#ANOTHER day at the zoo with my roommates | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hunnylagoon · 9 months

Text

Right Where You Left Me

Pt1: Coming Down With Me

Ellie Williams x reader

I once met a girl with skin like kiwi. Even the butterflies were drawn to her, landing on the top of her nose, the dip in her palm. But the kiwi stung my tongue, scarred my lips and made me bleed. I do not care. Cover me in your kiwi kisses, burn my mouth and scar my flesh. Bleach my eyes and dip my heart in lemon juice. Sing your sickly sweet words until my ears bleed.

Premise: You and Ellie were childhood best friends until you grew up. Funny thing about soulmates is that they tend to find their way back to each other.

Warnings: Angst / reader has religious issues / people are mean lol / best friends to enemies to lovers / roommate! Ellie

Part two here!

Part three here!

Part four here!

I know everything about you,

You know everything about me.

I had always been bound to the earth while Ellie danced with the stars in the night sky among delusion and dreams. Though, more so than anything, we were bound to one another.

Our parents were friends, even before we were born. They met at summer camp when they were teenagers, the same camp that Ellie and I were eventually shipped off to every summer. Of course, I have no recollection of when I was an infant, only stories that my parents shared with me; My dad told me that I learned to crawl backwards before I learned to crawl forwards. Joel kept a photo album of his girl.

I can't remember days of crawling around and babbling incoherently, but I can tell you what I remember.

Five years old- Kindergarten

Despite the air being unbearable hot, it was infused with excitement as Ellie and me set foot in the petting zoo. I had never seen so many animals in one place, my little brain was going nuts. Accompanied by the gentle hum of content animals, the aroma of straw, and the distant melody of joyful chatter, the petting zoo rang true to its rustic charm.

Ellie, with her auburn curls bouncing in the breeze, led the way, her eyes widened at the sight of a fluffy alpaca lazily grazing in the sunshine. I giggled as we approached a pen filled with adorable piglets, their tiny snouts sniffing the pure air far away from the dirty stench of the city.

Our parents, watching with affectionate smiles, guided us to the lamb enclosure where soft, woolly creatures nuzzled against tiny palms. Ellie's fingers gently traced the contours of a lamb's ear, and she couldn't resist a delighted squeal as she felt the velvety nose of a goat.

As the afternoon sun cast a warm glow on the scene, the families strolled through the meandering paths, passing by a pond where ducks quacked merrily. Ellie and I, hand in loveable hand, marvelled at the wonders of the animal kingdom, our hearts brimming with the pure joy of discovery and a blooming friendship.

Seven years old- Grade Two

On this particular day, Ellie and I had been messing around in her backyard; that's all we did on the weekends at that age, you couldn't get us to go inside. We spent the morning entwined in daffodils and hyacinth that Joel has so tenderly nurtured, careful not to crush the dainty flowers beneath our wild flailing bodies.

We had the brilliant idea to paint rocks so we had been searching her yard for the perfect flat stones we had in mind. Ellie picked up a rock and immediately threw it back down, jumping away with a shriek.

This had piqued my curiosity (As well as Joels who sat on the back porch, watching us), I went over to where she stood petrified and found nothing more than a little snake staring up at her. I dropped the stones I had been carrying and bent over to get a better look at it, it was brown and had a few white vertical stripes cascading up its thin body.

I slowly moved my hand outwards to touch but was swiftly interrupted by Joel scooping me up "That's enough of that kiddo."

Nine years old- Grade Four

Joel's house garnered an expansive backyard and just past the old fence that Ellie and I had thrown one too many softballs at was a lush forest. I would always clamour up the wood fence and poke my little head over it to try and gather a glimpse of wildlife, Ellie usually had to give me a little boost. "Hold still!" She hissed with her arms wrapped around my torso to help lift me, my scrawny arms shook as I tried to pull myself up even further.

The wood rot of the ancient fence finally set in and with the both of us pressing our mighty weight against it collapsed with the fence. We heard the splitting of wood, I got the worst end of the stick, toppling over and putting my hands out to protect myself. I could've sworn that I heard my wrist break like a crunch.

While I did what felt like a three-sixty frontflip over the fence just for my small head to come down on the end of it with a solid smack, Ellie had just flopped on top of it, green eyes widening in shock when she saw my once straight arm now had an abnormal bump coming out from my wrist. "What's wrong with your hand?"

"I don't know I'm probably dying!" I screamed as loud as my voice could carry, that was the first time I had felt adrenaline run through my veins. "You killed me!"

"No, I didn't!" She retorted, scrambling off the fence and back up to her feet. She was clad in a Jurassic Park T-shirt that she practically was swimming in and those pink and orange plaid Bermuda shorts that any kid in the 2000s owned. "Dad!" Ellie yelled, calling for Joel.

I felt the tears welling up in my eyes and finally, I released the sob that had been building up in my throat. She was almost dumbstruck and just ended up kneeling and wrapping her arms around me in a hug.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." She muttered.

10 years old- Grade Five

Ellie had been practicing guitar the entire time I was at her house, Joel had gifted her his old guitar and she was so set on perfecting every cord, every half-hour she would ask for a song recommendation and then flip through the songbook she got to find it.

I was curled up in her bed reading The Hunger Games over again "Els, are you team Peeta or Gale?" I was always at Ellie's house, mine was too busy all the time; I had three siblings, Naomi and Aaron who were twins and two years younger than me and my brother Elijah who was three years older than me. I loved going to her house on Saturdays so I could sleep in and wriggle my way out of going to church. Even though her house was right across the street from mine and my parents would bang on Joel's door, he always covered for me.

"Uh," She was distracted by something in her songbook "Team Katniss?"

I nod in approval to myself as she isn't paying attention "You know who Gale reminds me of?" I ask and without Ellie giving me a response I answer anyway "Luke, I think I kind of like him."

Those are the words that get her to look at me "Ew, he's so weird."

"He's nice to me."

She wrinkles her nose in distaste then shrugs, returning to her guitar which sits awardly in her scrawny frame.

12 years old- Grade Seven

"Fuck!" I yell, kicking the grimy green dumpster in the graffiti-covered ally out of anger, though I kicked it a little too hard now my foot hurts I refuse to admit it "Fuck I hate them!"

Ellie leans against the brick wall on the opposite side of the alley, our bikes discarded on the ground while I hopelessly rant to my friend about my parents. She doesn't say much, just little nods of agreement. My parents had caught me skipping church and they laid into me, saying that I had no respect for them or god and whether that was true or not didn't matter, I was full of pre-teen angst and needed to call my friend to go for a bike ride around town.

"She fucking tore my room apart, I never see them get mad at Aaron or Naomi!" I drag my hands down my face before I look back at the dumpster and kick it again "Ow, cunt!" I'm now hopping on one foot while my knee bends my other leg and I hold my beaten red Converse, covered in doodles, to soothe the pain of my poor toes. It's moments like this that remind me why I love Ellie, because as stupid as I look hobbling around and cussing, she doesn't laugh at me even though I know she wants to.

After a little bit of me aimlessly yelling I finally wind down. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to remember those breathing exercises that we were taught at school assemblies. "Thanks for listening to me talk shit, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," She shrugs "I've seen you do worse."

This cracks a smile on my face, I turn my head and am met with the Jackson skyline, a beautiful pink sunset on the horizon "Sun's setting," I say.

"Sleepover?" Ellie asks.

"Sleepover," I confirm.

13 years old- Grade Eight

We were thirteen when our parents shoved cash into our hands and dropped us at the mall to go back to school shopping by ourselves for the first time. Every parent's nightmare was a busy mall so when they figured us old enough to venture into the dreaded foodcourt on our own, believed they were taking that opportunity.

Ellie had bought a couple of T-shirts and hoodies here and there, not too particular about what she was buying, though I was very nit-picky over what I wore so I forced Ellie to judge every single outfit that I wore and rate it, she gave the same answer every single time "It looks fine."

"Cool but I don't wanna look fine, I wanna look pretty," I say in frustration, walking back into the dressing room to try on another outfit. Ellie is sitting in the fitting room on a pink velvet couch, arms crossed and waiting for me to finish. "How's this?" I ask, walking out of the changing stall and giving her a little twirl.

"It looks fine- I mean good, everything looks good on you." She sounds almost exasperated. Ellie's hair was still that vibrant auburn colour that my mother was obsessed with, it had yet to fade out into a duller brown with age.

"Really?" I perk up just the slightest.

"Yeah, you look really pretty." She gives me a little nod of confirmation. I know that she's only saying that because she wants to go to the food court and get a cinnamon bun but I believe her anyway.

14 years old- Grade Nine

We were just nearing the end of the second half of our soccer game. It was the tournament and we were only a point away from placing first in the league, the thought of it had kept me up all week I was running off of Subway sandwiches and Gatorade.

Riley (the midfielder) swiftly passed the ball to me before she was surrounded by the other team's defence, I looked up to the clock and there were only seconds left in the match. I let my instincts take over, my parents forcing me into soccer since elementary school was not going to wind up useless. My footwork took me up the right wing just before the penalty box.

I wasn't paying enough attention to notice the tall blonde girl in a slick back ponytail closing in on me. I hear Ellie shout my name and that's all I need to make this last pass, I barely even looked up before power-driving the ball to Ellie who was merely six metres away from me. I slipped onto the muddied field with that kick, watching Ellie waste no time to score our final goal the second her cleat touched the ball.

The clock deadlocks and I drag myself off the ground running towards my best friend, I jump on her almost taking her down with me though she manages to steady herself. "I fucking love you!" I scream hugging her with all of the force I can muster. She hugs me in return, unable to get any words out between her laughs. The team is quick to swarm us, everyone is shouting about our well-deserved victory but not one person is louder than Joel in the stands.

15 years old- Grade Ten

Snow was falling as I stood in the foyer of the high school, still waiting for my date for the winter formal to arrive. Conner had asked me out weeks ago, we hadn't talked much since though I just figured that was because he was shy. I even left school early to get ready and spent hours meticulously pinning every hair into place and adjusting my navy blue satin dress so it would drape across my body in just the right way.

My sister, Naomi was an aspiring makeup artist so I let her dust my eyelids in silver glitter, I forced Warren to drive me. All of that was just for me to get stood up. Conner hadn't texted me all day, I knew he wasn't coming that didn't stop me from forcing denial on myself. "Hey," I heard a soft voice sound behind me, I wasn't surprised to see Ellie. Even though our parents were no longer friends, we were close as ever.

"Hi," My voice was hushed and feeble.

"The dance started an hour ago," She said, that night she had been wearing a white button-up with a pair of jeans and her hair half up. It was clear the dance wasn't as big a deal to her as it was to me. All she had done was ask Riley to go with her and call it a day. Despite her lack of effort, she looks beautiful as ever "I don't think he's coming," She said bluntly.

That's the exact moment I felt myself crack, tears welled up in my eyes and I lurched forward to hug her, flailing my arms helplessly to search for comfort "Then why did he ask me to go with him?" My sobs were drowned out by the sound of Kesha blasting in the overcrowded gym.

"I don't know, but he's an idiot for standing you up," Ellie holds me close and I never want her to let go "I wouldn't have ever done that to you."

16 years old- Grade Eleven

This is where things begin to fall apart. I found Ellie on the back porch of some random guy's house at a party. "I figured I would find you out here," I say, taking a seat next to her on the wooden steps, I hug my knees close to my chest.

"What's up?" Beside me, Ellie is unnervingly calm, she nurses a joint, taking a long hit and letting the smoke turn to clouds.

"Conner kissed me," I say cutting to the chase

I can tell she doesn't like the thought, she hated Conner, ever since he stood me up at the winter formal but she bites her tongue "You guys gonna date?"

"I think so."

"Good for you."

"I don't know if I liked it," My eyebrows are furrowed, and I pull my knees in even further, inhaling the crisp autumn air and the smell of Ellie, she smells like cannabis, firewood and bar soap.

