#date and time in java

[arshikasingh]

Classes used to get current data and time in Java

Let us see the classes used to get current data and time in Java:

[bytecodedotorg]

Adding and Subtracting Days from a Date in Java

Imagine having a superpower that lets you move days forward and backward—like skipping to your next holiday or rewinding to the weekend (wouldn’t that be nice?).

Imagine having a superpower that lets you move days forward and backward—like skipping to your next holiday or rewinding to the weekend (wouldn’t that be nice?). Well, with Java, you might not bend the space-time continuum, but you can manipulate dates like a pro! Let’s dive into the art of adding and subtracting days from a date in Java. Grab your virtual DeLorean, because we’re about to do some…

[tpointtechblog]

Easy Guide to Getting Current Date in Java with Example

Current Date in Java Dealing with dates in programming can be a bit tricky, but fear not! Java makes it pretty simple to work with dates, especially when you need to get the current date. Let’s walk through how you can do this with some easy examples. Why Getting Current Date Matters? Before we jump into the how, let’s quickly talk about why you might need to get the current date in Java…

Read Our Full Java Tutorial Click here........

[bestanimal]

Round 3 - Mammalia - Artiodactyla

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Our final order of mammals, and second order of ungulates is Artiodactyla, commonly referred to as “even-toed ungulates”. Artiodactyla is a large and highly diverse group which includes the living families Camelidae (“camels”, “vicuñas”, “guanacos”, and kin), Suidae (“pigs”), Tayassuidae (“peccaries”), Hippopotamidae (“hippopotamuses”), Balaenidae (“right whales” and “Bowhead Whale”), Cetotheriidae (“Pygmy Right Whale”), Balaenopteridae (“rorquals”), Eschrichtiidae (“Gray Whale”), Delphinidae (“oceanic dolphins”), Monodontidae (“Beluga Whale” and “Narwhal”), Phocoenidae (“porpoises”), Kogiidae (“Pygmy and Dwarf Sperm Whales”), Physeteridae (“Sperm Whale”), Iniidae (“South American river dolphins”), Platanistidae (“south Asian river dolphins”), Pontoporiidae (“La Plata Dolphin”), Ziphiidae (“beaked whales”), Tragulidae (“chevrotains”), Antilocapridae (“Pronghorn”), Giraffidae (“giraffes” and “Okapi”), Cervidae (“deer”), Moschidae (“musk deer”), and Bovidae (“cattle”, “antelopes”, “goats”, and kin).

Artiodactyls are typically defined by the fact that they bear most of their weight equally on two or four of the five original ungulate toes. However, all living members of the infraorder Cetacea have lost their toes, replacing them with flipper-like limbs. Many artiodactyls have a relatively large head, with an elongated and narrow skull. Some families have cranial appendages, which include true horns, antlers, ossicones, or pronghorns. True horns have a bone core that is covered in a permanent sheath of keratin, and are found only in the Bovids. Antlers are bony structures that are shed and replaced each year, only found in deer. Artiodactyls have a well-developed sense of smell and sense of hearing. Similar to many other prey animals, their eyes are on the sides of the head, giving them an almost panoramic view, so that they can keep an eye out for predators while grazing. This order is highly diverse, ranging in size from the rabbit-sized Java Mouse-deer (Tragulus javanicus) to the largest mammal, and possibly the largest animal to ever exist: the Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus). Most are herbivorous, but many are omnivores or even carnivores.

Male artiodactyls are usually larger than females. In the majority of deer species, only the males grow antlers, and the horns of female bovines are usually smaller or absent. As this is a very diverse group, social and mating behavior vary between species. They have a tendency to form larger groups, but some live alone or in pairs. Species living in groups often have a hierarchy, both among males and females. Some species also live in harem groups, with one male, several females, and their common offspring. In other species, the females and juveniles stay together, while males are solitary or live in bachelor groups and seek out females only during mating season. Generally, artiodactyls tend to have long gestation periods, smaller litter sizes, and more highly-developed young (usually called a “calf”). Most deliver 1 or 2 calves at a time, but some pigs can deliver up to ten. Newborn artiodactyls are precocial and are born with hair and open eyes.

The oldest fossils of artiodactyls date back to the early Eocene (about 53 million years ago).

Propaganda under the cut:

More than half the species in the family Camelidae are domesticated, with the only living wild camelids being the Vicuña (Lama vicugna) (ancestor of the domestic Alpaca), the Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) (ancestor of the domestic Llama), and the Wild Bactrian Camel (Camelus ferus) (NOT the ancestor of the Domestic Bactrian).

Camelids have true canine teeth and tusk-like premolars, which are separated from the molars by a gap.

Both the Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) (image 1) and the Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) were domesticated in ancient times for riding, transport, ploughing, and as a source of milk, meat, wool, and leather. Today, the wild ancestors of both of these species are extinct, and only feral populations of domestic camels remain. The only truly wild camel species left is the Wild Bactrian Camel (Camelus ferus), which is critically endangered.

The Wild Bactrian Camel can survive on water saltier than seawater, something which no other mammal in the world seems to be able to tolerate, including the domestic Bactrian Camel.

In Aymara mythology, Llamas (Lama glama) are sacred beings. The Heavenly Llama is said to drink water from the ocean and urinates as it rains. According to Aymara eschatology, llamas will return to the water springs and ponds where they come from at the end of time.

Babirusas (genus Babyrousa) are unique for their prominent, upwards incurving, canine tusks, which pierce out through the flesh of the snout in males. The upper canine tusks continue growing, curving backward over the front of the face and towards the forehead. If a male Babirusa does not grind his tusks (achievable through regular activity), they can eventually keep growing and, rarely, even penetrate the individual's skull.

The Domestic Pig (Sus domesticus) was domesticated from the Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) beginning in the Neolithic, and is a result of two different domestication events in both the Middle East and China. They are mostly kept for meat and leather, but are also used in medicine and as pets. The Domestic Pig is one of the few omnivorous animals to be domesticated.

The endangered Chacoan Peccary (Catagonus wagneri) is the rarest of the 3 living species of peccary, with only around 3,000 individuals left in the world. It is a “Lazarus taxon”, as its genus was first described from fossil remains of the extinct Catagonus metropolitanus. The Chacoan Peccary only lives in hot, dry, thorny areas of the Gran Chaco.

