#‘No no no it’s fine I’ll be fine it’s just a little cold’ -Nm while he can hardly move

[sooouth]

y’know.

poor killer and nightmare during the winter.

I’m just imagining, like, nightmare’s goop gets super cold and almost freezes, which i can imagine is a bit of a problem. killer’s eye goop probably freezes to his face, but more keeps coming out no matter what. so it just turns into this mess of frozen liquid on his face.

don’t ask I just randomly got that thought LMAO

[rrazor]

lactose | o. tooru, i. hajime, m. issei, h. takahiro

tags: nsfw (group)

>> (04:37) r u done >> (04:37) emergency >> (04:37) pls come back asap >> (04:38) u aren’t gonna believe this

slipping your phone back into your pocket, frown on your face, you glance over at the boba shop worker putting your order together.

“thank you so much!” you grab the bag and shift it in your hands.

he smiles. “have a good day!”

you return the polite sentiment and rush back to your place, doing your best to not jostle the bag too much.

“hello?” you call, breathing a little too heavily, setting down the bag on the living room’s coffee table.

your sister spots you and calls your name.

“hey, what’s—?”

walking along behind her are your fellow third years, looking up, yes up, at you with glittery doe eyes, mochi-like cheeks and itty bitty statures to match.

“what the fu—.”

“zip it.”

you clamp your mouth shut.

“kya!” tooru, all fluffy hair and soft skin, runs up to your legs, giving them a tight hug. hajime, not wanting to be beaten, runs up too, rubbing his cheek against them.

“hey,” you laugh softly, squatting down to hug them both.

takahiro eyes sparkle and makes his way to you too with issei a teensy step behind. you give them all a big hug before looking up at your sister again.

“what happened here?”

“the whiny one was sharing some handmade cookies a fan of his made.”

“you mean tooru? did you eat any?”

she nods. “they were pretty good actually. but only the guys got hit.”

you look at them again, all soft smiles in your arms. you know that if kyoutani was here, he’d mutter “good” and then walk away. you almost snort aloud at the thought.

“ouh!” takahiro chirps, pointing up at the bag on the table.

“well, i guess we might as well feed them,” you laugh. your sister unpacks the drinks and grabs hers as you help the babies get their drinks set up in front of them. it’s kinda funny and ridiculously cute—the drinks are half their size when usually, the cups would look small in their large hands.

“i gotta head over to kii-chain’s house for a group project. will you be okay on your own?”

“probably?”

she nods and heads out the door but not before reminding you to text her in case something comes up.

there goes your afternoon of studying.

takahiro stands up in front of his drink as you hold it for him. he dips in his head to take a sip and you wanna cry-laugh at how his little arms are angled back behind him as his tiny lips form the cutest pout.

“mm!!” he hums, chewing at the pearls, eyes closed in satisfaction. you laugh, kissing his cheek. he giggles and puts his tiny hands on his cheeks and you can’t help but think he looks like a little peach.

hajime pulls on your sleeve. “buu?”

you insert his straw for him and bring him onto your left thigh as he holds onto the cup and sips away, looking up at you silently with glittery eyes as he does. you hum, kissing him on his right cheek. “the aloe tastes good, doesn’t it?”

“num!” he nods, smiling at you. ah, the world’s cutest porcupine.

issei crawls in between your legs and plops himself down, looking up at you. you smile and steady takahiro on your right first—he’s still leaning up and down, drinking like a bird toy. you grab issei’s boba and bring it down in front of him, angling the straw towards his pout.

“you want some? it’s good, sweetie.”

he nods, blushing slightly as he holds onto the drink with his tiny hands, taking a sip and looking you in the eye as he does so.

“good?”

“poo,” he mumbles with a soft smile.

you bite your tongue to keep yourself from laughing and kiss his forehead instead. you tickle his chin, loving the little laughs tumbling out of his lips.

“humnnn!!” tooru thrashes his arms, patting your shin. his pretty forehead creased with how you were ignoring him.

“tooru, this one’s yours.” you set his drink in front of him and tooru grabs it and scoots in closer to issei, forcing you to widen the space between your legs.

you steady takahiro to your right and help him sit down, not wanting to topple over him.

“nn?” he looks at you.

brushing through his short bangs, you smile at him. “sitting, okay?”

he nods, matching your smile before going back to sipping at his boba.

“fuu!” tooru pouts, patting at your chest in protest.

“okay, okay, what is it, your highness?”

you pick up his drink and urge him to drink, hoping it smoothes the frown lines on his forehead. it does—roasted milk tea and black sugar bringing a soft smile on his face.

“weehee!”

you huff a laugh at the sound, brushing through his soft bouncy hair.

“aum?” takahiro points to your drink left on the coffee table.

“s’okay. i’ll just have it later.”

he hums as you pat at his head.

but, what were you going to do now? you look at all of them. hard to say, really. the history textbooks didn’t have any example contingency strategies on situations like this and neither do you so the internal thought process ends there because there’s no point really thinking about it at this point.

takahiro is the first to have his fill of his sweet drink. leaving his drink on the floor, he turns around to cuddle into your chest. you rub at his back and pat his chest, burping him just in case he needed it. issei is next. he curls himself into you as you bring your hand around his back. before long, tooru pops off his straw and exhales in satisfaction. he scooches next to issei and buries his head in your chest too. and finally: “fuu,” hajime exhales. he lets go of his drink and it starts its fall onto the floor, but you grab it in time, sighing in relief.

hajime nuzzles his head into your chest and you swoon at all the affection they’re giving you. you fawn over them and can’t resist the temptation of kissing their little hair whorls.

“hyeh?” takahiro looks up, hands on his head. tooru thinks it tickles and coos. issei and hajime knock heads as they look up at you.

“oh!” you rub their foreheads and leave kisses on them to circumvent any tears. they look at each other and blush.

“un!” tooru begs, making grabby hands up at you.

so you spend the next little while tickling and lavishing affection on the little ones, relishing in their coos and giggles, cheeks pink and broad smiles on their faces before a thought pops into your head.

“do you guys want popcorn?”

the babies immediately look up at you with a sharp glimmer in their eyes. you get up after setting the hajime on the floor and grab the large bag of popcorn from your kitchen cabinets.

“pop! pop!” takahiro chirps.

“pop!” tooru giggles.

everyone’s given their own mini mountain of popcorn. tooru squeals in glee, soft brown curls bouncing with the motion. he picks up a handful and drops it in yours.

“pop! pop!” he babbles.

“nm!” issei does the same with hajime and takahiro following along. it spills and ends up all over your lap.

“oh, thank you!”

as the boys eat with the popcorn, you clean up the mess of notes and textbooks on the table, not wanting them to get dirty or stained. your exams are still next week, so it was fine, right? right?

a piece of popcorn lands on the table. you turn around to see them throwing it at each other—takahiro and tooru use it as projectiles while issei and hajime are trying to throw them into each other’s mouth.

“bwah!” takahiro kicks his leg back to throw and ends up knocking over his drink. luckily, you manage to catch it, sighing in relief once more as you set it on the table.

unfortunately, this time, relief doesn’t last long because tooru tips his over and spills it, soaking the leg of your pants and getting it over hajime, who’s sitting on the floor. his pants seep the liquid in and he starts sniffling at the cold sensation.

tooru starts crying too after seeing the aftermath of his fumble, wailing as tears stream over his cheeks.

“oh!” you pull tooru onto the couch, where he pushes his face into the arm rest and bawls. takahiro and issei are ushered over to another spot on the floor as you pick up hajime. his little hands tighten into fists in your shirt as he does his best to not cry. soft sobs slip out of his wobbling lower lip as you stand up and pat at his back.

“hey, we’ll go and get you cleaned up, okay?”

“mm?” issei looks up at you, pouting at the thought of being left behind. takahiro comes to grab you too and tooru looks up from the couch, fat tears swimming in his pretty eyes. the look of fear on their faces and the thought of leaving them here alone doesn’t settle well in your stomach so you decide to just bathe all of them.

“let’s all go together?”

“mm!” takahiro nods.

you look over at tooru, beckoning him over. “you too, tooru.”

he smiles a little and bumbles over to you.

you somehow manage to get all of them into the washroom, running the water immediately, waiting for the hot water as you strip the babies of their clothes.

“wrr,” takahiro mumbles.

“you’ll be warm soon enough,” you soothe.

you plug the tub and adjust the water’s temperature as it begins to fill up. tooru and hajime sniffle as they sit down. issei pats at the water’s surface, giggling. you’re glad none of them are afraid of the water.

“hajime, tooru,” you coo, patting at the water with issei. “it’s fun you see?”

hajime mimics you and starts babbling in excitement. tooru follows soon after. with the water up to their ribs, the boys start playing in the water, having forgotten about the crying.

“oh, thank god,” you sigh, wiping at your forehead.

“pish, pish!” issei splashes himself with the water, a cute smile on his face. you giggle softly and cup his cheek, thumb brushing his soft little eyebrows.

“having fun?”

he coos.

you grab your hypoallergenic, sensitive skin body soap; takahiro’s sensitive skin didn’t handle fragrances nor sulfates well. you lather it into a towel and bend over the tub to clean hajime first.

“kya!” tooru giggles and splashes the water, getting it all over you.

“hey, tooru!” you bring up your arm to block his attacks, but it’s all in vain when the others, including hajime, gang up on you.

“guys!”

doing your best to block the water, you grab the shower head and turn on the water, splashing them in their little faces.

“pwah!” hajime sputters.

