#carolina is procrastinating

[exhaustedpirate]

WIP GAME

RULES: Post the names of the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous (please, don't judge me). Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! Tag as many people as you have WIPs! (I am not doing that 'cause I don't want to die, thanks!)

I was tagged by @piraterefrigerator because they want to kill me!

(Also I have too many so I'm going to just add the most IP of WIPs)

CAPTAINSWAN FICS (main folder):

3B Canon Divergent

Friends + OUAT (eye roll title)

parent for hire

around the world and back

b99 cs ff (very original)

no death to do us part

MOVIE NIGHT folder (not very fun titles):

Aristocats + OUAT (again eye roll)

meet the joneses

street-wise hercules

TANGLED in you

four weddings and a funeral

three men and a baby

JUKEBOX? JUKEBOX folder:

at the copa (copacabana)

see you l8er, boy

teenage dirtbag

TIKTOK, CROCODILE folder:

a quest of your own

meow

lie detector

I tag @scripted-downfall, @iverna and @profdanglaisstuff because I am curious about your WIPs! No pressure, though!

[skateboard-theta]

Need to rotate CaroKaina in my head

[whatthepvck]

I had a thought, sepe’s 7th nhl hatty !!

[welcometo-yourworld]

this what my mf tabs look like every time i write an ATPOH chapter 😭

[strawberrystreamfields]

Which one(s) would ya'll describe your OC(s) as?

[riley-coyotl]

A bird (Carolina wren?) made her nest on our back porch in a bucket of coyote bones that I've been procrastinating finishing processing!

[hidingoutbackstage]

Okay I’m STILL procrastinating watching s15 bc I’m SCARED so here’s my extremely biased ratings/opinions on the episodes of s14 to help me procrastinate (episodes which are multiple parts of a single story will be condensed into one slot)

Room Zero: SO cute and good, I LOVED the animation style, it was simple and short but really well done with great colors, fun alien designs, and fluid animation, and I just like seeing the guys go on missions like that. It's a shame that the animated show never got picked up bc I would've adored seeing more of it. 10/10

From Stumbled Beginnings: Very cute and funny origin story for Simmons and Grif, and I love that they were p much always together since they enlisted lmao makes their dynamic rlly good and the humor actually got a couple laughs out of me. 8/10

Fifty Shades of Red: Sarge's humor never quite landed with me like is has for some people (my boyfriend lmao I literally have to pause episodes sometimes so he can stop laughing. Anyway) but it was a very humorous and in character origin for him as well. 5/10

Why They’re Here: Less interesting than the previous two, obviously just meant to fill in plot "holes" and to also show us the origins of the other characters. Also I am completely ignoring that one line from Tucker in the interview, just gonna chalk it up to the "edgy" humor it does not exist to me. 4/10

The Brick Gulch Chronicles: WONDERFUL stop motion, very fun and cute and entertaining, very wholesome and still in the vibe with what the show itself is. I appreciate the willingness to do stop motion for most of it. 10/10

Red Army Unit FH57’s Adventure: It was kinda interesting and kinda funny but I found myself kinda tuning it out cuz it just felt kinda whatever. The combo of the different animation styles was cool though and I thought the ship misunderstanding them was funny. 5/10

Locus and Felix: Okay I'm gonna be a black sheep for a second and say that I rlly don't care that much about Locus and Felix. I don't think Felix is a secretly deep sadboi whom I'm gonna spend an unnecessary amount of time thinking about, I don't think Locus as secretly good all along, and I don't care that much about their partnership and what they were like before Chorus. That being said, the animation here is absolutely gorgeous, this is probably my favorite animated story in the whole season, it looks awesome. The plot is nothing special but who cares like I said it's beautiful, 6/10

Fight the Good Fight!: VERY funny and well-executed propaganda video, short and sweet and nothing more to it. It does its job. 5/10

Meta vs. Carolina: Dawn of Awesome: Another one I really don't care for because literally everything leading UP to the fight between Meta and Carolina is a waste of time. Maybe some people really care about their weapons and stats, but I don't. And even then, you kinda know Carolina is gonna win the fight, the question is just how. 4/10

Grey vs. Gray: I don't know or care about the Game Grumps and the entire thing felt like a short gag that went on for way too long with a predictable ending. 2/10

Caboose's Guide to Making Friends: Again, ADORABLE art style and very cute having a story be told from Caboose's perspective. 7/10

Head Cannon: Kinda funny I guess. I wish we'd gotten it spread out more equally among the heads Omega jumped into. Ik he didn't spend equal time in there but who cares. Whatever, still funny. 5/10

Get Bent: I LAUGHED PROBABLY THE HARDEST AT THIS ONE AND THAT'S MOSTLY BC OF LESBIAN DONUT IT CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD AND IT WAS HILARIOUS (also hello, bisexual church?) 9/10

Red vs. Blue: The Musical: it was fine. it was creative. The dancing was well animated. Enjoyable. 5/10

Mr. Red vs. Mr. Blue: I haven't seen Reservoir Dogs but Kaikaina was in this which automatically boosts it to a 8/10 (I also like that they have movie nights it's cute)

RvB Throwdown: Fine but mostly forgettable. 3/10

The Triplets Story: REALLY interesting concept (y'all know I love the freelancers) that felt like it dragged on too long and only gave Ohio something to do. 4/10

Immersion: The Warthog Flip: I loved the costumes and the actual Warthog and it got a couple laughs out of me. 5/10

Red vs. Blue vs. Rooster Teeth: This was made for the fans/themselves. As someone who is neither, none of it was funny and I just kinda waited for it to be over. At least the animation of the armor irl looked rlly good

[caripr94]

I see Indiana Jones x The Mummy crossovers, and raise you…

Hamilton x Pirates of the Caribbean Crossover

I mean, think about it. The timeline and locations actually line up more than you would think:

Shortly after his birth in 1708, Will Turner and his parents move to North Carolina, where they would live for the next 7 years, until 1715, when his father, Bootstrap Bill Turner, joins Captain Jack Sparrow on the Black Pearl and Will moves with his mother to England.