While the semi-aquatic hippopotamuses were once more diverse, only two species of different branching lineages remain: the vulnerable Common Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) (see gif above) and the endangered Pygmy Hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis).

The Egyptian goddess Tawaret is depicted as a pregnant woman with a hippopotamus head, representing fierce maternal love.

Humans have hunted whales since prehistoric times, with depictions of whaling dating back to 6000 BC. Whales are hunted for their meat, blubber, and oil. Whale oil was in high demand for lighting lamps in the 18th century. The Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) was particularly prized for spermaceti, a dense waxy substance that burns with an exceedingly bright flame that is found in the whale’s spermaceti organ. Approximately 40% of Right Whales' (genus Eubalaena) (image 3) body mass is blubber, and thus they were known as the "right" whale to kill. Today, the North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is the most critically endangered great whale, with around 372 individuals left in the world. While whale hunting has been significantly curtailed in recent years, whales still face threats from entanglement in fishing gear, boat strikes, underwater noise pollution, plastic and heavy metals build-up, and accelerating climate change. Cetaceans are still hunted in some countries.

The Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is known to not only fight back against their main predators, Orcas (Orcinus orca), but also to interfere with Orca hunting parties, rescuing their prey.

The mysterious Narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is known for the long tusk of the males, which is a protruding left canine thought to function as a weapon, a tool for feeding, in attracting mates, or for sensing water salinity. Some males may grow two tusks, occurring when the right canine also protrudes through the lip. Some females may grow a tusk as well, but it is usually smaller than the tusks of males.

The critically endangered Vaquita (Phocoena sinus) is the smallest of all living cetaceans, reaching a maximum body length of 150 cm (4.9 ft) for females or 140 cm (4.6 ft) for males. The Vaquita is one of the most endangered animals in the world, with around 6-11 individuals remaining. They are endangered primarily due to bycatch in gillnets from the illegal Totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi) fishery.

The Baiji (Lipotes vexillifer) was a river dolphin, and the last surviving member of the family Lipotidae. It is classified as "critically endangered: possibly extinct", as no specimens have been seen in the Yangtze River in over 20 years. Heavy use of the river for fishing, transportation, and hydroelectricity were the likely causes of this unique species’ extinction. While some individuals may survive, their population is likely too low to recover. If indeed extinct, the Baiji's disappearance would be the first recorded extinction of a well-studied cetacean species to be directly attributable to human influence.

The Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is the last surviving member of its family. While they are sometimes referred to as antelope, this is an example of convergent evolution, and their closest living relatives are the Giraffids. The Pronghorn is the fastest land mammal in the Americas, and the third fastest land mammal on Earth, with running speeds of up to 88.5 km/h (55 mph). This running speed was likely an adaptation to flee the Pleistocene American Cheetahs (genus Miracinonyx), which are now extinct.

Giraffes are the tallest living land animals, with the largest being the Masai Giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi). Bull Masai Giraffes can grow up to 5.5 meters (18 feet) in height, and weigh 1,300 kilograms (2,900 pounds).

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus), also known as Reindeer, are unique among Cervids in that females may have antlers, although the prevalence of antlered females varies by subspecies.

Cervid antlers are a controlled form of bone cancer. Antler growth is tightly regulated by the activity of tumor-suppressing and tumor-growth-inhibiting genes. The cancer-suppressing genes that keep growth in check also protect against cancer in general, and documented cancer rates in deer that are five times lower than rates in other mammals.

Musk Deer (genus Moschus) are not true deer belonging to the family Cervidae, but rather their family is most closely related to Bovidae. They are known for the enlarged upper canines, forming sabre-like tusks, grown by the males for display.

The family Bovidae is the largest of the artiodactyls, and ungulates in general, accounting for nearly 55% of the ungulates. They also contain the majority of domesticated animals.

The critically endangered Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) is also known as the “Asian Unicorn” due to its rarity. The first photograph of a living Saola was taken in captivity in 1993. The most recent one was taken in 2013 by a movement-triggered camera in the forest of central Vietnam.

The African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer), specifically the Syncerus caffer caffer subspecies, the Cape Buffalo, is known as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. With nicknames like "the Black Death" or "the widowmaker", Cape Buffalos can be highly territorial and defensive, and wounded animals are reported to ambush and attack hunters. (However, Elephants, Nile Crocodiles, and Hippos are still responsible for more deaths per year than African Buffalos are. Not to mention mosquitoes and venomous snakes.)

Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus) and Zebu (Bos indicus) were both domesticated from the now extinct Aurochs (Bos primigenius) during the Neolithic revolution. While the Aurochs is now extinct, Domestic Cattle are the most successful members of their lineage, with over 1.4 billion cattle in the world.

The Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) is the fourth fastest land mammal, clocked at 88 km/h (55 mph). They are primarily known for their pronking behavior: bouts of repeated high leaps of up to 2m (6.7 ft) into the air. In pronking, the Springbok performs multiple leaps into the air in a stiff-legged posture, with the back bowed and the white fur on its rump raised. This behavior displays the fitness of males, both to attract mates and to ward off predators, who won’t waste time chasing a healthy, fit Springbok.

The Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries), domesticated from the Mouflon (Ovis gmelini) between 11,000 and 9000 BC in Mesopotamia, and the Domestic Goat (Capra hircus), domesticated from the Bezoar Ibex (Capra aegagrus aegagrus) around 8000 BC, were domesticated to provide easy access to meat, hides, dung (used for fuel), wool, and milk. It is thought that the birth of agriculture and domestication of livestock is what led to human civilizations, as it was hard to be nomadic with a large herd of animals. Villages popped up around pens of livestock, leading to towns, leading to cities.