"What do you mean?" Ellie puts out the end of her joint and tucks what remains of it into an empty Altoids container.

"Nothing," I dismiss it, "It doesn't matter, I just wanted to talk to you," Ellie had softened every burden for me since we were girls. "Um, so, my parents are sending me to boarding school next year."

"No, they're not-

"They are."

Ellie doesn't seem so calm anymore, she adjusts her body to face mine and she's so close I swear to god I could've counted every freckle on her face. "Why, what did you do?" The way she looks at me makes me wish that she was a boy.

"Nothing!" I retort "They think I'm straying from god, it's a Christian school." That was my code for 'they think I have a crush on you and I rather not get disowned by my super religious parents!'

"come stay with me and Joel-

"Ellie, please," I place a hand on her thigh "I don't think I can get away from this one."

That was at the end of September, it only got worse from there. I partially wished that I didn't tell Ellie that I had to leave, every time we hung out it just felt like words were hanging between us like birds on a wire and neither of us could say what we wanted. I forced myself to distance myself from her, I didn't know how else to handle my feelings.

She would blow up my phone and come by my house even visit my work but I just told her that I was busy. I could tell that she didn't believe my excuses for a second, she had English with my new boyfriend, Conner and would get him to relay messages and notes to me.

It didn't get easier to ignore her, my family prying about where she had been. I never told my parents that Ellie was gay, though I know they had always had a suspicion and that's why they could never love her all the way completely, the way Joel loved me and looked out for me. My mom and dad liked that I swapped out Ellie for Conner, by February, my dad even started to call him son.

In March Ellie and I had stopped talking completely, she gave up on texting me and coming by my house just for my siblings to lie about my whereabouts. It hurt to see the resentment gleam in her eye every time she passed me in the hallway.

She didn't speak a word to me until the start of the summer bonfire which was custom in our town. If I had known she would be there I never even would have thought about going. I rather not rehash this awful night, not right now just know that it ended with some alcohol, a bit of blood in the sand and me telling Ellie 'I would pick him over you every single time.' Yikes, that's not a good look for me. I spent the rest of my summer burying her in the back of my mind until boarding school finally came upon me and I graduated with friends I didn't like in a place that didn't feel like home.

I was sixteen then now I'm nineteen, no longer a girl but not yet a woman. Those were some key moments of our friendship. I'm not so sure why I felt so mature at the age of sixteen. I had taken a gap year and loved every minute of it, I backpacked in Australia, worked as a camp counsellor in the summer then left to work at a turtle conservatory in Bali, I was making pennies but the experience was worth it.

I arrived at my new home sunkissed with Ellie far in the back of my mind. I didn't know much about who I would be rooming with, I had only spoken to Dina over a Zoom call who was a friendly girl with warm eyes and ink-black hair spilling over her shoulders. I just prayed that none of them were Craigslist killers.

It took me entirely too long to find parking, when I finally did, I grabbed two of my suitcases, unable to hold anything else, the rest of the boxes jammed into my car would have to wait. I read over the text that Dina sent me what seemed to be a million times to make sure I had the right address. It was a small-ish one-story flat with brown walls that had white accents along corners and the doorway with a wood-panelled gable roof. As far as college housing went, I was happy. It looked like something I would've made in the Sims when I was a teenager.

I walk to the front door, the entrance is framed by intricately carved moulding, its details telling a story of craftsmanship and tradition. The wood, polished to a warm, inviting glow, exudes a sense of richness and history. I knocked on the door and heard a voice shouting that she would get it.

The door swings open and I'm met face to face with Dina "Hey!" She smiled "It's nice to meet you, I think you'll like it here," She held the door wide open, motioning for me to go in, and I obliged. "Let me give you a tour." Dina is clad in sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt and her hair has been pulled back into a messy ponytail.

The layout of the house seemed somewhat odd to me, there was a corridor straight ahead when you walked in, the first room was the laundry room and contained the washer and dryer with some hampers and shelves of detergent and laundry freshener. "This is the laundry room, we have a wash schedule along with a chore schedule so we will put you on that tonight," Dina told me, I just nodded politely in response feeling a little too awkward and out of place to say anything.

"Alright so this is the kitchen, there's a half bathroom beside it," She says, swinging her arms wide open for exaggeration I can see the chore chart hanging on the walls, it's written in chalk, and it is the laundry schedule. There are little laminated tags with each person's name on them, though I can't quite make out the names from where I am standing. The fridge is covered in postcards, magazine cutouts, polaroids, and bright magnets of papayas and flowers, I automatically assumed this was Dina despite not knowing the other roommates. The kitchen is open with no walls to hide it, the oven and dishwasher are built into counters against the walls as well as the sink which i spotless at the moment, there isn't a dining table but a kitchen island with stools. Past the island you can see the living room, there are two grey couches with decorative pillows and fuzzy throw blankets, a coffee table that looked handcrafted with care and of course a TV.

Have I mentioned there are plants everywhere? Like everywhere. "Okay, so," Dina keeps on moving and I trail behind with my suitcases, over there is my room and Cat's and Abby's," She points to the left of the living room where there is a short hallway with three doors, one on each wall of it. "There's Cat now," She waves at her roommate.

Cat is relatively tall, she has black hair that's tied into a bun, and she's wearing plaid pyjama pants and a black tank top, I can see her abundance of tattoos. She has one sleeve of laurel cascading up her arm and the other is patchwork done right, each separate piece blends almost seamlessly into the next. "I like your tattoos," I say, not wanting to sit in any more silence.

She grins at me "Thanks, love," I nod in response to her, Cat looks down at the suitcases that I'm lugging around "Dina, take this poor girl to her room already."

"I was just getting there," Dina teases and motions for me to follow her "So over here is the bathroom and of course your room, I left your copy of the house key on your mattress," She opens it up. The bedroom is completely blank aside from the boxed bedframe, shelf, vanity and mattress that I had to send over prior. There's a built-in closet in the wall.

I put my suitcases on the ground "I'm gonna grab the rest of my stuff from my car," I offer up a tight-lipped smile.

"Wait a second," She takes my hand and then knocks on the bedroom door parallel to mine. "I'm coming in!" Dina announces pushing the door open, there's a brunette girl hunched over her desk. My breath hitches in my throat when she turns around "This is Ellie."

I can see the panic that momentarily takes over Ellie when she spots me before it's replaced by a false coolness, "Hey," She says before turning back to her laptop and putting her headphones back on. It felt like my heart had shut down, why the fuck did I sign the lease?

"Sorry," Dina shuts Ellie's door "She's not the friendliest of the bunch but she'll warm up to you eventually," Dina walks to the front door with you Abby should be around here somewhere."

I had gotten so frustrated trying to set up my bed frame that I sheepishly left my room and asked for help, god bless Abby. She was putting everything together so easily, I watched her in awe as she finished adding the final screw to my bedframe. "Want help setting up the mattress?"

"Yes, please," I say, I grab one end of the mattress while Abby gets the other, she tells me to lift on three and I listen, she carries the majority of the weight but it still feels like an accomplishment on my part. "So does everyone here go to Northridge?"

"Yeah, except for Cat, she's a tattoo apprentice."

"Cool, cool," I search for words, "What are you majoring in?"

"Kinesiology," It makes sense, I could've called that by looking at the fit gym rat who was now sitting on my bed. "You?"

"Wildlife biology,"

"So you like animals and conservation and stuff?"

"Mhm," I nod "It's honestly kind of hard to not have any animals in my life." I was missing all my pets back home, when I wasn't with them I was working at a conservatory or at a summer camp where I took care of all of the horses, and Ellie's dog, Achilles.

"You'll get used to it, living with Dina is the same thing as living with an animal," She smiles and for the first time, I feel comfortable. Abby watching me with her blue eyes as I begin to unpack my abundance of boxes, I kind of just dump everything onto the ground because I can't remember which box has what, the first thing I search for are my coat hangers. I dump out a box with a bible, wall cross, and rosery and golden cross necklace from a box of random knickknacks. "You religious?"

"Kind of?" I question it myself "Not really, it's just my family, I packed that stuff to make my mom happy."

Abby nods "I get it."

"You do?"

She backtracks "No, but I can try to."

I shake my head, "I wouldn't try if I were you, I spent nineteen years trying to get away from it." I was sure other Christian homes were healthy but mine wasn't one of them, the way my parents obsessed over Jesus was honestly frightening.

"Hey, do you wanna come watch a movie when your done unpacking?" Abby asked, "Get to know your new roommates a little better."

I don't entirely want to, I wasn't ready to talk to Ellie. I still hadn't wrapped my head around the fact that I was living with her and that she was pretending she didn't know me, despite this, my words betrayed me "For sure."

I sat on one of the couches beside Abby, I made myself as small as I could, thinking that maybe I could make myself disappear. Cat and Ellie crammed themselves on the other while Dina took the plush armchair. I felt so out of place everyone here had relationships, I had one with Ellie before I severed it 'Grown Ups' was playing on the flatscreen though it seemed I was the only one paying attention.

The four girls all laughed and talked their way through the movie, Abby, Cat, and Dina would ask me a question here and there but I didn't know them well enough to pitch in. I kept telling myself that I needed to push through, if Spiderman could do it, so could I.

I didn't even finish the movie, halfway through I excused myself saying I was tired which wasn't necessarily a lie. It was difficult to fathom how well Ellie was playing it off, acting like she never met me. I walk into the bathroom, clean towel in hand, ready to scrub off the stress of today. Beside the mirror, I see a cardstock poster decorated with bright markers and doodles.

HOUSE RULES

#1 No underwear left in the bathroom

#2 Wash your dishes

#3 Break it? Tell Abby

#4 No smoking inside

#5 Privates are private!

#6 Pls don't drink and drive (We have a couch)

#7 Give your beloved roommates a heads up before having someone over

#8 This is a residence of women so the seat goes down!!!

#9 Respect the bedrooms

#10 Having sex? Keep it quiet

#11 NO DRAMA!!!!!!!!

#12 Follow chore and wash chart

#13 Don't eat what's not yours! (Without asking)

I finish reading the last bit and mutter to myself "Wasn't planning on it." I run the water so hot that it feels cold and I'm quick to not use all of the hot water and have my roommates hate me on my first night here. Everyone has their little drawers in the bathroom, mine is empty aside from some floss and cotton pads that the girl before me left behind. I make a mental note to make use of my bathroom drawer tomorrow and fill it with makeup remover or conditioner, or something like that.

Brushing my teeth and wrapping myself in a strawberry towel that I had purchased at a craft fair, I open the bathroom door, I can see the light of the TV and the sound of chatter from the living room. However, I ignore it and make a B-line to my bedroom. Even though I had spent hours unpacking and pinning up posters it still didn't seem homey.

I slip into shorts and a t-shirt, leaving my hair as is and throw myself onto my bed. My towel is discarded onto my bathroom floor. When I turn on my phone I am bombarded my messages from my parents, my mother has probably sent me twelve Google pins to the closest churches, I answer her with a thumb-up emoji and settle into my bed to scroll through social media and see how much fun all of my friends are having.

Fucking Ellie. She's plaguing my thoughts, I think of what I said to her and it makes me cringe, I want to smother myself with my satin pillow. I don't even have food to eat, grocery shopping wasn't something that I put on my priority list and right about now I was but Ellie, god, why was I such a dick? Because I didn't know what else to do- whatever, I was a scared teenager. What would you have done? Probably kiss her you lesbo.

Lord, it makes me sick to think about what could've been.

15 years old- Grade Ten

Ellie and I were sitting at a fire pit at her uncle Tommy's lake house. It was a Fourth of July party except we were the only teenagers there; everyone else was friends of Tommy and Maria or some distant relatives of Ellie's or children of said people.

After five years of practicing day and night, Ellie had just about mastered the acoustic guitar, she played and I sang, wrapped up in her flannel, I was tucked close next to her.

She struck every cord perfectly and I began to sing absentmindedly, the song that had been carved into my brain. Ellie looked so insanely beautiful illuminated only by fire and the stars that hung in the sky, if it hadn't been a sin I would've kissed her.