“pbbbt!” takahiro shakes his head.

tooru laughs and pats at his cheeks in delight and issei coos at the sheer fun of it all. you laugh along with them, brushing the water off your face and wringing your t-shirt.

“c’mon, let’s get back—.”

a cloud of smoke envelopes the entirety of the bathroom, leaving you coughing as you try to fan it away.

issei raises a brow. “oh?”

you open your eyes. cramped into the bathtub are the four of them in their original sizes, looking at you. “oh,” you say, thoughts escaping you. “well, that was quick.”

tooru pushes his bangs back. “and what were you doing?” he trills.

you roll your eyes. “well, someone just had to spill their bubble tea all over my living room floor.”

takahiro snickers, climbing out of the tub and you close your eyes and huff, turning your chin away and doing your best to act indifferent towards his nude, muscular physique. the other three follow him out and soon, you’re surrounded by a cage of muscle and oozing sex appeal.

you pout, blush high on your cheeks as your thighs clench together. it should be illegal for them to look that good. “what are you guys doing?”

“taking care of you,” hajime states nonchalantly, stripping you of your track pants and panties, throwing them to the side before propping your legs over his thighs. your shirt and bra quickly follow suit.

“wh—?” did they retain their memories? but your thoughts are cut off with a breathy gasp as hajime trails a finger over your folds before promptly eating you out.

takahiro smirks at your cute reaction before seeing the bottle of body soap on the bathroom floor.

“you use this stuff?”

you swallow, leaning back into issei’s broad chest as he gropes your breasts and tweaks your nipples. “well—shit—you’re allergic to all the other stuff, so—!”

takahiro hums, heart thrumming with your endearing consideration for him. he brings your hand up to kiss at the back of your hand. “thanks, princess.”

tooru chuckles, eyeing all the skincare products he’s left on your bathroom counter. “you’re such a good girl,” he coos, bringing you in for a kiss.

“isn’t she?” issei drawls lowly next to your ear as you whimper into oikawa’s mouth, remembering the pile of his clothes in your closet.

“fucking sweet pussy, too,” hajime grunts, sucking on your clit, trying to match the effort you put into massaging his sore muscles after each practice.

your breath hitches and tooru gladly swallows all of your moans. you can feel issei grind up against your back and when you pull back to breathe, all the air is taken from you with the way they’re looking at you.

“well then,” oikawa smirks. “let’s get started, pretty girl.”

[scribbling-stiks]

Heart Strings - XVIII - America has a Partner is Crime Now. He Won't Be Arguing About it

There is a moment of quiet before the voices start up again. They fill the air, and America's head fills with static. He flinches, and Alaska and South Carolina huddle in front of him, as if to help block out the noise.

'God f*cking d*nm it. Not another one. Not here.'

America shakes his head.

'Why am I having this problem now of all times?!'

'*Are you okay?*'

America ignores the message.

'I don't want to snap at him.'

'...not again.'

America looks away from Russia and down to the grimy floor at his feet.

'I'm sorry, Fed. I'm so sorry.'

"You just got back," UK protests.

"Please, you only wanted them back so you could interrogate them," England sneers.

"I want to leave," America commands.

"Why?!"

"I don't want to stay here," America says, his voice tight with stress.

The personifications in front of America squabble and argue, and America puts his hands over his ears, desperately trying to block the surrounding buzz. He can faintly sense Russia reaching out, but he seemed to recoil just as quickly.

'Wait, no. Covering my ears is weird.'

America folds his arms tightly over his chest, and hunches over a little.

'I want to leave. I want to leave I want to leave!'

"Dad?" South Carolina asks.

'I need to leave. Too loud too loud too loud too loud!'

'*Mare?*'

Someone takes his hand and begins gently tugging him toward the door. America tries to pull away, but whoever to leading him away has a firm grip. America bites back a snarl.

His clothes are uncomfortable, the air too warm, his hair too itchy, and the world too much.

Suddenly, the lights turn off, and even the dull florescent buzz is gone. America takes a deep breath and tries to calm his breathing. He looks around and finds that he's in an office of some sort, though the light is off and the curtains are drawn, so he can't make out the details.

'It's quiet here.'

The hand releases him, and America looks up to see South Carolina stepping away slowly. America falls back onto the floor and squeezes himself into a corner. He pulls his legs to his chest and lays his head down, trying to hide the tears.

'Not this again!'

"Daddy? Are you okay?" Alaska asks quietly, slowly shuffling toward him.

America flinches at the noise.

"Yes, Daddy's okay. I just need a few minutes of quiet, okay?"

Alaska nods, and quietly makes her way to South Carolina, taking off her coat.

America looks around a little more and spots Russia hovering by the door, looking stiff. Worry blossoms under the exhaustion, and the lingering anxiety amplifies it.

'Are you okay?'

Russia's eyes shoot over to meet his, an incredulous look on his face.

'*Am I... Are you okay?*'

Russia waves his hands around a little, his face scrunched up. Worry radiates from the link, and America looks away.

'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry this keeps happening. I try not to, I promise.'

America looks away, cursing himself.

'Why did I say that? Do I even want a response?'

When America glances back up again, Russia is kneeling in front of him a few feet away. America doesn't meet his eyes.

'I'm sorry I'm so disappointing.'

Russia's face softens, and America risks checking the link.

Worry. Concern. Confusion. A want to help.

'*I didn't ask for apologies. I want to know if you're okay.*'

'He sounds so calm.'

America looks away.

'Could you back up a little bit? Please?'

'Even my thoughts sound desperate...'

Russia complies, tripling the distance between them.

America sighs.

'What do I keep getting myself into?'

Russia opens his mouth and reaches out with his hand before retracting and turning away, looking almost embarrassed. Russia nervously rubs the back of his neck and looks away. Canada leans against the door, a smirk on his face, and his arms are crossed.

'That's adorable,' America thinks numbly with a small smile.

'I wish I had my weighted blanket or something to help.'

'I don't want to leave again into the lights.'

'I am so tired.'

America yawns, and offers his kids a sleepy grin.

"(Thank you,)" America signs.

South Carolina smiles and gives a thumbs up. America sighs.

A new, tingly sensation tickles the back of his mind. Some kind of longing.

'I want... a hug?'

America shakes his head a little.

'No.  That isn't me... but then.?'

America glances up to see Russia sitting back in an office chair, glancing around the room and fidgeting. America sighs.

'I guess it would be nice.'

America stands up and stumbles over to Russia. Russia looks up, surprised.

'Here goes nothing.'

America falls onto Russia and loosely hugs Russia, taking in the smell and texture of everything. It takes a moment, but America feels arms wrap around him and gathers him up. Russia sighs.

Relief fills the link, and it takes the edge off the anxiety.

'So that's what that was...'

America closes his eyes.

'Wait, I can feel that too?'

America shrugs off the thought.

'I can deal with that later.'

Russia sits back and lets out a long breath. America lets his shoulders fall, and he tucks his face into Russia's shoulder. America focuses on Russia's breathing as if it was the only sound there. The fabric of the jacket is rough against his fingertips.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Russia mutters, "I thought you were dying."

"I was," America mutters, chuckling softly, "but I'm okay now. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Russia says.

"No, you're not. I'm still linked to you, remember?"

Russia goes quiet for a moment, and America can taste the embarrassment.

"Hey," America whispers, "it's okay. I'm okay. I just get overwhelmed sometimes."

"I almost saw you die," Russia says softly.

"Shhh... I know. It's okay though. I just need some quiet to rest."

Russia nods and releases his hold. America gets up and hugs his sides, tugging his jacket tightly around himself.

"Can we leave now?" America asks his voice echoing in his mind.

Russia nods.

Alaska and South Carolina tuck themselves under America's arms. America smiles. He hugs them tightly.

"Will your home still be safe?" America asks.

"It would probably be better than here," Russia mumbles.

America shakily nods. America pulls his jacket off and drops it onto South Carolina.

South Carolina mumbles a quiet "thank you."

"Wait, what are you doing?" Canada asks.

"What?" America asks.

"You are not going outside without a coat," Russia says, crossing his arms, "stay here, I'll be right back."

"Wait, where are you-?"

Russia shuts the door behind him.

America takes the office chair for himself and zones out, staring blankly at the wall. The door opens shortly after, and America shakes his head, zoning back in. Russia walks in, wearing his jacket and carrying Canada's.

'I'm gonna be cold.'

America stands up and grabs his kids, one in each hand.

'Oh well, better me than Scar.' America rubs his arms and rocks on his heels. His mind buzzes with anxiety. It's unfamiliar and new. And that is not helping him calm down. The air is the wrong temperature, though America isn't sure how to fix it.

Then, something is dropped on his shoulders and he walks out of the doorway. America's head jerks up, and his face scrunched up a little in confusion. He grabs the sides. It's warm.

'It's a jacket?'

America examines the fabric. The outside is scratchy, but the inside is warm, soft fleece. It's large on America's though he finds that he doesn't care. He folds the sides around his torso and hugs himself.

'I want to go lie down.'

'*We will be back to the house soon enough.*'

'I know.'

'*Are you warm?*'

'Yeah, why?'

Russia doesn't respond. America looks down at what he's holding, and it finally clicks.

'That's why it smells nice. It's Russia's jacket.'

"Thank you," America mumbles, looking at the floor.

Russia hums, and they continue walking outside. America wraps one arm around the jacket to hold it in place and uses the other to take Alaska's hand. South Carolina takes Alaska's other hand, and they walk out in a chain behind Russia and Canada.

