#cali where we’re moving in with several friends

[deadratio]

Blackwood - Prologue

Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x fem!Blackwood!reader

Summary:  (Y/N) ‘Finch’ Blackwood had grown up her whole life without knowing the true identity of her father. She had always thought herself to be content without knowing who he was, but when her work crosses paths with his own, they both face challenges in trying to figure themselves out. Meanwhile, she doesn’t know that her childhood best friend has made his own way through the Navy, and will be joining them on their adventures. 

Word Count: 869

Warnings: mentions of pregnancy

A/N: I hope y’all enjoy this! Please let me know what you think, and as always, happy reading! 

Masterlist

Charlotte Blackwood knew a lot about herself when she sat on the plane leaving Miramar, California in 1986. She knew that she was on a road that would lead her to the success she desired. She knew that she was leaving behind a man who was so wild, she thought she could tame him. She also knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the baby growing inside of her was his. She hadn’t known for a very long time before stepping onto the plane, maybe several days. She hadn’t spoken to Maverick in weeks at that point, not since he quit being an instructor at Top Gun and had taken assignment elsewhere. She could only hope that the decision she was making would be the best for her and her unborn child.

She sat now in her garden, in 2022, reflecting on the days when she thought herself to be indestructible. Her daughter, (Y/N) ‘Finch’ Blackwood, sat across from her, a bright smile painted across her features. She had just told her mom that she was going back to Top Gun for a top-secret mission, one even she did not know the details of.  

“Mom, are you even listening to me?” She asked her, the aviator sunglasses sitting at the collar of her sundress.

Jolting from her daydream, Charlotte looked to her only child, a gentle smile adorning her lips. “Of course, dear. You know I just worry about you is all.” She stated simply, reaching to grasp her daughter’s hand, her thumb rubbing soft circles into her skin.

“Mom, I’ve been a fighter pilot and instructor for years now. You know you have nothing to worry about. I’ve got Phoenix going with me, you know how unstoppable we are when we’re together.” She assured her, a chuckle escaping her throat.

“I know, dear. Be safe and always double check your equipment.” Charlotte had always been careful to remind (Y/N) of this, especially after learning Nick Bradshaw died when his head hit the canopy of the jet all those years ago.

“I will mom. I love you lots, I’ll call you when I land in Cali.” (Y/N) said, standing to lean over the table, placing pecks on her mother’s cheeks.

Charlotte squeezed her hand as she watched her place the aviators on her face, looking nearly identical to her father all those years ago. As she watched her leave, she was taken back to 1986, and the memories that seemed to reel like a movie in her head.

~~

Growing up, (Y/N) had been told stories about her father from her mother, about his recklessness but also his bravery and his personality. Her mom only had one photo of him in the house, but she kept it in a discrete place where neither she nor her stepfather knew its location. She had seen it one time when they were moving, yet again. She was about fifteen at the time and could immediately see their resemblance. Her sleek hair and fiery eyes matched his own, along with her nose. Her other facial features though mimicked her mother, and she could consider herself a relative mixture of them both. She wanted to engrain the picture into her mind, but before the thought could cross her mind, she had heard her mom yelling for her from downstairs.

Many of her fondest memories also included when her mom’s friend, Carole, would come up from Virginia Beach with her son Bradley. She felt that the two of them were very similar, especially since neither of them had dads. She loved sharing her childhood and her pre-teen years with him, and they even had piano lessons together. Eventually though, her mom had decided to move states to marry her stepfather. She remembers Carole and Bradley coming up to their townhouse in Washington D.C. to help move, and the both of them trying to play the piano at the same time, all while singing.

“You should stop hogging the bench, Bradley!” She had shouted, her cheeks huffing out, the skin turning red slightly.

“Well why don’t you stop crowing like a bird!” He had retorted back, sticking his tongue out.

“At least I don’t sound like a rooster.” Her comeback was enough to have the in a fit of laughter, just before their moms had urged them to quit messing around and instead move the piano onto the back of Carole’s pickup.

She thought about him often, always wondering where he was now that they were all grown up.  She had gone off to the Naval Academy straight out of high school and hadn’t regretted the decision. She, like many of her colleagues, had moved through the ranks. She currently found herself as a lieutenant commander, one of the youngest the navy had ever seen. She was extremely proud of her position, but also that she had for the most part, done it on her own. Her mom and stepdad had given her a few nudges here and there, but she knew they were proud of her too, and loved and appreciated them for it all the same.

Chapter 1

[em0avacado]

The Beehive bookstore - Angel Reyes x OC (part one)

A/N : Hey! I know I kinda dipped for a little bit but, the holidays were jam packed and I hope you all had a good one. I’m gonna try to make a little series, I don’t have the whole thing planned out yet but I wanted to get to writing and posting anyways. So. here we are. Side note. Thank you for all the positivity i’ve gotten from y’all, your’re all fuckin’ great.

word count : 2.1K

trigger warnings : gun violence, mentions of blood, cursing? i think that’s it tho.

tag list :

@mayans-sauce

“What do you think of cocaine?” the question ran ridiculously loud in Eldrids ears, one that raised both concern and curiosity. Shutting the book with nimble fingers trailing over the inked pages, she furrowed together her dark brows as her gaze shifted to one of the other employees at the book store she managed.

It was a cute little shop, shelves lined every wall, even made little path ways between genres, easily explorable. A quaint shop tucked away in the nooks and crannies of Santo Padre. Easily accessible, if you knew where to look. An empty cart that was usually used to haul the new arrivals into place, but all that was done. There had been one customer in the last few hours, so it was really only Eldrid and one other employee, Asher. There wasn’t anything to do, so her nose was buried deep in another world.

“I beg your pardon?” she asked, her brows furrowed so deep it left faint marks in her forehead. Pushing her glasses up further the bridge of her nose, she set her book down in front of her, on the smoothly finished wooden counter where the cash register sat on.

Ashers eyes blew wide, scrambling quickly and putting his hands out in front of him. “woah, I meant - not like. I’m not asking if you want any or know where to get any.” he said, defensively. His hands kept up in the same stance. “I just meant that, well, what if our shop is a front for something... bigger?” he suggested, raising both brows. Eldrid shook her head at that, Asher always had some sort of conspiracy theory going, always believed aliens would take over one day, perhaps robots, thinks the world is gonna end up like some sort of real life version of the movie ‘Wall-E’. Some of the things this kid would come up wiyh were very out of the ordinary. He hadn’t been working at the shop for too long, a few months tops, he had gotten into college during those months but kept up his work there. A lot of the time he was able to study during his shift, and was paid the hours he was there. A sweet kid, looked rougher around the edges than he really was.

“I think that maybe you should get back to your studies.” she said with a soft laugh, watching as Asher, once again, protested, but shook his head instead. He set his notebook down.

“No, no. Listen, Eldrid. Look at it this way, in the nineteen eighties, about. The Orejuela brothers would run legitimate businesses, small, unexpected ones, as a front and to launder money they made while they ran drugs for the big bucks” he rambled on, earning another shake of the head from his manager. “c’mon you’ve never heard of the Cali Cartel? You have to have heard of them. The biggest, and one of the longest running cartels in the history of cartels!” he spoke with passion, an undeniable one, and he looked at her with his big green eyes, his hands out stretched.

Eldrid was about to respond, of course she knew what he was talking about, but she was interrupted, by him, and further utters of conspiracy. “How do you think we’re still paid, very well, hourly and over time, we get bonuses all the time, and there’s hardly anyone ever in here!”

She snapped her wandering gaze over at Asher again, having drifted to surveillance the shop shortly when the front door jingle, signalling someone entering. “not another word about it, Asher. Study.” she demanded, before turning her attention away from a quietly muttering punk at one of her tables.

“Good evening Mr. Reyes.” she hummed a soft greeting, seeing the grey haired man walk into the shop, followed by his youngest son, the only, of which, she’d met. Despite him only coming in as of recently, she knew him well, theyd chatter as he looked for books, she knew he preferred older pieces of literature and she’d started occasionally setting ones she believed they’d both enjoy, to the side. “and Mr. Reyes.” greeting him in the same polite manner as she did the older gentleman. Their town was small, and she heard whispers on the street, more so from people who took the shop as a quiet place to gossip. She knew Ezekiel had come out of prison not too long ago, yet he seemed fairly well put together.

The soft, kind smile never left the woman’s face.

“Hello, Eldrid. good to see you again, sorry for dropping in so late, Ez wanted to tag along again today.” the older one of the two apologized as she dove down, setting a stack of books on the counter before waving them both over.

“no need to apologize, we’re still open for another...” she trailed off to check the watch that sat on her wrist, it’s leather bands hugging it well. “half an hour so do as you please, these are a few of the newest editions that caught my eye, i figured you’d both enjoy these so have a look.” she spoke, watching as both men began to look through the pile, talking amongst themselves while she busied herself with other things.

“Hey, Eldrid.” Ezekiel started, several books tucked beneath his arm. “do you think that, if I come back Monday, this one would still be around?” he asked, his index finger stuck to a book that sat on the counter.

Raising her brows only to furrow them, Eldrid looked at the man incredulously, but nodding her head. “considering we aren’t open weekends, and are about to close, on a Friday, yes. i believe so.” she informed him, a hint of sarcasm lacing her tone.

“perfect, so I’ll take these, and be back Monday.” he said, and she nodded, ringing both through and wishing them farewell before she started, alongside Asher, closing up shop for the weekend. With her bag strapped to her shoulders, she locked the back doors, and the front ones, as both left the building. Going home for the weekend.

Weekends aren’t usually a huge deal for Eldrid, the shop had become like a second home to her, and never felt a lot like work in the first place. When she was in her little apartment, it was all about self care, and laying back with her dog laying on the corner of the bed as she did whatever she wanted during her time away from work. She wasn’t big on going out, nor did she have all too many friends, she knew one would expect more from a woman in her mid twenties to be more active with going out, but she preferred to protect herself and her peace. The next Monday morning, bright and early, El strolled down the street that led to her cozy little book shop. There shouldn’t be too much restocking, she wasn’t expecting any arrivals this weekend, so unless the boss was in during those two days, there wouldn’t be too much to do. Unlocking the front, and letting herself in, Eldrid headed to the back to start a pot of coffee for when Asher, or whichever employee that was to help her today, came in within the next half an hour.

She was in the midst of setting her bag into the shelf when several loud crashes interrupted the silence, dropping the the floor when she head guns starting to penetrate the front windows, glass shattering as bullets littered every corner of the front of her shop. She hadn’t realized that she had gasped, and held her breath, panting, she cradled her hands around her head, staying pinned to the ground until there was nothing but silence. Her ears rang loud, as sobs racked her chest, heaving, her panic set in heavily. She didn’t dare move until quite a bit later, when she carefully stood to her feet with tear stained cheeks. Shaking, Eldrid grabbed her phone and called her boss.

After three rings, the man on the other end picked up with a casual “Hello?”

“Mr. Galindo, it’s Eldrid Orejuela. Y-“ she was bound to continue but he interrupted her with a gleeful “Good Morning” and “How are things at the shop?”

“that’s actually what I was - I was calling you about. I just got in, and while I was making coffee.. uh.. There was shooting, and the windows are broken. I’m- I’m so sorry the windows are broken I don’t know what happened.” she stuttered a few of her words, being still shaken up. She was met with silence, then Miguel spoke up.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

“no.”

“good. Have you called the police?”

“No. Did you want me to?”

“Please do so. I’ll be there shortly.”

After that, Eldrid hung up the phone to Mr. Galindo, and called the authorities, right after she hung up with them, filling them in, she dared to head into the front room. It was destroyed, bullets littered every shelf, lodged in many books, shards of glass laid in every corner. She placed a hand over her mouth, looking around, in complete shock. Her attention shot towards the door when the bell jingles, tears glazed over her eyes moments earlier. She didn’t recognize the man, but he wore the same vest that Ezekiel wore, though, he was taller, had more facial hair. He looked to her,she could’ve sworn that she saw a hint of concern in his eyes, but who wouldn’t.

“Um, I’m sorry, but we aren’t currently serving customers, there’s been... A minor set back.” she nodded, wiping her cheeks, and trying to sound professional despite the last few minutes.

“Clearly.” he spoke, in a ‘duh’ tone of voice. “are you alright? I saw vans speeding off while on my way in, figured I’d check if anyone was hurt.” he said.

“Thank you.” she said, feeling strangely drawn to him, the man was, a sight for sore eyes to say the least, his hands looked strong, his shirt hugging his biceps perfectly and the concern on his face.. Adorable, if he could be labeled as such. Eldrid tugged her cardigan tighter to her body, crossing her arms over her stomach. “I’ll be fine. Police is on their way.” she nodded.

Quickly approaching, the man caught her as her head felt heavy, then suddenly very light. On her way down, she had fallen into his arms, instead of on the shards on the ground. “maybe you should sit, did you get hit?” he asked, settling her on one of the chairs.

“no.” she muttered, rubbing her forehead, hissing at the pain that struck suddenly, very strongly. Pulling her hand back, she saw it had an all too familiar copper liquid staining her fingers. “I must’ve hit my head, when - when i was in the back I dove for cover and-“ she muttered, looking up at him when she heard the sound of police sirens echoing, hurting her throbbing head further. Seconds later, Miguel and Nestor walked past the threshold of the door quickly, looking for Eldrid.

“Eldrid!” Called out Nestor, someone who had been a friend to her for years, he alone, was the reason she had the job she adored, he’d set her up for it, suggesting the young woman to Miguel for the shop. He rushed to her side, kneeling in front of her carefully, he caressed her cheek, cradling her face in his hand. “are you okay? you’re bleeding.” he pointed oht, glancing up to the other man, his impression soured but returned to that same glance of worry when it shifted back to Eldrid.

“Paramedics are in the front, you’re getting checked out before anything else.” Miguel said, giving a nod to Nestor to take her out front. His eyes fixated on the man that had just had his hands on their Eldrid. She felt the tension, but couldn’t put her finger on it, with her head throbbing.

After a few minutes of getting poked and prodded, both with questions and medical supplies, she saw the man from a few minutes prior walk away from the scene.

“See ya around, Ellie.” he said as he walked passed her, she didn’t reply with much but a weak wave of her hand. Everything felt like a dream, it’d happened so fast, but also so slow. Nothing felt real. Did she really meet a man who saved her from further head injuries, and not get his name? Or did she imagine that? was her head really that out of place? Couldn’t be. Would she ever see this man again? Why was he there so early?

“It’s Eldrid!” She called after him, being met with only a chuckle.

[winryofresembool]

Things We Lost in the Fire, ch 28

aka Caleo uni au

Fic summary: Calypso starts studying at a new university, but to her annoyance her new flatmate is a loud mouthed mechanic who also likes to sneak his dog in whenever. But as she learns to know him better, she realizes they might have more in common than what she first thought. Eventually, even the darkest secrets come out…

Chapter summary: At Waystation, pt 1/?

A/N: Alright, an update and this time /almost/ on time! So, here's the thing: we are starting the so called 'Waystation arc', which will be many, many chapters because I have way too many ideas despite the fact that Leo and Cal won't even be there that long. So, please bear with me, I know this chapter is kind of a fillery one but I can't really skip the introductions 😅 More interesting stuff will definitely happen soon enough!

I hope that you guys enjoy (seriously it really always warms my heart to see your wonderful comments ♥) and maybe leave some nice words if you feel like it!!

Words: 2700+

Genre: romance & hurt/comfort

Warnings: none

previous chapter / AO3

...

”So, here we are…” Leo told Calypso when he stopped his car, the faithful Argo II, in the yard of Waystation. Both of their exams were finished and Calypso had taken a few days off work so she could join Leo at his family home for the holidays. “What do you think?” he asked, possibly a bit nervous about his flatmate’s opinion. Calypso could understand that; she knew that it was a very important place to him.

She took in her surroundings: a big, old house where the family lived and several other buildings such as a garage and a shelter for the animals next to it. Even though she and Leo were still in the car, she could already hear the sharp barking of Festus the German shepherd somewhere further in the yard. The place wasn’t all that showy especially compared to what she had seen in her childhood, but there were a lot of mysterious corners and fascinating looking objects around that screamed to be observed more closely. Unlike the place where she had been living several years of her life, to her this place… seemed home-y.

“It… looks cozy,” she finally answered Leo's question when she realized he kept looking at her expectantly. “I think I can see why you like it here.”

“Yeah!” Leo seemed happy to hear Calypso liked it. “I like to call it a well organized chaos - just the way it should be in Leo’s world. But c’mon, my fam must be waiting already.”

“Let’s go, then.”

Leo barely had time to open the door of the car and stand up when Festus ran and jumped at him, trying to drown him in wet dog kisses.

“Woah, buddy! I’m glad to see you too!” Leo exclaimed and attempted to pet him even though it was hard because Festus was all over the place. “It’s my holiday break so I’ll be here with you for a long while! Isn’t that great?”

Festus gave him a small bark and wagged his tail even faster as a response. Calypso followed the exchange between the boy and his dog with amusement.

“Not sure if I should be jealous of your… you call it bromance, right?” she teased, while smiling widely. Already she had noticed that Leo seemed more relaxed in this place, and for some reason that made her feel warm and fuzzy even though she tried to battle such feelings.

“Aww, why would you be jealous? I have space in my heart for both of you,” he winked and Calypso had to look away so that he wouldn’t see her blush - again.

“No reason,” she mumbled and got out of the car as well, causing Festus to leave Leo alone and come to greet her instead. “Hi, you!” she managed to say while getting showered with love by the dog. “I guess this means you still remember me!”

“Of course he does,” Leo grinned at her. “I think you made quite an impression on him earlier. Hey, boy!” he whistled at the dog who returned to him. “I’m still your number one man, right?”

“Now who’s jealous?” Calypso chuckled at him. “He was just getting started with me.”

“That’s what you think,” Leo claimed. He had already taken his luggage from the car and now he was waiting for Calypso to do the same so he could lock the doors. She just stuck her tongue out at him instead of replying to his comment.

“Wait, are you planning to move here?” He asked with amusement when Calypso dragged her suitcase out of the car. Even though she would be staying at Waystation for less than a week, she had taken quite a lot of things with her just to be sure she wasn’t missing anything. “Not that I have anything against you living with my family… It’s just that that…” he pointed at the suitcase, “… looks a bit excessive considering we’re not staying that long and we can just drive or even walk back to our flat any time we want to if we need something.”

“You can never be too well prepared in situations like this!” Calypso stated, pulling her suitcase behind her while Festus followed her happily.

“Okay, okay,” Leo put his hand up in defeat and started following Calypso towards the house. “I believe you.”

…

“Calie, Calie!” a young brown haired girl exclaimed happily when the flatmates made it inside the house. “You came!”

“Hi, Georgina!” Calypso greeted the girl. “I did promise you, and both you and I know that promises should be kept, right?” Even at the risk of the trip being very awkward because of everything that was currently going on between her and Leo, she wasn’t planning to disappoint this little girl. She knew too well how that felt.

“Right!” Georgina agreed with her. “So, how has my brother been lately? Super annoying, as usual?”

Calypso was unsure what she should answer to that question, especially since Leo was listening right next to her. “Umm… he hasn’t been that bad, in my opinion… Sure, he has his annoying moments but I think the exams have kept him so busy that he has mostly been behaving himself.” She smiled at the girl, one part of her hoping Leo knew better than to take her too seriously. But then again, they had been bickering since day one, and apparently, he still liked her.