The main events of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl take place in 1728, when Jack Sparrow is about 38 years old and Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are about 20.

Dead Man's Chest and At World's End happen about a year later, in 1729, including Will and Elizabeth's wedding and the conception of their son, Henry Turner, who is born about 9 months later in May(?) 1730.

Hector Barbossa is in his early 60s at the time of the events above, though probably biologically in his 50s, considering his cursed and undead status for a decade prior to COTBP.

On Stranger Tides takes place in 1750, when Jack is about 60 years old and Barbossa is in his early 80s. Dead Men Tell No Tales comes a year later in 1751, when Jack is about 61, the Turner couple are about 43, Henry is about 21, and his new love interest and Hector's daughter, Carina Smyth Barbossa, is about 19.

As the name of the film series suggests, all of the events above take place in the Caribbean, with the original trilogy centering around Port Royal, Jamaica.

Alexander Hamilton is born in 1755 or 1757 in Charlestown, in the Caribbean island of Nevis, only about 60-70 miles south of St Martin, where Henry met Jack in DMTNT. In 1757, Henry would be about 27 years old, his parents would be 49, Jack would be 67, and Carina would be 25. Henry and Carina would probably also have children around Hamilton's age group.

Hamilton moves from Nevis to the 13 American Colonies in October 1772, at the age of either 15 or 17. At this time, Henry would be about 42 years old, his parents would be 64, Jack would be 82, and Carina would be 40.

On April 19, 1775, the Battles of Lexington and Concord begin the American Revolutionary War, an 18 or 20-year-old Hamilton enlisting on the side of the Patriots soon afterwards. About a year later, on July 4, 1776, the American Colonies declare their independence from Britain, forming the United States of America. In the latter date, Henry would be about 46 years old, his parents would be 68, Jack would be 86, and Carina would be 44.

On September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris is signed, officially ending the Revolutionary War (which was partly fought in the Caribbean) and cementing American independence. On this day, Hamilton would be about 26 or 28 years old, Henry would be about 53, his parents would be 75, Jack would be 93 (if still alive), and Carina would be 51.

In other words, the events and locations of POTC are close enough to the Revolution that at least Jack and the Turners would have still been alive and young enough and lived and worked close enough to meet Alexander Hamilton and his peers and play an active role in aiding him and the other Patriots in the Revolutionary War, at least at the beginning. They could be doing so to help their family friend Hamilton, free Will's childhood home from oppression, and/or, at the very least, spite the British Empire for all the trouble they've caused them in the past. There's even historical basis for the Patriots (and their enemies) using privateers in the War.

That would be an interesting crossover that I'm surprised to see no one write about yet.

@rebelnurse, @friendlyneighborhoodgeek, @wingletblackbird, @son--of--liberty, @she-is-amused, @adorkablemamebean, @araitsume, @the-average-procrastinator, @nerdychristianfanboy, @soundlessdragon, @fanfic-lover-girl, @guns-in-the-valley, @greater-than-the-sword, @archer-bro, @my--darling--dear2, @prolifeproliberty, @ofangelsandanime, @exhaustedhope, @jonesgirl88, @coffeeman777, @yeshua-maranatha, @adragonwriter, @soundlessdragon

[sokumeii]

Hey everyone my dog Mr. Weenie is at the emergency vet and it's pretty pricey so I'm putting stuff up on my Etsy that I've been procrastinating on listing. I'd appreciate it if you'd check it out

[cardiaccanesblog]

Silly Little Love Letters to Hockey

Playoff hockey took place when I most needed it in my life. I got to see the first Hurricanes playoff game of the post-season right after coming back from an overall good, but exhausting trip. Playoff hockey got me through the gruelling last few weeks of the quarter, where I was going through the motions to be done with my residency and done with my schooling. Playoff hockey got me through the passing of my grandmother. 

My grandmother’s death was not surprising. She had been in hospice for several years, slowly declining in her health. Two weeks before her death I was told to be ready for the news any day. I lived in North Carolina. My family lives in Louisiana and I waited anxiously for any news, wondering when I would get the call every day, every hour, every minute, and every second. 

I watched the Hurricanes beat the Islanders fairly easily in the first round of playoffs. I also saw the Rangers sweep the Capitals in four games. I watched the first two games of round two end in heartbreaking fashion. The day of the third game is when I got the call. The words I expected, but never wanted to hear, “MawMaw died this morning.” I was one week away from finishing my residency. I left work early and told them I would be back in a few days. I spent way too much time on the Delta website paying $500 for round-trip tickets to get me back home. 

With the tickets bought, and nothing else to distract me, we watched hockey that night. The Hurricanes lost again, once again in overtime. I felt this one a little bit more than the others. I texted my dad telling him that we were going to get swept. I grew up a Saints fan and a Cubs fan, I know what disappointment is like, but it doesn’t make it any easier. 

I flew to Louisiana to be with family. The fourth game taking place the night after the funeral. Family was over, but I convinced my parents to let me turn on the game so I could keep an eye on it. I watched, in quiet awe as the Canes took Game 4. My brother remarked on how I wasn’t screaming after each goal, but I couldn’t. Too emotionally raw from the past few days. 

