#and also it would be fun to hike and camp with her if she takes to it

[wherewolf]

if y’all see a butch dyke out walking her cat with a pretty pink harness…… give her ur number cause that’s me 😘

[anyaeras]

❥・Girlfriend!Natasha head cannons

[since y'all loved the Wanda ones, feel free to send me ideas these are so fun]

Masterlist

Soft :

❥・she would always braid your hair if you asked her too, she often put her own hair in braids as well.

❥・Sometimes she had nightmares, when she had them she just wanted you to lay with her, no words needed to help her calm.

❥・she was very protect of you, never letting anyone pick on you, or even get in a 5ft radius of you.

❥・she would train you in light hand to hand combat, not because she felt you needed to know but it was a bounding experience.

❥・She was the driver, no matter where you guys went she always wanted to drive, and you never minded.

❥・She couldn't cook or Bake for the life of her but if you cooked for her she would deeply appreciated it.

❥・Russian was her first language, sometimes even if you couldn't understand it she just needed to speak it and you just would nod along.

❥・Natasha wasn't always a great communicator. Sometimes when she was upset or mad it was best to let her calm down and express herself when she felt ready, no need to push her.

❥・she loved the outdoors and exploring with you, doing thinks like camping and hiking trails.

❥・she would always share her hoodies with you, but she would also take your hoodies. Sharing clothes always

Nsfw :

❥・she was a top, she didn't like being under anyone. Besides she loved being the dominant one

❥・Russian pet names, whenever she was letting you please her she would let out soft moans of "да детка" "дорогой" "моя девушка"

❥・she had a praise kink, she loved that you would tell her how good she made you feel "thank you Tasha" "you're doing so well for me" the words made her fold

❥・sometimes she wanted angry sex, to get you both mad she would pick a fight just so that she could then fuck you oh so hard.

❥・Natasha loved when you were vocal, moaning loud so that the whole compound could hear how you were hers.

❥・shower sex. Going at it with the hot water running down your bodies was such a turn on for the two of you both. Throwing you against the wet wall as she pounded into you.

❥・She had a knife play kink, she would never hurt you and you both knew it, but watching her threaten to was always fun.

❥・she would always punish you for being a brat, she wanted you to know who you belong to. (Possessive Nat.)

❥・she loved to have your mouth between her thighs sometimes, her hand in your hair as she guided you to give her head.

❥・Natasha is a tease, she would slyly make movements or comments just because she knew they would turn you on, and then do nothing else to help you get off.

[casualaruanienjoyer]

What jobs could AOT characters have? 🌻

Ahhhhh I love this one! LET'S GO!

What jobs could AOT characters have?

Eren: He strikes me as someone who changes jobs often. He'd get bored of one activity pretty quickly. To him, his job is just a way to earn some money that he can use to have fun with his friends. Pensions who, am I right?

Mikasa: Kindergarten carer. Her motherly personality is perfect for this, and she loves kids so much. The kids also love being lifted high up in the air so they often use Mikasa as a seesaw.

Armin: Teacher, most likely geography. He's the type to travel the world and teach in different countries. This lifestyle allows him to learn more about local cultures, languages and traditions. It fascinates him!

Annie: Traveling the world with Armin means finding work can be quite tough unless you know the language. When she can, she will work as a bartender. She quite enjoys mixing drinks and listening to people's life stories. She gets fired pretty often for her lack of customer service etiquette though.

Jean: Corporate job. He wanted to be an artist but didn't quite try hard enough, so now he's stuck between grey walls that drive him insane. The pay is good thankfully, so in his spare time he can afford luxurious trips and dinners. Reiner often encourages him to keep working towards his dream of becoming an artist and even offers to pose for Jean to draw.

Reiner: Counsellor. He likes being able to help people get over their troubles just like he did with his own. It's not an easy job but it's very rewarding when successful. Though, sometimes he ends up being the patient while Jean listens to him complain about his life. Or Pieck... or Annie... or...

Connie: Personal trainer. This dude will get you into the exact shape that you want. It's so hard to keep up with him, he's way faster than you. More agile, more flexible. How the hell does he bend like that? One day you try to do the same, but you end up in hospital. Don't worry, Connie has insurance.

Sasha: Camp instructor! Loves organizing all sorts of activities with kids and teens including archery, canoeing, climbing, hiking. She loves being in nature. The only thing she hates about this job is the horror story time around the campfire.

Pieck: Work? Pieck? Nah! If anyone's got some sort of sugar daddy, it would be Pieck. She lives incredibly comfortably for someone who appears to be both single and unemployed. Ah, the joys of being both incredibly beautiful and incredibly devilish.

Falco and Gabi: They are still young, so the best they could do is work over the summer at a theme park. The pay is shit but the location is amazing and they get to ride for free!

Yelena: Lawyer. Like, we all know Yelena. It's better to have her on your side than be against her. And it's even better if she's your lawyer. You could get away with almost anything! Right??

Zeke: Baseball instructor. He trains the local team and is known as one of the best players in the area. Now he uses his time to help kids learn how to play. Legend says Zeke can throw a ball so far away that some are still stuck orbiting around Earth.

Onyankopon: Pilot. Passengers usually take a liking to him. He's so charismatic and friendly. He enjoys making jokes over the radio with the other members of the crew. The amazing views is what he loves the most about his job. And the free snacks.

Levi and Hange: This man's in no shape to do any kind of physical work right now, but instead aids Hange with her job. She owns a private Pathology clinic. How does Levi help, exactly? Well he makes sure she stays hydrated and does her taxes. Basically a secretary of some sorts. He even has a cute nameplate on his desk.

[flippinpancakes64]

Going camping with the Cullens!

Going camping with the Cullens

Thank you for requesting!

Also I normally write on my computer and I wrote this all on my phone so sorry if the formatting is weird I tried my best💀

But at least I can use emojis

Edward:

He would really enjoy camping

He thinks it’s super romantic to share a tent, go on hikes, gaze up at the stars

I mean he’s already a pretty outdoorsy guy

They kind of all are

Of course if you’re a human he gives you all of the piggyback rides

He might get a little self conscious about his sparklyness

Just tell him you think he’s pretty ❤️

Anyway

His favorite parts would be hiking on the trails

Or on trails he makes himself

Alice:

I don’t see her being one to suggest going camping

But she won’t say no

Her idea of a fun date with you is playing dress up with all of her clothes

She has fun either way

I feel like she’d love birdwatching

Of course she doesn’t need binoculars

“Oh look there goes a blue-footed boobie!”

She’s also really good at making flower crowns

Jasper:

Camping reminds him of his days as a soldier in the west

It’s bittersweet for him

He misses his past in that sort of nostalgic way yk

So I think he’d like camping

And it would be fun for him to let loose a little

He 100% is staring at you while you sleep in the tent

Pulling an Edward move

His favorite part is just taking in the scenery

I feel like he’d have a lot of knowledge about the different plants

“You can eat that one… if you want to, of course”

Rosalie:

This wasn’t her first option

But you said you wanted to go so she went

I don’t think she’s high maintenance

But she doesn’t see the appeal of a tent

Even if she doesn’t need to sleep

But she goes anyway

Her favorite part ends up being cuddling by the fire

She lives vicariously through you and makes you roast like 20 marshmallows

And eat them of course

Emmett:

Yeah he loves it

He thrives out in nature

He loves all of it

The tent, the fire, the woods, the animals, the plants

He just has so much fun

You were hiking and said that you were tired and wanted to sit for a sec so he pushed over a tree to make you a spot to sit

Just because he could

Please take him out here more often

Esme:

Another one who loves it

Not that she’s trapped in the house or anything

But she doesn’t go to school

And she doesn’t work

So she loves leaving when she can

And she loves to fish

Her dad used to take her fishing and she loves it

But she catches them and throws them back

“We don’t need them anyway”

Carlisle:

It’s not his first choice

Yes he was the one who started the whole Cullen Camping thing when it’s sunny

But that’s mostly for the others

To blow off steam yk

But he’s been so well trained for so long

I mean he doesn’t even flinch at human blood

He doesn’t need to run around

That being said he will go with you though

His favorite part ends up being swimming in a lake

Every time you go camping he insists on camping near a lake

Vampire! Bella:

She’s not a fan

She wasn’t an outdoors person when she was human

She’s not an outdoors person now

Even though she doesn’t need it, she prefers a soft bed and AC

You might have to drag her out there

But she would end up having fun

Her favorite part would be stargazing

If you know anything about astrology or stars she is all ears

[lilkumquat27]

SWTD characters in romantic relationships (head canons)

Caz: Very protective. Will do just about anything if the one he loves is being disrespected. Plays tough but is a sucker for being held. Will spank the booty at any chance, be warned.

Roy: Prince of Romantic Gestures. Will treat his love to a home-cooked dinner, flowers and a new piece of jewelry at least once a week. Has a great sense of humour and is always a voice of comfort.

Brodie: Full of adventure when he’s in love. Wants to experience as much as possible. Go for hikes, travel, camping, the whole nine. If the person he loves is into it, he’ll be like a pig in shit. He definitely needs someone as adventurous as him. (Is also a great kisser)

Finlay: Fiercely loyal, but don’t try to control her. You’ll get far more than you bargained for if you do. If she’s in a relationship of equality, she fosters stability, security, comfort and emotional love.

O’Connor: A gifted sweet talker. Knows how to make a woman melt with just a stare, too. If she’s lucky enough, he’ll write a song or two about her. Doesn’t fight. He prefers living in silence until one or the other apologizes, or he does something funny to change the mood.

Trots: Would go to the moon and back to make them happy. Is almost like a school girl when he is in love, and will talk about them for hours if he’s given the chance. Is a bit nervous, though. Will need a lot of time and assurance for him to truly come out of his shell when intimate.

Muir: Basically a puppy. Super physical and always playfully bugging. Likes to pick fun, but does it with love. Needs someone with a thick skin that can jibe right back at him. Fun and adventure is Muir when he’s in a relationship. When he’s upset and he trusts them, he just needs space. He’ll be far more appreciative and fond of them if they do that for him.

