#THEY PUT OREGON TRAIL ON SWITCH??..

[klcthebookworm]

WIP Wednesday

Hannah decides on a course of action once she, Chuck, Milly, and Meryl were sent to the Command Room for safety.

Chuck had heard what Doc said about Vash being their only hope and scowled at his sister stroking the computer keyboard. “We need to help Vash and you’re drooling over new tech!”

“I’m not drooling! I’m looking—” Her face brightened. “Found it. Pass me the bike’s data cord.”

Chuck pulled the end of it free from the crankcase and Hannah plugged it into the keyboard’s port she had found. “How is this gonna help Vash?”

“Can’t decide on a battle plan without data.” She sat in the keyboard’s chair. “Helmet please.” Chuck passed that to her, and she turned on her faceshield after she put it on. “Okay, time to see the data in formats I know. Power levels.”

Chuck turned on his faceshield. “Show me too.” Colored bars labeled 1 - 4 appeared on his faceshield but he didn’t know what they meant. They all were almost the same height.

“And usage?” Hannah asked. “Label the systems.”

The bars shifted from vertical to horizontal labeled with words he couldn’t read yet. He recognized “cold” on the second longest line.

“Any other power sources? Batteries?” Hannah asked.

The bike answered by typing on the faceshields. “No.”

“Shit,” Hannah whispered.

“What does this mean?” Chuck asked.

“This whole ship is only running on plant power. The biggest draw is for propulsion, staying up here, followed by the cold storage. The wrenchheads are targeting the plant bulbs and if Vash and Preacher Man can’t stop them—”

“Splat on the ground?”

“Yeah. And it is really irresponsible for them to run like this without any reserves.”

Chuck looked down at the bike’s gas tank. “Is it my fault we’re gonna crash?”

“What?”

“Mom says Dad and the uncles can’t fly spaceships.”

Hannah put her hand on his back. “That’s not because they’re mice; it’s because their skills on wheels do not transfer to flying. The ones at fault are the wrenchheads trying to hurt the plant angels. You got that?”

“Yeah.” He said softly. Hannah patted his back before pulling her hand back. He looked over at her. “So how can we help Vash stop the wrenchheads?”

“Vash put us on civilian protection duty.”

“Boring. Should we shove them into lifeboats?”

The bike took away the graph to type, “Life pod capacity does not meet the mobile population.”

“I was afraid of that. So nobody can get off this bus….” Hannah’s voice trailed off and she had on her thinking face. Then she switched to Martian. “{Bike, find the landing program and input current situation variables into the calculation of safest landing outcome.}”

“Calculation made. Landing possible 75 miles for New Oregon. Human input is required.”

That was a lot of words Chuck didn’t know but Hannah didn’t stop to explain them as she continued in Martian to the bike. “{From this terminal?}”

“Yes.”

“{Firewall landing program and this terminal and then boot up.}”

Chuck looked back at the crowd, but they were all focused on what Mr. Wolfwood was yelling at more puppets and not equipment turning on. That was sneaky good. But he needed to remind Hannah of something. “{They didn’t want to go down, Hannah.}”

“{Tough. Vash doesn’t want them to die and I don’t want to crash. They are outvoted.}”

Chuck wasn’t sure if that was how voting worked, but he didn’t want to crash either. The keyboard turned on along with the smaller screen attached to it. Hannah focused on the tech and Chuck turned sideways on the motorcycle’s seat to watch her back, just like if they had to take over some of Karbunkle’s tech back in Chicago.

“{Bike, keep the power going to cold storage and propulsion. We do not need them waking up in the middle of all this going on.}”

“Yes.”

Chuck turned back to watch Hannah type on the keyboard and stare intently at the screen. “{I hope you didn’t get Dad’s ability to crash spaceships,}” Chuck told her in Martian.

“{He never taught me how to drive a spaceship, so we should be good!}” She hunched over the keyboard in her concentrating posture.

Chuck snapped his mouth shut and turned back to the crowd so he could warn Hannah if they got mad. They were all still concentrating on the screen Doc had showing the wrenchheads and Vash and Mr. Wolfwood without any visuals. Didn’t they have cameras anywhere? Limburger always installed cameras when he had to rebuild his Tower.

“What is that?” Doc asked with rapid typing. “What? How are we moving? This room?”

The crowd of ship citizens mostly asked what Doc was talking about, but Meryl-ma’am and Milly-ma’am both whirled around. Meryl-ma’am’s eyes widened when she saw the lit keyboard and she stepped toward them. “Hannah.”

Chuck shook his head. “Don’t distract the driver.”

The crowd split as Doc twisted in his seat so he had a clear view of Chuck and Hannah. “What are you doing, child?”

“Shooting the hostage,” Hannah said.

“We’re doing the Speed battle plan!” They never had a chance to do that one. Chuck thrust both his arms up. “Aoooow!”

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me in TOMORROW (Apr 17) in CHICAGO, then Torino (Apr 21) Marin County (Apr 27), Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!

#20yrsago Mickey Mouse’s dwindling brand https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/18/arts/film-building-a-better-mouse.html

#15yrsago Wired publishes documents detailing the FBI’s spyware https://www.wired.com/2009/04/fbi-spyware-pro/

#15yrsago Gorilla-viewing glasses prevent eye-contact https://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/no-eye-contact-glasses/

#15yrsago Man assaulted by police during G20 died from internal bleeding, not heart-attack http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8004222.stm

#15yrsago Sales booming in remote-kill devices for cars sold to poor credit-risks https://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/04/17/aa.bills.shut.engine.down/index.html

#15yrsago Canadian Members of Parliament voting records (finally) online https://web.archive.org/web/20090419144031/http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/620435

#15yrsago Jokes from the Cultural Revolution https://thechinabeat.blogspot.com/2009/04/jokes-from-great-proletarian-cultural.html

#15yrsago Swedish Pirate Party membership surges after Pirate Bay verdict https://web.archive.org/web/20090420055230/http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=en&js=n&u=http%3A%2F%2Fpress.piratpartiet.se%2F2009%2F04%2F17%2Finternet-kokar-piratpartiet-har-nu-fler-medlemmar-an-fp%2F&sl=sv&tl=en

#15yrsago Google Book Search settlement gives Google a virtual monopoly over literature https://memex.craphound.com/2009/04/17/google-book-search-settlement-gives-google-a-virtual-monopoly-over-literature/

#15yrsago Bruce Sterling’s “White Fungus” — architecture fiction for rising seas and the econopocalypse https://web.archive.org/web/20090420053737/http://www.sunarchitecture.nl/upload/49d601a8ba4b25.51434338.pdf

#10yrsago Video: Bart Gellman and me opening for Ed Snowden at SXSW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mltClsxsJw4

#10yrsago UK Tory MP who helped kill Legal Aid is wiped out by defending himself against sexual assault claim https://web.archive.org/web/20140414232920/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/130000-poorer-in-fees-nigel-evans-admits-regret-for-past-support-of-legal-aid-cuts-9259579.html

#5yrsago “A Message From the Future”: short film about the “Green New Deal Decade,” narrated by AOC, drawn by Molly Crabapple, presented by Naomi Klein https://theintercept.com/2019/04/17/green-new-deal-short-film-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/

#5yrsago Canadian Civil Liberties Association sues Toronto, Ontario, and Canada over the plan for a Google Sidewalk Labs “smart city” in Toronto https://www.vice.com/en/article/gy4bgj/canada-is-getting-sued-over-sidewalk-labs-smart-city-in-toronto

#5yrsago Ecuadorean authorities have unjustly arrested free software developer Ola Bini as part of their Assange dragnet https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/04/free-ola-bini

#5yrsago Bernie Sanders outraised every other Democrat in North Carolina https://amp.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article229277549.html #5yrsago What it’s like to watch someone you love fall down the Fox News rabbit-hole https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/04/i-gathered-stories-of-people-transformed-by-fox-news.html

#5yrsago When Rivers Were Trails: an indigenous take on Oregon Trail https://indianlandtenure.itch.io/when-rivers-were-trails

#5yrsago As the EU Copyright Directive was approved, Germany admitted it requires copyright filters, putting it on a collision course with the EU-Canada trade deal https://memex.craphound.com/2019/04/17/as-the-eu-copyright-directive-was-approved-germany-admitted-it-requires-copyright-filters-putting-it-on-a-collision-course-with-the-eu-canada-trade-deal/

#5yrsago London cops switch off wifi in the tube to make it harder for climate protesters to organise https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/17/18411820/london-underground-tube-wi-fi-down-shut-off-protests-extinction-rebellion

#5yrsago Republican lawmaker who dared AOC to come visit coal miners in his constituency gets scared, withdraws offer https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1118181129213943815

#5yrsago Lulzy Instagram memers are organizing a deadly serious trade union https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/04/instagram-memers-are-unionizing/587308/

#5yrsago Denver suburb officially changes name from “Swastika Acres” to “Old Cherry Hills” https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/16/swastika-acres-renamed/

[the-technicolor-whiscash]

I have been continuing to publicly hem and haw about whether or not to accept the IT position when they offer it but that is all for show my mind is already made up I am going to take the position. I love my coworkers and we have a lovely place set up but I am made for a different type of work and I love IT I really have a passion for it so as soon as I can make the switch I will

Esp cause like I will lose nothing except for my office. I’ll end up with like a cubicle but that’s fine I still have places to put things up. I’ll keep my salary I’ll keep my retirement (which I know at 23 I don’t have to worry about for a while but I am because I’ve seen how hard it is for people without retirements and I want to invest in it early) I’ll be working at the same college and I get to do something I like more. The only possible downsides are the fact the IT department is run like a sack of loose onions in the back of a covered wagon on the Oregon trail and the trail leader got trampled by buffalo (“asked to retire”) so now it’s being run by a woman who while extremely intelligent and a good leader, knows nothing about the Oregon trail and chose to caulk the wagon to float across a river and is now trying to bail water out of the wagon with a boot. The metaphor ran away from me but you get the idea.

[tgon]

Ghosts of Fear Street, Fright Christmas | Review

Title: Ghosts of Fear Street #15 – Fright Christmas Author: Stephen Roos (as by R.L. Stine) Cover Artist: John Youssi

INTRODUCTION

The cover artwork got my hopes up. Never before has Silent Night looked so loud loud loud! Unfortunately the plot is less interesting. The ghostwriter must have organized a White Elephant Plot Exchange, because the entire story is lifted from A Christmas Carol. It’s safe to assume R.L. Stine forgot this book exists, too, because he penned his own adaptation of the Dickens classic in 2017 entitled Young Scrooge.

I was fully prepared to skip this book. Bah humbug. But last night I was visited by The Ghost Of Christmas Past. The spectre said unto me, “Fright Christmas had an audiobook adaptation in 1997 starring Kieran Culkin. This wasn’t the most successful Christmas project for the Culkins, but skipping it could be seen as an insult. If they have the power to put a star in Hollywood Boulevard for Macaulay, think about how easily they could put you in the ground!”

Well, I’ve had a sudden change of heart. Let’s give this book a chance! One last toast to has-been ghosts, the review will be soon.

STORY REVIEW

Kenny Frobisher is less of a “peace on earth” guy and more of a “piece of work” guy. When his sister visits Santa in the mall, Kenny spoils the occasion by calling it all fake. He even rips Mall Santa’s beard off! Maybe Kenny is banking on the resale value of coal. Anyways, Kenny wisely dips out after the beard stunt sparks a child riot. He sneaks into a secret control room, pushing past a big sign that says DANGER! KEEP OUT! So maybe Kenny is also banking on the resale value of Darwin Awards.

Kenny decides to flip some random switches, which was quality entertainment in a pre-internet America. This great plan backfires when Kenny locks himself in. Kenny fears that the ghostwriter is copying another story from the 1840s ⁠— until the door mysteriously creaks open. He emerges to discover an abandoned mall. He must have stayed past closing time. Or maybe he timetraveled to the early 2020s.