Pleasantly surprised, I looked forward to Game 5. I joked of a reverse sweep but knew that I should never get my hopes up. Game 5 for me took place on a plane. My flight back to North Carolina. A flight back to anxiously counting down my days, procrastinating on packing, and worrying about my next flight back to Louisiana which was scheduled two weeks from then. My flight was delayed, brought to a standstill on the runway due to the stormy weather that Louisiana is frequently known for. I watched part of the first period on the plane, texting my boyfriend my assessment of the team’s game up to that point. 

After finally landing at my first stop, I was informed that I missed my connecting flight and would not be offered further accommodations other than the plane ticket for the next morning. I spent the night in the Atlanta airport. The only thing that brought me any semblance of joy was turning my phone off of Airplane mode and getting bombarded by texts of the Canes winning. I watched the game at midnight, lying on the airport seats and quietly cheering for each goal. 

When I made it back home, I was running on an hour of sleep and a poorly timed 5-hour energy. My dad texted me and told me to take a nap, and then I could watch the Panthers vs. Bruins game that night. My dad, who never watched a shift of hockey in his life, but was willing to watch it for me, because he knew how much I loved it, knew I would find comfort in hockey. 

I watched Game 6 of the Rangers vs Hurricanes alone. I wasn’t surprised. I knew there was a good chance that the playoff dream would end there. I joked, in a morbid way, how considerate my grandmother was for dying right before the Canes were out of playoffs so I wouldn’t be quite so upset about hockey. I still watched though. I picked new teams to root for and watched those games loyally too. 

Hockey was there for me, and it will continue to be there for me when I need it the most.

[papermint-airplane]

15 questions for 15 mutuals

I was tagged by @simolemons, @satellite-sims, and @spaceapples98. Omg I feel so lovedddd 🥺🥺🥺🥺 thank you!

Are you named after anyone? Yep! I'm named after Laura Ingalls-Wilder, the writer of the Little House on the Prairie books. My mom was obsessed with the books and the 70s TV show for some ungodly reason. Fun fact, I hate LHotP with every fiber of my being. I'm fine with my name though.

When was the last time you cried? Oh God, it's been a turbulent few weeks. Pick a time, I've probably cried. 🙈

Do you have kids? No. Wait, let me rephrase that. GOD NO!!!!

Do you use sarcasm a lot? I feel like this question is a trap. I want to speak to my lawyer.

What sports do you play/have you played? I am not a sports person. I guess I have dabbled in the sweaty arts for fun every so often when I've lost my mind, but I've never really played on a team or a in a league or understood most sports on a basic level. Is the Sims a sport?

What’s the first thing you notice about other people? Probably their voice and their tone and the way they ask me what I'm doing in their house.

Scary movies or happy endings? It really depends on what is meant by "scary movies" because I don't do gore at all. Like Saw and shit? Absolutely not. Absolutely. not. But I do like suspenseful supernatural horror movies as long as there isn't much gore involved. I think I prefer movies with happy endings given a choice between only these two but I wouldn't say no to a good old fashioned bittersweet ending.

Any special talents? I can whistle really well. I practice a lot when I'm alone. I don't whistle for other people often because, funnily enough, despite your skill level, people find it incredibly annoying. Actually maybe being annoying is my special talent? 🤷‍♀️ Also I can do this thing where I can vibrate my right face cheek (I have to specify for you freaks) and make a sound like a horse. It's only the right face cheek, not the left. I don't know why.

Where were you born? Virginia! We didn't live there long after I was born so I don't really remember it but I've also lived in North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina. Southern through and through!

What are your hobbies? Sims, writing, writing for my Sims, Sim-themed writing, procrastinating writing Sims stories, miscellaneous video games, crafts, complaining, jewelry making (I'm not good at it, don't get excited), researching cults, and fashion doll collecting.

Do you have any pets? Sadly, no. It's kind of a struggle taking care of one person on my income but I'm hoping to save enough to where I can get a kitty or two and be reasonably comfortable with vet bills. I really, really, really love cats. I'm an orphaned cat lady at the moment.

How tall are you? 5'2" (roughly 159 cm). Smol, but not too smol, right at shin-kicking height.

Fave subject in school? English. Honestly liking any subject in school was a struggle because I was homeschooled and my mother is The Worst™ but English and Vocabulary and Creative Writing were my jam despite her best efforts.

Dream job? Are we talking realistic dreams or unrealistic-obviously-never-going-to-happen-but-I-like-to-fantasize dreams? If it's the former, I'd like to be an editor. If it's the latter, I'd like to be a professional kitten-cuddler.

Eye colour? Light green, bordering on light blue, but still obviously green if you look close. Kind of sea green, I guess. I've always struggled to describe my eye color and other people do, too. It's weirdly in between green and blue. If I were to remove my glasses and stare at you like 👁👁 you could very clearly see they're green, but otherwise, with my glasses on just looking at me like a normal person, you would be forgiven for thinking they're light blue. I'm not trying to be ✨unique✨ or anything; this is just what happens when your mom has blue eyes and your dad has hazel eyes and genetics just gives the fuck up.

I think most people have done this tag while I'm on semi-hiatus but let's just throw some names out there and see what sticks. 😈 @happy-lemon @monets-pixels @hurricanesims @moyokeansimblr @oasislandingresident @hazely-sims @treason-and-plot @ts3strayastray @miss-may-i @ktarsims @sharssims @amphoraeus @brannewjoint @autonomousllama @nocturnalazure

[lucarrie]

MY ARTFIGHT ATTACKS!