Innes: Would much rather sit down at home with a beer and microwaveable dinner than go out for dinner, and he kind of needs someone like that, too. Someone he can enjoy the bliss of their own space with. A best friend in a lover is what Innes brings to the table. Is surprisingly adventurous in bed.

Rennick: Definitely needs his own cheerleader. Has some insecurity issues, but is pretty easily assured. Very protective. Has his arm tightly wound around them in public glaring at anyone who gives a look. His love language is gestures and physical intimacy he isn’t gifted at conveying it in words. Oh, and he’s top. No negotiating.

Addair: A bit possessive, but strangely makes it feel comforting. He is the sweetest when it’s just him and his love, but if they are in public he will take on a more gruff demeanour. He adheres the rule, ‘she’s never wrong’ and definitely puts it to work. He knows to choose his battles. He is a sucker for a nice back rub.

[punkshort]

i had an idea to add to the ‘str’ extras post. i came across an insta account that details “things ____ loves/hates” (i will link an example, credit to them for the idea), thought it could be an interesting, insightful look into sheriff!joel, of things you haven’t touched on but that makes up the wonderful man we have grown to love!

no rush if you decide to do it just a fun lil thing i thought of <3

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3BLN86OquE/?igsh=MWF0aG0ydzA4c3BnZg==

I like this idea! And I am very much looking for a distraction so I decided to have a little fun with it and make a photo collage to go along with my answers:

Likes:

Classic romance novels. I think he likes to keep it a secret but he has a soft spot for the classics (I thought wuthering heights was kind of apt... two people unable to be together, etc...)

Coffee. It's an obvious one, but maybe not so obvious is he prefers to share coffee with someone else. That's why he always found himself going to the diner, even before reader came on the scene. He just likes to be around others, even if it is his annoying younger brother.

Texas - duh. Sheriff Joel couldn't imagine living anywhere else, especially up north. He is a southern boy through and through.

Lazy mornings. Those are rare for him. Sarah tends to have a busy schedule, even on the weekends, so when he gets the chance to sleep in a little or just lounge around before having to get up, he really enjoys that (especially if reader is there, although he hasn't been able to have many mornings with her... yet 👀). To go along with this, he also really likes kissing. Just making out with no goal in mind. Slow, lazy licks and soft little noises under a warm blanket on a Sunday morning with nowhere to be? Perfection.

Old movies. Especially at the drive in. Something about the nostalgia of it really makes him happy. And that romantic side of him can't help himself. It's usually his go-to first date idea.

Football. As Sarah mentioned once before, he really enjoys American football and annoys her with it. Sarah really looks forward to the spring and summer because there's no football on TV and she doesn't have to listen to him yelling in the living room every ten minutes.

His favorite pair of jeans. He's had them for years, the knees are getting worn out but he loves them and won't part with them.

Sarah - obviously. Even though she keeps him on his toes and super busy all the time, he would drop anything for her. He is always struggling to balance work and home and he tends to stretch himself too thin and not take enough time for himself, but he tries to make every single soccer game and school event because he loves seeing how talented Sarah is.

Hiking, specifically with Sarah. It's something they like to do in the summer, at least one weekend a month. Occasionally he can convince her to camp out overnight, but she hates sleeping in a tent so it's a hard sell.

Dislikes:

People who don't use their seatbelts. It's so easy. Just do it. He's seen too many accidents in his line of work and he hates when people don't use them.

Snakes. Sarah never lets him forget about the time when he was nine years old and he went to put on his boot to go play outside and was surprised to find a snake sleeping inside. To this day, he can't put his shoes on without checking them first.

Oysters. It's a texture thing, he thinks they're gross. He doesn't care they are an aphrodisiac, he doesn't need it 😉

Line dancing. Even though he's from Texas, it makes him cringe every time he sees people doing it.

Snow/being cold. He prefers the heat. It's what he's used to and he doesn't like shoveling snow on the rare occasion Texas gets any accumulation.

Lip Gloss. He likes kissing. A lot. And he thinks lip gloss is too sticky.

Wool Sweaters. Because he runs hot as it is and wool just makes it worse. Plus, it's itchy.

People who talk about themselves too much. Especially women he's been on dates with. He likes learning about other people, but when it becomes apparent they have no interest in learning about him, it's a turn off.

Golf. Because all my Joels hate golf. For no particular reason at all.

Thank you so much for this ask! It was a lot of fun putting together.

[glittter-vamp]

Burnin' For You | J.B AU

Warning: 18+ MDNI! 1980s Camp Counselor Joe! Smut. Unprotected sex. Alcohol, drugs. Super shitty and rushed but something different I guess.

Watching the kids in the lake have fun, you were sat in a beach chair with another camp counselor that you had befriended last year when you signed up for this job at Camp Rosewood. It was a very hot summer in July of 1984 and you two were under a beach umbrella, both in bathing suits, cut off shorts and flannel shirts you both probably stole from your dads closet before leaving. You two cooled off with some soda's as you listened to the small portable radio that sat next to you both in the sand. "I can't believe we used to be like them about 10 years ago." Paula snorts. "My parents never let me go to sleep away camps and honestly...I now thank them, these kids are gross." You shake your head sipping in your Pepsi and you two continue to watch the kids while listening to endless Pat Benatar and Cyndi Lauper. 

"You two seriously sitting under here gossiping instead of being in the water? In this heat?" You hear a familiar annoying voice say. It was none other than another camp counselor, Danny. Danny and Paula were a thing so he'd come over with the other nuisance Joe, to bother you both but unlike Paula, you weren't amused by it. Danny and Joe were both in charge of the sports both being football players at their colleges. "What are you boys up to?" Paula asks them. "Sammi and Tracy took some of the kids for a hike, so we thought we could come cool off with you guys! Hope you don't mind." Joe answers with a smirk which made you wanna slap it off his annoyingly handsome face. "Oh, we don't." Paula smiles at them and you remain quiet. "Cool." They both say in unison as they set up chairs next to us.  You sat there annoyed. You just wanted to enjoy this day since it had been raining most of the week and here come these two to annoy you. The guys take their shirts off and you really couldn't help but stare at Joe's physique. He was tall and lean but also pure muscle. Every girl here at the camp wanted Joe which of course boosted his already inflated ego. He wasn't necessarily a jerk to you like Danny at most times was but you just didn't want to be grouped in with all the other girls that wanted Joe. He was also a gigantic flirt and rumors travel pretty damn quick around here since there was only about 20 of us counselors here with limited gossip magazines and TV. 

You divert your gaze off the tall blonde and focused on the kids which you were suppose to be doing anyways. "Would you mind holding onto my necklace? I have this thing about losing it in large bodies of water, it's sentimental." Joe asks you and you sort of freeze up but before you could reply Joe speaks up. "Actually...Here, put it on so that way it's extra safe." Joe says walking behind you and putting the silver chain around your neck. You were a bit stunned with your breath hitched in you throat feeling his finger lightly graze your neck and under your ponytail. "Thanks." Joee winks at you before him and Danny run to the water like two kids themselves. "What...the fuck was that!?" Paula squeals and you look down to the necklace round your neck. "I don't know...I've barely even talk to him since we got here last month?" You say confused by that very out of pocket action from him. "There's the bonfire tonight after the kids go to bed...you should take him back to the cabin!" Paula suggests and you roll your eyes. "What world do you live in? He obviously did this just to fuck with me and make me look stupid." You scoff grabbing another soda from the small cooler you guys brought. "He was definitely flirting with you." She rolls her eyes. "As he does with anything that has a pulse, I bet he'd flirt with a stick if it would respond back." You shake your head. "Why is it so bad if he did flirt with you? At least he's not being jerk. You should flirt black, I mean...fucking look at him. If I wasn't already messing around with Danny, he'd be on my list." Paula smirks looking at the guys jumping off the dock. "You have a list?" You chuckle looking at her. "Yeah, if Danny was out of the picture it's go, Joe, Steven, Ryan and Robbie." She shrugs. "Robbie!? I grew up with Robbie, in the 8th grade he didn't bathe for a month to protest to his parents about getting the video game Pong for his birthday." You gag. "Eh, there's something about him...I think he'd be a good lover." She smirks and you cringe. 

Paula maybe wasn't wrong about Joe though...he was hot and you couldn't deny it, especially when when he had one of his famous outfits on the consisted of the tightest shortest shorts , Ray-Bans and old cropped muscle t-shirt from his college showing off his muscles. Which also left very little to the imagination and that were paired with his already perfect honey locks as long as Matt Dillon's hair, Rob Lowe's blue eyes and luscious lips. It really was no wonder that all the girls drooled over him and all the boys wanted to be him. Plus he drove a badass Trans Am that you were positive had been mostly used for sex than for driving with the stories you heard about him. 

*********************************************

Evening comes and you four make your way to the cafeteria to grab some dinner. As you made your way to get some fruit, none other than the campsite bitch rolls up to you. "Leave some for the rest of us will ya?" Molly says and you roll your eyes at her. "Aren't you a little too old to try to be a high school mean girl?" You scoff, a group of kids snickering behind you. Molly opens her mouth to reply but freezes when she spots what's around your neck. "What the hell is that? Where'd you get this!? Are you fucking Joey? You slut..." She asks tugging on the necklace. "Get your nasty hands off me!" You slap her hands away. "Hey! Back off will you?" Joe says to Molly coming out of no where behind you. "I was just asking her a question Joey..." Molly says putting on this fake voice and smile at him which made you roll your eyes. Setting the tray you had in your hands down, you quickly took off the necklace. "Take your stupid necklace, I'm not here to be apart of some sick game between the two of you." You say pissed off and handing the necklace to Joe before storming off. You hear him call after you but you then start running to your cabin. 