Talking to her felt as holy as praying to god but I knew it was as sinful as worshipping the devil.

If it was so wrong why was I born in God's image?

Her gentle hand strummed on the chords of the guitar, the same calloused hand that had once turned water into wine. Her laughter was the sound of a church choir

I wish I told her how much I liked her but what would've happened if I did? What would my parents think, they would kill me.

Part of me didn't care how my parents would react, if I spoke up, I could say goodbye to my inheritance and having college paid for. Maybe that was an unfair assumption to make on my part. Ugh. FUCK, I don't know, let's get to the next part of the story.

I couldn't sleep that night, I thought maybe a glass of water would soothe me, well I didn't really think that but I was hungry and thirsty and water was the only thing in that house I had the right to ingest. I figured that I could fill myself with water and zip to Denny's in the morning then grab some groceries.

Poking my head out of my door, I checked to see if anyone was still awake before gingerly taking hushed steps towards the kitchen, I was trying to be as light as Thumbelina. I hadn't noticed Ellie bumming on the couch, scrolling through her phone.

"You cooking all of that non-existent food you brought?" She jeered. Oh, now she wanted to talk to me.

"I was gonna have some warm water soup for dinner and chew on pistachio shells from the cup holder in my car for dessert," I answer "I'm treating myself tonight." She didn't think it was funny at all, a few years ago she would've been cackling at my subpar joke, but now she just seemed unamused. "Sheesh, tough crowd."

She stays silent.

"You used to think I was funny," I say.

"I also used to think the tooth fairy was real."

"Harsh," I mutter. Turning the tap on and sticking a finger underneath it to test the temperature. I put my hummingbird mug underneath it and let it fill. "Hey, Ellie," She doesn't answer "Have you told them any bad things about me?"

She nearly scoffs "No, believe it or not, I don't talk about you, I don't even think about you," There's venom in her voice "You haven't crossed my mind since you walked through that door."

"Why are you pretending you don't know me-

"Because I don't fucking like you," She says it like it's so obvious and it honestly is in this moment "Just because you're pretty and you act like a sweet little Christain girl, that doesn't mean shit."

"I'm not trying to act like anything-

"Yeah, well it seems pretty insincere to me," Ellie seethed and I could feel a sting in my heart, I would do some pretty horrendous things for a time machine right about now. I can tell that there won't be any salvaging for this, she hates me to death and rightfully so.

This is where I give up "Okay, sorry," I grab my hummingbird mug and retreat to my room.

I endured four months of that.

Ellie was pushed to the back of my mind while I ran through classes and got a job as a waitress at a stake house. I did everything in my power to keep myself busy, to keep her out of my head but she was always there, she hung around like a song I can't shake, like I'm haunted by the melody.

Some nights when the city decides to quiet down I can hear her play guitar, and I'll quietly hum along to it. Songs she used to sing for me, she now sings for another woman, another soul. I knew that she had girls over, but I never got to meet them as Ellie did everything in her power to pretend I didn't exist.

The only communication I got with her was in the roommate's group chat, and it was always brief.

Ellie: Having a friend over tomorrow night

D-manz: Friend? With benefits??????????

Kit-Cat: Nah they're hardly even friends, just benefits

Abs: Don't get her pregnant

Me: 👍

As long as I was with the girls, Ellie was not. She avoided me like the plague, it was like she despised my existence. If we go clubbing, she takes a separate taxi, petty if you ask me. The girls knew something happened between us but they couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was Dina's conspiracy that Ellie used to date one of my friends and broke her heart. While I bonded with Cat, Dina, and Abby, Ellie would pretend to like me. She would occasionally laugh at my jokes or ask how my shift was when Dina was in the room.

Trust me when I say I would rather forget than dwell on it but it was impossible. I know that I'm nothing more than an obstacle to her, a stain on her bedsheets, a sore in her mouth, but she was still my diamond in the rough. I will willingly ignore all of her cutthroat words and her jagged edges.

Because I know everything about us.

861 notes · View notes

chronicowboy · 1 year

Text

When Connor finally comes over to the loft, Buck can only think thank god.

Its not that he doesn't like Kameron, he actually really enjoys her company. She's funny and bubbly and enjoys learning whatever new facts he'd found on Wikipedia that day and she has killer commentary for shitty reality TV.

Its not even the whole pregnant thing. He laughs when she balances her plate on her belly and he always braves her adventures in craving combinations even if it ends with him gagging and swearing never to eat tuna or jelly ever again - sidenote: chips and whipped cream is a new go-to snack.

He's just fed up of feeling like a perpetual roommate in his own apartment yet again. And his couch fucking sucks.

Also, like, its great that Connor and Kameron are starting to talk things through.

But his couch sucks.

So, when Connor comes over looking sheepish and apologetic, Buck welcomes him in with a smile. Kameron... not so much.

"I'm... gonna head upstairs," Buck mumbles into the awkward silence of the kitchen, "and get into my running gear." He nods once before fleeing up to his bedroom.

Buck dives for his headphones when their hushed voices start hissing at each other, connecting them up to his phone with fast hands and blasting his workout playlist as loud as he can bear. He strips efficiently, pulling on a pair of shorts and a tank top in the bathroom when the voices get louder. Then he's rushing downstairs and grabbing his sneakers, wondering if it would be wise to run all the way to Eddie's house.

His hand is an inch away from the doorknob when Connor stops him. With a silent sigh, Buck pops a headphone out and turns to face the scene in front of him.

Kameron is leaning on the kitchen island, palms flat against the marble, fingers curled under her hands, head hung low. Connor is wide-eyed and pleading, his grip on Buck's wrist tight and unyielding as he keeps him fixed to his spot.

"Buck, tell me you could raise a kid that wasn't yours," he begs, something frantic to his voice. Buck thinks he recognises the fear in Connor's eyes, thinks it looks a lot like Chimney haunting the loft weeks after Hen and Eddie had returned home. Not a fear of covid or DNA, but a fear of fatherhood cloaked in a thousand defences. "Tell me that it wouldn't bug you every single day."

Buck blinks. He opens his mouth, but something thick and cloying crawls up his throat and stops the words from coming out.

He sees flashes. Too-long curls and crutches and glasses. Nights spent huddled on a couch in front of the same shitty kid's film that Buck would happily watch a hundred times over, days spent hunched over worksheets at the dining table, mornings heavy with sleep but light with joy. Trips to the zoo, visits to the aquarium, tours of the observatory. Nightmares and tears and a run away on his doorstep. Sodden clothes and clasped hands and such visceral fear that Buck had thought he was dying. Saying no to one last game, mixing veggies into the sauce, putting his foot down on screen time. A bag full of pharmacy supplies and the tiles of the bathroom floor cold under him and growing pains Buck feels in his old bones.

"It wouldn't," Buck croaks, it feels a lot like a confession. "My captain has been more of a dad to me than my father ever was." Buck shakes his head, shrugs. "Its not about DNA, Connor, its about love."

"But." Connor's chest heaves with panicked breaths. "So, you'd do it? You'd raise another man's kid?"

Buck recognises the fear again, but this time its his own. Connor is feeling the same fear that had Buck staggering through the ravaged streets of Los Angeles. The same fear that had Buck withdrawing, trying to chase Eddie and Christopher out of the door with a list of all his sins. The same fear that had Buck reminding Eddie of Christopher's biological family. The fear Buck feels every time he has to say goodbye to Chris.

Its then that Buck's phone buzzes. He glances down at the new notification. A picture of Eddie scowling down at a cookbook captioned uh oh - backup needed ASAP.

"Oh," Buck breathes down at the screen.

All the flashes suddenly comes together, one beautiful mosaic of parental devotion.

Buck remembers the way Chimney's dad's words had lodged something sharp and painful into his chest, remembers wondering why. He remembers a quiet conversation on opposite sides of a hospital bed, remembers wondering why me. He remembers scribbling hearts together for an assignment, remembers its his turn to save you. He remembers wondering if he could be a donor not dad and Eddie asking if he knew any of Christopher's secrets.

"Buck?" Connor prompts.

"I'd do it," Buck says, only looking up from his phone when it fades to black. When he says it, it sounds a lot like you know I wouldn't. "Because... even though that kid might not be my blood, he'd still be mine," here, his voice cracks right down the middle. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

"What? Buck!"

"Sorry." Buck yanks the door open and looks over his shoulder with an apologetic shrug. "My kid needs me."

1K notes · View notes

nicklesbam · 11 months

Text

“YES!!” I shouted, standing from my chair immediately. I got accepted into Godolkin University. It’s been a dream of mine for a while now

“What?” My older sister came rushing in. I smiled wide at her while she looked confused

“I GOT ACCEPTED!!” She started smiling and hugged me

“I’m so proud of you!” We both celebrated together for a while

Soon it came the day for me to pack the last of my things. I was excited, nervous, maybe even a little seldom for leaving home but it was finally time. I said my goodbyes to my sister and started my way to Godolkin university

I got into the school for my teleportation powers, a video went viral a few days ago of me stopping a robber while at the bank. I try to stay off social media but I still know about things that are trending

I stepped out of my cab and was standing in front of my dream school. I couldn’t help but smile and looked at my map. I hate maps of schools though, they don’t really help me

Suddenly someone bumped into me and I dropped the map

“Oh I’m so sorry” I apologized quickly. I looked up at the person and it was polarity’s son

“I think I’m the one that’s supposed to be apologizing” he had a small smile and I chuckled

“Yeah I guess so. Hey do you happen to know where the dorms are? I’m a little lost” he bends down to pick up my map and hand it to me

“Yeah I can show you” he out stretches his hand to me

“I’m Andre” I accept the handshake with a smile

“I’m y/n, it’s nice to meet you” on the way to the dorms he asks me questions about myself and I return the favor

“So you have any siblings?” He asks another question but I don’t mind

“Yes, I have an older sister. She was honestly my rock throughout everything. She was so happy when I told her I got into this school” Andre nodded listening to me instead of dozing off during my little rambles

“That’s nice, kind of makes me wish I had a sibling” I laughed and he looked at me quizzically

“Trust me it has its ups and downs. We fought a lot as little kids, she would pull my hair and I would teleport her to the zoo” he laughed a little surprised

“You could teleport? And you took her to the zoo?” He questioned in a little disbelief. I laughed at the memory

“It was the only thing I could think of, she hated the lizards!” We laughed even harder and I couldn’t help but think of how much I’m going to miss her

“But no matter how hard we fought she would always be there for me” I smiled warmly. We talk a little more and we finally show up at the dorms

“Thank you for helping me find the dorms and for some nice conversation. I hope I get to see you around” I smile at him. He seems like a nice person, very open to new people

“Well me and a few friends are going out tonight, wanna come with?” I thought about it for a second. He is my first friend here but I’ll need more than one friend at a university this big. I made a decision

“Sure” he tells me when and where to meet them and I go to find my room number. Number 403 popped up soon enough and I walk in to see my dorm with one bed. I looked at it confused and worried that there might have been a mix up

I set my things down and look around. There’s nothing that suspects another person has been in here, just one bed and empty shelves. I leave my things in a corner of the room and go to find an office but before I do, I bump into a girl in the hallway

She has short blonde hair and bright brown almost hazel eyes

“Oh I’m so sorry” I apologized immediately. What is it with the me and bumping into people lately. She smiles at me

“No, no it’s totally ok. Hey you’re the girl moving into room 403 right?” Her voice is sweet and excited. I nodded

“My name is y/n, hey do you know why I only have one bed?” She looked confused as well and walked to my doorway to see

“Maybe they just didn’t have a roommate for you, happens sometimes because ya know it’s a famous school and all that” and shrugged her shoulders, “maybe you should go down to the office to see” I nodded

“Can you uh do me a favor and point me in the direction of the office please? I’m not good with maps” she smiled and laughed a little

“Yeah of course” she gave me directions that I followed to a T and suddenly I’m in front of a large building. I walk down a large hallway and look at everything I’m passing by and I can’t help but be amazed at everything I’m seeing

I finally see someone and walk up to them a little nervously. They have headphones in at the moment but once I walk up to them they take the headphones out

“Hi uhm is this where I talk to someone about my dorm because I only have one bed and I don’t know if it’s because I don’t have a roommate or-“ I was cut off from my rambling

“This is professor brinks office for criminology, not a place for you to ask about your dorm room” they blatantly spoke. I felt so embarrassed and my face started to turn a little pink

“Oh I’m so sorry, I’m new here and got the wrong directions and I’m sorry again. I hope you have a good day” I was about to walk away when h to eh shouted a name

“Jordan, my name is Jordan” I turned back and gave a small smile

“My name is y/n, I would say it’s nice to meet you but I’m just embarrassed right now” they smiled and I couldn’t help but think their smile is beautiful

“Don’t be, it happens a lot of the time with freshman” they continue, “and I wouldn’t worry about the dorm situation, they sometimes give people their own room. Cherish it you might get a roommate next year” I laugh a little

“Thank you and again, I’m sorry for wasting your time” they just smile and I turn to walk back to my dorm

any feedback would be good, this is just a snippet of the story so far

#jordan li imagine #jordan li x you #gen v jordan #jordan li x reader #jordan li #cate gen v #sam gen v #gen v imagine #gen v amazon #gen v rp #gen v cast #gen v x reader #gen v fanfiction #gen v #godolkin university #marie moreau #cate dunlap #andre anderson

296 notes · View notes

ladykailitha · 6 months

Text

Across a Crowded Room Part 5

Here we go! The last chapter of this short story that was only supposed to take a couple hours and be absolutely light and fluffy.