"Would you like to come with us?" Russia asks, facing Canada.

"If that isn't an issue, I would."

Russia nods, and turns back, occasionally glancing back at America. America offers a smile, but when he tries to share more positive feelings, he finds only exhaustion.

Eventually, America finds himself sitting on Russia's bed.

'How did I get here?'

America looks up when someone outside knocks on the door. America hums loudly. The door creaks open, and Russia pokes his head inside. America offers a small smile.

"Hi," America whispers.

"Hello. I wanted to check on you," Russia says quietly, "are you okay?"

"I'm okay."

"..."

"Sorry, it normally isn't this bad."

"What do you mean?"

Russia sits on the bed next to him, and America stares at the floor.

"I think it's because we're more linked now," America stammers, "and I'm not used to feeling this much....." America waves his hands, "emotion."

"I'm not either," Russia admits.

America's eyes meet Russia's.

"It feels like it's so much," Russia explains quietly, "you got so panicked, and it made me feel horrible."

"Sorry..."

"It's okay!" Russia hurriedly says, "it's okay. It's not your fault. After a while, you disconnected."

"Yeah... I do that sometimes."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It just kinda happens," America says with a shrug.

"....are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah. I'll be okay. Where are the kids?"

"They're with Canada. Alaska wanted to see you, but you didn't respond."

America hums. Then, America leans over, leaning his head on Russia's shoulder.

"Thank you for helping me leave."

"I didn't want you to be in pain."

America smiles a little and lets his mind wander. He feels too tired to try to filter them.

'Do turtles make noise?'

'What does the fox say? Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!'

'*Mare?*'

America looks up to see Russia looking over at him. Russia looks bemused, his eyebrows furrowed, but a small smile still grows on his face.

"What?" America asks.

"What is going on in your head?"

America laughs quietly.

"Stuff. 'm too tired to filter it right now."

Russia hums, and chuckles.

'*It sounds like something I'll have to get used to.*'

America looks away.

'*Oh well. It seems fun.*'

America takes a deep breath and sighs. He closes his eyes.

"Are you going to give me my jacket back?"

America hugs the jacket tighter.

"But it's warm," America mutters.

"..."

"Can you get me mine?"

Russia nods and stands up. America smiles and yawns. As soon as Russia walks out, America's smile drops.

'What the f*ck even happened? Confederacy is real again.'

'But why?'

'I like chicken.'

America shakes his head.

'And... if they are back, who else is back?'

'This really isn't good.'

'What am I going to do?'

'*What?*'

'Sorry.'

'*Whatever you're doing, I'm doing it with you.*'

America freezes, and Russia walks back inside. America trades the jacket and misses the warmth immediately.

'Russia's jacket smells nicer.'

'Brain, stop. That's f*cking weird.'

"You want to help me?"

"I already told you, we are stuck together," Russia says calmly, "come on. Alaska and South Carolina are eating, and you should too."

"Okay."

America wanders out behind Russia, staring out the windows.

'I hope I don't see anything.'

~

Next

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Table of Contents

[angsty-nerd]

Fictober #6

I really didn’t think I’d get there today... with all the RNM content coming out of NYCC I’ve been just overwhelmed today. But I decided late this evening, since I took tomorrow off work, to give it a try, and now here I am with 45 min to spare! WHEW!

#6. “Yes, I’m aware. Your point?”

Roswell, NM fanfic

Gen, post S1. Rosa & Liz Ortecho, Kyle Valenti, Isobel Evans, Michael Guerin

Liz was always trying to be perfect. At least, that was the teenage Liz Ortecho that Rosa remembered. Her hair was always perfectly straight, often pulled back to ensure that it stayed out of her face. She never broke the rules, always did her homework, and got perfect grades. On her worst days, Rosa found Liz to be tedious and looked for ways to poke holes in her perfect image. There were a lot of those bad days. Too many bad days.

On her better days, Rosa knew that her sister was destined for great things. Better things. Roswell, New Mexico would never be able to contain a force like Liz Ortecho. She was guaranteed to leave this sleepy town. She was going to change the world.

Rosa didn't quite know what to make of the real Liz Ortecho. She was still a force of nature. Rosa had watched her cry and fight, heartbreak and anger all mixed together when she saw Max's body. But once her initial reaction was over, she rubbed the tears from her eyes and went straight to work, stripping his clothes off and smearing his body with silver goop from head to toe.

This is a Liz Ortecho who thinks fast and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty.

It wasn't long before Izzy and Michael Guerin came running into the cave. They both froze at the scene in front of them, but Liz didn't even let them react.

"Help me get him in the pod!" she ordered.

"Liz…" Michael started, but she wouldn't let him speak.

"Don't argue with me. I have a plan. We need to get him in stasis. NOW."

And that was it. There was no more arguing. Izzy and Michael just moved to Liz's side, and the three of them worked together to lift Max's body and push it into the pod.

It was like the fight went out of her once Max was settled in the pod. She fell to knees in front of the pod, the tears slipping from her eyes again as she reached out and pressed a hand to the pod's surface.

Michael and Izzy just stood and watched from a few feet away. Tears were running down Izzy's cheeks as well, but Michael just looked stone faced. Rosa shivered at the cold, angry look in his eyes. Something felt wrong with him, but she didn't quite know what.

Rosa stepped past them, pulling the blanket tighter around her body so that she could lean down and try to extract her sister from her position of mourning in front of the pod. Thankfully it worked. Only a soft nudge from Rosa and Liz was back on her feet, hugging Rosa tightly. Rosa could feel as her sister's breathing began to settle, and finally, when she seemed calm enough, Rosa quietly asked, "Why don't you tell us about the rest of your plan?"

Again, Liz wiped her face clean before turning to the others. "Michael, can you move the pod with your powers?"

Michael narrowed his eyes, and for a second, Rosa thought he was going to say something rude. Instead she leapt to the side with a frightened gasp as the pod lifted up in the air a few feet and started floating towards the cave exit.

"No problem." Michael called back to Liz.

"Good. Load him into your truck and take him to your pod cave. Noah said that his pod was defective, which is why he went insane and started murdering people. I want Max out of that pod and into one of your functional ones as soon as possible."

"Good call." Michael agreed.

"Isobel, Rosa… help me pack up anything remotely useful or alien looking in here. We'll take it with us to the other cave. I never want to see this place again."

As they were bringing their last load to the car, Rosa noticed something in Liz's car just kept ringing. Like a little Christmas bell.

"Do you hear that?" Rosa asked, wondering what it was and why nobody was stopping it.

"Just my phone." Liz said dismissively. "Somebody is lighting it up with text messages. It's fine. I'll get it later. What we're doing is way more important."

"If you say so!" Rosa agreed, as it rang a few more times.

"Get in the car, we've got to go." Liz ordered and she jumped into the front seat while Izzy slipped into the back. They barely had the doors closed before Liz had the engine running and the car moving.

Rosa heard the noise again, louder this time, and noticed a little flat device sitting in the cup holder. "Is that your phone?" Liz confirmed. "Can I stop the ringing?"

"Yeah." Liz agreed. "The passcode is your birthday, 6 digits. Just let me know who’s texting like crazy."

Rosa punched in the numbers and the phone opened directly to a list of messages.

"It looks like… new messages from Kyle and Maria. Both. Liz. Please don't tell me you're still dating Kyle Valenti?" Rosa asked with a laugh. She didn't know how long had passed, but from the look of each of the people she had seen so far, she was certain that a significant amount of time had passed.

"I'm not." Liz said softly. "I'm with Max."

Rosa wanted to kick herself. Of course Liz was with Max. That reaction wasn't the kind of grief you have for a casual friend.

Another ring sounded and a new message popped up.

"Kyle." Rosa announced.

"What does it say?" Liz asked.

"He says the lack of response is starting to worry him. He just needs to know if you're okay. No burst stitches or infection…Liz, are you hurt!?"

"I'm fine!" Liz insisted. "Just got cut a bit last night. Had to have Kyle come stitch me up. It's no big deal. I'll call him when we stop."

"Liz, how close did my husband come to killing you?"

Rosa and Liz both froze. Isobel had been so quiet that they had forgotten she was there.

"It's okay, Isobel. Just a flesh wound. He got me with a knife when he escaped from the freezer. Kyle patched me up and I'm going to be fine."

Another ring interrupted them

"Maria?" Liz asked. "What does she say."

"She says she needs her girlfriend now to come talk and to stop ignoring her and get down to the Wild Pony. She says that… oh. Guerin kissed her and then ran off."

"Shit." Liz grumbled. "What the hell am I supposed to do with that? It's not like I can tell her that Michael ran off because his psychic alien connection with Max went nuts and he felt Max die resurrecting my dead sister." Liz let out a loud, angry laugh.

She suddenly stopped the car. Rosa looked around. It just seemed like they were in the middle of the desert, but then again, so did their first location.

"Will you start taking things into the cave? I should call Kyle back."

Rosa took one of the big pots full of silver goo from the trunk and followed Izzy to the cave. When they turned to go back for more, Rosa almost walked straight into Liz, who was walking into the cave.

“Everything ok with Kyle?” Rosa asked.

“Yeah,” Liz said, her voice distracted as her eyes drifted to Max’s pod. “We’re going to meet him at his place after we’re done here.” Liz explained. “Where’s Michael?”

“He was already gone when we got here.” Isobel said, “I think he’s spiraling.”

“At least he took care of Max before running off.” Liz pointed out.

His sister rolled her eyes. “That was the least he could do.”