“Yeah, and Calypso has been somewhat behaving herself too, thanks for asking,” Leo intervened, looking slightly annoyed. “Well, what about you, sis? Did you pass all your tests?”

“I did but the math one was super difficult! Maybe you can help me with it when the school starts again?” Georgina gave Leo the kind of puppy eyes that would have been hard to resist for anyone. And sure enough, Leo’s frown melted quickly when she kept looking at him pleadingly.

“Of course I can help! That’s what I’m here for, right?” he answered without hesitation. Then he frowned again. “But where are our mothers? I thought they’d catch us like hawks the moment we arrived.”

“They’re probably busy making a big dinner,” Georgina noted. “I don’t think they’ve talked about anything else except you two the whole day…”

“Really?” Leo asked. “That’s… weird? I do visit here often enough…”

“Yeah, but how often do you visit with a girl?” Georgina pointed out sneakily. The girl was really observant for her age, Calypso thought. She and Leo exchanged quick looks before Leo answered.

“Listen, Georgie. Cal and I are friends. And flatmates obviously. But we are not dating, I hope you know that,” he said firmly, even though Calypso could sense that he wished he could have told her something else.

“Then how come she’s spending the holidays with us? Doesn’t she have her own family to spend it with?”

It was an innocent question, as Georgina had no idea about Calypso’s home circumstances, but it had still hit a bit too close to home to Calypso and Leo knew that. That’s why he rushed to answer for her: “Hey, now, miss Nosy! Cal has her own reasons why she prefers spending the holidays with us, and she doesn’t have to explain them all to you. The main thing is that she’s here and I hope you won’t bother her by asking more of your annoying questions.”

“Now you’re just being rude,” Georgina grimaced at him. “But fiiine, I won’t ask more questions. I’ll go tell moms that you guys arrived.”

“Go do that,” Leo sighed, and rolled his eyes when she was already out of sight. “Sorry ‘bout that,” he told Calypso as he showed her where she could put her outerwear. “For the first 15 years of my life I didn’t have a sibling and somehow I thought it would be great to have one… She /is/ pretty great most of the time but no one told me beforehand that sometimes siblings can be quite nuisances too.”

Calypso’s face fell a bit as she thought about her own sister and how much she sometimes wished she could see her again. Luckily Leo seemed to realize pretty fast that he had said something wrong.

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry! I didn’t remember… I mean, I know I’m lucky to have a sister like her, I just… Um, I’m just gonna shut up now.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Calypso tried to calm him down. “It’s an easy mistake to make. I haven’t talked about her a lot to you…”

“As someone who has also lost a family member, I understand why you don't wanna do that, Sunshine. But hey,” he stepped closer to her, sticking his index finger close enough to her chin that she had to lift it, but not close enough that it would have touched her. “You’re visiting casa de Valdez & co and we have a rule here that we should put the nasty stuff behind us, at least during the visit.”

“You mean like, ‘Hakuna matata’?” Calypso asked, having heard the story of Leo loving Lion King as a child. As their eyes met, she could feel the butterflies flying in her stomach again.

“Yep, now you’re speaking my language, babe.”

“Babe?” Calypso raised her eyebrow but was interrupted before she could say more because Leo’s adoptive mothers finally entered the room. Calypso had already met Jo earlier, but Emmie hadn’t been with her and Georgina that time. She had a long, grey braid, and something about her posture told her that the woman had done a lot of sports back in the day. She was wearing an apron over her work clothes and she was smiling at her in a friendly manner when their eyes met.

Jo greeted Calypso first.

“Hello, it’s nice to see you again.” Then she pointed at the woman next to her. “This is my wife, Emmie. You haven’t met her yet, right?"

“Correct.”

“Well, hello dear,” Emmie spoke, shaking Calypso’s hand. “You must be the Calypso I keep hearing so much about. I’m not sure which of these kids has been more excited about your visit; Georgina has been asking Leo every time he visits when he’ll bring you with her. I guess that day is finally here!”

“Oh, that’s sweet,” Calypso mumbled, a bit overwhelmed by the excitement with which Leo’s Waystation family welcomed her. The more she heard, the more it felt like they really thought that Leo was bringing home someone who was /not/ just a flatmate. Despite that, she knew these people were just trying to be polite, so she couldn’t get angry at them. Especially since in different circumstances they may not have been wrong. “Thank you for having me. I’ve been looking forward to seeing this place! And of course I haven’t forgotten that I promised to teach Georgina some baking so I had to come.”

“I hope it’s not too much trouble,” Emmie said, a lot like Jo during the visit to Leo and Calypso’s flat. “Leo has of course told us that you’re a rather busy person these days so we wish you get some resting time too.”

“No, it’s not a problem at all,” Calypso shook her head, smiling at Georgina who was looking at her expectantly. “I like having something to do with my hands; I’m not used to just sitting around.”

“That’s great,” Emmie said approvingly. “I don’t think you will have a boring moment in this household. Now, let us show you to our guest room upstairs and then we can all go dine together.”

“Sounds good,” Calypso agreed and started following the women further into the house.

…

After setting her things into a guest room with a big bed, an old mahogany desk, some flowers by the window and a fascinating looking bookshelf, Calypso was led into the dining room where the dinner was waiting.

“Smells so good,” she told the others before she knew what kind of meal Leo’s mothers had prepared. “Reminds me of something I’ve tasted at home…”

“A little bird told us that you like Greek food,” Emmie said mysteriously.

When Leo had told his mothers Calypso and he would be visiting Waystation, they had asked him what kind of food she liked. Calypso had once mentioned that she missed eating some of the traditional Greek foods she had gotten as a child, so that’s what Leo had suggested. The women of Waystation had ended up making moussaka and along with it (much to Leo’s dismay) some salad with lots of olives in it.

“You didn’t...!” Calypso exclaimed when she saw what was inside the frying pan, clapping her hands together. “I loved it when mum made this when I was a kid! I probably last ate it when I was 10…” Something warm rose to her chest when it sunk into her that someone had seen that much effort to make her feel welcomed. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re very welcome, dear,” Jo said. “We know you’re a very important person to Leo – even though he may be a bit bad at expressing his real thoughts sometimes – so we wanted to make sure that you know that you’re always welcome to visit us.”

“I’m sure I would have been convinced about that even with less effort,” Calypso reassured Leo’s mothers, pretending to ignore the hidden meaning behind the older woman’s words. “But I appreciate it a lot.”

“Guys, I don’t know about you but I’m starving, so can we please skip the pleasantries and just start eating?” Leo asked impatiently, drumming a glass on the dining table with a spoon.

“Some things never change,” Georgina joined the conversation, elbowing her adoptive brother. “Leo’s always so impatient when it comes to food.”

“But Leonidas,” Calypso started when she took a closer look at the salad that was being served, giving him a lopsided grin. Clearly Georgina’s mischievousness was already getting to her. “Are you really that excited about olives? The last time I checked, you weren’t particularly enthusiastic about them.”

Leo seemed a bit less excited about the food when he realized that she was right, but before he had time to comment, Emmie spoke first.

“What? You made Leo eat olives? That’s a story I’d like to hear,” she urged Calypso, and the latter mentioned did not have to be convinced twice to tell the story.

“Alright. One Saturday evening we decided to cook some Greek and Mexican style food just for fun. I of course had some olives in the salad I made and asked Leo to taste it, but he didn’t like it so somehow we ended up making a deal that if I eat one of his chilis, he eats his olives.”

“Yep, and you lost,” Leo pointed out immediately.

“I’ve said this before and I will say it again that it was an unfair bet! Those chilis were /hot/. Olives can actually be consumed without burning your mouth.” Calypso retorted.

“Wait, are you talking about the chilis that Leo has gotten from here?” Emmie asked. “Ouch, Leo, those things really are spicy. I am on Calypso’s side here; it /was/ an unfair bet.”

“Not you too!” Leo protested, crossing his arms. “Nothing happened; she only ate a little and I gave her some bread and milk afterwards. And eventually we both laughed at the whole thing.”

“Wow, brother, that was almost gentlemanly of you,” Georgina stated, clearly proud of the fancy word she had just used. “Calie, he would probably have just let me suffer if I had eaten that chili pepper.”

“Yep, because you’re just a little twerpette,” Leo replied while ruffling Georgina’s hair affectionately.

“Ahem,” Jo finally interrupted the banter. “I love hearing these stories but we don’t want Calypso’s welcome dinner to get cold, do we? So let’s dig in.”

The others didn’t have to be told twice. As everyone was eating the moussaka (Calypso noticed Leo had even taken an olive on his plate to show the others he could) and chatting about various things, Calypso really did start feeling welcomed and she even caught herself thinking that Jo was probably right; she wouldn’t be having a boring moment here.

[crystalstar8]

Knights of the Night (ch 16)

Chapter 16

Ch 1, ch 2, ch 3, ch 4, ch 5, ch 6, ch 7, ch 8, ch 9, ch 10, ch 11, ch 12, ch 13, ch 14, ch 15, ch 16

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29139240/chapters/71536491

pairing: Jungkook x oc

genre: vampire au, college au, twilight, romance

word count: 1,196

warnings: blood (obviously), kidnapping, child kidnapping, needles, France, human trafficking

notes: vampires, vampire au, college, college au, so many twilight references, blood, needles, kidnapping, children, homelessness, dance, ballet, flashbacks, romance, slow burn, probably no smut, idk yet tho, France, French things, attempted genocide, inaccurate French history, bisexual main character, @strawberriewithchocolate-blog @mozy-j  @daechwitad-2​ @zobadak​ @fallenstar-7​​​

summary: Catalina starts college in a small town all the way across the country. She doesn’t know anyone and isn’t exactly looking for friends. She just wants to focus on dance. But when she meets fellow dance major, Jimin, and adventurous, fellow freshman, Jungkook, Catalina ends up discovering a whole new side to the small college town; one that is dangerous but oh so enticing…

After their tearful goodbyes, Catalina and Jungkook were picked up by the ride Namjoon had arranged for them. The drive took several hours before their ride parked at a big house by the water. Two women came out of the house to meet them.

               “You must be Catalina and Jungkook,” one of them said as the other helped pull their luggage out of the car. “We’re the owners of the cabin. We’ll take you there by snowmobile, since this is as far as you can go by car.”

               Catalina had never been to the Upper Peninsula during the winter, so she was shocked at how much snow there really was. Where the roads weren’t plowed, the snow reached almost four feet. Catalina had never seen this much snow in her life. No wonder people had to get around with snowmobiles. After loading their luggage onto the backs of the two snowmobiles, the two owners drove them into the wooded back roads. They were pretty deep into the woods before they pulled up on the beautiful cabin. The lights were on inside, casting a warm glow over the surrounding snow. They parked and went up the porch.

               “Here’s the key to front door,” one of the women said, handing Jungkook a key. “And here’s the key to the red snowmobile. We’re leaving that one with you, in case you need to go into town or anything. We’ll be by on Friday to pick you guys up. If there’s an emergency or if you have any questions, both our phone numbers are on the note inside on the table.”

               “Thank you so much,” Catalina said. With that, the two women got onto the other snowmobile and drove off. Catalina unlocked the front door and Jungkook pulled their bags inside.

               “Oh, it’s so nice,” Catalina said. The inside was spacious, well lit, and beautifully furnished. It was modern and rustic, with twisted wood furniture laden with furs. A huge shed hung above the hearth. The seating looked plush and comfortable and the kitchen was big and functional. Upstairs was a master bedroom with a big bathroom connected to it. There was jacuzzi tub and a large, walk-in shower in the bathroom that Catalina definitely was going to take advantage of.

               “The fridge is full,” said Jungkook. Catalina joined him in the kitchen and looked over his shoulder.

               “Wow, Namjoon really thought of everything,” she said. Jungkook closed the fridge and went to collapse onto the couch. Catalina joined him.

               “Ah, to be a couple of college students on a romantic retreat in a secluded cabin,” said Jungkook.

               “Sounds like the beginning of a horror movie,” said Catalina.

               “Yeah, well, I figured we can enjoy it before the serial killer shows up,” Jungkook said, threading his fingers into her hair and pulling her closer.

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

               Catalina was enjoying her stay at the cabin to the fullest. They did end up taking advantage of the tub, and the shower, many times. The king-sized bed was luxurious, as was the cozy living room and fully modern kitchen. They didn’t really know how to cook very well, but after googling some recipes, they ended up making some lovely meals between the two of them.

               Towards the end of the third day, the pair were lying in bed with glasses of wine, the heat turned up so they didn’t need to wear clothes. Catalina called it “living deliciously”, and Jungkook wasn’t about to disagree. But before they even finished their glasses, Jungkook’s phone rang from the bedside table. He reached over to pick it up, but as soon as he answered, the smile fell from his face. He set his glass on the table and sat on the edge of the bed.

               “Wait, slow down,” he said. “I can’t hear you…What do you mean…”

               “Who is it?” Catalina asked.

               “It’s Taehyung on Hoseok’s phone,” Jungkook said, pulling the phone away from his ear. “Taehyung, take a deep breath and start over.”

               Catalina set her own glass on the table and took the spot next to him. She watched with dread as the color drained from Jungkook’s face.

               “We…We’ll be there,” Jungkook forced out, then hung up.

               “W…what happened?” Catalina asked, wondering if she actually wanted to know. Jungkook looked at her with wide eyes.

               “Jimin went missing,” he said. Catalina felt her heart drop.

               “They-I thought they said they were investigating!” Catalina said, standing up and looking for her clothes. “They told us to stay out of it because they were going to take care of it! This is not taken care of!”

               “Cat,” Jungkook stood up and took her by the shoulders. “We’re gonna get him back.”    

               “Yeah, obviously,” Catalina said. “And then after, I’m gonna have to kick Namjoon’s ass.”

               “Right,” said Jungkook. “And obviously I’ll help you. Right now, we need to focus on getting out of here and flying back to Cali.”

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

               Namjoon bought them the quickest flight back home, which they were thankful for despite Catalina still being angry with him. They drove straight from the airport to the mansion, not bothering to knock before barging in. The four vampires were in the lounge, Namjoon standing and pacing while the others were on the couch. Taehyung’s eyes were bloodshot and his nose was red. Hoseok looked pale and terrified. Yoongi looked tired.

               “Namjoon! You have some explaining to do,” Catalina said. “You told us you were taking care of this situation.”

               “It’s a delicate process,” he said. “This is a big organization and we don’t know anything about them. There are lot’s of lives at stake.”

               “Well, it shouldn’t have come to this,” Catalina said. “We’re going to make a plan right now to take them down. No more stalling. It shouldn’t have taken one of our own going missing to get things moving.”

               “We need more information before barging in,” said Namjoon.

               “Guys-“ Hoseok spoke up.

               “What information do we need?” Catalina asked. “We have pictures, we know the names and faces of the three bosses.”

               “Guys-“ Hoseok began again.

               “A map of the facilities would be nice,” said Namjoon. “And reinforcements. There’s only four of us, we have no idea how many vampires work for this organization.”

               “A lot of things would be nice, like Jimin being here,” said Catalina.

               “Guys!” Jungkook yelled. Everyone turned to him. “Hoseok has something to say.”

               Hoseok fiddled with his sweater sleeves, eyes darting around the room.

               “I know what we have to do,” he said. “One of us will have to pose as a buyer. We can buy Jimin, if he’s ready for purchase.”

               “’If he’s ready for purchase’?” Taehyung repeated in a wobbly voice. More tears spilled from his eyes. 

               “Okay, I think it’s time for you to spill your story,” Yoongi said, sitting up. “You’ve been dodging this for years.”

               Hoseok sighed and said, “I know. I’m sorry. I just…don’t know where to start.”

               Catalina saw the pain in his eyes and decided to put aside all her anger and suspicion. She sat beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. She said, “Start at the beginning. You said you were a college student before?”

               “Right,” he said. “Well, here I go…”

[stars-in-my-universe]

I Hope: part 2 Tyler Seguin

The long awaited sequel of I hope. This will be the final part, I feel like we all needed some closure. I hope you all like it and please let me know what you think, I hope I didn’t disappoint.

Part 1

“McKayla, are you serious? You’ve known about these plans for over a month!” He watched as the blonde parades around the bedroom putting on the last touches of her make Up. Tyler sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands as he waited for her to hurry the hell up.

“Tyler, I have to go meet my sister! She’s going through some stuff okay?’ Tyler was very understanding and had more than enough patience but the fact that she was canceling on Tyler's friend’s barbecue after knowing about it for over a month...it irritated him to no end. He watched as she walked out of the bathroom in heels.

“You’re meeting your sister in heels?” He arched an eyebrow and looked at his fiancee.

“We’ll probably go eat honestly. What is the big deal?” Tyler shook his head and grabbed his keys from the dresser.

“I’ll see you later, if you get home before me let the dogs out but do not leave them outside til I get home. Let them in, Mckayla.” Tyler rolled his eyes as he heard her let out a ‘mhmm.’

Tyler knew this wasn’t working, he knew something else was going on behind his back but he hadn't caught her in a lie nor was their proof plus she still wore her engagement ring. It still didn’t excuse the fact that all they did was fight, constantly. He was tired of it. He drove To His friends barbecue, tapping his fingers to the song and thinking of what he should probably do about the whole situation.

Past

“Tyler, I don’t like fighting with you and I also don’t like the silent treatment you give me every time. We’re adults, we should talk about shit like this.” The two had just gotten into a fight about how she was planning to go to school in California and not Dallas, news that Tyler had no idea about.

“I’ve always planned to go to school in Cali once I saved up enough, Tyler. That’s always been my plan, the plan my Parents and friends always knew about. I didn’t think I’d ever change my mind.” He knew he couldn’t ask her to give up her school for Him, she loved it.

“Y/n I want you to go to school, I want you to have your dream. I just-“ she watched the anger leave him and watched as sadness and uneasiness washed over him.

“I just wish you didn’t have to go so far.” She sighed and moved to sit in his lap. Her hands found their place on his shoulders and his on her hips.

“I would look at schools in Dallas Tyler, but if I had some sort of I don’t know long term commitment from you? Like if I looked at schools here we’d have to be in it for the long run.”

“Deal. You could move in.” He watched her eyes widen.

“Y/n, I’m here for it. For you. I love you. You can move in and look at schools here, anything to get you to stay.” You bit your lip and nodded, you two were really doing this.

“I love you.”

Present

Tyler shook His head as he pulled up to the house, the music already blaring from the back yard.

He may have been engaged to Mckayla and it may have been months since it happened but the past couple of weeks he hadn't been able to get you out of his head.

He hadn't seen you since the last time you said goodbye to him; you stopped showing up to the parties and you stopped hanging around the same Crowd. You had let Him go and Tyler didn’t realize how much it had hurt to not see you around anymore . He had fucked up and he knew that. He knew that the moment you found out about him cheating, he knew that the moment you looked at Him sadly and told him you were going to be staying with your best friend and you’d come back for your stuff which you never did, he knew he ruined it all when you bent down and kissed his dogs goodbye for the last time.

Tyler knew you were done with him when he came Home one day and the pair of house keys were on the kitchen counter, the engagement ring next to it and the wags jersey that you’d specially wear to his games folded neatly underneath it all.

