#Fairview Strand

[streetsofdublin]

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAD A BAD HAIR DAY

The boundary of Fairview and the area now known as Marino, but historically part of Donnycarney, was delineated by the walls of the demesne of Marino House along Fairview Strand.

VISIT SAHAIRA AT 39A FAIRVIEW STRAND Today I explored the area in greater detail that I had in the past. Fairview Strand was formally known as Owen Roe Terrace and Philipsburgh Strand. The boundary of Fairview and the area now known as Marino, but historically part of Donnycarney, was delineated by the walls of the demesne of Marino House along Fairview Strand. The house and most of its…

[heartstringsduet]

Commiseration Monday

thanks for the ida @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut and tagging me @alrightbuckaroo

Since AO3 is once again down, here I go teasing something that might not see the light of day (at last not anytime soon)

Fairview Avenue has a stretch of townhouses with neatly trimmed grass out front, a facade that repeats and repeats its pattern down a block, the same white post boxes out front. It has neighbors that not just greet but know each other. Intimately. Know who’s sister is pregnant, know who takes out the trash too late, know who sneaks in an affair as soon as the spouse is out of the house or just who violates the communities guidelines for gardening. Carlos Tomas Strand-Reyes and Tyler Kennedy Strand-Reyes are new neighbors of Fairview Avenue. At least for the standards of a street that often spans generations. A mere two months but they have made it into the good graces of the community with a bit of work. When they moved in they introduced themselves to all neighbors with an individual basket of still warm apple cinnamon muffins  by Carlos, delivered with a promise by TK (he insists to be called that) to help unclog the drains or save cats from trees or catsit.  They’re literal angels. One of them is at least.

if you still want to play along @rmd-writes @welcometololaland @carlos-in-glasses @lemonlyman-dotcom @wtfuckevenknows @goodways @noxsoulmate @strandnreyes and whoever feels like sharing <33 tag.

[bakerstreetbaggins]

Hello! I'm not sure if you're up for this, but how does a WIP Wednesday sound, if you don't mind? Have a nice day!

absolutely!!! i'm almost done the next chapter of in vain of wanting, just doing a few more edits to clean 'er up, so it should be up soon, but here's a little snippet so far...

“Do you know who that is?” Patroclus asks, his voice a hushed, conspiratorial whisper as he pulls Chryseis to the side, both of them eyeing the strangers alongside the rest of the hall. “I’ve not seen them here before, have you?”  “I dare say not,” Chryseis returns. “That, my dear Patroclus, is the famed Mr Andrelis and his sister, if I’m not mistaken.”  “Which one?”  “To the left, in the blue coat, I believe. Though I’ve not met him personally myself, so I can hardly attest to it.”  A voice echoes out over the hushed silence the hall has fallen into - a brave soul who had dared approach the group and greet them first; and how brave the man must be, as the trio make quite an opposing force, if Patroclus is any judge at all. Both of the men are tall, standing straight and true, like marble statues of ancient times. The man in the blue coat - Mr Andrelis - nods with an amiable smile, taking in the room and the people in it with amusement and - dare he say it - excitement.  The other two look far less amused. The woman - Miss Andrelis, if Patroclus is to guess - looks bored, as if she’d rather be anywhere else on earth rather than Ilium hall, stepping carefully down the room like if anything more than her feet touched the wooden floors, then the fine silk she is wearing will be ruined forevermore.  The other man causes Patroclus to pause, and he cannot help but settle his gaze on him longer than the other two. He is tall - that much is clear - taller than Mr Andrelis by at least half a head. His coat is true black, his cravat a dash of white silk tied and tucked neatly, his golden hair tied  behind his nape, though a few strands are loose, framing the clear, bright skin around his face.  He looks resolutely forlorn.  “And what of the other man with him?” Patroclus asks, raising a skeptical brow as they walk past.  “Ah, yes, Mr Pelides,” Chryseis returns, “Close friend and confidante of our Mr Andrelis. Apparently he was with him in London when Mr Andrelis took Fairview just last week.”  “Poor soul, he looks downright miserable.”  Chryseis stifles a laugh, but cannot quite manage to do the same with a smile. “That he may be, but poor he most certainly is not.” 

“How much?”  “Ten thousand a year, or so it’s been said. His house, Phthia Estate, is settled in Derbyshire, kept in the Pelides family for generations. He probably owns at least half of the county.”  He’s a beautiful man, Patroclus realizes as the group saunters nearer, the murmur of their unprepared guide echoing alongside the whispers as all eyes follow them. Eyes of jade jump in between the people who part for them, but never do they settle on one particular person, taking no interest in the commoners of the town.  “The miserable half, I’d imagine,” Patroclus retorts. Chryseis stifles a snort of laughter in response.

[vilemint]

Steeled Revenge

(Sebastian Michaelis x OC) fanfic

CH II

---------------------------------

(you can also find this fic on AO3, linked here with over 15 existing chapter with +60k words in case anyone is interested.)

Before reading:

There will be mentionings of situations most will not find comfortable. Please when reading that you understand that these themes exist and it is not targeted towards any person, groups, sexual preferences, religious beliefs or any of the sort.

I am not responsible for your feelings after reading the warnings!! Most of the time, certain words and expressions were commonly used during this time era. It isn't targeted towards you!

___________________

MINORS DNI.

DO NOT COPY, REFERENCE, OR REPOST MY WORK.

---------------------------------

WC: 2.3k

First Ch Prev Ch:

CH II

Both of the men's eyes widened, mouth slightly open at what they had just heard. Ciel soon collected himself, blinking before he said anything else. “Your father? I’ll see what I can do. It’ll be helpful if I had more information, mind giving me some?” 

Mavis looked down at the floor of the carriage before returning her gaze to the young Earl and Sebastian as she started. “You might’ve heard of him, Vogeljunge. My father, Marquis Fairview. He was a powerful full fledged demon. I don’t know how he met my human mother, he died before I got to know.” She paused for the both of them to register this info. 

Ciel turned to his butler, “Does it ring a bell at all?” 

With a gloved hand to his chin, Sebastian pondered. “Do you mean the Tungsten Demon?” 

Mavis nodded. “I know that you represent a crow or a raven, but my father represented the Clouded Leopard. That’s why I’m able to swivel my joints like this-” She rotated her shoulders around, causing Ciel to cringe loudly and recoil. “Eugh! Stop that at once!” 

She squinted and chuckled loudly. 

Then, a thought popped into the boy's mind, gaze soon landing on Sebastian as he stared at Mavis with more intensity and interest. ‘Oh no.’ “Wait a minute-” He started, “Aren’t..aren’t leopards..c..cats?!” The look Sebastian had gave it away. “OH NO. No, no, no, no, no. It’s ONE thing for me to be allergic to them, but it's a whole other thing when I’ve just employed a Cat Demon!” He faltered, ‘soul’ seemingly leaving his body. 

Mavis couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “So do I still have a job, Young Master?” She teased, smirking as this boy who acted like the world was beneath his foot melted into his cushioned seat. While she had the short fun with Ciel, Mavis stopped smirking when the nagging feeling of eyes boring into her very core was stuck on her body. Turning her head slowly, she saw Sebastian, stiffening slightly as his eyes were deadlocked into hers. She wasn’t expecting the man to have such an intense gaze, it was like he was staring at free food.

His eyes were glued to her body, silently taking in her features that slowly led to what she was saying was true. Her hair, though somewhat long, was slick and straight, except for the back that spiked upwards like a cactus. The odd coloration of her hair as well was a dead giveaway, a dreamy dark sky blue with black spots dotted throughout the strands. He remembered now when he saw her in the alley, how her hair ‘fluffed’ slightly in an attempt to make herself look bigger. Then it was the fangs, longer than his own when his barely peeked through his lips one of hers was far longer. 

‘A cat demon, hmm?’ He thought, a smile forming on his lips. ‘Oh, I can't wait to play with this girl.’ 

“Anyway..You said something about imprisonment?” 

“Ah, yes, when my father died I was taken by some Church. I was too young to fully understand what was really going on, all I remember from that day was him disappearing before my eyes.” 

Ciel nodded. “As I said, I will look into it and do as much as I can.” 

Mavis sighed. ‘I can tell by the way this boys' talking that he's serious..At least he’s better than the other one.’ She smiled, and held out a hand, which caught Ciel off guard but eventually took. “Deal.” Was all she said. 

The rest of the ride was made in silence, other than the occasional question here and there. Soon Mavis caught sight of a large manor ahead. “I’m assuming that this is yours?” She asked Ciel who nodded. “Welcome to the Phantomhive Manor, Mavis.” 

A small smile creased her lips. As quickly as the manor came into view, they were already up at the front entrance, stopping the carriage before a staircase leading to the main doors. Sebastian got out first, coming around the carriage and opening the door, allowing the young Master to come out first, followed by Mavis, who swatted Sebastian’s open hand for her to take. “Don't get any bright ideas. Or else this cat will come and eat the pesky bird.” She hissed and growled deeply. The sounds of her growls were equivalent to a tigers or a lions, though not as loud. Something that only Clouded Leopards can do. 

Sebastian pulled his hand back and just eyed Mavis walking behind his master. A new feeling rushed through his body making him shiver ever so slightly. ‘She really is something else..’ He smirked. 

The duo waited at the top of the stairs for the head butler to come back and open the door. As he did, Sebastian kept his eyes on Mavis, while she stared back. Hers not wavering with their emotion. 

Grasping the doorknob, Sebastian opened the door and allowed the two to step inside. 

Ciel’s manor wasn’t what Mavis was expecting. IN fact, it was much nicer than she had envisioned. 

The checkered floor was waxed and polished till you could see your reflection, the air felt clean to breathe, and everything was well up to date and maintained. The last place she worked at had half, if not then 1/4th of the cleanliness that this manor has. “Wow..” She muttered, looking up at the ceiling, the wood up above was bloody polished too!! 

Amidst her mesmerization Mavis’s ears picked up the sound of footsteps. Quick footsteps, and more than two pairs coming right for them. 

She swirled her head just in time to see 3 new people rushing into the Grand Hall. 

“The Young Master is back, yes he is!” 

“Ah, and Mr.Sebastian too! Welcome back!” 

“Oi, who's the lass?” A man, with blonde hair, scruffy facial hair, a cigarette in his mouth as a cooks uniform covered his body inquired, approaching the woman. 

“This is Ms. Mavis Fairview, she will be our new butler, and your second boss.” Sebastian replied while removing Ciel’s coat, hat, and cane. 

The chef walked up to Mavis’s face, hand on his chin. Smoke from his cigarette infiltrated her nose with a sharp pain. 