Once the car was unloaded, Liz took Isobel home and, as she indicated earlier, headed to Kyle’s house. Rosa wondered what kind of a man her half brother by birth had grown into. The kind of man who gives a girl stitches and then worries about it all the next day. She wondered if either of her siblings knew about her secret Valenti bloodline. She was still getting used to the idea before… well, before whatever had happened. Liz couldn’t have been serious when she said ‘resurrect’ after all.

Her sister pulled her car up to the curb in front of a small house in a unfamiliar subdivision, probably because it was new. Liz turned off the engine and turned to Rosa.

“Can you adjust the blanket so that your face is hidden?” Rosa nodded and then shifted the blanket around to make a headwrap to cover her face and hair. “This good?” She asked.

“Yeah.” Liz affirmed. “So, Kyle is going to be pretty shocked to see you. Happy, but shocked. I want to prep him a bit. Would you mind coming up and hanging back a bit while I talk? Then we’ll go in. No one can see your face though, until we’re safe inside.”

“Got it,” Rosa agreed

Liz lead Rosa up the walkway to the house. Halfway there, Kyle flung the front door open, and Rosa had to quickly duck and hide her face.

“What the hell, Liz? Yesterday was insane, you almost died, and then just… nothing? Radio silence for almost a whole day? And who is this?”

“It’s just been nonstop, Kyle. A lot has happened since I saw you last. Hey, before we come in. Remember that conversation we had yesterday while you were stitching me up? About that thing that Noah told me, but you already knew?”

“That Rosa was my sister? Yes, I’m aware. Your point?”

Liz didn’t even need to gesture at her . Rosa stepped a little closer to her sister and lowered the wrap away from her face so that Kyle could see just enough to know it’s her. His eyes widened, mouth dropped open, and he was speechless for about a split second before it was like something important crossed his mind and he ushered them inside.

“Rosa…” Kyle gaped. “How is this possible.”

“My idiot alien boyfriend decided that I was better off with her than with him, it seems.” Liz replied dryly. “Now I get back the person that I’ve missed the most for the last 10 years, but in exchange I lose the person that I’ve just fallen in love with. Max is lying dead in an alien pod right now. Unless we can figure out how to revive him like he revived Rosa. You’ll help, right?”

“Of course.”

“10 years?” Rosa suddenly burst out. “Well, shit. No wonder you made me hide my face! Kyle, any chance you have some, like, shorts and a T-shirt I can borrow? I’m getting real sick of wearing nothing but this blanket.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Kyle agreed. “I’ll go dig something out. And then I want to check your wound, Liz. And I should probably do a quick check on you too, Rosa, to make sure nothing’s wrong. Sound good?”

Kyle disappeared down the hallway and Rosa took advantage of the opportunity to speak to her sister. “So you already knew? About my birth father?”

“I did,” Liz confirmed.

“I’m not even an Ortecho.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course you are.”

“Papi and I aren’t related at all.”

“Rosa, listen to me. Papi raised you. Papi loves you. Papi has mourned you every day that you’ve been gone. He prays for you during Día de Muertos every year. Your picture stays on the wall in the Crashdown kitchen. Jim Valenti may have been your blood, but you are an Ortecho. We’re family.”

Kyle's voice echoed down from the hallway, “Okay Rosa, I laid some options out for you in the bedroom. Just grabbing some supplies to check Liz, and I’ll be out of your way.”

“You just happened to add a pretty kick ass brother now too.” Liz added with a smile, pushing Rosa towards the hallway.

[miamaroo]

Northern Migration- Chapter 29 (Notes+Preview)

It's been forty long years since I last updated. Does anyone even write TAZ Balance fics anymore? Does anyone even remember that I'm a writer, or is my brand just that pair of unnecessary bara tiddies that all the kids around the block make fun of me for nowadays? Either way, I'm still in business. And what is a new chapter if not an opportunity to give a long list of notes?

Obviously, spoilers ahead.  

Did you catch that quick little appearance of Brad Bradson? I very recently rewrote that entire opening scene in order to include a new character, which gave me the chance to reinsert Brad into the story instead of featuring a nameless OC.

See that quick mention of Bane's past? That's going to be expanded on very soon (or at least, soon by my standards).

And the new character I wanted to include is Antonia! Again, I originally had a throwaway OC in this role, but when I was writing the chapter after this, I realized the role I needed was too big to go to a throwaway OC. I didn't include the other guy (Rowan?? I think??) because I felt like it would be too much for me to properly handle. Plus, I don't think he and Antonia are a packaged deal. I'll do my best to find a place for him somewhere else in the story, but I also have had Hecuba on the backburner for way too long. She gets first dibs.

The threat Sterling gives Bane works a little better with the throwaway OC I had, who was a captain from a different city looking to take over Bane's position in Goldcliff. Essentially, the threat was Bane being replaced.

Oh, you assumed Angus was inoculated off-screen? You assumed incorrectly!

Magnus and Julia are just *chef's kiss*

I am in Team Lucretia Should Be Angus's Mom, but that only comes with the understanding that she's kinda bad at it. Which is mostly fine with Angus, as he's pretty bad at being a normal kid with normal needs.

Taako's meeting with Istus was vaguely alluded to during the flashback of how he and Ren saved Refuge (back during the Wonderland arc). He went there without Ren (the POV character), so the scene was never written.

Having Julia cross herself in front of a god is an overtly Christian gesture, and frankly, it does bug me that I had to utilize it here. I'm trying to avoid coding this fantasy world's religion with too much Christianity, but I needed a way to convey Julia trying to show respect quickly and without burdening the prose too much. So I felt a little trapped and ended up just using crossing anyways. I was raised Catholic, so there's probably a whole bunch of Little Christian Things that just pop up in my writing without me realizing so it's kinda a bummer that I couldn't find a way to work around something I know I'm doing.

Istus is just out here referring to the canonical story as an alternate reality

I try to make Davenport's comments discernable to the reader without needing a direct translation, but I feel as though I may have messed up this time around. When Istus warns that there is a terrible choice in their futures, Davenport essentially asks if this is the same terrible fate the Judges from the Stolen Century had condemned them for.  So Istus's repone ("Indeed, but I don't see your deeds as ones that are mine to judge") is reassuring as it is a little cheeky.

If you want more of Julia challenging gods with reckless abandon, read my story.

Isn't it just lovely that the prophecy fits the naming scheme of all the chapters?

I knew I wanted to kill someone in the main cast off, but I spent a long time trying to decide if I could do it without betraying everything tazb stands for. Inevitably, I decided that it's my story, and I want to take the risk. I think that it will be worth it. I am not a big fan of character death being there just for the same of being there, and I hope that when the time comes and I bring the scene I have in mind to life, you guys will be okay with it. This is chapter sort of acts as an in-universe warning so that you can start preparing yourself mentally (though it's not going to happen during this upcoming relic arc for sure). The archive tags will change as we get closer to the deed being done.

I am also doubling down on my reassurance that Stevie will be okay with an in-story explanation for her plot armor.

All the way back in January, I had made a few posts about trying to decide between the fun anachronism of a scrunchie and the fantasy-esque poncho. As you can see, I did both.

There is no possible way anyone can triumph the soul-purifying beauty of "you're going to be amazing," but damnit. I did my best, even if I only changed it ever so slightly. They have already done a lot of amazing things. And you know what? So have you! You're already amazing!

Oh, John. This is probably the most ambiguously I've written him yet. One thing's for sure: something has changed for him, though only time will tell what that thing is.

I'm claiming "Landslide" as track #2 on a NM mixtape. Don't @ me.

Lucas used command undead on Barry in chapter 24, preventing him from taking the umbra staff when he had the chance.

Lup and Barry souls are pure magic, so I imagine Barry can recognize Lup's magic anywhere.

I've been writing Barry as very depressed and slightly off-kilter because I imagine his anchor to Lup is disturbed somewhat by her imprisonment.

Despite seeing vague visions of the Stolen Century, Ren can't piece any of it together because knowledge of all those realities could ruin her mind like it did Maureen.

I imagine Kravitz was leaning against a wall when he saw Stevie run by and just sort of shrugged to himself. He doesn't quite catch how much society has changed yet.

I am half asleep right now, so no more quips. Here's the preview for the next chapter:

While Taako is all color, the Grim Reaper is a void of black. Muted traces of reds and purples make themselves known on the trim of his blanket and beads in his braids, but he doesn’t seem to need any neon hues. He looks warm, like the relic of a hazy summer day. Yet, when Taako jabs an elbow at his stomach, he yelps in surprise and complains about the cold.

“Intriguing pair, right?”

Julia quirks a brow, looking askance to see Lucretia hiding her smile behind her map. “That’s a way of putting it,” she says. “No matter how you look at it, one of them is going to get you dead.”

Lucretia shakes her head. “Be fair.”

“Sure. It’s the Raven Queen’s fault.” A moment too late, Julia crosses herself. She’s never considered herself a religious person, but after meeting one goddess, she dares not risk angering another.

“Taako, too.” Lucretia folds up the map with intention. Her robe is like a slash of scarlet, but she carries the power of it with practiced ease. On Taako, the color looks like a costume—a role he’s only playing at being. A suggestion with no foundation. Even Kravitz, in his reaper regalia, seems made to fulfill a duty. Maybe that’s why Julia wears a peasant, mud-colored cloak that reaches her knees. Beyond a red scarf tied in her short hair, she doesn’t fake having an allegiance to something not her own. “Who knows? Perhaps this little adventure together will help you realize each other’s strengths.”

