#big easy roller derby

[bomberqueen17]

So I have to ask, how did you come up with Bomberqueen17? Are you a WWII army air corps history buff, had relative that flew them or just a plane watcher (pun sorta intended!) or something else?

Also do you have a similar soft spot for the B-25 Mitchell as well since that’s your tumblr background and not a B-17 Fortress?

oh ha, I always forget that's on there. When I did roller derby I picked B-17 as my skate name because it was the one of the bombers I liked best, and B is my initial, and it was a fun easy name that sounded kinda badass. My dad was an avid historian, especially of military history, so I had a lot of background knowledge, enough to know the histories of the various bombers-- I picked the Flying Fortress because they were largely used for daytime raids on industrial targets, as opposed to others that had more kinda. Total-war kinda missions. Also I liked that they had such big crews and relied on their formations, it felt very team-buildy and such. I felt that I personally played the role of a kind of medium-range heavy bomber, tactically, as well, in the sport. And my dad was especially fond of them because their radial engines sounded most like the DC3s that he remembers flying into Idlewild near his uncle's house when he was a little kid. (They are... distinctive, I'll give him that.)

My blog background is actually not a Mitchell-- it is a very rare Avro Lancaster which I saw in flight at an air show in Geneseo NY (it had flown in from Canada for the occasion), and I took a bunch of photos of it, and figured since I got so many pics I'd use one for my blog header. I only finally saw a B-17 in flight much later, and I didn't get any good photos, coincidentally. (I'd seen several on the ground, including the one ("City of Savannah") at the mighty 8th museum in GA which was at the time near my sister's house, but seeing it in person was really cool.)

I've seen more Mitchells in flight than Fortresses-- I think there are more of them left kicking around. I haven't been to an air show in years but they are always a good time.

[jupitervega]

oooooooooooomg @mimi-mindless tagged me in this back in april & i'm just now gettin around to it 😓😓😓

ANYWAY here we go

15 Questions for 15 Friends

ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

- i named myself after stars 🌟

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

- pff prob in the last few days if i have to guess

DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

- absolutely not BUT i am available to be a fun supportive uncle to my friends' children. spiritually i aim to be the queer i needed to see in the world as a kid so i like to think i could be any queer kid's uncle if they need one, but i'm still workshoppin the details on that part

WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED?

- i'm made of creaky bones & pain so i don't sport much, but years ago i was trainin to join a roller derby team back in ms & that was super fun to be involved with. aimless swimmin is real nice. when body allows i love to slow hike short distances on easy paths in the mountains for the views & fresh air

DO YOU USE SARCASM?

- yea sometimes i guess?

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

- probably trauma response but usually the body language. eye contact ain't great for me always so i'm watchin for tells in the stance & movement

WHAT'S YOUR EYE COLOR?

- when the last rays of sunset strike the cypress swamp & the water glows amber rich like honey

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

- happy endin! my life has already been a horror show & i wanna be HAPPY & SAFE God Damb It All

ANY TALENTS?

- kept myself alive for over 3 decades now 👍

WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

- where the last lowest weary southwestern foothills of appalachia meet the swamps & rivers. possum & gator country

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?

- i try to get the art outta me any way i can. linocut, crochet, poetry, prose, whatever i can bend into shape

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?

- i wanna cat real bad but i can't afford to keep one 💔

HOW TALL ARE YOU?

- averagely i spose? 169cm more or less

FAVOURITE SUBJECT?

- i'm not studyin atm but i'm big into readin random wikipedia articles

DREAM JOB?

- i don't dream of work, my purpose in this life is to make beautiful things. so i guess i dream of bein an artist

tags & blank under the cut

hmmm tagwise let's have @cedarsaga @cookiethewriter @toopunktofuck @sunshinetheinspiration @phantumpenis @kuja-kujaku @frankierohugejorts @transgender-catboy yea i know that's not 15 but who care lmao. if yr not tagged & wanna do it this is me taggin u in right here. go nuts

blank:

15 Questions for 15 Friends

ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED?

DO YOU USE SARCASM?

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

WHAT'S YOUR EYE COLOR?

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

ANY TALENTS?

WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?

HOW TALL ARE YOU?

FAVOURITE SUBJECT?

DREAM JOB?

[anthroparis]

What is your opinion on tti mclovin 🤨

I've spoken about the effect that dating nice, popular, sociable people has on relatively quiet, disliked people within the context of the other Big Ship I like and I think joner wrote out that experience SUPER well because it IS very isolating and depressing. I see michela as a character who probably has never felt like she belongs and goes to lengths to feel accepted when she ultimately has so much internal turmoil about her own self identity that it never works out regardless. I think she's someone who's lost a lot of herself to be liked by others, which makes her feel more alone than anything. the roller derby comment was pretty significant to her character because so far all of the skills she's displayed are things she only learned because her friends liked them and she forced herself to so she could fit in. whereas it's stated that mclovin and joner won't indulge in her interests in the same way and thus she downplays them a lot. it's pretty clear to me that she is someone who values close relationships A LOT, which is why (initially) max and julia not being good friends made her super bitter and aggressive. and I think that the background knowledge of mclovin not having had the emotional energy to BE a boyfriend and thus HAD to be absent from their relationship makes a lot of sense for why michela reacted so incredibly negatively to thinking that max didn't actually like her. I think that a lot of her insecurities about being abandoned are tied in with what happened between her and mclovin, too.

On the other hand I think that mclovin feels super stressed by all the people in his life relying on him for emotional support. like when he voted for himself rather than picking a side between ass and courtney? that was pretty significant. I also think he got along well will sha-mod because he never put a ton of weight and expectations on him. and it's relatively easy to believe that he did care for michela, at least as a friend, but couldn't be there for her because he's torn between so many different people and lives. I also kinda get the drift that he wasn't so much in love with her as he was of the idea of her or the idea of just dating in general, so their relationship was a little disappointing on both ends. I think he feels a lot of pressure to be nice and good to everyone because he is a naturally nice person, but that also makes him an indecisive pushover and forces him to put his values on the backburner to please others.

anyway. max is more compatible for michela cause he's the exact fucking opposite lol he doesn't care about ANYONE but her. I wrote a max analysis on tt takes so I'm not gonna rewrite it here but yes.

[hopeshoodie]

What would the lis favourite activity or ride be at the amusement park?

Arjun: Tilt-A-Whirl. He gets nauseous on bigger rides and gets headaches from wooden rollercoasters, which is a bummer because he wants to like carnival rides and will go on them if MC or Elijah wants to for the sake of having fun with them. But Tilt-A-Whirl is just easy enough where he has fun on the ride whilst not getting overwhelmed. Plus he loves throwing himself against his partner and trying (and failing) to control the cart. 

Bobby: Swing ride. Don’t get me wrong, he loves playing games with his partner and rides they can do together, but I think this is the one ride he always makes time to go on. He likes the simplicity of it, the feeling of flying, softly kicking his feet. If MC/Noah is in the seat in front of him he’ll try to be silly by kicking the back of their seat, but honestly he has more fun if they’re behind him so he doesn’t get distracted from actually enjoying the ride. 

Carl: Food. He’s here for the food trucks. He especially likes to seek out weird things that aren’t served in restaurants, not just the ‘deep fried X on a stick’ but also the more niche stands with food from another culture (I don’t know if this is universal but at our state fairs/carnivals people who like to cook will rent stands and you can just. Have a plate of some Persian grandmother’s food, or have the most mindblowingly amazing curry you've ever tasted from a stall with zero marketing that serves it in a styrofoam bowl) 

Elijah: The High Striker/Strength Tester game. He just wants to show off to his partner and win them a cheesy cheap stuffed toy. 

Felix: Laser tag. He gets super excited to play and SUPER competitive. Actually cares about the leaderboard, and it’s one of the few times you see him focus and strategize.

Gary: Drinking. I think carnivals are probably a little overwhelming for him. He likes playing some of the games, but if it’s a big sprawling one with lots of activities he doesn’t want to pick activities or plan anything. I think his favorite part is just getting a cold beer and wandering around, looking at all the things. 

Hannah: For some reason I just get the vibe that she’s super interested in those games where you win a goldfish. I think she always gets excited when she sees it and commits herself to winning one. Once she does, she decides this is her new best friend and she’s going to take such good care of it, but they never survive more than a couple of weeks. 

Henrik: Teacups. He’s going to convince you to ride, then use all his arm strength to spin you both as fast as humanly possible. When you get off he says ‘whoa I’m dizzy’ every time, but then later will ask you to go on again. 

Rahim: Ferris wheel. He likes that it’s slower, and also a little more private (because it’s just him and his partner in the compartment/bench, so it's a nice break from the crowds). He also really enjoys seeing the whole carnival from a height and looking out at the scenery. Plus he can’t resist a romantic kiss at the top. 

Jakub: I don’t know if this is universal, but in the midwest we have demo derbies. It’s when people take old crappy cars, fix them up, paint them flashy colors/designs, then literally run them into other cars in a stadium until they won’t drive anymore. The car that keeps moving last wins. It’s loud, competitive, suspenseful, and campy (kind of like wrestling, the drivers/car teams are assigned a performative personality). Plus sometimes the cars explode/catch on fire, and that’s fun to watch. 

Kassam: Roller coasters. I feel like Kassam’s the type to go to theme parks at least four or five times a year, and he really likes the fast, new ones. I think his favorite type is the Impulse Roller Coaster which goes insanely fast and insanely high in a short period of time, but he also likes the tower of terror style drop coasters. Anything where you get that sinking stomach feeling. If you go to a theme park/carnival, he’ll plot out all the roller coasters and make a plan to go on all of them throughout the day. 

Lottie: Fortune teller, obvious reasons. She’ll walk away either way too somber/serious or scoffing like ‘that lady/dude was absolutely full of it’. 

Lucas: Bumper cars. It’s one of the few times Lucas really lets loose and allows himself to be unpolished. But the genuine joy of him trying to chase MC’s cart down, or raucously laughing when he gets hit, or the cheeky grin when he narrowly evades someone, or stumbling out of his cart with the rare messy hair and dazed smile… It’s so cute. And he has a lot of fun. He won’t ask to go on the bumper cars initially, but will always ask to go again once you’ve done it. 

Marisol: People watching. I think her favorite part of the outing is when you get a snack/beverage, find a bench in the shade, and just take it all in. She giggles and points out people doing silly things, or just makes up little narratives about the relationships of couples/families she sees. She likes getting a vibe for the general type of people who attend the event they’re specifically at, and making generalizations about why that is/how the carnival could attract other people. 

Noah: I think he really like the slow boring rides that most people dislike. Like the ones that run around a little track and have a story- think Disney’s Carosel of Progress or It’s a Small World. He just finds them charming and once he finds one he likes will want to make it a routine to visit. Also wait now I’m fantasizing about going to Epcot with Noah, I think that’d be so fucking fun. Like hanging out in all the countries, getting different drinks and food, acknowledging how cheesy it is but genuinely enjoying it all the same.