Of course Joe did that to get a rise out of Molly, what could you expect from a guy like him. What a complete dick, you thought to yourself. You calm down laying on the shitty bed the camp provided when you hear a knock. "Go away!" You yell. "It's me, I brought you your food." Paula says and you sigh sitting up. "Thanks...sorry I thought you were Joe." You say a bit embarrassed. "It's alright, I got you an extra pudding pop. Stole it from Joe's tray actually when he wasn't looking." Paula says making you chuckle. "Thanks." You smile at her. "He told Molly off by the way... in front of everyone. I wish you could of seen her face...apparently she's obsessed with him and he's pretty weirded out by it." Paula says. "Don't know how much of that I would believe, she's the hottest counselor here next to you." You sigh. "Uh, no... you're the hottest counselor here next to Joe." Paula says and you roll your eyes. "Do I need to take you to the nurse for heat stroke?" You ask making her laugh. "Eat your dinner so you can go shower and then we can get ready for the bonfire later tonight. The guys told me they snuck off last night and got a keg thanks to Joe's older brother. They bribed the cafeteria lady and it's been sitting in the big freezer all day." Paula winks leaving you.

*****************************************************************

It was now well after 11PM which meant all the kids were asleep and the Bonfire in the woods was on. You debated on going after what happened but you wanted to have some sort of fun this summer that didn't include doing arts and crafts with a bunch of 11 year old's all day. You and Paula were dressed in dolphin shorts, tube socks, old converse and in your college hoodies with enough aqua net in our hair to stop a bullet. "Wait, lip balm!" Paula says before you two leave. You dig into your teal and pink caboodle and find your watermelon tin lip balm applying some before stuffing it into your pocket. "Okay, let's go get fucking drunk." Paula says. You two walk arm in arm to the bonfire hearing Billy Idol already blaring on one of radio's already. Walking up to the bonfire there was surely other people here that didn't work at this sleepaway camp seeing there was like 50+ people here instead of the 20 that worked with you but you didn't really care and just wanted to drink. "You ladies finally made it." Danny says comin gup to you two with two plastic cups with beer. "What cheap beer did you guys get?" You raise an eyebrow smelling the beer. "Oh you know, good old Schaefer." Danny winks at you both before you and Paula clink cups and drink the bitter cold liquid. 

Someone calls Danny over and he tells us he'd be back so you two find a place to sit. "Looks like word got out about this." Paula says. "We live in the mid-west I bet cops would come to these so they can do something fun for once." You chuckle. Finding a bench you two sit there and talk about the plans for your upcoming fall semester at college and then you notice Joe. He was in his usual tight denim shorts that molded his perfect ass and bulge, along with a tight red and white tank top tucked into them. "I swear his pants get tighter everyday." Paula mutters and you quickly divert your gaze elsewhere. "So...I'm assuming you and Danny will run off somewhere for the night." You ask. "Doubtful, I got my period this morning." She rolls her eyes. "Well that's a good sign since you guys have been at it like rabbits since the third day we got here." You snort. "Hey, I'm on birth control and it's the fucking 80s...I'm allowed." She defends herself making you laugh.

After little while of just bullshitting with Paula she goes off somewhere with Danny to probably make out like the horn dogs they are, which left you alone. You decide to talk to some of the other counselors and get another beer before going back to where you were seated to people watch and enjoy some music. "Is this seat taken?" You hear someone say and you almost say no before you realize that it was Joe. "Okay... can we at least talk?" Joe asks and you give him a dirty look and he sighs rolling his eyes. "You guys good over here?" You hear Danny say coming back with Paula with his arm draped around her. "I don't know... are we?" Joe asks you and you stand up. "You have two minutes." You say walking away to a more secluded spot, Joe walking behind you. "Can I ask why you're mad at me?" Joe asks and you turn on your heel. "You knew Molly was going to do act that way didn't you?" You ask Joe who stays silent. "Didn't you!?" You repeat yourself. "Okay! Maybe I did... but I just wanted her to leave me alone she's been border line stalking me no matter how I let her down." Joe say and you sigh. "You're a dick for that!" You scoff shaking your head. "I am.. I know I am! I'm sorry but... I did really liked how my necklace looked on you." Joey says his tone changing with that last park about the necklace, which made you feel weird inside. 

"Why do you do that?" You ask him sipping on your beer. "Do what?" He raises an eyebrow. "You flirt with every girl over the age of 20." You state. "Uh, negative! I flirt with you...and maybe with one or two more but definitely mostly you." Joe smirks getting closer to you. "Whatever, I'm getting another beer." You say trying to not let him get to you like he gets to other girls. "I'll get it...wait here." Joe says taking your cup from you and you roll your eyes letting him get you another drink. By now people were becoming pretty inebriated and the smell of weed and cigarettes filled the air along with the burning wood. The air had become more chilly as well and the music was still blaring, now with Sweet Dreams By Eurythmics which had more people dancing and getting close to each other than before. Joe comes back with a refill of the beer along with one for him. "I see your lover found herself a victim." You snort looking at Molly basically swallow some guys tongue against a Volkswagen beetle. "Poor guy." Joe shudders looking away. "Wanna take a walk?" Joe asks. "In the middle of the woods at midnight...have you seen horror movies?" You look at him crazy. "What? Scared Jason is going get you?" Joe smirks walking away from backwards and you roll your eyes following him. You two make it to the parking lot of the camp and head over to his car. Joe chugging his beer and chucking his cup to the ground. 

Getting in his car he turns the radio on and Burnin' For You by Blue Oyster Cult starts to play. "Didn't peg you as a Blue Oyster Cult fan." You look over at him, the car light illuminating his perfect face. "No? What do I look like I listen too?" He asks looking at you. "Styx." You nod. "Styx!? You know what...get out of my car." Joe jokes making you laugh. "You know, you have a really cute laugh." Joe smiles at you. "Oh shut up." You blush which makes him chuckle. " Oh, here we go." Joe says nodding turning up the song. "I'm living for givin' the devil his due and I'm burnin', I'm burnin', I'm burnin' for you I'm burnin', I'm burnin', I'm burnin' for youuu..." Joe sings which makes you smile and chuckle. "You sound exactly like Eric Bloom." You tease. " I like to think so too." Joe says making you laugh. You turns the song back down and you finish your beer. "I like a girl who can drink." He nods chuckling. "I like a guy who can sing Styx." You bite your lip. "Man, I guess you're out of luck tonight." He shakes his head. You two stare at each other for a moment before Joe leans in for a kiss. You didn't know if it was the beers you had just drank or all those sexual feelings you suppressed about Joe finally coming out but you kissed him back hungrily. Your tongues dancing inside each others mouths, tasting the beer you two had drank. 

"Is that Watermelon lip-balm?" Joe smirks as you two pull apart and you smirk. "Maybe..." You say out of breath. "Just how I imagined." He licks his lips. "Are you saying you fantasize about me?" You gaze at him. "Every night since we've gotten here. That red swimsuit you wear and these shorts you put on drives me insane. Worse than that poster of Farrah Fawcett hanging in the guys cabin." Joe says lowly as he slowly runs his fingers along your bare thigh. You could feel yourself becoming quickly aroused. "Is that so?" You smirk. "It is so...and I think these shorts... as much I love how they look on you have to go." Joe hums. You slip off your shorts with the help of Joe leaving you in your white lace underwear that you had underneath. You take your hoodie off leaving you in your bra and you can feel Joe's hungry gaze on you. "C'mere." Joe says sitting back in the drivers seat, seeing how hard he already was for you in the tight shorts that looked like they were about to burst with the size of his thighs and growing bulge. Moving from your seat over to his, you straddle his thick thighs and latch your lips again onto his. Joe groans into your mouth as you grind onto him. "You need to take this off." You breathe out as your hands try to work the buttons and zipper on his shorts. You and Joe laugh as you two both struggle with his tight shorts. "Maybe I should size up." He sighs when he finally gets his shorts off. "They're worth the struggle." You bite your lip as you palm him making him whimper. Your lips find each other again and you feel his hands wonder up your bra and Joe unlatches it. You take off your bra and throw it to the side. Joe's mouth immediately latched onto one of your breasts making you moan as your fingers pull at his feathery hair. 

Not being able to take it anymore you feel Joe move your panty to the side and release himself from his own underwear. "Ready?" He asks huskily and you nod kissing him. He aligns himself at your core and you sink onto him, both of you moaning into each others mouths. He was a lot bigger than you had expected. "Tell me if I'm hurting you." Joe says kissing your jaw as he pushes a strand of hair out your face. After a moment you then start to move. "Shit...you feel better than what I imagined Y/N." Joe hisses as his hands grab your ass cheeks and help you bounce on him. "Oh god... Joe." You moan. You feel his mouth all over your neck and chest as you keep moving your hips. You two finish rather quickly but you didn't care, you needed to release all that pent up sexual frustration. Leaning your sweaty forehead onto his you look him in his gorgeous eyes and you both smile breathlessly before giving each other a sweet tender kiss. Moving back onto the passenger seat you slip on your hoodie and and shorts. "Do you want to go back to the kegger or to your cabin?" Joe asks getting dressed as well. "I could go for another beer...plus you me a Styx song." You smile stuffing your underwear into the pockets of your hoodie. "A beer and a Styx song it is..." Joe smiles giving you one last kiss.  You two leave his car and walk back hand in hand to the bunch of drunks you left, knowing the rest of the summer of 1984 sleepaway camp was going to be quite interesting between the two. 

[ejzah]

A/N: It’s a bit late, but happy birthday to Kensi Marie Blye! Thanks to @mashmaiden for the fic scenario and general brainstorming.

***

The No Good, Very Bad Birthday

Deeks hefted a large cooler into the back of his truck, pushing it alongside two suitcases. There were also two camping chairs and hiking gear.

“Is that everything?” Kensi called from the ground. “If you let me take a look—”

“Oh Kensi, my love, did you really think I would fall for that? I’m not letting any details slip about this trip.” Deeks shifted to the side to block Kensi’s view as she tried see up into the truck. “So, it would be best if you just gave up trying.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

She did step back so he could secure the top, and extended a hand to help him down. Together, they walked back into the house where Rosa and Roberta were entertaining the twins.

“Are you guys ready to go?” Rosa asked, passing Sophia to Kensi when she reached out. Deeks hauled Caleb up into his arms.

“Yeah. I’m going to miss you guys.”