*checks notes* yeah this thing was none of that!

But I hope you like the ending!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

****

Eddie found a table quickly. That was the best part about going in the morning on a week day. While the colleges were out, the school age kids were still in class so the zoo was practically empty.

He pulled out his phone to check any messages he may have gotten, when his phone lit up with Nancy’s number.

He sighed, wondering if he should just let it go to voicemail, but he figured he might as well rip the bandaid off.

“Hello!” he said.

“Eddie!” Nancy said. It was clear she was already irritated. “Did you hear that Robin is staying with some stranger when she moves out to New York?”

Robin had in fact called him after she called Steve because she was avoiding calling Nancy.

“It would be no different if she was moving into the dorms,” Eddie reminded her. “The girl she’s staying with is the cousin of one of her friends so she’s not a total stranger. Plus they talked first to see if they could tolerate each other enough to be roommates.”

Nancy sighed. “It’s just I was really looking forward to having her on my couch, you know? After Jonathan left me, I really wanted the company.”

Eddie pinched the bridge of his nose. After Steve opened his eyes last night, he was starting to see a pattern to Nancy’s relationships. She was in a word, a serial monogamist.

“Yeah,” he said instead. “But it’s good she has a place to move to right off the bat so she isn’t living out of a suitcase, like she has been all this week.”

Another sigh. “You’re right, of course. I just worry about her. She’ll be on the other side of the city and we won’t be able to see each other that often.”

Eddie silently cheered. “That’s too bad. Look, I’ve got to go, Steve’s due back any second.”

“So how is Steve these days?” Nancy asked. “I heard he graduated from college.” But the way she said it, she made it sound like a fucking miracle.

Eddie chuckled. “Things are great! We went apartment hunting yesterday and decided to go to the zoo today.”

There was silence on the line for a beat too long before she said, “It’s good you two are reconnecting.”

“Oh there has been a lot of connecting all right,” Eddie said with a smirk. “With our hands, our mouths, our dic–”

“What?!” she shrieked. “You and Steve are dating?”

He puffed out his chest in pride. “Yeah. We finally got on the page on Monday after I got into Chicago. It’s been really great.”

“And you’re already moving into together, isn’t that fast?” she asked, her voice quivering.

Eddie looked up to Steve smiling down at him. “Look, he’s here. I’ve got to go.”

“Edd–”

Nancy didn’t get to finish his name because he had hung up on her.

Steve rolled the cooler over to the table and hefted it onto its surface. “Nancy I’m guessing.”

Eddie blinked at him for a moment. “How did you know that?”

“Robin called me,” he muttered. “Said she was really upset that Robin was moving in with Cassie–”

“Chrissy, love,” Eddie gently corrected.

Steve snapped his fingers. “That was it, yeah. Chrissy. Anyway, Robin said Nancy was upset that she wasn’t staying her because she wanted ‘girl bonding time’ or some shit.” He started unpacking their food. “Like Nancy didn’t recently come out as bi.”

Eddie sighed as he got to work, too pulling out the plates and utensils. “You said we shouldn’t call Nancy last night to blast her, so I called Jonathan. I wanted to know what he said about their break up.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhmm,” Eddie hummed. “He told her wanted couple’s counseling because he felt like the relationship had become more unbalanced lately and he wanted to make it work out.”

Steve opened their sides and sat down next to him. “I’m guessing that went over like a lead balloon.”

Eddie took a chip from the bag and munched. “Pretty much,” he said around the chip. “So he gave her the ultimatum and she chose to break up.”

“I give her three weeks before she goes running back to him.”

Eddie snorted. “I bet she thought with Robin coming up to New York she could scoop up a new girlfriend.”

“I wouldn’t put it past her.”

They settled into a comfortable silence as they ate their food. They cleaned up and walked back to the car.

“This was a fun idea,” Steve murmured. “Even if Nancy decided to call and put a damper things a bit.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said. “But I’m glad you had fun today.”

Steve chewed his bottom lip. “Would you like to go to dinner with me to that Italian restaurant I was telling you about yesterday morning?”

Eddie’s eyes lit up. “Like a proper date?”

“Yeah.”

“Hell yeah,” Eddie said, pumping his fist. “I’ll drop you off at your place so I can shower and change. And maybe tonight you could spend the night with me at the hotel?”

Steve grinned. “That sounds like great idea Eds. I’ll pack an overnight bag and bring it with me to dinner. Is that okay?”

Eddie pulled him in for a deep kiss. “I’m game.”

****

Steve showered and shaved. Whistling a happy tune, dancing to the song to the music in his head.

His phone rang and he walked over to the counter to see who it was. He rolled his eyes when he saw it was Nancy.

He sighed. It seemed that she had gone the rounds with Eddie and Robin and having gotten no where with them, decided to go to Steve.

“Hey.”

“Steve,” Nancy said, her voice clipped. “Eddie spends two days in your company and suddenly everything has changed. And certainly not for better. So I have to ask what the hell did you say to them?”

Steve threw his head back and laughed. “You’re afraid I told them the truth about us.”

“There is no truth, Steve,” Nancy hissed. “You believed one thing and I believed another.”

“You can keep telling yourself that,” he said. “And Eddie and I got together when he got into town. We were to meet up for drinks. Originally he was supposed to get in around three and meet us for drinks at seven, but because of a tropical storm, his flight was delayed three times. So he got in, came to the bar, and kissed the hell out of me. I had barely got a hello out before we were kissing. So I literally didn’t have time to tell him anything.”

He could feel her brooding on the other end of the phone. “And as for Robin, when we met up for dinner after a disastrous apartment hunting her and Eddie commiserated about having to find a place in a new city. I suppose she was still feeling that when she spent the night at Kendra’s and told her all about it.”

The brooding intensified.

“Is there anything else you would like to accuse me of or can I go on my date with Eddie now?”

“That’s all,” Nancy huffed. “It just seems so sudden.”

“Life is like that,” he agreed. “And oh, never call me again. I’m blocking this number.”

He hung up and proceeded to do just that. He felt lighter than he had in days.

He grabbed his stuff and left the apartment with a smile on his face.

****

Eddie tapped on the wheel as he waited for Steve to come down. He was glad that things had smoothed out after that disastrous second day in ole Windy City.

The zoo was just what they needed to take their minds off of things.

When Steve came thundering down the stairs, Eddie wolf whistled. Holy fuck.

Steve was wearing a grey vest over a light blue button up, first three buttons undone, sleeves rolled up, and messily tucked into the tightest blue jeans Eddie had ever seen.

In other words, Eddie was doomed. He would be writing songs about Steve’s ass in those jeans for years to come. The boys were going to murder him, but god it would be worth it.

Steve opened the door and slid into the passenger seat, throwing his pack onto the back seat.

“You ready to go, baby?” Eddie asked brightly.

“Yup!”

Dinner was amazing. The conversation flowed as easily as Steve’s wine. Since Eddie was driving, he only had one beer that he nursed throughout the meal.

When they got back to the hotel, Eddie was relentless in his pursuit of Steve’s pleasure. He loved mapping out every freckle, every mole. Finding out which parts made him moan and which ones made him giggle.

Finding out he was ticklish under his right knee was a revelation to Eddie, because Steve would scrunch up his nose when he giggled and god, did that melt Eddie’s heart.

Sex was less intense then their first time, but more enjoyable for it’s learning of each other’s bodies.

They cleaned themselves up and got ready for bed. Eddie licked his lips when he saw that Steve didn’t bring any pajamas.

“Is this how normally sleep or is this a show just for me?”

Steve looked down at the one scrape of clothing covering his body and shucked off his underwear. “I usually just wear briefs to bed because our apartment is awful. It’s freezing in the kitchen and front room, but ass hot in bedrooms.”

Eddie eyed Steve’s body as he thought about joining him in the naked sleeping thing. “Why don’t you go full frontal?”

Steve snorted. “Robin.”

Eddie’s eyes snapped up to Steve’s. “Oh. Right. Roommate who doesn’t like man bits, not wanting to see said man bits even accidentally. Got it.”

“And depending on my next place I might need to sleep with five layers and twelve blankets or nothing at all,” Steve said with a giggle.

“Can I vote for nothing at all?”

Steve laughed.

They crawled into bed. Eddie had chosen to at least put on pajama bottoms because he didn’t like the idea of having his balls touch those sheets.

Once they were cuddled up in bed Steve murmured, “Nancy called me right before you showed up.”

Eddie sighed. “Because of course she did. What did she want?”

“To blame me for you two turning on her,” he explained.

Eddie frowned and moved back enough to look Steve in the eye. “What? I don’t think Robin and I said anything to that affect.”

“Oh I know,” Steve agreed. “But she thinks I tricked you into dating me and conjured Chrissy from thin air all to ruin her life.”

Eddie snorted. “Once you told me about the cheating I told Uncle Wayne about it, and he said that there were a lot of things off about Nancy that he had noticed over the years and wondered why I hadn’t seen them, too.”

Steve let out a long sigh. “Because she didn’t want you to see them. I don’t blame you for it.”

Eddie kissed him. “Thank you for that. But anyway, the point is that once he said that, it was like someone had turned on the light and could see everything so much cleared and everything was only ever for her benefit, she was just really good at making you feel like it was for yours too.”

He pulled Steve in close. “But the blinders are off, babe. I’m one hundred percent yours.”

Steve smiled. “That’s all I could ever ask for.”

Eddie kissed him soundly and then they settled into sleep.

****

Steve rarely slept in, but sleeping in Eddie’s arms apparently made his internal clock line up with Eddie’s instead.

He woke up and groggily looked at the digital alarm clock on the bedside table and blinked at it. He wasn’t sure, but he could have sworn it said 10:54am.

That couldn’t be right. He picked up his phone and nope. Apparently that was the correct time.

Then he realized what had woke him. Eddie came out of the bathroom with a fond smile on his face.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” he greeted, bending down to kiss Steve on the lips. “I’ve ordered us some food, but alas it has to be lunch at this point.”

Steve chuckled and slid out of bed. “I blame you entirely for that, by the way. I never sleep in like that.”

“It’s good for you,” Eddie grinned. “Especially after the roller coaster of emotions that has been the last few days. Your body needed rest, so you got it.”

Steve nodded. “I figure we can go out today and look at more apartments, if you’re up to it.”