As usual, I procrastinated until the very end to do this =w=

I managed to do 3 attacks tho! I will link the artists' ArtFight profile if you wanna check them out~ ( you should )

Here's my ArtFight profile if you wanna check me out too! —> https://artfight.net/~lucarrie

Susie, for ArtistZarry

This was really fun bc I had a very clear vision on what I wanted to draw as soon as I saw the references

Susie lives in the nightmare realm and the monster(s) looked so cool so I had to include it somewhere

Lighting turned out fire 😎 proud of this one

Romeo "Row", for abido_odles

So she revenged me for the fanart I did last year, and therefore I must revenge back >:))

Romeo is actually so fabulous so I reeeeally wanted to do him justice

I'm unfamiliar with drawing bearded guys so it was a challenge but I think I did well 😎😎

Suffered on the bg 🥲 lowkey gave up im so sorry abi

Carolina, for anteaterx0

Inspired by Mesmerizer by 32ki because the crazy eyes reminded me of that song!! It's vaaaguely the pose Miku makes when she becomes crazy

Carolina's color palette is so mwah mwah chef's kiss, it was so fun to render ( probs bc I'm not doing fancy lighting 🤪 )

I literally finished this piece an hour ago ahakdkwjdndndmw so last minute idk if he'll see this piece

no lie i forgot what my artstyle was bc there's a bunch of inconsistencies ahajdkwkw needed to have previous arts pulled up to remember

anyways regardless of me barely making it, I had a lot of fun!! I always use the randomizer to choose characters so I can be given a good challenge 😎

hopefully i'll do more next year :")

[softguarnere]

Like A Girl (Like A Man)

Shifty Powers x OFC

Chapter 35: Alii

Summary: And just as unexpectedly as Shifty has disappeared, someone from her past reappears. A/N: FINALLY - the Bobby faceclaim reveal! Whelp, I'm updating late - again 🫠 We've unexpectedly had some family move in, so trust me when I say that it's been a whole ordeal. Also, I may or may not be procrastinating writing these last few chapters, because I'm going to be so sad when this fic ends 💔 However - I'm always up for writing Zenie/Shifty and the gang, so even when this fic ends, we will see them again! The chapter title is the Cherokee word for "friendship" Warnings: none Taglist: @liebgotts-lovergirl @latibvles @dcyllom @ithinkabouttzu @mads-weasley @mrs-murder-daddy @lieutenant-speirs

North Carolina, 1945

For people who like to talk so much, Zenie’s friends fall into complete radio silence the second that she returns home.

She doesn’t expect letters to be waiting for her when she arrives. That would be ridiculous. She’s not expecting anything for the time being. But that night before going to bed, she dashes off letters to her friends to let them know that she’s made it home safely.

The next morning is eventful. Mama had her wish the night before; all her children were under the same roof again, safe and sound. And the one night seems to be all they will get – all they can take.

Matthew leaves the next morning for Wilmington. He, Marilyn, and Zenie say their goodbyes in the driveway by his truck, the first slivers of early morning sunlight giving their parting a golden hue.

“I’ll write when I get home,” Matthew tells them. He fixes them with a look that’s supposed to be stern, but he’s too good humored for it to be serious. “And I expect you two to do the same.” Then he hugs them, squeezes them tight, presses a kiss to Mama’s cheek, and is off – to his new, happy life as a husband and a father in the place that he should have grown up in to begin with.

When he’s gone, the women return to the house. No one has seen their father yet, but he has a habit of sleeping most of the day, anyway. Danny hasn’t shown himself yet, but at least they can hear him moving around. Zenie doesn’t understand why he and Marilyn didn’t just spend the night with his family on the farm next door. She would have stayed somewhere else if she could.

“I need to go visit Bobby,” Zenie says. She’ll get herself out of this house one way or another.

Marilyn purses her lips. “Well you can’t go empty handed.”

All throughout the war, Malarkey talked about snagging a lugger to take home to his brother. Though nothing of that caliber, Zenie does have a few treasures from her time abroad stashed away. Probably nothing that Bobby would like, though.

Marilyn tosses Zenie a look over her shoulder as she steps into the kitchen. “Danny once mentioned that Bobby is fond of strawberry pies.”

The implication seems to be that Zenie should bake one for him. It’s been three years since Zenie has seen her sister, but her kitchen mishaps have been so legendary that she would be good and truly shocked if her sister had managed to forget them.

“Are you trying to get me to give him a gift, or to poison him?”

Her sister smiles. “I’ll help you.”

Under her sister’s careful guidance, a soft and supple dough takes shape. Not a bit of it sticks to the rolling pin, or the counter, which seems like a miracle to Zenie. Marilyn even uses scraps of extra dough to make a braided rope to decorate the edges of the crust.

Tossing a quick glance over her shoulder to be sure that they’re alone, Zenie lowers her voice as she watches Marilyn begin creating the pie’s filling. “My husband likes pie.”

Marilyn’s eyebrows raise, but her attention doesn’t waver from the task at hand. “Does he?”

Zenie nods. “I won’t be able to make him any, though. So he’ll do the cooking, and I’ll do the cleaning.”

The wooden spoon makes a soft scraping sound against the side of the bowl as Marilyn begins stirring sugar into the berry slices. “You have a system all worked out.”

We have a system all worked out, Shifty had said before they left Europe – back when he was assuring her that everything would be okay. “Yeah.”

“Well,” Marilyn says. “now you know how to make him a strawberry pie.”

A frown tugs at the corners of Zenie’s mouth without her permission. “It probably won’t be as good as yours.”

For a split second, it looks as if Marilyn freezes, trying to absorb the hidden meaning in her little sister’s somber tone. Does she know that she’s perfect, and that Zenie has never measured up to her in comparison?