Santa rises from the shadows, but this fella ain’t holly-jolly. He looks ticked. Truly chilling. If that doesn’t scare you, have you considered SANTA is an anagram for SATAN? Truly chilling. Kenny yanks down on Santa’s beard, but this one doesn’t detach. Uh oh. Santa reprimands Kenny for his naughtiness and warns that the boy will be visited by three spirits. Kenny flees to Dalby’s Department Store, which is a cute bit of continuity, as this store is an important location in the main Fear Street series. Kenny decides it’s a super good time to nap on one of the luxury beds. Yes he’s trapped in a mall and haunted by ghosts, but it’s 8:59 (PM!!) and he’s sleepy, dagnabbit.

Kenny wakes up to the revving of a motorcycle. He meets an intimidating biker named Night Watchman. The guy claims he’s been watching Kenny all the time, but I guess “All Hours Watchman” doesn’t sound cool. This dude shows Kenny a flashback, a day when Kenny bullied some kid named “Tiny Timmy” in front of the whole school. Of course, Kenny enjoys revisiting this memory. To keep his grip on the situation, Night Watchman simply rams Kenny with his bike. Truly an underrated rhetorical strategy.

Eyes snapping open, Kenny finds himself back in the department store. The bed has been torn to shreds. He meets a wintery ghost named Ice Man. This fixes a huge problem in the original Dickens story: the total lack of wrestler-style character names. Ice Man whisks Kenny away to show him how the Frobishers are handling Christmas Eve without their son. Kenny’s sister seems pretty upset, but Mr. Frobisher offers helpful advice such as

“These things happen, honey.”

Think that sounds cold? Turns out, the family is only sad because their dog is lost. They haven’t even noticed Kenny is gone. I guess if you live on Fear Street, you develop an Oregon Trail mindset. Sometimes we have two kids, sometimes we have one kid, oh well what can you do.

Kenny is woken once more, this time by techno lights and crazy music, and he finds himself in an open grave. After all, you can’t spell GRAVE without RAVE. There’s also an unknown figure skulking around above him. Kenny pleas for help, but the figure turns out to be a hooded ghost. The spooky dude points a skeleton-finger at Kenny, and a hoard of ghost kids descend on our protagonist. Oh my God, they killed Kenny!

Back in the mall again, an electrician shakes Kenny awake. The boy fell asleep in the control room. Feeling a sudden change of heart, he buys a gift for his sister. When Kenny gets home, the family dog has indeed gone missing, just like in his dream. Luckily, Tiny Timmy happened to catch the dog and returns it, upgrading him to Regular Timmy. But then Timmy reveals a spooky skeleton-finger, signifying that he was the mysterious ghost from Kenny’s dream. I made a visual aid to convey the terror.

THE VERDICT

If you’d like to create your own adaptation of A Christmas Carol, it might be beneficial to follow this simple set of rules: Don’t.

So concludes our third Biennial Holiday Special. Maybe by 2025, Elon Musk will buy this blog for billions of dollars and replace me with an AI. If you don’t want me replaced by a robot (or maybe you chuckled while reading this entry), feel free to leave a like or drop a message.

BEST QUOTE

“Sorry, Kenny,” Dad said softly. “We were reading A Christmas Carol. I know how you hate it.” “Not anymore, Dad,” I said, […] “I love it! It’s one of my favorite stories now!”

Why? At what point was that experience anything other than traumatizing?

[brettsey-two-tts]

Brettsey prompt - “I should’ve been your first call!”

Stella found Sylvie in the locker room staring at her phone. She assumed she was texting Casey, but she was sorely mistaken when she saw the small frown on her face.

Stella stopped in front of her locker and opened it, announcing her presence to her best friend. “Everything okay, Syl?”

Sylvie turned on the bench to face the brunette and revealed an utterly sorrow-filled expression. “Not… entirely.” Stella gave a worried look, so Sylvie elaborated. “I, as painful as it sounds, because it feels incredibly painful… I have to… change my emergency contact. It was Matt and since he moved to Oregon for a few years…” She trailed off, but Stella knew what she was getting at. She knew the emotional turmoil her best friend was going through since Casey moved. She couldn’t expect the blonde to be sunshine and rainbows all the time.

Stella immediately moved to the bench to sit next to Sylvie at the mention and protectively wrapped her arm around her. “Hey, hey,” she said softly and comfortingly. “You don’t have to do this right away, you know. You can take your time.”

“Yeah, I know,” Sylvie replied with a long sigh. “But, the last thing I want is for him to get a call from the hospital saying something happened to me. it’ll throw him for a loop and he’ll panic and then call you and Severide. Two-thousand miles is a long way away and I know if he doesn’t get on the next plane out, he’ll beat himself up and blame himself for moving, and I never want him to do that.”

Stella nodded along, completely understanding her reasoning for wanting to do it sooner rather than later. “Then why don’t you put me down? You said so yourself, if it were still Casey, he’d call us anyways.”

Sylvie looked relieved. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Stella replied with a beaming smile.

“Thanks, Stella.”

After passing Sylvie’s phone back and forth to properly update her emergency contact number through her medical account, Sylvie felt a little pang in her chest. It was like Matt was disappearing from her life, and even though that wasn’t the case at all, it still felt like it. There were parts of her days that would involve Matt or him in some capacity, but all that was gone, and they were still having some troubles with their call schedule.

Sylvie would later confess these feelings to Matt during a scheduled FaceTime call. She didn’t like the saddened expression on his face when she did, but they promised not to hide anything from each other. It took a couple of weeks to create a call schedule, but as they stuck to it, they remained happily in love.

.

.

.

Stella and Severide were lounging on the couch in their loft watching ‘Is It Cake’. Their competitive spirits were in full swing as they made bets on whether or not some realistically created cakes on podiums were in fact cake. Points were written down on a napkin and as they laughed about a certain cake that Severide thought was indeed cake (it wasn’t), Stella’s phone rang.

Stella did a double-take at the caller ID and felt her breath catch in her throat. Severide caught on and gave his fiancée a puzzled look.

“Everything alright?” he asked.

“Uh, no,” Stella replied. “Gaffney Medical is calling me.”

He looked confused. “Why are they calling you?”

Stella almost gave him a bone chilling stare. “Because Sylvie switched her emergency contact to me a couple of months ago.”

Stella answered the phone on the last ring and nodded along with the nurse that called her. When she hung up, she sprung off the couch and grabbed her jacket off the coat rack. Severide followed her and shrugged on his jacket.

“Was it Brett? Did they say anything?” Severide asked as he grabbed his keys.

Stella flipped her hair out that was tucked behind her jacket. “The nurse told me Sylvie was in the middle of an x-ray but wouldn’t tell me anything more.”

“Shit,” he swore. After they locked up, they jumped into the elevator, and then he asked the one question that was probably on both their minds. “Do we call Casey?”

As the elevator doors closed, he and Stella shared a quiet yet long stare, unsure what to do.

.

.

.

Stella and Severide walked into the hospital room and immediately saw Sylvie in a hospital gown. She looked a little banged up with a few cuts on her face and arms, but otherwise looked fine.

Sylvie looked confused as she stared at the couple. “What are you two doing here?”

“Med called me,” Stella replied, almost out of breath. “What–What happened to you? Are you okay?” She hovered over her best friend, unsure of Sylvie’s physical medical status. Was it okay to touch her? Did she break something? Was she in pain?

Sylvie looked at her arms and slightly shook her head. “I was coming back from spin class. I was stopped at a red light when this lunatic sped past me, ran the red, and t-boned a minivan. I got out of my car and called 9-1-1 and tried to help the family that was trapped. These cuts are probably from the shattered glass.” She saw Severide’s worried look.

“And the x-ray?” he asked.

Sylvie let out a heavy sigh. “I told them I had some discomfort in my forearm and they insisted on taking an x-ray just to be sure.” She raised her arm and saw small cuts on her forearm. They were very small, but also numerous. She looked regretful as she looked between Stella and Severide. “I’m really sorry they called you guys and made you worry.”

Sylvie expected to see a couple of comforting smiles but was met with some worried frowns. It almost looked like something else was on their minds. Stella and Severide shared a brief look before turning back to Sylvie.

Sylvie’s brows furrowed at her friends’ ominous expressions. “Why do you guys have that look on your face?” she asked with a suspicious and worried tone.

Stella winced at the string of bad news that she was about to tell her best friend. “We-we may have called Casey on the way here.”

Sylvie’s eyes immediately widened at the new, revealing worry and anxiety. Stella could tell what the blonde was thinking because she wasn’t privy to how Sylvie felt about the situation with Casey regarding her overall health and wellbeing, especially if it turned out to be something minor like the situation they were currently in.

“What did you tell him?” Sylvie asked worriedly.

Severide replied with regret in his tone. “That we got a call from Med about you and were on our way.”

Stella let out a small sigh. “The nurse didn’t tell us much when she called me other than that you were getting an x-ray, so we called Casey on our way here thinking the worst happened.”

Sylvie frowned at the thought of Matt pacing back and forth, wondering what happened to her or if she was okay. She knew he was probably holding his breath trying to get a hold of her.

Oh no. Her phone.

Sylvie regretfully closed her eyes as she remembered where her phone was.

“Shoot, I left my phone in my car.” Sylvie could tell that Stella felt bad about the whole thing. “It’s not your fault, you guys,” she reassured them with a hopeful smile. “You were worried and acted on instinct. I’ll call Matt as soon as I’m discharged and explain the whole thing.”

Before Stella or Severide could get a word out, Severide’s phone rang in his pocket. He took out his phone to peek at the caller ID and eyed Stella and Sylvie before answering it.

“Hey,” he began. There was a pause. “Yeah, we’re at Med and she’s right here.” Pause. Some muttering could be heard. “Yeah, she’s fine. Do you want to talk to her?” There was a slight nod before he held out his phone to Sylvie.

Sylvie saw Matt’s name on the screen and flashed a worried frown. “Thanks, Severide.”

Severide ushered his fiancée out of the room to give Sylvie and Casey some time to talk.

“Hi, Matt,” she said soothingly.

“Hey– Severide told me you’re in the hospital.”

She could tell he was out of breath, like he had been holding it for the past hour or so. Her heart crumpled under the weight of her guilt. She didn’t want him to worry about her or take him away from his day to day activities. 

“Are you okay?” he asked hastily.

“Yes, yes. I’m perfectly fine. I was helping out at an accident that happened on my way back from the gym, so all I have are some cuts and maybe some bruising. Everything is very minor and I’m in no life threatening danger.” She did everything she could to dissipate the situation as quickly as possible. She didn’t want her boyfriend to spend another second worrying about her. “I’m fine, Matt.” She muttered reassuringly, hoping his heart stopped racing, because she knew it was.

Matt had been switching between pacing in the kitchen and leaning forward against the kitchen counter for the past hour, wishing and waiting for any news about his girlfriend that was two-thousand miles away. If he were still in Chicago, he would’ve been by her side the moment he heard about it. His knuckles flashed white as he kept clenching his fists.

“I should’ve been your first call,” he blurted out. He almost sounded like he was angry at himself.

“Matt…”

“I should–” he stopped abruptly to gather his thoughts. “I want to be there for you.”

“You are,” she reassured him. “Matt, what you’re doing for those boys is important and I don’t want you to think otherwise. Good or bad, things will happen, which we both know it’s out of our control given our professions.”

“I’d hate it if anything happened to you, Sylvie,” he confessed in a single breath, reeling from the thought. “Especially since I’m so far away.”