“Sure thing, babe.”

There was a knock on the door and Eddie went to go answer it as soon as Steve was in the bathroom.

Eddie tipped the guy and they settled down to eat their brunch, such as it was.

While they ate, Eddie and Steve pulled up several different apartments that could work for them with their budget and made a list of out of the links based on how close they were to Eddie’s hotel.

Steve showered and got dressed. He packed up his stuff and threw it in the back seat of Eddie’s rental.

The first one was a bust. Literally. A pipe had burst the night before and the owner had been working on getting it fixed, so he hadn’t updated the site. It wouldn’t be livable for two months. Well past when Steve or Eddie needed to be moved in by.

So they moved on.

Crumby landlords, obvious signs of pests, and high prices struck again.

They stopped for dinner.

“Fuck,” Eddie groused. “I’m going to be making a fair amount, but not enough for these prices.”

Steve nodded. “It’s why I was living with Robin. Everything is just too expensive these days.” He chewed on his lip for a moment.

“Move in with me!” he blurted.

Eddie looked up at him with wide eyes.

“What?”

“We both loved that third apartment we saw,” Steve explained. “It had two bedrooms and two full baths. It had a nice kitchen and was already wired for internet. Neither of us can afford it alone, but...”

Eddie gulped and pursed his lips. “And you’d want that, with me?”

Steve nodded.

“Yeah,” Eddie said with a fond smile. “Let’s do that, then. You can move in right away and get things set up and then when I move to Chicago at the end of the month, I can just slide right in.”

Steve kissed him fiercely and then called the landlord.

Two hours later they were the proud renters of a brand new shiny apartment.

A lot of their friends thought that they were moving a little too quickly getting an apartment together, but Eddie and Steve knew it was the start of something wonderful.

And really that was the best outcome either one of them could have hoped to dream for when they had made plans for Eddie to come out to Chicago.

Robin and Chrissy got along so well, that before classes even started in the fall, Robin had moved into Chrissy’s bedroom and they turned the second bedroom into a dance studio for Chrissy.

Nancy tried getting back with Jonathan a month later as Steve predicted, but he told her to get therapy and moved back to California to be with his mom, who had retired out there.

Steve didn’t know if she ever got the therapy she needed, but he hoped she did.

Eddie’s band was making lots of great progress on their album and the company was getting ready to release their first single. A little song about finding love right when you needed it most.

Steve had gotten a teaching position at a middle school as their basketball couch and US history teacher.

He was happy with the life he had, he didn’t need to worry about the life he’d lost when he broke up with Nancy all those years ago.

It was too soon to think about marriage, but Steve had a ring that he had bought years ago that he thought would look good on Eddie’s hand. But they had time.

And wasn’t that just amazing.

****

Tag List: @mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @emly03

@spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @gregre369 @a-little-unsteddie

@chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @danili666

@goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

@justforthedead89 @vecnuthy @irregular-child @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690

@anne-bennett-cosplayer @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon

@cinnamon-mushroomabomination @dragonmama76 @scheodingers-muppet @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt

@useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95

#my writing #stranger things #steddie #ladykailtiha writes

81 notes · View notes

slocumjoe · 1 year

Text

⚠️Request rules⚠️

1; Be specific and unique

For example, the prompt "Sole dies". All characters would be sad, or angry. But the prompt, "Companions travel through a haunted forest and lose each other" has a lot of ways it can go. Vague prompts can be difficult for me to write, as there's often not much to write. Or if there is, it ends up feeling samey, or too short. There's only so much I can write about Sole dying.

Some prompts are answered in canon, and don't need to be answered. For example, Companions react to Sole speaking like the Silver Shroud. You can easily go on a wiki or find a compilation video on YouTube.

Also, I prefer to write about the companions, not Sole. So, requests about the Sole Survivor are likely to sit in the inbox for a while.

2; Be mindful of dark subject matter

Guys. You know miscarriage is a real thing, right? A horrible, traumatic thing that fucks up entire families? And same with rape, or abuse, or anything like that. Use your best judgement asking about heavier topics. These things aren't scenarios to generate angst. They're traumatic events. That real people go through.

I'll never forget following a react blog who was asked to write about miscarriage, only for them to apologize and refuse, as they had suffered multiple miscarriages themselves.

Rule 3; No fetishes or second-hand embarrassment prompts

So, I said be specific and weird...not with your own fetishs, please.

For non fetish stuff, I really do not care for toilet humor. Or anything meant to evoke second-hand embarrassment. This is another 'use best judgement'. I'm very easily grossed out by body fluids/excrement and there's no prompt that I'm willing to do with it.

Rule 4; I don't do Fallout 3 or New Vegas content

Masterlist

Newest first

Reacts V

Freaky Friday Episode

Sole vanishes, oh nooooo

Beach Episode

Companion at the zoo

The Oberland Alien

Sole gets their name tattooed

Sole finds a baby and wants it

Companions play Minecraft

Gage only; Come to the Galactic Zone if you want an asskicking

Companions and a magpie of a person

Sole with bad motor skills

Companions react to a synth of themselves

Companions as Roommates

Modern!Companions and Halloween

Sole just kisses them already

Sole sick but refusing to rest

Sole who cries when yelled at

Sole gets hurt saving their life

Touchy Sole

Overhearing Sole realize they love them

Sole breaks down crying in their arms

Companions work at a grocery store

Companions react to the Scorched Plague

Companions on Social Media

Headcanon posts V

Religion and stuff

Grab bag 4

Drinking habits

Coming out

Who they'd end up with

Losing their virginity

Modern au

Sexuality and ideal partners

Dreams and nightmares part 1

Companions' tells that they love someone

Companions' fursonas

What they'd eat in general

NSFW grab bag 3

Companions and stress

Companions spend time at a settlement

Gage fluffy-shippy-sad headcanons

Interior design

Companion Headcanon Grab‐bag

Gage Catchup Lightning Round

Favorite songs on the radio

NSFW Gage Headcanons

NSFW; Libido/sex drive

NSFW; Intensity in bed

Variety NSFW headcanons 2

Variety NSFW headcanons

Comfort food

How often they bathe

What they do/wear on days off

Danse headcanons

Laughing headcanons

X6-88 Headcanons

Physique headcanons

2 headcanons per companion

1 headcanon per companion

Meta stuff V

Synths as trans allegory for pride month

Polyamory and infidelity in games

Curie's quest is pretty dumb

A bunch of mini-essays on all the companions

Danse and autism

Oc appearance meme

Isadora ramblings and lore drops

Cait breakdown and critique

Minutemen Questline Rehaul

Florence, Isadora, and Gage

Wasteland creatures i want

Gage Name Meaning

The Gage Essay I wrote while baked on leftover lasagna

Thoughts on Piper, Strong, and Codsworth

Strong Character Bingo/Rant

My thoughts on Porter Gage before playing Nuka World

Peer-Reviewing "The Synthetic Truth"

Piper rant 2

I swear I am normal about Piper

Things I love about the companions

Biggest complaints about each companion's writing

Meme stuff V

How id compliment them

Sole gets a pet-claw

Getting Hulk smashed by a baby (game clip)

...hi (game clip)

Bad timing, dude (game clip)

Who smokes weed

War-shta-sure

Cat X6-88

Four frenchspeakers screamingn in a room

Danse's favorite shirt

Egg

muppets

dickless nickolas

mall cop

Memes 2

Memes 1

What the companions get canceled for

AITA For trying to blow up my crush's blimp?

99 notes · View notes

phanfictioncatalogue · 1 year

Text

Fics With No Angst Or Trigger Warnings Masterlist

Links Last Checked: June 14th, 2023

Birds Of A Feather Steal Together (ao3) - WritingCactus

Summary: Dan never expected anything remotely interesting to happen during his summer job at a petting zoo. But when he catches a boy with bright blue eyes and a cute laugh trying to smuggle a bunch of ducklings out of the farm, things take a much more interesting turn...

Bluebells - botanistlester

Summary: Dan just really wants to put flowers in Phil’s hair.

Cupcakes And A Child’s Love - wavydanrises

Summary: Dan is working at the bakery “The Cake Whisperer” when a man and his child come into his life. All it took was a spiderman cupcake.

Easter Sunday - cafephan

Summary: Rather than planning a flashy day out for Easter, Dan and Phil decide to put on an egg hunt for their daughter at home.

Even A Vegan With A Cold, Dead Heart Ships It (aka Paul) - ticklishhpickle

Summary: Phil and his sassy Christmas elf boyfriend couldn't be happier they're together, and neither could Santa. Phil's cynical roommate, Paul needs a little more time to warm up to Dan however.

First Dates (ao3) - thatsthephan

Summary: The thought of the lads and their friends playing this game is too funny not to write about it.

give me toothaches just from kissin’ me (ao3) - robertmontauk

Summary: “Hey- sorry to bother you, but is it okay if I sit here?”

Dan didn’t bother looking up from the chemistry textbook splayed in front of them, choosing instead to grab a piece of paper on the table and study it intensely. “Not interested,” they muttered with a quirk of their lips and a short head shake.

A pause, and then - “Oh. I mean? I-I didn’t think you were? But, uh, I’ll just. Find another place to sit, I guess. That’s-that’s fine.”

(alternatively: assumptions are dumb and love is dumber)

Joined At The Hip (ao3) - TheDalmatian

Summary: Dan and Phil are secretly aliens from another planet and they came down and they have to stay together because they're symbiotes and they have to live off of each other.

Jokes, Costumes, And Taxi Fares - placingglaciers

Summary: In which all his coworkers just adore Phil and Dan can’t see why they do. Until, of course, he figures it out.

Just Like Heaven (ao3) - Allthephils

Summary: Dan is a barista and Phil is the best part of his job.

Love Scenario - botanistlester

Summary: When Phil first saw him in the spring, he thought he looked like bubblegum.

Plant Boy (ao3) - Emejig16

Summary: Phil has always loved plants and flowers, and he’d never thought he’d be able to fully share his passion with someone who truly understood it.

Stegosaur-us - melancholymango

Summary: “We’re staying in conjoining rooms at a hotel, which is fine, but it turns out the lock on my side is broken so your kid keeps coming in here to talk about dinosaurs. You keep apologizing but honestly I like dinosaurs so this might work out after all” AU

Tech Yes, Juliet - winkinglester

Summary: In which Dan’s a tech major and Phil’s an english major at the college they both attend, but those majors are in a school-wide “feud”, so the star crossed lover computer nerd dan makes a website to talk to Phil.

The Great Dan and Phil Camping Trip™ (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: It started with the four of them, Dan, Phil, Martyn, and Cornelia. It started with a rare weekend off and a rented cabin and bad romcoms and getting drunk on clear skies and fresh air and maybe just a bit of alcohol. It started with an offhand comment towards the famously-introverted couple, “You’d never survive a night outside.” And, of course, it was taken as a challenge.

(Dan and Phil go camping)

Unrelated Conversations of a Domestic Nature (ao3) - dizzy

Summary: Unremarkable conversations that take place in the daily lives of Dan and Phil.

Valley (ao3) - Misha_with_wings

Summary: Dan and Phil definitely weren’t outdoorsy people, but the one time they decide to go hiking their lives change forever.

Or- they go hiking and find an abandoned dog and Phil begs Dan to keep it.

Waffles (ao3) - kae_karo

Summary: Phil goes to the 24hr diner with the hopes of seeing his favorite waiter (insp by me seeing a cute waitress at a diner. unfortunately none of the rest actually happened to me lmao)

Warning: Extreme Fluff (ao3) - Do_it_with_the_Howell_Lesters

Summary: A very short snapshot of morning cuddles at the end of Dan and Phil’s honeymoon. Extremely fluffy, you have been warned.

Window Of Opportunity (ao3) - pasteldanhowells

Summary: Dan goes to Starbucks everyday and sits in the same spot. Not even the cold weather can stop his everyday routine. One day, Dan decides to write on the window out of boredom. The next day, he’s surprised to find a reply by a stranger.