He wasn’t an idiot, he had fucked up Something good and lately he had been wondering if it was even worth it. If what he did was worth breaking your heart, because as cliche as it was he never meant to hurt you.

x-x

Tyler threw his phone against the wall and threw himself onto His bed. He had been home waiting for her, when his phone binged with a text message. And then another and then another. When he finally locked it and looked at his messages he wished he hadn't. ‘Dude Mckayla is here, you coming?’ ‘Bro whose the guy with your girl?’ ‘Segs, wtf is going on?’ It was officially, she was cheating on him and she didn’t even care to hide it. Going to the same spots his friends did, probably not thinking about covering her tracks. He had called her several Times and no answer, all going to voicemail. He was sick to his stomach, he was hurt, and angry and a little bit disgusted. He knew he needed to end it, not like it would come to a surprise, they were both unhappy to the point where she was seeing someone else, Something Tyler had expected for a while.

Picking up his phone, he had called her again, which was sent to voicemail again. Shaking his head he threw his phone on his bed and made his way downstairs, whistling for the boys to come. All three labs greeted him at the foot of the stairs, their tails wagging happily. He was getting restless and angry so he figured waking the dogs would help Him calm down a bit.

Past

“Why is he so fat, ty? Like where did you go wrong?” He shoved you gently making you laugh.

“I left him to my mom and sisters one summer and I guess they over fed him.” The black lab was happily laying at your feet on the grass in Tyler’s back yard. Marshall was chewing on a dog toy in the shade and Gerry was jumping in and out of the pool every time Tyler would throw the toy in.

“You would think having three of them, they’d be a lot crazier but it’s almost as if the more there are the calmer they are.” Tyler nodded and looked over at you.

“Yeah even when Gerry was a puppy he’d just follow what Marshall and Cash did and it was so much easier to train him.” You ran your hand along Cash’s back making him let out a sigh.

“Maybe one day, you and I can get one...together.” You looked up at Tyler.

“You already have all the colors though.” He let out a laugh making you smile.

“It doesn’t have to be A lab, it would just be nice to adopt one with you and raise one.” You nodded.

“Honestly I think when we’re more settled, I think it would be a good idea.” You watched his face light up, Tyler was such a dog dad.

“On one condition.” He raised an eyebrow at you.

“It has to be a girl, this time.”

“Noooooo!”

Present

“This isn’t working mckayla and you know it. Cheating on me, running into my friends and basically ignoring them. Ignoring my calls, late lunches with your sister what the fuck.” He watched as she rolled her eyes.

“What did you expect Tyler? All we do is fight, it’s exhausting.” Tyler didn’t say much else. He knew what a healthy relationship was supposed to be and this wasn’t it. He had one and he ruined it.

“McKayla give me the ring, get your shit and get out.” McKayla stopped folding the clothes she had in her hand.

“So that’s it? You’re not even going to try to work things out?” Tyler gawked at her, she had to be kidding?

“No, I’m not. Because this hasn’t worked out for a long time and you know that. You hate my dogs, you don’t even try to spend time with my friends, but yet we always have to run to your sister’s? A relationship is a two way street, McKayla.”

Past

“Relationships are a two way street, Tyler. I’m tired, I’m tired of chasing you, of begging you for attention. I shouldn’t have to!” You were fed up with his partying. He had stopped caring about the dinner dates, ranked on dinner with your friend, You had even taken a skype call from his mom for him having to lie as to why he wasn’t there to talk to her. All because he was out with his friends partying till 3am.

It had all started when the Stars lost the game against the Blues eliminating them from the Playoffs. They had all taken it hard, but the team decided to go to Vegas before summer started which Y/N could deal with. She encouraged Tyler to go, saying he needed it but then he came home and he was cold, and continued to party well into the night; you would come home from work and people would be everywhere throughout the house and in the backyard, so you’d go straight upstairs with the dogs and go to sleep feeling empty and sad.

“I know that, I’m trying I just-” Y/n glared down at him.

“You’re not trying, Tyler. You’re hardly here!” You were mad and hurt and all you wanted was answers. The two sat in deafening silence as you chose your next words carefully.

“Who is she Tyler?” His head shot up in confusion.

“Don’t lie to me just tell me who she is or tell me you have no idea what I’m talking about.” Tyler didn’t know what to say and apparently his silence was your answer.

“I knew it…”

“Y/n wait, just let me-” Tyler looked up at you and expected to see tears and heartache but instead all he saw was...nothing. Your face was blank, guarded, your eyes cold.

“I will get my stuff tomorrow, I’m going to stay somewhere else tonight.”

Present

Tyler didn’t expect to run into you ever, in Dallas. He figured you would have either moved on or gone to California. But then he saw you at the park, with a cute little black lab puppy on a leash he felt like he could breathe again.

You looked good, healthy and most of all happy. You had that light back to you and the puppy that is currently jumping in your lap probably helped a lot. He didn’t know if he should go over and talk to you or just walk away and leave you, you seemed at peace.

Maybe it was the fact that he was nursing a broken heart or maybe he just needed something positive in his life, or maybe he just missed you but he decided to take the leap and go talk to you.

He watched you stand up and grab the leash off the ground and then it was like time stopped. You turned around and you looked up, the smile on your face immediately fall. Shit. Tyler sent you a small smile and stopped in front of you, his hands in his pockets.

“Tyler…” You didn’t know what to say.

“Y/n, hi.” He glanced down at the puppy who was nipping at the leash.

“Oh uh, this is Bella.” Tyler bent down to say hi to the puppy who happily licked his face.

“You finally got one?” You nodded.

“A girl, like you always wanted.” You let out a sad laugh, Tyler stood back up and stared at you.

“So how have you been?” You sighed and ran a hand through your hair.

“Tyler, let’s not do this.”

“I miss you.” You looked up at him and shook your head.

“Tyler.”

“I know it’s a lot and it’s been awhile. I just, I wanted to say sorry. I’m so sorry for everything I put you through. I messed up, bad and I just-” You chuckled to yourself and stopped him before he could continue.

“She cheated didn’t she?” Tyler was taken back, how did you know.

“You’re not wearing a ring, Tyler. Plus you wouldn’t be apologizing if you didn’t know how it felt, men don’t work like that.”

“I really am sorry, Y/n.”

“Tyler, It’s okay. I’m sorry you had to feel what it’s like but I just hope you grow from this. I hope you realize what this all means and you grow up and the next time you find someone, you keep her and treat her right…” You were smiling sadly at him, no malicious or anger.

“What if ‘the next time’ is standing in front of me.” You bite your lip hard, you would always have a soft spot for Tyler Seguin but enough was enough.

“I’m sorry Tyler. I’m seeing someone…” You watched the small smile fall and the confusion grace his face.

“I- uh, who is he?” You never heard Tyler stutter before.

“He’s a guy I met through school. He’s nice and funny…”

“Does he treat you well?” You glanced at him.

“Yeah, Tyler. He does. He makes me happy.” You could see the heartbreak in his eyes. You didn’t want to hurt him, despite all he put you through, you still didn’t want to hurt him but you needed to end this.

“I used to hope to run into you, Tyler. I would hope you’d run into me and we’d talk and you’d tell me you made a big mistake…” Tyler went to say something but you shook your head.

“I missed you every day after that night. I missed our texts, our phone calls, I missed watching you play hockey funny enough I still watch it because he’s a Colorado fan. But I missed your tattoos, I missed your laugh. And then one morning I woke up and I didn’t miss you anymore, I didn’t think about you, I didn’t hope, Tyler.” His breathing was ragged and he wanted to walk away and forget this ever happened.

“I knew what I was getting myself into Tyler, when I dated you. You loved to party, constantly had girls around you but I trusted you with everything in me and you threw that away.” Your voice was soft, no harshness detected.

“I loved you so much.  I loved the future we had planned, I loved you. And I will always have love for you. But you broke me Tyler in ways no one else ever had and I’m sorry McKayla hurt you. But I’m happy now Tyler and I won’t apologize for that.” You glanced down at Bella who was laying at your feet and then back up at him, his eyes rimmed red and his hand clutching his phone.

“We adopted her together, we live together, Tyler. I won’t go down this road with you again. I healed, maybe it’s time you do the same.” He blinked back the tears at the rejection.

“I won’t be yours again, but I hope you find someone that will. I hope you find a girl who is going to love you and support you. I hope she loves your dogs unconditionally-” He remembered the last time you told him something similar but this time around instead of sadness and hurt, your voice was filled with hope and empathy.

“She’ll treat your family how they should be treated and I hope she makes you happy. I hope you find her and I know you will, Tyler. Because you’ve never had problems in that department.” Both of you let out a small laugh.

“But when you find her, Ty. I hope you treat her right, I hope you learned your lesson and keep her close and for any reason I hope you never let her go. Let her in, let her see you, Tyler. Because despite everything I think there’s a good guy in there, he just wasn’t ready for commitment. But I hope when she finds you, you are.” Tyler looked at you and you could feel it in your bones, this was a final goodbye. He shook his head.

“You were it,” You smiled at him.

“If I was it, you wouldn’t have done what you did, Tyler. Love wasn’t enough this time around and that’s okay.” You stepped a bit closer to him and leaned in to kiss his cheek, his body spray and aftershave hitting you bringing back memories.

“You’re going to be okay, Tyler. But this is it, I won’t be seeing you again.” You pulled away and motioned for Bella to follow you which he puppy happily did.

“Goodbye, Tyler Seguin. I hope you get everything you want in life and more.” Tyler watched you walk away and he could feel his heart break. Tyler took in a breath and closed his eyes, glancing back, he collected himself.

“Goodbye, Y/n.” And Tyler knew it would be for the last time.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #303

“if i can’t be loved, then i’ll be hated”

What color are your glasses, if applicable? Black. Candy corn or conversation hearts? They're both gross, don't make me pick between garbage. Do you own a lot of earrings? Not really after I weeded them out before moving. What did your backpack in high school look like? I dare say I had the dopest backpack of them all. It looked like a massive Ouija board, and the zipper was the planchet (sp?). Have you ever been to a rave? Nah. What is your favorite art medium? I have a particular fondness of oil paintings. They tend to look so smooth, and you can achieve incredible realism with them. How far away is the nearest hospital from you? Not even five minutes, I think. Who was the last person you visited in a hospital? My mom. What is your favorite car color? Pink, duh. How did you learn to type? We actually had a class specifically for typing in middle school. What style of wedding dress do you want? I don't have that set in stone yet, but I really do love ballgown dresses with long trains as well as a-lines with a moderate train. I love a lot, except really for mermaid dresses. Do you fit into any stereotype, or are you non-stereotypical? I don't know if I fit perfectly into any and really don't care. Would you want your first child to have your hair color? ???? I don't care about their hair lol?????? It would depend on the hypothetical father, in which case I'd probably find it cute, but this is so, so unimportant. Do you enjoy writing in cursive? Yeah, it just feels good and flowy to me. What is your favorite hair color? Natural? Probably blonde with natural darker undertones throughout. I like blonde hair because it's far easier to dye, haha. Now, if we're including DYED hair, rose gold or pastel pink is *chefs kiss* What is your favorite eye color? Sapphire blue, probz. Would you put your birthday on a different day if you could? Nah, it's fine where it is. What holiday is your birthday closest to? Valentine's. Do you vent on social media a lot? NOOOOOOOO. I barely post ANYTHING about myself on social media because I feel like I'm being annoying, self-absorbed, find anything I do actually interesting, or don't want people to think I'm a whiner. All I ever really do on social media is share or reblog funny shit, things I love, stuff I find relatable or inspirational, educational, important for whatever reason, etc... Do you have abusive parents? I am very thankful to say no. Is your house haunted? Doesn't seem like it. What's your favorite thing to watch on YouTube? I'm in a real WoW-related phase lately... Watching my favorite streamers, gold farming guides, and other various aspects of the game. What are five health problems that you have? I talk about the mental issues enough, so I guess I'll talk about physical stuff here. Uhhh I have very low blood pressure (it's a med side effect), I have extremely weak legs following muscle atrophy, I have bad tremors, especially in my hands (amplified by medication once again), maybe TMI but we're adults here and it's a legit issue that I have chronic and severe conspitation, aaaand then of course I have hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) to a fucking outrageous and also humiliating degree. Ooooonce again as a prescription side effect. This answer made meds sound kinda bad, I know, but really, I'd rather have the will to live and just have to deal with these than want to die everyday and not. Do you have surgery coming up? No, let's keep it that way until I lose enough weight and when I am 110% getting loose skin removal. Which family member(s) do you look the most like? My sisters, ig. People say my mom also, but I honestly don't see it. Have you ever cried while watching a YouTube video? Yeah, usually just in let's plays, but it's happened for other reasons. Are you missing a website that just shut down? Nah, none that I know of. NO. FUCKING WAIT. So, when my laptop was fixed, a LOT of shit was wiped from it, and that included all of my goddamn Lightroom editing presets. The site they were from no longer exists, so I had to use a different, pretty sub-par one to install at least a few because it helps me get a start on editing the photograph and leaning towards the "vibe" I want before spending like 15+ minutes tuning it myself. Would you be a barefoot bride? No. Which would you rather name your daughter: Eliana, Echo, Emerald, or Ellery? Ohhh, I like these. I think I prefer "Eliana," but "Echo" is a close second. "Ellery" is nice, but it sounds too much like "celery" to name my kid that lmao. Which would you rather name your son: Maverick, Matthew, or Moses? Ugh, none, honestly. But "Matthew" wins. When was the last time you gave a speech? Like a *legit" speech? Probably not since uhhh... I guess when I argued my disability case at court? Does that even count? Have you ever been in a stampede? Well, never seen this'n in a survey before, so good job, lol. No. If you were a fairy, what color would you like your wings to be? It would depend on what I wore, really. And my hair. But probably light pink. Would you rather name your son Storm, Skylar, Sorin, or Solomon? "Sorin." "Skylar" is SO Southern, and "Solomon" sounds like the creepy kid all his classmates avoid and I ain't putting my kid through that. Did you read a devotional this morning? Not my jam. Would you rather be named Arizona, Alaska, Cali, or Georgia? Hm... "Alaska" is actually kinda cool???? And I'm white as fuck so lol????? I wouldn't mind to nickname of "Ally," anyway. Are you repulsed by ugly reptiles? lololol bro get out Did all your friends know about your first crush or was it a secret? I was definitely secretive and shy about it when I first started getting crushes. Do you ever feel insecure about going out without makeup? I feel insecure either way, so... How many different natural hair colors are there in your immediate family? So, this is a hard question to answer. My mom was born with brown hair, but it darkened to almost black; only her daughter Katie inherited that. By some genetic magic, Dad had blond hair as a kid, but it also turned black. Like... how?????? I was born with dirty blonde hair like him, and mine turned an average brown with age. My immediate sisters have always had brown hair. What is your favorite online game? World of Warcraft is ballin'. Would you ever want to be famous and sign autographs? Ha, the idea of signing autographs is awful... I can't physically write very long without my carpal tunnel flaring up. Do you like your shirt to be loose or tight? LOOSE. Especially as a bigger person, tight shirts are just really uncomfortable. What is your favorite Spanish name? I don't know nearly enough to answer this. Would you rather visit Asia or Europe? I think Asia is, in general, more interesting and prettier as a whole, but I guess I'm drawn to European culture being more like my own and there are specific locations I'm interested in, like Germany or Scotland. So to answer the question, I guess Europe wins. Are there any Asians in your family? I don't believe so. Have you ever had colored braces? Haha yeah, I did that when I had them. Do you take birth control pills? Yes, just for period cramps. Without them, they can be immobilizing for me. If you live in the USA: do you feel free and safe? Ha, no. Well, not *entirely*. Have you ever been sick on your birthday? I was recovering from the stomach virus, if that counts. As in I still got sick the day before and felt iffy on my actual bday. 17th, I think? Is talking about your past painful for you? Yes. Are you a member of any support groups online? I'm a member of The Mighty site, if that counts. When I'm feeling very, very sound of mind and helpful without all the negativity being a detriment to myself, I do like going on there and trying to help or comfort people. Have you ever called a suicide hotline? Yes, and the line was busy, and that's when I decided I was a goner. Do you ever fantasize about revenge? I uhhhhh... sometimes. What's a movie you would recommend to someone who never watches movies? Ohhh, that's hard. I don't really watch movies either, and I'm trying to think of one that essentially anyone would like, so hm. Oh, Coco is absolutely a possibility. That movie touched me so, so deeply and is high on my favorites list. It's impossible to not feel the emotions. Do you want to have grandkids? Hell, I don't want kids. Do you want to be an aunt or uncle? I already am one, and I love being an aunt. Who was your favorite Spice Girl? I don't remember their names or characters in general. Did you make a lot of home videos growing up? I mean *I* didn't, but Mom filmed quite a few. Do you enjoy babysitting? NO. What's an unpopular opinion that you have? Avoiding some political ones, uhhhh. OH. HERE'S ONE. THE SCENE AESTHETIC IS FUCKING CUTE AND NOT CRINGEY AND YOU CAN FIGHT ME ABOUT IT. Are you attracted to the opposite gender, same gender, or both? Both are A+. Was your first crush on someone of the same gender or opposite? Opposite. As a kid, I didn't even fathom the concept that women could date women. What is something you'll never eat again? Why? Brussel sprouts. Fucking disgusting. What is currently happening that is scaring you? Besides the very obvious answer of "Covid," I worry about my mom a lot. She's so weakened after all the chemo and meds and can do literally less than I can without heavily breathing and sweating. I just worry a lot that cancer will return sooner than we hope; I don't want it to EVER come back, but doctors say it is very, very likely at one point or another because she was so very close to Stage 4. What would be your personal hell? Being completely and entirely isolated forever while somewhere hot and humid, lol. And play one of my trigger songs on repeat eternally. What made the "weird kid" at your school weird? There was this poor guy named Alfred that was VERY clearly depressed out of his mind, and I heard him speak maybe once through all of high school, and the entire class couldn't believe it. He always sat way in the back and never smiled. I wonder how he is nowadays. What is a word you personally find offensive? "Retarded" personally offends me the most when misused and spoken as an insult. What instantly puts you to sleep? Now that is HARD to do; I have a ridiculously hard time going to sleep. The easiest way though would probably be me being drained from an emotional breakdown. That is so exhausting that I'm capable of crashing pretty fast and hard. What song is in a language you don't speak, but you love it anyway? I adore Rammstein, so there's plenty. I'll probably say "Donaukinder" is their best. What is something you would like to do if you weren’t judged for doing it? I keep that I RP a complete secret in my "real" life for this reason unless it's like, pried out of me. What's a movie you think everyone should watch? Why that one? Johnny Got His Gun. See how goddamn disgusting war is. What was the most unexpected good thing that's ever happened to you? Ha, realizing I was bisexual after once being homophobic. What is the funniest fact you know? Oh man, I know a lot of random trivia shit, really, so it's hard to say. Maybe that quokkas throw their offspring at predators to distract and escape from them... As awful as that is, c'mon, you gotta admit it's funny and shocking with just how adorable they are. What was your 'mic drop' moment? Oh, I don't know. Possibly when I publicly came out as bi on Facebook and made it abundantly clear that I gave no shits about some homophobic friends and family & I was beyond willing to let anyone's ass go over it. What's the kindest way a stranger has treated you? I remember as a kid at McDonald's, the woman in front of our car paid for our food; apparently seeing a mom, dad, and three kids in a van was enough that she wanted to just be kind and give us a smile. We have no idea who she was, never saw her face or anything, she was just a sweet woman. What is the biggest design flaw of your body? Okay, I'm going to let go of all hatred for my body weight-wise and just think of this as from a strictly natural design perspective, in which case I'd say my toes are too small. What age are you afraid of turning and why? 30, because I'm terrified of getting there and seeing I've possibly gone nowhere. What is the strangest thing you have ever felt? I'm keeping this question in just because I think there could be some interesting answers for others, but I'm witholding my answer because nobody wants or needs to know lmao. What makes someone immediately unlikable? Acting better than others and belittling. Who's a villain you sympathize with and why? D A R K I P L I E R because of his origins and overall purpose and just simply existing. What is something you regret to NOT have done? I have this oddly weird regret of not going like, all-all the way with He Who Shall Not Be Named????? Idk why though????? Considering I loved him way too much and I was a reckless and impulsive person who probably at some point would have wound up accidentally pregs????? What a fuckin trip that woulda been. What movie changed your life for the better? None have really "changed my life." What book you think should be directed as a film? Oh, idk. Most I can think of have been. Of all the decades you've lived in, which one have you liked best? The 2000s, probably. A carefree kid. How are you doing today? I'm exhausted. While out with Mom and my sisters yesterday, we got behind a van whose driver was obviously drunk or high off his goddamn ass, and he was swerving EVERYWHERE, nearly shoving so many cars off the road. Mom called 911 to get in contact with highway patrol to report his dumb fucking ass in. I was having an absolute panic attack and cried quietly like the entire 45 or so minute drive home. I was just so, so upset because this is why I don't fucking drive, and I felt like I'd made my sister (who was driving) mad because she had to firmly tell me I had to calm down (I was hyperventilating and talking to myself to try to calm down) if she was going to focus and keep us safe. She later ensured me she wasn't mad, but I still wasn't the same the entire rest of the day. Anyway, I slept hard last night but had two nightmares, so I'm still really tired today. I'm trying to keep myself really distracted. What's something your relatives don't know about you? A whole lot really, considering beyond my very immediate family, I see almost nobody because they live many states away. What's something your parents did, which you have sworn never to do? Mom would spank us or slap an arm pretty hard if my sisters or I misbehaved or "disrespected" her by "talking back." I'm not having kids, but I would never, ever, ever, put my hands on them in any way that isn't loving. You do not teach children via inflicting fear. I also have this probably overly strong aversion to beer because that's what Dad always drank as an alcoholic. I'll probably never try it, not that I really want to because it smells awful. What's the most annoying thing your pet does? I feel like "annoying" is the wrong word for this, but Roman (my cat) can be incredibly demanding of attention and to lie on me when I'm on the laptop in bed, and sometimes I just want space and be able to clearly see the screen, haha. He will legit meow like a baby and gently swat my arm sometimes if I try to keep him back. Heeee usually gets his way. As for Venus (snek), she does nothing "annoying" either, but rather a bit concerning to a snake mom: she is usually very slow to find and strike her food. I feed her frozen/thawed mice, and she will first slither around her entire cage, tongue flicking and clearly looking for her food, even though I always place it atop the same spot on her hide, and she can have her head RIGHT beside it and still do nothing. She ultimately generally eats (as a ball python though, she's a picky eater and will occasionally reject a meal), but I of course wonder why she's odd about dinnertime... As a champagne, she does have the notorious "spider gene" in her, which can cause neurological issues, but idk if something like this could be related.