“Adaba,” Sophia replied, patting Kensi’s cheek.

“All the numbers, doctors, and other important information are still in the binder on the counter,” Kensi said. Rosa nodded along, paying more attention than Roberta as Kensi and Deeks ran through the instructions.

While Deeks took Kensi on a surprise birthday trip, Rosa and Roberta had offered to take care of the twins. This wasn’t the first time Rosa had stayed with the twins overnight, but it would be the longest.

“I know you’ve got this handled, but don’t hesitate to call if anything happens or you need us to come back. Even if it’s just because you get sick of these two,” Deeks added. He tweaked Caleb’s cheek, hefting him higher on his hip.

“As if I could ever get tired of my beautiful brother and sister,” Rosa said. “We’ll be fine. Now please go have fun.”

“Of course they will.” Roberta rolled her eyes. “By the way, where’d you hide the key to the liquor cabinet?”

Deeks ignored her, turning back to Rosa.

He hugged her tightly and Kensi came on her other side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“Thank you.”

“We love you, call if you need us,” he said, and snuck a glance at Roberta . “And keep an eye on your crazy grandma.” He whispered the last part as he and Kensi passed the twins back to Rosa and Roberta.

“I will, but nothing’s going to happen. Love you, guys. Have a fun birthday, Kensi!” Rosa called after them on their way through the door.

***

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Kensi asked, snuggling into Deeks as she rode in the passenger seat of the truck. They’d been driving for a couple hours now, and the scenery had become distinctly greener and less populated.

“I guess we’re close enough. We are going to spend the next four days at a cozy little cabin. It’s not Mammoth, but the views and trails are supposed to be amazing,” Deeks told her. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “And there’s a fireplace and hot tub outside.”

“Ooh, sounds romantic.” She nuzzled his cheek, letting her hand creep up his thigh. “Where did you hear about it?”

“Kat. She said she stayed in one of the cabins a few years ago and it was amazing.”

“Well, if Kat gave it her seal of approval, then it’s got to be good. That girl does not like to endure any hardships,” Kensi said, and Deeks chuckled in agreement.

“No, she does not. Show ponies and filet mignon.”

“I could have done without the ponies, but the food was phenomenal,” Kensi admitted. She hadn’t known quite what to expect of Deeks’ surprise; anything would have been great, but was a little relieved they weren’t headed for a four day survival hike. The past couple years, combined with motherhood had lowered her appreciation for those kinds of activities.

They drove through increasingly winding roads surrounded by forest until they reached a small guardhouse. Deeks showed the guard their pass, and he was provided a small map of the grounds, keys, a pass for the truck and waved through.

“This is gorgeous!” Kensi exclaimed as they drove by rows of luscious trees. Deeks followed the directions on the map, stopping beside a clearing with a wooden cabin.

“This is a little more overgrown than I expected,” Deeks commented as they passed a tree growing through the crack between two slats of wood on the porch.

Inside, was a short entryway that immediately opened into a den area decorated with wooden furniture. It was small, but cozy-looking, and contained a fireplace as promised.

“It’s cute,” Kensi decided.

“I was going for luxurious. As per Kat and the website’s reviews. This is more…forest ranger.”

“It’s rustic, which I happen to like.” Nudging his shoulder, Kensi stepped back outside. “C’mon, let’s unload the truck and then we can explore the rest of the place.”

“Ok. But if the jacuzzi doesn’t work, I’m writing a strongly worded Yelp review,” he said as he followed her out.

***

Further exploration revealed most of the rooms had some level of water damage or decrepit amenities. The bathroom also sported a large spider in one corner, which they decided to leave to its own devices—though Deeks reserved the right to squash it if it made any signs of movement. Luckily for the owners, the jacuzzi did in fact work, though it would need a thorough cleaning before it would be fit for use.

They saved the master bedroom for last. Fortunately, the bed seemed reasonably sturdy, and clean. Though the same couldn’t be said of the floor beneath it. It creaked with every step, and Kensi didn’t point out the dark stains underneath.

Even though it wasn’t what Deeks had anticipated, it seemed good enough to her. She didn’t think they’d make it out of the bedroom for much of the first couple days.

With that in mind, Kensi threw herself back on the bed, tugging an unsuspecting Deeks with her, one hand tangling in his hair while the other settled comfortable on his lower back. His hands automatically fell to her hips, his body reacting to Kensi’s against his.

“Don’t you want to check for bed bugs, first?” he asked, his tone only half-joking.

“Baby, we have a full four days to ourselves. As much as I love our children, I’m looking forward to the uninterrupted alone time with you. Are you really going to waste a moment of it worrying about whether or not the sheets are two thousand count thread?” she asked.

“I don’t think two thousand is a—”

Kensi cut him off with a kiss, her hand sliding up the back of his shirt. Ot successfully distracted him from any further objections and within moments she had both of them out of their shirts.

***

Deeks woke sometime later to sunlight streaming across his face and a naked Kensi tucked between his arms. Burrowing his nose in Kensi’s neck, he sighed contentedly.

“See, it’s not so bad after all,” Kensi mumbled sleepily.

“Yeah, but you were willing to have sex with me in the middle of the desert while we were on the run from the federales. Your standards aren’t that high,” he pointed out. Kensi made a half-hearted swat at his back, that ended more like a caress.

“I was trying to get you to wake up.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Oh my god!” Kensi groaned. Deeks hid his grin in her shoulder, his body shaking with laughter. “You’re terrible.” Despite her proclamation, nudged his chin so she could reach his mouth, her lips moving softly over his.

“We should eat something,” he said breathily as Kensi kissed her way down his neck and chest.

“I’m not that hungry.”

“It won’t do us any good if we pass out from exhaustion.” At this, Kensi lifted her head, rolling back onto one elbow.

“I hate it when you make sense,” she sighed. Planting a hand on his chest, she pushed up, hovering over him. “But when we get done, you’re mine.” She dipped her head to kiss him one more time, then used his chest to sit up.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Deeks said. Rolling out of bed, he grabbed his discarded shorts, tugged them on, and headed for the kitchen.

Kensi wandered into the kitchen in just his t-shirt about 10 minutes later, finding him in the middle of filling a large pot with water. She peered over his shoulder, examining the boxes and cans spread over the small counters.

“What gourmet meal are you making me?”

“Fettuccini in a rosé sauce. Hopefully. Apparently the state-of-the-art kitchen is a little worse for wear too. Kat and I are going to have a little talk when we get back,” he said grimly, frowning at the hand-written sign taped over the oven that read “Out of order”.

“It’ll be ok,” Kensi insisted. “We brought enough food that doesn’t need to be cooked or at least doesn’t require an oven.”

He took a deep breath, reminding himself that he wasn’t doing either of them any good by constantly whining. “Sorry, you’re right. I just want you to have a nice birthday weekend.”

“I already am.” Kensi took advantage of his current position to slip her hands in his back pockets and squeeze. “I’m going to go to the bathroom and when I get back I’ll chop vegetables or something.”

Deeks continued prepping, getting out a bag of green beans, a jar of tomato sauce, and cream cheese. He was just dumping the sauce into a smaller pan when he heard Kensi make a truly bloodcurdling scream.

He didn’t have a gun with him of course, but out of instinct, he grabbed a chef’s knife and ran for the bathroom.

“Kensi!” he shouted, kicking the door open. He expected to find blood, an armed intruder, possibly a bomb. He did not anticipate Kensi to be standing over the sink, shaking out her hair. “Kens,” he repeated, slowly lowering the knife. “Everything ok?”

She turned around, eyes blazing. “No! I was washing my hands and a toad fell out of the ceiling and on my head.”

“A toad?”

“Yes. It was huge. It landed somewhere over there.” Pointing towards the other side of the room, she crossed her arms as Deeks poked around. He found said toad cowering—as much as a toad could cower—at one end of the tub.

“Oh, it’s just a toad, Kensalina,” Deeks said, cupping his hands and lowering them inside the tub. The toad obligingly hopped into them.

“I don’t care, they’re slimy and gross and I don’t want them in my hair.”

Deeks tried to keep his amusement at his tough-as-nails, could make a raft out of twigs Kensi freaking out over a two-inch amphibian.

“Do not laugh,” she ordered with a fierce expression.

“I would never,” he promised, making a hasty exit before broke that promise. “I’ll just take this little guy outside.”

Fortunately, the rest of the evening passed without anymore excitement. Dinner turned out pretty good, and they tumbled into bed, making plans to explore one of the trails the next day. Assuming they made it out of bed in time.

***

“We should have brought a machete,” Deeks said, settling his hands on his hips as he considered the fallen tree blocking their path. “Or maybe an electric saw.”

At the start of the leisure trail, everything had been fine. As they got deeper into the woods though, it became clear that no one had been back here in a long time. The path was overgrown with brush and trees had fallen in multiple places. Clearly, things had changed significantly since Kat stayed since Kensi could never imagine her stepping foot on this trail.

It wouldn’t have been that bad if Kensi had actually dressed for a wilderness hike. Instead, she’d foolishly worn shorts and a t-shirt, and she was now splattered with mud and scratched up. Deeks hadn’t faired much better.

“We should just go back.”

“No, we made it this far,” Kensi objected. She didn’t really know why. She was hot and itchy, and wanted nothing more than to go back to the cabin and shower. Somehow it felt like she’d be giving up if they didn’t finish this stupid trail. “There was a sign for a fire pit about half a mile back, let’s try and find that.”

“Are you sure? Cause I have no problem going back and spending the rest of today in the jacuzzi. Sans Frankie,” Deeks told her, and she rolled her eyes.

“I cannot believe you named the toad,” she groaned. Together, they turned around, retracing their steps.

“Well, pets have to have a name.”

“Oh, we are not keeping that thing. He can have the bathtub back when we leave.”

“You mean he’s not growing on you?” Deeks teased.

“No. The dog would probably end up eating him at some point anyway,” Kensi pointed out, and Deeks grimaced, following her as she took the slight right that the signpost indicated.

After a small incline, they found a small raised wood platform with two benches and chairs surrounding a brick fire pit.

