good, but it's finnicky. I know DM's who can do that, but, well, actually I know One Single DM who can do that well and she's absurdly smart.
Reading: Still on Worm, I just got past chapter 8 or so now. It lives in my phone browser so I've mostly been reading it whenever I get some spare time, which is a good sign. If a book doesn't grab me I need to really settle down in a quiet space to avoid getting distracted, but I can read Worm while someone else is on the phone in the same room.
It is a story with a lot of very well-conveyed feelings and events. It's very easy to imagine yourself in it. Characters actually act like they care about what they're doing, I feel like writing this took a lot of care to keep everyone on model.
There's also a certain care given to the superpowers that you'd usually only see in forum posts arguing about an actual superhero story. Everyone always likes to argue about how far you can push a superpower: can you use teleporting to fly? What prevents a speedster from catching fire in the air? Where does the energy for a  pyrokinetic ability come from? Worm takes these and runs with them as a way to make absolutely any fight become a series of gambits relying on whether a power can or cannot be used to perform some high-stakes trick.
The world certainly has some underpinning contrivances to explain why no one gets killed very often but I've always considered nitpicking the base contrivances of a setting silly, because that's precisely what they are: contrived, in order to allow the rest of the story to flow from there. Like arguing about Omega’s abilities in the famous thought experi-*I am dragged off stage by the ratblr police for making a by now extremely stale joke*
Watching: I came and edited this section in like an hour before this posts because I keep on forgetting to put it in. I don’t really like watching TV and with my parents stuck at home in Pandemic Times it’s how they pass the time.
I did finish S3 of the Good Place. It’s very funny. I’m glad I’m watching it and I’m going to have to go find S4 because ZA Netflix doesn’t have it for whatever reason. It feels a little like it was written by Phillip Pullman if Phillip Pullman was a comedy TV writer.
I also really enjoyed the PBS Spacetime video about how time causes gravity. Love when an explanation of concepts is good enough that you drawn the conclusion on your own.
youtube
Playing: Visual Novel Hell plus Minecraft.
I spent approximately seven hours in Minecraft over two days. I tend to hop in and out of games for 1-2 hours at a time but there's a handful that can suck me in for an entire day. Minecraft, Warframe, Horizon Zero Dawn, Night in the Woods. Bastion, to a lesser extent. I end up avoiding them because I don't like loosing entire days, but I wasn't really planning on doing anything this weekend anyways.
Minecraft was mostly a long-ass trek to find a saddle, because as previously mentioned, I enjoy playing it with Large Biomes for the sense of scale.
I also completed Act 3 of Psycholonials and Eliza.
Psycholonials is odd. It is doing the thing that Hussie does where it dances around what's ostensibly the story to carry out the actual story. You get used to the trope after your first encounter but it still makes you wonder when the other shoe will drop, and of course, there's no reason it ever has to. The story may remain in suspended animation behind the every growing mess of narrative red tape tying the B-plot together.
Stories about Social Media have no well established norms. I think I might pick up Feed by M. T. Anderson and also perhaps Hank Green's books sometime. See what context they set that in.
Eliza is frustrating to me. It's a game for programmers, by programmers, about programmers. I'm friends with a lot of Capital P Programmers, the types who go to university and get sniped for developer positions at Seattle or Silicon Valley tech companies and who make great and terrible things and then warn you about the deep problems that underpin the slowly rolling ball of venture capital and bloated technology that is the tech industry. But at the same time, it makes me feel like I've burnt out on that conceptually before I even went in. It’s a whole other world that I’m familiar with but very distant from. In fact, that’s kinda how I feel about Psycholonials too. I’m familiar with the social media rat race but I also don’t go there. Parallels!
My cousins (who are halfway to Capital P Programmers, only so much you can do halfway around the world from silicon valley) warned me not to go into CS, because it would bore me, and that's a non-trivial part of why I'm in Engineering. They gave the same advice about Biology and Physics, without that I may have ended up in Microbiology. it’s not my domain, but because of how Engineering is going, you end up a lot closer to programmers than you think. I found out the other day that most of the software developers on my team have no formal tertiary qualifications, which is accepted in CS but of course, right out when it comes to engineering. It’s a whole other world that I kinda expected to skip around. I might go into this another time, since this post is already getting long.