“I know,” she replied sadly. “I feel the same way about you, but this shouldn’t overwhelm our situation.” The situation being their long distance relationship. “I love you and I want you to live your life over there, not spend every waking minute worrying about someone that’s thousands of miles away.”

He let out a small laugh. She was right; it was best not to worry, and at the same time, not to think about it. “That someone is my girlfriend, who I love very much.”

“And someone who you will be seeing in three weeks,” she replied, hoping the reminder would quell his worries.

He briefly beamed at the reminder. It had been on his calendar at the firehouse for the past couple of weeks, ever since she scheduled her visit. He really couldn’t wait to see her. After this scare, he wouldn’t mind foregoing all of their plans and spending her entire visit in doors, safe in his arms and far away from harm.

“I promise to be careful, Matt.”

“I know.” He let out a long sigh. Thankfully she didn’t follow his lead and swing off aerials or jump off buildings to escape explosions. “Would you also be able to promise me no more hospital visits unless it's for when you drop off patients during shift?”

She laughed lightly. “I will do my best, Babe. I should get going. The nurse said I’d be discharged soon.”

“Okay. I love you, Sylvie. Call me later?”

She smiled; any ounce of time with Matt was time well spent and she really couldn’t wait to see him. She really wanted time to fast forward a few weeks. “I love you, too. I’ll call you as soon as I get home.”

[haylanmakesstuff]

Day 9-11

This entire week was spent at one of my favorite places in the whole wide universe; Bighorn National Forest, and the surrounding area. I had company for the first time, as I picked up my co-director, co-pilot, leaver of crumbs, breaker of noise curfews, bestie Ashton. We soodled about Sheridan, Wyo, eating things and looking at old items for sale for either very little or very much.

We headed up the mountain; the Big Horns are a sister range to the Rocky Mountains, just to the east over the Big Horn Basin. They abruptly and steeply rise, “Fusing heaven to earth,” as Michael Punke put it in The Reverent. Switch backing up these mountains, you gain a beautiful view and lose phone service. It was going to be a good week!

I worked here two summers for the US Forest Service as an interpreter and fell in love with not only the forest and mountains, but the state as a whole. I told Ashton that we would pass the short but very steep hike called Steamboat Point; each year this is the very first hike I would do when I would arrive, as so much was still under snow. She lost her mind and decided to hike it – I was happy to watch from afar and read a book in the cool Wyo breeze.

Like the true champ she is, she conquered it and was back at the parking area in about 1/3 the time it would take me to get up the rock. Go Ashton! If you look real close on the above picture, you’ll see little Ashton on the steep trail up. 

We tucked into our campsite, had a nice fire, and enjoyed the Wyo night that’s colder than the Texas winter. On Day 11 we set out to hike Bucking Mule Falls. I was nervous about hiking this distance; though it’s a fraction of what I used to hike many years ago, this would be the longest hike I have done in about 5 years, and definitely over harder terrain. At 5.5 miles, I did much better than I thought. It really made me reflect that perhaps I was experiencing chronic fatigue and pain from hEDS and Fibromyalgia far longer than I thought I was. I wondered if the cooler summers spent in Hawaii, Wyoming, and Oregon working as an outdoor educator softened the blow and lengthened my abilities. I’m definitely feeling stronger in the dryer, cooler weather.

This hike is one of my favorites of all time, and I’m so shocked and beyond glad to say I completed it. I am saving the picture of the falls because my next post will be a short story I wrote about my first experience on this hike. I hope to have it published one day, but for now, it will be on here for you to enjoy.

Rewarding ourselves, we ended the day with Big Mikes Pies up at Bear Lodge. The next day was a rest day, so we toured one of the interpretive sites where I used to work; Shell Falls. The staff and interns there this year seem to be the kind I hope I can work with one day. Here we earned our Junior Ranger Badge.

I dedicate this Badge to who else other than the Ghost with the most, Ashton. Thank you for not only supporting my fundraiser when you already spent so much on a plane ticket to come play with me, but for being so compassionate and understanding. I have so much fun doing nothing with you, but we can fill our time crafting, trying on elaborate dresses from decades past, or scaring teenagers in a grassy field on a mountain top floating in the middle of the sea. I grew up and for a long time I thought my time of making friends, especially wonderfully close friends, was over, then you walked into the picture, and I rearranged my heart for you and hope you never, ever leave. Thank you, simply, for you.

A hui hou,

Haylan

[inkus-plinkus]

I really get a frick-ton of enjoyment out of old games, and I don't know why. A lot of them are so stupid and silly - and incredibly frustrating to boot - but yet I can't seem to hate them.

The first one that comes to mind that has a special place in my heart is Oregon Trail II. Not the text-based one, but the one with a lot of visuals and sound effects and it's very old-timey, not just in the fact it takes place in the oooooold USA, but in the graphics compared to modern-day games as well.

That game is so stupid. And yet it's so genius at the same time. It's infuriating how you can just die for seemingly no reason - that if you hunt animals you are very likely to accidentally shoot yourself - that you can spend so long trying to be as careful as possible on a run all for you to just die suddenly because the RNG decided it.

I still love playing it. The entire experience of it, really. But if we were only taking the player's experience into account and nothing else, it really is a shit game. You will have a miserable time for at least a few minutes out of any run, I guarantee it, and it will likely be a lot LONGER than a few minutes too.

But that's completely by design. The educational aspect of the game is subtle enough to where it doesn't FEEL like it's in your face, but every facet of the experience down to the emotions you experience while you play are, in themselves, teaching you something about what it was like back then. Of course, grumbling at silly migration video game is not nearly as bad as it was actually dying of cholera, starvation, or hypothermia, but it's about as close as the game can legally get to putting you into that experience.

There is something so perfect about Oregon Trail II and yet not a lot of people talk about it, I feel like. It's an exceedingly old game that most systems can't play without an emulator, so I suppose it makes sense. But I, being born in 2002, played it when I was in school, and to me that's also crazy. Oregon Trail II came out in 1995 and I was playing it in, at the EARLIEST, 2007, but it was more likely to be 2008 or 2009. Maybe all three years, actually. I remember loving the game even though I didn't understand what was happening and never actually got to the expedition part. I just liked buying up all the bacon, and the aesthetics of the game.

It's not just Oregon Trail II I like despite being so old, either. I like atari games in general, although many of them are hard for me to figure out. The Nintendo Switch Online thingies have a lot of old/older/oldish games to play and i like exploring those lists and just opening games i know nothing about and trying to figure them out. One of the games I did this with was called Burger Time and it was so hard for me to figure out (because i am stupid) that I had to look up a guide for it... a guide for fuckin BURGER TIME bro.

anyway, when i have my own house i think i will collect a lot of old games and play them. and probably write about them. get ready

-inkus

plinkus edit:

i tried playing psycho dream, i think it was named, on the switch emulator. it was pretty boring. the title screen looked neat though.

i unno about burger time specifically, but older games tend to lack tutorials and stuff, so its prolly normal to look up guides. it might be less authentic to the old games experience though, if theyre from before big internet. i dont think its worth the suffering of trial and error personally, when u can just google it, but its possible that that's fun for some people.

i do like some arcade games a lot, if that counts for this topic. like, the aesthetic of them is real cool. the music's also real cool. i like galaga and the ones like it in particular, but im not very good at them. i also really like dig dug, or maybe it was dig dug 2 that i liked. the green creatures are real cool.

i also like tetris, especially some of the music. i watched a couple youtube videos of a puyo puyo-tetris player that were real cool. i also tried playing a puyo puyo game on the switch emulator i think, but it seemed like it'd be too difficult for me. something about setting up color patterns for chains later is...incomprehensible. maybe theres a secret pattern to it or something.

- plinkus

inkus edit / reply:

i have disliked tetris for a majority of my life, as a result of my "hating mainstream things" arc; that's a wall im slowly trying to break though. what *I* liked from back in the day was the pokemon puzzle league, which was i think the equivalent to tetris nostalgia that others play. puzzle league is also on the nintendo switch online - and it might be the nostalgia talking, but thats good shit. anyway, i think i would enjoy the original tetris if i played it. i've played tetris clones and enjoyed them but i dont enjoy them as much as i think others do. i think some other puzzle types are more enjoyable to me.

i dont kno what puyo puyo is adandans and i also dont know what galaga is but i have DEFINITELY heard the word galaga before

i might try psycho dream if i can find it, mostly out of curiosity. i think a lot of things u think are boring are things i find fun sahdasndna

i am glad you mentioned that its just a thing where old games lacked tutorials; i thought i must be crazy, because every game from that era i've tried, they just... start.

like for one example stepdad got a gift one year from me and my mom that was an atari console with like a "150 built in games" type thing or something? I know ones exist where it apparently has like 2600 games and they're like $300-400. i could really spend hundreds of hours just exploring those worlds. like, if i had the money to do so i would definitely buy one of those if they ACTUALLY had 2600 fricken games in there.

but the fact you just get thrown into it without instructions can, for the most part, stress me out. like it makes me feel a bit stupid that i can't understand what's happening, because i just imagine some 6 year old in the 80s laughing at me for not being able to get it even though i'm 21. and, obviously, it isnt that i "can't understand" or "CANT get" the games, because i enjoy them actively. it's just me needing instructions. maybe its autism related? or just me being a lil dummy

anyway to continue my previous thought im glad u brought it up because i didnt want to do the "walk of shame" to the google search bar to type 'why cant i understand how old game do :(((((((((('

[ravioip]

been playing the new oregon trail game for switch, right, and my first group was

pants, a missionary who had the hedonistic and kind(?) traits

off, an adventurer who had the funny and kind traits.

lucky, a farmer who had the neat trait, and i dont rember what his other one was..

and moist, a banker who had the funny trait, though i cant remember what else.

pants was named first, and then we decided the parties theme was just silly goofy, and therefore got pants off lucky and moist.

pants was good at healing and wayfinding, off was good at haggling and hunting, although she kept getting run over by the wagon, lucky was decent at shooting, good at carpentry, but he kept accidentally getting shot because he put the gun away wrong. moist was great at haggling too, but she kept contracting dysentery and then giving it to everyone else.

at one point moist actually left the party because she was super depressed and i didnt have anything to help with morale, and then like 10 seconds later. at the next fort, she shows up like "haha that was funny joke, right? i sure scared you guys- haha- pleasetakemebackitsuckedbeingalone" (Plain Text: please take me back it sucked being alone.) so i let her back into the party.

i ended up making it to oregon with all my party members alive, thankfully.

ive started a new journey, this time the california trail.

this time we have

Honkers the musican, i dont remember her traits

(brother) Boobas the missionary, he's hedonistic as well but i dont remember what else

Tiddies the physician, he has the brilliant trait i think? i dont remember tbh.

and Melons the farmer.

theres a boob theme here if you couldnt tell. i only just started with this group so i dont know their traits super well yet, however-

so far we've gotten a bunch of gold, gotten scammed out of 20 bullets by an asshole, took an unlucky golden nugget from an old prospector (which mightve genuinely been unlucky because Honkers immediately got run over by the wagon twice in a row. broke her foot, i used like three medicine to heal her fully, and then she broke her arm immediately after.), we also spent All of our money at the start to fully stock our wagon and honestly i think it was a smart move? we havent really had to worry too much about anytbing because i had so much meds and toolkits and clothes packed that we were fine.

all in all im having a great time lmao.

[smlpodcast]

The SML Podcast - Episode 831: Glitchémon

Download Episode 831 -- 

Two PartyCast halves are ready to go as we've got a massive review load to tackle, so let's go!

The show kicks off with Brooke Poole, Tim Ekkebus, Chris Taylor, and Aki on hand to welcome our good friend Big Adam Chase to the show to hang out and chat for a little about our weeks, the new Pokémans games, tons of snow up at Tim's house, Adam's recent surgery plus how he's holding up and what he's playing, and tons more! LATER in the show Pernell Vaughan & Jacob Garner join in and chat too in their own little segment. Plus reviews!