“Huh, they actually told the truth this time,” Deeks commented. “I was expecting like a pit of snakes or something.

“Or quicksand,” Kensi added with a wry grin. She plopped down on the closest bench, feeling a soreness in her thighs from the unexpected trek.

“This is kind of nice,” Deeks admitted, taking the other side of the bench. He put his head back, letting out a relieved sigh.

A second later thunderous crack rolled through the air and without warning a sheet of rain poured down from the sky, instantly penetrating the foliage above.

Kensi stared in shock, completely still for a few seconds, then she started laughing.

“Happy birthday! I’ve officially gifted you the worst vacation ever!” Deeks shouted over the rain drops. “I’m sorry!”

“Deeks, come here.” Beckoning him closer, she grabbed the front of his now soaked shirt and kissed him firmly. She pulled back, her lips smacking against his. “I don’t care what we do or where we do it. If it’s eating sushi at the most extravagant hotel in the world or chasing toads out of a barely functioning bathtubs, I want to do it with you.”

“I wanted this to be special though.”

“It is. In its own way,” Kensi said. “The fact that you planned all of this, even if it didn’t turn out the way we expected, is special. And I love you for it.”

“I love you too,” Deeks murmured, leaning in for another kiss. They made out for a couple minutes as the rain soaked through their hair and clothes. Deeks pulled back, water dripping off of his nose.

“Do you want to see if we can get the deposit back, find a Super 8, and maybe get some ice cream?”

“Yes,” Kensi said immediately. “As quickly as possible.”

He laughed, mouth settling into a fond smile.

“Happy birthday, Kensi. Let’s never do this again.”

***

A/N: Thanks for reading this silly story!

Side note, up til I was around six, we had two pet toads. One was named Frankie.

[aclosetfan]

I once did a "what's in their purse" writing exercise, where i just wrote for ten minutes for each girl, so I wanted to do that again, but their go-to uniforms :)

Bubbles: She would have the most creative fun with her uniforms, pushing the line of impracticability. She's opposed to matching identically with her sisters except when she gets to plan their group uniforms. Her sisters taint her creativity. Typically, her uniforms resemble magic-girl animes, like Sailor Moon. She loves a more feminine look with big waist bows and frilled accents. She wears skirts mostly or dresses, and they're hardly athletic. Her outfits are LOUD and aggressively there. She sparkles and shines with jewelry and homemade earrings, which always get tangled when she fights or is yanked off by bad guys. Her shoes are heels, strappy sandals, or sparkly converses (but Blossom usually forces her to change into closed-toed shoes). She over-dresses and knows it, but when she's covered in muck, grim, and monster guts, she feels she deserves to be a little over the top in her dressings. If she's NOT wearing something over the top, she's wearing something more boho chic. Still obnoxious, but make it more "hippy." She likes bandanas and tie-dye, which I think she can still make aggressively feminine, but sometimes, she needs to step back and go on a nature hike. If you could marry the two concepts, I feel you'd have what I picture as quintessential Bubbles. Someone in tune with nature and crystals, but also someone who shops at Claire's. A cotton candy witch with a bedazzler problem.

Blossom: Her uniforms are sleek with clean lines. She's practical to the max and professional. Compared to Bubbles, her style is minimalist. She prefers wearing skorts or athletic dresses, but never without anything underneath, for decency's sake. On occasion, she'll also wear athletic leggings, which are form-fitting but practical for combat. She wears steel-toed sneakers. Besides a ponytail, she doesn't wear any other accessories; occasionally, she may forget to take off a necklace and wear normal stud earrings. She stays away from jackets during combat but keeps a matching one around in case she gets cold or has a wardrobe malfunction. Her tops/dresses are long-sleeved athleisure wear with the occasional thumb hole. Overall, she's a modest dresser who rarely varies styles. If there was a term for it, it would be tennis player/country club golfer. It fits her active lifestyle, and often, she chooses to just wear a uniform throughout the day so she doesn't have to worry about changing. Make-up-wise, like Buttercup, she wears little to none. Not because she's anti-makeup but because she doesn't like it when she gets sweaty and it streaks. Again, practicality is key for her. If it isn't practical, it's not for Blossom, which is why she unironically sports a fanny pack for convenience. However, she may be found to have backup ponytails or a bowed scrunchie on her wrist.

Buttercup: Like Blossom, Buttercup lives in athleisure wear, except unlike Blossom, she's very casual about it. Blossom's professional, but Buttercup? We're just lucky if she remembers to wear a bra; if she does, it's a sports bra, and she may not have a shirt covering it. She's also the worst at sticking to their color coordination. Her closet is full of greens and yellow accents, but sometimes she'll show up to a fight in some weird t-shirt she got at overnight and away camp the girls went to in middle school because it was the only thing clean and beggars can't be choosers. It's not rebellious like some people think; she's just a little lazy. Her shoes consist of combat boots and tennis shoes. She likes joggers and athletic shorts and is fine with skorts. She'll wear athletic dresses if Blossom picks them out but refuses to wear what Bubbles demands they wear. She doesn't wear much jewelry unless it's a necklace/bracelet/etc, that a family member or friend gave her. She had earrings, but they've been ripped out too many times during fights for her to continue wearing them. Her jewelry is surprisingly dainty. If she gets caught in a fight wearing makeup, she goes heavy on eye makeup but less on lipstick and blush. Very punk. But for the most part, she skips over it because she accidentally rubs it off throughout the day. Hair accessories consist of ponytails if her hair is long enough and bandanas/headbands she steals from Bubbles. She's an incredibly casual jock with punk undertones.

I totally think all three girls would wear knee or elbow braces, especially if they've had prior injuries.

[cuddletime-blog]

LBC Valentine's Day Date Headcanons

Alkaid:

He would enjoy dates at the botanical garden, arboretum, and planetarium as well as hiking and camping outdoors. This guy loves Nature and can’t get enough of it. Alkaid would also really like visiting photography exhibits with MC.

Clarence:

He is old-fashioned, but very romantic. Clarence would enjoy a movie night with popcorn after dinner or a weekend date to the museum or aquarium.  He is the kind of guy that would show up to your date all dressed up in a suit with a bouquet of flowers and even arrive at the meeting location half an hour to an hour early ahead of the scheduled time.

Ayn:

He won’t openly admit it, but he really looks forward to dates with MC. Ayn is the kind of guy that would be down for a game of laser tag (until maybe Lars crashes the date and competes with Ayn in laser tag. They play so intensely with one another that they might not even notice MC standing around looking completely confused about how her date got crashed.) He would also enjoy amusement park dates with MC or even ballroom dancing just because it might be something new or fun and romantic that MC looks forward to trying.

Lars:

He is an old-school romantic as well, much like in the same way that Clarence is, but Lars doesn’t take life so seriously. He is more prone to being spontaneous. He loves making grand gestures or displays of affection and he really enjoys traveling abroad. Lars will surprise you with a private jet plane trip or boat or yacht ride, or a fancy dinner in the very best hotels. He doesn’t mind spending lavishly sometimes on a memorable event for MC or just to make her happy because it’s something she really likes.

Cael:

He enjoys relaxing date nights at home with MC. Cael will prepare dinner and they can play board games or talk about books and art with one another. He will bake something for dessert and he is just an expert when it comes to pampering MC. Cael is the shining example of an ideal butler if I ever saw one.

[wish-incorrect-quotes]

Camping Trip

Wrote this because I thought Simon could use some cheering up after the movie. Also, I thought it would be fun for the group to get a little "heigh-ho" moment marching through the forest.

Simon was quickly starting to realize just how much he had missed spending time in the great outdoors. After his last birthday, it had always felt like there was a heavy fog settled over him, and he couldn’t feel any desire to go out on a hike when even getting out of bed could feel daunting.

But now… he wasn’t sure he could say he felt “normal” again. At least, not yet. But he did feel better. With the familiar sensation of leaves crunching under his feet, a light breeze rustling his clothes, and the bright sunlight adding a pleasant warmth to the day, he had a sense of enjoying something that had been missing for a while.

Though as much as he was glad to be out here again, it wasn’t exactly the peaceful experience it usually was. But, of course, he hadn’t really expected it to be a quiet sort of day. Not with the group of friends who were trailing along behind him.

“Is this where you met the grizzly bear? Are we gonna meet a bear? Do bears give hugs? Is that why people call it ‘bear hugs’? If we meet a bear, can we-”

“How about we stick to watching the wildlife from a distance, okay?” Dahlia interrupted Dario’s curious line of questioning.

Asha, however, was busy trying to keep track of a certain pet who was not part of the local wildlife that belonged off in the distance.

“Valentino, stick with the group, remember?” She called out.

Her pajama-clad goat, already halfway through climbing a steep wall of rock, glanced down with a disappointed sigh.

“But it’s going so slowly.” He objected, though he still obediently made his way down and trotted back to Asha’s side.

“I know, but us people need to stay on the path. Not all of us can go climbing up cliffs the way a goat can.”

She scooped him into her arms and offered him a carrot stick from the pouch around her waist, which quickly had Valentino forgetting any desire to rush ahead.

“I don’t see why we have to walk all this way instead of just riding a wagon.” Gabo muttered, shifting the weight of the pack slung over his shoulder.

“The trail’s too narrow further up. We wouldn’t be able to make it to the top.” Dahlia reminded him. “Besides, I told you I already packed everything we’ll need. You’re the one who insisted on bringing a bunch of extra stuff.”

“Well excuse me if ‘roughing it’ isn’t my idea of a good time. I still say it’s crazy to go sleep out in the wilderness when there’s perfectly good buildings back in the city.”

“Just be grateful I packed a very nice picnic for everyone.” Dahlia replied. “A lot of people put in the effort to find their own food while they’re out here.”

“I’ve done that before.” Simon decided to chime in. “Just came out here with a fishing pole, and whatever I catch is dinner."

 “I’m pretty sure we’d end up with someone scaring away all the fish if we tried that today.” He sent a pointed look at one of his friends trailing towards the back of the line.