[heartxshaped-bruises]

@cursedvessels​​

                                                                  ✧･ﾟ 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓'𝐃 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 [ 𝐗 ].

“ What, this? “ Chell held up her hand so he could see the dark bruises on her fingers a little better, the bandages on her knuckles shielding some nasty cuts. A small smirk and a light-hearted chuckle. She shook her head.

“ An accident, I guess. Happens all the time. “

It certainly wasn’t infrequent for her to wake up with bruises and scrapes after a night on the track. Her favorite hobby--her job--was about as a aggressive as a sport could get. Roller derby could be fun and safe...ish, in some circles, but Chell never found herself in those circles. She liked the challenge. She liked to push herself to her limits and she didn’t want to win easily, without putting up a fight. It was a small price to pay to keep a roof over her head and her energy in check anyway. The body healed. Hers, especially, bounced back quite easily.

“ I’m in competitive roller derby. We had a bout a couple of nights ago and things got a bit rough. No big deal. I’ve had worse. “

        ❛❛Happens all the time. NO BIG DEAL, she says...❜❜ Rachel repeated with a soft chuckle. Those bandages told him enough to know that contact sport would never be his thing -- in the least one where his non-existent balance and racing skills would play a starring role. He hung around at the park quite often these days and saw a lot of different people. Some more or less interesting and quite frankly, didn’t talk to most of them. For... well, reasons.

        It was easy to pick up a chat with this girl, though. It had been only a short exchange of words so far, but COMPETITIVE ROLLER DERBY already left an impression. 

       Rachel put his pencil down, pausing in the quick flicks and strokes he gave the doodle in his sketchbook. ❛❛I don’t know, maybe it’s just me but any sport that gives me you-could-lose-your-teeth-vibes is just a A BIG, FAT NOPE. But you do you. It’s kinda badass. Do you win, like, prices and stuff? Now I gotta ask, sorry.❜❜

[skekilla]

https://www.deviantart.com/skekilla/gallery/77663541/runaway-train 

Johnny Ager (1943): A soft-spoken animator at first, Johnny was conscripted as a soldier in WWII. He came home in 1943, missing his legs and one arm. His sister, Polly, helped him money-wise, getting some prosthetics for him with what she could scrape together. Then, feeling like nothing but a burden, he got a few of his things and tried to leave. That was when the Runaway Train came by to get him.

Sally “Siren” Belle (1932): Back in the 20s, everything was just swell for Sally. She was a star of the stage, a famous singer. But the Depression put her out of business and on to the streets. In vain, she struggled to get her fame back. Finally, she decided to do something drastic; hock her furs and move to the big city. Start a new life. She couldn’t afford a ticket, but the Runaway Train picked her up anyway. Orla Kelly (1721): Life wasn’t easy living in Ireland when Orla was. She made the most of it, though. Working her hardest during the day and reeling away all night, her love of dance kept her sane. Soon, though, she grew discontent with her simple life; she wanted to see the world. Setting her sights on the sailors of Galway as her ticket out, she set off away from home. The Runaway Train came to give her a lift. Curtis Holmes (1957): A sailor all his life, Curtis knew the sea better than anyone. The threat of Soviet enemies prowling the ocean would drive even the best seamen to the edge, though. Wound up and anxious, all his crew collectively decided to dock and get him some rest. Bitter at his expulsion, he set to go home on the train. The Runaway Train got him instead, though.

-

Anne Sommer (1908): Anne was… brought up funny. Where she grew up, everyone knew everyone. They kept from the outside world, a little too much. Other towns started calling them a cult. The sweet girl didn’t know what that was. She thought it all perfectly normal. And she also thought it perfectly normal when she was left out in the fields as a sacrifice and taken away by a thundering train of spirits and demons. Salem Graylove (1986): Always the outcast, Salem preferred books and adventure to sports and games. With no friends to come with them, they one day got lost on their hunt for the wild and fantastical. Days went by and the poor child grew more and more afraid… soon, though, they began to see strange spectres through the trees. A little frightened but very curious, they followed them to the Runaway Train. Ed Ladouceur (1884): Most people don’t find themselves around dead bodies very often. Ed, though, is not most people. Working early in the mornings and late at night, Ed dug graves and maintained the cemetery. No one really knows exactly what kind of phantoms he saw while working those shifts… but it’s clear they changed him. Chasing the spirits down, he soon found the Runaway Train. Or rather, it found him.

-

Barbara “BB” Bei (1975): BB was a legend in her town. Daring in derbies and equally risky on the streets, she was more than a roller skater: she was a daredevil. It was upholding this reputation that would take her to the Runaway Train; a failed trick left her half dead, possessing her own body. It was impossible to resist the light of the train when it came for her soul, picking up more than it bargained for as it did. Niccolo "Nick" Giancana (1924): Nick’s life can be very briefly summarised as one of crime. Born into the mafia, his childhood was barely existent between theft and violence. At the ripe old age of twenty, he decided to quit his more aggressive crimes and settle into the life of a moonshining speak-easy bartender. However, the mob wouldn’t let him go so easily. Running from them, he came to the Runaway Train. Eden Drake (1916): Composed, timely, and organized; all traits that Eden exemplifies. As the butler of a rich businessman, they had to be the best of the best. By most accounts they had a perfect life. They don’t speak much about how they got to be on the Runaway Train. Maybe it was just bad luck… or maybe, they really are running from something, and their hands aren't as clean as they seem. Louise Arledge (1890): A crazed murderer is not what most people would expect Louise to fit the image of. Not even she seems to think so. Having base medical skills and a need for coin, she posed as a man and worked as a dentist. But when she was at those patients and they were just so prone, she couldn’t resist the urge. When her crimes began to come to light, she fled London, the Runaway Train assisting.

[smartmoneywoman]

The Secret to Forex Trading Success: Go Big or Go Home

Are you looking to become a successful Forex trader? If so, then it's time to take a risk - go big or go home! Forex trading is a volatile business, and the only way to see real success is to be willing to take big risks. It's not an easy road, but by taking calculated risks you can increase your chances of seeing significant returns. So if you want to get into Forex trading, now is the time to take the plunge and start investing in the right strategies.

1. Forex Trading Basics

So you've decided to take the plunge and dive into the world of Forex trading. Good for you! But before you start throwing your money at the screen, let's cover some basics. Forex, short for foreign exchange, is all about trading currencies. You buy one currency and sell another, hoping to profit from the changes in exchange rates. It's like a game of "buy low, sell high," but with currencies instead of Monopoly money. Now, I know what you're thinking. "But I'm not an expert investor or a financial advisor! How am I supposed to navigate this crazy market?" Well, fear not! With the help of forex brokers and some clever trading bots, you don't have to be a financial genius to get started. The first thing you need to understand is that Forex trading is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes time, patience, and a lot of practice. So start small, with small trades, and learn the ropes. You wouldn't dive headfirst into a pool without knowing how to swim, right? Once you've got the basics down, it's time to think big. Small trades may be safe, but they won't make you rich overnight. If you want to see significant returns, you need to be willing to take some risks. Remember, fortune favors the bold!

2. The Problem with Small Trades

Are you tired of playing it safe with small trades? Well, my friend, I've got news for you. Small trades are the problem, not the solution! Let me break it down for you. First off, small trades may seem safe and manageable, but they won't make you rich. It's like trying to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool with a teaspoon. It's gonna take forever! If you want to make some serious dough in the forex market, you need to think big. Like, skyscraper big! Secondly, small trades won't help you build confidence in your trading abilities. You'll always be second-guessing yourself, wondering if you made the right move. But with bigger trades, you'll have more skin in the game. And trust me, that extra adrenaline rush is what separates the winners from the losers. Now, I know what you're thinking. "But I'm not a financial genius! How can I navigate this crazy market?" Well, fear not! Thanks to forex brokers and trading bots, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to get in on the action. They'll guide you through the treacherous waters of forex trading, like a wise captain on a stormy sea.

3. Why Big Trades are Key to Success

Let's talk about the secret sauce to Forex trading success - going big with your trades! You see, my friend, when it comes to making those big bucks in the forex market, small trades just won't cut it. You need to think like a high roller in a casino, throwing caution to the wind and going all-in on that winning hand. Now, I know what you're thinking. "But I'm not a financial genius! How can I navigate this crazy market?" Well, fear not! You don't need to be a financial advisor to make big trades. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, forex brokers and trading bots are here to hold your hand through this exhilarating journey. So why are big trades the key to success? Well, let me break it down for you. First off, big trades have the potential to bring in big profits. It's like betting on a unicorn winning the Kentucky Derby - the payoff can be astronomical! And who doesn't want a piece of that pie? Secondly, big trades build your confidence like nothing else. You'll feel like a Wall Street hotshot, making moves that could make or break your bank account. It's like being a daredevil on a tightrope, and that rush is what separates the winners from the losers.

4. Overcoming Fear of Risk

Are you trembling at the thought of taking risks in the forex market? Do you break out in a cold sweat every time you contemplate making a big trade? Well, my cautious friend, it's time to conquer your fear of risk and step into the exciting world of forex trading. Sure, the idea of losing your hard-earned money can be terrifying. But let me ask you this: when was the last time great success was achieved by playing it safe? Exactly, never! It's time to channel your inner adrenaline junkie and embrace the thrill of taking risks. Think of it this way - life is full of risks. Every time you cross the road, you're risking getting hit by a car. Every time you try a new dish, you're risking an upset stomach. So why not take a risk that could potentially change your life for the better? Now, I'm not saying you should dive into the deep end without a safety net. It's important to do your research, educate yourself on the market, and develop a solid trading strategy. But once you've done your homework, it's time to put on your big-boy pants and take that leap of faith.

5. The Importance of a Solid Trading Strategy

Alright, buckle up, because we're about to dive into the importance of a solid trading strategy. Listen up, my fellow forex traders, because this is where the rubber meets the road. You can't just waltz into the market without a plan and expect to come out on top. That's like trying to win a game of chess blindfolded - it ain't gonna happen! Having a solid trading strategy is like having a secret weapon in your arsenal. It's the blueprint for your success. It's the GPS that guides you through the treacherous waters of the forex market. Without it, you're just shooting in the dark, hoping for the best. And trust me, my friend, hope is not a strategy. So, what makes a solid trading strategy? Well, first and foremost, it's all about doing your homework. Research, analyze, and crunch those numbers until your brain hurts. Get to know the market inside out. Study the charts, follow the trends, and identify those sweet spots where the big bucks are hiding. But here's the kicker - a solid trading strategy isn't set in stone. It's a living, breathing document that needs constant tweaking and adjusting. You see, the market is like a mischievous toddler - it's always changing its mind. So, you need to be flexible and adapt your strategy as the market ebbs and flows. And last but not least, stick to your strategy like a limpet to a rock. Don't let fear or greed sway you from your path. Emotions are the enemy of success in forex trading. Stick to your plan, trust your research, and let your strategy be your guiding light. In a nutshell, my brave traders, a solid trading strategy is your ticket to success in the forex market. It's the secret sauce that separates the winners from the losers. So, do your homework, stay flexible, and never stray from your path. With a solid strategy in your corner, you'll be unstoppable!