0:00 - Intro/PartyCast Pt. 1 27:55 - Fixture S2 for Switch OLED - Fixture Gaming (Tim) 41:50 - WRC Generations: The FIA WRC Official Game - KT Racing, Nacon (Big Adam) 50:37 - The Oregon Trail - Gameloft (Brooke/Chris) 1:09:10 - Absolute Tactics: Daughters of Merch - Curious Fate, Akupara Games (Chris) 1:19:33 - Goodbye World - Yo Fujii, Isolation Studio, PM Studios (Brooke) 1:26:00 - Primal Light - Fat Gem, No Gravity Games (Chris) 1:39:12 - The OneUps - The Streets of Sim City (Intermission) 1:44:51 - PartyCast Pt. 2 1:52:30 - Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA - Nihon Falcom, NIS America (Pernell) 1:59:52 - JoJo Siwa: Worldwide Party - Cocodrilo Dog, Outright Games (Jacob) 2:08:02 - Kaiju Wars - Foolish Mortals Games, Klabater (Pernell) 2:17:38 - Babol the Walking Box - Gamecom Team, ChiliDog Interactive (Jacob) 2:23:19 - Trash Sailors - fluckyMachine, tinyBuild (Pernell/Jacob)

The show ends with MORE OneUps because we played them during the intermission too if you paid attention to that lineup I wrote up there. I put effort into this show sometimes, ya know!

2:36:10 - The OneUps - Underground BGM (Super Mario Bros.)

https://www.instagram.com/bigadamfest/ https://fixturegaming.com/ https://fixturegaming.com/collections/fixture-s2 https://kylotonn.com/ https://www.nacongaming.com/ https://www.gameloft.com/ https://curiousfate.com/ https://www.akuparagames.com/ https://www.pm-studios.com/ https://www.fatgemgames.com/ https://nogravitygames.com/ https://www.falcom.co.jp/ https://www.nisamerica.com/ https://www.cocodrilodog.com/ https://outrightgames.com/ http://www.foolish-mortals.net/ https://klabater.com/ https://gamecomteam.com/ https://chilidoginteractive.com/ https://twitter.com/fluckyMachine https://www.tinybuild.com/ https://theoneups.bandcamp.com/ https://www.troggostudio.com/product/20 https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sml-podcast/id826998112 https://open.spotify.com/show/6KQpzHeLsoyVy6Ln2ebNwK https://twitter.com/theSMLpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/theSMLpodcast/ ALL REVIEWED GAMES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED FOR FREE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ANY COVERAGE ON THE SHOW #Xbox #Switch #PS5

[thapsyrensays]

THEY PUT THE OREGON TRAIL ON THE NINTENDO SWITCH.

[dreamwritesimagines]

Burn The Witch 23 - Haunted Heart [Bucky Barnes x Reader]

A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful support and feedback my loves ! ❤ Here’s the next chapter, I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think! ❤ Thank you! ❤❤❤

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Warnings: Enemies to lovers, lovers to enemies, fake dating, mentions of blood, sex, violence, death, manipulation, language, guns, knives.

Summary: Coming home can cause issues.

Series Masterlist

                          SIX MONTHS LATER

You flipped the knife in your hand as the guy tied to the chair glared at you.

“You know,” you trailed off, “I’ve had a really shitty couple of months, Johnny- can I call you Johnny?”

“No.”

“Rude,” you commented, “Fine. John. I’ve had a really shitty couple of months so you really don’t want to try me right now. Just tell me where I can find your boss.”

“You’ll never find him you stupid bitch.”

You rolled your eyes.

“Since I’m going to kill you in a couple of minutes I feel like I can share some things with you,” you said, “My best friend says I keep everything bottled and I should talk about my feelings.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

“See, that’s exactly how I feel!” you pointed at him, “Thank you. I mean, I feel angry at myself. I kind of fucked up with the man I love.”

“Jesus Christ, just kill me already.”

“I’m waiting for a text to do that Johnny,” you pointed out, waving your phone at him. “So, I tricked him and used him and threw him to wolves. And then Accords 2.0 didn’t pass and he has been pardoned once again, and he’s a free man now. I have a strong feeling that he’s not the ‘forgive and forget’ type of guy. You know, assassin to assassin.”

“You’re the chattiest assassin I’ve ever met.”

“Thank you, I’m trying to improve myself,” you said, “I mean what exactly should I do? I don’t even trust my agency at this point, my handler lied to me and I have been at this fucking place for six months now, hunting you down. Well, your boss but…”

“You’ll never find him.”

“We’ll see about that my friend,” you said, “So anyway, like what am I supposed to do? I lost the one guy I actually loved. How do you cope with that? Because drinking doesn’t work, sleeping with others doesn’t work…. Nothing seems to—“ you were cut off when your phone vibrated and you touched the screen to open the text message.

From: Julian

Go for it.

“Wait, no no no, I’ll talk—“

“Kind of too late,” you pointed the gun at him, “Nice to meet you Johnny.”

With that you pulled the trigger, silencer doing its job as there was no loud bang or anything. His body fell back with the impact, and you heaved a sigh.

“Maybe I need a therapist I can’t kill,” you mumbled and walked out of the warehouse to approach the car before opening the door to the passenger seat to get in.

“Is it done?” Julian asked and you nodded, rubbing at your eyes.

“Yep.”

“Are you hungry?”

You made a face, “Just because the General sent you here does not mean we’re going to become buddies.”

“I’m not trying to become buddies with you,” Julian stated, “I just want to eat fries and there’s a two for one deal.”

You eyed him up and down.

“Fine, I could eat fries.” You leaned back in the seat as he started driving, keeping your eyes on the road. Soon enough, you reached the city center and Julian got fries from a food truck, then sat across from you.

“So,” he said, “You do realize this whole thing would’ve been over by now if we actually worked together?”

“I’m not going on the field with you.”

“The General sent me here to help you.”

You dipped the fry into sauce, then popped it into your mouth, “You can help me by pretending you’re not here.”

“Y/N.”

“You know what they say Julian. Fool me once…”

“Don’t tell me you’re still holding that grudge.”

“You mean when you left me behind to die on the last mission we were together?” you asked back, “That grudge?”

“I told you—“

“I’m not going to talk about that with you,” you cut him off, “And I work better alone. Who told you we could waste the guy by the way?”

“The General.”

You grabbed the salt shaker to pour some salt on the fries, causing Julian to make a face.

“Are you kidding me? That was salty enough-“

“Why did he not text me?”

“No idea. Maybe he’s avoiding you because he promised you handler and here you are. Field spy.”

Your jaw clenched.

Or maybe he’s avoiding me because he fucking lied to me.

You had to give it to him, it was the perfect plan. The moment he had suspected you were getting too close to Bucky, he had come up with the one thing he knew that would make you switch sides.

And that-

That was below the belt yes, but that was also masterly.

But at the end of the day, you barely had two people to trust in the entire world, and you seriously doubted you could ever forgive the General for what he had done. You knew he held duty above all, above family and surely above you, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

You shook your head at yourself and grabbed another piece of fry.

“So um…” Julian shifted his weight, “Are you okay?”

You shot him a glare, arching a brow, “Peachy.”

“No I mean… About Barnes.”

“What are you talking about?”

“This whole Accords 2.0 failure, there’s no way we could go after him again.”

“I don’t want to go after him again.”

“You don’t want revenge?”

That made you straighten up your back and you put the fry down, “And why exactly would I want revenge?”

That made Julian fall silent and you nibbled on your lip.

“What exactly did the General tell you before you came here?”

“That there was a job here.”

“Bullshit,” you replied way too quickly, “Did he send you here to be my babysitter? He thinks I’ll go after Barnes myself is that it? That’s why they sent you here months after I left the country but right after Accords 2.0 didn’t pass.”

Julian licked his lips.

“Listen, the agency wants to keep you safe—“ he started but then his phone beeped. He grabbed it to take aa look at the screen, then cussed under his breath.

“What?”

“Check your texts.”

You touched the screen and frowned as your eyes skimmed the text.

From: General

Time to come home.

“Well,” you muttered, your heart dropping to your stomach, “Shit.”

                                                   ***

Coming back home was harder than ever now. After catching up with Keith and Chloe, you were taken to your new apartment that was given to you by the agency as usual, and for the whole night you couldn’t sleep.

Even if there was no trace of Bucky in your new apartment –in your new life, you still couldn’t shake off this feeling. It was as if the moment you had entered the country, Bucky had entered your life in an instant.

Odds were, you wouldn’t really see him again. After all it was a big city, and Bucky wasn’t exactly the social type.

So your first week back in New York wasn’t exactly terrible. You were still waiting for your orders while getting to know to the city slowly, because after long missions it always took time for you to remember you had a real life there, real memories—

Well, as real as it could be, for a spy.

“Just see it as a vacation,” Chloe had said, “They threw you into another mission as soon as you got out of the country, it’s just a delayed vacation.”

As far as vacations went though, this one just sucked.

Maybe it was because you couldn’t keep away from places you and Bucky had been too, like this coffee place where you had first officially met.

You sipped your coffee, scrolling down on the news website as your eyes skimmed yet another article about Accords and whether you could trust superheroes or not, but you were soon distracted when someone pulled the seat across from you, making you look up from your phone.

And as soon as you did, your heart dropped.

You had to give it to the General, he was manipulative, he was a liar and he had betrayed your trust terribly but the one thing he had done right was training you well. Aside from that one second, you managed to adapt a look of nonchalance on your face, slowly putting your phone down.

“Hello Cap.”

Sam raised his brows and eyed you up and down.

“You’re back?”

You could swear he could hear your heartbeat and you shrugged your shoulders, looking around.

“Yeah,” you said, “Big apple and everything.”

“So much for the small town girl.”

“I have never been a small town girl,” you drawled, “Never been to Oregon either.”

“Yeah, I can tell.”

You turned your coffee cup on the table just so you could do something with your hands.

“Why?” he asked after a beat and you shifted your weight despite your whole training of feeling calm and collected, nervousness hitting you out of nowhere.

“You’re a veteran, Wilson,” you managed to say, “You don’t need me to tell you how the chain of command works. Army doesn’t care how we feel about orders.”

“I’m very familiar with how chain of command works,” he pointed out, “But you’re not a soldier, Y/N. You’re a spy.”

“That makes it even worse,” you stated, “I know it sounds like an excuse, but… you don’t know how my agency works. I don’t get to say no to orders, and I sure as hell don’t get to blow my own cover.”

“But you wanted to, didn’t you?”

Jesus Christ, Wilson was really good at this observation thing.

“Doesn’t matter what I want,” you said, “I’m no use to anyone if I develop a conscience.”

“But you did,” he insisted, “Why else would you come to help us? Why else would you warn him beforehand?”

“He told you about that?”

He shot you a look, “What do you think, Y/N?”

You scoffed a laughter. “I was feeling generous,” you said, “No other reason.”

He kept his gaze on you for a couple of seconds, as if trying to see whether you would cave before he took a deep breath.

“You know he was going to propose, right?”

That-

That was just too much. You could feel your jaw hanging as you stared at him in complete silence, his words echoing in your ears.

“No,” you said after a moment, then shook your head fervently, your nose in the air, “No you’re wrong.”

“I’m not,” Sam said, “Apparently he was looking for this… house painted in white with—a red door or something.”

Don’t cry.

Do not fucking cry.

Spies don’t cry over heartbreak.

You clenched your jaw and blinked back the tears, straightening your back.

“It’s a good thing he didn’t get to, then.”

“Y/N, he loved you.”