As if on cue, the air suddenly rang out with a loud “AH-CHOO!” that echoed through the forest, and most likely had startled off a good amount of wildlife.

“Sorry. Pollen season.” Safi muttered sheepishly. He liked nature, he really did. He just wasn't so sure it liked him back.

While Bazeema paused to help him dig a few more handkerchiefs out of one of the bags, Hal’s face lit up with an idea.

“Hey guys, you know what we need?”

“Oh no.” Gabo groaned.

“Oh yes! Traveling music!”

“If anyone tries to make me sing, I swear I’m turning around and going home.”

“Alright, then you can whistle!”

The next thing they knew, Hal had cheerfully started up a surprisingly infectious tune. Though it did start off as whistling, it didn't take long before people started humming along, and then it unsurprisingly turned into singing after all. Gabo threw in a bit more grumbling under his breath, then decided he might as well put up with it. It would already be stuck in his head anyway. And while he hadn't planned to, he found himself absent-mindedly joining in after a few minutes.

Simon took a moment to glance at the group following behind him, and he couldn’t help but smile when he saw that everyone’s footsteps had instinctively fallen into the rhythm.

He didn't mind if it wasn't really a quiet and peaceful experience. Honestly, he'd rather have their chatter than be alone with his own thoughts right now. He wasn't sure if he even would have gone without them. And they had probably figured that out, too.

He knew that a lot of them didn’t tend to make up the most outdoorsy group, and he’d done his best to pick an easy trail that wouldn’t be difficult for them to manage. But even if he knew to expect a bit of complaining along the way (pretty much all of it from Gabo), it still made him feel warm inside to remember when he’d brought up the idea and everyone had agreed without any hesitation.

They had been worried about him, he knew that. And now that he finally felt ready to try getting back to something that had always cheered him up, they all wanted to be there for him. He really did have good friends. Better than he deserved, he briefly started to think. But he quickly shook the thought out of his head. Today was for letting himself have some happy thoughts.

Their path continued around a bend, then across a fallen tree acting as a bridge across a small ravine (it took quite a bit of encouragement to get Gabo feeling brave enough to cross it), and then it wasn’t much later before they could hear the sound of rushing water. And not long after, Dario was ecstatic to have located the source.

“Guys, there’s a WATERFALL!”

It was a rather picturesque sight, ribbons of water trailing into a little pool deep in the woods. And as he ran towards it, many of their friends following closely behind, Dahlia immediately knew it was much to late to get anyone to stop.

“At least take your shoes off if you’re going in!” She glanced over at Simon apologetically. “I hope we’re not throwing your schedule off.”

Simon shrugged good-naturedly. “We were probably about due for a break anyway.”

The point was for everyone to enjoy themselves, after all. And they certainly appeared to be having fun splashing around.

‐--------------------------------------------

Despite a few delays along the way, they reached the planned campsite with what should hopefully be plenty of daylight left to start setting up tents and getting a fire ready.

Despite being slightly out of practice, Simon had done this enough times that it didn't take him very long, so he began to wander through the group to see if anyone else needed help.

Despite Gabo's complaints about "roughing it," Bazeema had put together some rather comfortable looking sleeping bags, in everyone's favorite colors and patterns to boot. And once they had a campfire going, and the air was wafting with the smell of Dahlia expertly roasting their dinner, Simon would be surprised if anyone could manage to be in a bad mood.

And then, as the sky grew dark and last bits of red along the horizon disappeared, they were finally coming to the reason why they had selected tonight to come out here.

It started with one streak across the sky, then a few more, and before they knew it, the whole expanse above them was filled with the light of shooting stars.

"Oh, wow..."

With all of his friends lying on the ground around him to get a good look, Simon turned his head in the direction where he'd heard the breathless whisper, and saw Asha staring up in awe.

"It looks so beautiful out here."

"Do you think the one you met is up there?" Simon asked.

Asha's smile grew wider. "Absolutely. Star would never miss a chance to wave hello after we came all this way."

He leaned back again, his breath growing slow and relaxed as he tried to guess which one might be the wishing star Asha had brought into their lives.

As he'd learned, "sleepy" and "content" could be drastically different things. And tonight... he had a feeling he was going to sleep very contentedly.

[bokettochild]

Opera house AU

Telma's has a group of old regulars that have been coming to her bar since it opened 27 years ago. Theyre pretty much the cast of Cheers with how familiar they are with her and each other;

Rusl: ex-army, current Ordon rancher. Started visiting when he was in the Reserves, always comes by whenever he's in town. Introduced Twilight to the place and delivers Telma Ordon Cider

Renado: a general practice doctor, currently lives in Kakariko. Usually hitches a ride with Rusl to the city

Auru: university professor and Dusk's old high school teacher. Visits the most and has an endless well of amusing anecdotes about his students. Also an amazing piano player, Telma's has one that he loves playing

Shad: aspiring historian, currently works at the museum. Helped Twilight settle in due to being about his age

Ashei: wildlife ranger that works in Hebra (Wild has seen her a few times). Dresses like she's a 1760s pioneer with all the animal furs for keeping warm, has wrestled bears and tamed Tundra Rhinos

Grandpa: One of the oldest regulars and recommended Telma's to his gang. Has such a strong liver that out-drinking him has become a popular wager (his winning streak spans 15+ years)

When all of them get together, they belt out this:

Absolutally!

I love the idea of Rusl being an ex-military man, even if it was the reserves and not active duty. I feel like the moment he learned Twi intended to head up Crown City side once he outgrew the foster system, he totally decided to help him by introducing him to some folks up there, and what better place than at his favorite bar/diner?

I see Renado being a GP from Kakariko, sure! I can see him being a quieter presence at the bar, but plays along when someone inevitably makes a joke about "is there a doctor in the house" whenever someone insults another person. he get's a kick out of that, but mostly just enjoys hanging out with people closer to his own age.

Auru being Dusk's highschool teacher though means he probably knew about all the drama going on there. He knows about Midna (when she and Twi started dating i think he probably would have been trying so hard to hold his tongue and mind his own business) but finding out that Rusl's "grandson" is actually the kid of two of his old students would blow this man's mind LOL

Shad is totally a museum worker, and trying to get a research grant. I'm seeing him like Milo from Disney's Atlantis though, and no one wants to support his research into a lost and forgotten civilization (actually, check that, why is Shad literally just Milo?!?!?!?!?!) Shad has shared his research with Twi (and thus lil Ledge) for years. I'm injecting my history nerd Legend agenda in here to say they get along like a house on fire, and Shad drags both of them (and anyone else he can) on "research missions" around Crown City. He wants to explore around the old opera house, but Lullaby won't let him LOL.

Asheii and Twilight are hiking buddies I think. For fun. I want them to be hiking buddies. Sometimes they go with Shad when he wants to look at old ruins, but most of the time they go alone because he's kinda slow/has horrid stamina. They don't do much talking, but she totally takes him along to work sometimes and they go on camping adventures every summer.

Grandpa is a new member of their group, but has been coming to the bar since before Telma acquired it. It just so happens that his biker group comes in on the same days that the others do, so they intermingle quite a bit. He and Telma joke and bicker at each other like an old married couple (they have no interest in each other) and it humors the rest of the regular crowd to no end.

[roxannarambles]

Title: The Bloodmoon Graves (Part 7/7)

Summary: Nemona learns about the rumors of a fabled "Bloodmoon Beast" and decides they should all go for a camping trip out in the Timeless Woods to search for it. They end up finding a bit more than they bargained for.

(See Ch 1 for tags & other info)

Chapters: Ch 1 - Ch 2 - Ch 3 - Ch 4 - Ch 5 - Ch 6 - Epilogue

Fortunately for the exhausted group of travelers, their camp had not been disturbed since they left it. As tired as they all were, it was almost tempting to try to go back to sleep, but there was no telling if the Bloodmoon Beast would be able to take care of all the wolves– and whether it might decide to come after them once it was done. So after a short rest, they hastily packed up camp and left, hiking back into the Kitakami Wilds.

Once they were out of the woods, they pitched their tents again and tried to get some rest, Mabosstiff standing guard, just in case. The next morning, while eating breakfast (which was whatever was left of their food supplies), they debated whether they should go back into the woods to track down the rest of their missing supplies– their cell phones were the things they wanted most to find. Eventually they decided they would return later for them. For the time being, they hiked the rest of the way back to Mossui Town. The hike felt much, much longer on the return trip, and it was a relief when they finally rounded Apple Hills and spotted the buildings of the little town.

The first thing they did was hand their pokeballs off to the nurse. She was able to clean the awful mess off their pokeballs and get them back to normal, but the job did take her several hours and some helpers. In the meantime, the kids got a proper meal at the Community Center and then just crashed for most of the remainder of that day. They definitely needed the rest.

The following day, Juliana felt a hundred percent better, and it seemed Nemona did, too. After breakfast they took a walk to Loyalty Plaza and planned out their return trip to the Timeless Woods (they were going to fly on Juliana’s Corviknight, this time). When they returned to town they finally found Arven and Penny awake in the Community Center. 

“Heyyyy, there they are!” Nemona said, dropping down on the bench beside them. Juliana sat down too, saying,

“We thought maybe you guys were gonna sleep all day.”

“I wasn’t asleep. Just didn’t feel like leaving my room,” Arven answered curtly, sipping some coffee and petting the dog lounging by his feet. Juliana teased,

“Wait, seriously? Arven staying in his room all morning? That doesn’t sound right. You okay, Arven? Did this trip turn you into Penny?”

Nemona laughed a little. Penny had her nose in a laptop and barely had the energy to send them both a withering glare. Arven replied,

“I’m fine. Jeez, I can’t take it easy for one morning? We’re on vacation, aren’t we?”

Juliana shrugged,

“It’s more of a field trip, but sure.”

She leaned down and pet Mabosstiff for a few moments and then looked back to him. In a softer tone, she said,

“But . . . um, are you actually okay? I just wanted to make sure, after . . . well, everything.”

Nemona watched quietly, also looking concerned. Arven sipped his coffee and sighed. After a while, he said,

“Yeah. I won’t claim that was my favorite trip, but I’ll be fine. Mabosstiff and I have faced worse. And it’s gonna take a lot more than some pesky ghost types to turn us off from camping.”