[buddierecs]

bobby being buck's parent fics

w/ buddie in honour of the horrors that was today, i figured that we needed a bit more comfort (pain?) to go with it this is a mixed rated list, make sure to check the tags. remember to leave kudos/comment on these amazing works :)

the ordeal of dating your captain's (adopted) son (series) by: polish_amber "The au where bobby adopted evan when he was six years old, and then twenty years later eddie joins the 118 and starts dating buck... and no one initially realises that evan and buck are, in fact, the same person." word count: 307k important tags: bobby adopted buck, miscommunication, team as family, developing relationship

we found love right where we were by: polish_amber "the one where may ensures buck is enfolded properly into the grant-nash clan, which means bobby (and by extension the firefam, because gossip) suddenly gets significantly more insight into the inner workings of the buckley-diaz family, and all roads lead to buddie…" word count: 70k important tags: buck & may siblings, fluff, family feels if it weren't for second chances by: alasse a story about how buck finds a chosen family, and with a few twists and turns, eventually gets to the 118, meets eddie diaz, and maybe finds himself a second and a third (or, an evan nash story). word count: 47k important tags: familes of choice, buck & bobby save each other, slow burn buck being bathena's kid fics (lots of works, check tags for each one) by: smilingbuckley "A bunch of stand-alone fics where Bobby and/or Athena are acting like his parents/are his parents." word count: 533k important tags: bobby & athena being buck's parents, buck, may & harry as siblings, team as family winter prayer by: daisies_and_briars "when a work conflict prevents athena from accompanying bobby to minnesota for the ten year anniversary of his family dying, buck and may offer to go instead. over the course of the trip, they all learn more about each other, and bobby faces his grief." word count: 18k important tags: may & buck siblings, road trips, established relationship, grief, healing words, how little they man when they're a little too late by: polish_amber "the one where buck builds a family and his birth parents get exposed to pieces of it in the aftermath of 6x10: in a flash." word count: 13k important tags: hurt!evan buckley, pre-relationship buddie, pov outsider, team as family catharsis by: rogerzsteven "it only takes one minor inconvenience for buck to have his long overdue breakdown." word count: 5.3k important tags: emotional hurt/comfort, angst, mental breakdown, multiple pov to be loved anyways by: bookworm0303 "buck experiences the unconditional love of a parent for the first time in his life at a five year-old's birthday party." word count: 15k important tags: established relationship, buckley siblings have bad parents, protective!bobby nash bobby versus buddie by: songbvrd "five times bobby tried to gently hold buddie's hands and tell them they were in love, and one time they got the picture." word count: 10k important tags: 5+1 things, mutual pining, idiots in love, bobby nash pov the one with the return of the sex addiction by: buddiefication "bobby can tell that buck has a secret. he’s been showing up to things late, forgetting important information, and getting easily distracted. bobby comes to the most obvious conclusion: buck’s self-diagnosed sex addiction has returned in full-swing." word count: 2.7k important tags: outsider pov, secret relationship, worried!bobby java blues by: ravens_words "eight times buck drank bobby’s coffee, and the one time bobby made it for him." word count: 5.5k important tags: bobby nash pov, fluff

[dancethroughthethunder]

Bobby From High School Chapter Two: Two Coffees, One Giant Snickerdoodle, and… Hangman?

Pairing: Bob Floyd x Reader

Word Count: 3.4k

Previous Chapter: Chapter 1 Of All the Gin Joints

Summary: Before he knows it, it's Saturday and time for your coffee not-date. You and Bobby spend some time together at a local cafe, and even though you're unexpectedly interrupted by a familiar face, Bob can't help but smile at the thought of your morning together.

Author’s Note: I absolutely did not anticipate finishing chapter two tonight, but look where we are now! I've updated the chapter total on ao3 and am anticipating this will end up at 5 total chapters. This work can also be found here at my ao3. Thank you so so so much for the love on this, I can't believe how much you all like this already. I hope you enjoy! Divider by @/saradika

To the rest of the team’s surprise, Bob didn’t waste any time texting you and setting up time to meet for coffee at a cafe near base. (“Does Bob have game all of a sudden?” Rooster had asked Hangman, watching Bob smile at his phone one morning before work.)

The two of you spent the week texting back and forth, and spending the week looking forward to your Saturday morning plans. Even in high school, you were a big coffee drinker and had a big sweet tooth, so Bob decides that in addition to being convenient for you, Java’s is perfect with their decently priced, delicious coffees and incredible case of pastries. 

Bob can’t decide whether he’s nervous. On the one hand, he’s grabbing coffee with a beautiful, funny woman that he wants to spend more time with. On the other hand, he’s known you for ages and has always felt comfortable around you. As he pulls into the cafe’s parking lot, he realizes that this might be the first time you have ever hung out one-on-one. You talked every day in school, would hang out with a group of your friends, and sometimes you’d study one-on-one in the library but he can’t think of a time it was ever just the two of you, outside of school. With this revelation, he tips firmly into the ‘nervous’ category.

Bob knows he’s probably going to be a few minutes early, and doesn’t want you to feel like he’s waiting too long so instead of heading inside he decides to wait in his truck for a few more minutes. He pulls out his phone and replies to Phoenix’s text with a laugh. Despite his repeated insistence that this isn’t a date, Phoenix spent the morning blowing up his phone asking what he’s wearing, where he’s taking you, and for every detail he could possibly provide. 

Don’t get him wrong, Bob would love to take you on a date. He just thinks it might be too soon. Sure you’ve been texting all week and you’ve talked about work, and life since high school, but he has no idea if you’re looking for a relationship. He knows there wasn’t a ring on your finger at the Hard Deck, but there’s always the possibility that you’re seeing someone, or that you’re just not interested in dating. Even if you are, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you want to go out with him. No, Bob is happy to reconnect as friends right now. If he spends his time thinking about what it would be like to finally kiss you, and call you his, well nobody’s going to know. 

His phone vibrates with a text from you that you’ve just parked, so Bob checks his reflection to make sure that he looks alright, and gets out of his truck. It’s not that big of a parking lot so it doesn’t take long for Bob to find you. You’re looking the other way so he takes a second to check you out really look at you.

You’re wearing a pair of denim shorts, and Bob will deny it if he’s asked, but he stares at the way they hug your ass, just a little longer than is decent. You’re wearing a gray sweater with the sleeves rolled up and even though Bob would never think to pair a sweater with shorts, would worry that it looks like he couldn’t decide what the temperature is, it looks adorable on you. To top it all off, you have half of your hair tied up in a cute little ribbon that Bob nearly groans when he sees. Bob really is a gentleman, so he tries to quickly dismiss the voice in the back of his head that wants to unwrap you like a present.