She shrugs. “He’ll like it better, though, because you’re the one who made it for him.” Zenie drops her elbows to the counter, cradles her chin in her hands as she watches her sister work. Before she can say anything, Marilyn continues in a quiet voice, “I would teach you how to make others, but Danny and I are leaving tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? To go where?”

Marilyn looks equal parts wistful and bashful when she admits, “Florida.”

“Florida?!”

“The Dills have some family down there. An uncle that was a doctor is leaving his practice and has offered to let Danny take over.”

Zenie isn’t quite sure what to say. She’s happy that her sister and brother-in-law will be going somewhere warm and where they can make a life for themselves, but she’s also struck by the realization that, not for the first time, she’s going to be stranded in this house again.

“Congratulations,” she finally forces herself to say. “That sounds exciting.”

A soft smile spreads across her sister’s lips. “I think it will be. And you can always come visit if it gets too cold in – “ She pauses, raises an eyebrow. “Where does your husband live again?”

“Virginia.”

“If it gets too cold up there, you’re welcome to visit us in Florida,” Marilyn offers. Then, she does something unexpected: she asks Zenie a question and seems genuinely curious as to the answer. “What’s your husband’s name? What’s he like?”

Until the pie is done being cooked, the sisters have the most pleasant and honest conversation that Zenie can ever remember them having. About their childhoods, about the war. And for once, Zenie doesn’t find herself comparing her own experiences, her own words, or even herself, to Marilyn.

The perfect pie finishes cooking all too soon. Zenie hardly waits for it to cool before she whisks it up and transports it over to the Dills’ house, balancing the warm plate on her right hand while knocking on the door with her left.

Shocked eyes greet her, but they’re quickly replaced with the biggest smile Zenie has ever seen. In one swift motion, Bobby manages to set the pie plate aside and wrap his arms around Zenie, picking her up as they embrace.

“You’re back!” He exclaims. He’s taller than he was when she left. From the strength in his hug and in his lifting her, he’s grown stronger, too.

“I am,” Zenie replies. “Mostly in one piece.”

Bobby is still smiling, but his eyes are full of concern. “I was getting worried. Your letters got few and far between, and then the war was just over.”

Zenie winces, explanations already on the tip of her tongue. There’s no good way to articulate the fact that she just started to get overwhelmed – especially after discovering the camp. “Sorry.”

But Bobby is still smiling. He puts a hand on her shoulder, squeezes. “Don’t be.” He chuckles. “I mean, you brought me a pie. How could I be mad?”

Of course, Bobby knows most of the story from the letters that she sent him, but he doesn’t know the secrets that she wasn’t able to slip into her messages. Once he spies the pie in her hands, he grabs two forks and whisks her off to the field that separates their houses, staying close to the shade of the tree line, and closer to his family’s land than hers, just in case. They settle in and she tells all.

“I can’t believe it,” he says when she’s done telling him her trials and tribulations. He shakes his head, his voice soft. “You had all the fun.”

With one line, he confirms what she suspected the last time that she saw him, all those years ago. This was about more than helping her escape from the life that she hated – this was a way for him to be part of something big, too, even if it had to be done through someone else. Looking inward, Zenie realizes that she isn’t even upset about it. Hell, she would have done the same thing.

“What about you?” She nudges his shoulder with hers, trying to keep the mood light. “Been up to anything exciting? Any plans now that the war is over?”

A frown pulls at the edges of Bobby’s lips. He scratches the back of his neck. “That’s the big question, isn’t it? You and my momma both.” He leans his head back against the tree they’re perched under, lets out a laugh. “Oh, I don’t know yet. My parents want me to go to college. My excuse for not going has been the war, since I would feel guilty if I was writing papers in a warm, safe dorm room while every other boy my age was fighting for his life in foxholes. But now it’s over in Europe . . .”

“They’re still fighting in the Pacific.”

He nods. “My folks don’t seem to think it’ll last long, though. I applied, just to get them off my back.”

“And?”

“I got in.” The simple answer lacks all the joy that usually accompanies such news. In fact, it’s grim, and sounds more like a death sentence than the segue into the next chapter of a young man’s life. “I’ve managed to convince them that I shouldn’t start until the spring, though, so you’re stuck with me a little longer.” He offers her a tight smile.

“Don’t worry,” Zenie assures him. “You’re also stuck with me, for a time.”

He uses his fork to procure himself a bite of pie from the plate in his hands. “I won’t be in bad company, then.”

For a man who has spent so many years in the back parlor rotting away in his rocking chair and doing nothing but complain and listen to the radio, Zenie’s father very suddenly develops a keen interest in the window by the front door. No one says anything, though Zenie assumes that it’s so he can make sure she doesn’t slip away again. Apparently he’s forgotten about the backdoor – the door which, ironically enough, she returned through – but no one says anything about that. Either way, it’s obvious that he is sticking to his word about Zenie not leaving.

For lack of anything else to do, she begins accompanying her mother to work. It’s mostly to spend time with her. Although she would be remiss if she didn’t admit that part of her does it just to flaunt the fact that she can and will go wherever she likes.

The two women rise early every morning. They eat a warm breakfast together at the kitchen table before heading out. In the mornings the world is peaceful and awash in a soft glow as they embark on their walk, baskets bouncing against their hips as they walk along. When they cross though town, Zenie deposits letters to her friends at the post office. Then they stop at houses, picking up peoples’ dirty laundry and delivering their clean clothes. At home, they work in the sunlit backyard, scrubbing clothes and enjoying each other’s company.