He patted Mabosstiff’s head and the dog’s tail thumped the ground.

“Good,” Juliana said, smiling. He gave her a smile in return, small but genuine. 

“What about you, Penny?” Nemona asked, turning to her. 

“Yeah, no, I’m never stepping foot outside again,” Penny replied blandly. Arven snorted.

“Aw, Penny! Don’t say that . . . I know you didn’t have much fun, but it wasn’t all bad, right?”

Penny didn’t even hesitate to reply,

“Yeah it was. You trying to tell me there were parts of that you enjoyed?”

Nemona exchanged a look with Juliana, then answered confidently,

“Well, yeah! I mean, not the almost dying parts obviously, but, think about it. We got to see a brand-new pokemon nobody’s ever heard of before, and all those weird tar pits, and that’s pretty cool, right? It’s like we’re on the cutting-edge of discovery and stuff!”

“I think I’ll stay away from the cutting-edges, they’re a little too cutting.”

With an excited gleam in her eyes, Nemona added,

“Plus, we saw the Bloodmoon Beast! And it was every bit as awesome as we thought it’d be!!”

Juliana chimed in,

“Yeah, I think it finished off that entire hoard all by itself, it was unreal! I can’t believe we got to see that.” 

Penny shook her head, returning her focus to her laptop.

“I’m not saying I’m unhappy it saved our butts out there, but you two are still crazy. That is not something I want to get near again, not by choice.”

“Honestly, I’m surprised you’re both not already back there trying to catch it,” Arven chuckled dryly. Nemona hesitated, looking thoughtful.

“Well . . . I dunno.”

They looked to her, waiting for her to continue. Eventually Nemona ventured,

“I kinda got the sense maybe the Beast was sorta . . . the guardian of the forest, in a way? He came in and saved us right when we needed it most. I don’t think he wants to hurt anyone, not really. Maybe he’s happy where he lives, and just wants to be left alone. Maybe . . .”

She smiled self-consciously,

“Maybe not every super strong pokemon needs to be caught?”

Arven’s phone made a little bleep and he checked it. Juliana could see the screen display:

carminesandiego: what the heck is this crap

Arven typed,

its the ursaluna we saw when we were camping in the timeless woods

carminesandiego: sure arven whatever you say

what? its true

carminesandiego: what did you do, strap a flashlight to your head and take a pic of yourself in the bathroom with the lights off

carminesandiego: cant see shit

“That’s actually a nice outlook, Nemona,” Penny said with a smile, 

“So I take it once you guys find the cell phones you’ll be leaving right away then?”

“Oh no, we’re still gonna try to find one of those ghost wolves to catch.”

Dismayed, Penny stared at them.

“What happened to letting sleeping dogs lie?”

Nemona shrugged, “I dunno. Those things were freaky, I gotta learn more about them.”

When Juliana and Nemona later returned to the Timeless Woods, they were able to recover their phones and a few other odds and ins that had been missing. They combed the forest thoroughly, searching for the strange tar pools they had seen a few nights ago. They also went back to the cave where Ogerpon had discovered the original tar pool.

However, all signs of the tar pools and the ghostly wolves had vanished . . . without a trace. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonus Content: Official Stats Sheet

Name: Oozing Bones - Ghost/Ground (Past Paradox Houndstone)

Abilities: Liquid Ooze/Sticky Hold/Prankster (Hidden)

Appearance:

(Dire Form) - A ghostly wolf (based on a Dire Wolf, Aenocyon dirus), around the size of a Mabosstiff. Its fur is pitch black, oily, and drips in some places. In a few spots, there are bare patches that expose bone beneath, including on the tail, by the ribs, and a leg. Its eyes are open eye sockets that are empty, but a flickering, ghostly purple light is inside them to act as pupils. It has very large fangs.  

(Desiccated Form) - Mostly a bare skeleton of a wolf, dripping in dark, sticky tar in many places. Its eyes still have the purple light.

Shiny Colors: Dark purple fur with orange lights for eyes

Stats:

Dire Form: HP (72), Attack (111), Defense (95), Spec Attack (55), Spec Defense (122), Speed (45), 500 total  

Desiccated Form: HP (72), Attack (130), Defense (37), Spec Attack (120), Spec Defense (122), Speed (19), 500 total

Learnset:

Start Moves: Lick, Tail Whip, Smog, Sand Attack, Destiny Bond

Lvl 1: Tackle, Growl, Tar Shot

Lvl 4: Mud Slap 

Lvl 8: Bite 

Lvl 13: Howl 

Lvl 16: Curse 

Lvl 20: Dig 

Lvl 25: Sand Tomb 

Lvl 28: Crunch 

Lvl 32: Echoed Voice 

Lvl 37: Shadow Bone 

Lvl 40: Shadow Sneak 

Lvl 44: Toxic 

Lvl 49: Phantom Force 

Lvl 52: Spikes 

Lvl 56: Bonemerang 

Evolution: Tar Ooze (Signature Move, changes forms between Dire and Desiccated, also drops foe’s speed 1 stage, Basepower 10/Ground move)

TM Movepool:

Mud Slap, Scary Face, Protect, Mud Shot, Confuse Ray, Bulldoze, Hex, Snarl, Night Shade, Endure, Sandstorm, Sand Tomb, Dig, Sleep Talk, Rest, Stomping Tantrum, Sludge Bomb, Shadow Ball, Substitute, Crunch, Phantom Force, Earth Power, Will-o-Wisp, Sand Tomb, Toxic, Spikes, Roar, Poltergeist, Toxic Spikes, Venoshock, Acid Spray, Fling, Rock Blast, Taunt, Imprison, Leech Life, Stealth Rock, Fire Spin, Fire Fang, Tera Blast

[gravity-barbie]

Taking the Hargreeves camping HCs

Request @tainted-petals

This can be read as romantic or platonic (except Five’s)

Masterlist

Luther Hargreeves

-You get the idea to take Luther camping when he mentions he had always wanted to go to summer camp as a kid, it’s not the same thing (especially considering the more dedicated way you do it) but he lights up at the suggestion and the plans in motion

-He loves doing things like this, well not this specifically, but making up for all the experiences he had missed while cooped up in the academy, camping was probably already on his new bucket list

-Luther did some research before hand, both to be safe and hopefully impress you, and when it comes to every skill from setting up a tent, fishing, foraging and so on, he’s either an instant pro or completely inept, there’s no in between

-He’s more handy than not and he’s a good sport about helping with the moor tiring aspects of camping too, plus, with him around you can go even deeper into nature than usual with the reassuring knowledge that your companion could take on a bear if necessary

-He absolutely loves camping cuisine, cooking over an open fire, catching his own fish, and he swears something about the wilderness air just makes it taste better

-He actually really likes being surrounded by nature, there’s a similar peacefulness to it like what he felt on the moon, but he also feels more free, and confident, and capable than he ever has before

Diego Hargreeves

-Considering Diego’s whole macho-act you’re honestly shocked to learn he’s never been camping, he’s in turn offended by your surprise which makes it very easy to convince him to go with you, feeling the need to prove himself

-You wouldn’t know he lacked experience with how confident he starts acting once you’re in the forest, he like skimmed an article about camping and suddenly thinks he’s Bear Grylls

-To be fair, he is a natural at enduring the great outdoors, athletic, resourceful, hands-on, and he’s one of those people that kind of likes the challenge of it, and the chance to test his survival skills (and show them off)

-It takes him a bit of time to let his guard down but once he does, the experience oddly relaxes him and has him more willing to be vulnerable and open with you than usual

-He’s a fan of the freeing aspect of the activity, the open space, all the spare time, the relative solitude, all the things he’s usually denied by his city life

-Bringing him was definitely a good idea, it’s not really the type of thing he would decide to do on his own but it really suits him, he realises pretty quickly that he could see himself going again, maybe even trying hiking or something next time

Allison Hargreeves

-Not exactly the outdoorsy type, Allison is hesitant when you bring up the idea, only agreeing because it’s you, and even then she (unsuccessfully) tries to bargain for more high-tech camping gear

-Despite her disinterest, she is actually very good at many of the practical matters, chopping wood, tying tough knots, building a tent, they’re all child’s play for someone who grew up as she did

-As she isn’t entertained by the nature or work alone, she’s more talkative than usual, get ready for a lot of 20-questions like games and personal inquiries, if nothing else she does appreciate the opportunity to get to know each other better

-She can’t help herself from bringing some homey touches to cozy up your tent, which she does actually have fun with, it reminds her of the forts she’d occasionally make when she was younger

-Despite her reservations, she finds herself unwinding and really enjoying herself as you sit around a campfire, making smores and opening up about yourselves

-She does really like the ‘unplugged’ aspect of camping, it feels amazing to be completely out of the limelight, it’s the most peace she’s had in years

Klaus Hargreeves

-Klaus doesn’t necessarily know if he wants to brave the great outdoors, but he’s slept in enough alleyways throughout his life that he figures it shouldn’t be that much of a challenge and agrees to go pretty easily

-Normally he would avoid this potential discomfort, but now trying to live off the land makes him feel like he’s getting in touch with his Amish roots, which is something he wants to experience at least once

-He’s still a bit of a complainer though, pawning off as much of the hard stuff onto you as you’ll let him get away with, and most his attempts at hard labour are best described as comical

-Despite that, his whimsical personality is a nice edition to have, it makes the occasionally tedious tasks so much easier to get through, and each memory will be way more colourful with him around

-Being surrounded by nature really brings out the adventurer in him, he’s very eager to drag you off to explore, but keep an eye on him because he will get lost otherwise

-His inner flower-child does really enjoy all the freedom and spontaneity of the activity, he’s half-joking about how he’s one with the wind and all that, but overall he probably wouldn’t go camping again for a long while

Five Hargreeves

-At first Five rejects the idea, having spent more than enough time cut off from civilisation, but with his ‘retirement’ he’s opening himself up to new possibilities and decides to take you up on your offer, actually going into it with quite an open mind