6. The Role of Discipline in Successful Forex Trading

Alright, my fearless forex traders, let's talk about the one thing that separates the winners from the losers - discipline. Now, I know what you're thinking. Discipline sounds about as fun as watching paint dry or attending a seminar on lint. But trust me, my friends, it's the secret ingredient to your forex trading success. You see, in this crazy market, discipline is like the Gandalf to your Frodo. It's your guide, your mentor, your wise old wizard that keeps you on the right path. Without discipline, you'll be like a ship without a rudder, drifting aimlessly in a sea of chaos. So, how do you cultivate discipline? Well, first off, set some ground rules for yourself. Establish a routine, stick to it, and never deviate. Treat your trading like a business, not a hobby. That means showing up on time, doing your research, and sticking to your trading plan. Secondly, resist the temptation to chase after shiny objects. Stay focused on your strategy and avoid getting caught up in the latest trading fads. Remember, consistency is key. And lastly, don't let your emotions get the best of you. When the market is going crazy and your heart is racing, take a deep breath, step back, and analyze the situation with a cool head. Emotions are the enemy of discipline, so keep them in check.

7. The Power of Compounding Returns

Now, my fearless forex traders, let's talk about the real secret sauce to forex trading success - the power of compounding returns. Picture this: you make a big trade and rake in some sweet profits. But instead of splurging on a new sports car or a lavish vacation, you reinvest those profits and let them grow even more. It's like planting a money tree and watching it sprout dollar bills! Compounding returns is like the gift that keeps on giving. You see, when you reinvest your profits, they start earning more profits for you. It's like a never-ending cycle of financial abundance. It's the financial equivalent of getting a free refill on your soda - why settle for just one cup when you can have an endless supply? But here's the kicker - compounding returns require patience and discipline. You can't expect to become a millionaire overnight. It takes time for your profits to accumulate and multiply. So resist the temptation to cash out too soon and let those profits ride the wave of compounding returns.

8. Staying Focused on the Big Picture

Now, my fearless forex traders, let's talk about staying focused on the big picture. You know, that thing that's so easy to lose sight of when you're knee-deep in the forex market. It's like trying to find your way out of a maze with a blindfold on - you're gonna stumble around and bump into walls. And trust me, that's not a pretty sight. So, how do you stay focused on the big picture? Well, first off, don't get caught up in the daily ups and downs. The forex market is a wild rollercoaster ride, and if you let every little dip and spike throw you off balance, you'll never make it to the finish line. Instead, zoom out and look at the broader trends. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is your forex empire. Secondly, don't get distracted by shiny objects. You know what I'm talking about - those hot tips and insider secrets that promise quick and easy riches. News flash: they don't exist! Stay true to your strategy, stick to your plan, and avoid getting sidetracked by the latest fads. Trust me, my friend, consistency is the key to success. And lastly, keep your eye on the prize. Remember why you got into forex trading in the first place. Maybe it's financial freedom, maybe it's the thrill of the game, or maybe it's just because you want to show off to your friends. Whatever your reason, hold onto it tightly and let it guide you through the ups and downs. So, my focused traders, don't lose sight of the big picture. Stay calm, stay focused, and stay committed to your goals. With a clear vision and a steadfast determination, you'll be on your way to forex trading greatness. Good luck, my visionaries! Related Posts Money Mindset: 4 Tools To Help You Manifest The Life You Desire Short-Term Loans One Of The Fastest-Growing Companies Today Read the full article

[mosh-spice]

Quote of the Day:

“You are the hero of your own story.” – Joseph Campbell

This quote reminds me of a similar line from the movie Whip It. After seeing a roller derby competition for the first time, Ellen Page’s character tells one of the roller girls, “You’re my new heroes” to which the roller girl replies, “Well, put some skates on, be your own hero.” 

I’ve been thinking about this quote a lot lately... It’s very easy to become complacent in the feeling of “just okay” and “average.” I find a lot of people say, “Well, my life is good, but it would be better if [fill in the blank].” And they wait... and they wait... and they wait for the love of their life to appear out of nowhere, or to receive a big promotion, or for anything bigger and better to come to them without setting it in motion.

This is dangerous.

I think it’s important that we remember that we’re the main character in our lives, but it’s really up to us if our lives end up as an IKEA instruction manual or an exciting page turner! We have to be the ones who take control and strive for improvement, whether it’s learning to roller skate and joining a derby team, or moving across the country to a city you’ve always wanted to live in. Yes, you can admire people from afar and think, “Wow, they’re amazing!” but why not do it yourself? Why not be like the people you admire?

There’s no doubt that taking a chance is scary. You could lose more than you gain. You could realize that you made a mistake. But nothing scares me more than thinking about getting to the end of my story, and realizing I did nothing with it... looking back and seeing I’m not the protagonist, but an extra... someone just filling space in the background.

[mommasaystoread]

I don't know which caught my attention first: the title or the cover. They're both terrific, then add in that sassy blurb, and this was a book I had to read. I'm pretty new to Luna Joya's work, but if this is any indication of what's to come, I'm in for the long haul. The story is well-written and fast-paced. The storyline is original and fun, something that isn't easy to do in the genre. I loved the idea of furies, roller-derby furies no less, and the fated mates trope with a mountain lion shifter was the icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned. Dottie and Chase are so easy to root for, and the chemistry is off the charts.

There is a lot going on here, but once the key players are introduced and things get moving, keeping track of what's what isn't a problem. One of the things I'm pickiest about in urban fantasy is world-building and not changing the rules you've set willy-nilly. World-building is very well done here, and I appreciate that it's done organically throughout the book rather than big dumps of information all at once. And the Syn City Shifters world is a fascinating one that I'm planning on spending much more time in.

So, this series start is basically a fated mates paranormal romance, urban fantasy, with a bit of mystery thrown in. It's full of action and hard to put down. I can't wait to see what's next for this terrific world. I will say that Luna Joya has her work cut out for her if she plans to top this one because How to Date a Fury sets the bar pretty high. 

[babyboibucky]

Charming (Part 2 of Charm)

Pairing: TFATWS!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Bucky has everything planned out for his date with you.

Word Count: 2,566

Warnings: No TFATWS spoilers here, Bucky being charming (hence the title) is a warning in itself

A/N: Ahhh you guys, thank you for all the love for Charm! I didn’t expect for that oneshot to receive so much love from everyone. Can’t thank y’all enough!!! For those who haven’t read it yet, make sure to do so before reading this!

Charm (Part 1) || MAIN MASTERLIST

Bucky nervously waited outside of your apartment building. He made sure to plan really well for this date, he didn’t want to mess up. He really liked talking to you and he wanted you to enjoy this day.

“Okay, I’m ready!” You announced as you stepped out of the building, jogging downstairs to approach him.

You looked excited, Bucky noticed. Okay, that’s good. He’s off to a good start. He found himself smiling at you, admiring this light and bright aura that radiated off of you. He could use a little light in his life and it might be too soon for Bucky to even consider it, but you seemed like the perfect girl to him.

“Hi.” Bucky greeted. “You look beautiful.” He said, eyeing you from head to toe.

Bucky’s confidence grew when your cheeks turned pink at his compliment. You thanked him and let your eyes fall to his left arm, making Bucky instantly regret his decision to forego the gloves. He should’ve worn his jacket on top of his blue henley. All his worries though eventually dissipated when you reassured him.

“Glad you aren’t wearing your gloves, it looked really uncomfortable.” You told him genuinely.

Bucky shyly let out a chuckle, “Yeah.”

“So, to the park?” You asked excitedly.

Bucky made a face, “Actually, I thought of changing our plans a bit. Hope that’s alright?” He asked hopefully.

You narrowed your eyes at him as you nodded, “Hmm, that sounds interesting. Alright then, what do you got?”

Embarrassment filled Bucky’s entire being when he whipped out a folded piece of paper from his back pocket. He glanced at you and watched your expression as he unfolded it, revealing it to be the size of a bond paper where he had written down his agenda for the day.

“Oh wow, that’s...very interesting.” You pointed out but with no malice. In fact, you were impressed.

Who would’ve thought that guys nowadays came to a date prepared? But then again, Bucky wasn’t from this time but truly appreciated how old-fashioned he still was.

Bucky rubbed his neck, “I made an itinerary but saying that out loud, it actually sounds terrible.”

“Not at all!” You were quick to defend. “I like a well-planned day. I’m not really the spontaneous type so this really works well for me.” You chuckled.

Bucky bit his lip to stop himself from smiling too wide. It seemed like the date would go pretty well, he hoped it’d last the entire day though. He couldn’t help but worry that something might happen that would throw you off. Or that he might end up saying things that you’d find offensive.

“What’s first on the itinerary?” You asked.

-

“I got a strike!” You squealed in excitement and pumped your first in the air.

Bucky took you to a bowling place and honestly, he didn’t expect for you to be so excited about it. He felt silly for outdoing himself for this first date. In fact, he researched about dating in the modern day the moment he got home after meeting you. The tips were very different, some of which he wasn’t comfortable doing. So instead of adjusting to the present, Bucky stayed true to himself.

He was going to do it his own way, no matter how traditional it seemed. This led him to writing down his ideas on a piece of paper and planning everything out properly.

“Looks like I won.” You smirked, seeing the scores flash on the television hanging on the ceiling. “Did you go easy on me? Tell me the truth, Bucky.” You warned as you looked at him suspiciously.

Bucky chortled and shook his head, “I didn’t. It’s been decades since the last time I did this so I got pretty rusty at it.” He explained.

“You ready to grab something to eat?” He asked, checking the time and seeing that it was close to three in the afternoon.

You nodded enthusiastically, “I’m starving! I mean, beating a super soldier at bowling can be really exhausting.” You teased.

Bucky smiled, “Great, but can we stop by somewhere first?”

-

Bucky felt proud at himself when he saw the astonished look in your face.

“Oh my god, is this...?” You asked, eyeing the car that Bucky drove out of a car rental shop.

“A 1942 Pontiac Torpedo.” Bucky boasted before stepping out of the car and leading you towards the front seat.

Bucky waited for you to slip in, your expression still that of utter disbelief, before closing the door and walking around to ride back inside.

“And it’s the convertible one.” He said proudly and laughed at your reaction when he brought down the roof.

“I have no words for this, Bucky. This is amazing!” You exclaimed, running your hands on the compartment and just taking in the beautiful interiors of the vintage car.

Bucky watched you with a soft look in his eyes. He felt kind of selfish for gloating at the fact that this date only proved to himself that he still is James Buchanan Barnes. Despite decades of torture and brainwashing as the Winter Soldier, he still had pieces of himself left.

But seeing you so giddy at the date that he poured so much effort in? Maybe he wasn’t so selfish after all.

“And where will you be taking us next for you to rent this lovely vehicle? I honestly don’t know what to expect after this. I’m just...I love it!” You laughed, unable to hide your excitement.