Making: I haven’t done any engineering scicomm posts on here in a while so I started a few blank drafts and finally got one off the ground. With some luck I’ll have that ready this week. What’s it about? Not saying! It might change!
I’ve been doing layout for a custom keyboard, I need to call a laser cutting place and find out what their kerf requirements are so I can adjust the path accordingly. Wouldn’t do to burn a couple hundred rand on an oversized part, I’m paying for this, not my employer like the other times I’ve done laser cutting, so I’m probably not going to spring for getting one of their designers to check my design. At some point I should CAD up a chassis, but at the same time I might just buy some wood and go ham with a router once I get the plates cut.
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Computers Slot: I got WeeChat set up properly on my desktop, which technically was just a matter of getting my SSH keys moved over. It’s taking me forever to move in to Cinnabar, in part because Stibnite lost her boot partition and I haven’t bothered to fix it.
So here’s a pitch for WeeChat as a good quality Terminal UI IRC Client. Many of my closest friends live there and it has a good set of tools to help me keep in touch.
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WeeChat is very configurable but with perfectly sane defaults, I didn’t configure it for years. The UI is smarter and less arcane than something like irssi, and if you enable mouse support it can be downright modern. Running it remotely like this limits some features but as long as you don’t mind jumping through a few hoops to do filesharing, IRC is really great like this.
One of the big ones is the ability to do that double-pane thing, I can keep an eye on two channels at once (really as many as I can cram on my screen, but usually two) which is great when you want to browse channels while talking in your home channel.
It also has a good array of remote access tools, from what I’m running up there, just weechat running on my server inside tmux connected over mosh for low-latency SSH, to weechat-relay, a relay protocol built in to weechat. At the moment relay only supports android phones and the glowingbear web client, but I’ve never really looked around since both of those cover all my needs. Easily one of the best ways to get IRC on a modern mobile device, barring maybe IRCCloud.
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creepyalienghost · 3 years
Text
Yandere.
It was Sammy’s first day of college but it was also Sammy’s first time away from home. Where he grew up in an a abusive house hold. He had never been shown love by anyone in his life. Not even at school. The students constantly bullied him and the teachers there hated him. Even his boss treated him like a robot and didn’t care how tired and overworked he was. He was numb to the pain and didn’t care for people anymore. To him they would all just hurt him one day or another. He was glad the dorms there only held one person, him. He wouldn’t ever get any rest or time to recover if there he had to worry all the time here.
His first corse came Monday the following week, Business. He didn’t care for the core but he figured it would help him in the future. The Professor spent the first half explaining the rules to the class and the things they were going to learn here. In the second half the professor told them to group up in twos for the first activity.
Sammy dreaded this activity. He could hear everyone getting up and finding there partner or friend. No one will choose him. No one ever chooses him. Ever. He gets left behind in everything all the time like-
“Excuse me?” Came a nice Southern male voice behind him, causing him to be startled and looked back. “I’m sorry for scaring you there. May I be your partner?” The man to the voice ask.
Sammy looked away from him, shyly. Why has he come to him an ask. Usually the teacher just ins up putting him in one or demanding another kid to join him so they could get on with the lesson. But this guy! He came without that or hesitation. It felt...good. “Y-yea.” Sammy clear his thought. “Yea sure.”
“Thanks” the guy replied, sitting next to Sammy. “I’m Norman.”
Sammy’s heart was beating fast and his stomach was doing all kinds of flips. Why would he want to be his partner? Why does he speak so kind to him? “I’m uh. Sammy..”He mumbled.
Norman gave him a kind smile. “That’s a nice name, Sammy.”
Sammy’s heart skip from that. No one has ever complemented him before. It was a lovey feeling. “ I-uh...t-thank you...” he mumbled again.