-He does put a lot of care into planning though, and on top of that picks a campsite near a landmark he’d like to visit, because he is trying to turn this into a full blown road trip

-He has top tier survivalist skills, and can easily keep up with your more natural camping style, he could probably even teach you a life hack or two

-But he has a much better time when he’s experiencing new things, he enjoys learning to fish, he loves spotting animals, having rarely seen any up close throughout his life, and he finds he’s a huge fan of s’mores

-He’s less of a fan of the poor sleeping conditions and might keep you up for a while with his complaining

-The trip does a lot to reduce all the stress he’s been carrying, from the atmosphere, the lack of pressure to be productive, and just for once in his life being able to do something recreationally, suffice to say he’s glad he let you talk him into this

Viktor Hargreeves

-You are not surprised to learn Viktor’s never been camping, he isn’t one to step out of his comfort zone, however if anything you find camping to have a positive effect on your mental health which is something he sorely needs, so you decide to invite him along on your next trip

-He is a little weary (to be fair he hasn’t had the best experience going to secluded parts of the woods with people), but he trusts you, and you could talk him into just about anything so he gets on board

-He struggles a little with some of the physical challenges like making the tent and fire, but the two of you laugh it off, and he’s a quick learner once you give him a few pointers

-There’s actually something empowering about this experience for him, from learning all these new skills, overcoming obstacles and getting in touch with his instincts

-He does prefer the quieter moments, really appreciating the intimate atmosphere, when’s he’s laying on the ground, gazing at the stars and just listening to the running stream in between conversing with you

-It also provides a nice environment to practice his music, he’s at ease, inspired by the scenery and is playing the best he has in a while, which is also a nice source of entertainment for you

[ahedderick]

Outdoor School

@oceanfloorfires I don't want to derail a perfectly good snake post, so I will write a separate one to explain Outdoor School. I hope this doesn't end up being TOO many details.

I have no idea how widespread this phenomenon is across the usa or the world, but it is a long tradition here in Maryland. There is a camp facility owned by the 4H club that is used for OS for a couple of weeks in September and October. There are simple cabins with rows of bunks, a bath house, a cafeteria, and several larger buildings. The idea is to get kids in their last year of elementary school out into the woods from Monday to Friday one week in the fall.

As a chaperone I was in charge of a cabin full of about 12 girls, half from our school and half from a different one. The girls I knew were pretty easy to handle, because I was a frequent volunteer in school and they knew me. The others - were a handful at times.

Parent chaperones did not have to attend any of the classes or activities, and in fact some of them had to scamper off to go to work. THAT must have been tough. I chose to go on all activities that had hikes, and a few of the classes.

The camp site is gorgeous. The weather is always surprisingly chilly, because it is one climate zone colder than home. The "classes" were absolutely terrible. They had to rely on volunteers to teach, and they got what they paid for. For example . . . no, I need to go take my medicine.

{pause for tranquilizers}

Ok, the one hike took them through the forest and also a gorgeous bog.

They paused in the forest to talk to the kids about the vegetation, and confidently told the children that. that. that a club moss (lycopodium) was a baby pine tree. *breaks down sobbing*

On another hike, a different instructor pointed dramatically at a small mountain laurel and told the kids it was a blueberry bush. The LOOK my daughter gave me. There was an actual lowbush blueberry right there. There was also a cranberry bush with one or two little cranberries on it. We had to point it out to the instructor, who said "Hunh. Maybe that IS a cranberry."

That aside. There were many good things. Showing up at the cafeteria three times a day to get a good meal that I didn't have to cook OR clean up was utterly splendid. I loved those cafeteria ladies. I hope they didn't find it unnerving that I beamed radiantly every time they handed me a tray of mediocre-but-nourishing food. One night we had movie night. They set up the projector and the screen in the middle of the cleared area. We were sitting in the dark, surrounded by an impressively large forest, watching a fun movie. Good times.

One dinner I tried sitting with the other chaperones instead of with my campers. It took me three days before I realized that chaperones were sitting separately. Oh, well. Someone came in and told the lady sitting across from me that "Lee" was outside having a meltdown. She rolled her eyes and started to get up reluctantly. "Um, would that be 'Lee' from [our school]?" I asked. Yes, it was.

"I'll handle this," I snapped, and Woman plunked back down. I did not punch her (but I wanted to). I went outside and found Lee sobbing like her heart would break. She was INTENSELY homesick. Neither of her parents could drive, and there was no other family member able to come (over an hour away from our town) get her. She had called home and begged to be picked up, but they couldn't. I held her and started Talking. How proud I was that she had made it Three Whole Days already. How strong she was! How proud she would be when - not if! - she made it to the last day. And didn't her older brother bail and go home when he did OS? My, wouldn't that be something, for her to succeed where Brother had failed. By the end of this she had subsided from sobbing to sniffling gently. She did indeed manage to complete the week. I told her and her chaperone that any further Issues should be directed to me, because I knew her and her family.

The last evening they gathered all the campers in the main building for skits (the less said, the better) and entertainment. The last thing was a spoooooooky story about the ghosts of the family that originally lived on the land when it was a farm and they still haunt the campground to this very day!!! The kids were scared silly (in a good way). We walked back through the dark (there were no outside lights anywhere) to our cabin. There were about four girls clinging to me, and the others were clumped very closely around. Campers going all different directions were hooting and yelling in the distant darkness.

Next morning the kids packed up, swept the cabin, and everybody went home. It was, overall, a good experience, give or take some late-night shenanigans. I was glad I did it. I missed the cafeteria ladies for weeks.

[dwarf-vader-of-middle-earth]

Every once in a very rare while, I'm reminded of the tragedy in my life that was growing up unable to participate in Boy Scouts.

For those who don't know, up until 2017, Boy Scouts of America (BSA) did not permit anyone who wasn't a biological male to join them. Trans men could not be part of their organization, and until I think 2015, gay men couldn't be part of it, either.

When I was growing up, I had a brother who did BSA, and he would go once a week or so to the meeting hall with all the scouts in town (it's a VERY small town), and they'd, together, participate in an hour long meeting.

All my friends at the time were boys. I knew almost every boy in the town that was my age, by name first and last. And they knew me. We hung out together at recess, played basketball, or on the playgrounds, and so on. They, too, went to BSA meetings with my little brother, and basically every single boy in my town was a BSA kid period.

My mother would help out with the leadership, since there wasn't a restriction on which gender adults could be leaders, but that meant for every single meeting, since I was too young to stay home alone, she took me with her, and I would have to sit there watching basically every single boy ever doing Boy Scout things.

Now, since all my friends were boys, and two of those friends' parents were leaders, those friends would occasionally drag me into the meetings and forcefully make their parents let me participate.

But I could NEVER be an official member.

No matter how bad I wanted to, I couldn't go to camps, I couldn't go to field trips, I couldn't earn badges, I couldn't earn trophies, I couldn't gain ranks and someday achieve Eagle Scout status.

The only girl scout troop in my town was run by a mother of an autistic child who required constant attention, which is perfectly fine genuinely, I'm autistic myself and I've had autistic adult family members who also require specific care and constant assistance, but because of this mother's position, she never in over 10 straight years could coordinate a single field trip, a single camping trip, a single excursion, and we NEVER earned more than 2 badges in an entire year. By the time I was supposed to be above a Junior Scout, I'd only JUST earned my Junior Scout status like a month before this.

What's more is, I didn't quite know I was trans by this point, but I most certainly did not get along with any girls. They were VERY catty, clique-based, and all the girls my age in town HATED me. They jumped me, pulled my hair, excluded me unless it was to make fun of me, made memes and jokes about me in school, and I was there in Girl Scouts surrounded by dozens of bullies, in a singular room of a house, and I just FELT the tension there. It was so thick you could cut it with a knife, but we weren't taught how to use knives so nobody would be able to. We weren't taught anything period. No survival skills, no life skills, no educational skills, nothing. We literally just sat there each meeting reading from our Girl Scout guidebook, and that was it.

Meanwhile, all my friends, and my little brother, went on camping trips several times yearly across the country, they gained DOZENS of badges, trophies, held town events and went to other towns' events for BSA, but I was sitting there in Girl Scouts. Miserable. Lonely. Out of place. Hoping each meeting we'd do SOMETHING (plant trees at a park, go hiking, camping, cook smores over a campfire, whatever). We never did any of this. At all.

Eventually I quit Girl Scouts to take on MMA classes instead.

And by the time I'd come out as male, there was still the ban on trans guys in BSA.

In mid 2017, BSA lifted this ban.

I was 4 months away from my 18th birthday, wherein I'd be too old to join them. And what experience would 4 months of BSA give me when I'd be starting from the bottom while all the other guys my age would have been mid Eagle Scout project??

I never did join BSA... I just do my damndest now to take solace knowing that young trans men now won't have to endure what I did, that they're free now to have the experience I always wanted. Their lives can be better than my own, and that's genuinely beautiful. The whole point of creating a future is to make the world and their lives better than what we have lived.

But I'd be lying if I said it didn't cause me pain to this day when I'm reminded BSA is a thing that I never got to do.

Just recently, BSA changed their name to "Scouting America", and they're allowing all people to join regardless of gender. That's genuinely beautiful, and I am honestly SO happy to hear this!!!! Their goal is to be more inclusive, which is fantastic and I am very proud of the leaders for doing this, especially considering the announcement was made at an official meeting in Florida of all places, where LGBT+ rights are being taken away left and right.

I just wish that, somehow, I could be a part of it all not as a leader, but as a kid... That I could've gone to camps for weeks at a time in the mountains, and gone hiking, all before my now disabled body went to hell and I can't even walk anymore...

I make up for this doing LARP events in the mountains and woods for 3 days at a time, at least. I find that even more fun because instead of just doing regular camp stuff, you're dressing up in fantasy gear and metal armor, and fighting each other with foam and latex weapons the entire weekend while playing along to a story, and making epic memories.

But again. It still hurts me to know I'll never have the experience that BSA could've provided me, if only they'd dropped their gender bans sooner...