Julia snorts. “Yeah. Sure. Thank you Taako for using your transmutation magic to stop the transmutation problem you created.”

“Oh, stop. You’re making me blush.” Taako pushes between them, wry words cutting through the calm atmosphere. The woods around them is quiet in a disconcerting kind of way, as if the universe wants them to know that they are crazy for approaching what all others have fled. Taako saunters ahead, twirling his glaive, He spins around lazily. He looks ready to say something when a particular snowflake drifts down before him. It’s bigger than the rest, the size of a coin. Bright and white, they watch as it floats the last few inches until touching the snow.

The snow around it sloshes inwards, spilling like sand on a beach. Except, it’s no longer white. It’s makeup pink. Seeping outwards like a spider webs, the tendrils of magic make a larger and larger circle of pink in the snow.

Everyone scrambles away, knowing without words what they’re seeing.

[smoothshift]

Here's a story about the time I got my car stuck in a snow bank 9,000 feet up a mountain, and was stranded overnight. via /r/cars

Here's a story about the time I got my car stuck in a snow bank 9,000 feet up a mountain, and was stranded overnight.

Prologue

  I'll start with some backstory about my car: she's a 2001 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport 5MT. At the time of the story, she had just under 230,000 miles on her. She's rough on the outside, but I've done a ton of work to her, and I'd trust her to take me anywhere. In over five years of ownership, she has started up every single time I've ever turned the key. She's taken me all over the country and through all kinds of weird and sketchy places, and I love her.

  Chapter 1

  From afar, I had seen New Mexico's great Mt. Taylor. Like many others who share a similar gene, I wanted to go to the top of it. I had one single day off of work in January, and I decided to take a day trip up there. I headed to the small town of Grants, NM, which was the gateway to the mountain. I spent quite a lot of time looking around on Google maps to see where the roads went, and I started heading up State Road 547.

The road was nice and paved, then after some miles it turned to gravel, then the gravel started to gain a layer of snow, which at that point in the road was nicely plowed. I was driving in a spirited fashion, getting the back end out a bit on the hard-packed snow, and I passed a group of four of five huge lifted trucks heading down the mountain. I turned off of the main state road onto Forest Road 453 in attempt to reach the La Mosca Lookout, which was as near to the summit as I could theoretically drive to. That road was not plowed and had a lot of snow on it, maybe 6 inches or so.

After a couple unsuccessful tries, I decided to reverse back down. I've gotten my car stuck several times before, and I was aware of the risk. I specifically told myself, "Don't do anything stupid. I know my limits. I'm not going to let myself get stuck out here. If it gets bad, turn around and get the hell out." That statement turned out to be a bit ironic in retrospect...

Unsatisfied and still eager to explore more of the mountain, I continued on State Road 547, getting further and further up the mountain and away from town. Once the large and plowed section ended, I looked at the map, and saw that I could turn right onto a smaller road that continued all the way around the mountain and ended in what looked like a small village called San Mateo, many miles away. I decided to take that road all the way to the village, and circle back around to the highway.

Now, this section of road was unplowed, but had tire tracks, and it looked to me like it was quite easily passable. My car was doing just fine, so I continued, again with the constant thought that I wouldn't do anything stupid and would turn around if the snow got any worse. I drove maybe a mile or a mile and a half up this tight, winding, one-car-wide mountain road, being careful to stay within the tire tracks and to keep up enough speed. Then, inevitably...

  Chapter 2

  My car wouldn't move. I was on a relatively flat and level part of the road, but the car was completely stuck; it wouldn't budge an inch. Pretty much immediately, my stomach dropped and I had that thought you get right after something bad happens: "Oh fuck. This is not going to be good." I should mention that at this point, it was somewhere around 4:30 or 5:00 o'clock, with less than an hour of light left in the day. Also keep in mind that I was on moderately worn all-season tires, and small ones too: 195/65/15. There was absolutely no cell signal where I was.

I didn't have a shovel or any real tools with me to move snow, so I got out and started digging with my hands. I dug up a fallen tree branch to try and help me move all of that white powder out from underneath the car. Thankfully, I had a full set of heavy winter gear with me including thick boots, gloves, and snowpants, so I could really get down in the snow to work.

I dug and dug, and tried to free my car for an hour and a half. I tried a few different techniques, and was finally able to get my car freed. At this point, the sun had gone down and it was dark. If I remember correctly, there was little to no moonlight. I was absolutely elated, and as anyone would, I wanted to get the fuck out of there as quickly as possible. I didn't have room to turn around, so I started to reverse back down the road to hopefully find a large enough spot to get pointed the right way.

I reversed no more than a few hundred feet, and had to get around the first corner. It was a right turn (or I guess a left if you're looking out the back window), and it was banked into a steep hill on the inside. As I started to go around, I guess I didn't steer the car exactly right, and it slid right into the wall. I was stuck again. I got so mad, I screamed and shouted. After all that work, it just happened again. This time it was even worse, as the road was no longer flat.

I started trying every single thing I could think of. Laboriously digging, digging, digging, only with my hands and whatever sticks and branches I could find. I was manic and desperate, just pounding away at this heap of white death. The snow must've been at least a foot deep on the edge of the road where I was stuck, maybe a foot and a half. I tried everything. Rocking back and forth over and over agian, backing myself into the hill to try and get any sort of momentum, shoving as many sticks as I could under the tires, pressing the brake while accelerating to help lock up the diffs and get all four wheels spinning...

I even tried hooking my flat tow strap around a tire, and wrapping the other end around a tree, thinking that just maybe the tire would wrap the strap around itself and "winch" me out. Then I thought, "Duh, I have open diffs, it's just going to spin the other tire. But maybe I can use the same braking technique to give some more power to that wheel and pull me out." It didn't work at all. Nothing. I was dumping every bit of energy I had into it; I was constantly shouting out to the empty forest, alternating between hopeful excitement and angry frustration.

Finally, after two full hours of laboring in the darkness, I freed my car the second time, now facing the right direction. If you would've seen me at that moment, you might've guessed that I just won a million dollars. I was elated. I wanted to get off the mountain so fucking badly. Ever so carefully, I began driving back down the road again, taking every corner with thought and consideration. My car was going along just fine. I was shouting and cheering the whole way.

Then I began to go around a right turn, and almost in slow motion, my car slid out of the tracks in the snow into the inside of the corner. "NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOOOOO!" I yelled. The car was beached. This time, the inside of the corner went down into a ditch. Each time I got stuck, my car was in a worse position than the last, and this was the worst of them all. If I tried moving the car at all, it just slid further off the road and into the ditch. I had to be very, very careful.

I very reluctantly began to start digging again. The car was in very deep snow, at least a foot and a half's worth. After digging some of it out, I would periodically go back in and try to move the car again, carefully. Each time, it slid further down. Finally, after an hour and a half of trying this third time, not wanting my car to slide all the way into the ditch, I gave up. It was very late into the night, and I had to stop. There was no way I was getting it out.

  Chapter 3

  I was about 20 miles from town, and there were no human beings anywhere within many miles of me. I was at about 9,000 feet in elevation. There was still no cell signal whatsoever. I must've tried 50 times to call 911. I even reached behind my stereo head unit, pulled the antenna wire out, and tried touching the connector to the metal chassis of my phone, in the desperate hope that I might get the tiniest bit of signal. Nothing.

I realized the severity of the situation, and for the first time, I genuinely thought, "I could be in some real, life-threatening trouble if I'm not smart about this." At this point in my life, I was living in my car. That meant that I had all of the things I needed with me: good winter sleeping bag, blanket, some food, water, and clothes. I figured that making the choice to try walking back to town in the darkess, after I had already exhausted myself digging snow for many hours, was how people end up dying. So, I decided to sleep in my car overnight and try walking back in the morning.

The temperature was around freezing, give or take, for most of the time I was up there. My sleeping back kept me warm enough, but I wanted to make sure I had extra heat from the car if I needed it. My battery was worn out, and I wasn't confident that it would have enough juice to start the engine back up in the cold, so I left the engine running all night just in case. I made sure the exhaust pipe was clear, and I cracked the windows.

The only real food I had with me was some Muesli and almond milk, which I had eaten for breakfast earlier that morning. It was not very enjoyable having it a second time for dinner. While it's a great breakfast food, it's very thick and rich, and can be quite difficult to eat in large quantities. I had to just shove it down. At least it had plenty of carbs.

Since the proliferation and ubiquity of cell phones, we've all become completely accustomed to instant communication. We can talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime, no matter where we are. There's obviously an inherent comfort that comes with that. I didn't expect there to be cell signal up there, and I know I'm perfectly capable of functioning without a cell phone. But when I was lying in my car, all alone in that cold and dark forest, not knowing what was going to heppen, not knowing when I was going to get out... It scared the hell out of me. True lonliness, and absolute self-reliance, physically and mentally. As silly as it may sound, it made me realize that I really don't want to die, and more than anything I just wanted to see my family again.

I lied there anxious all night, sleeping terribly. You know that feeling when you wake up from a dream, and you have that sigh of relief where you realize, "Oh thank god, none of that was real"? For me, it was the opposite. Every time I woke up, I realized again that I was still lying in that car, alone in the dark and cold forest, trapped. As you might imagine, that was an awful feeling. The night felt like it dragged on forever, whether I was asleep or awake. It was very surreal. I tried playing some games on my phone to distract me, but it didn't really work at all.