“No Sam, he loved someone who doesn’t exist,” you replied, “Sweet small town girl with sundresses and smiles and some house in the suburbs with kids and all that shit. Girls like me don’t get that ending, I have way too much blood on my hands.”

He pressed his lips together and you cleared your throat.

“How much does he hate me?”

“Why do you think he hates you?”

“Assassins aren’t good at forgiving,” you said, “I would know, we don’t have that talent.”

“That’s not a talent, that’s a choice.”

“It really isn’t,” you muttered, “So?”

“Why don’t you ask him?”

You let out a bitter laugh, “Yeah no. Actions have consequences and I’d rather not cross paths with the deadliest assassin in the world after double crossing him.”

“But you want him to forgive you.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Intuition,” he said and pushed his chair back to stand up.

“He didn’t kill your father, Y/N.”

You heaved a sigh.

“I know,” you said, “Trust me, I would’ve walked away so much easier if he had.”

“Enjoy your coffee,” he said and walked out of the coffee house. You threw your head back, closing your eyes.

“Yep. I shouldn’t have come back.”

                                                  ***

“I never thought I’d say this, but I kind of hate that we’re not living so close anymore,” you pressed the phone between your shoulder and your ear and opened the door to your apartment as Keith chuckled.

“I knew you’d miss me.”

“Shut up.”

“You’re a softie deep inside. Very very deep inside.”

“If you repeat that in front of anyone I swear to God…” you muttered and he groaned.

“Have I told you they’re putting me in the same team as Julian?”

“You guys have a new mission?”

“Not a long one probably.”

“Why the fuck am I—“

“Because you’re on a vacation,” he cut you off, “And also they’re probably going to make you a handler, that’s worth waiting for.”

“That or….”

“We’re not talking about that on the phone,” Keith said quickly, “Amateur.”

“Careful there, I’ll outrank you soon enough,” you said, walking to the bathroom to wash your hands. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Alright, see you later!” he said and hung up. You put your phone into your pocket, then washed your hands and made your way to the kitchen.

It was only when you put the wine bottle back into the fridge that you noticed something was off. Your body moved on its own accord, before you knew it you had already grabbed the knife in your boots and threw it to the figure in the dark corner of the room but he easily caught it, metal hitting what sounded like another kind of metal before he stepped out of the corner. Your breath caught in your throat, and for the first time in your life you froze, all the training leaving your mind.

You were supposed to be looking for a weapon, any kind of weapon but somehow, your body refused to move.

Bucky turned your knife in his hands, his gaze pinning you to your spot before he tilted his head.

“Hi honey,” he said, his voice way too cold. “I’m home.”

Chapter 24

[also-fours]

HEY

You know Hades? That game that came out last year? And was apparently really good?

...im not talking about that one

Instead, I'm talking about Pyre. Which was made by the same devs.

I finished this game on Monday, and I have to say, this is not only the most underrated Supergiant game, not even just a really underrated indie game, but literally one of the best games I have ever played.

Pyre is a game where every part of the game, like the soundtrack, the gameplay, and the story, all work in tandem in order to make an unforgettable experience.

The gameplay is basically sportsball. "Oregon Trail meets NBA Jam" is how the devs describe it. Now I know that might be a turn off, and that's what made me reluctant to do it, since I'm FAR from a sports guy, but if I was able to enjoy this as much as I did, I'm sure you'd love it a lot too. It's basically Basketball if you had characters that could cast spells, fly, and scored points by jumping into fire.

The story isn't something I can discuss in detail here, but just take my word for it when I say that it has spectacular world-building with little to no exposition dumps, an awe-inspiring world, and most importantly, extremely well-written characters. This game is SO good at making you care deeply about the characters you meet, (most of the time) so when things happen to them, big or small, you care about them. You want to see them prosper, you want to see them achieve their goals, you understand why they wanna do what they wanna do, and you have to figure out if it's truly right to put your own needs before their own.

And yes, I said that. There are choices in this game because honestly what story-driven indie game doesn't have any? (that was a joke, yes i know there are a bunch that don't) And they matter. And they're tough to make. I can't say much else on that matter without spoiling it.

And, the soundtrack is something you should TOTALLY wait until after you beat the game in order to listen to, because the music really helps with a lot of the major story beats and enemy encounters. Not to say that neither would be powerful without the good music, but it definitely helps support those.

...anyway that's the end of the post i ran out of things to say

Please, PLEASE play Pyre. It's on PS4, PC, and SHOULD be on Switch, Supergiant what the hell are you doing?

anyway bye have a good day

[iamtrebleclefstories]

that same kind of joy

98 - “You scared the shit out of me.” 

Now, I wasn’t really sure how I felt about this fic when I first started writing it and I had no idea where it was gonna go, but I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. It’s not exactly what you might’ve had in mind, but I hope you enjoy! @andreagraham​

this takes place in a wonderful world where 16x16 never happened :)

She remembers a bang. It was loud and deafening to the point that when she comes to, there’s an incessant ringing in her ears. She wants to just lay there and sleep, but that’s probably just the mild concussion talking. Instead, she painstakingly cracks her eyes open just enough to get a good view of her surroundings.

Metal. Bright. Debris. Blood.

Blood.

It’s not her own. At least, Jo doesn’t think it belongs to her. It is a trail of blood that extends in front of her, leading in front of a woman with a swollen abdomen who is crying out in distress. Jo picks herself up from the ground long enough to realize what just happened.

She remembers getting on the train back to Seattle after a weekend medical conference in San Francisco with Carina Deluca. It had been a spur of the moment decision, something Alex had surprised her with when he presented her with a train ticket, booked hotel room, and a weekend off. She had been thrilled at the prospect of hearing Addison Montgomery speak as she considered a career switch to OB. It had been the perfect getaway, until about ten minutes ago.

Now, Jo stands in the remains of one of the train cars she’d been traveling in and looks around in horror to see multiple individuals in varying states of trauma. She quickly canvasses the area to determine who seemed okay and who looked as though they were in immediate need of assistance. After getting help from a nursing student, dental PA, and off-duty officer that happened to be riding in the same train car, Jo leaves the other passengers and makes her way over to the pregnant woman who was clearly in labor.

“Hey,” Jo crouches down in front of the woman. “My name is Jo Karev. I’m a surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial in Seattle. I see that you’re having some contractions. Is it okay if I examine you?” Jo waits until the woman nods her consent before gently pressing her hands on the woman’s bump to determine position. “What’s your name?”

“Alyssa,” the young woman breathes out heavily. “My name is Alyssa Belmont.”

“Nice to meet you Alyssa. Can you tell me how far along you are?” Jo looks down at her watch to monitor the length and interval of the contractions.

“I'm only 35 weeks,” Alyssa’s voice betrays her anxiety. “It’s too early.”

“It’s okay, the ambulance is going to be here soon and we will be able to get you and your baby to a hospital safely where some really nice pediatrician will make sure that they’re just fine,” Jo takes the hand sanitizer from her purse and uses it to disinfect her hands and ruffles through her first aid kit to find a single pair of gloves. “Do you know what you’re having?”

“A boy,” Alyssa nods. “My fiancé is stationed overseas but is supposed to come home in two weeks. He was supposed to be here for the delivery. I’m not supposed to be doing this alone.”

“Hey, Alyssa. Listen to me. You are not alone. I’m right here with you and I promise I won’t leave your side until you are holding a healthy baby in your arms,” Jo locks eyes with the young woman in front of her. “I need to know some things if I’m going to better care for you. Did you get hurt when the train derailed? Did you feel a tearing or a sharp pain in your abdomen?”

“No,” Alyssa shakes her head. “Just the contractions. But I had already been feeling some sporadic contractions throughout the day and the past week if I’m being honest. That’s normal though, right? Like Braxton hicks?”

“Yes, it's completely normal to feel a couple contractions here and there once you’re nearing the end of your pregnancy. It’s your body trying to prepare itself for birth,” Jo takes off her jacket and drapes it over Alyssa’s lower abdomen and pelvis to maintain some semblance of modesty. “Okay Alyssa, I’m going to push up your dress and remove your leggings and underwear so that I can get a look at how much you’ve progressed.”

Prior to the surprise delivery she was pulled into a couple weeks ago where all she had to do was catch the baby, it had been a long time since Jo had delivered a baby that wasn’t a c-section. It had been years since she had to check for dilation and effacement and in that moment she found herself really wishing that Carina - who had opted to stay in San Francisco for a few days more with a friend - had been on this train instead of her.

“Okay, Alyssa. It looks like you're about eight centimeters dilated and I'd say somewhere around eighty to ninety percent effaced,” Jo informs.

“What does that mean?” Alyssa brushes her hair out of her face and winces as another contraction comes over her.

“That means that pretty soon it’ll be time to push,” Jo looks around to the surrounding passengers. “Does anyone have a clean towel or blankets in their bag? And water. I need an unopened water bottle.”

A few of the lesser injured passengers step forward after ruffling through their bags to present Jo with the items she requested, “Here are two bottles of water, one clean towel, and three blankets.”

Jo does her best to keep Alyssa comfortable and wait until the paramedics arrive. But within minutes, Alyssa is fully dilated, effaced, and ready to push. Jo looks down at Alyssa and keeps her face as calm as possible so as not to alert the young woman to the anxiety currently building up inside of her.

“Alright, Alyssa, once you feel your next contraction I need you to push. You’re going to push for ten seconds and then take a break. Do you understand?”

Alyssa grunts in response, “Yup.”

After what seems like an eternity, the train car fills with a sharp, loud cry. Jo feels some tears prickle at her eyes as she’s the first person to hold this little one as it enters the world, “Hey there, little man. You’ve got a set of lungs on you. That’s good. I was worried about your little lungs. Let’s get you cleaned up so your mama can hold you.” Jo uses the surrounding materials to clean and warm up the infant before placing him on Alyssa’s chest.

“Oh God,” Alyssa chokes out a quiet sob. “You’re here. Hi baby. I’m so sorry your daddy isn’t here but I know that he’ll be so happy to meet you.”

Jo wipes a straying tear from her eye on her arm, “I hate to intrude on the moment but we do have to cut the cord and deliver the placenta.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Alyssa shakes her head. “Can I just hold him for one more second?”

“I don’t see why not,” Jo barely has time to get those words out of her mouth when paramedics come rushing through the train car. She breathes out a sigh of relief and flags one of them down. “Hi, I’m a surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in Seattle. This woman just gave birth to a premature infant at thirty five weeks. She and the baby need to go to the hospital immediately.”

The paramedic quickly calls her partner to assist her as they make quick work of getting Alyssa out of the train and into an ambulance. Just as Jo is about to turn around and head back inside to help in any way she can, Alyssa puts her hand on Jo’s arm, “Can you come with us? Please. You said you’d be there and I really don’t want to be alone.”

Looking up at the paramedic to make sure that it’s okay to ride along, Jo squeezes Alyssa’s hand gently, “Of course.”

+++

Jo shouldn’t have been all that surprised when she feels a familiar set of arms tighten around her, bringing her close to his chest. She sighs contently as she allows her husband to hold her tenderly. She whimpers in protest when Alex pulls away to get a good look at her.

“Jo,” he breathes out in relief. “You scared the shit out of me.” Alex presses a light kiss to her forehead. “When I saw the crash on the news I almost had a heart attack. I tried calling you and the hospitals but no one was saying anything. No one knew what was going on. All we knew was that the train derailed in the middle of nowhere Oregon and some of the cars detached and got flipped on their sides. What the hell happened?”

“I delivered a baby today,” Jo huffs a laugh. “After the crash knocked me out for a few minutes, I got up and there was a woman in premature labor. Her name is Alyssa. I-I delivered her baby. I was the first person in this entire world that got to hold him. The world was literally crashing down around us, but I got to deliver this beautiful baby boy with a surprisingly well developed set of lungs for how early he was born. I’ve been with her ever since it happened. They’re moving her up to a room right now. I’m supposed to meet her up there.”