“We’re having burgers and milkshakes.” Bucky announced.

-

Bucky wanted you to experience what it was like dating in his time, so it was only right that he took you to a diner. But it wasn’t just the regular one, he took you to a drive-in diner where waitresses even wore roller derby skates.

“You just keep on outdoing yourself, Bucky. I’m speechless!” You laughed.

The waitress rolled by your car and took your orders. After she left, there was finally a moment of peace which allowed you and Bucky to have an actual conversation.

“Did you often hang out in one of these places then?” You asked.

Bucky smiled at the memories, “Yeah, used to take Steve with me. He always ended up getting mad whenever he realized that it was a set-up for a double date.”

You hummed in amusement. “You seemed really popular with the ladies, huh?”

Bucky chuckled timidly before letting out a sigh. He turned to you curiously and creased his forehead, “Why didn’t you tell me you knew who I was?” He finally asked.

You seemed surprised at his question but your features softened up almost immediately. Shrugging as if it was no big deal, you told him that you really didn’t feel the need to do so.

“Would it change anything if I told you I knew who you were?” You curiously asked.

Bucky thought for a brief moment, “I probably would’ve excused myself and left.”

“That’s what I thought.” You said. “You seemed comfortable then, I didn’t want to overwhelm you by bringing it up. Besides, I really don’t care about it. I mean, I had fun talking to you and that’s all that matters to me. Superhero or not, I do enjoy your company.”

Bucky snickered, “I don’t think superhero is the right word.”

“You’ll be surprised that a lot of people call you that.” You said, placing a hand on Bucky’s arm, squeezing it to offer him comfort.

Bucky loosened up at your touch and kept his gaze lingering on how your fingers were wrapped around his arm.

“There’s this one kid at the orphanage I volunteer at,” you said, letting go of Bucky’s arm as you adjusted your position in the car so you could turn to him. Bucky almost missed the warmth from your hand on his skin.

“I asked them to draw someone they looked up to and this is his work.” You said, bringing out your phone to show Bucky a photo of the drawing.

Bucky’s breath hitched when you handed him your phone, revealing that the kid drew a man with long brown hair and a metal arm. He used black and gold to color the metal arm, not silver. It didn’t even have the red star on it. When Bucky looked up at you, he saw the most genuine smile he had ever seen.

“I asked him why he chose you and he said that he liked how Captain America’s best friend fought alongside him. For a kid his age, he knew a lot about your history too. He’s a huge fan.” You laughed.

Bucky’s eyes almost brimmed with tears. He was unable to believe that a kid would look up to him, consider him a superhero. All this time he had been seeing himself as a villain still, the bad guy. Someone who would have a hard time redeeming himself. You made him think twice about it, that maybe he had been too harsh on himself.

“You should come with me to the orphanage some time. The kids will love you, Bucky. It’s not that hard to do so.” You said softly, lifting your hand up to fix a strand of Bucky’s hair that was out of place.

It was a beautiful moment between the two of you. Bucky felt vulnerable but safe, like you’d keep him safe. Not from danger but from his very own destructive thoughts. Whenever he loses control of his mind, whenever it wanders into the darkest parts of his past, Bucky tends to self-destruct. And he almost wandered there but you were quick to pull him back to the surface.

“What are you thinking of?” You asked when you noticed that Bucky was just staring at you.

Bucky’s gaze fell onto your lips and then back at your eyes, “Thinking about whether I should just go for it now.”

“Go for what?” You blinked.

Bucky slowly leaned in but was immediately startled when the waitress arrived with your orders.

-

After the diner, Bucky drove to the park where the two of you walked around while talking about well, anything. He learned more about you and this time, he didn’t have to lie about anything whenever you asked him. In fact, Bucky got really comfortable opening up about his life in the 40’s, he even talked about his family.

The two of you talked more until the sun set and the next thing you knew was that Bucky brought you to a drive-in theater and bought pizza to cap off the date.

-

It was a little past ten in the evening when Bucky drove you home. He opened the car door for you and nervously fidgeted with the piece of paper in his back pocket.

“So did you tick off everything on the itinerary?” You asked.

Bucky let out the fakest laugh because no, he hasn’t ticked off everything on his list. There was one more thing that he planned to do at the very end of the date. He had been confident about it, especially after how much you enjoyed the date in its entirety. But, now standing outside your apartment building and staring at you nervously, he wasn’t sure whether he had enough courage to pull this off.

“I uhh...well...” Bucky stammered. “Did you enjoy?” He asked again, just to be sure.

“I am offended that you had to ask because I thought my face was unable to hide at how much I did!” You laughed.

“Thank you for giving me the 1940s experience. I love it. I really do, it’s...it’s been a while since I last went on a date that I really enjoyed.” You shyly admitted, biting your lip and looking up at Bucky through your lashes.

Bucky’s breath got caught in his throat as he gazed down at you. You looked really beautiful, no matter how simple you looked. He wanted to take you out to another date, maybe tomorrow. Or the next day perhaps, actually, Bucky wanted to be with you every single day.

You were so kind and bubbly, you offered so much light to his darkness. He loved how your hopeful attitude rubbed off on him, he badly needed it. And he loved how you made him feel...himself. He was just Bucky Barnes, a guy navigating through the modern times and finding his place in this world. And it would seem like an easy task with you by his side.

“Well, I guess this is it.” You said. “Thanks again, Bucky. I really did enjoy.”

Bucky was surprised when you stepped closer to him for a hug. Feeling your arms wrap around his waist and your hair brush against his chin gave him the boost of confidence he needed to finally check off the last on his date itinerary.

By the time he convinced himself to do it, you already stepped back and bid Bucky good night.

Bucky proved to himself the other night that he still has his charm from back then. And tonight, he was going to prove that his charm was going to sweep you off of your feet.

“Wait, one last thing.” Bucky said, reaching out for your wrist.

He tugged you forward making you squeal, and then wrapped his metal arm around your waist before swooping you down for a kiss.

Bucky wasn’t sure how you would react to his kiss but he could no longer hold himself back. It could either make or break his friendship with you, but Bucky just had to. And it wasn’t just to prove something to himself, he’d been wanting to kiss you all throughout the day. He would have already, at the diner, if only the waitress didn’t interrupt his little moment with you.

He almost panicked when your lips remained still, but it all went away when he felt your hands wrap around his shoulders before finally kissing him back. Bucky’s lips curled into a smile against yours as he slowly straightened, bringing you back up before pulling away.

You panted against his lips, your hands sliding down to rest on Bucky’s chest as his landed on your hips.

“Was that...was that a part of your list?” You breathlessly asked.

“Yes. Almost went for it at the diner but I guess the universe wanted for me to stick to the schedule.” He grinned.

You threw your head back in laughter, “So that’s what you meant by that!”

Bucky laughed in agreement and held your face in his metal hand, noticing how you weren’t thrown off. Instead, you turned your face to even press a kiss on his palm.

“Was I too fast? Kissing you on the first date?” He asked, caressing your face.

You shook your head, “You did wait until the end of the date to do so, I guess your timing was just right.”

“And...how was it?” Bucky meekly asked, almost afraid that he might have sucked given that this was his first kiss in decades.

Smiling, you leaned in again to give him a quick peck on the lips. A reassurance, something to melt Bucky’s worries away.

“What can I say? James Bucky Barnes, you are one charming man.”

Now, Bucky was a hundred percent sure that he still has it in him. And he made a mental note to boast to Yori how his first date with you went.

-

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[marjansmarwani]

drop what I’m doing and sit beside you

6.4k || ao3

The past few months have been a lot, and Judd is feeling the strain. Ever since the accident, he has devoted every spare moment to making sure Grace was okay until she finally insists that he take some time to himself. So he decides to head to the cabin he used to visit with his old crew, TK in tow and Carlos staying behind with Grace.

But what starts out as a calm and relaxing weekend takes an abrupt turn and Judd is left hurt and TK is left trying to figure out the best way to save them both. ------ Day 2 of @911lonestarweek: "Please, stay awake" + “I’m right here, I’m not leaving, okay.”+ Cauterizing a wound for @badthingshappenbingo

Judd and Grace deserve some love so here is a take on “I’m right here, I’m not leaving, okay” prompt requested by @immortalstrand ages ago. She asked for Judd and TK being brothers, so I also managed to squeeze in some Tarlos and some cauterization, requested by Max for bthb. 

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

The last few weeks had been a lot, to say the least. 

They had careened directly from a pandemic (that was still going on) to a damn volcano straight into a forest fire. They had lost one of their own and hadn’t had a moment to catch their breaths, let alone properly grieve. The universe didn’t seem too keen on them having a moment to process. 

From there it had been smaller things for a while: a minefield, TK switching to medical, whatever it was that was going on with Owen and Gwyn. Small interruptions to their everyday that were just enough to upset their equilibrium and set things off balance. But they were manageable; small stumbling points in their forward momentum. 

Until they weren’t. Until the molehills became mountains and Judd was reminded again what it was like to not be able to breathe in the face of fear. The feeling of the breath being stolen from his lungs was not a new one, but one that he hated. 

But he had hated what he was hearing even more: the paramedic team was missing. Nancy; who was his sole link to the time before, to his old life with his brothers that were no longer here. TK; his cocky, annoying, and big-hearted little brother. Tommy; his friend, a person he relied on and whom he owed the world to for introducing him to Grace and bringing him the greatest happiness he had ever known. They were missing and probably in danger and Judd couldn’t do a damn thing about it. 

But then they were found, and he could breathe again; if a little tensely. Because they were all alive but TK was hurt and it could have been so much worse but it hadn’t and he had to keep reminding himself of that. They were okay, and everything was fine. 

Until the rain and the blaring of a horn and the sensation of falling before the staggering crash of hitting the water and the desperate fear that was so much more real than any of the rest of it because it was Grace this time and nothing he had ever faced could be as bad as that. 

But slowly, they healed. The moment Grace opened her eyes again and smiled at him Judd swore rivaled their wedding day as the happiest moment of his life. As long as Grace was okay everything would be fine. And it was. It wasn’t easy, but it was okay. They were okay. His injuries had been minor, comparatively speaking, but Grace’s had been much more dire, and much more lingering. They had impacted their very way of life and every day was a bit of a struggle, but it was worth it. Any moment he got to spend with his wife safe and whole beside him was worth it, no matter how difficult. 

But eventually, things became something close to normal and Grace was tired of him hovering over her in every spare moment. 

“You need to do something, my love,” she had told him. “Take some time, go somewhere.” When he had protested she had simply shaken her head. “I love you, Judd,” she said evenly, “but if you don’t let me be for a few days, I’m going to lose my mind.” 

And so, in the face of his wife’s unwavering gaze, a plan had formed: there was an old cabin, about an hour outside the city. Judd and some of his teammates used to take a trip there at least once a year, often more. It had been almost two now since Judd had last been there, but he figured now was as good a time as any. He floated the idea to his new team, in the interest of keeping the tradition alive. Paul and Nancy turned him down outright, though they were touched. Marjan had a roller derby bout that weekend and Tommy didn’t want to waste any of her time with her girls. Which left him with TK and Mateo, who both eagerly agreed. 