[soultosell13]

Welcome to Winston!

Population: 23.458

Creatures: 2.689

Likelihood of injury or death: 43%

We hope you enjoy your stay!

Winston is your average small town hiding in between the corn, with all it’s small lost town quirks. For starters, everyone knows eachother, you think you’ve “met” someone new? They’re either your cousin or one of your friend’s cousin. All the citizens have been here since, well forever. The road to get anywhere else is endless, so no one leaves often or for too long. It’s not necessary anyways, we’ve got all the essentials covered, plenty of home-grown food, a small but efficient hospital and someone always ready to offer a helping hand. We solve everything ourselves and then thank the Higher Being. Because of course there’s also an official religion with a picturesque white church set a little to far from the rest of the town. Somehow it manages to fit a good part of the town who goes every Sunday to listen to the Pastor preach about the divine and it’s morality. Ancient stories about a deity that’s older than the universe that were in fact created less than a century ago by the Pastor’s grandfather. He was the one who founded Winston, so it’s his descendants who now rule it. Although, nowadays there’s more players in the tug and war for the money, power and control. Like that weird family up in North Street, 13 mysterious women of varying ages who live in a huge gothic house, all known to be witches. They also have a say on every important decision. However, the creepiest place is the abandoned manor up in a hill on the outskirts of the town. The urban legends say it’s haunted. It’s definitely haunted, believe me I talked to the ghosts myself, and in fact they are quite lovely. And the place, even though it’s quite run-down and overall kinda terrifying has a certain charm to it. Especially the garden which is stunning but out grown and unattended, it gently brushes de edge of the forest, as if creepy things got along well. The forest is another story, you could even say it’s a town of itself, one whose inhabitants come alive at night. That’s why you only go for a walk there at noon. Although, perhaps the most unsettling thing that happens here is when the Visitors come to town.

The 9th of every month at 7:33 the whole town shuts down. A siren goes off ten and five minutes before and remains ringing for the last sixty seconds. That’s when you lock the doors, turn off the lights and shut down the blinds. For the next fifteen minutes no one is allowed to make any kind of sound, let alone look out the window or even dare to leave the house. Eventually you’ll hear a stumping noise aproching where you are, it’ll slowly get louder. They’re are getting closer, you might want to say a silent prayer by now. On one of the worse cases they’ll stop for a second, it won’t be long but i’ll feel like an eternity, they’ll keep moving though. At least most of the time. Before you know it’s over, everything goes back to how it was and everyone pretends it’s not as weird as it should be. We are used to it by now, it’s a habit, you don’t think to much about it. No one knows what happens exactly or what the Visitors are, but they don’t ask. The real danger there is with the kids, they are naturally curious and hard to keep quiet in the house. That’s when things go really really wrong. When I was in 3rd grade Molly Jenkins didn’t come to school on March 10th, but no ones said anything and the teacher dismissed the few questions about it. Her desk was just empty and we pretended it had always been that way, like she never went to our school, like she never even exsisted. That’s when I learned that things don’t go entirely back to normal after each visit, we just have to act like it does. No searchs are conducted for the people that go missing on 9ths, we know they won’t be found. That why no one wants to know what visits us every month, but today i’m gonna find out.

I put on my best running shoes and tied my hair in a tight ponytail, already anticipating what my fligh-or-fight response might be. I took one last breath before I left my room and went downstairs. The rest of my family was already locked away in their respective rooms, so I tried to not make any noise. I grabbed the box I had left by the entrance and opened the door with shaky hands. Before I knew it, I was out.

The streets were obviously deserted and silence ruled over the town. It felt so eerie, so wrong. I started walking, without really knowing where I was going. Truth is, I have no idea what to look for exactly. Eventually I reached the town center, but only stood alone surrounded by empty stores. At least five minutes had gone by and I still hadn’t seen or heard anything. However, I had to keep going so I did for a little bit. The fifteen minutes were almost up and I was starting to think that maybe they hadn’t come this month. Maybe I’d gotten lucky and I could just go home. But luck has never been on my side and it wasn’t long before I started hearing footsteps behind me. At first I hoped it was just my imagination but as they got closer and closer the thrumming sound became so loud it was impossible to ignore. I wanted to run away as fast as I could, I really did but chose to slow down my pace until i stopped completely instead. The footsteps ceased right behind me and i could hear a heavy breathing. For a few seconds we remained like that, I could almost feel my heart bouncing around in my rib cage and only picking up speed as time progressed. The tension was excruciating and I knew I was gonna have to turn around and face them at some point. So I gathered every no existant inch of strength I had and did so. At first I just saw a pair of boney legs with just some strokes of brown fur attached to it. Already I was regreating this, so I had to force myself to look up further. The creature in question was several feet taller than I, making me bend my neck in an uncomfortable position. First, i saw it’s ribs, similarly to the legs they stuck out horribly only covered by odd patches of skins. Then I focused on the arms, the were long and bony, and by it’s tips hanged sharp claws that were tinted crimson. Every cell in my body was begging me to run at this point, but I knew I had to stay. It’s not like my legs weren’t practically paralyzed anyways. Lastly, with much strength I diverted my eyes towards the head. Oh and how i wish I hadn’t done that. The mare sight of it made every single one of muy muscles tense and i couldn’t even move my head and look away. I was static, but wanted to desperately run. Only my heart was moving, picking up more and more spread by the second, so much that I thought it would stop when I saw it. Staring above me was what looked like a deer skull, yellowish in color and with huge but in places broken antlers. Although what had struck me the most were it’s eyes, or lack there of. The sockets were empty, though it looked like it could see perfectly fine. It even seemed like those pitch black hollows pierced right through my soul when they looked me in the eyes. Scared I broke my gaze away, even though what I saw then wasn’t any better. Behind the creature in front of me there were about five more, all identical and horrifying. However, those ones were too entertained to even notice me. They were agressiblly feasting on something on the floor, I thought it was some kind of animal maybe one of the cows, but then i saw the scraps of fabric. Red and gold to be precise, just like my high school’s color, just like the varsity jackets the football team wore. Then the memory of last Friday came to me, when I overheard Kyle and Russel talk about going out to see the Visitors while they were leaving practice. I didn’t think they were stupid enough to do it, but clearly I was wrong. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and looked back creature in front of me. Quickly I handed him the box like I was instructed to, hoping Icould get out of here as soon as posible. The Visitor opened it and upon further inspection decided it was pleased with it. Thank God. Before leaving it extended it’s hand, if you could call it that, which took me aback. Was it doing what i thought it was doing? I cautiously shook it’s claw, which was big enough to fit in my entire hand. The creature then opened it’s mouth, showing off it’s sharp crooked teeth, but it’s was almost like a smile. We’re we friends now?

I didn’t get an answer, right after this strange exchange the Visitor’s left. I watched them crawl back into the woods as the town came back to life. Walking back to my house I started seeing people come out of their homes and stores opening their windows. It’s like nothing had ever happened. As much as I tried not to, I couldn’t help but think about Kyle and Russel. How about now their friends and family should be finding out now they are gone. But then again, tomorrow morning it’ll be like they had never even exsisted. So like everybody else I had to forget them. Finally, I arrived on North Street, where I lived. My neighbors were already out and some of the children were even playing on the street. I went into my house, where my aunt and cousin were waiting for me.

“Lydia!!” My cousin Cali jumped out to hug me “I knew you’d make it”

“Of course she’d make it” Aunt Clementine said.

“I doubted it for a second there” I told her but she just laughed. After a few seconds I decide to finally ask about something that had been on my mind for a while. “What were they exactly?”

“Wendigos” My aunt answered casually “Get used to them, you’ll be seeing them a lot when you become the next Supreme”

I opened my eyes wide as plates. Again?!

“Don’t worry, to us they are more harmless than you think. There have been a few mishaps... but nothing to worry about!” She just shrugged it off. I mean she had been dealing with them for years, I guess they didn’t scare her anymore. Maybe the the same would happen to me eventually, but I can only hope. For now i’m just relieved to be home.

“Come on, we’re practicing spells in the garden” Cali changed the subject. I followed her outside laughing like any regular day. Like the last 15 minutes of my life had never happened. Like everyone does in Winston.

[theinsanecrayonbox]

oh here’s some more of my M9 modern/quarantine/video call au that no one asked for, because my mind wanders and i like domestic fluff

everyone primarily lives in 2 buildings, that may be across the street from each other

in building 1;

Caduceus just recently moved in with Fjord and Jester after the lease on a sublet was up (plus Jester’s is closer to the bakery he works at normally); Fjord formally moved in with Jester about a month before, after a bad breakup with his ex-girlfriend and couch surfing for a few weeks (one of which was Cad’s at his old place). Jester’s mom pays for the place, so she has a place to stay when she’s in town. the boys do contribute rent though, which goes into other bills.

Nott/Veth has an apartment with Yeza and Luke. she moved out here before they did, since it was for Yeza’s job; he stayed with Luke to finish packing up, while she found them a home before he had to start work. they’ve been here a while though, just that she’s more familiar with everyone else cause she’s been around longer.

Caleb lives a floor up and one unit over from the Bremattos; Veth has been known to scale the fire escape to go climb onto his balcony...half the time to return his cat.

in building 2;

Yasha used to live with Molly, until he had to go away “for work” (rumor says it was rehab...). she tried to live on her own for a while...Fjord actually stayed at her place the longest. she’d finally asked Beau to move in with her pretty much when quarantine started, so yeah, that got put on hold.

Molly does still live in the building though! when he came back, with K’nessan and Ashe, they got a unit several floors away from Yasha; they didn’t wanna impose on her, since you know, growing family and all.

other people;

Essek is here. he’s fancy rich, lives far uptown with his family...and kinda hates it at times, so often goes and stays with Caleb; only Verin knows where he disappears to.

Reani used to live in Molly and ‘Ness’ place; she moved away, that’s why they got it so cheaply

Keg was somewhere else...but got shipped off for army training to another state. she and Beau were a thing, but with having to move, they broke it off, but Beau also lost her place to live that wasn’t her parents’

Calianna lives in another city entirely, and is mostly just in Jester’s video chats, though she has come to visit before

Avantika is Fjord’s ex. we don’t like to talk about her if we can help it

now for the fun “we’re in quarantine’ shenanigans;

Essek did indeed escape Thelyss Manor, about an hour after lockdown was announced. his mother didn’t know he ever made it back to the house...but Verin did; basically he agreed not to rat his brother out as long as he checked in with him by text regularly. the brothers are pretty good at staying out of each other’s business as long as you prove you’re still alive. he’s gotta call his mother once a week to prove he’s safe though. but at first, he kept trying to hide in Caleb’s M9 video chats, but then Veth randomly showed up and caught them and was dying for like 4 days not to say anything until Jester caught sight of Essek in the background in one video chat in Caleb’s space cat pj pants.

part of Ashe’s daily routine is running up the flights of stairs to go hang out at auntie Yasha’s place and go out onto her balcony too see their tiny garden (Ashe’s apartment does not have a balcony you see). sometimes they’l catch Cad doing the same across the way and have a waving contest

Jester cannot share a screen with either of her boys on the group calls, she just physically cannot...most of the time. she’s better with Cad than Fjord, but Cad sort of is known to wander the apartment and goes in and out of both Jester and Fjord’s screens.

Jester has “kidnapped” Luke a few times to go bake cookies with her and Cad, and by “kidnapped” i do mean that she forgot to tell Veth she was doing it (thus leading to her catching Essek in Caleb’s, cause Luke either goes there or to Jester’s)

Beau got trapped at her parents’ in the suburbs and HATES it. she was in the middle of moving in with Yasha, so yeah, she’s been getting “talked out of doing that” a bunch. that’s why she was annoyed more than amused when the wild Essek appeared, because sure he could escape his annoying family, but she couldn’t, uhg!

Jester’s known to leave the M9 group call to go answer other calls (like from Cali or her mom, or even her dad surprisingly enough-he’s been very nice offering to get hard to find supplies for his daughter and her boys...and we don’t ask how he comes by these goods...). sometimes she’ll come back to the M9 call, other times she’ll crash Fjord’s feed

idk if Cad is preg with Cami or not. on the one had, Fjord is trapped with a pregnant firbolg and a tiefling on sugar withdrawals, so that could be funny...on the other, Cad would get really claustrophobic or the like, because he feels like he should be doing stuff and can’t. either way, at the start they’re all “pft, we won’t have to worry about having a baby at home, it won’t last that long” but as time goes on...

as said before, Ashe, Luke, and TJ have a “tiny tots business conference call”

i’m torn between Cali getting stuck at the Ironbrood home for quarantine and that’s how Jester learns her bff is dating someone OR her being home, and her parents accidentally interrupt a video chat with Tarn (that might have been getting steamy lol) and that’s how her parents find out

Beau has really gotten into Words With Friends or whatever and nags everyone to play with her; Molly keeps cheating by using pharmaceutical words, and Caleb uses zemnian

‘Ness pretty much stays to the background of Molly’s feed, except when they go a group game night playing Quiplash or something of the like

Cad video chats with his family at least every other day; it took Clarabelle and Calliope walking their parents through how to use the video app, but they figured it out eventually

[oceteva]

Caught In The Middle | Mayans MC ~ Trip To Charming

Info | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

It was around one in the afternoon when Victoria was just opening the front door of her house for the first time on her day off from the hospital with a thick sketchbook under her arm while she had her black leather shoulder purse lazily hanging off of her arm as she was running a little behind to an appointment down in Charming to consult on a tattoo. However, when Victoria opened the door all the way, she instantly spotted Nestor walking up to her from his black Escalade. 

The Miller woman's hazel eyes slightly widened in surprise at seeing the cartel assassin as she wasn't expecting the Oceteva man to just randomly show up at her house. "Uh, hey," Victoria finally greeted the man with an awkward smile once she had locked her front door and fully faced him. "What are you doing here?" The brunette woman curiously wondered as she walked the few steps towards the brown eyed man.

Nestor gave the brunette woman a small smile as he relaxingly linked his fingers in front of his black slacks before he told Victoria, "I told you I would be seeing you soon." The Oceteva man then pointed his head over towards the black vehicle behind him before he requested as the cartel assassin liked the idea of hanging with the brunette woman, "I would like for you to join me today."

Victoria fixed the leather purse over her shoulder and placed the sketchbook in front of her white flowing tank top before she looked at Nestor with a raised eyebrow as she found it amusing and surprising that the Oceteva man wanted to hang out with her after last night. The Miller woman enjoyed their time together outside the hospital but it was the fact that they were on two different sides. "You know, we're not exactly supposed to be friends," Victoria mentioned her thought process as she walked to stand beside the man, "with you being involved with the cartel and with me being involved with the MC." The brunette woman released a small chuckle before she added, "not to mention that Angel doesn't exactly like you nor does he like me being around the cartel."

The Oceteva man leaned his side against the black vehicle behind them and crossed his arms over his black button up shirt while he watched the brunette woman in amusement. "I thought you were in control of your life?" Nestor questioned with false confusion showing across his face with his brows deeply furrowed. The cartel assassin let out a small chuckle when he saw the woman roll her hazel eyes before he told her truthfully, "I don't really care what the clingy, protective biker has to say." Nestor lightly shrugged his shoulders before he shot Victoria a dazzling smile and requested, "so, how about we forget about all that." The brunette assassin then held out his right hand as he stated, "I'm just a man and you're just a woman that find themselves together on this sunny day."

The Miller woman couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as the deadly assassin was trying to convince her to hang out with him like they were normal people and weren't actually on opposite sides of the cartel and the motorcycle club. However, the offer did sound appealing but as Victoria felt her cell phone vibrate in her purse, it reminded her that she was busy today. "I would love to be that woman but I just can't," Victoria told Nestor with a small smile as she shook her head before she explained, "I have to get to a tattoo consult."

Nestor slowly brought his hand back to his side when the brunette woman didn't agree with his plan before he swiftly came up with another one to spend time with the woman that he couldn't get out of his head. "Let me take you," the Oceteva man basically demanded as he waved his hand towards the black Escalade behind them.

Victoria rose an eyebrow at the cartel assassin as she was completely surprised that Nestor was willing to come with her just for them to hang out with each other. "Really? Are you sure?" The brunette woman inquired as she decided to humor the Oceteva man. "I mean, the place where I'm going is about an hour and a half away and it might take awhile," Victoria told Nestor so he could know what he was getting himself into. 