“You sure that this is a woman, Sebastian? Looks kinda like a guy..” Silver colored eyes squinted at the man before pinching the burning end of his cigarette out after giving the tips of her fingers a quick lick. “I beg to differ.” She hissed lightly, causing the American to stamper back in surprise. “I-I’m so sorry Ms. Fairview!” He bowed. The woman just huffed and looked at the last 2. “W-Welcome Ms.Fairview!!” They said in unison. 

Her lips pursed slightly. ‘Hmm..they’re rough around the edges, but they’re better than the last batch.’ 

“Mavis, that’s Baldroy, the Manors head chef.” Sebastian introduced the still stunned man. Then mentioned to the others. “And this, is Mey-Rin the house maid, she's..special, in her own way.” Mey-Rin nodded. “Yes, I tend to accidentally trip over my feet lots a times cause of my glasses..” She lightly adjusted them while blushing at how close the clad butler had gotten to her. “And finally this is the Gardner, Finny. He has some impeccable strength.” Finny just smiled. 

The soft sounds of laughter from down below caught Sebastian’s attention. “Ah, terribly sorry, this is Tanaka, head butler of the previous Earl Phantomhive.” Tanaka chuckled, holding a yunomi (a tall tea cup from Japanese culture.)

“Its a pleasure to meet you all.” Mavis replied, bowing slightly in respect. 

‘At least she knows some manners..some.’ Thought Sebastian. “Young Master, may I show Ms.Fairview to the servants quarters?” Ciel looked up at him, as his Butlers face tried to hide the temptation to get closer to the new woman only because of what she was. “No you may not. You’re coming with me so I can retire. Mey-Rin will show Mavis to her quarters.” 

“Y-yes Master!” She piped up, clambering over to the woman and taking her hand then quickly dragging her away. “Finally another lady in the house! Honestly being the only woman here was suffocating, yes it was!” She smiled, surprising Mavis. Here she was expecting Ciel to allow Sebastian to show her to her room. 

Him. 

Who was a man. 

But also a demon. 

To show Mavis, a new employee, and a woman, to her room by himself. As if he couldn’t sense where she'd go if he didn't. 

As the two left, Sebastian turned to the last two servants and excused them to rest for the night. 

------------

Mey-Rin proudly walked the new employee to her new room, while also explaining some of the areas of the Phantomhive mansion that they passed by without giving Mavis a traditional tour. “Ah! Here we are!” She suddenly stopped in front of a door, making Mavis run into her. “Oops, my bad!” 

She rubbed her nose lightly. “It's fine, I should’ve been paying attention.” 

Mey-Rin opened the door for the new butler, allowing Mavis to go in first, then herself. “Since you’ll be Sebastian's second in command you get a slightly bigger room than the rest of us, ‘bigger’ only because you’ve got a walk in bathroom, yes you do!” 

Mavis looked around, it was a simple get up, and a hell of a lot better than where she’s been sleeping recently. Especially her last job, they made her sleep like an animal. Not like she isn't one though, but still. 

“Thank you Mey-Rin, I look forward to working with you tomorrow.” She bowed again, making the house maid blush lightly. “Y-yes of course! If you wish to bathe, there are towels in the dresser here. Goodnight, Ms.Fairview.” And then, Mavis was alone. ‘I wonder if shes a mind reader. I thought about bathing before sleeping in these over the top silk-cashmere sheets.’ She thought. 

Meanwhile, Sebastian was undressing the young Earl, discussing about the day, more so about Mavis. 

“Young Master? What are your thoughts on Ms.Fairview?” Sebastian perked up, folding the boys' day clothes neatly together. Ciel closed his one exposed eye, pondering. “I’m still unsure, but if what you say is true, that she’s a half demon, then that only leaves some other possibilities left. We shall see how she does tomorrow. For now, once you’re done here, bring her one of our extra butler suits.” He paused, turning to the servant. “Only. The suit.” 

Sebastian smirked, and bowed with a hand to his ‘heart’, “Yes, my Lord.”

“Ah, much needed..” Mavis smirked, sinking into the bath water more. Only her upper torso was exposed, hair slightly damp from the steam, and a content smile on her lips. Warm baths were the best, being able to just sit in liquid warmth and not give a care in the world was so calming. Much better than waiting for rain, or swimming in the Thames. 

That is, till her sensitive ears picked up the knock at her door. “If it's who I think it is, I'm not interested.” She blatantly spat out, now irritated that her peace was disturbed. 

“I’m only here to deliver your new uniform, Ms.Fairview.” 

Of course he is. With a slight growl, she pushed herself up and closed the bathroom door a little more before muttering, “Fine. But nothing else.” 

With the door opening, Sebastian entered and noticed that the woman was bathing. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t tempted to go in and join her. 

“And please, drop the formality, just call me Mavis.” She barked. In return she heard a soft, “Of course, Mavis.” With the uniform now on the bed, Sebastian opened and closed the door. 

Thinking he had left, Mavis returned to her ‘paradise’. Not noticing that she was purring softly from her comfort. 

“My, you really are a Cat Demon aren’t you?” 

Damn it. So much for paradise. 

The woman squeaked, and let out a low hiss, further confirming Sebastian’s suspicions. He chuckled, leaning into the bathroom’s door frame. Her gaze immediately landed on the man, anger boiling slowly. “Watch your tongue. I am in no mood for chasing a bird around the manor right now.” She said with a knifes edge, adding into her seriousness. Sebastian just stood there chuckling to himself while Mavis sat vulnerable in the tub. She’s pretty much at the demon's mercy. 

“And a defiant one at that. It's not often that other demons, humans even, are even remotely interesting. But you…something really intrigues me.” Sebastians’s words rolled off his tongue without any hesitation. “I’ve heard of half demons existing before, but nothing about them living into adulthood.” He smiled, eyes looking right into hers. “I’ll show you the mansion in the morning. For now, get some rest, little kitten.” 

‘Kitten?!’ She inwardly screamed. To be called in such a derogatory way..it ticked her. But she did notice one thing while looking into Sebastian’s eyes. His eyes didn’t hold malice, or danger, not even a hint of a thought of doing something to ehr. Which caught her off guard, the demons she’s met before wanted her in every way possible, soul included. She’s grown used to those lustful eyes. But she didn't see it in this Raven Demon. 

“Alright, thank you, Sebastian.” Was all she said, head turned away from him. This time, she actually heard him utter a soft ‘you’re welcome’ and then properly left the room. “Perverted bird brain..” Mavis said to herself. 

After the nice bath, the need for rest soon came upon her body. Yes, while it is true that demons don't need to sleep, or wish to (typically), Mavis still had human ailments that she couldn't escape from. Exhaustion, illness, injury, instability, anything a human can get, she can too. She is also able to get seriously injured, while being able to still heal due to her demonic attribute, but it takes days for an injury like that to heal. 

Slipping into some light night clothing, Mavis peeled the sheets of her new bed back and plopped herself down right in the middle of the mattress. The softness of the materials, and the hardly used bed below her easily allowed her to fall asleep.

[deejhs-blog]

Autobiography

"From Bullying to Breaking Barriers A Journey of Resilience and Dreams"

Written by: Dereck Jay T. Tabirao

My name is Dereck Jay Tabirao, and I was born in Virac, Catanduanes in the Bicol province. My life there was amazing, and I made many friends growing up. I lived there from kindergarten to grade 3. Sometimes, my classmates would bully me and call me "gay" because I enjoyed spending time with girls. I would often ignore them because I didn't really know my sexual orientation at that time. I questioned myself if I was normal because I felt more comfortable and understood by the girls. It's not that I didn't enjoy the company of my male classmates; they were just too boyish, and I didn't feel like I fit in because I was softer and couldn't fight back. They would also call me "adopted," which is true, and I'm not afraid to hide it because I found a new family.

I remember asking my mom where I came from, and she told me that God gave me to them. She explained that she couldn't deliver a baby, so a friend of hers gave me to her and adopted me. My real mom couldn't handle too many babies due to financial problems, so she gave me to my parents instead. We then moved and lived with my auntie and uncle in Fairview, Quezon City, in a big house with seven people. It was hard living with them and missing my parents every day, but my auntie and uncle would spoil me with things.

I studied in a private Catholic school from grade 4 to grade 5 in Quezon City, where I made new friends who were filthy rich. The school brought me closer to God, and I joined the singing choir. At first, it was nerve-wracking, but I got used to it. We sang in church every Friday, and it's where I discovered my passion for singing. Then, my dad came home and bought a house in Imus, Cavite. I was sad again leaving some of my new friends, but I had to accept it. Imus was very far from Quezon City, so everything was new for me again. My parents enrolled me in a private school, where I was treated poorly. People talked behind my back, and it was challenging for me to make friends because everyone was smart and knew what to do. I am a slow learner, so I felt like I was the slowest in the class. Despite all of this, I graduated from elementary school.

In grade 7, some of my classmates changed schools, and the bullying got worse. They would hide my belongings and blame it on me, saying I forgot where I put them. This was a lie because I am a very organized person and wouldn't forget my belongings. Because of their actions, I learned not to trust anyone. Due to financial problems, I transferred to a public school, where I felt more at home. Although I still got bullied, my overall experience in that school was memorable. However, everything went downhill when my grandparents passed away in the same year. I became extremely sad and missed a lot of school. My classmates teased me, saying I wouldn't graduate high school. Despite it all, I tried my best from grade 8 to grade 10, and I finally graduated, even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

After that, I researched which strand to choose for senior high school, and I found humss (Humanities and Social Sciences). I picked humss because I aspire to become a famous journalist someday. Growing up, whenever I felt bored, I would grab a pen and paper and write stories, express my feelings, or even create song lyrics. So, I knew choosing humss would be perfect for me, and I was right. Now, I am a grade 12 student, almost graduating, and I'm still standing strong, following my dreams. I wish I could tell my bullies that I have made it this far and show them that I can do anything.

[bluewavesbridal]

  Wedding Hair In Fairview, NC

Blue Waves Bridal, nestled in the heart of Fairview, NC, is the premier destination for exquisite wedding hair. Their skilled team of artisans specializes in creating enchanting styles that capture the essence of each bride's vision. From romantic updos to trendsetting designs, every strand is expertly crafted.

 Connect with Blue Waves Bridal to be your trusted partner in achieving the perfect wedding day look, ensuring you walk down the aisle confidently and timelessly!

[neonaltarofthedraoi]

A PRIDE POEM FOR BRIGID 

From the marshes of Cork to the land of new hope

Identity hidden from the masses.

Surgeon, physician, reformer

Contradictions bloom. 

You heal the very land your institution plunders

Lost histories forgotten to time

Debates are waged over your true self

On this pride month we remember your struggle. 