They were silent for a minute as they listen to the professors instructions on what the activity was. They would have to come up with a Product and try to sell it to the class. Once the teacher was finished he let everyone begin. “Alright, Sammy. Got anything in mind for a Product?” Norman asked
Sammy tried to think of something but his mind was distracted by his kindness. After a moment he shook his head. “N-no.” He replied, scared now that he’ll hate him for failing. “I’m sorry...”
Norman wasn’t mad though. He smiled at him again. A smile that flipped Sammy’s stomach. “No need to be sorry Sammy.” He replied. “Let’s do...a new game?” He looked at Sammy. “How’s that sound?”
“That sounds...n-nice..” Sammy said relieved yet confused that he still doesn’t hate him.
Sammy sat there and watched him write down some idea Though out the activity. Norman green eyes return to Sammy after he finished with his part of the list. “Do you have any ideas for this new game?”
Sammy looked down in wonder in thought. He didn’t want to fail him with this. He wanted Norman to like him. He needed it. “Maybe....a music game?...like you can play as a musician?...” he mumbled looking back at his face.
Norman nodded. “That sounds interesting.” He wrote it down and they continue to work on this.
The class ended 10 minutes later and everyone beings packing up and leaving. Sammy starting doing the same with his belongings when Norman turned around to him. “Hey Sammy. Is this your first year here?”
Sammy turned to him and nodded. “Y-yes. Why?”
“Because. It’s my second here.” Norman replied. “And I was wondering if you wanted to hang tonight? I can show you the town?” He ask.
He...He wanted to hang out with him? Like on a date? He he only experience this type of thing in shows. Sammy’s palms begin to sweet as well as his heart beats faster. “Yes!..I -I mean yes..” he cleared his throat.
Norman smiled a beautiful smile. “Great. Meet me at the lobby to the dorms at 7” with that he left the class.
Later that night Sammy goes to the lobby a few minutes before And learns on the wall, waiting. He passed the time by watching people. One guy was doing homework at one of the little tables, a group of guys were playing pool on the other side of the room and more walk in and out.
A few minutes later he saw Norman walk in and he got up as he approaches. “Hey. You ready?” Norman ask.
Sammy nodded. “I’m r-ready”
Norman smiled and leaned Sammy out. It was a nice cool night out and perfect for walking in. Norman loved these nights. It was peaceful walking and watching the people or sky watching or going to haunted places according to his friend Joey.
The first place Norman took him was a coffee shop. Hanks coffee shop to be exact. It was located on Main Street between the corner store and a diner. When they entered the shop, the delicious smell of coffee with a hint of honey hit them both. It made his mouth water.
“This is we’re I’d love to come and study or do homework.” Norman said. “It’s relaxing and a great place to get coffee.” He informed him with a smile. “Speaking of coffee wanna get one for the road?”
Sammy nodded in reply. “Yes. Coffee sounds great!”
Norman had ordered an ice coffee for himself and offered to pay for Sammy’s chocolate chip flapper chino coffee. They slowly sipped it as they walked down the sidewalk, passing other cute little shops
And places. A clothing store, a comic shop, a candy shop and many other places.
Norman brought him to the local book shop next. When they arrived inside Sammy saw rows and rows of books. From sci-fi to horror. “I’m a bit of a nerd.” Norman said chuckling. “So i come hear a lot.” He turned to Sammy. “Are you? Do you like to read”
Sammy shrugged his shoulders after a minute of thought. “I’m...I never really read anything t-that wasn’t for homework..”
Norman smiled. “Would you like me to pick you out a book?”
Sammy smiled and nodded. “Yes please! That would be fantastic!
Norman and Sammy spent hours looking around for something Sammy would enjoy. Norman ask questions to help decide what he likes like “do you like things about monsters” or “do you like a good mystery” in the end they came up with a sci-fi book. They payed for it and the two went to the diner to eat before heading back.