#phanfictioncatalogue #phanfiction #phanfic #phan #masterlists #noangst #noangst masterlist #fluff #purefluff

2 notes · View notes

aroacephotographer · 3 months

Text

The Ballad of Tuxedo Cat

Forewarning: This is about an amazing cat that passed away a few hours ago. I'm finding ways to grieve.

I live in a coop house. We call it the Dreamery. It's a pretty cool space. However, there's a few things going on between a couple of us.

But any worries I have been dealing with have all stopped entirely.

Until today, the Dreamery has been host to a little tuxedo cat named (drum roll please) Tuxedo Cat.

And he was the manager of the house. He would get access to everyone's room in order to inspect it to his liking. And you passed if there was a comfy place for him to plop down and take a nap. Could be your bed, could be a rug. But he would especially love it if your room was cool enough.

According to his owner, the Ballad of Tux goes back decades. And that's not hyperbole. He was 21 years old.

At about 4, my roommate found him next a vegan strip club in Portland, Oregon. It was next to the highway and he was clearly abandoned there. Roomie found him and swept him up and took care of him ever since.

Eventually his parent met another human with a dog and they fell in love. I like to imagine it was an interesting time between Tux and the doge. Maybe they had a lot of stimulating conversations on the finer points of dry cat food. It must have worked, because if you leave Tux's food out too long, then the Doge will eat it right up.

Fast forward to this past year, when I started moving in. Tuxedo would shamble in and look around. Naturally he had to claim every single thing in not just my room but everyone else's.

I started calling him Good Sir pretty soon after that. There were other pets in the house, and many a dog has tried to become best friends with him immediately. Tux should've worn a cowboy hat with how fast he would swipe at them. He didn't care. If you snuck up on him, or got too close, then he'd let you know.

Pretty soon I got brave and started picking him up. I always knew he was a cool cat (pun intended), but he instantly became a sweetheart when I picked him up. I learned he liked being cradled like a baby. Tux would gently grab my forearm and bring my hand closer; his way of saying, "Don't step petting me!" And I obliged.

He even had special scratchy spots that got him to swipe either of his hind paws quickly and deftly like helicopter blades. Whenever I scratched one of these spots I had to do so at very odd angles, lest the copter blade strike me and leave a pretty bad scratch. He had no control over these blades. It was pure euphoria for him when I found one of these spots. He would indicate he'd want you to scratch one of those spots when he would look directly at you and pantomime the blade.

A few weeks ago one of Tux's parents knocked on my door and asked if they could borrow my car. Tux had been losing weight and was snotty all of a sudden. He came back with a less than desirable diagnosis. He'd been well loved and taken care of, but that after 21 years it was close to that time.

He became skin and bones. Picking him up would make him irritable. I no longer felt comfortable scratching one of those special spots and try the helicopter blade. He was put into Cat Hospice. All of us have been spending even more time and petting even more.

Tux's parents have been going through a lot this year and decided to take a vacation over the July 4th week. They put Tux and his brother Doge in the hands of myself and other roommates.

Tux put up with a lot during the July 4th fireworks. It was mostly his brother not understanding what was going on. So I spent the entire evening and most of the night with both of them. Tux seemed a bit annoyed but was otherwise unbothered.

But then there was today (the 8th). I fed the boys (or the Dreamery Zoo and I've been affectionately calling it) as I had the past several days. I gave Tux some love and attention, then took the Doge out for the first potty break of the day. Then I went out for breakfast. I came back and said hello to Tux one more time and went to my room to decide on where I was going to go to write for the day. I'm a nomad and need a change sometimes.

I went to Tux's room one more time before heading out and noticed he was missing. I looked around, thinking I should ask my roommate if he'd seen Tuxedo. Their door was closed, so I decided to move on to my writing day. Less than ten minutes later I got a text from that roommate asking if I was home.

Today is quite the sad day for me. I've been writing and talking and now typing out all my feelings this afternoon. I may need to add more stories than this one in order to help me grieve.

#Tuxedo cat #Ballad of Tuxedo Cat #story time #ramblies

1 note · View note

vatt-world · 6 months

Text

roommate script

scene: Roommate Chat At home, Bill and his roommate, also an actor, bond over auditions and share recommendations, finding solidarity in their shared ambitions.

scene: Roommate's Big Bollywood Dream bill roommate Meanwhile, Bill's roommate is obsessed with Bollywood movies. He dances around the apartment, dreaming of being a Bollywood star.

scene: Roommate's Offer Bill's roommate, who quit his job, suggests that Bill join him in advertising. While they talk, the roommate expresses his love for Bollywood, dancing around the apartment with excitement. he wants to get the body of bahubali..

scene: Roommate's Bollywood Dreams Inspired by Bollywood, Bill's roommate gets ready to meet a Bollywood agent, hoping to make it big as an actor. watching all this Indian movies ,he finds out there is premiere of my his favorite director and tries to get tickets to it and finally makes it to the premiere…and dances in the movie theater.. celebrates holi with water gun..

scene: Roommate's Fun Dance he dresses up for bollywood costumed party. Bill's roommate wears bright clothes like in Bollywood movies. He dances around their place, full of energy and excitement, enjoying the colorful world of Indian cinema. 3..he watches kamasutra movie he meets a astrologer who tells him he has a great future indian movies/bollywood then in hollywood. his girlfriend is upset with him because of him craziness…He tries to impress his girlfriend by reciting romantic lines from Indian movies Determined to experience the thrill of Indian street food, he embarks on a culinary adventure through the bustling markets of his city

scene: Spicy Food Surprise Bill cooks Indian food for dinner to share with his roommate. But when his roommate tries it, the spicy flavors make him sweat! Bill laughs at his friend's reaction. He enthusiastically tries to learn Hindi swear words try out traditional Indian meditation technique , i feeling sleep

scene: Trying to Make Up To make things right, Bill films a Bollywood dancing video for his roommate. He hopes it will help him get noticed by casting agents. he gets online Hindi lessons from cambly(online hindi learning platform) He attempts to cook Indian food at home after watching numerous cooking tutorials online, but ends up setting off the fire alarm and filling his apartment with smoke.

scene:

watching all this Indian movies and immersing in Indian culture , he has carving for indian food from particular restaurant , so he and his friend drive around town trying to find this restaurant but cant find it but finally find another franchise Indian restaurant and enjoy the food there but cant find the car as it is towed and they get the car back next day.

Roommate's Bollywood Project:

Meanwhile, Bill's roommate is busy with his own project inspired by Bollywood movies. He makes funny posters to promote it, showing his passion and enthusiasm. he decides to try riding an elephant at a local zoo. he cooks indian food… burns down the place with smoke.. he buys diwali fire crackers. his girlfriend is upset with him because of him craziness…he proposes to her.. in the style of a classic Hindi love song

Roommate's Cancer: Bill talks to his roommate, who sadly tells him he has cancer. It's a heavy thing to hear.

roommate taking care of Bill

roommate background check

0 notes

umichenginabroad · 7 months

Text

Week 9: Sands, Sips, and Scuba

Monday - Annnnnnd We’re off

We packed early in the morning after landing in Sydney. We loaded our stuff into the campervan parked across the street and made the cabin “sea-worthy”. After turning the first block, however, there was a thundering crash... We had underestimated just how violently the car could shake, nothing but good omens here.

Our first stop was the Australian Reptile Park. We booked the encounters tour which allowed us to pet koalas and echidnas, and even hold a juvenile wombat. We also got a backroom tour of some of the world’s deadliest snakes and spiders. They keep them to harvest their venom which gets sent around the world to develop antivenom medicine.

Tuesday - Sand Boarding

The next day we drove up the coast to Nelson’s Bay. We toured the nearby beach around Port Stevens. We got a fascinating history lesson on how the Australians braced this beach for a Japanese invasion in 1942 and how the beach grows yearly by 4 meters. The large deposits are actually coming from the blue mountains eroding and getting washed out into the sea. And then we sandboarded, more like sled but yeah:

That evening we decided to go backwards and stay at a nearby park to make our 10 am wine tour in Hunter Valley.

Wednesday - Wine and Turkish Delight

It was 23 fleets of wine and cheese pairings and it floored everyone.

It was delicious but way more alcohol than any of us were expecting. The day of drinking took us out for the next four hours of the day. We made it to Port Macquarie and took a stumbling but refreshing stroll on the beach.

That night we had the best food I’ve had during my time in Australia. We dined at Reyhana, a Turkish restaurant, and ate heaps of homemade pita and hummus as well as lamb shish and buttered rice.

I hastily booked a nearby campsite for the night as all the places I did find were unavailable. It turned out to be an unpowered campsite… Oops. No AC plus tons of bugs meant a humid, irritated night of sleep for everyone.

Thursday - Byron Baes

The next morning we booked it to Byron Bay for a promising day of adventure.

First up was a guided snorkeling excursion through the EAC(East Australian Current) duuuude (the same one Crush and his son Squirt rode in Finding Nemo).

Some highlights were the eagle ray and leopard shark that were hitching a ride on the EAC to loop the island we were snorkeling around. The boat ride was another highlight, the swell coming in made for perfect hills to accelerate over and catch air, at least that’s how the driver felt.

That night we ventured into the town of Byron Bay. We had only known the town from the cheesy reality TV show called Byron Baes so we were pleasantly surprised by how similar it was. It’s a town of linens and “inspirers” (rather than influencers). All that aside, we got a beautiful dinner in a bar that looked over the beach and then made our way to the local nightlife. Props to our Uber driver who convinced us to check out our first stop: someone’s backyard turned into a psychedelic bar with a trippy dancefloor.

It was unlike anything I had been to. The DJ was mixing vaguely familiar music over a wash of synths, there were artists actively painting their psychedelic pieces in the corners, and, when they felt it was getting a bit dull, fire-dancing people would inexplicably take over the dance floor and perform.

Friday - Koala Cuddling to Cairns Crazes

We finally got to hold koalas! The state of New South Wales forbids the practice and so as soon as we crossed the border into Queensland we signed up for the experience. It was a brief encounter and the zoo keeper told us that it was a practice they and the rest of Australia would be phasing out over the next year.

We then parted ways with our roommates who drove up in their sleeper van and would now make the 13-hour drive back down the coast to Sydney.

We quickly packed up and made our way to the Brisbane airport to catch our flight to Cairns. Our time in Cairns was brief. We got in late and spent most of our time running between loads of laundry at the local laundromat and finishing the procrastinated scuba diving e-learning course.

Saturday - Live A Board, Dive A Board

*5:45 am*

I’m up, I’m up.

We started our day early getting our gear and luggage stowed on the diving boat we’d be living on for the next three days. The boat takes customers out to the offshore parts of the Great Barrier Reef and guides them through certifications and general scuba diving skills. Joe, my Dad and I signed up for the Advanced Scuba Diving and Nitrox courses. Over this day and the next, we took our e-learning skills and applied them out at sea. The technical dives focused on navigation with and without a compass, buoyancy and control, night diving (how to communicate and navigate), a deep dive down to 100 feet, and a fish identification dive.

*phew*

By the end of the second day, we were officially advanced scuba divers! We dove, ate, and drank with people from all around the world. Almost everyone, regardless of age, had a similar story of feeling that too much of their life had gone by or that they had missed out on traveling earlier and so quit their jobs to see the world. For many of them, it was a decision that took several years of careful planning and saving and none of them regret diving out of their comfort zone and into the wider world.

Quick side note: I was told by my instructor that he knew I was an aerospace student as soon as he saw me take off from the ocean floor, the plume of sand that followed my vertical, sound barrier-breaking push was "rocket-like".

Between dives, I tried to catch up on the alarming amount of recorded lectures I’ve missed.

And now I write this on the boat ride back to shore with nine new dives and two new certifications under my belt. I’m looking forward to the last few days with my Dad and dreading the reality check from the mounting days of missed school.

Take care, everyone!