It starts slowly, like a sprinkling of water before a spring rain. Zenie had allowed her mind to wander as she worked and ended up giggling at the memory of something Bill had once said. When Mama gave her a questioning glance, she couldn’t help but tell her the story. Which gave way to another one, and another, and another, until she was telling her mother everything about her time at war.

Mama, for her part, asks questions about Shifty, smiling the whole time Zenie talks about him. “You look so happy,” she says.

“What?”

“When you talk about him,” her mother clarifies. “If you look that happy just talking about him, I can’t wait to see what you’re like when he’s actually here.” Through the soapy water of the wash bin, she reaches over and takes Zenie’s hand in her own, offering her a smile unlike one that Zenie has ever seen on her before. “I’m happy for you. I’m glad that you found someone to love so much, who makes you happy like this.”

Zenie has questions, too, and her mother has a story of her own.

“The morning I left,” Zenie begins one day, quietly. “When I turned back and saw you, I didn’t know where you thought I was going. And then I got your letter. On D-Day – the big jump. How did you know?”

There is only silence. For a moment, Zenie thinks about repeating herself, unsure if her mother heard her. But after finishing the skirt she’s washing, her mother lets out a sigh through her nose.

“I didn’t know where you were going. I just knew you were gone. And then one Sunday at church, the pastor asked for prayer requests. Bobby asked people to pray for a friend he had who was a paratrooper that had just been shipped to Europe. He doesn’t have many friends. I don’t mean that in a mean way,” she adds when she sees Zenie’s reaction to her last observation. “Besides, no one around here has a son in the Airborne. I had a feeling he knew where you had gone, so I slipped him the letter one day and asked him to make sure that it got to you. When I got a reply, well, I knew I was right.”

They lapse into silence again.

“I’m sorry,” Zenie apologizes. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Or to leave you with him.”

Momma shakes her head. “You did what you had to do.”

The silence is not so loud this time. Her words give Zenie something to think about. Because she did do what she thought that she had to do. But as she watches her mother work, she wonders if it was the right thing to do.

Much like her time back in Toccoa, the days bleed into each other in their similarity. The change of weather and the turning of the leaves marks the passage of time. Not the things that Zenie would like, such as letters from her friends, or Shifty’s glorious appearance. Not even the announcement that the war has ended in early September fixes things.

Every day when she returns home, she inspects that day’s post to find nothing for her, no matter how many letters she sends to her friends. First, her heart grows heavy. Then it grows hard. She’s been down this road before. Last time it was when Beckie moved away to the city, promising to write, and then never doing so. Funny – she wouldn’t have picked any of her fellow paratroopers as the type of people who would leave her hanging like this. Especially not Bill.

And not Shifty, who does not miraculously appear, no matter how often Zenie squints out at the top of the driveway in the distance and wills him to do so. He said he wanted to marry you, Zenie has to remind herself each and every day that passes with no word from her husband. He wouldn’t just abandon you.

He wouldn’t. She knows that. But it makes her wonder what has happened that could have made him disappear like this.

And just as unexpectedly as Shifty has disappeared, someone from her past reappears.

“Well Zena B, as I live and breathe!” The voice is so sudden, so unexpected, that Zenie drops the clothespins in her hand as she turns to face it. She’s alone in the yard, hanging up the wash while Mama makes dinner. As soon as her eyes land on Beckie – of all people – striding towards her, she’s filled with the childlike urge to run for it, though she’s not entirely sure where she would go. And she doesn’t have time to decide, because Beckie is upon her at once, wrapping her slender arms around Zenie in a hug and allowing herself a squeal of delight, as if she’s actually happy to see the friend that she stopped writing to with no explanation. When Beckie pulls back, she holds Zenie at arm’s length, inspecting her. “Your hair!”

It's been growing back quickly. Between not having Liebgott cut her hair near the end of the war and all these months spent at home, it now barely brushes the tops of her shoulders, and she hasn’t been attempting to style it like she once did. It’s not exactly like she’s been expecting anyone to see her, since her only forays into the public have been to help Mama on her rounds to collect laundry. She likes the way it looks, actually. But Beckie’s exclamation insinuates that it’s something that she should be ashamed of.

She shrugs. “I cut it.”

“Why?” Beckie lets out a gasp, her expressions exaggerated when she asks, “When you ran away?”

“How did you know about that?”

“My parents told me. I was so sad to hear that you had disappeared without a trace. But now you’re back!” She raises her eyebrows, leaning forward slightly, like she’s inviting Zenie to spill all the gory and glorious details of her adventures.

There was a time when Zenie would have divulged anything if she thought that it would make her friend happy. Except, Beckie isn’t a friend, is she? Because none of the friends that Zenie made in the army were anything like her. Not Bill, not Babe. Not Gene, who protected her secret to the last and never asked Zenie for any personal information until she offered it herself, freely. They didn’t expect things the way that Beckie does – and currently is.

Zenie shrugs again and says like an echo, “Now I’m back.”

In one swift motion, Beckie hooks her arms through Zenie’s and starts towards the house, abandoning Zenie’s laundry basket under the line, forgotten. They’re halfway there when Zenie realizes that her old friend means to invite herself in. And in the few seconds that they’ve been walking, Beckie has been talking, launching into the story of her life, seemingly picking up from where she last saw Zenie that day at the diner.

She walks a few steps before she registers that Zenie has stopped walking. Their hooked arms hold her in place, forcing her to look over at Zenie. “Aren’t we going inside?”

“No,” Zenie finds herself saying.

Beckie lets out a small laugh, just like she always did in school whenever she found something that Zenie said or did to be strange and took amusement in it. “Why not?”