"I wouldn't be offering if I wasn't serious," the Oceteva man told the brunette woman before he held out his hand once more and asked with a cheeky grin playing on his lips while he also added, "so, what do you say? I'll join you and we'll just be two normal people then once you're finished, I'll take you out to do something fun and very normal - like we are."

Victoria rolled her hazel eyes and mumbled, "we are far from normal, Mr. right-hand-man-to-the cartel." The Miller woman then placed her hand into Nestor's as he continued to hold his arm out and shook his hand while he continued to stare at her with his steel but soft brown eyes before she muttered as she agreed with his plan, "alright, fine. We're just two regular people."

Nestor shot the brunette woman a grin and murmured, "good," before he swiftly pulled Victoria until they were almost chest to chest. The Oceteva man stared into Victoria's hazel eyes for a silent moment and murmured, "let's go," before he walked the brunette woman to the passenger door while still holding onto her hand. Nestor then opened up the door for the nurse before he sadly but finally released Victoria's warm hand and allowed for her to enter before he closed the door behind her.

Victoria couldn't help but silently watch Nestor as he walked around the black vehicle before he also got inside and started up the car as she kept on getting surprised by the cartel assassin. He always made her feel some type of way that the Miller woman couldn't explain. Nestor was supposed to be this dangerous man that she is supposed to be afraid of but here Victoria was, basically friends with the guy that she barely knows like it was a normal thing for her. 

"So, where do you need to go for your consult?" The Oceteva man wondered as he took a quick glance at the brunette woman next to him once he passed the, 'Leaving Santo Padre,' sign after about twenty minutes of them driving in the black Escalade in a comfortable silence - which also jumped Victoria out of her thoughts about the man beside her. 

Victoria slightly flinched at the voice as she was so lost in her mind before she gave the Oceteva man a small smile. "You just need to stay on Interstate 405 for about thirty minutes before you'll see the sign for Charming," the brunette woman directed Nestor to the place that was very familiar for her by how many times that she had been in the small town.

The Oceteva man silently nodded his head as he had passed through the small town a few times for Miguel before he merged onto the interstate and began to drive down the long stretch of road. The black Escalade stayed in a comfortable silence between the pretending normal man and woman before Nestor broke the tranquility after about twenty minutes when he glanced over to the brunette woman, who was looking through her sketchbook. "You mentioned that you've never left Santo Padre, but you're obviously familiar with this town and you said you would go to local tattoo shops around California, so have you ever traveled anywhere else?" Nestor curiously inquired as he remembered what the brunette woman had said yesterday during their game of twenty questions. 

Victoria glanced up from her page that had several tattoo designs of the drawing for her client to choose from before she closed the sketchbook and answered the Oceteva man's question with a shake of her head, "I've never actually left Cali." The Miller woman let out a humorless chuckle as she stated, "my family was poor when I was growing up, plus my parents were never home, so I never really got the chance." The Miller woman shrugged her shoulders as she was indifferent before she muttered, "I've been to just about every city in California but I've never left. It's like I'm stuck here." Victoria then quickly corrected herself with another shake of her head, "actually, that's a lie. I've been to Mexico a few times with Ange but that's about it." 

Victoria just realized how sad that it was now that she said it out loud. It never really bothered her that she was almost thirty years old and she has never even left the state that she was born in - except, of course, the times that she has gone to Mexico which was only three times. The Miller woman only cared about protecting and caring for her family, the Reyes family, not her real one, so she never really saw any reason to actually leave California. However, Victoria felt like she was missing out on the adventure of exploring and it was something that she craved.

"What was your family like?" The Oceteva man carefully questioned while also jumping the Miller woman out of her running thoughts about the missed opportunities of traveling the world like she could have done while in college. Nestor knew he could fuck up the calmness between them by bringing up her family again but he wanted to know more about the intriguing woman. 

Victoria let out a heavy sigh as she moved her hazel eyes over to the deserts that they passed while driving towards Charming before she decided to open herself up by a tad as she felt like she could trust the Oceteva man. "My mother worked the streets for a living and my father sold drugs along with other illegal things," the Miller woman quietly uttered as she left out the fact that her father used to have his business associates visit her as a teenager for a price. But that was something that she would never talk about again as long as she lived unless there was the off chance that her father came back into her life and she had to tell someone, other than Ezekiel - who knows, about the horrible things that her father had let his friends do to her. 

"So, how about you?" The Miller woman quickly inquired as she wanted to move away from this conversation about her family before the old memories could reach her brain and ruin her day off from the hospital. "You must have traveled a lot while you were in Navy," Victoria commented before she curiously wondered, "what are some of the places that you've been?" 

Nestor tapped his fingers against the black leather steering wheel as a small smile lifted onto his lips as he recalled his travels over the years while also letting the conversation go about the woman's family as he could tell that she didn't like speaking about them and Nestor wasn't going to force it out of Victoria when she finally opened up to him. "I've been to a lot of different countries while I was serving," the Oceteva man stated as he focused on the brunette woman's question. Nestor took a quick glance over to Victoria before he focused back onto the road and uttered, "but the one place that I really liked was Tahiti when we were looking for a local extremist group in Pape'ete."

"Really?" The Miller woman wondered in surprise as she wasn't picturing an island like that to one of the Oceteva man's favorite places out of his whole Navy career. "What did you like about Tahiti?" Victoria inquired as she turned her body to the side, so her back was leaning against the passenger door and so she was staring directly at Nestor as she was very interested since she's never even left the state of California - other than Mexico.

 Nestor released a small but happy sigh as he remembered the island before he explained just as the Oceteva man noticed the wooden sign that welcomed them to the small town of Charming, "I fell in love with the ocean the second I got stationed. It was always very calming during war times." The Oceteva man shot the brunette woman a small smile when he glanced over to her before he continued, "when I was growing up in Mexico, I was only used to the dark colored beaches along with the ones in Galveston when we used to visit my uncle in Texas, so seeing that clear water for the first time was an eyeopening experience for me that I always remember."

Victoria nodded her head in understanding as she knew from experience about the dull waters before she voiced her thoughts, "yeah, the beaches I've been to like in Santa Cruz and Los Angeles are usually dark, so I've never seen any clear waters like that." The Miller woman let out a small chuckle as she could only picture a response like that before she murmured, "I'd probably have the same reaction." Victoria then looked around the streets as she thought about seeing clear water for the first time before she swiftly pointed towards a familiar street sign. "Turn right," the brunette woman ordered, "you'll see the place a few feet down. You can't miss it. There'll be a big, red glowing sign."

The Oceteva man silently nodded his head as he followed the brunette woman's orders while he drove down the street before he noticed the large sign like Victoria mentioned that shined brightly through the small town of Charming. Nestor then pulled into the parking lot of the small building, where the cartel assassin noticed two old station wagons and a motorcycle. 

"Okay, so I shouldn't take too long," the Miller woman told the Oceteva man once he pulled his black Escalade to a stop in front of the door to the tattoo shop before she mumbled, "I hope." Victoria didn't want to take too much of the assassin's time as she figured that he would need to be back in Santo Padre for his duties to the Galindo cartel very soon, so she was worried that she wouldn't be able to get this over as quickly as possible. 

Nestor shook his head as he took the keys out of the ignition before he turned his attention onto the brunette woman, who was settling her large sketchbook in her right arm while she moved her shoulder purse to the side. "Take your time," the Oceteva man told Victoria as he tried to assure her that there was no need to rush, "Miguel doesn't need me today." 

The Miller woman couldn't help but release a small sigh of relief now that she knew that she didn't have to rush or worry about the leader of the Galindo cartel coming after her for keeping his head of security. Victoria then shot Nestor a thankful smile and murmured, "okay," before she took a deep breath and jumped out of the black vehicle as she focused on the reason why she was back in the small town for the first time in over four months.

The Miller woman gave the Oceteva man another smile when he opened the front door to the tattoo shop for her before she entered the dingy establishment with her professional face shining across her face like it always does when she's doing her freelance job. Victoria then glanced around the small room of the waiting area before she instantly spotted the man that she was looking for, who was lazily sitting in a folding chair with his legs crossed at his ankles while he tossed a rubber band ball in the air. 

However, before Victoria could utter his name, the man heard the bell from the front door before he noticed the familiar woman. "Hey, Tiger!" The man hollered out with a large grin before he jumped up from his seat with his combat boots slamming onto the wooden floors now that the in training tattoo artist was here.

Victoria couldn't help but chuckle at the nickname that the motorcycle club in Charming had gave her which kind of stuck since she had grown close because of her childhood days in the small town. "Hey, Tona," the Miller woman greeted the newly patched member of the Sons Of Anarchy, who she had met on multiple occasions in the last year. Damon "Daytona" Roberts had always been nice to Victoria when she was down in Charming and they always joked with each other at the club parties, so she had been happy to get the call from the Son this morning.

Daytona pulled the tiny woman into a side hug as he could see that her hands were full before the Son finally noticed the unknown man with his friend. "Who's the braids?" The brash biker interrogated with an expressionless look as he glanced at Victoria and the man that he didn't know with a tense posture. The Sons didn't like when they didn't know who was in their town and now that he was fully a patched member of the motorcycle club, he didn't want to get in trouble because he didn't take care of it.

Victoria gave Daytona an assuring smile before she glanced over to the tense Oceteva man, who was standing right behind her with the same smile on her face as she also assured Nestor that everything was okay as she didn't want guns to be blasting around when she knew that both men were packed and loaded for any trouble. "It's cool, Tona," Victoria told the biker once she was facing him again before she introduced the man, "this is Nestor and he's my friend."

The Sons member calmed down slightly now that he realized the man that he now knew as Nestor wasn't here to harm his friend nor cause any trouble with the motorcycle club or the town of Charming. However, he didn't let his guard down like he was taught but he did give the brunette woman a large grin before he wondered as he focused on the reason why he had been waiting in the tattoo shop for the last two hours, "so, are we ready to do this thing? What do you got for me?"

Victoria let out a small sigh as she glad that nothing happened between the biker and the assassin as she had totally let it slip her mind at the idea that something could happen with her showing up with someone that the Sons didn't know. It was just how the motorcycle club had been since she's known them, so Victoria was just happy that everything was mellow. The Miller woman then gave Daytona a small smile and nodded her head towards the room that she usually went to when she was in Charming.

The biker, the nurse, and the assassin then moved to the small room that had a leather table chair for the client and two rolling chairs along with a cabinet that would hold the artist's supplies. However, Victoria wouldn't need any supplies, so she grabbed one of the rolling chairs and took a seat while Daytona took the other one with Nestor just standing silently by the door. 

"Alright, so I drawn up three different designs this morning after you called," the Miller woman explained as she folded her left leg over her right knee and placed her sketchbook on her lap before she began to flip through the book for the right page that she had used to draw up the design for the biker. "I wanted to talk in person about the details, so these are just basic designs," Victoria continued as she flipped the sketchbook around so Daytona could see before she told him, "just let me know which one you like and we can start adding on to it."

The Sons member silently nodded his head as he understood before Daytona looked at each design very carefully to see which one he liked the best to be tattooed on his body. It only took about five minutes before Daytona was pointing at the middle tattoo design as he told Victoria, "this is the one."

Victoria grabbed her sketchbook and looked at the drawing that Daytona had liked before she nodded her head and murmured, mostly to herself, "I can work with that." The Miller woman then dug through her side purse and grabbed a pencil before she began to draw the middle reaper tattoo onto the next page in a larger image since she knew that Daytona wanted it on his broad shoulder. "So, how's everyone been?" Victoria curiously wondered as she continued to draw the outline of the famous tattoo of the Sons Of Anarchy.

"Oh, you know, just busy keeping the town in order," Daytona told the brunette woman with a heavy sigh as he recently learned how exhausting being a fully patched member can be instead of being just a prospect and running some errands. The Sons member decided to not go into anymore detail than that as he glanced over at the man with the braids, who was watching his every move, as he didn't know if anything would leave the room as it could be dangerous for SAMCRO. Instead, Daytona decided to mention something to the brunette woman that she would be interested in as he uttered, "Quinn mentioned that Nate was looking good and was staying out of trouble."

Victoria felt herself freeze at the mention of her brother as she held her pencil against the paper without actually moving. "Oh," the Miller woman mumbled when she felt the man behind her gently place his hand lightly onto her exposed shoulder - which helped her get over her shock. "How's he doing?" Victoria softly questioned as she focused her hazel eyes back onto her drawing of the reaper while she tried to keep her emotions out of her voice. The Miller woman missed her brother terribly but he insisted her to not show up at the prison, so the only time that she got to hear about him was when she could come to Charming or Happy would tell her.

"He's under the protection of the Sons, so he's sitting pretty cozy," Daytona lightly joked with a chuckle - which wasn't really news for the Miller woman since she knew that her brother had been under the protection of the motorcycle club since Nathan and she were close friends with Jax Teller when they were younger along with the fact that the deceased president of SAMCRO had visited her personally and told her that Nathan would be safe. "Quinn was in Stockton last month for some recon on an associate and he was in Nate's block," Daytona began to explain once he saw a small smile playing on Victoria's lips at his small joke before he told her, "he hasn't gotten in any trouble lately like he did a couple months ago in January when the Morgana brothers tried to jump him." 

Victoria silently nodded her head and finished up the last line on the reaper as she absorbed the information about her brother. The brunette woman was happy that Nathan wasn't getting in trouble at the moment as she didn't want him have to stay in prison any longer than he needed. She didn't even know when Nathan was supposed to be released from prison since he never told her but Victoria figured it would be for the best if her brother stayed on the straight edge path. "Is he still getting food and other stuff that he needs?" The Miller woman wondered as she looked across at Daytona. Victoria had been sending her brother money ever since he told her to not come to the prison in fear that their father would find out during the first couple months of his sentence, so it was only the way Victoria could help out when her brother was in prison because of her.

Daytona nodded his head as he gave the brunette woman a small, assuring smile. "He has everything he needs thanks to all that cash you send him," the Sons member told Victoria before he added as he knew it would brighten up her mood, "Nate is always telling us when we talk to tell you thanks for the money and that he misses you." Daytona hadn't been with the MC for that long, probably less than two years, but he had known everything about Victoria and her brother's situation from Happy, who he had been sponsored for as a prospect, so Daytona knew just how much Nathan meant to Victoria and vice versa.

A large grin immediately lifted onto the Miller woman's lips as that was the best news that she has heard in awhile. Victoria felt like she barely gets to contact her brother, unless the Sons tell him personally, since Nathan didn't want her sending mail or coming to see him as he felt like it was dangerous for her. So, these small moments from the Sons always made Victoria feel better about the fact that her brother was locked up. "Thank you," Victoria honestly praised as she gave the biker a small smile to show her gratitude before she swiftly cleared her throat and focused back on her work. "So, what did you want to be added on your tattoo design?" The Miller woman inquired once she was all finished with the basic outline of the reaper that Daytona had picked. 

Daytona looked down at the large image that he liked before he explained what he wanted on his tattoo, "I wanna do a full moon behind the reaper with some creepy ass woods surrounding it and you know, with a lot more blood." The Sons biker shrugged his shoulders, which caused his leather kutte to rub against his sticky and hot skin, before he told Victoria, "you can go all out with that scary shit but keep the original reaper intact."

Victoria nodded her head as she listed the details in her brain before she asked the biker with a small smirk, "so you want the Tacoma Killer package?" It was a running joke between the Miller woman and the Sons, who she has done work for, that anything that is creepy or evil looking that it is the Tacoma Killer package since Happy taught her all the designs for dark tattoos like the one Daytona was asking for.

The Sons member let out a heavy and deep chuckle as he knew what Victoria meant by that before he muttered, "exactly." Daytona then shot the brunette woman a wide grin as he told her while he leaned back in his leather chair as he trusted Victoria with his tattoo, "just work your magic, Tiger."

The Miller woman shook her head with a chuckle before she uttered, "you got it, Tona." Victoria then turned her attention back onto her sketchbook, where she instantly felt Nestor's hot breath on her exposed neck, before she began to add a large full moon and dark smoke right behind the reaper's scythe that was also part M-16. It took Victoria about ten minutes of making sure the moon was perfect before she moved onto the creepy forest that would surround the reaper, his weapon, and the crystal ball that has the Sons Of Anarchy logo inside. 

"Wow," the Oceteva man whispered against the Miller woman's ear as he had been silently watching her work as if she was in her element that wasn't around babies and children. "You have a nice eye for detail," Nestor continued to whisper as he watched at how smoothly Victoria's hand worked as she drew the biker's tattoo.

"Tiger has talent," the Sons biker exclaimed as he watched his friend draw his tattoo while also keeping an eye on the guy with braids. "You should see her when she's drunk," Daytona continued with a smirk lifting onto his lips as he recalled one of the parties at the clubhouse, "she gave a perfect tattoo with a steady hand and knocked out some crow eater within an hour."

Victoria's cheeks immediately turned bright red as Daytona mentioned one of the times that she let her temper get the better of her around the Sons. She had been giving Happy a tattoo and she had to sit on his lap to reach his chest but one of the crow eater had gotten jealous of her and started calling her names. Victoria was tipsy almost drunk by the time that she finished the tattoo and the woman had kept on egging her on, so Victoria just ended up punching her in her nose which ultimately knocked her out and got her the Silent Killer nickname. The Miller woman was so embarrassed that she did that when she was a pediatric nurse and not some teenager hanging with her brother, Jax, and Opie - she was supposed to be more mature now.  

"Oh, really?" Nestor questioned with amusement shining through his brown eyes as he glanced between the biker and the nurse. "You some kind of secret badass?" The Oceteva man wondered with a hint of teasing in his voice as he enjoyed that he was learning more things about Victoria that she would never say out loud. 

"Tiger is definitely a badass once you get to know her better," Daytona spoke directly to the man with braids or Nestor before he shot Victoria a wink. "I've heard so many stories of her fighting and getting in trouble with Charming PD with our old president when she was fifteen," the Sons member mentioned as he recalled all of the stories that his current president had talked about during one of club's parties, where Daytona learned that Victoria had been involved with his motorcycle club since she was a kid. Daytona learned that the brunette woman was two years younger than her brother, Jax, and Opie - who were all best friends. It had been a surprise to Daytona, but he could see it by how the nurse acted around the Sons. 

"Shut up, you ass. You know I hate when you guys talk about my criminal days," Victoria exclaimed as she shot Daytona a playful glare that didn't hold anything behind it before she glanced behind her and over to Nestor. The Miller woman then lightly shrugged her shoulders before she told him honestly, "he's not lying, though." Victoria chuckled as Nestor shot her an amused grin before she turned her attention back onto Daytona as she curiously wondered as she just realized that it should be her tattooed covered friend doing the Sons tattoo, "so, why didn't you just have Happy draw and do your tat?"

Daytona shook his head as that wasn't a possibility for him before he explained why the resident tattoo artist of the Sons Of Anarchy hadn't done his tattoo, "the Prez said he was in Tacoma for the week." The biker then let out a deep chuckle before he mentioned as he remembered the threats the Lowman biker had made when he said he would go find an artist on his own, "and Happy told us to call you if we ever need any work done while he's gone."

Victoria couldn't help but widen her hazel eyes in surprise that Happy had told the club that as she never really thought that she was that good at drawing up tattoos. It had always been just a hobby for her and for her alone but when Angel found out about it and he had her do one of his and then Happy found out, she just sorta started doing tattoos. However, Victoria just never thought that they were that good but everyone is always telling her differently.