James Barry 

Sacred heart white flag of the GPO

Erased from the history of the struggle

Your struggle your life

From the Four Courts to the castle to old Kilmainham. 

Your love remains undying preserved in the earth with your beloved 

Glasnevin is where you lie Elizabeth and Julia intertwined 

On this pride month we remember your struggle 

Elizabeth O’Farrell 

On a dark February night your remains are uncovered

One final journey for a banna strand native 

Censored and silenced in life and death 

Your flame unconvered censored abuses.

Against empires, barons, corporations and injustice 

Your battles against the horrors of the world reach many shores

From the beaches of Kerry to the Congo to Putumayo. 

On this pride month we remember your struggle 

Roger Casement 

Under the bandstand at fairview

You were found

Hidden from an unjust justice.

Your life argued before the courts,

You’re not gay, they said, so the five are innocent. 

How little they cared?

From Liberty Hall to Fairview park the crowd

Did march,

Once again in June they marched, in Pride.

As the tides of history did turn,

From 1993 to 2015, your fire did burn. 

On this pride month we remember your struggle 

Declan Flynn

[gennaandjesse]

SAY OK US TOUR AUGUST 2022

US tours have become a rarity for us now, with one tour scheduled annually. This summer, we’ll be touring in the US for the first time in over two years! In August 2022 we continue our stateside summer tour, in support of our album “Say OK.” Please do come check out a show and catch up with us…and the sweet kiddo! Send your friends, too!

Friday, 5 August, 2022 Dowagiac, Michigan The Strand Brewery 7:00PM

Saturday, 6 August, 2022 Kalamazoo, Michigan Lawton Ridge Winery 7:00PM

Thursday, 11 August, 2022 Bloomington, Illinois Muzzarelli House Concert* Time and location available with RSVP*

Friday, 12 August, 2022 Three Rivers, Michigan Riviera Theater Bar 7:00PM

Sunday, 14 August, 2022 Grand Haven, Michigan C3 Spiritual Community 10:00AM Service

Friday, 19 August, 2022 Comins, Michigan Skyline Event Center Doors 6:00PM, Concert 7:00PM

Saturday, 20 August, 2022 Fairview, Michigan Carrick Lawn Concert* Time and location available with RSVP*

Sunday, 21 August, 2022 Dowagiac, Michigan Sister Lakes Brewing Company 2:00PM

*This is a private event and requires an invitation and RSVP. If you would like to attend this concert, please email Genna & Jesse at gennaandjesse@gmail.com.

[sunrise-sunsxt]

Several hours earlier

It was a long drive from Ohio to Maryland but finally they’d arrived at Walter Reed without any trouble in the dead of night.

Moe felt exhaustion after the long ride, forcing himself to sleep did more harm than good and left him with a headache. But all he wanted to do right now was settle into his new room, shower, and go to bed.

While Zeke helped with his bags, Moe took that time to grab a long and warm shower.

This one was definitely an improvement compared to Fairview, especially with the showers, could already feel the stress running off his body under the warm stream of water- YEOWCH!

Moe felt himself flinch as a flash of cold air hit the center of his back. Then again, it was barely in the 30s temperature-wise right now and the door was cracked a little bit as a precaution.

‘Everything is fine,’ he thought to himself, washing his hair for the second time in a row. ‘Just nightly jitters, you’re in a new place. Your mind is just playing tricks on you, Maurice- you. are. FINE.’

He must have spent at least an hour in there, scrubbing himself down as much as he could after going without a well spent shower in so long. His skin was shiny and pink, nearly raw to the touch and tacky from the steam of the shower.

This is just what he needed, just a nice shower with only his thoughts and quiet. Perhaps he could be recover faster, then he might just be able to make visit for Passover by the end of the week.

(Hopefully Bubbe would understand, she sounded so worried over the phone.)

All he needed to do was brush his teeth, then off to bed he would go for the night.

His hair was a wild mess, overgrown curls both sticking out and to the sides of his face damply as he patted them dry.

‘Have to get a haircut later, I’m due for one.’ he thought to himself, slipping loose strand behind his ear.

Taking his towel, Moe wiped away the steam off the mirror and finally his reflection could be seen once more. (Not that it was anything special, he looked terrible despite the long shower.)

He blinked a few times, rubbing at his tired eyes- he really must be exhausted because his mind was clearly playing tricks on him.

*SLAM!*

Zeke felt his posture go upright as he heard the bathroom door shut with a large “BANG!“, dropping the cup of water he had been drinking from on the floor.

“MOE- MOE! ARE YOU OKAY?!” With all the strength he could muster, Zeke attempted to open the door but found it unable to be opened.

He heard the clatter of a plastic bottle hitting the ground, metal meeting with the plastic sheeting of a shower curtain with a sickening thud.

“COME ON MAN, OPEN UP!” His calm demeanor melted away, panic filling himself as he feared Moe tripped inside the shower but he couldn’t do anything with the door locked.

“I’m gonna grab someone, stay put!” The other said, about to take off when the bathroom door finally opened- there stood Moe. Perfectly intact, nasal tube still in place, and pajamas neatly layered on.

“....Did you say something, Zeke?” Moe asked, looking puzzled at the other’s frazzled appearance. “I’m sorry- couldn’t really hear, got a little water inside my ears.”

Zeke finally let go of that breath he’d been holding, placing a palm to his chest. “Don’t scare me like that, dude. Thought you might have fallen or something.” he said, taking a deep breath through his nose

Moe shook his head, “Nope, everything’s all right- not a problem here.”

“Then what was all that noise?” he questioned, Zeke did a double take as he saw nothing out of place inside the bathroom.

“You know how clumsy I get, I’m just tired is all.” said Moe, reassuring the out of towner.

“I still don’t know how the door ended up locked, wasn’t it open when you went in?”

“It’s a really heavy door.” said Moe, taking the over to demonstrate- sure enough, he was right. “Maryland’s pretty windy tonight, that can make doors just suck in air and keep it stuck like that.”

Zeke was hanging on to every word of Moe’s, trying to calm himself when he detected another sound.

“...D-Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Moe said before Zeke put a finger to his lips, quietly listening.

Tap tap tap

“Where’s that coming from?” Zeke wondered, wringing one of his curls with a pointer finger.

“Uh..Zeke?”

“Hmm?” He found himself turned around, Moe pointing outside to see one of the nighttime custodians on duty. The cart making the same tapping sound he’d heard, it quickly going away as it disappeared down the hall.

“Haa..looks like I’ve just got a little bit of jitters tonight.” said Zeke sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck. Honestly, this whole thing with Moe had him worried as much as everyone- perhaps some of that worry was beginning to affect him.

Moe waved it off, “Happens to everyone.”

It was soon time for Zeke to departure, needing to catch a few zzzs at a nearby motel and then off to catch a bus back home.

“Take care of yourself, Moe.” said Zeke, clapping a hand to Moe’s shoulder. “Passover just won’t be the same without you this year, but maybe we can do a live call or something later on during dinner?”

“....I’d like that..” said Moe with a small smile, giving him a well meaning handshake and bid him farewell.

Watching as Zeke’s tall figure went down the hospital hallway and faded slowly into the background as he exited, Moe departed to restroom one final time.

He stared for a moment, taking in his gaunt appearance before giving a small tap to the surface with a finger.

To bed he went, nestling into the covers and quickly to sleep.

[oh-my-tatoes]

Dear Ania,

The anonymous letter chain has found you 💫. I am guiltily taking the risk of assuming, maybe you would like one dedicated to you as well. I am writing to you, hoping these words do no harm but quietly hold you warm.

How have you been Ania? How's everything around? Have you eaten well today? Are you warm? Have you slept well lately? Have you indulged in things you love?

I hope you have and in case these seemed to have been the toughest tasks for you lately, I hope you find your way back to yourself slowly and in peace.

Well we will be finding some random pages from some random books for you....will they be something you want to hear right now? Well we can't be sure, but we surely hope. I open it to a random page and quote whatever relevant I find inside. (Well relevance is subjective but here I just cut off the plot details, not the words that might matter and interpret layers).....Drumrolls and Drumrolls 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 (sounds stupid, well, let's act it's not😶)

His father's whistle, his mother's mutterings, the screech of an unseen maniac were to him now so many voices offending and threatening to humble the pride of his youth. He drove their echoes even out of his heart with an execration: but, as he walked down the avenue and felt the Grey morning light falling about him through the dripping trees and smelt the strange wild smell of the wet leaves and bark, his sould was loosed of her miseries.

The rainladen trees of the avenue evoked in him, as always, memories of the girls and the women in the plays of Gerhart Hauptmann; and the memory of their pale sorrows and the fragrance falling from the wet branches mingled in a mood of quiet joy. His morning walk across the city had begun, and he foreknew that as he passed the siblings of Fairview he would think of the cloistral silverveined prose of Newman, that as he walked along the North Strand road, glancing idly at the windows of the provision shops, he would recall the dark humour of Guido Cavalcanti and smile, that as he went by Baird's stonecutting works in Talbot Place the spirit of Ibsen would blow through him like a keen wind, a spirit of wayward boyish beauty, and that passing a grimy mrinedealer's shop beyond the Liffey he would repeat the song by Ben Jonson which begins:

I was not wearier where I lay.

- A portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - James Joyce

There are people with rooms full of gold.

You can see how rich they are,

but how is it when mystical wealth

shows in the face ?

A lover moans for the Friend,

and a rosebuds leaps from the ground

to see whats happening.

Take off your clothes and jump in the pool.

escape the forehead- pressure of mind.

We used to thin this splashing around

was foolish. Then came a wink,

and we were done for.

How long do you stay jealous and angry?

Let two or three sad songs

rise from your chest.

or just keep doing as you are now.

Maybe in your loud confusion

the world will disappear the curtain lift.

Passion breaks loose,

now silence

The love-king says, It takes courage

to keep the deep self quiet.

- A wink - The Essential Rumi

but as soon as he read or himself devised answers to the questions, one and the same thing always repeated itself. Following the given definitions of vague words such as spirit, will, freedom, substance, deliberately falling into the verbal trap set for him by the philosophers or by himself, he seemed to begin to understand something. But he had only to forget the artificial train of thought and refer back from life itself to what had satisfied him while he thought along a given line - and suddenly the whole artificial edifice would collapse like a hous effect cards, and it would be clear that the edifice had been made of the same words rearranged, independent of something more important in life than reason.

- Anna Karenina -Leo Tolstoy

Sending you love, strength, warmth and peace.

Yours sincerely,

Anonymous 🦋💫

i-

i dont know what to say

im literally crying rn

this is one of the sweetest things ever i cannot put into words how thankful i am for this nonnie

i love you so so much my day was going shit but this really lifted my spirits thank you so so so much im sending you so much love right now 💞 ✨ 💖 this is one of the most beautiful things i have ever received in my ask box <3

[streetsofdublin]

THE FLAMING WOK

As this was my first time to explore the immediate area I know nothing about this restaurant.