“I don’t want to,” Zenie replies. Hearing the words aloud, she realizes that they’re true. She doesn’t want Beckie here. She doesn’t want to hear about how well she’s done in her life and her career. Zenie has done pretty well, too. But with the sadness that lurks in her heart and mind while she waits for Shifty and to hear from her friends, she knows that if she hears Beckie brag, she will fall back into the trap of comparing herself to the model and it will make her miserable to feel like she still doesn’t measure up after all this time.

“We can just talk out here,” Beckie improvises. She frowns when Zenie shakes her head and lets out a sigh. “Zena, you sure do make it hard for a friend to catch up with you.”

“That’s not what you want to do.”

Beckie blinks. “Excuse me?”

“This – “ Zenie gestures vaguely, indicating all the words that Beckie had managed to pack into their short walk. “ – isn’t catching up, Beckie. You just want to brag.”

“Well, I never! Brag?! I’m just telling you about what you’ve missed since you’ve been gone.”

The last time that Zenie saw Beckie had been back at the diner, shortly before she had made her decision to run away. Beckie had bragged the entire time then, too. She probably thought she was just catching Zenie up on all the terribly interesting and fabulous things that had been happening in her life since she had moved to New York. Talking a mile a minute and never bothering to actually listen to Zenie’s responses – when she had actually bothered to let Zenie attempt to speak, that is. It had been enough that time to make Zenie realize that her life could not go on as it was. And now it’s making her realize that she’s back at square one.

She needs to get out of here – again. Even if it’s just getting away from Beckie by escaping into the house.

“You never wrote to me,” Zenie says. “after you moved away.”

Beckie scoffs, then lets out a little laugh at this ridiculous joke. “That’s why you’re upset? Zena, that’s so – so childish.”

Maybe it is. But it’s not just about those letters that she never received. It’s about Beckie kissing the boy she knew Zenie had a crush on at that Christmas party in high school. And about how she looks down on Zenie, talking over her and assuming that everything about her own life is more interesting and more important. She’s always gotten her way. Zenie had thought that after Nixon had announced her marriage in one of his current events speeches. That had embittered her, made her jealous . . .

And then she had seen Shifty. Had seen how beautiful he looked in the sunlight that day. She had realized then that she had gotten something that she wanted, too. Jealousy had melted off her, leaving her fresh and free, like new blooms in a flowerbed after a spring rain.

It doesn’t always have to be this way. There is a life out there waiting for her that is so unlike this one. She knows, because she’s been living it for the past three years. And now, her future with Shifty is so close that all she has to do is reach out and take it.

“Beckie,” Zenie starts again, only to stop herself. She doesn’t want to explain herself, and she won’t. She wrenches her arm away from Beckie and takes a step toward her house and says the thing she should have said back when they were just kids, “I think it’s best that you don’t come over anymore.”

They stare at each other for a moment, each waiting to see what the other will do. When no one speaks, Zenie finally turns and starts towards the house again.

“Fine,” Beckie calls from behind her. “You’ve changed, anyway.” From behind her, Zenie can hear Beckie start to walk away, those stomping footsteps she used to use when upset still the same after all these years. “And it’s Rebecca, by the way!”

Zenie shrugs, even though she’s not sure if Beckie can see her or not. “Okay. And my name is Zenie. Only one person gets to call me Zena.” She does turn now, one last time, just to make sure Beckie’s jaw drops when she adds, “And that’s my husband.”

[ofzahras]

[ aiysha hart, cis woman, she/her ] — whoa! ZAHRA HAMED just stole my cab! not cool, but maybe they needed it more. they have lived in the city for TWO MONTHS, working as a POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER. that can’t be easy, especially at only 34 YEARS OLD. some people say they can be a little bit OBSTINATE and RESTLESS , but i know them to be OPEN-MINDED and RESOURCEFUL. whatever. i guess i’ll catch the next cab. hope they like the ride back to QUEENS! — 

here's zahra's pinterest for the vibes.

FULL NAME: zahra hamed DATE OF BIRTH: may 11, 1990 GENDER & PRONOUNS: cis woman, she/her

ORIENTATION: bisexual OCCUPATION: postdoctoral researcher PLACE OF BIRTH: minneapolis, minnesota  FAMILY: mother, father PETS: a black cat called circe

HEIGHT: 5′10′’ HAIR COLOUR: dark brown EYE COLOUR: dark brown

trigger warnings: mentions of religion, infertility, emotional distress, and smoking.

she’s an only child, born to a mixed race and interfaith family. her christian mother and muslim father brought her up in an environment where questions were encouraged and zahra was taught to argue her views and research new ideas.

despite her status as somewhat of a miracle child - her parents had already come to accept they wouldn’t be able to have children of their own due to a host of fertility issues - zahra grew up knowing a lot was expected of her. both of her parents had grown up with very little and had been able to use education as their way out of difficult home situations. she doesn’t resent her parents in the slightest, but sometimes wonders what her life would now look like if she been given just a bit more space and freedom to discover and make mistakes. still, she’s grateful for the drive her parents instilled in her as it has helped her to keep going even during times of distress. that being said, she has unfortunately picked up a host of rather unhealthy coping mechanisms for said stressful situations.

after graduating from high school at the top of her class, zahra packed her bags and moved to durham, north carolina, where she would go on to attend duke university, studying religion and philosophy. she later completed her phd in columbia university, writing her thesis about religious dialogue and pluralism.

while her life hasn’t always been easy or uncomplicated, it has been rather streamline. she has struggled and put in an enormous amount of hard work to get where she is now, but things have generally gone well for her. however, she has recently gone through something of a personal crisis and is really struggling to find her feet again. to put it simply, zahra has become wildly disillusioned with the academia and is suddenly really not sure she’s happy with her choices in life.