"And you say you aren't that good," the Oceteva man muttered with a smirk as he leaned his body against the counter and placed his right hand on the back of Victoria's leather chair, which caused his warm skin to graze the Miller woman's exposed shoulder from her tank top. Nestor remembered Victoria saying that she wouldn't give him a tattoo since she didn't think that it would be good enough but that was definitely a lie in the Oceteva man's book by the work that he had seen already.

"Don't listen to her," Daytona exclaimed with a roll of his blue eyes before he continued, "she does this shit all the time but she is actually talented." The Sons biker had heard so many times over the two years that he has known Victoria that she doesn't like to take credit for her work - which always turns out amazing. "Anyways," Daytona muttered as he focused back onto the annoyed looking Victoria before he told her with a chuckle, "it's either Happy or your designs for the club or Happy said he'd cut off our balls."

The Miller woman rolled her hazel eyes as she could picture her tattooed friend saying this to the Sons before she stated with a shake of her head, "that's definitely Hap for you." Victoria didn't find it the least bit surprising that the Lowman biker had threatened his fellow brothers about not letting anyone tattoo them except for him since Happy takes great pride in his artistry. However, the surprising part of his threat is that Happy trusted her enough to draw up and sometimes even tattoo his fellow bikers. It made Victoria swell up with her own pride that Happy believed in her craft like that. It gave her the courage to work up to tattooing more people - maybe even Nestor someday.

The small room in the tattoo shop slowly grew silent after the Miller woman's statement as Victoria focused her attention solely back onto the tattoo design while the biker and the assassin watched her every move as if they were in a trance. Victoria worked on the final details of Daytona's tattoo which consisted of the trees that would be surrounding the reaper for about ten more minutes before she added some smoke and detailed blood to add in that creep factor. 

"Alright," Victoria muttered after about another fifteen minutes of drawing, erasing, and shading as she wanted to make sure the design was perfect for the Sons member and her friend before she flipped her sketchbook around with a small sigh and handed it over to Daytona as she told him, "let me know what you think." 

Daytona stared down at the image for a few seconds before a grin instantly lifted up onto his lips as he loved what he was seeing. "It's sick, Tiger," the Sons biker complimented the artwork before he told Victoria, "it's exactly what I was thinking." Daytona then swiftly stood up from his seat and reached in the pocket of his kutte before he pulled out a wad of cash. "This should cover it," the Sons member told the Miller woman before he handed her the money.

"Oh, no, no," Victoria instantly exclaimed as she stared at the money in the palm of her hand. "This is way over the amount I charge you guys," the Miller woman told Daytona as she only charges the Sons two-hundred for any consult that she does for them. The money that Daytona gave her had to be at least five-hundred to seven-hundred dollars.

Daytona shook his head with a smirk before he told Victoria, "the deal is final." The Sons biker then quickly walked out of the small room and back to the main part of the tattoo shop as he knew the Miller woman would just continue to hand back the money that she didn't charge for. Happy had taught him that trick awhile ago as Victoria didn't like accepting the money but it had been going on for years - ever since Nathan was put in prison. 

The Miller woman let out a loud groan once she was left alone with just Nestor as the Sons always end up doing stuff like this all the time for her. She hated it because she liked to earn her own money and do things herself but she did not deserve all the money that she was just handed just for an hour of artwork. It was an argument that she has had with almost all of the Sons Of Anarchy but, sadly, she never ever wins and always ends up accepting their charity.

Nestor watched the brunette woman in amusement before he straightened up his back and twirled her chair around, so she was facing him. The Oceteva man twitched his head to the side before he wondered something that was on his mind since he realized Victoria's client was apart of a motorcycle club, "do you just attract bikers or are you a death magnet?"

Victoria let out a small chuckle as she shook her head at the Oceteva man. "No, I'm not a death magnet," the Miller woman stated before she released a small detail about her childhood, "my brother, Nathan, used to come up here and he befriended the son of the president of the Sons. Nathan ended up bringing me with him a few times and me, Nathan, Jax, and Opie ended up becoming very close friends, so I've always been around the MC life ever since I was thirteen and they were fifteen." Victoria then let out a chuckle before she stated, "it was just a big coincidence that Angel ended up in a MC and I ended up being involved with another club."

The Oceteva man shook his head with a chuckle as he stared down at the brunette woman before he grabbed ahold of her hand and pulled her out of the leather chair. "I still think you're a death magnet," Nestor commented with a smirk before he tossed his arm over Victoria's bare shoulder and pulled her out of the small room when he heard the biker call out something to them that Nestor wasn't really focused on. 

"You aren't going to try to hand the money back, are you?" Daytona questioned with a raised eyebrow once he watched his friend and the man with the braids walk out into the waiting room while he sat on top of the empty receptionist desk that was rarely ever used. 

Victoria rolled her hazel eyes as she mumbled, "no." The Miller woman may not like that she was basically a charity case because of her friendship with the deceased Jax and the fact that she and Nathan were basically family with the Sons Of Anarchy, but she would never turn them down. Yeah, she didn't see them as much as she used to when she was younger like she does with the Reyes boys and Mayans but the Sons have always been good to her, so she would never say no to them when they just wanted to help her out.

"Good," Daytona exclaimed with a wide grin before he jumped off of the tall, red desk and stood in front of the short, brunette woman. "Thank you for coming out all this way for me," the Sons biker truthfully praised with a small smile playing on his lips before he pulled his friend into a tight hug to show his gratitude.

Victoria hugged her friend back just as tightly like she always does with Daytona before she pulled away and lightly waved the hand that wasn't holding her sketchbook, after she handed over the reaper drawing, and stated, "don't mention it. I'll always come out for you guys." The Sons would always be her second home after the Reyes family, so she would do whatever she could for them. The Miller woman then gave her friend a small smile after a moment and told him, "I'll see you around, Tona," before she and Nestor exited out of the tattoo shop.

The Miller woman released a small sigh once she felt the hot sun on her exposed skin before she glanced over to the Oceteva man, who was watching her with a small smile, and told him, "since we're finished here, we can go wherever you wanted to like you mentioned earlier." Victoria gave Nestor a small smirk as she mentioned, "I heard something about a fun and normal -"

However, before Victoria could finish her sentence about the promise that Nestor had made back at her home in Santo Padre about doing something fun after her tattoo consult as normal people and not the people that they were, who are involved with a motorcycle club and a cartel, the Miller woman was interrupted by someone. The voice that Victoria heard was from an extremely familiar and home-like person that she had always saw as her uncle when the person asked from down the sidewalk, "were you just gonna come into town without saying anything, Lassie?"

[thebachelordiaries]

‘Real eyes...Real Lies:’ The Bachelor Hometowns Recap

Hi, this delayed blog post has big “walking into class 30 minutes late with my Starbucks giving zero fcks” energy. 

Aside from night one, the hometown date is my favorite episode to watch each season. I like seeing where these girls are from and how they grew up. Too bad all of them live in LA now and Tayshia and Cassie are actually from Southern California. The DIVERSITY!

Can we talk about Colton’s strange desire to ask every girl’s father permission to marry their daughter? Firstly, bold move, sir. Secondly, I don’t know if we’ve seen other guys on the show ask every father. Hell, Ben Higgins didn’t even ask Lauren Bushnell’s father for his permission and he knew he was picking her by week three.

But still, the episode had its entertaining parts.

Federicksburg, Virginia

Surprise, Miss North Carolina is actually from Virginia. And she also recently moved to LA, so go ahead and wrap your head around that. I’ve been to Raleigh twice five years ago. Can I be Miss North Carolina? 

Caelynn is really from Federicksburg, suburb of Washington, D.C. The town is known for its colonial and Civil War history, according to Google.

Smile, you’re on camera auditioning to be The Bachelorette.

The only endearing part of this date was Caelynn’s dad, John. Caelynn’s birth dad has never been in her life and John essentially became her dad at age four. Bless this man. 

Seeing John love Caelynn like his own daughter just really warmed my heart, and showed that there’s some men out there with pure souls....I mean there’s not a lot of them....but John proves that *SOME* exist.

After meeting her parents, Caelynn revealed to Colton that she’s in love with him while simultaneously checking off one item on her “How to become The Bachelorette” checklist. 

Things seem to be going perfectly to plan for Caelynn. Well, except for cursing like a pirate and calling Tayshia a “stupid b*tch” last episode. But Miss America First Runner Up doesn’t give up that quickly.

Birmingham, Alabama

“We’re in Birmingham, Alabama right now and I’m freaking out” - Hannah B.

Me too, Hannah. I’m not even literally there, but I’m still scared to see what the “South is all about.” Colton seemed concerned too.  

Hannah took him to an “etiquette class” where he learned how to walk with a book balancing on his head and how to properly eat a roll.

As Colton attempted to eat the roll, the etiquette women stopped him with a “Bless your heart,” which in the south means “You f*cking moron, what are you doing?” In New York we say, “Are you deadass rich now?” (I don’t say this, but I imagine some do.)

The etiquette lady then showed Colton, and the world, how we’ve been eating rolls wrong our entire lives. Are you ready to be mind fcked?

How to eat a roll like a lady:

Tear off a teeny, tiny piece of bread

Butter the small piece and put it in your mouth

Repeat this process until there is no more bread

In theory, I feel like you would actually consume more butter this way, which isn’t good for a lady’s figure, but I digress.

Then we get to meet Hannah’s friends and family.

Hannah G. is 23 and and has four friends who are all married. If I were her, I’d move to Los Angeles too.

Upon meeting Hannah’s parents, I immediately realized I am obsessed with her mom. This woman never left the ‘90s and kind of looks like Allison Janney in “I, Tonya.” In short: she’s iconic.

Those glasses are fire. I’m getting a similar pair soon.

Hannah seemed very convinced that she is going to get engaged to Colton. All we’ve really seen from Hannah on this show is that she doesn’t talk much and likes to make out with The Bachelor. I don’t doubt that she’s ready to get married, though. She is from Alabama after all.

I really like Hannah G. She is gorgeous but seems like she doesn’t let that affect her personality (I feel like a big part of Cassie’s personality is her looks), and seems like she would be friends with anyone, not just beautiful Instagram models. She truly deserves the best. Is “the best” Colton. Um....not sure. But if she wants him, girl go ahead.

Somewhere In Southern California (pt. 1)

Similar to “What came first? The chicken or the egg?” Do you think Tayshia is a thrill seeker or is she just pretending to be one for the show?

I mean the only thing that can top her and Colton’s bungee jumping date in Singapore is to go skydiving. It only makes sense. So guess what? They went skydiving. 

Poor Colton. I don’t think he’s even a fan of heights.

Tayshia warned Colton several times that her father is very “protective” of her. And, well, I expected more as he did give his blessing (after first saying “no,” but then changing his mind.) He seemed almost too reasonable. I was hoping for someone a little angrier. Someone like Matt Randolph.....

Somewhere In Southern California (pt. 2)

I’ve definitely said this before, but Cassie is the biggest Cali girl to ever be in this franchise. She lives in Huntington Beach and I doin’t expect her to ever leave. What’s it like to have no desire to leave your hometown? Can’t relate.

Cassie kept her “Cali girl” theme and took Colton surfing. For a former professional athlete, he wasn’t very athletic out in the water. He was much more impressive as a bench warmer in the NFL.

Upon entering Cassie’s home, we were greeted with several high-pitch squeals by about six blonde medically-enhanced women related to Cassie. Cassie’s dad seemed annoyed by how handsy Colton was with his daughter, who attended the BIBLE INSTITUTE of Los Angeles. I still can’t believe Cassie is that religious.

“I don’t know him, but he seemed like a....guy” - Matt Randolph with the quote of the season.

So I think I’m obsessed with Cassie’s sister. I have a strong feeling that I’m not alone in this. She has an actor boyfriend and has done modeling/small acting roles in the past. She was very pretty on “Young Once,” but now she is just so gorgeous that it doesn’t seem human. Shout out to well-done botox and fillers.

Colton was very transparent about his feelings for Cassie, and she was like “lol idk fam,” essentially giving him ZERO validation.

Anyway, nobody thinks Cassie is ready for marriage.

Other girls: Cassie isn’t ready.

Cassie’s family: Cassie isn’t ready

Colton: Are you ready?

Cassie, knowing she’s not ready: I’m ready and I’m really offended that you would think I’m not!

This seems like it will end well!

Rose Ceremony

Something interesting happened here. After Colton gave the first two roses to Tayshia and Hannah G, just Cassie and Caelynn remained. Once Cassie got the last rose, Caelynn looked to her and said “get engaged.”

This chick really thought she was competing to win another beauty pageant. I know there are mixed opinions on Caelynn, but I’m here to say she is one of the fakest contestants in recently memory. Her crying on the Women Tell All was incredibly fake and was a last-ditch attempt to become The Bachelorette. But the gag is her beauty queen enemy Hannah B. is now Bachelorette. And that folks, is how I know karma is real.

All I gotta say is Real eyes* realize Real lies**.

*Bachelor producers

**fake bitches when they see ‘em.

[a-walk-in-silence]

Summertime Melodies

Pairing: Peter Parker x college!fem!reader

Word Count: 1,478

Summary: Peter and the reader were friends their last year of high school but were split apart when you traveled to California for college. However, since it is summer, you’ve decided to head back home to Queens to surprise her friend in all of the things she’s learned.

Genre: Fluff, fluff, all the fluff.

Warnings: Barely edited so there’s probably a few mistakes, to dang much fluff, musical references ‘cuz I’m a major musical nerd so honestly? I’m sorry but also not so lol

Prompt: “I didn’t know you could sing like that”

A/N: This is for @madmadmilk and her 5k summer celebration writing event! Any criticism is appreciated but only constructive stuff, got it? Got it. Okay, moving on!

Song Links:

All That Matters

Sylvia’s Lullaby

Key:

Y/N - Your Name

L/N - Last Name

Y/N/N - Your Nickname

After leaving for college, you had to admit, you missed your friends like crazy. Peter and Ned and MJ, even Liz (although you two did have a small quarrel sophomore year over the notorious Peter Parker). However, you were exhilarated to finally get to come home for summer and leave your performing arts college.

Considering how you wanted to keep this trip a surprise, you only told your mother and May Parker. You wanted to make sure that Peter, seeing as how he became your best friend in your senior year of high school, would be completely unaware of the fact that you were coming home. So, to do this, you had to tell Aunt May so that she could make sure to keep him busy throughout the day.

And thus, you were now sitting on a crowded airplane at LAX, ready to take off and head to Queens, armed only with two suitcases and a carry-on bag. Most of your possessions would be staying in Los Angeles, but you made sure you had enough to get you through these next four weeks.

While up in the air, you messaged Peter over Facebook.

Y/N L/N: Peterrrrrrr :(

Peter Parker: Hey Y/N/N, what’s up?

Y/N L/N: Are you sure you can’t come visit me in LA? Your promised :(

Peter Parker: I’m sorry... May and I don’t have the money and I don’t want to ask Mr. Stark to send me all the way to Cali

Y/N L/N: Ughhhhh but you didn’t even show up for my performance! You missed seeing me as Sylvia in Finding Neverland!

Peter Parker: I’m sorry! I tried to make it Y/N/N! I swear!

Peter Parker: But in all fairness, you never sent me that video recording that you promised

Y/N L/N: The files too big! You’ll need to watch it in person, like on my laptop or sth

Y/N L/N: Well, I guess there’s always next performance... so much for a best friend :(

Peter Parker: I’m sorry...

Y/N L/N: Whatever, I gtg so I’ll message you later, ok Spider-Boy?

Peter Parker: Okay, see you later!

Peter Parker: Also stop calling me Spider-Boy! The spider stuff is supposed to be a secret!

You laughed at his last minute remark before you put your phone away and took out your iPod, choosing to listen to music to pass the time until you landed in New York.

Once you were off the plane, your quickly found your mom waiting for you by the luggage claim area. The two of you ran over and hugged each other tightly.

“I’ve missed you my darling angel!” your mother shouted, drawing attention to the two of you. “Look at my little muffin! You’ve grown so much since I’ve seen you!”

“Mom!” you shouted, cheeks burning bright red. You quickly pushed her away before going to collect your luggage. You glanced down at your phone to see that you missed several text messages from Peter’s aunt.

May: I’ve got Peter running errands!

May: When do you land?

May: Where are we meeting again?

May: Are you on the plane? Is that why you’re not answering?

May: Hmm... maybe I should text your mother...

May: Why am I still texting you?

May: So any way, Peter and I are heading out to a restaurant in the Bronx, I’ll text your mom the info!

You rolled your eyes, smiling at how excited May was to have you back home, so much so that she still continued to spam your phone despite the fact that you were clearly on a plane. Deciding it was best to answer her, you did so.

Y/N: Hey! I’m on my way there now! Just gotta grab my luggage and head out!

Before you could even turn the screen off, you got a response from May.

May: Hurry! Peter’s starting to get suspicious of why we’re just sitting at a restaurant, waiting to order

Y/N: OMW!

You turned to your mother, who happened to grab your suitcases for you. “Hey, May’s freaking out, we gotta head to that restaurant.”

“Sounds about right. Let’s get going.”

The two of you pulled up to the restaurant. The moment your mother parked, you practically jumped out of the car, barging straight into the restaurant. Your eyes landed on Aunt May who was motioning with her eyes for you to come over. Peter, meanwhile, had his back to you.

You silently walked over to the table, trying your hardest to not make a sound. However, you didn’t pause to think about the fact that Peter had his spidey-senses (as you affectionately referred to them as), which caused him to literally jump out of the booth and turn to look at you.

“Y/N?” His voice was filled with shock as he took you in. Suddenly, you were pulled into his arms in a very tight hug. “You’re here! You’re here! I can’t believe you’re actually- wait!” He pushed you away, suddenly glaring. “You were making me feel bad for not visiting knowing that you would see me! You’re mean!”

You giggled softly, reaching out to ruffle his curly brown curls. However, he leaned away, pouting at you. “Peter, I had to! I couldn’t let you know I was visiting!”

He huffed before sitting down. He motioned for you to join him. “Fine, but I won’t forgive you until I get to see that recording of you performing.”

“Deal.” You smiled brightly at him before joining him in the booth to order food.

“I didn’t know you could sing like that,” Peter said in amazement, watching your performance on his laptop. You giggled, causing him to look up from the screen. “No, I mean it. You sound amazing! Why weren’t you in any of the school plays at Midtown? You would have surely been the lead with those vocals!”

You simply shrugged, pausing the performance so the two of you could talk. “I was shy. It took getting accepted into this crazy school in LA to actually open up about singing in public. And then I was cast as the lead in Finding Neverland and I just... That’s why I wanted you to come visit me, you big ol’ nerd.”

Peter smiled up at you. “You should sing right now.”

His request gave you pause. You never really performed one-on-one unless it was an audition, and even then, auditions usually had a few other people involved. “I’m sorry?”

“Please?” he begged, his brown eyes getting big and his mouth forming a small little pout. “I want to hear you perform in person.”

“What would I even sing?” you asked, watching as his face contorted into his silly little thinking face.

A light bulb must have gone off in his head as he turned his attention back to the computer that had the professional recording of your musical on it. “The song you were just singing. What was it called?”

“Sylvia’s Lullaby? All That Matters? Which one? They do happen back to back, ya know.” Once again, he started thinking, hard. You laughed, causing him to lose concentration. He gave you a questioning stare, causing your cheeks to burn up. “Your face gets all cute when you’re thinking.”

It was now Peter’s turn to turn bright red, his eyes turning away from your face. “Y-You should... u-um... All That Matters. Yep, that sounds... um, pretty good.”