Judd couldn’t hide his surprise at TK’s ready acceptance, making some comment about the city boy camping which caused the younger man to roll his eyes. 

“You do realize that you can leave New York, right?” he asked sarcastically. “There’s a big state outside the city and plenty of places to camp. My dad and I used to go whenever we had the time when I was growing up. It’s been years, but I doubt camping has changed all that much.” 

Judd didn’t have much to say to that so he settled for mussing up TK’s hair, causing him to give an indignant squawk and Nancy to laugh. The pieces began to fall into place the closer they got to the actual date. Judd had confessed his hesitation of leaving Grace completely alone to TK only to have Carlos offer to stay at the house with her when he wasn’t working. More surprising than the offer was Grace’s ready acceptance of it. 

“You think you boys are going to have fun,” she teased Judd, “but I’d wager that Carlos and I can give you a run for your money.” 

Which didn’t exactly instill much confidence, but if there were two people Judd Ryder trusted in the world, his wife and Carlos Reyes certainly made the list. So Judd thanked Carlos (and TK, who he was certain had something to do with it) and moved forward. 

The day of their excursion dawned bright and clear and found TK and Judd securing the last of their gear in the bed of Judd’s truck. Mateo had come down with a stomach bug the day before, leaving them with just a duo for the weekend. 

“I don’t know,” TK quipped as he deftly caught the bag Judd tossed him before setting it down in the truck bed he was standing in, “think we’ll be able to handle it?” 

“Handle what?”

“So much time together, just the two of us.” 

Judd shrugged, “I don’t see why not. Besides, you get annoying enough there are plenty of places to dump a body.” TK rolled his eyes as he climbed down from the truck but Judd continued contemplatively, “Could easily make it look like an accident too.” 

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” a new voice deadpanned and Judd turned to see Carlos and Grace approaching. The young cop raised an eyebrow and TK smiled at him as he stepped into his boyfriend’s space. 

“Or otherwise you’d have to arrest him on suspicion of murder?” he teased lightly. 

“I don’t know about that,” Carlos countered as he snaked his arms around TK’s waist, “you know what they say: no body, no crime.” 

“So you have to wait until after he murders me? Wow.” 

“Sorry babe, I don’t make the laws.” 

“Rude,” TK exclaimed, but leaned in for a kiss anyway. 

Judd rolled his eyes at them, only to get a swat from his wife. “Don’t pretend that we were any better at that point in our relationship Judd.” 

Judd grinned and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. “Who says we’re any better now?” he asked, causing Grace to giggle and half-heartedly swat at him again. He leaned even further to pull her into a lingering kiss. When they pulled apart he studied her for a long moment. He wasn’t ready to leave her just yet. What if…

But his spiral was interrupted by her firmly shaking her head. Judd wasn’t surprised that she knew where his thoughts were going: she knew every inch of him and it was all hers. 

“Judson Ryder I will be fine. Which is more than I can say for you if you don’t take some time for yourself. You need to recharge, my love. Go and take that city boy and show him how to rough it. I’ll be here when you get back.” 

Judd swallowed and nodded, forcing a smile in the weight of his wife’s expectant gaze. He leaned down to give her one more kiss before straightening and throwing a glance at TK who was still talking closely with Carlos, still wrapped in his embrace: “You ready to get this show on the road, lover boy?” 

TK leaned in for one last fleeting kiss before turning to face Judd with a smirk: “Ready when you are, Cowboy Judd.” 

Carlos shook his head and came to stand beside Grace, clapping a hand on Judd’s shoulder as he passed him. “Try not to kill him, if you can,” he requested lightly. “I do kind of like him, after all.” 

“I make no promises, Reyes,” Judd shot back. He went to step away, but paused. He looked back at Carlos, needing to say how much he appreciated what the younger man was doing but Carlos shook his head before he even had a chance to form the words. 

“I’m happy to do it, Judd. Besides, I know you’d do the same for me.” 

Carlos flicked his eyes to where TK was checking the bungee cords over the truck bed and Judd nodded. Of course he would, that’s what family does, after all. 

“Alright kid, let’s hit the road,” he said instead, turning back to the truck and TK. “We’re burning daylight.” 

TK sent a wave in the direction of Grace and Carlos before climbing into the passenger side of the truck. Judd walked around to the front and pulled open his door, turning to give Grace one last look. She sent him a warm and reassuring smile and he forced himself to take a calming breath. She would be fine, it would be okay. 

With that he shot her a grin before climbing in himself and pulling away, already counting down the seconds until he would be back by his wife’s side. 

---------

Grace had been right. 

Which shouldn’t surprise him after all these years, but the fact remained. 

It turned out that this had been exactly what he needed. To get away for a while, to spend some time in the fresh and open air. He had been worried, before they came, that being back here would bring up old memories of the family he had lost. And it did, but not in a bad way. He had been struck by it the moment they had arrived, when he had opened the door to the familiar room that even now seemed to echo with the sounds of their laughter. He had paused, overwhelmed by the force of it all when he felt a cautious hand on his arm. He glanced over to see TK looking at him carefully. 

“You okay?” he asked and Judd took a deep breath before nodding. 

“Yeah,” he said lowly, “it’s just been a while, you know? And the last time I was here...things were different.” 

He didn’t expand but he could tell by the look on TK’s face that the young paramedic knew exactly what he wasn’t saying. He nodded, glancing around the room as if he too could see the ghosts. “What to tell me about them?” 

He looked at TK sharply, surprised but the other man just shrugged, “I think I’d like to know more about them, if you feel like talking about it.” 

Judd looked away from his friend to study the empty room again. They had come here so often, every single inch of the space held a memory. More than he could ever forget and, as had happened more and more often with time, he realized he didn’t want to. “You see that part of the ceiling over there that looks cleaner than the rest?”

TK followed his pointed finger and nodded when he saw the ceiling tile that stood out as starkly more white than the others. 

“Let’s just say you are not the worst firehouse cook I have ever seen, kid.” 

TK glances up at the ceiling and then back at Judd, eyebrow raised. “Do I want to know?” 

“Why don’t I tell you and we’ll find out.” 

-----------

The rest of the day passed in a similar way, the two men chatting as they set up camp and Judd filling the space with whatever story of his old crew’s antics he thought of at that moment. 

“I think I would have liked them,” TK noted once he caught his breath after a particularly entertaining story about a wild turkey and a very startled probie who did not know they could fly. 

“Oh, you would have,” Judd agreed. “And you would’ve all gotten along like a house on fire. It’s Austin I’d be worried about.”  

TK rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to their surroundings. They were on their way to a trail Judd said they used to frequent that apparently had some great views from the peak. Judd was in his element now, sharing stories and showing TK around the patch of forest he knew so well. There was apparently fishing in the creek on the agenda for tomorrow and while TK would be lying if he said he was enthused by the idea, he was happy to see Judd happy. The past month or so since the accident had been hard on them all, but none more than Judd. Seeing him standing a little straighter and smiling a little wide brought TK a relief he hadn’t been expecting. 

He was so lost in his thoughts he almost didn’t notice the ground give way underneath his foot until it was too late. He flailed, windmilling his arms in a desperate attempt to catch his balance but it proved to be unnecessary when Judd reached out and caught him, steadying him and pulling him back to even ground. 

“Easy there,” he said firmly, “you good?” 

“Yeah,” TK responded after his heart rate returned to normal. “Yeah, I’m good. I don’t know what happened though. One minute I was walking and then...”

“And then you weren’t,” Judd finished helpfully, looking past TK to the spot he had nearly fallen from. TK followed his gaze to see that the edge of the trail they had been walking had crumbled under his feet. 

“Looks like erosion,” Judd observed with a frown. “I knew they’ve had a lot of rain up this way, but I didn’t realize it would have been enough to affect the land.” 

“That’s global warming for you,” TK retorted wryly, stepping closer to the middle of the trail, “and I don’t think it’s going to be any better as we get further.” 

Judd nodded, “Yeah, we should probably turn back.” 

But even as he said it TK could see the disappointment playing out on his face. This was important to Judd, and this weekend was all about giving him a break from all of the shit he had been dealing with for the past month. If that meant walking a slightly less than stable trail for a few hours, TK could manage that. 

“What?” he teased, stepping around Judd and heading further up the trail, “You don’t think we can handle it? There’s no reason we can’t, we just have to watch our steps.”  

Judd looked as if he were debating for a moment before TK rolled his eyes at him, “C’mon Judd, we’re here. We might as well take the chance while we can. Besides now that we know, we’ll just have to be more careful.” 

Finally, Judd shook his head. “Alright kid, but if you get yourself injured I am not covering for you with your man.” 

TK shook his head but laughed as he turned around. “Then we better not get injured because I’m not covering for you from Grace either. Besides,” he added, “I didn’t bring the full first aid kit so mortal injuries are not allowed.” 

He quickened his pace as he moved further down the trail, causing Judd to curse under his breath as he sped up to catch up with him. He slowed after a minute and the two men continued down the trail in companionable silence. TK may be a city person, born and raised, but there was something comforting about the silence of nature. It offered a silence he had spent years and many pills trying to find in his own head. The only problem with it was that eventually, it ended and he was always right back where he started. 

But this was about Judd and so TK turned to glance at him. He seemed lost in thought. “What’s on your mind?” he asked, startling the other man out of his reverie. He had an almost guilty look on his face and TK rolled his eyes, “Please don’t tell me you were worrying about Grace?” 

The way Judd turned away, avoiding TK’s gaze told him everything he needed to know. 

“Judd,” he sighed, “she’s fine. She’s in no danger and is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Besides,” he added after a glance at his watch, “Carlos’s shift will be over in an hour and then he’ll be over there and I’m sure they’ll be having a great time making pasta and gossiping over wine.” 

Judd did at least snort at that, causing TK to relax a little. “I know you’re worried,” he continued, voice softer, “and honestly I can’t say I blame you. I don’t think I would be much better if it were Carlos in her place and we had gone through what you have. But you trust her, right?” 

“More than anyone,” Judd replied, without a moment’s hesitation.

“Then trust her,” TK implored. “She told you she would be fine and so she will. And if she’s not she has people to rely on. She’s not alone in this, neither of you are.” 

There was silence between them for several moments and as it stretched on TK began to worry that he had overstepped. He was about to offer an apology and resign himself to a hike filled with awkward silence when Judd finally spoke. 

“That’s actually pretty wise,” he mused, “who would have thought you had that in you?” 

TK rolled his eyes as Judd laughed. “See if I ever give you advice again,” he gripped, staggering as Judd clapped him on the shoulder. 

“I appreciate it kid, really,” he assured him. “And you might just be right.” 

“Only maybe?”

“Well I can’t have you getting a big head, can I?” 

TK rolled his eyes and decided to change the subject, “How much further to this lookout point?” 

“What, you getting tired on me?” 