Eventually, the sun came up. I was incredibly lucky that it was a clear and calm day. I would later find out that there was a big storm that came through the area the next night; I couldn't imagine how much worse that would've been. I poured myself another bowl of Muesli for breakfast. Let me tell you, that stuff tasted like shit after eating it for the third time in a row. I had to force down as much as I could, because I knew I'd need as much energy as possible to walk back to town safely.

I ripped a few pages out of my notebook and wrote that I was attempting to walk back to town, and anyone who sees my car should call the rescue services and have them come get me. I wrote my parents' names and phone numbers on another page in case anything happened to me, and put them all up in the windshield. By the time I finally shut my engine off, it had been running for 16 hours straight, most of that idling. I loaded up my hiking pack with everything that I might need: extra clothes, food, water, battery bank for my phone, etc. I put on my boots, snowpants, and coat, and started walking.

I walked for a couple miles, anxious as all hell. I knew I could make it, but I was still nervous. I wanted to conserve as much phone battery as I could, but I couldn't help playing some music to try to relax myself a bit. I kept checking my phone to see if I could get even the tiniest sliver of signal. Nothing, nothing, nothing. Then, finally, I saw one bar. I dialed 911 as fast as I could, and to my amazement, someone answered. I got a little emotional just hearing another person's voice again, knowing that I could finally tell someone where I was.

It took the dispatcher what felt like an eternity to figure out where I was after I tried to describe it, but she eventually said that they were sending someone up to come get me. I was incredibly relieved. I kept walking down the road, and after a while, I saw a pickup truck in the distance coming towards me. I was finally going to get out of there.

  Chapter 4

  It was a Cibola County Sheriff's Deputy that had been sent up to get me. I wish I could remember his name. The guy was real nice, and told me he had grown up in those mountains, and knew his way all around them. We talked for a while, and he started telling me some stories of all the crazy, fucked up shit he's seen up on that road. He told me there was another guy that got lost up there hiking or something, and he didn't survive. Were were in a 4WD Chevy Duramax truck, and the deptuy said he'd bring me back to my car and pull me out, and I'd be on my way. We started back up the road towards my car, and then shwoooomp. The truck was stuck.

I thought to myself, "You gotta be fucking kidding me right now." The deputy remained unphased, however, and said we'd be un-stuck in no time. He assured me that he still had good signal on his police radio up there. He went to the back and pulled out his hand winch (or come-along, as some call it), and started hooking it up. We winched, and dug, and rocked, and the truck didn't want to come out. At one point, he even had me hop in the drivers seat and hit the gas. But finally, after about an entire hour, we got out and got turned around. As we headed down, he told me he knew a guy with big Bronco that could probably pull me out. If not, he said he could bring me up in his personal lifted Blazer and pull me out after his shift was over.

We headed into town, and the deputy took me to this guy's shop. He ran a small auto body repair business, and he said he could pull me out. Yes! I thanked the deputy, and he left. The guy told me he usually charges people around $250 to pull them out, but he'd do it for me for $100. Fair enough, I thought, so I went into the office where his wife and daughter were, and paid them. He had to go home to get his big Bronco, so I waited around for a while.

When he got back, I was really impressed at the sheer badassery of this truck. A 70's Bronco, lifted on 44 inch tires with a winch and a light bar. Me, the guy, his dad, and some other dude that was just hanging out at the shop all hopped in, and we headed up the mountain to pull out my little Subie. I forget what engine the Bronco had in it, but it was running open headers and a manual transmission. It was dirty, loud as hell, didn't run quite right, but it was pure and modest utility, and I loved that.

When I was talking to the shop owner's dad, it turns out that him and some friends were up on the mountain the previous day, and their group of trucks was the same one I had passed. He said he actually remembered seeing my car go by, and saying, "Man, someone's sure trying to get up there in a hurry!"

It took us at least 45 minutes to get back up to my car. Once we got there, he told me that he didn't even have to take it out of two-wheel drive the whole time. He said the snow isn't a problem until it gets up to the bumpers, which were over three feet off the ground. I love real, old school, hardcore trucks like that. They hooked up the winch cable to my car, and I hopped behind the wheel. I turned the key, and the engine fired right up; thankfully the battery still had enough cold cranking amps left in it. Slowly, as the winch tugged, I rose out of the ditch. The unhooked me, and I followed them back down. My car drove along just fine until we reached the part of road that was plowed. I thanked them profusely for their help, and took off back down the mountain.

I can't tell you how good it felt to be back in town. I got a nice warm breakfast burrito at a local restaurant, and it tasted so good after just eating all of those sugary oats. I drove back home and went right into work just as my shift was finishing, and had to tell my boss the whole story of why I missed an entire day. The whole thing ended up costing me a couple hundred bucks, including the tow charge and the lost day of work. That being said, it certainly could've been a lot worse. I was just so glad to be home.

    I don't have any grand moral to the story, but I will leave you with this - know the limits of your car, and don't overestimate it!

  Photos:

https://imgur.com/a/vspdB5Q

And here's the general location where I got stuck:

35°17'16.5"N 107°36'42.5"W

[sheusedtobesassier]

Day 10,913

001. Glazed. Nothing crazy.

002. Gut reaction is an 8.

003. Hm, hm. Would like to see more of the American southwest.

004. This is not my forte.

005. Lol, maybe the pizza place one I didn’t know was a date.

006. Just creamer.

007. Um. Maybe the answer is 2019.

008. This month it’s been opening my door for Star.

009. Alia. She’s a legend.

010. A dozen times.

011. I will never recover from Albuquerque, NM.

012. Oof. Gut reaction. Life Itself. Elizabethtown. Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium.

013. The ants on a log snack. Letter People. Getting a turn at the Sand & Water Table.

014. Omfg the Out of the Box magical building comes to mind.

015. Steven Curtis Chapman’s Speechless (1999).

016. Who is your favorite? What do you need less of in your life? Can you please stop eating things that aren’t good for you?

017. New Mexico.

018. Outspread.

019. Hmmm, hmmm. Um. Shoot. Fine, I’ll look it up. Damn. Shutter (2004).

020. Like uh, less than ten times ever.

021. Shaving my head.

022. Paris, France.

023. “Boromir is dead.”

024. I mean actually it’s attempting to unpack almost entirely.

025. Oh wow. I’m surprised that my answer is NYC.

026. We are dwelling on Albuquerque tonight.

027. Mm. When it’s over?

028. The parts where you’re just calmly quietly participating in it. Like, the midst of it. Not planning or anticipating or whatever. Just the actually doing.

029. Abuse. Probably.

030. Um. It’s stressful to type it but maybe 2022 is the year I attempt to start writing a book?

031. Yes because I don’t let them freak me the fuck out.

032. Cheerios, Golden Grahams, Honey Smacks, Raisin Bran, Shredded Wheat, Special K.

033. Late.

034. Ugliness.

035. Ummmm. Ironing? I think?

036. Español.

037. Lol um Taylor probably.

038. Tara Lipinski. Hahahaha.

039. It’s uh. Hm. It’s probably A Series of Unfortunate Events.

040. I don’t want to think hard enough to answer.

041. The Killers. The Beatles. John Mayer. Rihanna. Harry Styles.

042. OMFG YOU’RE GONNA GET ME TO TYPE TARA LIPINSKI TWICE?

043. Skinny jeans. Eventually.

044. Generally they treat me like I’m an interesting, smart, special person.

045. New Year’s Eve and I’m not telling why.

046. When somebody brings me coffee. Driving while listening to the current playlist. Good tips. Connection. Currently a handful of episodes of Girls.

047. Hahaha. Um. The Bengals. Woop, woop.

048. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).

049. I’m like at the very end of just okay orange bottles of Real Raw.

050. You’re asking the wrong one.

051. I would still sleep tbh. Haha. I would not give it up.

052. Um. Uh. Oh, oh, oh, enthusiastically supporting the local drag scene.

053. One more time with feeling: Albuquerque, NM. Adobe. Wide open spaces. Cold floors. Lemon tree and an avocado tree in the yard.

054. I HATE EARLY MORNINGS. 

055. Lol. Whatever happens, happens.

056. Girls. How I Met Your Father. Euphoria. Wheel of Time. Hasanabi reacting to Master Chef. I intend to watch season eight of RuPaul’s Drag Race soon.

057. Ummmm. Baby panda.

058. Gut reaction is that I live a luxuryless life, but thinking about it a little harder I guess it’s that I hardly ever compare prices when shopping.

059. Neither, but if forced to choose skydiving.

060. Like uh, like 80% different.

061. This is a good question that require introspection I cannot attain right now.

062. Having fun.

063. Um uh maybe getting a lengthy massage.

064. Olesya Rulin.

065. This.

066. Piano playing.

067. Ummmmmm. Oh maybe the Robby Flaig note.

068. Um. There’s got to be several things but I can’t think of any.

069. Oh fuck. The Colsons’s house probably.

070. Honestly not very long. Maybe a week? Maybe.

071. I do not have one.

072. Space.

073. Uhhhh. The one in London even though that was in the midst of some definite right under the skin embarassment.

074. Mountain.

075. Trespassing?

076. Bruh I don’t take travel advice??

077. Lol my internal dialogue tells me it’s during “large group activities” haha.

078. Welp. Most of it has been not success.

079. Only in the worst context, my fluency in pop culture.

080. Maybe the crescent moon on my knuckle.

081. It might have been cool if I had stuck around for a degree from SAU.

082. Furbies????

083. Uh, I can’t answer because Rachel Shinabarger.

084. Topshop.

085. “Like at least she’s not trying to be that girl!!!!”