“Baby, that’s incredible. But have you gotten checked out?” Alex asks quietly. “I need to know that you’re okay.”

“I’m okay, Alex,” Jo assures him. “I have a mild concussion and a couple of bruised ribs. Nothing that some ibuprofen and rest won’t fix.” Alex scowled unconvinced, causing Jo to laugh. “I’m fine. Really. Now do you want to come with me to see them?”

“Okay, fine.”

They make their way up to Alyssa’s room and Jo introduces Alex and Alyssa to each other. They spoke softly for a few moments until Alyssa’s doctor showed up outside the room.

“Sorry to interrupt,” the doctor smiles sheepishly at the group. “But you can go ahead and see your baby Miss Belmont. I can get one of the nurses to take you up to the NICU.”

“That’s okay, we can take her,” Jo and Alex help Alyssa out of the bed and into a wheelchair, carefully bringing her to stop beside her son’s warmer. “There he is.”

Alex looks up at the monitors as he listens to a resident list off the results of the studies they’d been conducting over the past few hours, “His SATs and his APGAR look great, all things considered. He’ll probably spend a week or two here before he’s sent home. He’s a strong and resilient little guy.” Alyssa and the resident both look at him in question. “I’m a peds surgeon.”

The hours go by quickly and before anyone knows it, night has fallen. Alex nudges Jo slightly, “Hey, I think we should get going. You need some rest. I got us a hotel room for the night.”

Jo nods in agreement and goes to move when Alyssa places a hand on her shoulder, “Wait. You can’t leave without knowing what the baby’s name is. I finally decided on a name.”

“What is it?” Jo asks expectantly.

“His name is Joseph Benjamin Harold. Joey for short,” Alyssa reveals. “It’s only fitting that he be named after the person who helped bring him into this world.”

“Are you serious?” Jo’s face breaks out into a wide grin. “I-I feel honored.”

“Thank you, Jo. For everything. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Those words stick with Jo all the way back to the hotel. As they’re getting into bed that night, Jo cuddles up to Alex and sighs dreamily.

“What was that for?” Alex’s face turns up into a half smile as he glances down at his wife.

“I’m just so happy right now,” Jo shakes her head. “I know I shouldn’t be. Today was a horrible day for a lot of people. There was a tragic accident. But in the midst of all of that, I helped bring a baby into the world and I feel so much joy because of it.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Alex pulls her closer. “A big part of why I love peds is because of the joy you feel every time you’re able to save a kid and give them hope for a future. And I’ve assisted on quite a few deliveries and it’s pretty incredible.”

“I think I wanna switch. I wanna make the switch to OB,” Jo exhales. “I love surgery, don’t get me wrong. And maybe one day I’ll venture into maternal-fetal surgery, but I want to be an OB, Alex. I want to deliver babies and feel that same kind of joy every single day.”

“Okay. So as soon as we get back to the hospital, we’re going to talk to Bailey and see about getting a letter of recommendation to the OB program so that you can switch specialties without repeating an intern year,” Alex rubs circles on Jo’s back.

“Are you sure? I know this is a big decision. I’ll be a resident again. I’ll have longer hours and be making resident money again,” Jo eyes widen at Alex’s simple response to her desire to make the change.

“Jo, I make plenty of money for the both of us. We’re married, we have a joint bank account. You don’t need to worry about the money. We dated throughout your entire surgical residency and everything was just fine. I want to support you however I can, and if what you want is to be a part of the vagina squad then I’m going to support you in that. I’m going to be there for you every step of the way,” Alex’s lips curve into a smirk. “Besides, I think you’ll look really hot in pink scrubs.”

“Shut up,” Jo laughs and shoves him lightly.

“What? It’s the truth. But then again, I think you look hot in everything.”

“You’re so good to me,” Jo’s eyes shine with happiness. “I love you.”

“I love you more.”

[thelastspeecher]

marriage of convince perhaps Ford finally getting the nerve to talk to his mother about the situation once he, Jimmy, Angie and Stan have settled down and are more comfortable with their current situation?

              Ford stared at the phone sitting in front of him on the table.  A gentle hand rested on his shoulder.  He looked up.

              “You need to call her, Stanford,” Angie said.  “It’s past time.”

              “I know, but-”

              “No buts,” Angie said firmly. Her hand slipped from his shoulder and she sat in the chair next to him.  “No excuses.  The kids are out fishin’ with Jimmy, Stan took the quads to the library.  It’s just you ‘n me here now.”

              “Yes,” Ford said faintly.  He put his hands on the table, bracing himself.  Angie smiled.  She took ahold of Ford’s right hand, interlacing her fingers with his.  The gesture was familiar and comforting.

              Ford was brought back to all the other terrifying phone calls he’d made to his mom.  News of delays in his education and career search, of marriage and children and divorce.  For each one, Angie had been by his side.  He squeezed her hand.  Still smiling, Angie squeezed back.

              “Call, dear,” she said.  Ford nodded.  He took a deep breath, picked up the phone, dialed, and turned speaker on.  With that, he set it back down on the table.

              It rang twice before someone on the other end picked up.

              “Pines residence, Caryn speaking, who’s calling?”  Ford knew his mom’s signature rapid-fire line well.

              “Hello, Mom.”

              “Stanford!  How are things in Oregon?”

              “They’re going well.”

              “Those kids of yours behaving?”

              “Yes, actually.  Far better than I expected, given the upheaval in their lives.”

              “Well, you come from a long line of survivors.  Makes sense they’d adapt better ‘n average,” Ma Pines said idly.  “So, why are you callin’?  I know you, you never call unless you have some sorta big news.”

              “You’re correct, I did call because I have something important to tell you,” Ford said.  Angie raised an eyebrow in a silent question.  After years of marriage, Ford could read her like a mathematical equation.  He knew precisely what she was asking.

              “Do ya want me to say somethin’ so she knows I’m here?”  In response, Ford shook his head.  Bringing Angie into the conversation would only delay him telling his mother why he called.  Ma Pines adored Angie and could chat endlessly with her.

              Which has been excellent in the past, but I don’t want to prolong this conversation.  Angie nodded.  She sat back, slipping into her old role of silent supporter.

              “All right, spit it out, then,” Ma Pines said impatiently.  Angie squeezed Ford’s hand again.

              “Do you recall what you said when I told you of my divorce?”

              “I believe I asked you it you were leavin’ Angie for another woman.  You said you weren’t.”  There was a pregnant pause.  “You’re not callin’ to tell me you lied, are you?” Ma Pines asked dangerously.

              “No, I-”

              “‘Cause if you lied to me, when all I did was support you durin’ your divorce-”

              “No!  Mom-”

              “Did you get this other woman pregnant?”  Ford looked helplessly at Angie.  “Stanford, I don’t like to throw the term ‘disown’ around lightly, but-”  Angie leaned in.

              “Hey, Caryn,” she chirped.

              “Angie!”  It was like a switch had been flipped, Ma Pines’ furor was so quickly replaced with delight.  “Sweetheart, how are you?”

              “I’m fine,” Angie said.  “I was just walkin’ through the room when I overheard this conversation.  And I have to say, I think yer goin’ down the rabbit hole again.”

              “But-”

              “There is not and never has been another woman,” Angie said smoothly.  “Please, let Stanford explain ‘fore ya jump all over him.”

              “All right,” Ma Pines said begrudgingly.  Ford breathed a sigh of relief.  He was able to handle his mom on his own, but Angie could always do it faster. “Explain, then, Stanford.”

              “I mentioned what you told me after my divorce because I have in fact found someone.”  Angie nodded encouragingly.  “But rest assured,” he said quickly, “I met him quite some time after the divorce.”  Angie’s eyes widened.

              “…Him?” Ma Pines asked.  Ford closed his eyes.

              Dammit!  He’d planned on easing her into the news.  But I was so frantic to dispel her misconceptions that I blurted it out!

              “Yes,” he said quietly, deciding to just get it over with.  “I’m in a romantic relationship with a man.”

              “I see.  Well…”  Ma Pines trailed off.  “I understand better why you divorced, then.  I knew there was more to it than what you said.”

              “Mom…”

              “Gimme a moment, Stanford.”

              “Okay.”  Ford swallowed.  Silence stretched on uncomfortably.  Just as Ford was about to say something to break the tension, Ma Pines spoke.

              “All right,” she said finally.  “I accept this.”

              “Pardon?”

              “I accept it.  I won’t deny it.  Honestly, now I think about it, I’m not too surprised.”

              “You’re- you’re okay with it?” Ford asked, astonished.

              “I wouldn’t go that far yet.  Gimme a few days.  I’ll call when I’m ready, and when I do, you better tell me all about this man of yours, okay?”

              “Okay.  But, ah, in the meantime-”

              “Don’t worry, I won’t say a word to your father.”

              “Thank you,” Ford said gratefully.  “I love you.”

              “Love you too, Stanford.”  There was a click.

              “She hung up without sayin’ goodbye to me!” Angie said in shock.  “Wow.  She must be more shook than she came off as.”

              “Even taking that into consideration, her reaction is infinitely better than I feared.”

              “Yes, it went very well.”  Angie smirked at Ford.  “So well that she wants to hear about Jimmy.”

              “Oh, Moses.”  Ford dragged his hands down his face.  “Don’t remind me.”

              “I’d recommend havin’ Jimmy on that call so’s she can talk to him.”  Angie cocked her head thoughtfully.  “Actually, I wouldn’t mind bein’ ‘round m’self.”  She grinned mischievously.  “I have to see how she reacts to learnin’ yer new beau wears a leather jacket and drives a motorbike.”

[mazzy-moon]

A Lone Butterfly - Chapter 14

Title of Chapter: Hide Out

Word Count: 2.6k (mostly smut)

Warnings/Tags: Explicit Language, Significantly younger ofc, Smut, Foreplay, Sex

Pairing: Javier Peña (Narcos) x Isabel Cotrille (OFC)

Summary:  After Javier leaves, Isabel's anger and frustration with him grow. Later, she and Javier are forced to confront each other, finally acknowledging the tension that's been building between them.

Notes: I didn’t want to give away everything in the warnings, but this chapter contains explicit sexual content. 18+ only, please.

This ended up taking me way longer to write than I imagined...

Hope you enjoy reading this. It’s a good one. x

Read it on ao3

It doesn't take long before Javier has left and Sanz shows up. I'm furious. He knows what the cartel did to me better than anyone, yet still he's forced me here against my will. I might as well go back to Oregon. I would be put back into Witness Protection, but at least I'd be more free than I am now.

I can tell Sanz isn't exactly enthusiastic about the baby sitting job she's been assigned, but she tries to hide it somewhat out of consideration.

"You know, he's only doing this for your own good."

"Don't start."

"But he's right. If you go and get yourself tangled up in this, we'll have an even bigger mess on our hands."

"I know." Arguing with her would be useless.

_______________

The day passes agonizingly slowly as I sit with my anger, unable to do anything about it. I try thinking about what I'll say to Javier when he comes back. Maybe I won't even say anything. I've never been a violent person, but I think if Javier were here right now I would slap him for putting me in such a position of helplessness. He said he trusted me once, though it's clear that can no longer be true.

At one point I try to lure Sanz out of the room by feigning hunger. She doesn't take the bait, and instead has food brought to us. I switch on the television in an effort to distract myself.

After a while, I've stopped counting the hours as they pass. The light outside suggests night is not far off. Worry starts to trickle in. Not for the first time today I wonder what Javier's team uncovered at the location. Did they arrive only to find out Matías lied to them?  Was it a a set up? Despite my anger at him, I'm anxious to see Javier, to know he's okay. I get up from my seat on the couch, suddenly restless, and start pacing the room.