Somehow the ribbon in your hair matches Bob’s shirt, and his heart skips a beat at the idea of the two of you matching. Maybe Phoenix is onto something and he will ask you on a date soon, just as soon as he determines for sure whether you’re single. 

Brushing those thoughts off to the side, Bob takes a few steps forward and calls out your name. You turn around and he watches a smile light up your face as you see him. Immediately, you look down at his shirt and excitedly turn around, pointing out your ribbon.

“Bobby, we match!”

“We sure do.” He chuckles. You turn back around to face him and he walks forward to catch up with you as together you walk into the coffee shop. 

Ever the gentleman, Bob waits with you while you look at the menu. Whether you’ve realized it or not, Bob is absolutely paying for your coffee and he’s already ready with multiple reasons why you should let him. As you two approach the counter, Bob gestures to let you go first while you order your iced coffee with a splash of vanilla. You go to pull out your wallet and Bob immediately places a hand on your wrist, gently lowering it. 

“It’s on me.” 

“Bobby, I’ve got this. You don’t have to.” Unsurprisingly, you give him a look like he’s the ridiculous one. As if there was any world in which Bob wouldn’t pay for your drink. His mama raised him better than that. 

“I know I don’t have to. I want to. Besides, you paid for my drink at the Hard Deck.” 

“Oh alright, but I’m buying next time.” You cave faster than expected as you two share a smile. Bob wonders whether you can tell how he’s filled with butterflies at the mention of a next time. While you’re busy looking around the cafe, Bob orders his coffee and decides to add one more item to your order. Bob pays and thanks the barista as she says that she’ll bring your order to the table. Together you go and sit down near the window.

Immediately you start telling him about your morning and about the Farmers Market you drove by on your way to meet him that you think you’d like to visit next weekend. 

After a few minutes, the barista brings over a tray with two coffees and a plate and before you can say anything, Bob thanks the barista again and passes you your drink.

“I thought maybe you’d like to split this.” He says as he slides a plate with what might be the largest snickerdoodle you’ve ever seen towards the middle of the table.

“You remembered!” The look on your face radiates sheer joy, and Bob relishes in the feeling of being the person to make you smile like that. 

“How could I not? I think you ate one with lunch every single day senior year.” Plus , he thinks, I don’t think I could ever forget anything about you . 

“Bobby, they were so good. They were delicious and had the perfect texture! The perfect level of softness, almost bordering on too soft. And they were moist! But not soggy. I really think they were magic.”

“I don’t think I ever saw anyone but you with one of them. The chocolate chip, sure, but only you loved those cafeteria snickerdoodles so much.”

“Excuse me, you liked them too!” You say with fake outrage, on behalf of your beloved cookies. 

“Yeah, I did.” Bob admits, thinking that what he liked the most was the smile on your face when you’d break off a piece to share with him. As if you can read his mind, you reach forward to break off a piece of cookie and stretch your hand out to him. Bob can’t help but give into the moment of deja vu of all the times you were in this position in high school, and he wonders whether you’re thinking about the same thing. 

Between sips of your coffees and bites of the gigantic coffee, you and Bob start to talk about a little of everything. 

“Okay, I have to admit,” you say a few minutes into the conversation. “I almost didn’t come over to talk to you at the bar.”

“No?” He asks, with a tilt of his head.

“No, I’m really not a ‘chatting up a stranger at a bar’ kind of girl, and in my defense, it’s been many years and you weren’t wearing your glasses. I actually don’t even know if, aside from a few seconds to clean them, I’ve ever really seen you without your glasses. You even wore them in gym class and at your games!” 

As a member of the softball team, it wasn’t uncommon for you to be at the baseball games when they didn’t conflict with your own but even all these years later, Bob can’t help but grin at the idea that you paid enough attention to remember that detail about his glasses. Similarly, he thinks he could tell you the way he remembers the deep purple color of your bat, and of watching your ponytail swing as you ran from base to base, whenever he and the guys could make one of your games. But maybe that’s not the point right now, maybe that’s a little bit too intense for your first time hanging out alone, so he focused back on the conversation.

“That makes sense. What made you come over?” 

“I kept looking at you, trying to put a name to your face. One of my friends threatened to come ask you herself if I didn’t, and I love her but she can be a lot.” You laugh and he nods knowingly, thinking that he might do the same if Phoenix or, God forbid, Hangman, were to go offer to talk to someone for him. 

“Well, I’m glad you did.” He says sincerely. 

You smile and take a sip of your coffee, and let out a groan when you realize it’s now empty.

“My only problem with iced coffee is I drink it too fast, it’s too delicious.” You joke. “My weakness. I’m going to grab another one and some water. What would you like?”

Bob likes the way that you phrase that, making it clear that you will be getting him something, without offering him the chance to politely refuse. He knows that if he did say no, you wouldn’t push it, but truth be told he does want another coffee. With his order in mind, you head towards the trash and dish return with your empty cup and plate before going to order your next drinks.

Taking a second to pull out his phone, Bob isn’t surprised at all to see another series of texts from Phoenix wishing him luck, asking him how it’s going, and telling him to tell you that she says hi. You’re still up at the register, so he takes a second to respond when he hears the twinkling of the bell above the front door. 

Bob looks up instinctively at the noise, and immediately wants to crawl under the table. What the fuck is Hangman, of all people, doing here? Bob angles himself a little bit away from the door, and ducks his head back down to look at his phone both so he can text Nat this newest development, and with the hope that it will be enough to stop Hangman from noticing him. 

Unfortunately, in his attempt to not be seen, he forgets to account for one thing: Hangman’s inability to resist or forget a pretty face. 

“Hi, there.” He hears Jake say, and he’s frozen in his seat wondering whether he should stay where he is or come join you.

“Oh, hi.” You say sweetly, and Bob decides that for now, he’ll stay where he is. Jake’s a pain but he’s not a threat that Bob has to defend you from. 

“We’ve met before, actually.” Hangman starts to say as you cut him off.

“Oh, you’re one of Bobby’s friends!” 

Jake chuckles as he tells you you’re right. With his back turned, Bob doesn’t see the way that you glance over to him as you say his name or the way that Jake turns to follow your eyes all the way to him. With a smile, you tell Jake it was nice to see him again and head back over to Bob while Jake goes to place his own order.