You subconsciously leaned closer to Peter, brushing a curly strand from his face. “Yeah... okay...” you mumbled, watching as he turned to look at you.

Before you knew it, he had a hand cupping your face, rubbing his thumb along your cheekbone. “Hey Y/N?” he asked softly, staring into your eyes.

“Hmm?” you hummed, your eyes never leaving his.

“C-Can I, um... ya know... I just think that maybe, um... maybe we could... kiss?”

You laughed as he stuttered over his words before nodding. “Yeah, I think that would be nice.”

A huge smile broke out over his features before he captured your lips with his own in a sweet and indulgent kiss. However, it was over much to soon for the both of you.

Before he could pull away entirely, you pecked him on the cheek before pulling back completely to start the video again. You cuddled up into his side, smiling up at him. “You know, I’m starting to think coming back for the summer was a smart idea.”

He laughed at you and kissed the top of your head. “You should sing for me.”

“I’ll sing for you every day if that’s what you want.”

He hummed in response before once again focusing his attention on your show that was playing on the laptop. You sighed happily to yourself, imagining all the summertime melodies you would perform for him.

Tags:

@starksparker @madmadmilk @thedaydreamingwriter

[dfhvn]

A Day In LA With Deafheaven // Stereogum

Loud Love : A Day In LA With Deafheaven The California screamers open up about real life, baby ducks, and 'Ordinary Corrupt Human Love'

Full article by Larry Fitzmaurice via Stereogum

Everyone has to grow up eventually — even ducklings. “Look, dude — the baby ducklings!” Deafheaven guitarist Kerry McCoy stops as we’re mid-conversation, pointing out a plump of web-footed friends on a small rolling pitch alongside the walking path of Los Angeles’ Echo Park.

“I know! They’re getting big,” the band’s howling lead singer George Clarke marvels, as the two stop to briefly ponder the not-quite-grown, no-longer-young fowl squatting and waddling on the grass.

“I saw them the other day, too,” says McCoy.

“They were more yellow before,” Clarke explains with a level of attentiveness that would make one think he raised the ducklings himself.

I’m here to observe what Clarke describes to me as “what a normal day for us is like,” as Deafheaven luxuriate in the relative calm before the busyness of touring and promo that will accompany the release of their fourth album, Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (out July 13 via ANTI-). These days, Clarke and McCoy are sticklers for routine — and as they recount their regular goings-on to me, it’s slightly adorable that these longtime friends’ day-to-day approach bears close similarity: wake up around 7 in the morning, hit the gym, run some errands, meet up in the park for a bit, and watch a movie or an episode of Billions before crashing out. Both spend part of their day caring for others: Clarke for his grandfather who currently lives with him, and McCoy for a few persistently hungry cats. “I have to stay out until 6 or 7 PM, otherwise they meow until they get food,” he mock-complains with a grin.

Earlier in the day, Clarke and I hit up the Echo Lake outpost of crunchy Cali natural-food chain Lessen’s, as he dumps a variety of salad-bar ingredients — corn, beets, kale, shredded cabbage and peppers, and a heaping helping of steamed veggies, if you’re looking to take on the Deafheaven Diet — into a container. We walk over to the sprawling Echo Park and Clarke unfurls a sizable blanket, festooned with the album art for the band’s 2013 star-making LP Sunbather, before stripping to a white tank-top and laying out belly-down to nosh while we chat about the latest mixtape from Oakland rapper All Black. McCoy joins us soon after along with former member Stephen Clark, who stoically sips from a bottle of water and sucks down a few cigs while the trio are quite literally sunbathing under the LA rays.

All it takes is one listen to Ordinary Corrupt Human Love to deduct that this period of respite is well-earned. Since their alluring 2011 debut Roads To Judah, the band’s dark-arts alchemy of death metal’s frigid rush, shoegaze’s impressionistic swarm, and the emotional catharsis of post-rock has somehow only grown more epic with every release. That’s even more true with their latest record, which at times recalls Mellon Collie-era Smashing Pumpkins and Sunny Day Real Estate’s Diary in its ultra-bright melodic sweep. There are female vocals present, courtesy of West Coast occult-rocker Chelsea Wolfe — as well as actual singing, as Clarke shows off a deeper vocal register beyond his signature burned-out bark.

The personal boundary-pushing and overall prettiness of Ordinary Corrupt Human Love doesn’t so much suggest a newer, shinier Deafheaven as it does a natural progression (or a full realization, even) of the genre-blending hard rock sound they’ve spent most of the decade refining. As tempting as it might be to refer to the album as Deafheaven’s “mature” turn, there’s still a youthful passion that courses through it like a lit match dropped into dry brush — but that doesn’t mean the quintet haven’t gone through some serious personal changes in the interim between 2015’s New Bermuda and now (which marks, to date, the longest gap between Deafheaven records).

“We were 24 when Sunbather came out,” Clarke reflects while discussing the intense emotions and personal strain the band’s been through since that record’s release. “We were still sleeping on floors when we were home, but the rest of the time we were on tour with idle hands and free cash.” He pauses for a second and chuckles ruefully. “Some people are smart — but we decided not to be.”

Before their current residence in LA (Clarke and McCoy have lived in the city for about four years now) and Deafheaven’s teeth-cutting Bay Area days, the pair spent their adolescence scrapping about in the central California suburbs of Modesto. “It was normal,” McCoy describes their respective upbringings, “but it’s all relative. I’m sure Bill Gates’ kids have seen some shit, too.” But he’s quick to note that the relative mundanity of their upbringing also made for a normalization of the intolerance the young punks experienced growing up, too: “I’d just accepted that the way the world went was seeing a giant truck with a Confederate flag drive by, calling me a fag.” (In the middle of this parkside recollection, Clarke interrupts to point out something decidedly not normal: a shirtless pedestrian sporting a full-chest Monster energy drink tattoo. “Check out how lit this tattoo is,” he giggles, as we briefly debate its authenticity.)

When he was 15, McCoy’s father took him to a protest against the Iraq War, and he wore a white armband to school afterwards, which resulted in him getting “destroyed” by his classmates. “We recently went to the March For Our Lives,” Clarke mentions, “and I think it’s really cool that kids these days — even if they’re not 100% informed on stuff — are really making an effort to be. Comparatively, there was no one [in high school] thinking about anything else other than the direct narrative you were given in this small town.”

Music had been in both of their lives from an early age — McCoy’s father once worked as a music journalist, and some of Clarke’s earliest memories include leafing through CD booklets with his mother — and the outsider feeling both of them shared only further deepened their sonic interests. “When you’re living in the Central Valley and you’re into ‘alternative’ things, it forces you further into the hole you’re digging for yourself,” Clarke explains. “You’re already a loser with acne, and now you’re painting your nails for a Misfits show,” McCoy follows up with a chuckle. His first band was a punky high school outfit called The Confused, which self-distributed a CD called What The Hell that everyone in his social circle thought “sucked.” Clarke’s inaugural musical foray was in a band called Fear And Faith Alike that, in his words, “was very 2002 metalcore.”

CREDIT: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

Clarke and McCoy first became friends when the latter saw “this fool” (Clarke) sitting outside in the rain during high school, decked out in fishnet arm sleeves, a Slayer T-shirt, and a white backpack covered with pentagrams and band names scrawled in Bic. They stayed close as the former bounced around high schools, returning to Modesto after barely graduating in San Jose; after a few failed attempts at forming post-high school bands, the two formed Deafheaven in 2009 after McCoy joined Clarke to share a $500/month apartment in the Upper Haight area of San Francisco.

Deafheaven began as a pretty much anonymous project, to the point where the pair created a Facebook page for the band that essentially positioned it as a one-man act. “We didn’t tell anyone we grew up with about it,” Clarke explains. “We knew if we told people it was us, everyone would be like ‘Fuck off.'” In 2010, they recorded a demo with Bay Area producer Jack Shirley for the cost of $500, a sum which Clarke and McCoy (who were scrambling to even make monthly rent) struggled to pay back for six months.

“This man’s patience is endless,” Clarke speaks admirably about Shirley, whom McCoy refers to as “the Ian McKaye of the West Coast” and “like a straight-edge Marine”; he’s produced every Deafheaven record since. “They were broke beyond broke,” recalls Shirley, whose work with Deafheaven has led him to record acts like Wolves In The Throne Room and Jeff Rosenstock. “It wasn’t a huge deal, though. I try to be patient in those situations, and I’m glad I didn’t [let money get in the way], because it would’ve severed my ties with a band that I have a great relationship with now.”

After the demo made the rounds online, Deafheaven expanded to a full-band lineup and signed to Converge frontman Jacob Bannon’s Deathwish Inc. label, who released Roads To Judah and Sunbather — the latter of which received a profile-raising critical response that metal and “heavy” music in general typically doesn’t enjoy. “We went from a band that nobody really gave a fuck about, to … not the world’s biggest band, but a thing!” McCoy exclaims. “I had an apartment, I moved to LA, I got a girlfriend — life got kind of big.”

The success Deafheaven enjoyed following Sunbather’s release was, for a band on their level, a bit dizzying. Their fanbase spanned kindred spirits like Mono and Explosions In The Sky to rapper Danny Brown and Third Eye Blind’s Stephan Jenkins. On the other hand, the band found themselves unwittingly receiving the indie-TMZ treatment after a Swedish blogger spotted them hanging out at the VIP area of Gothenburg’s Way Out West festival with a Sub Pop representative (full disclosure: I was also present for said hang), ginning up a post shortly after speculating about the band’s potential next career moves — a surprise to the folks back at Deathwish. “I felt so bad,” Clarke says in a tone of sincerity about the accidental reveal.

CREDIT: Gari Askew II / Stereogum

Combined with the extensive post-Sunbather touring schedule, the increased attention on Deafheaven — as well as the pressures of writing and recording the band’s next album, which they’d committed to within a tight time frame under new label home ANTI- — was starting to take its toll on everyone involved. “All this touring and great stuff was fun and exciting, but it blows up your personality with regards to things you have when you become middle-class,” McCoy states. “And you have habits that blow up with that.”

As work on New Bermuda progressed, the pressure of following up their big breakthrough began to wear on the band — hard. Shirley states that, as a “habitually sober” person, he didn’t witness any dysfunction in the recording studio; but McCoy describes the ways in which Deafheaven’s members dealt with the situation as “unhealthy,” and he and Clarke started to literally lose sleep over the prospect of what would come next. “I’d wake up in the middle of the night thinking that everyone was mad at me because the record sucked,” says McCoy, “and we’d all have to go back to Whole Foods — everyone was laughing at us.”

Various substances were on-hand and frequently present during this time — a product of bad habits never dropped and exacerbated by the party-hardy temporary lifestyle that touring afforded. “You’d be like, ‘Well, I gotta be in the practice space for five hours today — better bring two 40’s,'” Clarke remembers. “When you’re touring for five years, your body degrades,” explains guitarist Shiv Mehra, who joined the band along with drummer Daniel Tracy while Sunbather was being recorded. “Drinking doesn’t help.”

Clarke recalls a show in Sao Paulo on the band’s first South American tour supporting New Bermuda as a colliding point for the band’s substance use and personal strain. “It should’ve been insane,” he recalls with a touch of regret, “But everyone was backstage burnt that the booze wasn’t there yet.”

“We were all just sitting there staring at our phones, waiting for whoever — or whatever — to show up,” McCoy adds. “Our entire world wants to come backstage and be the guy to hang out with you, and they know there’s a certain way to do that.”

“We were all still bothered by each other from touring,” Clark, who possesses a quiet yet thoughtful demeanor, states. “We didn’t have any time off from each other for years.” Following New Bermuda’s tour cycle — a period of time he says “quite literally ruined his life” — he chose to leave the band and was replaced by current bassist Chris Johnson, but still remains close with everyone.

“I didn’t handle having money well,” Clark asserts with straightforward conviction. “It was so easy to party, and I was never much of a partier — so I was all over the world having fun, with no longevity in mind. It all came crashing down.”

“It was a dark and bad experience,” McCoy states plainly on the time period surrounding New Bermuda. By the end of the album cycle, everyone was exhausted, and the mere act of being in the band had turned into drudgery.

“It stopped being fun,” Clarke states on his view towards the band at that point. “It became a chore.”

I ask if there was ever a point during this period of time in which he thought Deafheaven would cease to exist. Later, when I relay his answer to others in the band, they’re quick to note it was an exaggeration, but it’s a rough reply regardless: “I kind of thought someone would die,” says Clarke. We’re not gonna break up because we don’t have anything else, but something drastic or scary happening was within the realm of possibility. If anything would’ve taken us down, it would’ve been … tragic.”

When I press on if there were any specific close calls that took place, the three demur, nervously laugh, and murmur to themselves, “Maybe — not really,” declining to elaborate. “When you’re fuckin’ around, you’re fuckin’ around,” Clarke says with an uneasy chuckle.

Clarke quickly follows up: “When you have a problem, you have a problem.”

Work on Ordinary Corrupt Human Love informally began in late 2016 around a single piano riff McCoy had been toying around with, but much of the album was written and recorded from October of last year until this past February. Deafheaven camped out in a cluster of Oakland homes and, after an informal jam session during the first day of recording, found that the time off did them good.

“We finally dealt with all the stuff that made New Bermuda so dark — and when we did, we realized that all that other stuff was junk,” McCoy passionately describes. “When we all got in a room together, I was like, ‘This was the juice of life right here.'”

“It was like we’d been holding our breath for three years, finally let it out, took another one, and said ‘Everything’s gonna be OK,'” Clarke adds.

In truth, there was still a ways to go. To this day, Deafheaven’s members describe themselves as living “healthier” than before, but McCoy is the only band member who’s completely sober, a decision he made during recording late last year after an extended struggle with drug addiction. It’s a sensitive topic for him to discuss, and the details he’s willing to offer regarding his path to sobriety are scant — but he makes it unmistakably clear that things could not go on the way they were for much longer.

“I’d come to a point where I was done being out there,” he explains, “And I was willing to try anything to get off it.” McCoy reached out to a friend, who helped put him on the path to recovery; he’s been sober since late 2017. “My favorite thing in the world was to play guitar,” he states, “And for a long time, I forgot that. Ever since I made this decision, my life has gotten immeasurably better.”

Casting aside the past was essential for not just McCoy, but the entirety of Deafheaven to move forwards after the fraught period of time they were trying to leave behind. “I don’t think anyone who worked on New Bermuda wanted to make another record that sounded like New Bermuda,” Clarke states, who goes on to describe Ordinary Corrupt Human Love as the sound of “people enjoying what they’re doing.” If the aesthetic of the new album reflects the emotions of the people who recorded it, then the lyrical content zooms in on the world around them — the splendor and sameness of peoples’ everyday lives.

CREDIT: Gari Askew II / Stereogum

The universal, explicitly humanistic focus was developed after Clarke began collaborating with photographer Nick Steinhardt to, in his words, “photograph people in their natural habitat.” “I told him I didn’t want anything extraordinary — just people in their everyday routine, looking at a snapshot of someone in their day and just drinking it in,” he explains. The album’s cover features an anonymous woman in Los Angeles’ Civic Center area, her scarf blowing in front of her face; the inlay art features a child holding out his hand to his mother as he prepares to cross the street.

McCoy describes the album cover as “a potential alternate version” of the iconic album art for Radiohead’s The Bends, and Clarke cites the tinted-hue portraiture of Belle And Sebastian’s visual art as a parallel — both comparisons serving as reminders that, despite their roots in heavy music, their palettes span far beyond what genre purists might come to expect.

And if Deafheaven’s genre-agnostic approach seemed polarizing around the time of Sunbather, it seems weirdly prescient now. In a way, the 29-year-old McCoy and Clarke are indicative of the landscape-flattening streaming generation, in a good way. Sure, it’s easy to bemoan the age of the algorithm and the fluctuating state of discovery for budding music fans in the digital age. But it’s even easier to forget that discovering “good” music used to possess a distinct social element not far off from joining the football team in high school: Are the indie kids any different than the jocks if they still bristle at people joining their lunch table?

For Deafheaven’s and younger generations, discovering new music is easier than ever, and if you’re willing to turn discovery into creativity as they have been, the possibilities are endless. And anyway, even though Deafheaven’s earlier work was sometimes overshadowed by the band’s perpetual and ineffective battle with the metal scene, the band’s members have since learned to hang with the genre misconceptions. “My girlfriend sent me a screenshot about how ‘Honeycomb’ has a punk section — that’s textbook Oasis!” McCoy says with an easygoing laugh that speaks to a greater truth when it comes to getting older. Sometimes it’s easier to just let old grudges go.

Despite the cloudy forecast, it’s a bit brighter of a day than we’re expecting. With the threat of sunburn fast approaching, we pack up the blanket, take a leisurely walk around the park, and head to the 826 Time Travel Mart. The Mart’s a funky Sunset Blvd. spot funded by the Dave Eggers-founded nonprofit 826, featuring arch, kitschy items ranging from giant dinosaur eggs to a powdered concoction called “robot milk” — but McCoy’s less invested in the temporally-out-of-whack wares on display than he is in the tutoring courses being offered in the next room of the nonprofit-funded space.

An employee explains the programs offered as McCoy listens intently, and when Clarke returns from grabbing a coffee nearby he does similarly. At first blush, the thoughtfulness and social investment that the pair show during my time with them might seem too fitting of a narrative for a band trying to straighten up and fly right — but such character traits often come with growing up, too.

“Nikki Sixx was 27 when shit got really bad and he tried to clean up for the first time,” Clarke points out as our time comes to a close, before McCoy has to go check on the cats and Clarke’s grandfather needs help getting his computer fixed. “We reached that age too. We want to take what we do seriously and have a career — and to eliminate the things that get in the way of that. If you don’t die at 27, you can do a lotof shit.”

[mrsandok]

Making Sense of Good Things

My heart has been full with nothing but positivity lately.  For myself, my friends, and for what’s to come.  Nevertheless, there’s some serious stress attached to these early days of this new stage in my life.

Ever since taking up Buddhism, it’s been an exercise in learning what makes me happy and what doesn’t.  I’m finally able to begin to articulate what makes me happy and how to maintain it.  There’s definitely some grueling parts of the introspective effort to look at my life when confronting the things I don’t like about myself; nevertheless, it’s healthy to acknowledge and move toward change. 

Stoicism has also helped knowing that I’m not in control of a lot of things in my life and I’ve learned to accept that.  I’ve always sought complete control in different, if not all, parts of my life.  It’s been an active effort to…just…let…things…be.

I’m happy my friends are in a similar place in life with me.  Mayo just got a UX job.  Bryan is settling back in Cali.  Sean is finishing a two year music project.  Taro is settling into his PhD program. And me...

I feel like I’m a new teacher again.  

I went from a 20+ person department to a department of 6.  Not only that, being back in person with a full classroom for the first time since March ‘20 is surreal. 

Students and staff alike are trying to find their footing.  Some are faking the funk saying that they have it handled.  Others, like me, are open with how hard this shit is.

It’s so different.  I dedicated 16 years of my life to English.  

I felt pretty far removed to those 16 years during the first few days.  The class demographics are so different.  I have English learners, different grade levels, a variety of mild to severe students with special needs...with...one...curriculum of art/photography. 

It’s wild.

I want to be selfish and think solely about myself and continue to do my thing like I was doing during summer but I have a job to educate these students and not disappoint their families or the administration that trusted me with this position.

I’m slowly settling in and enjoying the moment for what it is:  Weird and funny while reminding myself that I’m in it for the long haul. 