086. I wept both times I watched 48.

087. Shia LaBeouf, unfortunately.

088. Girls.

089. Maybe 20? Around 20.

090. I literally can’t tell you.

091. Ummmm. Omfg is it Devil’s Lake??

092. Yeah but not often.

093. Lol sure but I’m not the right kind of pretty.

094. 100.

095. No interest in cold weather. No thank fucking you.

096. Omg the Denver omelette at Sparks without cheese.

097. Probably but I don’t think so.

098. I uh. I definitely don’t think hard about it at all.

099. I mean maybe the answer is Etsy.

100. No.

101. Maybe that one on the unstable bridge in Montello.

[ecotone99]

the cactus swarm

a chilly day went by in las cruces, nm, 2/19/72. if the ol’ gardener philly hester controlled the weather, it’d be a pleasant, mild, partly cloudy day. but it wasn’t. and he sat in his fabric stool outside. and he waited for spring to drag along some rain upon this ugly bare land. “sheesh”, he thought to himself.

his wife came out with some fresh, hot chicken breast. they certainly weren’t the richest little family, but they had a little farm and a little vegetable garden. little little little. just something good to turn to. nice, fat ol’ hen. scrumptious. he was satisfied for a while, but he still wondered about that big ugly cold front here. so, he went back out and sat on his fabric stool.

and evening arrives. a grey faded into a dark periwinkle as the sun went down. philly hester didn’t give a rat’s ass. no muscles were moving. “you can come in, now.” the warm voice of his wife said. let me turn on the light if you want to stay longer, but you ought to catch quite a cold if you stayed here.” “i’ll be fine, thank you.” he replied. she turned on the light and strolled in.

philly hester had some nerve. and all was peaceful, the cows were grazing, the bitch was sleeping, the chickens were hibernating, all was peaceful. all was good. but he stayed dissatisfied with mother nature.

philly hester heard movement. very faint. miles in the distance. a small, heavy gallop. it strutted in an abstract pattern that no horse could’ve made.

philly hester was sure of that.

philly hester thought to himself. a horse struts in a steady tap, tap tap, tap tap, tap tap, tap tap. but this gallop was much more complex. tap, tap, tap tap tap tap, tap tap, tap, tap, tap tap tap tap,...

by the time philly hester had put some pieces together, the sound was about a block away. it was so loud, that the bitch woke up, and started barking and screaming like a lunatic. the coldest wind blew over him. he turned to look out of the patio, to see a tall, lanky, mangled body dancing across the road. it was going at a very high, unusual speed. it was about 8 foot, 8 n a half.

terrified, philly hester slowly creeped into the house. he shut the door and let out a sigh. he turned to his wife, curling her hair. “what” she belched. “you won’t believe what i just saw!”

after sparing all the details, philly hester wanted to show his wife what was roaming about in the yard. he opened the door to nothing. pitch black. he didn’t remember turning off the light. a loud, far whisper called out, “𝕚 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕟’𝕥 𝕤𝕠 𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣!“

philly hester gasped. he found the courage to take a step out. he felt a crunch, and a few little pains on his foot. he checked them out to find only that they were cactus spines. he turned the light back on to see a swirled wall of cacti just a foot in front of him, and a rope and string tied to the door.

submitted by /u/juata_faa [link] [comments] source https://www.reddit.com/r/shortscarystories/comments/gclj7h/the_cactus_swarm/ via Blogger https://ift.tt/2W0kaOO

[occasionalgypsies]

After going to Rockport and Port A in South Texas in Jan/Feb to try and outrun the cold (ahem, it was pretty cool and rainy most days but still, better than the weather in Dallas), our next adventure, just as Texas started to warm right up to comfy poolside temps, was to head off to Santa Fe, NM for all of April!

In a nutshell I have to say Santa Fe and all of NM really are: hauntingly beautiful with lots of light variations and distant mountain ranges in shades of blue/black; wonderfully dry so colds aren’t too cold and hots aren’t too hot; amazingly bug free allowing for open windows; quiet, even in the busiest of places because it only has maybe 2 million people IN THE ENTIRE STATE; full of some friendly people; brown (everyone seems to have signed a pact to build only earth tone adobe houses which while beautiful and well designed to blend, can be very monotonous); and loaded with Santa Fe cuisine (lots of red and hatch green chili sauces and stacked enchiladas, packing some heat).

We’ve really loved it. We have the good fortune to be house sitting through Trusted Housesitters, and have a lovely place up in the hills from Santa Fe a few miles. We hear Robert Redford lives right down the road but Stanley and I have yet to see him on our walks up his way. Here’s Stanley, our delightful little Schih Tzu for the month.

Anyway, following are a few of the highlights from our trip that to me, you shouldn’t miss.

Bar Z Winery near Palo Duro Canyon

Palo Duro Canyon

Our abode for the night in Palo Duro

Cadillac Ranch!

On our way from TX, we decided to check one item off of Jim’s bucket list, and spend the night at the bottom of Palo Duro Canyon. Did you know that it’s the second largest in the US, after the ol’ Grand? I didn’t. Don’t ask me based on what, I just read that somewhere. It was pretty amazing (upon driving past the first spot where you could kinda see it, Jim exclaimed, “Look at that, it’s almost like a…” and then he looked at the expression on my face, and stopped talking, because, ya know yes, it’s kind of like a canyon over there, like the one we put in our GPS maybe!) We spent the night in a decently comfy bed/cabin, no heat or air necessary due to it being early April in TX., and we had just a lovely time. FYI, I suggest a stop at Bar Z winery nearby, nice wines and amazing views of part of the Canyon. And you HAVE to check out Cadillac Ranch and spray paint something there. Pro tip: don’t buy any spray paint unless you are really picky, there’s plenty there for the taking.

Palo Duro Canyon

Bar Z Winery near Palo Duro Canyon

Our abode for the night in Palo Duro

Cadillac Ranch!

So after that overnight stay, we were off to Santa Fe! The scenery rather abruptly changed at one point, from flat grassland to scrubby, hilly desert. And then at one point, I realized, holy cow, I haven’t seen a person or a building or a cow or ANYTHING for a looooong time. Texans like to think we have wide open spaces but wow, even on the major highways you might see nothing here for an hour. Pretty cool, I have to say. Except don’t come here if you are addicted to your interwebs on your tele-device. Cell services is more like an occasional surprise than a reliable utility. Get used to it!

If you can, spend some time on Route 66 here. Lots of kitsch of the charming kind. We went through Tucumcari, partly because I like saying it and partly because it said it had some of the best art around. As you can see, it has some mighty fine stuff! I didn’t post the wall crawling with cockroaches because while it was cool, it really creeps me out.

OK, just kidding, here it is.

Anyhoo, we arrived, and all was beautiful if a bit chilly. The mornings were often in the 30s, but again, didn’t really feel too cold and it warmed up fast. Temps in the 60s are pretty mild here, being high altitude, sunny and low humidity. 70s feel great. 80s, you’re going to get hot and thirsty if you are out for long.

One of the first things we did was take a drive to check out the Rio Grande Gorge. It was pretty spectacular, even if the little phone box telling you not to lose hope freaked me out a bit. Smart, but still.

The scenery was awesome. Best part was we found a road that led to the bottom of the Gorge, where just a few people were hanging out fishing or relaxing. We like finding out of the way spots like that. On a warmer day, I could have hung out there all day, reading and swimming.

Rio Grande River Gorge

The crisis hotline at the gorge bridge

Jim at the bottom of the Rio Grande River Gorge, via a remote little dirt road

Another day we decided to take the high road to Taos (they actually call it that, we weren’t being especially virtuous or anything), a drive known for its beauty. There’s a faster way, but don’t do it. We also sort of accidentally took some kind of big circle around the mountaintop called the Enchanted Circle, also known for its scenery, mainly because I also wanted to see Red River where I spent some truly special time as a kid (Community House, you seem a sad shell of your former self, I hope I’m wrong, but prob you don’t have square dancing and hand jive lessons any more, sniffle) and because I wanted to drive through Angel Fire which I had never seen (we didn’t look too hard but it was just OK).

Next, we visited Bandelier National Monument, took a long hike and saw some great petroglyphs. You can also climb up ladders to see inside the old caves the Native Americans carved out of the little mini-caves in the cliff face. Saw some cool deer. Also took a drive to Jemez Springs and saw Soda Falls (below) along the way. Super cool, the river rushes through a small opening, lots of dripping mineral formations and a random hot spring on the side of the road. Also, Jemez Springs seemed fun and nicely isolated although we didn’t stop.

Bandelier Deer

Gophers on the roadside maybe?

Bandelier

Deer everywhere at Bandelier

Soda Springs

Soda Falls

Then, our friends came to visit! Super fast, we did a lot of stuff. We went to some Breaking Bad locations in Albuquerque, went to the Georgia O’Keefe museum in Santa Fe (totally worth it, and then in honor of her I took a very O’Keefe photo of the sky over the buildings outside), we experienced snow shaped like tiny little snowballs, we drove up to the Santa Fe ski area and saw snow-covered trees, we got caught in a crazy snowstorm that made us feel like we were Han Solo hyperdriving through space, and we geeked out on a roadside attraction full of those funny little plywood art thingies that you put your head in for photos. That was in the most adorable town of all around here, Madrid (pronounced like Bad-rid, accent on the first syllable). Some great restaurants, shops and live music, don’t say we didn’t tell you to stop there because we did.