It’s really an accident that Jake’s here right now. He heard Bob and Phoenix mention the cafe at work the other day, and couldn’t get the idea of one of their lattes out of his mind. He wasn’t paying enough attention to know why they were talking about this place, but now that he’s here and so are you and Bob, he’s not going to pass up the chance to talk to someone as pretty as you, especially if he can also annoy Bob just a little by doing it.

As you approach, Bob slides his phone back into his pocket, trying not to laugh at Nat’s immediate response and annoyance with Hangman. 

“Alright, one hot coffee with milk ordered for you, and another iced coffee for me. I also grabbed you a water, I figured if I was getting one you might want one too.” You shrug. “By the way, I ran into one of your teammates. The tall blonde?” You nod in Jake’s direction and Bob makes a show of turning around and looking at Jake as if this is his first time noticing him.

“Yeah, Hangman. Jake.” He clarifies. 

“Oh, right. I was thinking Rooster, but I didn’t think that was right.” Bob can’t help but laugh. For a second, you looked worried that you’ve said something wrong or that he’s laughing at you until he gives you a very quick explanation of the almost frenemy nature of the rivalry between Rooster and Hangman.

The barista comes over with your drinks, once more, and this time you surprise Bob by offering him a sip of yours. 

“So sorry, I totally meant to do it last time and was distracted by that cookie. It might be a little too sweet for you but give it a shot. If you want!” 

Bob’s a simple coffee guy, he’s not usually one to branch out from a simple hot coffee but he figures there’s no harm in trying. Grabbing your coffee and pulling it over to him, he leans in and takes a sip.

“That’s actually really good.” He says, almost surprised. He shouldn’t be, he thinks, he trusts your taste. You smile proudly, glad that you’ve got his seal of approval on your drink. 

All of a sudden there’s a new addition to your table as Hangman sits down in the empty chair next to Bob. 

“Well, hey y’all. Fancy seeing you here.” Jake says with a very quick glance at Bob, and a much longer look at you.

“I’m so sorry - I don’t think I gave you my name!” You say sweetly, telling Jake your name. “And you’re Rooster, right?” 

If Bob didn’t know you the way he did, he’d think you were being sincere, even knowing that you two had just had the Rooster/Hangman talk. But Bob sees the slight glint in your eyes, recognizes the saccharine tone you used to use to talk your way out of a late penalty on homework, and has to bite back a laugh as you nudge your foot against his under the table.

It’s even sweeter because Jake doesn’t know you, he has no idea that you’re doing this on purpose and Bob sees his facade crumble for just a second, at the idea that you’ve conflated him and Bradshaw. Bob can’t wait to tell Nat about this, and if he wasn’t already head over heels for you, he knows this would do it.

“Hangman, actually, but you can call me Jake.”

To his credit, Hangman recovers fairly quickly, but he still seems a little off his game compared to the way Bob normally sees him chatting up women. Still, Bob is trying to come up with a way to get Hangman to leave, without being overly rude. Somehow you manage to do it for him, telling Hangman that you’ll stop by the Hard Deck again next Friday and even leaving him with the promise of letting him buy you a drink. During your back and forth with Hangman, you had mentioned that you were single, in response to Hangman’s needling about whether there’s anyone he’d be upsetting by buying you a drink. Bob’s not exactly thrilled that it’s Hangman that’s asking, but he decides to focus on the excitement of confirming that you’re single, instead.

Bob hears Jake’s phone right as he walks out of the cafe, and by the look on Jake’s face, he’s pretty sure he knows who is calling and why. Bob makes a mental note to grab one of Nat’s favorite pastries on the way out to bring her as a thank you.

“That was incredible. The wrong name, getting him to leave so quickly. Truly one of your best.” Bob tells you, and you look pleased as punch at the compliment. 

“Oh thank you, thank you.” You say, miming an extravagant bow. “He seems nice, if full of himself. But tell me more about your teammates. I’ve gotta know something more than their callsigns when I show up on Friday.” 

Bob does exactly that, arming you with enough basic information about names, personalities, and easy topics of conversation to last you an entire weekend, much less one single night at the bar. 

“Are you cool with me coming Friday? I don’t want to intrude just because Jake invited me. I don’t mean to pop back up in your life and suddenly show up everywhere.” You laugh, but Bob can hear the nerves underneath. 

“I’d love for you to come. Besides, I don’t think I’d mind if you showed up everywhere.” Bob surprises himself with the true, but unexpectedly serious, comment. Given the bright smile on your face, he’s ultimately glad he said it.

Eventually, Bob’s phone rings and he looks down, surprised, as he sees Phoenix’s name and picture pop up on the screen.

“I’m so sorry, I thought it was on silent.” He tells you, though you wave off his worries and tell him to answer. 

“Hey, Nat. I’m at the cafe. What’s up? Everything okay?” Bob’s phone is set to ring after three calls in Do Not Disturb, so he’s momentarily worried that something is wrong.

“Holy shit, are you still on your not-date? Bob, it's been three and a half hours. You have to tell me everything but we’ll talk later.” Nat practically screams when she learns you’re still there, and quickly hangs up on Bob.

As he looks down at his watch, Bob realizes she was right. Just like that first night at the Hard Deck, Bob has no idea where the time has gone while you two talk.

“So sorry, that was Nat. She didn’t realize I was still here.” He says, hoping it doesn’t sound like he’s trying to rush you out the door.

“No, no, I totally get it. Time really flies, huh? Besides, she seems great.” 

She is, and Bob tells you that, offering to introduce you better. You talk for another few minutes before looking down at your own watch.

“Shit, I’m sorry, I have to run soon. It’s my nephew’s birthday back home and I promised I’d facetime in during the party.” You say, standing and gathering your dishes to return. For the second time that day, Bob stops you with a hand on your wrist.

“Don’t worry about the dishes, I’ve got it. We can’t leave him hanging without a call from his favorite aunt.”