“No, but it will be getting dark in just over an hour and while an eroding trail in daylight is doable, an eroding trail in the dark is something else entirely.” 

Judd sobered at the reminder, “It’s not too much further, 10 minutes tops. Besides, it’s worth it. Most beautiful view you’ve ever seen. Chuck actually proposed to his wife out here.” 

“Are you planning on proposing to me, Judd? Because I’m flattered but I think your wife and my boyfriend might have something to say about that.” 

Judd shook his head, “Can’t even show you the wonders of nature without you making it weird. What am I going to do with you kid?” 

TK simply laughed and Judd rolled his eyes. They continued forward, reaching an opening in the trees a few minutes later, as promised. TK could feel Judd’s eyes on him as they stepped forward and he meant to make a quip about it, but the sight that sprawled out before them stole the words from him. Open fields spread out as far as they could see, bright spots of blue dotting them and a river winding lazily through. 

“This is the best time to come out here,” Judd was saying. “The bluebonnets are fully in bloom.” 

“It’s gorgeous,” TK agreed. “Why didn’t you bring Grace out here to propose?” 

Judd shrugged, “That was the plan, actually. I figured she deserved the best. But it didn’t quite work out that way.” 

TK studied him for a moment. “You blurted it out without thinking, didn’t you?” 

Judd looked startled for a moment but when TK raised an eyebrow he chuckled ruefully, “Yeah I did. Don’t give me that look,” he protested defensively, “like you’re going to do any better when the time comes for you and Reyes.” 

TK’s laughter petered off and he shook his head. “You’re probably right,” he admitted. “Besides, take it from someone with unfortunate experience in this matter: those overly planned and dramatic proposals aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.” 

Judd sobered at the change in TK’s tone, and though he didn’t push TK was sure he had connected the dots in his mind. 

“Yeah well,” he said instead, “if it’s the right person the ‘how’ doesn’t matter.”  

TK smiled at him before turning his gaze back to the amazing view before them. Judd kept talking beside him, “We used to come out here, from time to time. My old crew and me,” he clarified and TK nodded.

“A bunch of macho firefighters admiring the pretty flowers?” he teased lightly but Judd shook his head. 

“It was just kind of peaceful, you know? We’d come out here and somehow find a way to talk about the serious things. It was nice. It was…” 

He trailed off but TK continued for him, understanding where he was going with it, “A safe place.”

“Yeah,” Judd agreed softly, stepping closer to the edge. “It was.” 

TK smiled sadly at his back, staying quiet as Judd took a moment. He couldn’t begin to imagine what he was thinking about or how much he had suffered. TK had never been as close with any crew before this one, and he couldn’t imagine losing any of them, let alone all of them. He couldn’t imagine what that would feel like. So he was content to offer silent support and to let Judd do whatever it was that he needed to do. 

Or he was, until Judd took another absent minded step forward and TK heard the tell-tale sound of earth crumbling. 

“Judd!” he called out, lunging forward to grab for the other man, just managing to latch on to his arm before the rest of the ground crumbled around him. 

He wasn’t fast enough to prevent it though. All he could do was follow as gravity did its work, pulling Judd over the edge of the overlook, pulling TK with him. 

They tumbled for what felt like ages, each moment a blur of motion and pain. When they finally came to a rest TK took a moment to remember how to breathe, to reacquaint himself with his body once more. And in the next moment he turned, looking for Judd. 

He found him only a few feet from him. He was sprawled and not moving and for a moment, TK forgot how to breathe all over again.

“Judd!” he called as he pushed himself up, collapsing with a sharp gasp as pain shot through his right wrist. He stopped for a moment to examine it; carefully feeling the joint for any signs of a break. He didn’t find any and tried to pull himself up again, more carefully this time. He made his way to Judd’s side, surveying him the best he could without moving him unnecessarily, looking him over for any signs of major injury. He didn’t see any so he gently turned him over, biting his lip against the pain that shot through his wrist at the motion.

“Judd,” he tried again, “are you with me?” 

“Yeah,” came the other man’s response and TK almost collapsed in relief.

“Can you tell me what happened?” he asked, beginning to examine him more closely. 

“Are you going all paramedic on me kid?” he asked drily and TK narrowed his eyes. 

“Humor me.”

Judd sighed, “We were hiking and I stepped too close to the edge of a trail we knew was unstable. I screwed up.” 

“We’re all allowed,” TK reminded him. “God knows I’ve done my fair share. What’s important is that you’re okay. Is there anything that hurts?” 

“What about you? You okay?” 

“I’m fine. Really,” he insisted at Judd’s less than convinced look. “I’m going to be very bruised and I think I sprained a wrist but it’s my right and since I’m left handed, I’ll live. I’m more worried about you at the moment.”

“Don’t need to be,” Judd said weakly, “I’m fine. Help me up and we’ll get out of here.” 

But TK had continued his examination and determined that while Judd Ryder was a lot of things, one of them (at the moment) was a liar. There was a puncture wound on his thigh, and it was bleeding heavily. TK swore and reached around for his backpack, knowing that while he had not brought the full first aid kit he had at least grabbed some bandages. 

It was a moment later that he realized he no longer had it. It must have been lost somewhere along their fall. He glanced back up to see that they had fallen much further than he had thought; nearly 40 feet of steep, overgrown hillside was stretched out between them and the overlook. He swore again. 

“What’s wrong?” Judd asked him. 

TK took a steadying breath before he looked back down at Judd. “What’s wrong is that you have a wound that is bleeding pretty heavily and that I lost my backpack with all our medical supplies and gear somewhere in the fall. I can try to make a pressure bandage maybe, but I don’t know if it’ll be enough to stop it.” 

“And we need to get out of here,” Judd added, “because it’ll be dark soon and the local wildlife might not take too kindly to our being here.” 

“That too,” TK agreed, already pulling off his hoodie and balling it up to compress against the wound. “Overall, this is less than ideal.” 

Judd nodded and reached into his pocket for his phone and turned it to TK after a moment, revealing a picture of him and Grace, and no bars. “Well we’re on our own for getting out,” he told TK, “no service.” 

TK cursed again. Looking back down at the hoodie in his hand, the gray material rapidly being consumed by the bright red of blood. It was bleeding too much. 

“You should go get help.” 

TK looked sharply up at Judd, who seemed to think what he was saying made sense. “No,” TK said incredulously. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here, I’m not leaving, okay.”

“You should,” Judd countered, “it might be our best shot.” 

“How exactly do you think you are going to do against that wildlife you mentioned?” TK asked him with a raised eyebrow. “I’m not going anywhere.” 

They lapsed into silence, after that, both their minds spinning with possibilities and solutions. It was Judd that eventually broke the silence.

“What if you cauterized it?” 

TK looked up at him incredulously, “I’m sorry, what?”

“To stop the bleeding. We don’t really have enough equipment with us for you to properly bandage it and it’s bleeding an awful lot. Cauterizing it might be the best way to stop the bleeding with what we have.” 

TK shook his head, “It’s not that simple Judd. Yes, it would stop the bleeding, but it would only stop it from coming through the skin. I have no way of knowing what is torn internally, and cauterizing the outside won’t do anything for that. You could just end up with massive internal bleeding instead, not to mention the risk of infection. And I think you are ignoring the fact that cauterizing it would literally mean I would be melting your skin back together.” 

“What’s another burn scar?” Judd said with a shrug and TK frowned at him. 

“At some point we’re going to have to talk about how casually you said that,” he muttered, “but there are bigger matters at hand right now.” 

TK could feel Judd watching him but his mind was turning; pros and cons and possible courses of action flying through his head. He bit his lip as he looked back down at the compress he was still clutching tightly to the wound, and swallowed. It wasn’t the worst idea in the world, but it also wasn’t a great one. It was a last resort type of idea for sure, and he wasn’t quite sure they were there just yet. 

But they were pretty close.  

“Listen, kid,” Judd said, interrupting his thoughts, “you need to do what you think is best. I trust you and I know you won’t let me down.” 

“It could go wrong though,” TK admitted quietly, “it could make things worse.” 

“Or you could not do it and we could be trapped here, since you refuse to leave for help.” 

TK bit at his lip as he considered. He hated the idea. Not only was it not guaranteed to work, it would also be incredibly painful. But Judd was right; it might be their only shot. 

“We’d need something that could get hot enough,” he finally said, “and something to heat it with.” 

“There’s a hunting knife strapped to my belt and a lighter in my right pocket.” 

TK took a deep breath and nodded, “Okay, but this is going to hurt; a lot.” 

“I trust you.” 

And he did. TK had always known that, but the way he was looking at him now as he bled out on the forest floor made it even more apparent. He took another wavering breath before he nodded, “Then let’s do this.” 

He took the knife from Judd and reached into the indicated pocket for the lighter. He flicked it on and held it under the knife, running the flame back and forth across it, making sure to evenly heat it. When he could feel the heat emanating from it he pulled the hoodie off the wound and did his best to clean it before he met Judd’s eyes.

“Ready?” he asked. 

“As I’ll ever be,” he responded.  

TK nodded again and swallowed, looking back down at the offending wound. He took a deep breath and pressed the hot knife against the puncture, making sure to raise and lower it in short bursts to prevent from killing the healthy tissue surrounding the wound. He could hear Judd’s cries of pain and apologized over and over again, for all the good it did. Then finally, it was done and he tossed the knife down onto the ground beside them as he leaned forward to examine the wound. It wasn’t bleeding anymore, at least, which meant he at least hadn’t tortured his friend for nothing. 

He pulled his eyes off of the wound in search of Judd’s face, feeling fear course through him as he saw his eyes closed. 

“Hey,” he instructed, “I need you to open your eyes, Judd. I need you awake.”

He tapped on the other man’s face and eventually, his eyes blinked open. 

“That’s it,” he said soothingly. “That’s better. I know it hurts but I need you to keep those eyes open. Please, stay awake.” 

“Can’t leave you out here on your own,” Judd quipped weakly, and TK laughed.

“No, you can’t,” he agreed. He settled down on the ground beside Judd, determined to let him relax a bit before they tried to move at all. 

“We should get moving,” Judd said instead, trying to pull himself up. “The road should be that way, unless my head is truly scrambled. We should be able to find someone passing by, or at least get a signal to call for help maybe.”

“And we will,” TK assured him, “but you can take a second to catch your breath first. That can’t have been fun.” 

“Wouldn’t recommend it,” Judd agreed, “but I’m good.”��

“Well I’m not,” TK countered. “I’m going to need a minute to recover from melting my friend’s skin back together so you can just wait a minute or two if you don’t mind.”

Judd's unimpressed look told TK he knew exactly what he was doing, but he settled back down with a sigh.  

“What do you think Grace and Carlos are going to have to say about this?” he asked, and TK chuckled. 

“Nothing good,” he admitted, “but they’ll both just be glad we’re okay. Pretty sure Grace will have something to say about irony though when you were the one we should have all been worried about, in the end.” 