Go see the Key Frances Band at the Mine Shaft Cantina in Madrid. You won’t be sorry. Especially on a beautiful day. (Ugh, didn’t write down the name of the band, sorry).

Also, if you like mysteries or funky art, go to Meow Wolf. Just go. It’s unique, although I highly recommend going when kids are in school if you don’t want to be overrun. And if you don’t want to work on solving the puzzles, you still might like it but you might not think it’s worth the $25 admission fee. We stayed 6 hours so, it was worth it to us, even if I think they need to work on shorter clues for the next rendition!

Jim through the wormhole

“They” are always watching

My fav, the 3D art (glasses required)

Lovely quote: When in doubt, just doubt your doubt.

For our final (up to now) adventure, we took the tram up to Sandia Peak, which was breathtaking. It has the longest cable span in the US (world?), so they say. If you are afraid of heights, I’d advise against it though! And last but definitely not least, we availed ourselves of the iconic spa here, 10,000 Waves. Very Japanese, very relaxing, expensive but not crazy so unless you do what we did and get the Shiatsu 80 minute massage, the head/neck massage, the foot/leg massage, the facial and a regular mini-massage. That’s a bit pricey, but it was a celebration and so, we splurged. Don’t forget to build in time for the baths, the sauna, etc. I hear you can even go to the dining room in your spa robe!

That’s it for now. I guess that’s enough. I’ll have one more post from our weekend bonanza of cramming in all the sights we’ve missed so far, plus our drive home through Roswell and Carlsbad Caverns. So long for now!

Top of Sandia Peak

One of the big towers for the Sandia Peak Tram

Ah…10,000 Waves

  So, logically, next we went to a cool place… After going to Rockport and Port A in South Texas in Jan/Feb to try and outrun the cold (ahem, it was pretty cool and rainy most days but still, better than the weather in Dallas), our next adventure, just as Texas started to warm right up to comfy poolside temps, was to head off to Santa Fe, NM for all of April!

[overhaulbids]

Pine Straw Makes This House Looks So Much Better.

Benefits of Pine Needles in your landscape: It provides the ideal level of acidity for your plants to take in optimum soil nutrients It does not drift and remove and breaks down more slowly, so it does not have to be reapplied as frequently as other mulches It is much easier to deal with and lighter per cubic foot than other mulches: one large bale can cover as much location as 30 cubic feet of a lot of mulches the expense per square foot is competitive with other mulches It breathes much better, does not compact, and allows for much better water seepage It is simple to apply: simply unroll the bales and scatter by hand It does not draw in termites It includes natural product and nutrients to soil and lowers weeds The uniform color and fine texture of pine straw brings out the color, contrast, and texture of your landscape You can utilize it for erosion control where grass will not grow to hold soil, even on hillsides and courses FAQ

I Have 3 Dogs And My Backyard Is Almost A Sand Pit. Tried Mutiple Ideas Still Didn'T Grow Thick Enough.? Any Words Of Wisdom Other Than Get Rid Of The Dogs???

Kinda like what the "Mom of 3 and done!" said.....but instead of fencing part of it....I would probably try to designate an area, probably like 20'x 20' in the back corner of your yard. Size of area depending on the size of your yard. Put a thick layer of pine straw, leaves, mulch or maybe even actual sad. Train your dogs to potty in that area. AFTER your confident they use that area only....Replant grass in the rest of the yard. If you have problems with them digging holes...then all you have to do is get into a strict routine of exercising them at least once a day. They are trying to tell you how bored and that they want more attention. All depends on the breed they are. Luckily for me I have an American Eskimo Spitz and for whatever reason they always go as far away or out into the woods to do their business! I've also had huskies and I had the same prob with pee spots and holes. The pine straw worked pretty good for the husky and it's cheap...just have to throw another layer on every month or two. Good Luck!

Can You Name This Type Of Pine Tree? Forgive My Lack Of Details But This Is All I Can Tell You: This Particular Pine Doesn'T Even Look Like A Tree, In My Opinion It Just Looks Like A Very Tall Bush. Its Approximately 12' Tall. I Do Not Know If It Is Native To The Southwest Area Or Not - I Live In Southern Nm And I Rarely See These Around But I Am Sure There Is Quite A Few. It Does Not Have Long Branches And Does Not Have Traditional Pine Needles Or Pine Cones. The Most Unique Characteristic Feature I Can Tell You Is That It Grows These Blue Berry Looking Things That Almost Sorta Resemble The Spike Ball On A Mace Club. (Though Not As Spikey Or Sharp). Does Anyone Have Any Idea What This Could Be? I Only Ask Because I Would Like To Learn How To Grow One But Have No Idea How To Classify What It Is.

Are you seeing this as a landscaping plant? There's a type of arborvitae (an evergreen distantly related to pines) that's got the cultivar name 'Blue Cone' that might be what you're seeing. Their "leaves" are a series of overlapping scales. http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4102/47874... http://www.floridata.com/ref/p/images/pl... http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z182/... Junipers (which may or may not be native, depending on the location) also have blue fruits, but don't have the spines similar to a mace. Their "leaves" are needles which are attached singly, or overlapping scales like the arborvitae depending on the species and age of the twig. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Juniper_berries_q.jpg http://www.jlehtinen.net/photos/view/2006-09-24-dscf0048 ADDED For the first plant I mentioned, arborvitae 'Blue Cone' is the name that you would see in a nursery or online. The scientific name for the cultivar is Platycladus orientalis 'Blue Cone' (although you might also see it under the incorrect name of Thuja orientalis 'Blue Cone'; scientists now say this species belongs in its own genus). Planting and care information is in the links below. http://www.treehelp.com/trees/cedar/thuja-orientalis.asp http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/3010/3010-1496/3010-1496.html ADDED - Sorry for misunderstanding. Arborvitae are fairly easy to grow from seed, but you shouldn't put them out where they'll be growing for at least a year. First, you'd need to buy seeds, or collect seeds from your neighbor's tree if they'll allow you. You can get them while they're still green/blue, and put them in a paper bag or envelope and keep this somewhere dry until they turn brown and open. Although they may not look much like them, the Arborvitae fruits are much like a pine cone. It's only when they're brown and woody that they open fully to release their seeds. By keeping the cones in an enclosed place, you'll be able to catch the seeds before they fall to the ground or are eaten by animals. You'll need to give the seeds a period of cold (inside your refrigerator for a few months), then plant in pots and allow them to grow for at least a year before you try to transplant them outside. You can keep them on a porch, or put them in a cold frame so they can get a little "natural winter" outside (if using the cold frame, you can skip the refrigerator unless you have a very mild winter). But you don't want to transplant them to where you want them to grow until they're old enough not to be damaged by foot traffic or animals, or you can protect them with screen cages. But keeping them in pots lets you bring them inside or move them to a sheltered area to avoid damaging weather like the hail they got in Socorro, NM last month. Some websites relevant to growing these from seeds - http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-arborvitae-seed-21603.html http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2222/ http://en.allexperts.com/q/Conifers-713/2008/9/Planting-arborvitae-seed.htm

Starting A Rabbit Rescue. Need Help? Hi! My Mom Gave Me And My Sister The 'Ok' To Start A Rabbit Rescue. We Would Take Rabbits And Re Home Them. Anyways, We Need Help Getting The Supplies And I Wanted To Ask This To See If Anybody Had Any Website To Get This Stuff For Cheap. Rabbit Cages: We Plan To Have 10-15 Rabbits At A Time, Maybe More So We Need Lots Of Cages. Rabbit Food: Does Any Body Know Where We Can Get 50 Lbs Bulk Rabbit Food For Cheap? I Know One Person Who Got A 50 Lbs For 11 Dollars But The Store Closed Down. Accessories: We Need Water Bottles, Food Dishes, Toys, Etc.. Does Anybody Know Where We Can Get These Or Make These For Cheaper? Bedding: I Can Get Free Straw From A Friend Who Owns A Farm..Hay Too. Is Straw A Good Enough Bedding? (I Know It Would Be Messy.) Any Other Tips? Also, Can You Read These And Let Me Know What You Think? Http://Www.Homesteadingtoday.Com/Livestock-Forums/Rabbits/309400-Growing-100%25-Food-Rabbits.Html Http://Www.Grit.Com/Garden/Crops/Grow-Your-Own-Rabbit-Food-Zkrz12zreg.Aspx?Page=2#Ixzz2axw39xrt If You Can'T Read The Second Link, Put That In Your Answer And I'Ll Add It To The Question. Thanks!

The place were I'd get all those items would be PetsMart, but for the hay, I suggest not, because the bacteria from the untreated straw could make your rabbits sick, due to bugs, fleas, parasites in the hay. What I use for my Oliver, is a bag of Pine shavings which is only $6.99 I beleive, at your Walmart. It is a big bag and lasts my male rabbit months. You could make toys out of small hollow things, but make sure your rabbit can't take bites of them and eat them, the plastic could make him sick. If you have a cardboard toilet paper roll, you could put some beans or some other type of edible thing, put it in the toilet paper roll, and seal up the edges. Then when the rabbit pushes it, it will rattle. For the 50 lbs of food I would suggest Walmart, because I get my rabbit food there for pretty cheap, (The big bag of pellets.) And growing your own crops would be okay for the rabbit, as long as you clean them for bugs and other harmful bacteria. :3 I feed my rabbit from the garden alot. For the cages I suggest a bigger-ish cage that you could buy at PetsMart because a small cage for a rabbit wouldn't give it a healthy living space. The second link worked, just to let you know. :3 Good luck on your rabbit shelter!