——
The morning after he took an hour reading his new book before classed and found himself really enjoying it. Once it was time to get to class he got ready and walked out of his dorm, passing the lobby on the way outside. But he stopped by what he saw. Norman was playing pool with another person! She was tall and fit with brown hair and Hazel eyes.
Sammy felt crush by this. Norman was laughing with her and talking to her, showing her how to play. He even offered her hang out later! This was unfair! Wasn’t he Normans friends? Why was she even around him! He needed to do something! Before he losses his own friend.
In the first class he didn’t focus on the Biology lesson the Professor was given. He was to busy deciding what to do with her. Should he push her in front of a car? Or should he trip her down the straits? No. Those are all Public. He needed something that could be done in public. He didn’t want be seen by people and get arrested.
After another minute of thinking he came up with the perfect way. A small twisted smile spread on to his face. After this Norman would be his friend again
Lacie entered the girls dorm after leaving the library with Norman and headed up
To her room. She unlocked her dorm door and stepped in, kicking off her shoes. It’s been a long busy day with school, work and homework that she was ready for a shower and then sleep. Lacie set her bag down on the desk and walked to her closet for some clothes, opening it. That’s when her head burst out in pain and everything went black.
When she came to she had a massive headache. The light was blinding as she slowly opened her eyes. Once she was cautiously aware she her hands were tied in the back and she was up on a chair with a noose around her neck. “What the hell!?” She yelled before noticing a guy in the corner. “Who are you?!... what the fuck is this?!”
The guy came forward with a deep glear of hatred tours her. “I’m Sammy. And Normans my friend!” Sammy kicked the chair out from underneath her, watching her fall and struggle to breath. He watched her kick her feet And try to kick the chair back to her, with no luck. It wasn’t long before she stopped moving and her body slumped.
Sammy finished his work by cutting her hands free from the rope, placed a note on her desk and slipped out into the night without being seen. He later laid in bed and thought about Norman being his friend again tomorrow.
-
Its been three days since the passing of Lacie. Everyone was shocked that she would do something like that. She always seemed so happy. So ready to take on the day. So ready for anything that life through at her. Norman took it pretty hard. He blames himself for not seeing the signs. He was just with her before she did it. Why couldn’t she had talk to him? He would’ve listened and tried to help her. The school held a memorial in her honor. Everyone showed up to pay respect. Norman was one of them that gave a speech there. She talked about how they were best friends since they were kids. This hurt Sammy a lot to see. Part of him felt sorry for hurting him but the other part was hurt by how much he loved her. Still, now that she’s gone he can have Norman be his friend. Other than that Norman hadn’t came out of his dorm in three days.
Sammy decided that he wanted to visit him tonight, to make sure he was alright. He could help him feel better and hopefully make him laugh.
After his last class of the day he stopped by the flower shop to buy a lovey Bouquet of flowers for Norman. He never been to a funeral before nor tried to help anyone feel better. He saw this idea on tv shows and movies and he thought it was a nice thing now. There were many different options and all of them beautiful but he eventually chose a set with Beautiful red and orange flowers that smelled good.
He walked happily back to campus and into the boys dorm. He heart was filled with Joy as he walked down the 5th floor to Normans room. But the Joy and happiness was instantly crushed when he saw another guy walking out of Normans room. He stopped in his tracks and hid behind a wall, listening.
“Don’t hesitate to call, alright man?” The guy said to Norman.
Norman stepped out and nodded. “I won’t. Thanks Jack.” With that he closed the door and jack began walking out. He passed Sammy without noticing the small man. Sammy dropped the flowers, stepping on them and following jack.
Sammy followed him for little more then five minutes, planning on what he was going to do with this one. When they got near a pound he knew exactly how to get rid of him.
He looked around on the ground for a minute before he stopped a good side rock and grabbed it. He then quicken his paste to get closer to him. At that point jack notice the sounds behind him and turned around to see what it was. It was to late for jack though. The rock knocked him out before he could respond.