Judd snorted and they lapsed into silence. They waited for a few more minutes until TK glanced up at the sky and the slowly sinking sun with a sigh, “Guess it’s time,” he said, gingerly pulling himself off the ground and brushing himself off. “We’ll have better luck if we can get to the road before dark. You good to go?” 

“As I’ll ever be,” Judd shrugged and allowed TK to help him up. It was a sign of how badly he was feeling, TK thought, that Judd leaned against him without even a hint of protest, allowing TK to support him. He slid one of Judd’s arms around his shoulder. 

“Lead the way, Cowboy Judd,” he instructed once they were settled, “I have no idea where we’re going.” 

“East,” Judd told him, nodding in the direction away from the setting sun. “The road is East from here.” 

“East it is,” he agreed as he took a tentative step forward, allowing Judd a moment to get his feet under him. “Then we just hope it’s rush hour out in the sticks.” 

They made their way to the road, slowly but surely. TK kept stealing glances at Judd, making note of his condition. So far he seemed good. Or as good as could be expected, at least. He was pale and sweating but that was to be expected from exertion and blood loss. Hopefully they would find help soon. TK wasn’t ready to think about what could happen if they didn’t. 

They reached the road without incident and TK could hardly believe his eyes. There were lights in the distance, heading towards them. 

“Judd!” he exclaimed, “there’s a car coming! Come on!”  

Judd followed his gaze and picked up his pace, the sight of the car apparently giving him a second wind. When they reached the side and the car slowed to a stop at the sight of TK’s frantic waves and Judd clinging to him, TK allowed himself a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. It would be okay, they would be fine. 

And that was all he could ask for. 

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

TK was dozing off in the uncomfortable chair at the side of Judd’s bed when he heard frantic footsteps approaching. He sat up as Carlos and Grace entered the room, both wearing anxious expressions that didn’t ease much at the sight of them. 

TK knew he must look like a wreck - covered in cuts and bruises and his wrist wrapped with an ice pack resting on top of it - but he was at least sitting up (for the most part). Judd on the other hand…

Grace went straight for him, a hand covering her mouth as she took in the sight. 

“He’ll be okay,” TK told her softly, “they did a full exam. They just want him to get some fluids and a transfusion to make up for the blood loss and some antibiotics just in case due to the less than sterile conditions. He’ll be up and on his feet in no time.”

“Probably sooner than he should,” Grace snorted, though her voice was thick. TK looked away, allowing her to have her moment, to Carlos who was studying him from the doorway.

“I’m okay too,” he assured him. “Just some superficial cuts and bruises.” 

“So the ice pack and bandage is just for fun?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s only a sprain,” TK retorted. “We’re both going to be fine.” 

“Well one thing’s for sure,” Grace noted as she took one of Judd’s hands in hers, “I would say Carlos and I did have more fun than you. Until we got that phone call, that is.” 

“Hey now, I think me and the kid were doing just fine in the fun department before this all happened, isn’t that right TK?” 

All eyes turned to Judd who had apparently woken up at some point during their conversation and was beaming up at Grace. 

“That’s true,” TK agreed, giving Carlos a fond smile as Judd and Grace looked at each other, “and it’s not like we asked the path to erode. That was definitely not the plan.” 

“I would just like to make pasta without someone I care about ending up in the hospital,” Carlos declared, coming up behind TK to put his hands on his shoulders and leaning down to press a kiss to the top of his head. “But that is apparently too much to ask.” 

TK looked over at Judd and Grace to see what they had to say but they were too wrapped up in each other to even know that they had company in the room. Grace had tears in her eyes as she reached out a hand to put a hand on Judd’s face. “And here you were worried about me,” she reminded him. “That is what I call irony, my love.” 

TK did his best to bite back the laugh that came at that and Judd spared him a glance long enough to roll his eyes before turning his gaze back to his wife. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, “I didn’t want to worry you.” 

“I’m afraid you don’t get a say in that Judd,” Grace argued, “it comes with the territory when you love someone.” 

TK looked up at Carlos to see him smiling down at him. He reached his good hand up and placed it on top of one of the hands on his shoulders, giving it a light squeeze. Soon they would work out the logistics and likely leave Judd and Grace to their own devices, giving them the time they needed to savor the existence of each other. They would likely go home and do the same.  But for now TK was content to sit here; the man he loved beside him and two dear friends nearby and just soak it all in. It had been a long day after a long few months, but they were all safe and whole and they were here together. 

And TK knew now just as surely as he had by the side of the road: couldn’t ask for anything more. 

[theomnilegent]

2021 Upcoming LGBTQIA Fiction I’m Excited For!

This is my top nine for women-led queer fiction for this year! I am so excited to read each of these books. Each of these books features lesbian or bisexual women and most are romances or coming-of-age stories. A lot of these are #ownvoices stories and many are by authors who already have proven themselves as great writers of LGBT fiction.

Below you’ll find titles, summaries and goodreads links to the above books. This year there are plenty of tropes to be found in these stories, including enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and starcrossed lovers! I’m so excited for all the enemies-to-lovers stories there are this year, and I can’t wait to read everything on this list.

Bruised by Tanya Boteju To Daya Wijesinghe, a bruise is a mixture of comfort and control. Since her parents died in an accident she survived, bruises have become a way to keep her pain on the surface of her skin so she doesn’t need to deal with the ache deep in her heart. So when chance and circumstances bring her to a roller derby bout, Daya is hooked. Yes, the rules are confusing and the sport seems to require the kind of teamwork and human interaction Daya generally avoids. But the opportunities to bruise are countless, and Daya realizes that if she’s going to keep her emotional pain at bay, she’ll need all the opportunities she can get. The deeper Daya immerses herself into the world of roller derby, though, the more she realizes it’s not the simple physical pain-fest she was hoping for. Her rough-and-tumble teammates and their fans push her limits in ways she never imagined, bringing Daya to big truths about love, loss, strength, and healing.

Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth Aideen has plenty of problems she can’t fix. Her best (and only) friend is pulling away. Her mother’s drinking problem is a constant concern. She’s even running out of outlandish diseases to fake so she can skip PE. But when Aideen stumbles on her nemesis, overachiever Meabh Kowalski, in the midst of a full-blown meltdown, she sees a problem that—unlike her own disaster of a life—seems refreshingly easy to solve. Meabh is desperate to escape her crushing pile of extracurriculars. Aideen volunteers to help. By pushing Meabh down the stairs. Problem? Solved. Meabh’s sprained ankle is the perfect excuse to ditch her overwhelming schedule. But when another student learns about their little scheme and brings Aideen another “client” who needs her “help,” it kicks off a semester of traded favors, ill-advised hijinks, and an unexpected chance at love. Fixing other people’s problems won’t fix her own, but it might be the push she needs to start.

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen After losing spectacularly to her ex-girlfriend in their first game since their break up, Scottie Zajac gets into a fender bender with the worst possible person: her nemesis, the incredibly beautiful and incredibly mean Irene Abraham. Things only get worse when their nosey, do-gooder moms get involved and the girls are forced to carpool together until Irene’s car gets out of the shop. Their bumpy start only gets bumpier the more time they spend together. But when an opportunity presents itself for Scottie to get back at her toxic ex (and climb her school’s social ladder at the same time), she bribes Irene into playing along. Hijinks, heartbreak, and gay fake-dating scheme for the ages.

Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin Teen lesbian Mara joins her rural high school's football team, and in doing so inspires four more girls to join, upending the boys' club culture and sparking a mini-revolution.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston A 23-year-old realises her subway crush is displaced from 1970's Brooklyn, and she must do everything in her power to help her - and try not to fall in love with the girl lost in time - before it's too late... 

Afterlove by Tanya Byrne Ash Persaud is about to become a reaper in the afterlife, but she is determined to see her first love Poppy Morgan again, the only thing that separates them is death. Car headlights. The last thing Ash hears is the snap of breaking glass as the windscreen hits her and breaks into a million pieces like stars. But she made it, she's still here. Or is she? This New Year's Eve, Ash is gets an RSVP from the afterlife she can't decline: to join a clan of fierce girl reapers who take the souls of the city's dead to await their fate. But Ash can't forget her first love, Poppy, and she will do anything to see her again...even if it means they only get a few more days together.

Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan Morgan, an elite track athlete, is forced to transfer high schools late in her senior year after it turns out being queer is against her private Catholic school's code of conduct. There, she meets Ruby, who has two hobbies: tinkering with her baby blue 1970 Ford Torino and competing in local beauty pageants, the latter to live out the dreams of her overbearing mother. The two are drawn to each other and can't deny their growing feelings. But while Morgan--out and proud, and determined to have a fresh start--doesn't want to have to keep their budding relationship a secret, Ruby isn't ready to come out yet. With each girl on a different path toward living her truth, can they go the distance together?

I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre Arch-nemeses Emma, a die-hard romantic, and more-practical minded Sophia find themselves competing against one another for a coveted first-prize trip to a film festival in Los Angeles...what happens if their rivalry turns into a romance?

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar Everyone likes Humaira "Hani" Khan—she’s easy going and one of the most popular girls at school. But when she comes out to her friends as bisexual, they invalidate her identity, saying she can’t be bi if she’s only dated guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she’s in a relationship…with a girl her friends absolutely hate—Ishita "Ishu" Dey. Ishu is the complete opposite of Hani. She’s an academic overachiever who hopes that becoming head girl will set her on the right track for college. But Ishita agrees to help Hani, if Hani will help her become more popular so that she stands a chance of being elected head girl. Despite their mutually beneficial pact, they start developing real feelings for each other. But relationships are complicated, and some people will do anything to stop two Bengali girls from achieving happily ever after.

[in-case-of-fire]

HOW TO CUSTOMIZE A CHEAP PAIR OF CATS

You get what you pay for, right? If you're no-income (like me) or low-income, you're definitely not wearing the best steel-toe work boots you could possibly have. Caterpillar Second Shift boots are one of the best quality, least expensive steelies out there, and that's what i wear. i used to see them on sale for as little as US$80, but recently they seem to go for $100 at the lowest. They have Goodyear welt construction, meaning the soles will never split apart from the uppers. They have a strong toe, and the leather is long-lasting. However, the dark brown ones (which you will most often see on sale) are just... well... not good to look at. So how would you fix them up on the cheap?

First off, i'm not big on logowear. i don't get paid to advertise for any corporation, so i remove or obscure all tags and logos -and i'll explain how to do that. Then i'm going to show you how to turn that dull, crappy brown into a rich oxblood color, all for less than $12. It's deeper than just buying the oxblood Kiwi polish at the Rite Aid: that stuff won't do much to CAT's proprietary brown. But don't worry, it will be easy. You're just going to need a few minimal tools and ingredients:

Moneysworth & Best Red shoe polish (or similar): $7 on-line

Black liquid eyeliner with a clogged tip: usually free if you wear makeup

Seam ripper: sometimes less than a dollar in the Housewares aisle at the grocery

Petroleum jelly: usually free in any given home

Optional: skate laces: $9

Directions

(If your boots are brand-new, you can skip the first and second step) Clean your boots with soap and water, making sure to get any dirt or mud out of the seams. Set aside to dry.