Grant Touchette

Aerospace Engineering

University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia

#umichenginabroad #ipewinter24 #ipeunsw #australia #GrantTouchette

0 notes

yurigalactica · 1 year

Note

HIIII :D

5, 7, 21, 27, 29 FOR THE ASK GAME :D

Also how did orientation go? I know those sorts of things can be super overwhelming but also super fun!

5. favorite form of potato?

twice baked potatoes drenched in sour cream, cheese, butter, green onions and other stuff. theyre SO good holy shit. youve gotta try em

7. what animal do you look forward to seeing when you visit an aquarium?

hmmm truth be told i've always been much more of a zoo person than an aquarium person, but if i had to pick it would definitely be the sea turtles. i think theyre so neat

21. a number that weirds you out?

17. why does it exist. it feels Strange. being 17 is like purgatory

27. what’s your favorite or go-to outfit?

probably just a t shirt and shorts! i have lots of fun graphic t shirts that i love wearing around, ranging from nintendo t shirts to band t shirts. they all feel very me and i feel super comfortable in them. when it's colder i usually switch those out for a crewneck or hoodie!

29. preferred pasta noodle?

something like spaghetti or linguine. something that i can slather in sauce and just go slorp

and orientation went good!!! today was only the first day but i feel like today i was feeling very social. yesterday there was a whole get-together for people in the dorms and that was a bit overwhelming but somehow today i found it way easier to just walk around and talk to random people! i met some really cool people today that i vibed with, some people in my major, some people in my apartment building, and i even found another queer person!! all in all it was a great day (albeit really exhausting.) my roommate is making pancakes rn and i might grab some ice cream in a little while and then i'll probably hit the hay. and then onto another day of orientation!! :D

#ask game #jinx-blackout-84 #the homies

1 note · View note

samtheflamingomain · 1 year

Text

typhoon tycoon

There's only 3 simulation games I've ever played: Sims (so technically 4 there) Roller Coaster Tycoon (RCT) and Zoo Tycoon (ZT).

Not even 2 or 3 - the base ZT game. I still do not fuck with 2 or 3 and I'm really not sure why.

But I think I'll discover why as I explain why I hate real-life zoos, love fake zoos, hate Roller Coaster Tycoon but love real roller coasters.

See, designing roller coasters, even in 1, is boring. Hmm, do I want a 30% incline or a 40? Let's spend 15 hours testing which specific piece of track is the one launching my guests into orbit instead of back to the station.

But designing enclosures for animals that won't ever be harmed, without an immediate failure mechanic? Sign me up.

And there it is, I realized why I like 1 over the newer ones: isometric, limited view. 2 invites the user to play in first-person… from the point of view of the animal. Maybe I'm a speshul snowflake but it seems a bit dystopic to be able to view the world from an imprisoned animal.

Also it came with an insanely OP function by which you can simply click a button to tell you what grass and trees a giraffe likes, how many, and one rock can make a 10% difference.

*Hikes up suspenders* back in MY DAY, we had to read the brief about the actual animal and find the names of trees and terrain and figure it out yourself until you got old enough to learn Excel and make the entire game a spreadsheet and then it's not as fun. Just me? Anyway.

The reason I brought Coaster Tycoon into my AAA-level hockey fight that is my argument is that I truly cannot believe the vast dichotomy between these two games.

I am familiar with the history of RCT - and it's absolutely fascinating. Coded in one of the most frustratingly esoteric language in 1996 by one man, ONE MAN, it's actually an incredible story.

Again, I LOVE roller coasters, but no matter how interesting its story is, I just can't stand building a coaster park. I think this is me not liking to see how the sausage gets made if that makes sense. I want to go on crazy fast scary coasters. And the minute I step into the coaster car, I take on the absolute possibility that this insanely complex machine could lose one nut and bolt and launch me into the sun or straight down to hell. Why? Because it wasn't build by me. Maybe I'm naïve but I trust Wonderland. They have 0 deaths. I'll take the chance and enjoy those wild 90 seconds spinning around and looping and being pinned to my seat by centrifugal force. Because a real engineer bent over backward to make sure this structure is so safe that it accounts for double the level of stupidity humans are capable of.

Building them in-game, to me, is boring - I just want the end product. And ride on it. If I were to build a good coaster, I'd almost be mad that I couldn't ride it in real life. First-person mode does nothing for me.

Back to Zoo Tycoon. I HATE real-life zoos. Yes, seeing an elephant up close is truly a deeply incredible experience, but at least for me, it will always be tainted by the intrusive thought, "She should be out roaming the African Savannah, not in Toronto, Canada".

It's such a different experence to build zoos in a game where the animal is a jpeg and you actually get penalized - but not instantly failed - for not taking proper care of them, forcing you to build the most humane of zoos that's possible. Neopets ripped them off.

And, at the same time, actually learning about the animals in the process. I know SO MUCH about animals because of ZT needing me to figure out their favourite tree and their preferred number of roommates.

You can go the Sims route and put a panther in the same enclosure as an unfortunate okapi and get that sadistic "drowning Sims in the pool by removing the ladder" feel that I personally don't understand but it's enough of a phenomenon that I don't think it's a reflection of one's potential psychopathy diagnosis. A discussion for another day.

But it brings me to one thing that's very different that I've yet to touch on: God. Have you heard the Good Word? Me neither.

Sims - God-power. Zoo Tycoon - God-power. RCT? Engineer-power. Sorry boys, your degree isn't quite on par with Jesus.

I hope that makes sense because I can't really explain it much more. RCT, of all the Tycoons, is so insanely specific, meticulous, and anti-thetical to its property. Roller coasters are supposed to be thrilling 90-second experiences, not dragging 90-minute slogs. But again, ONE MAN code.

That's mostly it, but a few straggling thoughts: I really love animals. I struggle to think of any I actively dislike - even dogs I've come around to. So I hate the practice of keeping them in captivity. But I don't hate the idea.

I've always had this oddly-specific plan if I were to become a billionaire: buy out every zoo on the planet, send the animals to sanctuaries or home if possible. Then, instead, spend 5 years investing in an immersive VR that puts you in an animal's habitat to observe. If zoos are for learning, there's no reason the animal actually needs to be there. Don't believe me? Planitariums. Do the planets' absence from such attractions mean one can't learn about them? *passes joint*

But one last thing that's always bothered me is this: what, if anything, could RCT do that would make me like it? And at first I couldn't think of anything, because it is, at its core, an engineering game, and I'm not an engineer.

It definitely wouldn't work as a ZT. Reading about roller coaster building standards is not as engaging as reading about real animals and their habitats. That's an entire game mechanic missing from RCT.

But also, plopping down pre-made coasters without any customization options wouldn't hit. So, to be honest and maybe hypocritical for criticizing without answers, I don't know. RCT is very unique among the Tycoons.

I think another element is stakes. Having one rusty fence on the monkey cage is alarming, but one rusty post on a coaster is catastrophic. Even if your rhino gets out, it's a matter of common sense intervention. If your coaster simply won't run start to finish, often it feels like a set of code that won't run and you just don't know why. It's frustrating. It's hard to get frustrated with animals.

I think that's about it. Again, just some randomly assembled thoughts, honestly not up to my usual posts but it's quite hard to put how I feel about these games into real words.

Stay Greater.

#zoo tycoon #roller coaster tycoon #tycoon games #zoos #games #sam

0 notes

authoralexizeri · 2 years

Text

About Me

Hello World! I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Alex, aspiring writer of steamy lgbt fantasy stories. I mostly write m/m erotic romance, but some m/f, too. I've been told my writing can be a little hot and kinky, since there's usually a dragon involved, lol. I just love sentient non-humanoid characters.

I identify as non-binary and prefer they/them pronouns, but I'm okay with he/him or she/her as well. I live in the Pacific Northwest with enough pets to open my own private zoo, haha.

Currently, I'm working on a project I plan to publish on Kindle Vella. I'm probably a bit late to the Vella party, from what I've heard, but I thought I'd give it a try. I hope to start releasing episodes mid-April if everything works out as planned.

Blurb for Empathy for the Devil:

"I may be the unluckiest guy on the planet. I lost my job, got in a fight with my roommate, and my goldfish died, all on the same day. Oh, and I was kidnapped by monsters from another dimension and sold to a wizard who everyone seems to be afraid of. They even call him The Devil. I always thought the devil would be ugly, but he is the most beautiful man I've ever seen. Maybe my luck is about to change."

It needs a bit of work still, but you get the idea.

Anyway, that's me and what I'll probably be posting about. Thanks for checking me out. :)

#intro post #kindle vella #fantasy writer #aspiring author

1 note · View note

eristic-kaleidoscope · 2 years

Text

Deep Breathing | Erik A | Trial 3.3 | Re: END, Erik, Adrik things

Erik A had been planning to ignore it when END had mentioned it the first time, but now that he was being asked directly, his state in the petting zoo being brought up again, with Erik asking after him as well… he sighs, frowning as he looks away to not have to meet anyone’s eyes.

“...I was stressed about the motive and the next round approaching soon, because the person up to vote other than Ae-ra’s brother was my sister. And I… I didn’t speak up about it being Sarah, so I knew people would end up voting for her. That’s why I didn’t bother coming to the next round either, you know…? Figured I’d delay the inevitable as long as possible while I got the skunk smell sorted out instead.”

What more did he truly have to lose, beyond a little shock of punishment? His sister’s future was already about to be sabotaged, wasn’t it? There are so, so many ways that could be done, and the thought was perhaps slightly more terrifying to him than he’d been letting on.

“Part of why I didn’t speak up was because I didn’t want to put more stress on Ae-ra and make her do something rash, if she thought there was a chance that people would do what they did the last time my sister was up. When this motive first started and she was panicking alone, I tried to talk to her about it and calm things down, but I could tell she wasn’t receptive to anything I said. She was taking it really badly, even when her brother wasn’t up for voting.

…I don’t know if she even thought about it, but I told her about my sister back then, and she should have been able to realize who the other person was, with the description they gave. But anyways, all that’s another part of why I tried so hard to find her this morning, after she stopped responding to the group chat. And I already admitted to failing on that.”

He’d told Ae-ra about the abuse and that he’d confided in his sister about it, about being roommates with her for years. And whether she had realized it or not, Erik A had done just the opposite of all of what Ae-ra had said on the group chat, about an older brother caring for his sister above all else. He had actively made the choice to allow the person he was closest to in the world be harmed if it meant that Ae-ra wouldn’t be pushed to do something that would hurt someone else and herself alike…

But clearly, somehow or another, that hadn’t been enough to stop her from dying anyways. So walking in after the body announcement, and seeing her body in that room… Well. No matter how casual he seemed about it all externally, that didn’t mean it hadn’t still hit him like a brick to the face.

“I don’t want to think that Ae-ra would try something despite everything I did or didn’t do. Even if it’s too late to change whatever happened, whether she tried something with that rope she was seen near the source of or wrote those letters, or… anything else, I hate the idea that she might have tried it for probably the same reasons you do, END.

But I know I’m not responsible for her choices, that she’s her own person who can make just as many decisions as anyone else for the better or worse, and I know there’s a very real chance that she might have anyways. So… that’s why I’m trying to follow the evidence, I guess.”

He’d said possibly a little more than he original meant to, about his own thoughts during this last day and now, but it was too late to take that back now. Instead, he shakes his head to clear it some, and shifts to a different topic.

“Anyways. Yeah, I can confirm that the rock in the closet Erik and I share is from the gacha and not the greenhouse, and the one KOKONE used way back. And I think that makes sense for what the rock in the pool was about, actually, since any residue from it being used to crush up the hemlock would have been washed off in the pool water. But as for the third party person being unrelated, just walking in on the case where they somehow killed each other… I don’t think that’s possible, for a variety of reasons.”

“First, we know that the hemlock poison would have taken 40 minutes to kill Arakiel, while he’s both at a larger body size and probably got a smaller dose, given he uses the poisoned needles on himself only after it was already used on Ae-ra, with who knows what portion of the poison even left. So pretty much, we could be looking at Ae-ra dying significantly faster than even 30 minutes potentially, but we don’t have a way to know for sure.