her postdoctoral research has now taken her back to new york city where she conducts research in and around the city. well, that’s what she’s supposed to be doing. however, she has run into a real slump and is struggling to get anything productive done. her self-esteem has taken a hit due to the resent developments, as her sense of self has been so deeply intertwined with her academic and professional success. she previously did a disappearing act, leaving her life in nyc behind, and is currently trying to get her shit together. trying being the operative word. she knows she doesn’t have the time to fuck around, but that’s kind of exactly what she’s doing.

will become visibly grumpy when asked about the state of her research project. that being said, she is procrastinating by researching other things, and has, amongst other things, taught herself french while trying to avoid all her responsibilities. she will soon start picking up and abandoning all sorts of fun pastimes in the hopes of distraction.

while she can be bit of a hermit - she spends most of her time alone, trying desperately to read and write, or avoiding said activities - zahra isn’t the sort of shy, serious person people might expect her to be. she can be incredibly talkative and opinionated, even downright bossy, and genuinely enjoys meeting new people. sometimes she just needs a friend to drag her outside.

looks kind of intimidating unless she’s making a conscious effort to appear approachable. while evidently very intelligent and well-meaning for the most part, zahra sometimes struggles when it comes to socialising and pleasantries.

zahra back arrived to nyc around two-ish months ago, so here are some super vague connection ideas for anyone interested!

the stress has led to a lot of sleepless nights, resulting in her becoming a real night owl. she can be spotted frequenting places that are open late, and can be found chain-smoking and scrolling endlessly on social media. she would've undoubtedly run into some folks with similar schedules and habits.

any people with fun, interesting hobbies. after forming some sort of a connection, she would undoubtedly pester these individuals to teach her stuff. your girl needs to be distracted from the looming doom of her research project.

zahra enjoys noisy music. so, a person willing to accompany her to gigs around the area. she's happiest when it's so loud she can't hear her own thoughts.

definitely people she met while doing her phd in nyc. she left the city a few years ago, but would've spent around five-ish years there before skipping town. she would've definitely had friends and even little romances during that time.

[acaffeinestudy]

11.11.22 || 9:40pm

Fall Study Challenge (tranqilstudy)

I've decided to partake in @tranquilstudy's fall study challenge on top of the 30 Days of Productivity. I've been in a bit of a study slump this semester which has led to a lot of procrastination and anxiety around school, so I'm hoping to find motivation and inspiration over the next month of rigorous studying and group projects I have.

Day 1: A bit about myself

My name is Beth and I'm currently in my last semester at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. My major is a pretty obscure major (only 16 schools have the program in the country) which is PGA Professional Golf Management. As a woman in the golf industry, I've been given some pretty cool opportunities that have allowed me to explore many different career paths in the industry.

Through various internships, where I've lived in Massachusetts, South Dakota, South Carolina, North Carolina, and soon California, I've been able to find my passion and niche in golf. I quickly found that tournament operations and women's golf is my passion - I love being able to promote the game of golf with a focus towards inspiring young girls and women in the game. Being able to experience working in the golf industry has been the best part of my life so far - the people I've met and the work I've done has been incredible.

Over the next month, I have quite a few group projects I'll be working on (hospitality marketing, turf grass management, food & beverage management, and PGA golf management) while also studying for some major PGA tests that I'm required to pass before being able to graduate. I'm super pumped to use this fall challenge and the 30 days productivity challenge to keep myself motivated and be able to truly see my progress over the month.

Today's goal: I started today by having a goal of finishing my golf operations notes, answering my question packets for Golf Operations and Supervising/Delegating, and I'm very happy that I was able to accomplish these while also understanding the content.

🎵 currently: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince soundtrack

🎵 rec: Light of a Clear Blue Morning | The Wailin' Jennys

[mcbride]

15 qs / 15 mutuals

tagged by carolina @graham-karen thanks much lovely! 🤍

1. are you named after anyone? i know my name Hanna and second (which i won’t say but you can probably guess) was inspired by Anna Karenina, my mom just gave it a slightly different spelling... probably so i wouldnt be embarrassed for the rest of my life...

2. when was the last time you cried? a real cry? i cant even remember which is nice, but i teared up reading fanfic just half an hour ago...

3. do you have kids? yessss!!! a yorkie named Maggie Marie!

4. do you use sarcasm a lot?  all the time, im probably not particularly good at it though

5. what's the first thing you notice about people? the eyes and the smile.

6. what's your eye color? boring brown

7. scary movies or happy endings? scary movies with a happy ending...

8. any special talents? procrastination!

9. where were you born? big us of a

10. what are your hobbies? doom scrolling (i kid!), tumblr and gifing, jogging, baking, right now im really into those tiny lil themed lego things, i dunno, i try a lot of shit at least once...

11. have you any pets? yeah, she is my child and im a very proud pet parent.

12. what sports do you play/have you played? i’m the worst at sports, as every girl growing up i did swimming lessons (that traumatized me for life), ballet, soccer, but again, i wasnt good at any of it... but i did find peace in solo exercising my body and mind tmi i guess.

13. how tall are you? 5′7

14. favourite subject in school? math it felt easier for me back then...

15. dream job? be rich and a professional tumblr girl

tagging (you’re welcome to ignore this! <3): @eddie-dustin @stars-bean @antlerqueer @mulderscully @arthurpendragonns @katherineebishop @killianglyndon @wexler-mcgill @jimmymcgill @aemma-arryn @wylanvannecks @nessa007 @chrrispine