Sanz's phone rings and she steps outside to answer it. Once she's back, her calm demeanor from before is gone.

"Pack up your things.  Peña's on his way and wants you ready to go once he gets here."

"But why-"

"You're not safe here any longer, just do as he says."

Fear replaces my anger. I don't argue with her.

Soon after my things are all stuffed into the suitcase, Javier crashes through the door. He barely looks at me before hauling my luggage in one arm and tugging me out the door with the other.

"C'mon," he says, his voice rough. "We've gotta get out of here now. The cartel knows you're in Columbia."

My eyes go wide as I allow him to lead me to the waiting car. He throws my things in the back before placing me in the passenger seat. He explains the details to me as we're driving.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"The Embassy's got a place a ways out, a hide out. You'll stay there until we get the cartel under control."

"So he was lying."

"Not entirely. When we got to the location, some of Matías's men were there. They ambushed us. Somehow, they must have found out we were coming. There's no way that's where they're keeping the girls though."

"How do they know I'm here?"

Javier's looks out the window, despondent.

"I went back to Matías's cell after the ambush, to confront him. During our... chat, he revealed that he and his gang knew the moment you arrived. Somehow, he's had eyes on you the entire time."

"Why not just send me back to Oregon?"

"We can't be sure they won't track you there also. They already have once. For whatever reason, whoever is operating this cartel is hell bent on getting to you."

I remain silent, stunned. How has the cartel been able to track my movements so closely? More importantly, why bother? They've already replaced me with at least a dozen other girls.

Javier and I drive for hours until it's well past dark. We pull up to a dirt road and drive down it for what seems like an eternity. As we near a little cottage, I notice a river bank running not far off. The car comes to a halt just in front of the house and Javier steps out to get me. The place looks like a setting for a horror movie, but I say nothing as we walk inside.

_______________

Now that the panic has settled somewhat, I remember the rage I felt from before. I remember the rough way in which he spoke to me, the way his hands dug into my arms as he tried to reason with me. And then, the door slamming behind him as he left, locking me inside. Deep down, I know he was only trying to protect me, but it still hurt. I wanted to be useful, wanted to help the women who were now in the same position I was once in. It seemed, though, I wasn't going to get that chance.

He flips the lights on and locks the door behind him. The place is surprisingly cozy.

"Are we safe here?"

"It's secure. Only a small number of people know this place even exists."

There's a tense silence between us as I consider bringing up what took place this morning. The events of the evening have made it seem less important. Before I decide, he beats me to it.

"I know you're still mad about this morning, Isabel."

I refuse to respond to him, so he continues.

"Just so you know, I wouldn't have done what I did if I didn't think it was the only way to keep you safe. If I had to, I would do it again."

My eyes meet his finally and I know he can see the defiance in them.

"I know you hate me for it. As long as I know I'm keeping my promise to look after you, you can hate me all you want."

I remain silent for a moment before responding.

"I don't hate you, Javi." I stare down at my hands, suddenly unable to keep eye contact as I make my confession. "I don't think I ever could. I just... don't like feeling like that. Helpless."

I glance back up to him, and his expression breaks me. Unable to control it, and annoyed that I can't, my eyes begin to water. I quickly look back down at my hands.

The floorboards creak as he closes the distance between us. He towers over me as he gently grabs hold of my upper arms.

"You're not helpless, Isabel. You never have been. Even when you were captured, you found a way out. It was you who took Matías's eye from him. You've always been strong. And brave. But that doesn't mean you don't deserve to be protected."

My throat closes up as his words warm me. Somehow he knew exactly what I needed to hear. I feel guilty for ever doubting him. I want to respond, but can't seem to figure out how.

He holds my face in his hands and brushes my tears off with his thumbs.

"Shh, baby, don't cry."

He pulls me into a hug. His smoky scent hits me and I feel instantly better. Clinging to him, I savor the strong feel of his arms around me. The urgency of our situation combined with our close proximity causes an overwhelming sweep of emotion to wash over me. I tilt my head, meeting my lips with the edge of exposed skin at his collar.

He groans. "Isabel."

I ignore him and go for his mouth instead. He beats me to it. His lips meet mine, gentle at first. He deepens the kiss almost instantly, and I feel his tongue sweep against mine. Not breaking contact, he backs me up until I'm flush with the wall.

As our mouths explore each other with tongue and teeth, his arms leave me to remove the leather jacket from his body. He comes back to me as soon as it hits the floor. His arms roam my stomach, back, and chest. As his hand comes up to gently grasp the base of my throat, he shoves one of his legs upwards, between both of mine. I gasp in his mouth as warmth pools to my center. His mouth leaves mine, trailing down from my cheek to my neck. At the same time, his right hand travels up to my breast, grasping it over my dress. My hips move involuntarily against his thigh. The friction causes a deep ache within me and I whimper at the sudden feeling of emptiness. Javier makes a sound that forces my hips to react again.

He places his hands on either side of them, holding me still. I open my mouth to protest, but before I can he hauls me up, forcing my legs around him. His lips meet my own once more as his tongue finds mine again. He backs away from the wall, aiming for the hallway. We don't break away from each other until we reach the bedroom and he sets me on my feet.

He leans down, moving his hands from my body up to my face.

"Isabel. If we don't stop now, I may not be able to," his eyes are closed as he utters the strained words.

"I just want you, Javi." I touch his jaw with my fingertips. "Please," I mutter, my voice breaking.

The single word that comes from him is barely a whisper.

"Fuck." He grabs my face once more and this time his mouth is gentle on mine, a stark contrast to the heated passion felt moments before. I fumble with his buttons, but his hands are quicker as he tugs off the shirt gracefully. I press my hands against his hard chest as his eyes study me. He holds me in his gaze as he removes my cardigan, leaving me in only the dress beneath it. He rubs one thin strap between two fingers.

"Is this okay?"

I nod, looking at him intently.

He pushes the strap down. The other one comes next until my sun dress falls to the wooden floor. There’s nothing under it except my panties. My arms fling to my chest in a sudden urge to cover myself up.

"Let me see you."

I allow him to guide my arms down back to my sides.

"It's not right," he mutters to himself as his eyes roam over my almost completely naked body.

I frown, suddenly insecure at his bizarre statement.

"It's not right that you're so beautiful, so sweet."

My cheeks warm at his praise.

"Lie down."

I back up until I reach the bed and allow him to push me back onto its softness. He props himself up on an elbow and continues to kiss me until I can't take it anymore. His hand lingers over my breasts- pinching, squeezing. Finally, he travels downward. He slips his hand underneath my panties, brushing over one spot in particular. When he removes his hand too soon, I softly groan in protest.

"Please," I gasp.

"I know what you want, Isabel, but you're not gonna rush me."

He moves then, leaving soft kisses down my abdomen until he's settled between my thighs. He doesn't waste time, pulling down my panties until their off and taking me into his mouth. When his tongue brushes against me the first time, my hands fly to my mouth. He breaks contact to look back up at me, and pulls my hands away.

"No," he says firmly, "I want to hear you."

He resumes his torture until the sensation becomes almost painful. His tongue moves against the sensitive area, faster then slow, bringing me closer and closer but never quite all the way. My hips writhe against him but he grabs hold of them, forcing me to stay still. The sounds that come from me are vulgar and if I were at all able, I would try and hide the moans escaping my lips. He doesn't stop until I practically beg him to.

"Javi, please. I can't- ," I manage to get out.

He lingers a few more seconds before crawling back up to me, his body hovering over my smaller frame.

He studies me, relishing my blushed and breathless state.

"I wasn't done yet, hermosa. I'll remember that later."

He kisses my mouth slowly. The obscenity of it makes our previous kisses seem ridiculously tame in comparison. As he deepens the kiss, he drops his hand once again. He brushes against the overly sensitive spot with his thumb and then eases a finger inside. As I moan into his mouth, I hear a groan escape him.

"You're so wet, Isabel."

My cheeks instantly heat as he says what is already obvious.

As he moves his finger slightly out and back in, the movements of his thumb slow, becoming even more tortuous. Once I'm nearly over the edge, he withdraws his hand and pushes off the bed, standing up.

He unfastens his pants and removes the rest of his clothing until he's completely bare. He stares down at me until my whole body is on fire.

“You’re beautiful like this, Isabel,” he says as his eyes take me in, ready and waiting for him.

His sheer manliness would terrify me if I didn't crave it so desperately. I let my eyes roam, ignoring my embarrassment. For as restrained as he's kept himself, it's clear he's been just as affected as I have.

He once again joins me on the bed, holding himself above  me.

"Tell me if you want me to stop."

I nod, but he's not satisfied.

"Promise me."

"I promise."

He shifts his body until I feel his erection right between my thighs. I part my legs as he slowly glides into me. The feeling is almost too much at first. Sensing it, he stops, but I urge him on.

"No- don't stop," I whisper breathlessly.

Once he's all the way inside I lift my hips off the bed to meet his. We set a rhythm against each other and the tension continues to build within me.  

I'm so close but can't quite seem to get there. He reaches his hand between our bodies to touch me, finally giving me the release I crave. I come undone around him, and he swallows my moans with his mouth.

Javier continues moving against me, his thrusts becoming more erratic. All at once, whatever control he had before just... snaps. He grabs hold of me, keeping me still, as he thrusts into me with unrestrained desperation. His groans become feral as he comes inside me.

He drops his head to the crook of my neck, catching his breath. Once he pieces himself back together, his hand grips the side of my face. His lips fumble around my cheeks until he kisses my mouth, then my nose.

"You okay?"

"Yeah... I think so."

He laughs softly, leaning over me and onto his side. He brushes wisps of hair back from my face with his hand.

"Stay here, I'll be right back."

Javier escapes to the bathroom and while he's gone, I pull back the covers. They feel impossibly cool against my heated skin. He returns and joins me once again on the bed. My eyelids begin to droop from exhaustion.

"I'm so sleepy," I say absent mindedly.

"Come here."

He pulls me to him, cushioning my head with one arm and draping the other around my side. The blissful aftermath of our night together lulls me to sleep almost instantly.

Just as I'm drifting off, Javier whispers something in my ear. I struggle to make out the words, but they escape along with my last thread of consciousness.

[she-who-fights-and-writes]

May you give some tips on how to write about mid-nineteenth century and early twentieth century ?? Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks if there is an answer or not xd 😅 greetings and take good care :) :D

Okay, so I only really know about AMERICAN mid-nineteenth and early 20th century history, so I hope that’s what you mean!!

How to Write About The Mid-Nineteenth/ Early Twentieth Century America

This post will encompass 1850-1920 in America only. A lot of things happened during this period, so I’m going to try to outline it as best I can! This post is gonna be a long one, so I put all of the specifics under the cut:

Overview:

The Industrial Revolution hits. We begin this era with horse-drawn carriages and end with planes, tanks, and cars.

Expansion west, “Manifest Destiny”

The Civil War ends slavery in the United States

The Gilded Age marks an era of unbridled capitalism and robber barons, while the Progressive Era following it marks an age of activism and human rights.

13th Amendment in 1865 abolishes slavery, 14th and 15th Amendments in 1868 and 1870 gives Black people the right to vote, 19th Amendment in 1920 gives women the right to vote.

World War I marks a major advancement in technology and global affairs, sets the stage for the second world war that will come later.

The Roaring 20s provides a façade of success to precede the gigantic stock market crash of 1929.

I’ve copied and pasted a lot of this information directly from America’s Best History and added tidbits of my own as well!

1. The 1850s

Presidents:

Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)

Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)

Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)

James Buchanan (1857-1861)

Important Events:

- Peak point of tension between North and the South, primarily over which states will be admitted as free states or slave states.