[siverwrites]

3 Sentence Ficathon 10

I guess I did manage a last set on the last day whoo!

https://rthstewart.dreamwidth.org/157880.html

This time: The Lord of the Rings, Transistor and Ghost Trick

Lotr, any, just keep on talking (Sam and Frodo)

Some days Sam knows Frodo is only present in body and he fills the silence himself with talk of the buds in the vegetable garden, the blooming flowers throughout the Shire, his plans with Rosie and the games the children played. Those days Frodo will eventually smile and, eyes still distant, quietly request that Sam keep talking. So that is what Samwise Gamgee does until Bag End fills with warmth and Frodo comes home again.

Transistor, any, Fairview

They wanted a bridge to Fairview; the petition never saw completion. In a way though, they got what they wanted: connection in an emptying canvas as it all fades away. Fairview and the rest of Cloudbank are joined now by that tenuous and all-encompassing strand of Nothing.

any, any, wearing a loved one's clothes (Ghost Trick, Cabanela & Jowd)

Jowd would be the last to claim any sense of fashion, or he would be if wife and friend didn't firmly share that spot already, but even he could see that green didn't suit Cabanela. For his sake he kept his amusement at bay for now—it could come later in comfort and he did owe the man after all—but it was a hard thing when his own large coat looked several sizes larger than it already was on Cabanela's much slimmer frame, and if done correctly could likely be wrapped around him at least twice, which on second thought may have been a good idea as Cabanela shivered somewhere in there, hair still dripping water.

Ah well, there were always other methods and Jowd wrapped his arm around Cabanela's narrow shoulders buried under the coat's folds and held him there until he warmed up from the impromptu swim in the river.

[kiezacaday-blog1]

First Semester With 11HUMSSB2

hello! welcome to our blog. We are here to sum up some of the things that happened to us during our first semester. What are you waiting for? sit back and relax while reading this blog :)

let’s start with our first day at Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) this is where we gonna spend our 2 years in senior high school with the strand of Humanities and Social Science (HUMSS). Let’s all admit that during our first days in everything is hard specially if you’re going into a school that you don’t know anyone. Me (kieza caday) has been studying for 7 years in a same school which is the National College of Business and Arts Fairview. First days during my junior highschool wasn’t that hard because I know almost everyone on my school because of how long I stayed there. While my partner (angelica tejana) studied at Ponciano Bernardo Highschool wherein she stayed there for 4 years, so first day in her jhs are not as hard as her first day at shs. Our first months at TIP were hard but gladly we cope up with it and had friends during the progress.

Fast forward to the time we spent during our intramurals. During this time we were both able to spend time with our friends from our junior highschool. They’re our friends who are studying at the same school with us but different strand and different schedule. Most of them are from the am sched, while me and angelica are from pm sched. Moments like this are rare because we barely see each other because of our schedule. It’s nice to actually spend time with your friends whom you didn’t bond for so long. Intrams unite us all together. 

During the first semester, we were able to celebrate the birthday of our friend trisha. We bought her cake and made her special during her special day. Here are the picture i took with some of our classmates in it. Trisha is very special to us and what we did to her during that day is what she truly deserve. She’s the type of friend that you can always count on and will be there for you through your ups and downs. We both love her. 

Now we’re down to the saddest part of our first semester :( it is when we said goodbye to our adviser, Sir Jehrist. During this day he did something that almost made us all cry. He showed us pictures and videos that will inspire us to keep going no matter how hard life is. He also said that it is not “goodbye” but instead it is “see you around”. He made us all feel that we are loved and guided properly during the first semester. we gave him a hard time during the first months because of our osa records and also our noise but i never saw him gave up on us, i never saw him lost patience with us. He all treated us like we are his own children. Up until now even though he’s not our adviser anymore, he still treat us the same way. We Miss and love you sir :) Thank you for your long long patience and understanding to us. Until our next class with you :(

So to sum it all up, here are some of the pics we had with our friends during the first semester. The first semester was hard specially the part where you are socializing and communicating with other people but look at us now. We were able to build friendships that we can bring up until we leave senior highschool. Our first sem was a roller coaster ride but it was all worth it in the end because we learned some things that can help us to be a better versions of ourselves. Me and Anjelica are looking forward for more life lessons and friendships this second semester can bring to us and we hope it is as good as our first sem. 

So you’ve come this long already, we like to say our gratitude for reading this blog about our first semester. Hope you enjoy reading this! until to our next one, thank you!! :)

[fakestatus]

ORANGE COUNTY INMATE LOCATOR | OC-Jail

Huntington Beach is a blue-water municipality in Orange County in Southern California, located 35 country miles (56 km) southeast of Cosmopolis Los Angeles inmate. The municipality is named after American businessman HenryE. Huntington. The population was during the 2010 tally, making it the fourth most stirring municipality in Orange County, the most stirring strand municipality in Orange County, and the seventh most stirring municipality in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. It's rimmed by Bolsa Chica Basin State Marine Conservation Area on the west, the Pacific Ocean on the southwest, by Seal Beach on the northwest, by Westminster on the north, by Fountain Valley on the northeast, by Costa Mesa on the east, and by Newport Beach on the southeast.    Huntington Beach is known for its long9.5- far cry (15.3 km) stretch of straw strand, mild climate, excellent surfing, and strand culture. The ocean swells are enhanced by a natural effect caused by the edge-diffraction of open ocean swells around Santa Catalina Island. (citation took) Swells generated generally from the North Pacific in time-out and from a combination of Southern Hemisphere storms and hurricanes in the summer focus on Huntington Beach, creating harmonious spume all stretch long, hence the moniker"Surf City".  The main row of Huntington Beach, Beach Boulevard, was originally a cattle route for the main sedulity of the Rancho. Since its time as a parcel of the enormous Spanish land subsidy, Huntington Beach has sustained multitudinous manifestations. One time it was known as Shell Beach, the metropolis of Smeltzer, and either Gospel Swamp for the resurgence meetings that were held in the slough where the community guild Golden West College can presently be introduce. Thereafter it turned known as Fairview and either Pacific City, as it developed into a sightseer destination. In order to secure access to the Pacific Electric Red Car lines that used to criss- cross Los Angeles and ended in Long Beach, Pacific City ceded enormous power to railroad mogul HenryE. Huntington, and so turned a megalopolis whose name has been written into mass-market backing Inmate info center, and like much of the history of Southern California, boosterism.    The original Huntington Beach Pier was constructed in 1904 and was originally a- base-long timberstructure.Huntington Beach was incorporated on February 17, 1909, during the hitch of its first mayor, Ed Manning. Its original innovator was Huntington Beach Company ( formerly the West Coast Land and Water Company), a real- estate development establishment held by Henry Huntington. The Huntington Beach Company is still a major land- possessor in the megalopolis, and still owns paramount of the nonnative mineral rights. The company is now wholly held by the Chevron Corporation.    At one time, an encyclopedia company gave away free parcels of land (with the purchase of a whole set for$ 126) in the Huntington Beach area. The lucky buyers got farther than they had bargained for when canvas was discovered in the area, and enormous development of the canvas reserves followed. Though multiple of the old reserves are depleted, and the price of land for encasement has pushed multiple of the equipages off the geomorphology, canvas pumps can still be introduce to dot the megalopolis Inmate information.    Huntington Beach was primarily farming in its early bits with crops ditto as lima moxie, asparagus, peppers, celery and sugar beets. Holly Sugar was a major employer with a large processing shop in the megalopolis that was thereafter converted into an canvas refinery.    The megalopolis's first high academy, Huntington Beach High School, located on Main Street, was made in 1906. The academy's gang, the Oilers, is named after the megalopolis's original natural resource.  According to the United States Census Bureau, the megalopolis has a total area of31.9 square country miles (82.6 km2).26.7 sq mi (69 km2) of it's land and5.1 sq mi (13 km2) of it (16.10) is water.    The entire megalopolis of Huntington Beach lies in area decalogues 657 and 714, except for small neck of Huntington Harbour (along with Sunset Beach, the Santa Ana jail community fringing to Huntington Harbour), which is in the 562 area decalogue.

[onceuponanolicity]

Unexpected Rommates

http://archiveofourown.org/works/11265129

My story for the Olicity Hiatus-Fic-A-Thon. For the prompt At Odds.

When Felicity Smoak has a bad day, she really has a bad day. It all goes so wrong when she has to head to Central City for a conference. Getting to her hotel, she discovers her room was given to someone else, one Mayor Oliver Queen. Oliver is determined to keep the room, but he doesn't want to put Felicity out. It was her room after all. So, when he suggests they share, it seems like the perfect solution. Only Felicity doesn't quite feel the same way.

Felicity was having the worst day. It all started when she locked herself out of her apartment. Which by the time she was able to get back in a retrieve her purse it made her late for her train. When she did arrive in Central City, the rental car company, which was about to lock their doors for the day, insisted she hadn’t made a reservation, contrary to the paperwork in her hands. But the rental agent finally gave in, resulting in Felicity getting one of the last cars on the lot. A clunker that broke down five miles after she drove it away.

            All she wanted right now was her bed and a pint of mint chip. Only her bed was back in Star City and ice cream was becoming nothing but a dream the later it grew. Checking her watch, Felicity sighed. She broke down after the rental car company closed. After multiple run around calls, a tow truck had finally been sent out.

            Felicity waited in the deep humidity of the late summer sun until the sun set. And even then she still waited. It took two hours after they told her the tow truck was coming before it showed up, but at least they did because her phone had died over an hour before. Felicity soon discovered their actual shop was only ten miles away. She shook her head at the irony. Honestly, Felicity could have walked there and waited instead of accepting a ride with the driver. If she had, she wouldn’t have been left stranded.

            At the shop, Felicity used their phone to call a taxi. She needed to get over to her hotel, where hopefully she still had a room. Which was becoming increasingly doubtful as the day wore on with the way her luck was going.

            The taxi arrived shortly after nine pm. While she wanted to head straight for the hotel, her stomach had other plans. It gurgled its displeasure at being forgotten. She hadn’t eaten since her early breakfast that morning before heading into the office.

            With a sigh, she leaned forward and redirected the driver. Her hotel would have to wait. At least she had emailed the reservation desk earlier before her phone died to let them know she might be checking in late, because with the three big conferences going on in Central City that weekend everything had been booked for months.

 OQFSOQFSOQFS

  Oliver Queen strolled into the Fairview Hotel. His assistant had called ahead to make sure that they still had a room. The only one left in the entire city. That’s what Oliver got for not agreeing to come to Central City until the last minute.