Coat boots with petroleum jelly, including the sides of the soles. Be generous. Let that sit overnight. WIpe off the excess, making sure to get all of it out of the seams. Buff and polish with a washcloth or a clean rag.

Use the seam ripper to pick out the individual stitches that keep the 'Steel Toe', sizing, and CAT logo tags attached. Remove only the sewn-on logos: if you try to remove the ankle logos, you'll be taking the boot apart.

Use the liquid eyeliner to black out the ankle logos and the seam stitches that hold the uppers to the soles. Trust me, the color will hold for a long time. If you've ever tried to get liquid eyeliner out of a bra, you know this.

Follow the instructions on the shoe polish: apply it, dry it, buff it. The uppers will turn oxblood red, and the seams will turn bright orange.

(Optional) Derby Laces makes roller skate and ice skate laces that come in some great colors. They also last forever. i got the orange ones so my boots are Virginia Tech colors. i didn't go to Virginia Tech, but fuck UVA.

Anyway, if you're on a very low budget and you wear steel toes, that's how to fix them so you don't look Bargain Basement.

PS- you can also use black polish, which is less expensive

[hitheryon]

Can we have a undercut and Katsuki hc and like could you make them skater boys💙💙

Oh, wow, not me answering asks twelve years late - never that! Okay, but for real, I’ve lowkey been thinking about a Skater Katsucrew AU for awhile now. I’m probably never gonna write something for it, at least not now, what with my busy as fuck schedule, but!! It makes me happy to rant about, so I’ll guess I’ll just do that dkfjhdjsk

Okay, so!! Kariage’s your classic skateboarder. He made his first one out of old scrap wood and bought his first real one years later after he fell in love and decided to save up for one. He’s got a bunch of scars from falling and the rough edges of his homemade board scratching him. He’s really into doing complicated tricks, mostly to impress Katsuki, but mostly enjoys how learning and rehearsing his moves will take him out of his own head for a few hours. It’s relaxing to him.

Yasushi is a longboarder. He’s knows a few tricks, but mostly prefers cruising - especially down empty roads or on his way home from school, where there’s not that much foot traffic. He learned because he got jealous of Kariage’s interest in skateboarding when they were kids, but made the switch to the more casual board after a bad fall.

Mito’s a biker. Solidly built with thick tires and a more filled out frame, her bike looks like a mainstream dirt bike, but that’s mostly because she built it to withstand some pretty harsh crashes. She doesn’t know too many tricks, mostly because her bike’s too big for doing most of them without her screwing up or falling, but she loves having races with anyone who’ll go against her.

Henshuu has a scooter. She’s not that interested in using it for tricks or to try to impress people, and she is fully aware that riding on it makes people think she’s younger than she is, especially combined with her stature and baby face. However, she loves how easy it is to cruise on it for hours and to get places fairly quick - plus, it also serves as a perfect opportunity to hit someone’s ankles when they’re being annoying.

Katsuki has inline skates. This may be surprising to most people, since he so much looks like someone who’d use some other sort of wheels, but it actually fits him best. He doesn’t like riding bikes or scooters because it requires the use of hands and he prefers to keep his free, and having his wheels firmly attached to shoes that can’t come off with ease makes it effortless to do tricks and seamless moves without a second thought.

Seika’s a rollerskater. She’s a very clumsy person by nature, so having the four wheels set in two rows instead of one helps her maintain her balance easier. She loves doing competitive roller derby, often serving as her team’s jammer since she’s the fastest and most flexible on account of her small size, and it’s not rare to see her practicing evasive maneuvers and racing her friends to get better.

Hifue is a figure skater. She’s got that fancy feel, y’know? I don’t know, but the vibe of her dressed in fancy silk and sequins, spinning and dancing and moving like she is so in tune with her body, effortlessly like she was made for it - it’s perfect. Figure skating for her is not simply a skill to master or a way to make people ooh and ahh, it’s a way of life to her, something so ingrained that being off the ice feels foreign.

Anyways!! In this AU, I’m imagining that the squad starts off split up. You’ve got Kari’s gang: him and Yasu and Mito, just a bunch of bad kids on boards and a bike. They’re known as those kids who practically live at the skate park, and you can’t live around their neighborhood without seeing them cruising the empty streets at night laughing at the top of their lungs at least once.

Then, comes Katsuki’s crew. It’s odd, seeing him and Seika and Henshuu together - they don’t really fit as well as most people think friends should: Katsuki’s loud and brash, Seika’s shy and sweet, and Henshuu’s bold and sly. But Katsuki and Seika’s similar styles and Henshuu’s incessant butting in brought them together as friends.

The two group collide when Katsuki decides to skate at the slightly derelict park that Kariage frequents. Immediately, Kariage is intrigued by Katsuki, who slouches with a hand on his hip, barely reaching Kari’s shoulder because of the one row skates he wears, scrunching his nose at the sight of the board that rests against Kariage’s hip. Immediately, Katsuki wants to leave, not wanting to associate with wannabe skater kids, but Seika and Henshuu are already so enamored with Mito, and now he can’t leave.

Things go on, and eventually the kids start hanging out more and more, especially after Kariage quite frankly shocked Katsuki with his skateboarding skills - not that he’d admit it or anything, but Kari can see the twitch of Katsuki’s eyebrows and the light in his eyes and he smirks because Katsuki’s not as slick as he thinks, trying to hide his amazement.

Then, Seika, ever the sweetheart, brings in a new member - Hifue, who’s stiff and slightly uncomfortable, who slowly relaxes and who eventually becomes best friends with the crew, who takes note of the risks her friends take when riding and incorporates more daring flips and tricks into her routine and becomes even better at her sport than she ever thought, now that she has friends who inspire her to step outside the box and think freely.

Plus!! Just thinking of little baby Kanji, trying out skateboarding with her brother holding her hand and the whole crew cheering the first time she manages to land and flip - it’s gonna make my heart explode from the sheer cuteness.

Just,,, Katsucrew on Wheels AU,,, pls.

[ijustkindalikebooks]

You know, I knew things this yeat would not be simple or easy or you know 'normal' because normal is so far away now, I think that we will be dealing with things that we are not used to forever, I mean really that's life, but I did not expect these things, these such big things.

I know I am in a position of privilege, I live in England, I have a government under very little pressure to keep me safe and a family I'm not worried I'll lose, but please if you can donate to organisations that can help people in Ukraine during this, please do. I will try to leave links at the bottom of this post so that those are easily found (I want to ensure any links will actually help).

These are my favourite books of February.

The Book of Gutsy Women by Hillary & Chelsea Clinton - An excellently diverse and educational collection of stories of incredible women, The Book Of Gutsy Women is a great book and with the two narratives really works to see two perspectives of these women from two different generations. I would read more if these two worked on more books like this one, it's a fascinating read.

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson - A graphic novel about a girl who wants to join the roller derby, it's a great middle grade read that feels realistic. Sometimes I think that books when aimed at younger readers can feel a biit easy, however this has growth and has a real depth to the characters that makes for such a great story. The representation here is also excellent.

Familiar Things by Hwang Sok-Yong - A Korean Young Adult Historical Fiction, Familiar Things is a book that leaves you bereaved, shocked but also hopeful. No matter where you are in this story it feels you are there seeing it through their eyes and these characters just blossom in front of you while they go through incredible hardship and loss. It's a great book.

The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid - I know everyone talks about this book and how good it is and even I was sceptical going in but holy cow this book is good. The story, the growth and the deeply unexpected ending well at least for me, kicked my ass. Jenkins Reid leads you to believe you know everything, and actually you know nothing. Amazing book.

The Lady's Guide To Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee - I think either the second or third book in this series, this one focuses on Penelope and her pursuit of being a doctor and how life happens when you're busy making plans. A truly great read that takes you through Europe and beyond, I loved reading this and highly recommend it for the rep and for the story.

Natives: Race & Class In The Ruins Of Empire by Akala - A book that I believe should be essential reading for anyone, this book is part memoir part non fiction taking moments from his life to discuss different topics around race and class. I appreciate his style of writing and how he delivers each chapter with a combination of the personal and the political. Such a great book of Britain and inequality.

What did you read in February? I would love to know!

Please stay safe, and I hope you are well.

Vee xo.

Link to the work Doctors Without Borders does in Ukraine.

Link to the Emergency Fund - Save The Children.

The GlobalGiving Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund.

[teaandsmut]

Inspired by your dancing pic, what other hobbies would Glimmer and Catra enjoy together? What hobbies would one of them have that the other wouldn't share?

EASY I know the answer to this. Anyone who knows my main irl hobby can probably guess already: roller derby! I reckon they'd love playing a full contact sport where hitting people as hard as you can is encouraged.

Now that I'm on the topic, you're going to have to hear my headcanons about their playing styles/preferred positions to play haha. Under the read more to spare people from the niche overlap between two of my favourite things.

In roller derby, the point scoring mechanism is based on one skater (the jammer) passing skaters of the other team (blockers) who will try to stop them. There's a marked track to stay within the bounds of. You can bodily hit people, within particular rules (e.g. not with your elbows/forearms/hands/head, not below the knee/above the neck/in the middle of their back).

Catra would prefer to be a jammer. She's fast, narrow, and jumpy, she'd probably rely on that to get through gaps rather than hitting her way through. At first she'd be a really annoying jammer for her team and would ignore any assists they tried to do and ignore her bench coach's instructions. Probably a lot of penalties, especially insubordination penalties like mouthing off to a referee, and getting kicked out of the game for dangerous play (contrary to what films will tell you, deliberately punching someone would get you immediately expelled from a game).

But eventually she'd get into the spirit of it and stop all that nonsense. I think she'd end up being a really good double act with a blocker on her team who provides offensive assists for her. Obviously I like to imagine this would be Glimmer haha. And they'd be really in sync with each other once they had worked together for a while, no one would be able to figure out how Glimmer just happened to clear a path in the exact right place every time.

Glimmer would generally prefer to block, especially offensive blocking (helping her team's jammer rather than stopping the opposing jammer) and often playing in a position that can swap in for the jammer in the middle of a play. She would love doing big hits.

If it was a canon universe, she'd probably not be allowed to teleport! But either way she'd be surprisingly fast (if she can't teleport then she's just going have to be fast by trying really hard), which would earn her first the rivalry and then the respect of Catra as she'd be one of the few who could regularly block her with much success in training. Then eventually they'd be a formidable pair in proper games, as mentioned already.

I reckon they'd both love this. Get all that energy out now that there isn't a war to put it into.

As for hobbies of one but not the other... I can mainly think of hobbies Catra hasn't been exposed to and thinks are stupid at first but eventually gets into, while Glimmer has always had access to them but never saw the point and still doesn't. Relaxing hobbies like reading/drawing/crafting. That's not quite an answer to your question but it'll have to do for now! But I'd like to hear what anyone else has to say about it.

Thanks for the interesting question! :) Sorry for swerving directly into one of my favourite topics with it haha.