Sammy quickly got to work. He started stuffing large rocks in jacks pockets. His Jeans, his hoodie pocket and even in his hoodie it self. Once he was finished with that he pushed jack into the pound and watched him sink. He quickly left the area.
Luckily for Sammy, It stormed that night. The rain watched away all of jack blood and smooth out there foot prints. The neck day there was a missing report on jack. The police searched for days and came up empty-handed. After a week of looking they had to call off the investigation. They chief of police finally claim was he ran away to stop a new life.
Sammy waited a few days before he decided to visit Norman. So things can calm down enough in Norman life. He seen Norman sad when he was in class earlier and wanted to help him and be there for him like he was on the first day. Sammy had been preparing a speech since Monday, again like he seen on tv shows and movies. He felt like he was ready on Wednesday to give the actual speech to Norman.
He went to Normans next class and waited outside of his class and waited for the remaining minutes. Once they were rushing out he peak in between person after person trying to catch Norman. But once he saw him he was hugging another girl. This time with short blonde hair and green hair. She was more girly then the last. She was also beautiful.
This time Sammy didn’t feel sad or heart broken or betrayed. Sammy felt anger and hate in his heart. Why couldn’t he just have one friend to himself!? Why couldn’t he have one good thing in his shitty damn life?! This was so unfair to him and he couldn’t take it anymore! He snapped.
Late that night Sammy came across campus and snuck in the girls dorm. He were a black hoodie that covered most of his face up, not like anyone would notice him anyways. In the pocket laid a knife. He went up to Susies dorm and knocked on her door. He wasn’t in his right mind now. Anger and hate lead him.
When she opened the door she couldn’t even get a word in. He took the knife out and stabbed her in the stomach, watching her gasp. He took it out and stabbed her with it again. He repeated it over and over again even after she stopped responding. It was like was in a trance. Stabbing and stabbing. He opened snapped out of it when he herd a gasp like scream.
He looked over and saw Norman at the door but backing away from him. He looked back down of what’s in front of him and gasp himself. There was so much blood on and around him! So much it scared him. He looked back at Norman and reached out for him. “No wait!-“ he called out.
Norman backed away another stepped. “Stay away from me! Don’t come any closer!” He replied and on the verge of crying. “Someone help! He killed my friend!” He yelled out.
Nothing could be done now. Sammy herd doors opening and people starting to freak out once they released what was going on. He herd the caretaker coning and some got on the phone for the police. He couldn’t run away from this. From what he just done. He looked at his hand all covered in blood then cried.
About 15 minutes later the police and ambulance should up on the campus. The police stormed up to Sammy and arrested him with no problem. He didn’t fight them, And when he was lead to the police car he didn’t look at the people watching the scene unfold. It was unbearable to see that. They put Sammy in the back of the car and drove him away.
——
Who wants a part two?!
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rjhpandapaws · 3 years
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For your ask event! What if you shuffled our playlist for a random song and then said who, or what ship, the song reminds you of?
Hopefully this isn't too vague 😅
//I love it!!! //The song is: We Don’t Have to Dance by Andy Black
Who: Both Hank and Gavin actually. This is a song about going through change, not being the same person in the eyes of someone you once knew and I feel like that fits both Hank and Gavin really well. Hank changed after losing Cole, and again after meeting Connor. Something made Gavin the way he is, you aren’t born that combative. I feel like he and Hank were once close and drifted apart after Cole died, Gavin couldn’t stand the sight of Hank slowly killing himself.
Ship: Hankvin. For most of the reasons above, and the fact that I feel like when they were in their more neutral states he and Gavin could have had chemistry. They were both told to be great detectives if a little unorthodox so I feel like they would bond over that. I feel like it starts as a FWB thing and then they grow feelings but after Hank loses Cole things fall apart, but it starts with whatever breaks Gavin. The loss of Cole was just the final nail in the coffin, the final excuse they both needed to finally go their separate ways.
Short under the cut.