            He had a meeting with Central City’s mayor the next morning. And other plans for the rest of the weekend, so Oliver sincerely hoped his assistant’s information was correct.

            “Mr. Queen,” the young female receptionist gushed as he approached the front desk. “How may I help you?”  

           “My assistant called,” Oliver told her as he settled against the counter. “He said you still had a room available for tonight and possibly the entire weekend.”  

           The woman’s brow creased. “I can check, but I’m pretty sure we’re full.” She held up a finger. “Hold on.” She began to type away at her computer. He could tell she was going to apologize the second she raised her head. “I don’t know who he spoke to, but unfortunately, we are full.”

            “That’s fine.” Oliver wrapped his knuckles on the counter. “I’ll see if there is somewhere else. Maybe he had the hotel wrong.” Oliver began to turn away determined to give his assistant another call.

            “Wait.”

            Oliver faced her. “Yes?”

            The receptionist shook her head sadly. “There aren’t any more rooms available in the city. Between weddings and several conferences, hotels have been booked for quite a while.” She jotted something down before returning her attention to him. “That being said, I do have one room.”   

            “I thought…” Oliver couldn’t keep the confusion from his features.

            “The guest hasn’t checked in yet. Technically, they are late and I can cancel their reservation,” she explained.

            Oliver needed the room, but not at the expense of someone else who may just need it more than he did. “It’s okay. I don’t want to take the room away from the person who reserved it.”

            “Rachel!” The receptionist jumped at the gruff voice. “What’s going on?”

            An older man appeared, entering the front desk area and glared at the flustered woman. “May… Mayor Queen needs a room, but we are booked, sir.”

            The man pushed her away from the computer and blinked at the screen. “It says right here, this guest hasn’t checked in. Give him that room.”            

            “But…”

            “Do it,” the man demanded.

            “Yes, sir.”

            The smaller, heavy-set man turned to Oliver and smiled. It creeped him out. Oliver knew enough about dishonesty from his dealings in politics, let alone his side job, to recognize it. And this man had it seeping from his pores.

            “Here is your key, Mayor Queen.” The man handed it over to him after the receptionist took all of Oliver’s information. “Welcome to the Fairview. Is your luggage outside? We can send a porter.”  

            “Yes.” Oliver tried to hide his irritation, but it simmered below the surface.

            “I’ll have him bring it to your room, if you wish to go up. It is Suite 1101.”

            “Thank you, but I’ll wait,” Oliver ground out and nodded at the receptionist who wrung her worried hands. He walked away to go outside to his taxi. He’d wait for the porter by the door.

            Oliver hadn’t gotten far when he first saw her. A slender, blonde whirlwind who blew past him to the front desk. She looked barely presentable. Her hair was askew and loosened from the ponytail that only kept some of her hair back from her face. Her patent pumps had multiple scuff marks across the red surface. And her red bra strap slid slightly down from one shoulder out from under her sleeveless blue dress.

            He didn’t intend to listen to her conversation but he had nothing else to do while he waited. And as their conversation grew louder, he was sure the second floor had no trouble hearing them clearly.

            “What do you mean my room is gone? Where did it go?”

            “You’re late, Ms. Smoak. We had no guarantee that you would show. This is a busy weekend,” the smarmy manager told her.

            “I’m well aware of that fact considering that I am one of the main presenters at the Technology Conference,” the blonde shot back at him.

            “I’m sorry, Ms. Smoak, but I cannot bend the rules for you. It is not my fault that you had forgotten to check in at the correct time.”

            Oliver smiled as he heard the woman growl as she stomped one of those patent leather pumps on the tiled floor. But when she spoke, her anger seemed to have deflated.

            “I emailed the reservation desk to let them know I was going to be late.”

            The man shrugged one shoulder. “Sorry, but we don’t get any communication from them after five pm. You should’ve called.”

            “I would have if my phone hadn’t died shortly after I sent the email.”

            Oliver found himself wandering over. Mainly because the urge to smash the manager’s face onto the counter was strong. “Was Ms. Smoak’s room the one you gave me?”

            “Mr. Mayor.” The man nodded toward him before telling Oliver dismissively, “This isn’t your concern.”

            “I’m making it my concern.” Oliver pulled out his key from his breast pocket. He stared at the blonde next to him for a moment admiring her aplomb despite her circumstances. Turning back to the manager, Oliver asked, “Are you sure there are no other rooms in the city?”

            “Quite sure, sir. Everything was booked up months ago.”

            “Exactly,” the blonde said throwing her hands up in the air.

            Oliver glared at the man. “You said it was a suite, correct?”

            “Yes, sir.”

            “How many beds does it have?”

            The blonde began to shake her head vigorously. “Uh-uh. I’m not sharing a room with you. I’ll sleep in my… Frack! My car is in the shop.”

            “It has one king bed,” the manager spoke over her, almost as if she was no longer there. Oliver hated misogynistic pigs. “But it does have a sleeper sofa.”

            “I don’t care if it is a Penthouse with six bedrooms. I am not sharing a room with you.” She seemed set in her conviction. Which was strange considering he couldn’t recall meeting her ever in his life. Not that there weren’t a lot of women he could recall with any clarity before his island days. But this woman struck him as someone he would remember. And, upon closer inspection, far too young for him to have messed with had he seen her ten or more years ago.

            “Excuse us,” Oliver told the hotel staff as he gripped the woman’s elbow and steered her away from the counter. “Look, you need a room and I need a room. This one has two places to sleep. Even if it didn’t, I could sleep on the floor. Or a chair if I had to.”

            She crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at him. “Funny, I can’t picture Mayor Oliver Queen being the type to sleep on the floor.”

            “Well, see,” he told her with a small smile. “That goes to prove you don’t know me as well as you thought.”

            “And I don’t share rooms with strange men. Especially ones who I happen to know will sleep with anything in a skirt.”  

            “It’s a good thing you’re wearing a dress than,” Oliver teased trying to lighten the mood. Instead it seemed to only make her more aware of her appearance. She tugged down the bottom of her dress that had ridden up in her haste and righted the strap of her bra.

            When she reached for her hair, he stopped her. “You look fine. Plus, it’s late.” He glanced at his watch. It had been almost eleven pm when he checked in. Now it the time inched closer to tomorrow. “It’s almost midnight.”

            Her smile had an edge sarcasm that was only emphasized by her words. “You wouldn’t be kind enough to turn into a pumpkin, or a mouse, would you?”  

           Oliver’s smile was genuine as he was unable to hold it back. “Sorry. Fresh out of gourds or fur. But, I can fix your shoes. Maybe even help you get new ones.”  

           She glanced down at the state of her shoes and sighed. “Frack. I wanted to wear these tomorrow.”

            “You still can. I hear the guests here can get their shoes shined for free.” Oliver dangled the card he still held in his hand in front of her.

            The blonde swiped to grab it from him but he pulled it behind his back in the nick of time. When she tried to reach around him, he caught a whiff of her perfume. It was light but there. It had a heady edge to it that made him even more aware of her.

            “Are you smelling me?” she asked in disbelief.

            Oliver’s eyes, that had fallen closed, snapped open. Shit. Thea would’ve smacked him if she was there. “No.” He motioned to the front desk. “Do you want to share or not?”

            “Fine.” While she agreed, she looked less than pleased by the arrangement.

            “Let’s get you a key then.” Oliver went over and explained that the two of them would be sharing the room. When the manager smirked, Oliver fisted his hand to keep from hitting his smug little face. If the young receptionist hadn’t stepped up to fulfill Oliver’s request for a second key, Oliver wasn’t sure if he could have restrained from removing the leer from the man’s face. Or shooting an arrow straight through his leg.

            His bow. Crap. He’d have to hide his stuff. Oliver really hadn’t thought through his whole room sharing plan.

            The very late porter finally arrived by the time Oliver reached Felicity’s side, handing her the second key. Oliver directed the kid to the waiting taxis, but Oliver made sure to keep his special bag in his own hands.

            Ms. Smoak’s luggage was packed up first upon Oliver’s insistence. While that was taken care of, she made her way over to pay both drivers. When Oliver sent her a questioning glance, she shrugged. “You’re paying for the room.”

            It didn’t take them long to settle in. They both agreed to share the closet in the bedroom, since neither had much for the next couple of days. As Oliver told her he would, he set up the sleeper sofa in the living area. She went straight to the bed and rolled down the sheets before laying her luggage on the comforter of the king size bed.

            “Do you mind if I get the bathroom first?” she called out from the back when he went to go settle his own things.

            “Help yourself.” It gave him the perfect opportunity to find a convenient hiding spot behind the couch for him to hide his Green Arrow gear. Honestly, he had no idea why he brought it along, outside of habit. Even Diggle had told him to leave it behind, but as usual, Oliver didn’t listen.

            An idea popped into Oliver’s head. He pulled out his phone and texted Barry that he was in town and if he’d mind coming by in the morning to pick up his gear. Oliver didn’t want to take a chance that his new roommate or the cleaning staff would come across it.

            “All yours,” Ms. Smoak announced as she exited the bathroom.

            “Thanks.” He headed in that direction. “Hey.”

            “Yes?” She turned back to him and he noticed what she was wearing. A soft pink crop top hung off one shoulder while super short shorts decorated in pink, green and blue polka dots just barely covered the top part of her legs. Legs that looked super long, slender and sexy.

            Oliver rolled his eyes up and prayed for the strength to get through this weekend. Feeling a little more put together, Oliver met her sparkling sapphire eyes. “You already know my name. What’s yours? Other than Smoak. If we’re going to share a room, I thought maybe it might be nice to actually know each other’s name.”

            “Felicity. It’s Felicity.”

            “Hi.” Oliver extended a hand out, hoping with the way she acted earlier it would come back. “Nice to meet you, Felicity.”

            “Mr. Queen,” she said as she placed her hand in his.

            “Oliver,” he corrected.

            A flush of pink hit her cheeks. “I don’t think… I mean, it’s not like…”

            “It’s Oliver or I get to share the bed,” he told her only half kidding before tugging her closer for emphasis.

            Her cheeks went from the pink of embarrassment to the red of anger in seconds flat. Her blue eyes flamed with an inner strength that he was attracted to much as a moth was drawn to the light. “You are not sharing a bed with me.” She shook her hand out of his and her eyes narrowed. “Ever!”

            Felicity stormed over to the door that led to the bedroom and slammed it shut. “Goodnight. Oliver.”

            A full-out grin split his face. He might not have won the war but that skirmish was definitely placed in his winning column. There was something about this woman that fascinated him on a baser level. He hoped like hell that there was some point to their weekend where he could learn why she held such animosity towards him.