“You’re the best, thanks Bobby. I’ll see you Friday, oh and I’ll text you!” You yell over your shoulder as you rush out of the cafe.  Bob laughs as he heads up to the counter again, grabbing a treat for Nat before giving her a call to see if she wants to hear all about your not-date in person. With the exception of the unexpected Hangman visit, Bob considers it a good morning. He got to spend hours talking with you, getting to know more about what you’ve been up to since college, got confirmation that you’re single and that you want to text him more, and (unfortunately thanks to Hangman) he gets to see you again on Friday. Bob doesn’t need a mirror as he climbs back into his truck, armed with a snack for Nat, to know that you’ve put a big smile on his face. A few streets away, already on your way home, you’ve got the same look on your face. Neither of you knows that the other is thinking the same thing, I can’t wait for Friday.

[samuel-de-champagne-problems]

Testing One, Two, Three (S.R. Smut +18)

Summary: (Spencer Reid x Fem Reader) Spencer comes home, after a long week of being away, with a bag full of (sexy) surprises.

Content Warnings: Sex toy use, praise kink, dirty talk, mutual self pleasure, coming undone, overstimulation, very light submissive (Reader) dominant (Spencer) dynamics, talk of anal sex & pegging

Word Count: 3.3K

Note: This is one that I have had saved in my drafts for a very long time! And I just had the inspiration to finish it a couple days ago.

Testing One, Two, Three

It wasn’t strange for Spencer to make trips to the grocery store, to the used bookstore, or the pharmacy before making his way back to Y/N’s storybook Tudor home after work.

This evening proved to be not unlike the others. Spencer, driving his powder blue Volvo pulls into Y/N’s driveway. She watches from the windows as he takes out his satchel, his overnight bag, and other large black shopping bags. It didn’t look like it was from the grocery store and their local bookstore didn’t give customers plastic bags. Curious, Y/N unlocks the door for Spencer, deciding to meet him at her front stoop instead of in the kitchen or the hallway like normal.

“Hey there, love,” Spencer says, the nickname brushing off his lips with ease. He looks tired and worn down. Y/N thinks that traveling through two different time zones and not getting enough sleep is a way to do that to a person, but she decides she’ll keep that to herself and just usher Spencer to bed earlier tonight.

“Oh, Spence. I really missed you,” she confesses, breathing in his familiar scent. It's a little different. He smells like cheap hotel shampoo and stale coffee, not like his usual minty and green tea body wash and expensive coffee beans. 

Spencer sighs into her neck, swaying slightly as he holds Y/N in his arms on her front stoop. His bags, even the mysterious black on, lay neglected on the ground by their feet.

“I know, Y/N. I know, sweetheart,” he reassures, rubbing his hand up and down her back in a comforting gesture. “I got you something. Well, really it’s for us. But for you, mostly I suppose,” 

“You’re acting clingy and squirrely,” she assesses, leaning back to look at Spencer’s unreadable face. He simply shrugs, as if to say you’ll find out when you find out. 

“I need caffeine,” Spencer remarks, as he insists on carrying all the bags into the house by himself, “And something comfy to wear. I’ve been in this shirt for the last two days. There was a break in the case 41 hours in and we couldn’t break for the hotel. It was too out of the way,” 

“Oh my poor boy,” Y/N exclaims, helping Spencer shed his cardigan and standing with him as he takes his shoes off, “What about a nice hot shower and then some leftovers. I made chickpea curry last night. We have leftover rice and garlic naan, too,” she offers. 

Spencer, offering his thanks, grabs at his tie. His shoulders tense with exhaustion and something unreadable. He’s not usually mysterious. Usually, Spencer’s nothing but an open book. 

“You alright?” Y/N asks, doling out the portion of chickpeas and rice on the delicately decorated plates she received for her 25th birthday. 

“Fine,” Spencer says, clipped and detached. 

So unlike him. 

“Hmm. Well how was work? Anything interesting happen?” Y/N asks, attempting to spark conversation with her boyfriend. They’ve only been dating for a solid five months; enough time for whatever it was to have run its course. If Y/N didn’t know any better than she should expect herself to be circling the drain tonight along with dishes that would certainly be neglected for a pint of Java Chip. 

“Fine,” Spencer says, nodding thanks for the plate of food. He shovels in a couple bites, seemingly uninterested in continuing the conversation. 

So unlike him. 

Usually, Spencer would be clamoring to talk to her. It wasn’t too long ago that they spent long nights sharing a bottle of red and talking about everything from books to movies to the meaning of life. 

“Alright, Spencer. Cut the crap. Are you breaking up with me? Because if you are–?” 

Shock washes over Spencer’s face. And he doesn’t wear it well. He does a spit take and it’s nearly as foolish as it looks like in movies. Spencer’s eyes grow about three sizes bigger. 

“What? Break up with you? God, no,” he stammers, the sentiment clear although his efforts lacked clarity. 

“Okay.” Y/N says, tossing Spencer a napkin to mop up his mess of curry and water. “Good to know. But why are you acting so….squirrely?” 

Shifting in his seat, Spencer attempts to remain calm. His eyes, a honey brown with a cool brown rim, flit to the mysterious bag he brought in from his car. It was as if she could hear the whirring of the gears clicking into place. She follows his gaze to the bag. 

“You bought something. Something that you’re either nervous about or embarrassed? So it can’t be books. And it’s not something innocuous like a throw blanket or pie dish. And judging by your breathing growing heavy, it’s something….salacious.” 

Spencer’s thin upper lip twitches with delight. He hums, neither confirming nor denying her claims. His eyes flicker with playfulness, a contrast to moments ago when Spencer’s eyes flooded with fear and shock.

“You’re smart.” Spencer concludes, smiling with knives. He stands to presumably grab the black bag that has caused so much intrigue. “Should have been a profiler with a mind like yours.” 

“I’ll stick to what I know.” Y/N tells him, her interest in the bag only growing 

when Spencer places it in front of her on the table. “Let me guess, we’re at the stage in our relationship where you can buy me sexy underwear without it looking like you’re sleaze,” 

Chortling, Spencer blushes profusely. His feeble attempts at hiding the bag's contents fail miserably as they only pique Y/N’s interest. His eyes are wide with wonder and anticipation in the kitchen light. 

“It’s not lingerie.” 