Hank woke up to another person in his bed and a nice blacktop blur of how they had gotten there. Surely he hadn’t gotten that drunk? He remembered being coerced by Connor to go to Nines’s promotion party and not much after that. Connor had been there and he certainly would have cut Hank off before things had gotten that bad, but then again Nines had been there and those two had a tendency to get caught up in one another. Careful not to wake his companion he turned to see who it was that he had brought home with him. Hopefully he could get them to leave without too much of a fuss, he was bad when it came to morning afters, which is why he had stopped doing this kind of thing. When his eyes landed on Gavin’s sleeping form he was hit with a wave of nausea that had nothing to do with his hangover. He promised himself he wouldn’t do this again, not with him. Those feelings were still raw even after all these years. With less grace than he would have liked he scrambled out of bed, he grabbed a pair of sweats to cover himself and bee lined for the bathroom to spill his guts.
Gavin woke up in a room that wasn’t his own but still a little too familiar for his liking. It had been years since he had been here last. The previous night came to him in pieces. Nines had been promoted and Gavin had decided to throw him a party as any good partner would have done and the piece of shit tin can had immediately fucked off somewhere in the club with Connor. Hank had offered to buy a round of drinks and things were a little spotty after that. He and Hank had danced, maybe more than once and it had been nice if he was honest. That aside, he hadn’t meant for this to happen. It had been like old times last night, he had gotten to see a glimpse of the man he had once loved. He could leave while Hank was in the bathroom, it would be less awkward that way. They could sweep last night under the rug; and despite that he found himself getting up and slipping into his boxers and Hank’s shirt from the night before. He made his way to the kitchen and started on coffee and a light breakfast. Something to chase away the hangover. It was the least he could do.
“Is that my shirt?” Hank’s voice rolled into the kitchen laced with exhaustion, “I honestly thought you would have pulled a disappearing act by now.” Gavin bristled at the remark, sure he was one to fuck and run but last night had sort of meant something to him at least, “I thought about it.” He turned to hand Hank a mug of coffee and pain pills, his eyes falling to the faded tattoo on the man’s chest. This was familiar, like old times and it was comfortable, “I’m staying for breakfast and then I’m going to shower. After that I want to talk.” Hank shrugged, “You seemed to have things planned out so I won’t argue.” He took the pills and chased them with coffee, “Thanks for looking after Sumo.” “No problem.” Gavin returned his attention to the eggs before they could burn and they lapsed into an almost awkward silence. It was heavy with words neither of them wanted to say.
Hank got dressed while Gavin was in the shower and let Sumo back in the house. He tried his best to remember the night before and got as far as remembering dancing with Gavin. It had been nice, there was no denying that. He hadn’t danced with anyone since his ex-wife and that wasn’t a memory that he didn’t like to revisit. He took a seat on the couch and absently pet Sumo.  Gavin came out of the bathroom in his clothes from the night before and a towel on his shoulders to catch the water from his hair. He sat on the armrest of the couch at the end opposite Hank. “We can’t do this again.” Gavin said and his words hit Hank like a bucket of ice water, “I don’t have the strength to walk away from you a second time.” “Then don’t.” Hank said keeping his voice level, “Stick around this time, we can figure the rest out as it comes. I know last time was a train wreck, but we’re both different people now. It could work this time.” Gavin let out a dry laugh, “Or it could end worse than last time. We’re different, not necessarily better.” Gavin sighed and moved onto the couch, “But I know I’ll keep coming back to you. As much as I buried it I missed you.” “I missed you too Gavin, and if I’m honest I don’t think I could walk away again either.” He looked into those green eyes again and gave a slight smile, “We should give it time of course. See if we can handle being friends then go from there.” “Hank, I think we skipped friends somewhere between your fourth Old Fashioned and you feeling me up in the back of a cab.” Gavin remarked, “We can take it slow, but don’t push me away because you’re afraid.” “Then we don’t have to be friends.” He said with a smile, “But you have to tell the wonder duo. I’ll handle Jeff.” Gavin groaned, “Fine.”
@marndraws
(Prompt from this list)
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