 OQFSOQFSOQFS

                       The next morning Oliver rose early and smiled at the still closed door to her room. He stretched out a little before deciding to head out for a run. It was the only thing he could think to do to keep him from waking up the blonde in the next room. By the time he had run six miles and returned to the hotel, she was finishing in the bathroom.

            Felicity barely gave him a glance as she headed straight into her room fully dressed for the day. Oliver gathered his things and went into the steaming bathroom. He expected his disagreeable roommate to be gone by the time he exited after his own shower.

            Which was the exact reason why he had forgone dressing for the day. It would be nice to cool off a little before putting on his suit. As he left, dressed only in a low hanging towel, he discovered he was wrong and Felicity was still there.

            His one saving grace was that her back was turned to him. Though she did stand in front of the large mirror that stood in the hallway between the bedroom and the living area.

            It was that very back that caught his eyes and held them. A magnificent bare back. The slope of her spine exposed to his eyes by the backless dress she wore. Her hair was swept off her long, thin neck into some sort of messy bun-like-thing that left strands of her hair kissing the edges of the straps of her red dress. She stood there unaware of his perusal as she put on a pair of dangling earrings.

            Or so he thought until her eyes met his in the mirror. He paused from the step he had been about to make. Felicity seemed haunted by her thoughts. He could only guess as to what they were, especially since he had barely gotten her to tell him her name the night before. Or agree to use his.

            When Felicity held up a necklace and tried to put it on, she faltered. On feet that thought on their own, Oliver walked up behind her. “Let me help.”

            “I can get it.”

            Oliver took the delicate golden chain from her fingers and clipped it together. He leaned down and whispered, “I have no doubt you can accomplish anything you’ve set your mind to, Miss Smoak.”

            Once more blue eyes clashed together through the reflective surface. Oliver’s hands swept down her shoulders and over her arms, relishing the feel of her soft skin under his rough, calloused palms. For a moment, she seemed to relax under his touch, her spine curving back to touch his bare chest. But the second they were skin to skin, she bristled.

            Felicity brushed past him, out of his arms, far and fast. She headed in the direction of the front door. “I’m late.”

            A poor choice of words on her part, but she wouldn’t know that. The last woman to tell him that once lived in Central City. The other reason he agreed to this last minute mayoral meeting. He had a chance to see his son. Samantha had quietly entered the city again to see her parents. It was a one-time thing because her father had been admitted to the hospital. Soon, she’d resume her hiding and his son would once more be lost to him.

            “Felicity,” her name slipped from his lips.

            She turned back to face him from the door. Her gaze skittered over him taking in little pieces of him. Felicity’s cheeks heated in her observance of his almost naked form. She gulped before she spoke. “Yes?”

            “Do you have your key?” Oliver picked up the piece of plastic from the desk where she had been standing.

            Right away she searched her purse that she snagged from the desk when she walked away from him. She must have come up empty, as he expected, because she stalked back over to him and pilfered it from his hand. “Thank you.”

            “Do you have dinner plans?”  

           Felicity nodded. “There’s a dinner meeting. Ray Palmer and I… We plan to… It’s for work.”  

           “I don’t need the details.” Oliver bit the inside of his lip. The pain allowed him to focus because he could picture the woman in front of him withering in ecstasy across the king bed just behind him where she had slept the night before. Her groaning out the name of her lover as the blonde head bobbed between her legs.

           Oliver shook himself. Ray Palmer had a very dark head of hair. It had been his own head that Oliver placed there. Pasting a fake smile on his face, Oliver told her, “Enjoy your dinner.”

            “We’re not sleeping together,” Felicity quickly told him before she flinched. She had meant her and Ray. So, why did it sound like she was trying so very hard to put up a verbal barrier between her and the man in front of her? There would never be anything between them. The Queen family had almost destroyed her life. She certainly wasn’t going to invite one back into it.

           “Right.”

           “We’re not,” Felicity told him with more sincerity. “He’s my boss.”

           Oliver padded closer to her on bare feet. The towel he had loosely perched on his hips slipped further down. Any lower and he might as well have lost the towel all together. As it was, there wasn’t much left to the imagination. She could see his hip bones clearly as they veered down to what was barely hidden beneath the hotel’s small white towel.

           He reached toward her and Felicity’s breath caught deep in her throat. Only it went past her to the door. His large hand cupped around the handle turning it so he could hold it open for her.

           Oliver must have noticed her train of thoughts because there was a small smirk on his face. Oliver’s face dipped down and Felicity’s eyes slipped closed.

           Instead of his lips on her skin, she heard his voice by her ear. It was deep and held an edge that made her shiver with a small bit of desire that she would deny under every circumstance. “I might be late myself. Don’t wait up.”

           Her eyes shot open, but narrowed as she inwardly berated herself. That was also probably why her voice came out so harsh as well. “Put out a sock if you have company. And change the sheets.”

           “You wouldn’t want to see the state of my socks,” he told her with a twinkle in his eye.

           What was that supposed to mean?

           “Go,” he said with a look within his blue depths that she couldn’t define. “Before I take you up on your offer from earlier.”

            “Wha…What offer?”

            Oliver completely crowded her personal space. She almost felt like she had hardly any of her own air to breathe. His presence commanded every atom that surrounded them. His other hand came up and he pushed back a small lock of her hair. Their eyes locked into some sort of imaginary battle. One Felicity felt like she lost before it even began.

            This time when his head dipped forward his lips brushed over hers. Her lips chased after his when they pulled away. She wanted more.

            He seemed to curse her with her own name as he gave her exactly what she wanted. His forearm rested on the door behind her above her head. His other hand clamped to her hip while he pushed her back onto the panel.

            Oliver Queen was doing things to her body that she never experienced before and he was barely touching her. Felicity’s heart accelerated in her chest. Her hands came up to smooth over the expanse of his bare chest. She felt the ridges of his well-defined muscles and the rough edges of the scars that littered his chest. Felicity wanted nothing more than to take her time exploring every part of him. To memorize all the imperfections that made him him.

            When he raised his head from hers his eyes had a slumberous look. Oh frack! She kissed Oliver Queen. No. This couldn’t be happening. Of all the men in the world, it had to be this one. Pulling her purse higher on her shoulder, Felicity slunk down to go under his arm and picked up her bag, practically running down the hallway in her haste to get some space.

            And despite how hard she convinced herself not to do it, she turned around. Once. It was in that small glance that she determined that his damn towel had to be glued into place over the hard ridge of his erection. The same one that had been pressed into her stomach moments before sanity had returned.

 OQFSOQFSOQFS

             Oliver finished his meeting by three in the afternoon. That left him free to seek out Samantha and William. He found them at the hospital, just as he suspected. After a little bit of convincing on his part, Oliver led the two of them out of there and to dinner. It was nice to finally see his son again, even if it wasn’t the smartest decision on his part. The boy still had no idea he was his father and Oliver respected the decision to keep it from him even if he wasn’t quite convinced it was the right one.

            It was after seven when Oliver returned to the hotel. Only once he reached the room, he found himself at loose ends. There was only so much pacing around a small space he could take. Especially with Felicity’s things right there, easily accessible to his curious eyes. He had no right to snoop amongst her things despite his desire to know what her feud was with him.

            Oliver was never so happy as when his phone rang. Barry. Thank God. Maybe now Oliver could have something to do.

            “Hey, Oliver.” Barry told him when he answered. “You free?”

            “What’s up, Barry?” Oliver leaned against the wall, his eyes floating through the open door of Felicity’s bedroom.

            “I could use your help.”

            Oliver was already on his way out the door before Barry could fill him in on any of the details. Because left alone, Oliver would only sit there and wonder where Felicity was and with who.

 OQFSOQFSOQFS

             It was one am by the time Felicity returned to the room. Outside the door she stepped out of her shoes so she wouldn’t wake Oliver on the sleeper sofa in the living room area of the suite. She almost had to run the key through the lock twice in her attempt to go slow so she would get in quietly.

            Only as she pushed open the door, she realized there had been no need. Oliver was wide awake and strolling out of the shower for the second time since she woke up. Once more only a towel hanging dangerously low on his lean, thin hips.

            Her mouth watered at the sight of his sculpted back as he stretched on the doorframe. But the only thing that made the sight surreal was the strip of bandage on his upper left arm.

            “What happened?”

            He turned sharply to face her. “Where have you been? It’s after one in the morning.”

            “Sorry, Dad. I should’ve called.” Not! Felicity walked straight past him to reach the bedroom area, taking care not to brush his body on her way. All she wanted right now was to get out of the tight dress she had on and into a really comfortable pair of pajamas. Her head hurt, overloaded with all the information thrown at her over the last few hours.

            Oliver’s hand landed heavily on her arm and pulled her around toward him. She had to brace a hand on his chest to keep from falling into him. Both pairs of eyes fell to that spot where their bodies involuntarily touched.

            He raised his head first and Felicity followed. “I’m not your father.”

            Oh, she was well aware. Her father’s reprimands had never had the effect of turning her on no matter how growly they had been. Of course, she hadn’t seen her father since before puberty so it hadn’t really been much of an issue anyway.

            “Do you ever wear clothes?” It wasn’t what she meant to say. She had wanted to tell him she was tired and wanted to go to bed. Honestly, Felicity wasn’t sure which statement would’ve been worse. Because telling a grown man who was practically naked that you wanted to go to bed had all sorts of connotations that weren’t without a few sexual meanings.

            “I wore some earlier. Guess you missed out.” His voice had lightened. Was he teasing her?

            Felicity finally forced her hand from his chest, happily without rubbing it across the taunt muscles first. She reached out and touched his bandage with a gentle finger. “You’re hurt.”

            “It’s nothing,” he assured her with a shake of his head. “I already had a doctor look at it. It’s nothing more than a scratch.”

            “A scratch?” Her eyes met his again. “A scratch is a paper cut or something which requires a Band Aid. This is a full on bandage.”

            “I thought you wanted nothing to do with me.”

            “That doesn’t mean I want to see you hurt.” She crossed her arms and considered him. “I am more upset at the circumstances your family forced me into. Not that it didn’t end up better than it probably could’ve been had I not been fired. But that doesn’t mean I want anyone in your family hurt. In fact, I was completely outraged when your mother was killed. It felt like a member of my own family had passed.”

            “So, you hate me because you lost your job?”  

            “I don’t hate you. Or your family.” She shrugged. “Okay, maybe for a little bit. Still, that doesn’t mean that I have any desire to see any of you suffer.”

            “So, maybe there is hope for me after all?” he asked with a small smile.