Summer Sandōk is 290 days away.

Some shit that’s amusing to me:

- I’ve always found it weird to ask another person permission to use the bathroom.  I’m sure it’s weird for them…having been at home for a year and a half back to school and to these rules that a stranger adult imposes on them.

- It took me four days to remember how to do a seating chart!!!  I kept making all these careless errors and confusing students but I wasn’t able to tweak it in a short time so I just ran with it.  I was so used to Google Meet populating an Excel sheet of who was here and who wasn’t.  Now I’m dealing with a bunch of masked students rather than students having their cameras off.  Haha.

No one said this shit was gonna be easy.

I get a bunch of comments saying “at least you won’t be grading essays anymore!”

I smile as a friendly form of agreement hoping it’s a congratulatory expression rather than one coming from envy.

But going back to the story of Buddha…everyone suffers.

Sure—English teachers suffer from the amount of essay grading they have to do.  But we all suffer in our own specific way.  (Poor people suffer because they’re poor / rich people suffer because they’re poor / etc.)

I’m definitely suffering from exiting the pandemic and trying to make sense of my new department and role at the high school.

This time of being nervous, anxious, and exhausted will pass and I’ll be able to work a job that will put me in a better place mentally

As I reflect about my new role, I realize how fucking stressful my job of being an English teacher was.  It took years for me to humble myself and realize school isn’t about me--it’s about reaching the students and getting them to care about themselves, the community, and the world.  That shit is fucking exhausting.

Five years of dealing with Trump’s rhetoric not based in facts in my ELA classroom was mentally taxing.  My job as an educator revolves around creating independent critical thinkers and if what’s dominating the news, social media, and policy was that orange dude--it would have been fucking irresponsible if I ignored it.  Especially in a class focused on rhetoric and logical fallacies.  

I had the blessing of my administration with my approach; nevertheless, I was putting a mark on my back knowing my values are showing on my sleeves and it was prone to parent complains about their child’s commie teacher.

I somehow came out unscathed.  

I attribute it to me making a point that I’m not trying to instill my values on them.  I’m attempting to give them ways to explore who they are rather than blindly listening to their parents and/or tv while telling a story of how I became the person I am today.  

I wrote about that in an earlier post during the pandemic where former students were asking me “how to feel” about the George Floyd protests.

My answer was always a version of “Figure that shit out yourself.  I’m going through it with you.”

That extends to my teaching.  I feel like I have a good understanding of my life  and the story I’m creating for myself and it took years after college.  I hope they’re asking themselves existential questions knowing they’ve watched plenty of people that lived the American Dream get shattered during the pandemic.  

As shitty as it may sound, I feel pretty comfortable keeping up with current events but not necessarily having to tread on thin ice when bringing into the classroom.  

I can definitely incorporate it; however, it’s a much different focus than the head on approach I was doing in English when I compared nonfiction to the fiction we’re reading.

There isn’t any fiction in what we’re doing right now.  I’m more concerned about them getting to the point where they can engage with art criticism as well as create their own art.

This is a comforting feeling knowing that stressful part of my life of trying to make sense of the world in my classroom may be over.  

I don’t necessarily need to bask in my anxiety.  Haha

--

It’s very surreal how I got here.  But, I like to remind myself that I earned it based on my work ethic, pedagogy, and my unwillingness to compromise who i am. 

Some things that are stressing me out is facing one of my favorite mantras head on.

“Don’t assume people share the same values as you.”

Some of these students don’t give a shit about art and may never give a shit about art.  And that’s OK.

My first day spiel revolved around the fact that I’ve been relentlessly chasing my artistic side ever since earning my undergrad.

Art has always made me happy.  It was so silly of me to give it up.

I can’t assume that students will find happiness in art.  That realization somewhat took some of the excitement of my new position away--but at least it’s grounded in reality.

Now I just have to refocus my personal pursuits alongside the “professional” part of my life of being an educator.

---

I had my first lecture concerning the principles of design.  It was such a good feeling knowing that this is pretty much the foundation for the rest of the year.  In fact…it’s the foundation for the rest of my career if I remain a photography teacher.

I’m really excited for what’s to come.  I inherited this program during the perfect time where people have faced changes and challenges head on so they’re receptive to my approach—whatever that approach ends up being.

There are definitely personal goals I’ve applied to myself during this transition that all revolve around the idea of “taking better care of myself.”

--

Aside from my main career, I want to continue to foster the other creative parts in my life.

I want to do a much needed website revamp that gives a nice preview of who I am with links to my mixtapes, photography, art, and writing.

My primary audience is me; however, I do want to model it as my Q4 project to my students which centers around taking control of your online identity and using as a tool to network and be proactive with chasing their goals.

--

I also want to start living a more analog life.

Doom scrolling seems engrained in me at this point—I have to remember how much happier I am when I’m productive and step away from the screen.

Memes, news, and even small talk with instagram friends will always be nice; however, it isn’t everything.

I disabled story replies when I felt my stress and anxiety increasing during my first week at school.  It was so liberating not to deal with distracting small talk.

I still like the idea of adding to my story simply because I enjoy how Instagram archives these moments rather than me flooding my very curated (red) theme. 💅

Engaging with my online audience is fun, too--but only when I’m in a good place to balance it in my personal life.

--

Memes—or any account for that matter—that vie for your attention is frustrating in a meta sense because I don’t want to be part of the giving end of stroking someone’s ego through likes and attention.  

It will always be vacuous.  Some accounts get it, though.  Whitepeoplehumor’s kevin knows the opportunity he was given and is making the best of it without compromising and “selling out” in his own way.

That’s what I want.

I want to sell out in my own way and not have a single person’s opinion about me matter.

Maybe one day.

--

I’m definitely an extrovert that feeds off other people’s energy.  That’s what made me fall in love with DJ’ing and realizing that this is a skill a lot of DJs lack.  A lot of DJs are terrible because they’re not humble and think they have the best taste of music while disregarding the crowd.

But I think I’ve changed during the quarantine.  I don’t necessarily want to please strangers and vibe off their energy.  I’m not sure I care that much.  Haha.

I’ve been reflecting on my life before the pandemic.  I was making $$$ while being able to balance my teaching and DJ life.  However, I’m not sure if that necessarily made me happier.  It allowed me to eat Sugarfish daily and other empty activities like that.  But, during the quarantine, I learned I reallllly liked the opportunity to do nothing on the weekend as a sort spiritual reset.

Weekend obligations definitely serve as a distraction from the stress I face during the week.  I rationalized this as a healthy distraction because it gets me PAID

But…not quite sure if it makes me happy especially since I’m sooo tired of ‘90s hip hop or even being forced to play EDM when I never fucking want to do that.

I wish I could get paid for my twitch sets.  Too bad the (bored) audience with nothing to do and no where to go is back to real life.

I thank the people that enjoyed my twitch sets every chance I get.  It really helped ground me during the pandemic.

In fact, Quarantine Fridays were definitely one of the happiest parts in my life where I was able to connect with friends, new and old, during those trying-ass-times.

It’s surreal to look back at how I spent 1.5 years in this one bedroom apartment with a shitload of plants.  

I’ll do a reflection post on what that meant to me later. <3

[imagineaworlds]

I’ll Always Think of You -- Billy Hargrove

Written by @rune-of-a-writer

Request: “Billys dad finding him with a top, billy to scared to stop his dad from beating the hell out of the guy, maybe max could help and Billys just crying as his step mom and dad and max find out his dark dark secret. ITS SO ANGSTY I FEEL BAD AND I WOULD LIKE IT IF IT ENDED IN MAJOR FLUFF” “Hey regarding the imagine I sent in where billy gets caught with a top, I was thinking it could be in cali pre moving I HIGH KEY AS WELL THINK THATS THE REASON THEY MOVED”

Warnings: Violence, abuse, cursing, homophobia

Pairing: Billy Hargrove x Male!Reader

Summary: It was his worst nightmare coming true; and he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

Word Count: 1,866

Listen To: Your Mess Is Mine by Vance Joy

Gif Creds: @xananeedscoffeed

Everything happened so fast. One second Billy was underneath (Y/N), his hands running through the other boy’s (h/c) hair, tugging at it as (Y/N) kissed down his neck, playfully nipping at the center of Billy’s throat. Then his bedroom door was being slammed open and (Y/N) had been pulled off of him at such a ferocious speed, Billy didn’t even have time to blink. He faintly heard the thudding of something hitting his bedroom wall (he assumed that it was (Y/N)), but his full attention was focused on his father in front of him.

This was it. This was everything coming out, in the worst way he could have ever thought imaginable. Billy couldn’t think, he couldn’t speak, he couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. Why couldn’t he breathe?

“I knew you were a god damn faggot,” Billy’s father began, leaning over Billy on the bed. Billy stared up at him, his blue eyes blown wide. His throat had closed up, as if every ounce of oxygen had left him. All he could do was stare at his father. “Every time this fucking pansy would come waltzing in here, I just knew. I wanted nothing more than to smash his head into the window and throw the both of you into the streets,” he continued to rant, practically spitting into Billy’s face. “How long has this been going on?” he questioned. When Billy didn’t respond, it angered him even more. Reaching down, he wrapped his hand around Billy’s neck. The same neck that had just been receiving loving touches moments ago, was now being strangled. “How long?” Neil screamed, tightening his grip.

Now Billy definitely couldn’t breathe. Billy’s ring-covered hands shot up, clawing at his father’s own hands. Blood was ringing in his ears, it was getting hotter and his neck was hurting. God it was hurting. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his step-mom covering her mouth in horror in the doorway and Max yelling something. Billy’s eyes attempted to focus back on his father, trying his hardest to communicate with him to just let go but it wasn’t working. His grip just got tighter. His father’s face started getting blurrier, and dark spots were dancing in and out of the picture. A gurgled gasp left Billy’s mouth, a desperate plea. Why isn’t anybody helping? Why are they letting him kill me? Why do they hate me so much? Why am I like this, why couldn’t I have been normal? Fuck, I’m so sorry, Max. Billy moved his faltering gaze over to his little sister. He knew that if he were to die right here, in his father’s hand, that all the torment and mistreatment he had received would find its way to Max soon enough. Max stared back at him, nothing but pure horror in her eyes.

Suddenly, a book came flying out of nowhere— one of Billy’s Algebra textbooks— hitting his father in the head. The hand around Billy’s throat let go as Neil stumbled back, dropping to the floor. Billy had truthfully forgotten all about (Y/N), his mind going hazy. Once his throat had been granted air, choked gasps, wretched sobs and bloody coughs left his mouth all at the same time. He still couldn’t breathe. Rolling off his bed, Billy fell to his knees, placing his hand over the center of his throbbing throat. His head was pounding, he still couldn’t hear anything and everything was distorted.

“I can’t..” he tried to get out, but it was followed by another cough of blood, spurting onto one of his blue silk shirts that had been laying on the floor. Red hair came into his line of sight, turning his head he saw Max had rushed over despite her mom's protests and his dad attempting to tell her to “Leave the fucking fag alone, Maxine.”

“Billy,” she said quietly, placing one of her hands on his back. Max didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t call the cops or an ambulance— she knew better, this had happened before, but not as severe. But Billy was hurt, and he was hurt bad. “Just… Just lay down, okay?” she said, trying to gently push him onto his side, quickly pulling the bloody shirt out of the way. She pulled his blonde hair out of his face as Billy continued to cough, hot tears falling down his face, his body curled into the fetal position with his back facing Max.

Shouts began breaking out across the room and a loud crash caused Max to snap her head up and unconsciously grip Billy’s shoulder. (Y/N) had been the one to throw the textbook, knocking Billy’s dad to the floor. And now he was paying for it.

Neil had (Y/N) pinned to the wall, yelling in his face. “You’re just a low-life piece of shit! You have nothing going for you, and you and my son can both rot in hell! You’re the reason this country is going to shit, and when Reagan is elected, people like you will finally be forced to understand your sins,” he fired off. (Y/N) stayed silent, staring into the man’s dead eyes. He knew everything the man was saying was false, and it was nothing he hadn’t heard before. “So, what, both of you fucking flamers don’t talk? Are your throats too god damn raw?” he yelled before lifting his knee into (Y/N)’s stomach. He let out a pained grunt as Neil let go of him, allowing (Y/N) to wrap his arms around his stomach. This gave Neil the chance to kick (Y/N) in the face, sending the boy to the ground as he yelped in pain, now clutching his face.

“The only sack of shit in the room is you, Mr. Hargrove,” (Y/N) shot back through bloodied teeth. This earned him a swift kick to the groin, causing another grunt. “What sad man can’t love his own son for who he is, and instead resorts to attempted murder?” (Y/N) questioned, pushing his luck even more as he stared up at Billy’s father.

“You don’t know the first thing about me,” Neil spat out before beginning to lay various kicks to multiple parts of (Y/N)’s body. One would land on his chest, while others perfectly in the middle of his stomach, some in his groin, and few on his face.

“Neil, please!” Susan finally called out, seeing all the blood seeping into the carpet, onto the boy’s pants and not being able to listen to his various cries of pain anymore.

“Susan! He needs to be taught a lesson!” Neil shouted, not stopping his assault on (Y/N).

****

Billy’s air was slowly coming back to him. He could hear again, but his vision was still blurry and was on the verge of fainting. He knew his dad was beating on (Y/N). It was inevitable, but he honestly thought that (Y/N) would’ve run out of the house at the first sight of Neil. Billy was paralyzed at the sight of (Y/N) across the room, his body constantly hitting the bottom of the wall as Neil laid blow after blow. His hair was matted to his face with blood, and one of his eyes had already been swollen shut. His shirt was torn, exposing his stomach, ribs and chest which was red and slowly beginning to bruise. He no doubt had a few broken bones. But Billy couldn’t help. He was useless, like he always was. All he could do was lay there, weak, devoid of oxygen and movement as his boyfriend got the life beat out of him.

Max’s tight grip on his shoulder and comforting one in his hair was suddenly gone, but Billy couldn’t move his head to see why. Slowly though, she came into view as she walked over him, approaching his dad.

“Dad,” she said, it was the first time she had called him that. “Please, please stop,” she pleaded, her voice weak and quiet. Max was never weak, and she was rarely quiet. She was always strong, loud, demanding and knew what she wanted. But not this time. “You’re scaring me.”

Neil stopped. His hand was on the wall, his body hunched over (Y/N)’s broken body. His breathing was ragged and his eyes were squeezed shut. Slowly, Neil turned his head to look at Max. Her fingertips had little spots of blood on them from Billy’s coughing, but other than that she just looked absolutely terrified. Her step-dad was ready to kill both her older step-brother and this boy that none of them knew. So what could he possibly do to her if she were to ever get in his way?

Pushing himself off of the wall, Neil looked over at Billy. He was still on the floor, the coughing and blood had stopped. But quiet tears were still escaping and he still couldn’t breathe or see right, and his hearing was muffled. He knew he wouldn’t be awake for much longer. Then Neil looked at the boy at his feet. His (e/c) eyes were hard to see, but he was strong. He wasn’t about to give up. He had managed to push his body off of the ground and was now standing, leaning against Billy’s dresser, pressing his hands against his side. Next, Neil looked at Susan. She was still stood by the door, a sad look in her eye. She wouldn’t have done anything to stop him, Neil knew that. He didn’t know how to feel about it however. Finally, his eyes settled on Max. She was staring directly into his eyes, pleading with him silently to stop everything. So he did.

“We’re leaving,” he said finally, startling Susan and Max.

“Wha-”

“We can’t be in California anymore. It’s too open, too many fags here. Too many people will know what happened. We’re leaving. Indiana is a Republican state, we’ll go there. Straighten him out. I’ve got an old friend out there from high school. We’ll leave next week,” he said finally before stalking out of the room. Susan followed him quietly, not daring to object. Max looked between the two bloody boys before leaving the room too and closing the door.

Once the door shut, (Y/N) let out a string of cuss words he had been holding in. “Son of a bitch, that fucking hurt,” he finalized, limping over to Billy. Billy had managed to push himself into a sitting position, his back against his bed.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his throat raw. Ironically enough, his father’s statement was right, except his father was the reason he couldn’t speak.

“Don’t be, babe. I knew he was like that, I knew it would happen eventually,” (Y/N) brushed off, wiping the blood off of Billy’s chin. He gently maneuvered the blonde’s head onto his shoulder. “Think of me when you’re in Indiana, yeah?” he joked, trying to get Billy to crack a smile.

“I’ll always think of you,” Billy muttered, his eyes fluttering shut, breath slow and labored.

“I know, handsome,” (Y/N) murmured, laying a soft kiss to Billy’s head. “I know.”

[yenosiria]

ichigo daifuku, milk tea, peach shortcake!

Ichigo Daifuku: A happy memory from your childhood?

There aren’t many of those but I suppose if I were to delve into one it would be the times when I was quite young, being shipped off to Cali to visit my grandparents. They’d take me to several places like the beach, Legoland and even Disneyland. The memories blur together but my grandparents each visit would stage a treasure hunt with a newly drafted map each time. They also had a lemon tree and each time I flew out we’d make fresh lemonade atleast once or twice. Kinda crying abit thinking about it now because so much has changed and nearly everything has gone sour...There was also one of the old houses I lived at in middle school. I raised a granny smith apple tree for several years and it’s turn out for the seasons was quite good. God I miss that tree and the free apples...

Milk Tea: Talk about your childhood home(s).

I’ve only had maybe five homes in total. Well maybe more that are alittle fuzzy. I don’t remember the one in Cali. I’ve hopped around in Texas several times but for the twenty two years I’ve been here we never strayed out of Lewisville. I only had a change of scenery when I lived in Dallas for those few months thinking I was finally free from my family. I lived in a house with ‘mother’ and grandparents til they went back to Cali. Then I lived with ‘mother’ in a mobile home park for a good while. When she got married we moved to an actual house. That’s where I planted the granny smith tree. We had several dogs over the span of the years. We moved again to another house and stayed there for a long fucking time but the memories held in those walls are quite sour along with the memories of all these homes I’m referring to. Lastly when ‘mother’ kicked me out and gave me less then twenty four hours to get out I moved in with my grandparents who happened to move to Texas quite a while back. It ain’t great here, being honest. I lived with two friends in Dallas for abit and while that was good we decided to split since we all wanted to head in different directions. Begrudgingly I had to come back to my grandparents house and now I’m between jobs trying to free myself again. Not sure if I even deserve that freedom honestly but I digress.

Peach Shortcake: Is there someone who you want to get closer to?

There’s...a few yes...You see when you find yourself on my friend roster? I kinda never really stop thinking about you. And the thought of distance or losing said person grates on my sanity constantly. Let’s be honest though? It would be easier if I wasn’t close to anyone. Which that seems to be happening with most my friends by itself? Whether it’s due to me oversharing too much, being too open or just trusting too fast. It’s my brain wiring in all honesty. It terrifies people. Even if I were to get close to these people in question I honest to god wouldn’t deserve it? Cause half the time when I look at the friends I have I just stare because where did they even come from and why do they even stay? I have maybe two that have been there the longest and one of them puts up with me more than she really should. The others well. I have several that I’ve been acquainted with for years even if we don’t speak much or if we’re just busy. Like it’s fine. Just the phobia nonsense spikes abit if I feel too distant from someone. It’s real problematic of me in all honesty but I just can’t seem to kick the trigger?

Heavy Sigh. I believe I’ve overshared enough for this one post...

Send me sweets! (o＾～＾o)♪