“Alright, well whatever it is, Spencer I’m sure I’ll love it. You’re being so jumpy, it’s making me think you’ve got some really kinky sex toy in here,” she says, reaching her hand into the bag to finally examine its contents. She’s good at reading faces. From the old man who reads French Literature on the Metro to the young barista at the local coffee shop, Y/N, like even Spencer admitted, is pretty well versed at reading people. Which is why, for a split second she reads pure terror in Spencer’s eyes. 

“Oh shit,” she says, turning the box in her hand and reading the label. “You bought me a wand?” Her voice goes up an octave as if she’s just realizing what she’s holding in her hands. 

Spencer, now thoroughly, embarrassed, covers his face with his hand. His cheeks are tinged a lovely pink and he peeks through his fingers, apparently still eager. “Will you kill me if I say that’s not the only thing in there?” 

“Spencer Reid!” she shouts, slapping his hands on the table with glee and excitement. It was the very thought of Spencer Reid in a sex shop that sent both shivers down her spine, like an electric shock and shock waves of laughter through her system. “You went into a sex shop.” 

“Yes, Y/N,” Spencer contends, his tone playful enough, “But please continue your teasing. We’ll see how cocky you’ll be when you’re on the receiving end of 5000 RPMS. And that’s the lowest setting,” 

“Is that a threat?” Y/N asks, leaning in closer to Spencer. Her cleavage is eye level to Spencer’s line of vision. His eyes dart there to the bag and back to her eyes. 

He shakes his head. “A promise. Continue,” Spencer instructs, pointing towards the bag. She listens, fishing her hand in the large bag.

“That’s a clitoral stimulator.” Spencer explains, “The website I got recommendations from says that it simulates oral sex. It has eleven settings,” he continues, watching as Y/N’s eyes grow big at the thought of the toy in her hands. 

“Hmm, eleven?” she muses, putting it down next to the menacing looking hitachi wand.

“Another one? Spencer, how much money did you spend on toys?” she says aghast as she takes out yet another item from the bag. 

“It’s a Lush vibrator.” Spencer explains, waving off Y/N’s concerns for his wallet. “It’s actually connected to my phone. That means I can control it, even when we’re apart. Which, considering how much we’re apart, just might come in handy.” 

“This must have cost a lot of money.” Y/N speculates, staring at the three presents facing her on the countertop. “You really didn’t have to. You really shouldn’t–” 

“Y/N,” Spencer says, her name sounding deadly in his breathy timber, “It’s my job to make sure you’re satisfied. And I thought it would be a little fun to bring in some…reinforcements.” 

“That’s certainly more forward thinking than my last boyfriend. He was under the assumption that toys stole his thunder. But between you and me, and like every other woman he slept with, it’s probably because he hardly ever made me finish.” 

“Really?” Spencer says, looking shocked. “And he was still insecure about bringing toys into the bedroom?” 

Laughing, Y/N tosses her head back in a chortle. There was something endearing about Spencer’s genuine shock. 

 Spencer, looking half bemused and half proud, shifts in his seat. “So are we going to test them out or what?” 

Twenty minutes later, they were both in her bed. Y/N, on her back, with her feet planted firmly on the bed, watches as Spencer studies her carefully. Sweat pools in her cleavage and she grabs the sheets, needing something to grip as yet another wave of pleasure washes over her body. He had already coaxed an orgasm out of her with the clitoral stimulator. 

Spencer, fully dressed, holds the wand against her. He has a notebook to her left with small scribbles of notes detailing how fast she’s edged with each different toy. His scribbles, messy and disorganized at best, grow increasingly illegible. Spencer’s creases his brow, a sign of his intense determination, and is fuzzy as Y/N gazes down at him. She watches his look of stoic concentration, something that she finds entirely too attractive. But considering he plans on bringing her to climax time and time again tonight, she’ll give into her flights of fancy. 

“Think you like this one.” Spencer comments. He switches the wand to his less dominant, but still skillful hand to make notes on the pad. A self-satisfied smirk grows on his face, a sign that he’s enjoying this more than he’s letting on. 

“It’s really good.” she says, her voice betraying her already limited resolve. Spencer’s fingers lie casually on her thighs, searing marks into her legs that vaporize her skin. When he touches her it’s like her limb liquifies and her skin melts. She wants his fingerprints to sear into her skin, finally becoming part of her. 

“Yeah,” Spencer asks, a sarcastic smirk playing on the corner of his mouth, “Tell me more, sweetheart. Tell me how good it feels.” 

Spencer’s words are punctuated by the head of the toy rolling against her clit. He never keeps it in one place longer than a couple of seconds, either not wanting to overstimulate her too soon or to keep her on her toes longer for him. 

“It feels so…good. Better than it used to. Before I had you,” she stammers, the words clunky in her mouth as she concentrates on Spencer’s deft hand at her core and his warm lips against her neck. 

“That’s right, sweetheart. Before you had me to keep you nice and full, you had to use things like this. But I’m gone too often for you. I need to know my sweet girl is taken care of. So we’re going to test all of these toys out tonight. Till you’re drippy little mess, begging for me to finally fuck you.” 

Spencer’s sloppy kisses climb the slope of Y/N’s neck. He leaves whisper-wishes into the nooks of her skin, each one filled with promises and love. It’s a stark contrast; the sweet kisses to his hand that holds the vibrator: the bane of her undoing. 

“You know Hitachi wands are excellent for clitoral stimulation. This one has only one vibration pattern, but eight different speeds. Now that sounds like a challenge. And one that I’d like to break.” 

Y/N’s brow furrows as she gazes at Spencer with a deep concentration. He breathes against her neck, a trail full of wet kisses plotting their revenge against her sensitive skin. Spencer’s fingers hold the wand deftly as he concentrates the sensation against her clit. Y/N’s feet move up the bed, dragging the crocheted blanket with them. 

“Holy shit, Spence!” Y/N curses, her breath bated as the wand’s vibrations kick up a couple of levels. 

“That’s my girl. You like the fourth setting. Remember that, baby,” Spencer says, his lips curved into a proud smile as Y/N’s hips jut upwards in tandem with the toy, “Just like that, Y/N. I can tell you’re close. Give me another. One’s not enough for my greedy girl. And who am I to deny such a pretty face and a wet pussy. It’s all mine after all.” 