            Felicity studied the man in front of her. He might sometimes act like some rich spoiled man, but he really wasn’t. He proved that over and over again. First when he tried to save his family’s company, even if had been too late for her. Oliver had failed miserably, but he tried so hard only to fail when his sister had been kidnapped. It was in that time she found her job at Palmer Tech. And then, when he ran for mayor, even though he dropped out suddenly for no valid reason. Finally, as the actual mayor. He accomplished a multiple number of things that past mayors failed to do. Sure, Oliver faltered along the way, but he was human. They all were.

                       “Yes, there’s hope,” she told him.

            Oliver heard her words and it released the hold that kept him back. There was only one thing he had wanted since she walked away from him earlier in the day. “Tell me why?”

            “Why what?”

            “Why do you hate me? What did I do? I know it is more than the loss of your job. All day, I imagined all sorts of things, but I can’t remember meeting you before last night.”

            “You kissed me.”

            Her revelation startled him. That was one scenario that hadn’t come to him. “I, what?”

            “You kissed me.” Felicity shrugged and pushed past him to sit down at the desk. “It was late one night at your house.” She crossed her legs and hugged her arms around herself. Oliver could plainly see her pain and began to feel it as his own as she revealed their story. “I was seventeen. Your father had invited me over to talk. I was a sophomore at MIT at the time. He was trying to get me to consider his offer of an Applied Science position when I graduated. My mom waited for me out in the car while I was meeting with him.”

             She paused and Oliver realized he had inched closer as he listened. He leaned his hip on the desk next to her. It bothered him that he couldn’t remember.

             “It was about a month before the Queen’s Gambit sunk,” Felicity continued. “Your father shook my hand and offered to escort me outside. I declined knowing my mother was there. She’d already been all gushy over him so I didn’t want that again. It was as I was leaving that I saw you.”

             “Was I drunk?” It was the only immediate answer he could come up with. It would explain why for the life of him he couldn’t recall any of it. Couldn’t remember her.

             “No. You looked sad actually.” Felicity released herself from the hug and glanced up at him with soft eyes. “You stood there leaning against a wall like your universe shattered. A guy who should have had everything and yet you were devastated. I was curious to know why. So, I walked over. The second you spotted me by your side, you grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me. Hard enough to jar me out of my musings.”

             Oliver shook his head and lowered himself down, crouching at her feet. It had to be when he thought Samantha had lost the baby. It was the only thing that made any sense.

             “Before I could say anything. To ask you why you were so sad, you kissed me. I barely heard you whisper that you were still alive.” Felicity’s eyes met his. Tears welled up within hers as she recalled the moment he had lost. “I told you that you were and you kissed me harder. The only reason I think it ended was because my mom showed up at the door looking for me.” Felicity reached down to him and Oliver clasped her hand in his. “When I turned back from telling my mom I was coming, you smiled at me and thanked me for reminding you that life still goes on. I watched as you pulled out your phone and called your girlfriend to come over now that you were done moping, dismissing me completely as if nothing had even happened.”

             Oliver racked his brain desperate for a sliver of the memory. He came up empty. Not one blonde from that time came to mind. And it should be easy enough, considering he had a particular fascination for brunettes at the time.

            And that’s when it hit him with the elegance of a semi crashing into a wall. A young brunette who soothed his aching soul. Her small hand had caressed across his cheek as she stood before him. Her blue eyes crystal clear pools as she absorbed his pain, dragging it from him. She made him remember to breathe. That life was precious and even though one had been lost, it wasn’t his.

            “Felicity.” Oliver stumbled to his feet. He jerked her up out of the chair.

            The two of them stood there without a word between them. Answers swirled around them. A chemistry that was unmistakable, even from the first moment that they were across the room from each other a little over ten years ago.

            “Hate me,” he told her finally. “I deserve it. Probably more now than ever.”

            “I never hated you. I’m not sure I ever could,” she told him as the truth laid bare between them.

            “I can make you.” Oliver wasn’t sure if the threat was for him or for her.

            Felicity shook her head softly. “No. You can’t. A man who is willing to share a room with a woman who has shown him nothing but animosity says a lot about your character.” Felicity lifted one shoulder before dropping it. “Not so much about mine.”

            Oliver lifted a hand and pushed back a strand of her hair so it rested behind her ear. As he did he relished the silky feel of it. “You never had to prove yourself.”

            He wasn’t sure who initiated the kiss. They were both surrounded each other trying to get closer during one of the hottest kisses of Oliver’s life. He tugged her up and plopped her on top of the desk. Oliver separated her thighs and stepped between them. Her core was the perfect height for him to rub against.

            Pleasure overrode any other sense he had as his erection lengthened. Her dress rode high up on her legs while he pushed closer. The need for more was all his brain could comprehend and yet he pulled back.

            Felicity’s face was flush with pleasure. Her lips plump from his kisses. Her cheeks tinged with beard burn. Her fingers gripped tight to the edge of the desk as she squirmed to release the pressure he built inside her.

            “I can’t.”

            “What?” It was her turn to question him.

            Fuck it. He needed one more taste. Oliver screwed up his eyes and pressed forward. Her mouth tasted like a heavenly nectar. Something that he didn’t deserve to taste. Poison dripped in his blood and Felicity was too pure to taint.

            With that thought, Oliver ripped his mouth from hers. “Go to bed.”

            “Come with me.” She made it a statement, but he could tell she was asking. Her eyes pleading with him.

            “No.” Oliver pulled her down from the desk and walked her over to her door. “I’ll be gone in the morning. Don’t worry, I’ll cover the room for the weekend.”

              Felicity watched him stride away from her. His face a mask of conflicting emotions. The same ones that played through her. And, yet, he was the one who put on the brakes.

             She knew for sure in that moment that she and Oliver were far from over. Even if they tried to fight it the entire time, remaining separate. There would be something that would draw them back.

 OQFSOQFSOQFS

             Oliver stood on a nearby building to what had been the main headquarters to his family’s company. A company long lost to them. Fate deciding that it was inevitable that two people needed to meet. Not under one name but under the same roof.

            It had been two months since he and Felicity had shared that hotel room in Central City. But, in that time, Oliver recalled more and more of their first meeting. And their second. One which he knew Felicity had no clue about. It had been on a trip sanctioned by Waller back to Starling City to find out information about China White.

            “Where are you at, man?” Diggle called out over the Bluetooth.

            “QC. Or Palmer Tech.”

            “The team needs you back at the bunker.”

            Oliver didn’t bother to respond. The team could wait. Turning off the Bluetooth, Oliver perched lower awaiting the woman he wanted to see.

            Spotting her, Oliver fired a tension arrow and slid his way down the wire. To her he must have seemed like he appeared out of nowhere when he disconnected and landed in front of her. Felicity screamed and jumped, a hand held to her chest.

            Oliver turned on his voice modulator before he spoke. “Felicity Smoak.”

            Her eyes were huge as she stared up at him. “Wha… What?”

            A small smile appeared at the corner of his lips. Only Felicity would stand there in complete terror and question the man who might be there to attack her. Her backbone was as strong as titanium. “We need to talk.”

            The fear began to fade from her features. That made this conversation easier. He didn’t come here to frighten her. Why did he come here? She had avoided all of his previous attempts to see her as Oliver Queen. What made him think that talking to her as The Green Arrow was going to make a difference when she had no idea of his alter ego?

            “I don’t know why.” Felicity studied him and Oliver had a distinct feeling she took in everything. It was because of that he stepped further into the shadows. Only she followed him. “What do you need?”

            “You. I need you,” he answered softly. More honesty than he intended.

            “What can I do for you?”

            He didn’t know the answer. Oliver hadn’t thought past finally seeing and speaking to her. His eyes trailed over her red lips. He wanted to feel them again. To have red marking his skin leaving him with the memory of her touching him, kissing him. It had become an obsession. A desperate need to settle the beast within as only she seemed to.

            Felicity stepped closer, her blue eyes blinking up at him. Her hair shiny in that black space. A bringer of light in the puddle of darkness.

            Oliver’s bow fell sharply to the ground as he buried his gloved hands in her hair. He drew her closer, their chests brushing each other with their deepening breaths. His lips slashed over hers. She opened up instantly to his touch. A groan sounded between them and he was unsure as to who it came from.

            Her small hands stroked his chest through the leather and Kevlar. Oliver was so on fire that it might as well have been his bare flesh. Stepping back, he flattened himself against the wall. He needed the solid concrete to keep him from falling at her feet because his legs trembled. Kissing Felicity was overwhelming.

            Oliver nuzzled his way down her cheek to her neck. Her head fell back as he hit a particularly sensitive spot. Smiling, Oliver licked that spot savoring the brand of innocence that Felicity possessed in spades.

            Felicity groaned out his name. His real name.

            It took a Herculean effort to pull back, but he managed to do it. Oliver set her a step from him and gaped at her, still supporting her with his hand. She seemed as lost as he was in the feelings that spilled over them.

            Finally, her eyes opened. The blue barely there as desire still sparkled in their depths. Felicity sucked in her bottom lip and he could swear she was trying to recover the taste of him on her mouth.

            “Felicity,” he groaned drawing out every syllable of her name. It was the only thing he could do. His head was too messed up to ask her why she had called him Oliver.

            Spotting his bow on the ground, Oliver stepped over and picked it up. He needed to leave before he did something stupid like pulling back his hood and making love to her here in the alleyway.

            “Green Arrow?”

            He turned slightly towards her. “Yes?”

            “I’m sorry.”

            He shuddered under her intense gaze. “You have nothing to apologize for,” he assured her. “I should never have…”

            Oliver trailed off as her spin straightened. “No. You shouldn’t have.”

            Felicity reached to pick up her purse that had also fallen to the ground. She pulled out her car keys and began to walk away. Felicity was around the corner when his phone vibrated. His personal cell.

            Retrieving it from a secret pocket, Oliver glanced at the caller ID. A smile pressed his lips upwards. Felicity. “Hello.”

            “Hi. I… um… It’s Felicity Smoak. Do you think you could meet me somewhere?”

            Oliver glanced down at his nighttime suit. “When?” He shook his head. It didn’t matter, he’d strip and meet her if he had to. “Where?”

            “Big Belly Burger on 4th and Reed?”

            It would take her ten minutes to get there. If he reached his Ducati, he could be there shortly after her. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

            Oliver’s next call was to Digg. A very pissed off Diggle. Once his friend was finished letting him have it, Oliver asked if he could have one of the recruits bring over a suit. Digg wasn’t exactly happy with Oliver at the moment but he agreed to the request when he explained he had to meet with Felicity.

            Dismissing the now teasing edge to Diggle’s voice as he inquired if it was a date, Oliver told him he didn’t know. What Oliver didn’t tell him was about his previous interaction with the blonde.

           OQFSOQFSOQFS

             Felicity waited at a booth wrapping a napkin around her fingers. Her body a big ball of nervous energy. Two men invading her thoughts in a constant loop. Both had an edge of danger wrapped around them. One more than the other.