- The Compromise of 1850 admits California as the 31st state, without slavery, and adds Utah and New Mexico as territories with no decision on the topic. The Fugitive Slave Law is strengthened under the Compromise, which also ended the slave trade in the District of Columbia.

-1854 - The Republican Party is founded, in opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act. (Note: This form of “Republican” is essentially modern-day Democrats. The parties switched platforms later.)

-The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 allows the issue of slavery to be decided by a vote of settlers. This established the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and would breed much of the rancor that culminated in the actions of the next years of "Bleeding Kansas."

2. The 1860s

Presidents:

James Buchanan (1857-1861)

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)

Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)

Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)

Important Events:

-1860- The Pony Express begins. Overland mail between Sacramento, California and St. Joseph's, Missouri is carried over the Oregon Trail for eighteen months by this series of riders on horseback, then rendered obsolete when the transcontinental telegraph is completed.

- 1860 - South Carolina is the first southern state to secede from the Union in response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President.

-The Homestead Act of 1862 is approved, granting family farms of 160 acres to settlers, many of which were carved from Indian territories. This promotes expansion West, and eventually led to the establishment of the state university systems.

- The Civil War 1861 – 1865

Overview: Union won due to their advanced railroad system and industrialization that provided them with clothing and other supplies. South is ransacked by General Sherman, brings about era of Reconstruction. Slavery is abolished, but former slaves are not immediately emancipated.

People to know:

Abe Lincoln (President of the Union)

Ulysses S. Grant (Union General, future President)

William Sherman (Union General)

Jefferson Davis (President of the Confederacy)

Robert E. Lee (Confederate General)

Stonewall Jackson (Confederate General)

 Important Events/Battles:

Fort Sumter 1861- A fort in Charleston, South Carolina harbor is bombarded by Confederate forces after the U.S. Army commander failed to evacuate, thus triggering a declaration of war.

Battle of Bull Run 1861- First official battle in Manassas, Virginia. Confederates emerge victorious as picnicking (yes, you read that right. People were picnicking and using the battle as entertainment) onlookers watch on in horror; realization that this war won’t be resolved quickly or easily.

Emancipation Proclamation is issued by Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862 stated that all slaves in places of rebellion against the Federal Government would be free.

Battle of Shiloh 1862- Victory of Union over Confederacy. Led by Ulysses S. Grant.

Battle of Antietam 1862- Bloodiest day of the war in Sharpsburg, Maryland. 

Gettysburg 1863- Considered the turning point of the war. The furthest Southern incursion into the North, where the Union beats back the attacking Confederate troops. A few weeks after the war, Lincoln issues the Gettysburg Address (“Four score and seven years ago…”).

The South Surrenders on April 2nd, 1865

- April 9th, 1865 - Abe Lincoln is assassinated at Ford Theatre by John Wilkes Booth. Andrew Johnson takes his place, and he does not keep up Reconstruction and withdrew all troops from the South so they could be left to their own devices. This is said to be the reason for segregation.

- 1866 -The KKK is formed  to prevent Black people from voting. Things such as poll taxes, grandfather clauses, and literacy tests are implemented by states to also discourage Black people from voting as well.

-  1867 -Alaska is purchased from Russia for $7.2 million dollars, approximately two cents per acre, by signing the Treaty of Cession of Russian America to the United States.

- 1869- The final golden spike of the transcontinental railroad is driven into the ground, marking the junction of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads. This act, as much as any other, would signal the marked increase in the settlement of the west.

3. The 1870s

Presidents:

Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)

Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881)

Important Events:          

-The Gilded Age begins. Characterized by gross materialism and blatant political corruption that gave rise to important novels of social and political criticism.

-1870 - Standard Oil Company is incorporated by John D. Rockefeller.

-1870 - The first African-American to be sworn into office in the United States Congress, Hiram Rhodes Revels, a Republican from Mississippi takes his place in the United States Senate.

- 1870 - The 15th Amendment is ratified. It gave the right to vote to Black Americans. Race would officially no longer be a ban to voting rights, though it continues to be an issue in Southern states.

- 1871 - The great fire of Chicago starts. The fire burned 1.2 million acres of land, destroyed 17,450 buildings, killed 250 people, and left 90,000 homeless.

- 1876 - The Battle of Little Big Horn occurs when Lt. Colonel George Custer and his 7th U.S. Cavalry engage the Oceti Sakowin and Cheyenne Indians on the bluffs above the Little Big Horn River. All 264 members of the 7th Cavalry and Custer perish in the battle, the most complete rout in American military history.

- 1877 - Crazy Horse surrenders to the United States Army in Nebraska. His people had been weakened by cold and hunger.

- 1878 - The first commercial telephone exchange is opened.

- 1878 - Thomas Edison patents the cylinder phonograph and the Edison Electric Company begins operation

4. The 1880s

Presidents:

James A. Garfield (1881-1881)

Chester A. Arthur (1881-1885)

Grover Cleveland (1885-1889)

Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)

Important Events:

- 1881 - Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company.

-1882 - The Standard Oil Company trust of John D. Rockefeller is formed when Rockefeller places all of his oil holdings inside it.

- 1883 - The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act is passed by Congress, overhauling federal civil service and establishing the U.S. Civil Service agency.

- 1884 - The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions in the U.S.A. call for an eight-hour workday.

- 1885 - The Statue of Liberty arrives for the first time in New York harbor.

- 1886 - The Haymarket riot and bombing occurs in Chicago three days after the start of a general strike in the United States that pushed for an eight-hour workday.

- 1887 - Congress passes the Interstate Commerce Act to regulate and control the monopolies of the railroad industry.

- 1888 - The prototype for the commercial phonograph is completed by Thomas A. Edison

- 1888 - The Washington Monument officially opens to the general public.

5. The 1890s

Presidents:

Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)

Grover Cleveland (1893-1897)

William McKinley (1897-1901)

Important Events:

- The rise of Imperialism.

- 1890 - The Battle of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, occurs in the last major battle between United States troops and Native Americans. Hundreds of native men, women, and children are slain.

- 1892 - Ellis Island, in New York Harbor, opens as the main east coast immigration center, and would remain the initial debarkation point for European immigrants into the United States until its closure in 1954. More than 12 million immigrants would be processed on the island during those years.

- 1892- Nativist sentiments rise with the immigration of Southern and Eastern Europeans flooding into the country. Italian, Polish, Russian, and other immigrants face significant discrimination.

- 1895 - The first professional football game is played in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

- 1896 - Plessy vs Ferguson decision by the Supreme Court states that racial segregation is approved under the "separate but equal" doctrine. This paves the way for Jim Crow laws in the South.

- 1896 - The first modern Olympic Games is held in Athens, Greece.

- 1896 - Gold is discovered near Dawson, Canada, setting up the Klondike Gold Rush

- 1897 - The era of the subway begins when the first underground public transportation in North America opens in Boston, Massachusetts. 

-1897- The Progressive Era begins

- 1898 – The Spanish- American War begins. It lasts one year and ends in U.S. victory. It was triggered by United States battleship Maine exploding and sinking under unknown causes in Havana Harbor, Cuba, killing two hundred and sixteen seamen. 

- 1898 - The United States annexes the independent republic of Hawaii.

- 1899 - The Open Door Policy with China is declared by Secretary of State John Hay

9. The 1900s

Presidents:

William McKinley (1897-1901)

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)

William Howard Taft (1909-1913)

Important Events:

- 1901 - The American League of Major League Baseball is formed.

- 1902 - The first movie theatre in the United States opens in Los Angeles, California.

- 1902 - Cuba gains independence from the United States.

- 1903 - Inventors Wilbur and Orville Wright succeed in the first sustained and manned plane flight.

- 1906 - The Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act is passed due to the efforts of “muckrakers” that worked to expose corruption. “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair, which described the horrible conditions in the meatpacking industry, helped sponsor outrage that would get these laws passed.

- 1908 - The first passenger flight on a plane occurs when Wilbur Wright escorts Charles W. Furnas in the Wright Flyer III at Huffman Prairie Flying Field in Dayton, Ohio.

- 1908- The first production Model T is built at the Ford plant in Detroit, Michigan.

10. The 1910s

Presidents:

William Howard Taft (1909-1913)

Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

Important Events:

- 1911 - Standard Oil is declared a monopoly by the United States Supreme Court and ordered dissolved under the powers of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

- 1913 - The first moving assembly line is introduced and adopted for mass production by the Ford Motor Company, allowing automobile construction time to decrease by almost 10 hours per vehicle.

- 1915 – The first telephone conversation is conducted by Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas A. Watson between New York and San Francisco.

- 1915 - The British ship Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat submarine, causing 128 American passengers to be lost. Germany, although it warned of the pending crises to passengers, issued an apology to the United States and promised payments.

- 1918 - The influenza epidemic Spanish flu spans the globe, killing over twenty million worldwide and five hundred and forty-eight thousand people in the United States.

- World War I 1917-1918

Overview: After three years spent remaining neutral, the United States joins World War I. The U.S. made its major contributions in terms of supplies, raw material, and money, and its joining into the war helped to turn the tides against the Germans and Ottomans.

People to know:

Woodrow Wilson (President)

John J. Pershing (General)

Important Events/Battles

The United States declares war on Germany in 1917 after the Zimmermann Telegram is given to the United States by Britain on February 24, showing the offer by Germany to give Mexico back the southwest United States if they would declare war on the United States.

June 26th, 1917 - The first troops from the United States arrive in Europe to assist European allies in World War I. Troops engaged in World War I would include conscript soldiers authorized by the passage of the Conscription Act, the Selective Services Act, on May 18, 1917. General John Pershing would be placed in command of the American Expeditionary Forces during the campaign.

1918 - The United States military forces has over one million troops in Europe fighting in World War I.

May 28, 1918- United States forces are victorious in the Battle of Cantigny, the first independent American operation.

September 26, 1918- Allied forces begin the attack at Meusse-Argonne, the final offensive of the war.

November 11, 1918 - Hostilities in World War I begin to end with the Austria-Hungary alliance for armistice with the allies on November 3. Armistice Day with Germany occurs when the Allies and the German nation sign an agreement in Compiegne, France. Woodrow Wilson would become the first U.S. President to travel to Europe while in office when he sails to attend the Paris Peace Conference on December 4.

1919 - The Treaty of Versailles is signed, ending World War I.

- 1919- The 18th Amendment is passed, bringing about the era of Prohibition

11. The 1920s

Presidents:

Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

Warren G. Harding (1921-1923)

Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)

Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)

Important events:

-1920 - The League of Nations is established with the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles, ending the hostilities of the first World War. In a final vote, the United States Senate again votes against joining the League.

- 1920 - Women are given the right to vote when the 19th Amendment to the United States constitution grants universal women's suffrage.

- 1920 - The National Football League is formed

- 1921 - A national quota system on the number of incoming immigrants is established by the United States Congress in the Emergency Quota Act, curbing legal immigration.

- 1923 - The first sound on film motion picture Phonofilm is shown in the Rivoli Theatre in New York City by Lee de Forest.

- 1924 - The Indian Citizenship Act granted all Native Americans citizenship that had been born within the territory of the United States.

- 1925 - Nellie Tayloe Ross is inaugurated as the first woman governor of the United States in Wyoming.

- 1925 - Radiovision is born. The precursor to television is demonstrated by Charles Francis Jenkins when he transmits a 10 minute film of synchronized pictures and sound for five miles from Anacostia to Washington, D.C. to representatives of the United States government.

- 1928 - The first appearance of Mickey and Minnie Mouse on film occurs with the release of the animated short film, Plane Crazy.

- 1928 - Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly over the Atlantic Ocean.

- 1929 - Postwar prosperity ends in the 1929 Stock Market crash. The plummeting stock prices led to losses between 1929 and 1931 of an estimated $50 billion and started the worst American depression in the nation's history.

Hope this helped, and happy writing!!!!!