What we do know though, is that the two times of death were 47 minutes apart either way, which is more than it would have taken even Arakiel to die, so I highly doubt that it was Chen that killed Ae-ra, even if she potentially could have caused some of the bruising on her legs if she was trying to… struggle against her, I guess. Not to mention, I don’t think someone just… found the bodies and didn’t tell us, especially since the couch cushion that was damp on the front side but had likely what seemed to be Ae-ra’s smeared makeup on the underside implies that someone who was wet tried to suffocate her with it, either before or after injecting her.”

He sighs, running a hand down his face as he thinks before he lets it fall. He should probably say something about Adrik being looked at with suspicion, huh…?

“As for Adrik… well, I’ll admit, they ARE suspicious as hell with the places they’ve been, and I wouldn’t use intelligence as an argument one way or another here, but I don’t think they had anything red on them that would have ended up under Ae-ra’s nails, and I’m not sure I buy that being some kind of chemical reaction unless more than just hemlock was used. Can attest that the chemicals in they had in our room were all unopened also at the start of this invest, too.”

Hopefully that would help them out for now, though he can admit the thought of them finding a way to do this was… well, not something he’d let anyone else know his thoughts on.

#Erik A #chapter3 #trial3

0 notes

ketso · 2 years

Text

Episode 15

Risuna, Keith and I now live together. Trust me, it's not the peaches and cream that you are thinking of. He bought some simplex house in Bryanston. It's close to work for him. It's a four-bedroom simplex house. Risuna has his nursery. I have my own bedroom - he let me have the main bedroom. Risuna still sleeps with me though. Keith sleeps in another bedroom by himself.

We are cordial. And I won't lie to myself, I'm falling in love with him. It's a dangerous feeling to feel for your roommate. I mean he's married. His wife still phones him for favours and he gives them to her. That, in my view, makes it more than clear that his heart is still with her. I'm just the woman who carried and birthed his child, like it was always meant to be. I'm scared that if I try to be with him despite the wife element and the fact that we agreed we are doing this for Risuna, I will end up heartbroken. More than that, things will be awkward. I'd feel like I'm also cornering him into not saying no to me because he already feels indebted to me for birthing his son, so why would he say no to some kisses, cuddles and sex? Let me just keep to myself. Let me just co-parent with him. In Keith's eyes, I'm just Risuna's mother.

I've just finished showering. Risuna is in the house making a noise with his dad. I guess I'll make lunch for the three of us. I heard Keith saying something about going to a zoo. I didn't take him seriously because every Saturday, there's always something that he has to do with his wife. So now that he's actually here today. I'm wondering if we really are going to go to the zoo. Plus, I want to take advantage that he's here and available to look after Risuna so I can go and see Wandi in hospital.

I wear a cute short but classy dress. Wandi made this for me when I was pregnant and she said the goal after birthing the baby is to fit back into this dress. Today, I fit. It's tight around my boobs then opens up with flare under my boobs. It's actually cute. My legs look very nice in it. I comb out my relaxed hair then put a pearl Alice band on my hair. I wear sandals with my outfit. Maybe this outfit will give me a hint of where Keith stands with this situation that he and I find ourselves in.

"Dumelang", I greet them as I enter the TV room where they are sitting and playing on Risuna's play mat.

I had to give all the gifts that Sizwe got me to Morafe. Keith just took over nje and wanted nothing to do with the gifts that Sizwe got me.

"Hello mommy. You look so beautiful", Keith says.

I smile at him.

"I'm going to make us lunch. What are you feeling like?" Me.

"Whatever you are making is good with me." He says.

"I'll fry some potato chips and make a club sandwich. Is that okay?" Me.

He smiles at me. It's a yes for him.

I head into the kitchen.

They follow me - Risuna is in Keith's arms.

"Did you sleep okay?" He asks me.

"Yeah. It feels different though... not having to work and just being here with Risuna. I hope you don't feel like I'm using you", I say.

"Bassie, come on. This is us. We've never used each other. I'd never think that of you", he says.

I nod my head.

His cellphone rings. He pulls it out of his pocket. I see the caller ID. It's his wife. I'm already annoyed.

"Hey".

...

"Sure. What's up?"

...

"I was actually planning to spend time with Bassie and Risuna today."

...

"Yeah, but I have a family now. And the agreement was that you give me enough notice so I can plan my weekends properly. I can't just change my day and drop my son because things just came up with you."

...

"You are being unreasonable now. This is supposed to work for both of us, not just you."

...

"Fine."

He hangs up.

"I thought you were filing for a divorce", I say.

"It's a bit complicated", he says.

"I see. Are you still sleeping with her?"

"Bassie -

"Actually, forget I asked."

"I'm not sleeping with her, Bassie. I'm not sleeping with anyone." He says.

I'm quiet.

"This is just not a good time for her to be going through a divorce", he says.

"Just like it wasn't a good time for her to be a mother six months into a pregnancy she made me go through?"

"Bassie-

"I'm just the idiot biological mother who was sacrificing so much for a man I love more than any man I'll probably ever know. But I've never meant anything to him. His wife has always come first and will always come first. All I'll ever be is Risuna's incubator. I’m sure if your wife wanted you and Risuna back, you'd just rip him out of my arms and leave me to sort myself out."

He stares at me. I don't know what to make of his stare.

"Are you joining us for lunch or do you have to go?" Me.

He's still a bit... in a state of stillness.

I just keep moving about in the kitchen.

...

Basetsana has exploded. I knew this day was coming, but I never expected her to say the things that she has just said to me. I'm sitting in the TV room watching my kid move around and discover what his body can do, I ponder on what his mother said to me. What's ringing the most in my mind is her saying that she loves me. Bassie and I have always loved each other. I've never doubted that she loves me and that I love her. But the way she said to me - after shitting on me about not filing for my divorce - it's more than the love we've had and shared over these years.

I don't think I'm going to that lunch that her father invited us to.

My cellphone rings. It's Noria.

"Yes?"

"Where are you? Dad is expecting us in the next ten minutes", she says.

"I'm not coming." I say.

She takes a deep breath.

"Keith, we've spoken about this." She says.

"I'm spending the day with my family today. Send my regrets to everyone."

"Don't do this, Keith. If you want an amicable divorce from me, you will think very carefully about what you are trying to do to me right now."

"Do your worst. You can expect the divorce papers from my law team on Monday."

I hang up.

She tries to phone me again. I don't pick up her call. She tries again. This time I block her.

"I left your food in the microwave. I'm not sure what your plan is", Bassie says as she takes Risuna. She has a bag and everything with her.

"Where are you guys going?" I ask her.

She just looks at me then leaves. I look outside the window and I see an Uber picking her up.

Ja no, I'm in shit.

...

It's been hours now since they've left. Bassie's phone is off and I'm getting really worried. I text Senzi, Wandi's husband. Maybe he knows something that Wandi may have mentioned to him.

"Yo. I'm looking for Bassie. I'm wondering if you've heard anything?"

He replies instantly saying, "They are here with us at the hospital. Don't stress, Wandi's mom is driving them back home in a few."

That's a relief.

"Thanks bro", me.

He sends me a thumbs up.

I wait another hour before Bassie walks in. Risuna is passed out in her arms. I get up and take their bag from them. She goes to put Risuna down.

He's up and crying now, so I guess Bassie is bathing him. It's always war when this happens. Then, it gets better when she breastfeeds him. That's when I go and drain his baby bathtub. I try to help as best as I can.

Now, we put him to sleep together.

When he's asleep, Bassie and I go the TV room. I guess we are going to talk. She's pissed off.

"The card is blocked", she says.

"Huh?"

"The card that you gave me that's supposed to have money for Risuna and me... it's blocked. That's why Wandi's mother had to bring us back home. We couldn't get and Uber back because the card is blocked." She says.

"That’s not possible. That's my account. I'd have to block it and -

Shit!

Noria blocked our cards.

"I'm sorry. It must be Noria trying to get back at me for not making it to today's event and me saying that she will have the divorce papers delivered to her by Monday." I say to her.

"Why is she blocking your account? How can she do that without your consent?" She asks me.

"Listen, I'll sort this out." I say.

I give her another card.

"This is an account she didn't know about and still doesn't know about. Use this until everything is sorted, okay?"

She stares at me.

Then she says, "How bad is this going to get?"

"I don't know. She's not going to make it easy. And with her father running for some government position, she cannot afford a divorce right now. So, it will be bad." I say.

"Keith, why don't we move to a smaller place? Something more affordable. We don't need all of this. Then when the dust has settled, we can come back to this life. I'll even go back to work. But if you insist on this life, it will be easy for her to hold you hostage." She says. Wow, this woman!

"I want the best for my son... and you", I say.

"We know. Teaching a child the value of suffering is teaching him what's best. He will be fine."

"I don't want you to go back to work."

"Then we have to move. But if we stay here, I'm going back to work", I say.

I nod my head.

She turns to walk away from me, but I hold onto her wrist and she turns to face me again.

"I love you too, Basetsana." I tell her.

She gives me a look that I cannot understand.

She pulls her hand from me.

She pulls her dress down.

It's finally happening.

I take off my t-shirt and pull my shorts down. Then I carry her to my bedroom. That's where my condoms are.

We are kissing all over each other.

I put her down on the bed.

I get my condoms.

I see her staring at my wall. Oh shit. She's never been in here. I have an A0-sized photograph of her and my son on the wall. I love them being the last thing I see every night and the first thing I see every morning.

"Keith -

I sit on the edge of my bed. I’m really horny. But I have to focus.

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just... I want you guys to be the last thing I see every night and the first thing I see every morning. You are my purpose." I tell her.

"Keith, why did you marry her? Why didn't we end up together? I mean, since we were kids, our story was written in the stars."

I can't even answer her.

"I cried myself to sleep on your wedding day." She tells me.

"I'm sorry, Bassie. I really am." I tell her.

I hear her sniffing and I see her wiping her tears.

"I'm going to sleep. Goodnight, Keith." She says.

She walks out of my bedroom.

I find myself crying too.

It's morning before I know it and I don't feel like going to the kitchen. I know she's up because there's noise of dishes and pots. My son sleeps in a lot, so he's probably still fast asleep.

I check my email.

I see something from Noria. She's asking me for a meeting before we meet with the lawyers. I just ignore it.

I have to put on some big boy pants on and go face Bassie.

I wear some pants then walk out topless. She saw me all the way naked yesterday. I saw her all the way naked too and she is looking like something I'd tap any day and any time.

"Good morning", I greet her.

She's in shorts and a tank top. She looks really nice.

"Hey", she says without looking at me.

"You slept okay?" I ask her.

"I had to help myself after you had me all heated and didn't finish", she says and giggles.

I laugh too since she opened that up for me.

"I'm sorry. But to be fair, you left me", I say.

She looks at me and laughs.

"I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to-

"Bassie, please. Honestly, I'm glad we spoke about that. We needed to talk about it." I say.

"I just don't want us to -

I pull her into a hug. She hugs me too. I kiss the top of her head. She is quite short.

"I was also up all night looking for cheaper places we could stay in. I found a promising one. It's a two-bedroom apartment in a place called Boksburg, in the Eastrand. It's very affordable. It's a quarter of what we are paying here", she says.

"You know we don't have to do this right?" I say.

"I know. But I want to. When the time is right, we will have what we really want", she says.

I lift her head up towards my face. I kiss her. She kisses me back.

"I'll go view the place today. If you are free, we can go together", she says.

"I'd love to go with you. But I have to meet with my lawyer. I trust your judgment."

She smiles at me.

"The lawyer is coming here. So you can use the car." He says.

"You sure?" She asks me.

"I promise", me.

We kiss again.

"Can we finish what we started last night?" Me.

She laughs at me.

Risuna cries.

"Your turn, daddy", she says.

I laugh and go get my son.

0 notes