            Licking her lips, Felicity could still taste the Green Arrow’s lips on hers. Danger apparently tasted like mint chocolate. A heady combination. And also one of her favorite flavors.

            Why had the Green Arrow sought her out? He had never truly answered the question. He had left her dangling with wonder and lust when he moved away from her in the alleyway. More concerned with his identity than the real reason for seeking her out to begin with.

            And why in the midst of pure desire had she called out Oliver Queen’s name? It was that question that led her to call him. To meet her here tonight. Maybe if she saw him again she’d realize he wasn’t as compelling as she remembered. It was just the effect of them sharing close quarters. Well, that and the fact that he barely had on a stitch of clothing during their very few moments together.

            It was no more than lust. Just like what she experienced out in the alleyway. Felicity rested her head down hard on the table in front of her. Damn it, what she really needed was to get laid. The way her body felt right now, it wasn’t very particular as to who fulfilled that desire. Even her vibrator was beginning to look like a good idea. The one she received as a gag gift from her mom and never used.

            “That tired or the menu that bad?”

            “Not really,” Felicity said noncommittally. She raised her head and waved him down to the other side of the booth. “Thanks for meeting me. I don’t know what I was thinking to call you after ten at night.”

            “It’s fine.” Felicity saw him relax into the booth. It was infuriating to see him so well-groomed and handsome that late at night when she felt like a wreck. She had finger combed her hair back into submission in her car, but she was pretty sure it still wasn’t up to her normal standards. “What’s going on? Why did you call? It sounded important.”

            His hands folded on the table caught her attention. Hands that had burrowed into her hair much as the Green Arrow’s had. Both men kissed her with a passion that left her reeling.

            It was so confusing. Her mind almost began to meld the two men into one. A ridiculous thought. The Mayor of Star City was not running around as a vigilante.

            Felicity’s eyes met Oliver’s. “Kiss me.”

            “Wha… What?” Immediately his hand reached up and loosened another button on his shirt as if it strangled him. Which was odd seeing how his dress shirt was already open at the collar.

            “Sorry. It was a stupid idea.” Felicity shook her head, unable to believe she had actually told him to kiss her. “Forget I said anything.”

            “I don’t want to forget it.”

            Felicity’s eyes returned to his despite her mortification. Why did his words seem to have more meaning than him not wanting to forget what she had said?

            She watched him slide out of the booth, their blue eyes never leaving each other. He reached out and yanked her up until her body slammed into his solid wall of muscle.

            “I don’t want to forget any of it. Most especially this.” His lips touched hers in a gentle caress. He sucked her lower lip into his mouth, savoring her like rich chocolate.

            Chocolate. Mint chocolate. Her mind tumbled through a rabbit hole. Oliver Queen tasted exactly the same as the vigilante had. His beard burning into her skin just like the Green Arrow. Was it really less than a half hour ago?

            Felicity pushed back from Oliver, her hands at his shoulders. Her face filled with wonder as she stared at him. “You’re…”

            “Finish that sentence and I’ll deny everything,” he told her with a serious look on his face.

            “And if I don’t?”

            “Come home with me.” Oliver tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

            A curve of a smile formed on her lips. “Use the voice modulator and you have yourself a deal, Mayor Queen.”

            “I don’t need the voice modulator,” he told her in a deeper voice than she had heard him use before. It sent a tremor of pure desire down her spine.

            “Is this your way of saying you just need to get naked again? You seem to have a nasty habit of being less than dressed around me,” Felicity teased. “This might be the longest I’ve ever seen you dressed.”

            Oliver’s hand teased the zipper on the back of her dress. His head dipped low. His lips grazed across her ear as he whispered, “No. This is my way of saying, you’re wearing too many clothes.”

            “Can’t have that,” she said as she trembled while his lips ghosted over the spot on her neck he found earlier.

            Oliver shook his head. His beard tickled her sensitive skin. “I’m the mayor. I can have you arrested for disobedience.”

            Felicity stilled his head and licked the lob of his ear unmindful of the scene they created in the almost empty restaurant. “I think I’d rather you send the Green Arrow to torture me into compliance.”

            A growl sounded from deep within his throat. “That can be arranged, Miss Smoak.”

            “No,” Felicity said after consideration. “He wears too much leather. It’d be too hard to get him out of it.”

            Oliver nodded against her neck while his fingers buried themselves into the fleshy part of her hips. “Good point. Guess you’ll have to stick with me.”

            “Have any hotel towels at your place?”

            “Fresh out,” he told her with a large grin.

            “I guess you’ll have to go naked then.” Felicity traced her hand down the front of his shirt, his muscles rippling under her soft touch.

            “I’m not complaining.” Oliver grasped her hand and dragged her along with him straight out of Big Belly Burger. “You’re going to have to drive. I don’t think I can get on my bike right now.”

            Felicity pulled him to a stop and pressed forward until he walked backwards into a wall, similar to their position earlier. “I don’t think I can wait that long.”    

 @thebookjumper @olicityhiatusficathon

[phgq]

PNP mobilizes 25,000 police personnel for search and rescue in the aftermath of Typhoon Ulysses

#PHinfo: PNP mobilizes 25,000 police personnel for search and rescue in the aftermath of Typhoon Ulysses

PASIG CITY, Nov. 12 (PIA) --Police disaster response units rescued 806 persons from possible hazards posed by rising flood waters and strong winds spawned by Typhoon Ulysses in Luzon, PNP PIO said.

Reports reaching the PNP Command Center in Camp Crame said, some 301,000 individuals are now housed in 13,526 evacuation centers in different regions where they are temporarily sheltered after forced evacuation was implemented in their communities.

PNP Chief, Police General Debold M. Sinas is monitoring the situation in affected regions to coordinate further deployment of PNP disaster response units thru the PNP Command Center. Ahead of Ulysses’ landfall over Luzon on Wednesday, he has alerted PNP Units in affected regions to preposition disaster response personnel, equipment and resources in threatened areas.

As of 10:00AM Thursday, a total of 5,660 PNP have been deployed for disaster response operations to assist distressed persons in affected areas.

Another reserve contingent of 20,207 police personnel from the Reactionary Standby Support Force and Search and Rescue Units was also mustered and placed on standby for rapid deployment, while 367 personnel are providing security and assistance in evacuation centers.

Situation reports from the PCC indicate 411 flooded areas, 519 areas without electricity, and 104 areas without telecommunication service.

A total of 1,963 vehicles were reported stranded in 104 roads rendered unpassable due to flood, while 96 inter-island remain stranded in seaports while awaiting clearance to sail. Some 78 passengers of seven cancelled flights are also reported stranded at the airport.

PNP reports on flooded areas in Metro Manila

Police units in the Metro Manila reported to the National Headquarters thru PNP Command Center (PCC) on flooded areas affected by Typhoon Ulysses that brought torrential rains and strong winds over 24 hours.

In a consolidated report of PCC, San Lorenzo Street in Sta. Mesa, Manila and Lorenzo St. Cor De La Paz St. in Pandacan are not passable of all types of vehicles due to high-level floods.

At the same time, Quezon City Police also issued advisories to all drivers and motorists not to traverse to following areas:

1. Calamba Street, Don Jose

2. Banaue/Retiro

3. Don Manuel Street

4. Don Jose Retiro

5. Maria Clara/Araneta

6. Don Pepe/Tirad Pass

7. Araneta/Maria Clara

8. West Riverside Barangay Del Monte

9. Col  Mara St, Gen Luna Sta Cruz

10. Mansiga Street, Barangay Katipunan

11. De Vera Street, and San Pedro Street, Barangay Damayan

12. Victory Street, Araneta Avenue

13. Guirayan Street, Barangay Doña Imelda

14. Bayani Street, Barangay Doña Imelda

15. Olong E Rod Infront of Delos Santos, Barangay Damayang Lagi

16. Talanay of Barangay Batasan

17. River View, Barangay Batasan

18. Calderon Street, Barangay Sta Lucia

19. Sitio Uno, Barangay North Fairview

20. Tumana Street, Barangay Bagong Silangan

21. Green Land Street, Barangay Bagong Silangan

22. Tagumpay Street, Barangay Bagong Silangan

23. Don Vicente Street, Barangay Bagong Silangan

Some streets and thoroughfares in cities of San Juan, Mandaluyong, and Pasig are not passable as of this moment such in areas of:

1. Ilujin Mapansa

2. Bautista Street Barangay Sta Lucia

3. M Eusebio Barangay San Miguel

4. West Banil Barangay May Bunga

5. Santos Street Barangay Ugon

6. F. Manalo, N Domingo and San Vinancio Street, Barangay San Perfecto San Juan

7. Balong Bato, San Juan River

8. Batis F Manalo going to N Domingo, Barangay San Perfecto, San Juan

9. Barangay Cabayanan Manalo going to N Domingo, Rita Street

10. May Tuna F Manalo going Blumentritt

11. Barangay Old Saniga, Mandaluyong

12. Leyba Street, Barangay Old Saniga, Mandaluyong

13. Lerma Street, Col Valesteros, Barangay Old Saniga, Mandaluyong

14. N Gonzales Street, Shaw Boulevard, Barangay Daang Bacay, Mandaluyong

In Manila, light vehicles cannot wade to following routes:

1. Aragon, Dimasalang Sta Cruz

2. Along España from Blumentritt Street to Lacson Street Sampaloc, Manila

3. San Lorenzo

4. Dalisay/ Makisig Street Sta Mesa, Manila

5. J. Tuazon, Manila

6. Old Sta Mesa/City Limit Sta Mesa

7. Pat Antonio Street, Barangay 608 Bacood Sta Mesa

8. P. Sanchez/City Limit, Sta Mesa

9. Honradez/Cristobal Street, Sampaloc, Manila

10. N Lopez Boulevard from Jacinto Street/Capulong Street Tondo, Manila

11. Guadal Canal Street/ V Mapa, Sta Mesa, Manila

12. Jas Bambang Street, to Tayuman Street Tondo

13. Along Morga Street, Tondo fronting

In Taguig City, light vehicles are not allowed to pass in areas of: MRT Avenue Hagonoy, Pinamana Street, Barangay Napindan, Chino Roces Ext. Zone 2 Fort Bonifacio, C5 Service Road going PALAR and Commando Bridge, and BCDA Ususan. (PNP-PIO/PIA-NCR)

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "PNP mobilizes 25,000 police personnel for search and rescue in the aftermath of Typhoon Ulysses." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1058793 (accessed November 12, 2020 at 04:13PM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "PNP mobilizes 25,000 police personnel for search and rescue in the aftermath of Typhoon Ulysses." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1058793 (archived).