She feels the wand leave her clit and venture up to her stomach. Y/N’s muscles react like falling dominos at the sensation. She tenses as the vibrations shoot up and fry her nerves. Spencer licks his lips at the sight of her arousal sticking to her bare torso. He carefully dances the wand up to her nipples, watching with glee as they pebble even further in response to the vibrations. 

“One day I’ll give you an orgasm from just playing with these nipples. I’ll lick and kiss and suck on them till you’re dripping and begging for my cock to fill you up.” 

“Jesus, Spencer.” Y/N pants, her hips buckling as her climax reached its peak. “Can I come, please? Please let me come again? I need it so fucking bad, baby.” Her tongue peaks  out from her lips, wetting the surface as Spencer peered up at her. She grabs his collar to drag him up for a kiss just as she finally teetered off the edge, yet again. 

Spencer separates from the kiss, his lips puffy and red from Y/N’s frantic mouth. He smiles, gently caressing her head in a gesture that was entirely too sweet for their current situation. She feels Spencer’s erection in his pants; it had to be almost painful by now. 

“What was that two or three?” Y/N asks, a self-satisfied smirk plaguing her face. “I think we might set a record or something.” 

“That was two.” Spencer corrects. He takes more notes in his little notebook. “Of at least four or five. Depending on how much you beg later.” He slips off the bed and fishes through the bag. “Now, I think I have an idea for which I’d like to try next.” 

A bright pink silicone dildo with a flared based, freshly washed, lays in between them on the bed. Y/N raises her eyes in surprise. 

“Most men wouldn’t be too thrilled to have something other than their penis fuck their girlfriends, you know.” 

Spencer shrugs. “Yeah, but there’s a lot that we can do with it.” He claims, “Like double penetration or even, uh,” He blushes and stumbles over his next comment, “And pegging.” 

Y/N grins as an overwhelming sense of arousal washed over her. “Oh,” she says, skimming her fingers around Spencer’s neck. His skin is ridiculously soft, “we are so tabling that one for later. I would love to see you a mess for me instead.” 

Spencer grins. “Fuck, that’s good, Y/N. So good.” He kissed her forehead. “I wanna watch you ride it. Like you would my cock.” 

Y/N nods, as Spencer shifts on the bed, allowing for her to assume a crouched position. She looks at Spencer, his eyes laden with lust and love. He sits, legs spread in an attempt to accommodate his hardened erection in the old arm chair. He looks too good to be true, his cheeks are tinged with a blush, the dances that line between innocence and corruption. His notebook is forgotten, as he needs the entirety of his attention focused on the sight before him. 

“Good girl.” Spencer mutters, his hands resting on his thighs, but they twitch restlessly. It was as if he needs to physically hold himself back from ravishing Y/N at the sight of her crouched on her bed ready to fuck herself with a dildo her purchased for her. “Lower yourself on the toy. Give yourself an inch into your sweet little cunt.” 

His voice is deep, yet soft as he guided her pleasure expertly. She groans as the toy breaches her cunt, the full sensation is welcomed after the last hour of the wand and clit stimulator. 

“Don’t you wish it was your cock fucking my cunt, Spencer?” Y/N asks, her right hand wrapped around the flared base of the toy and the other holding herself up. Her abdominal muscles stunned with strain as her body remained in a crouched position, but the promise of release goaded her on. “You’re so hard, baby. I can see it from here. Don’t you want to touch yourself?” 

Spencer bites his lip. He nods as his hands undo his belt and his hips lift up enough so he can shimmy his pants and underwear to his knees. He wraps a hand around his cock, hard and glistening with arousal, and rubs upward with a tight fist. Spencer’s teeth dig into his bottom lip as he continues to watch Y/N lower herself onto the toy. 

“Give yourself another inch, sweetheart.” Spencer instructs as he fucked his fist. He swipes his thumb over the tip of his cock. “Fuck I wish it was your mouth or your pussy on my dick.” 

“God, you have the prettiest cock.” Y/N pants, the toy filling her up more and more as she sinks lower onto the base. “But now that we have this toy, maybe you can fuck my ass? I know you’d like that, baby.” 

“Dirty girl,” Spencer praises, a smile covering his face as Y/N’s thighs quiver, “Tell me does that toy fill you up nicely? I had to pick out the best one for my girl.” 

“Yes, yes,” Y/N answers, her voice rough and raw, “So good….I feel so full.” The pink dildo filled her cunt. 

“Good. Good.” Spencer says, his hand moving up and down his cock at a hastened pace. “Show me how you’ll ride it when I’m not here to fuck you, baby. Show me how you’ll fuck that tight cunt.” 

Spencer’s words provide the encouragement for Y/N to hoist herself up and down on the dildo. She would've laid flat on her back, a position that would have been easier on her thighs and core, but the angle she’s  able to reach makes the suffering all worth it. 

“Fuck…so good, Spencer. But I don’t think I can come from just this…it’s not…it’s not enough for me.” Y/N explains. Spencer knows that. He understands the science behind the female orgasm enough to know that many women are unable to reach climax from vaginal penetration only.

“I know, sweet girl. Don’t you worry.” He promises. “Bring your fingers to your clit

and give yourself some nice tight circles.” 

She listens. Her fingers draw tight circles around her clit. Y/N bites her lip as she feels her pleasure build and build. “So good. So good.” 

“I know, I know. Grind against the heel of your hand. You go wild when I do that, love. Like a little fucking minx. You can’t get enough.” 

The tension builds in her stomach as she grinds against the heel of her hand. Cursing, Spencer watches with lust-laden eyes as Y/N writhes on the bed. Sweat forms against her brow as her feet dig into the mattress and her thighs burn in exhaustion. Until she finally feels that familiar burst of pleasure release. 

“Fuck, fuck,” She curses, so caught up in her own pleasure the room seemed to spin around her. “I–I…Spencer, I’m coming.” 

Her release washes over her as she slumps down into the bed, finally spent with all her energy expended. She can barely hear Spencer shuffle over, nearly tripping over his feet since his pants remained gathered around his ankles. 

“Holy shit.” Spencer curses. “That was the most sensual thing I’ve ever seen.” He looks at her with half awe and half love. He pulls his underwear back up and kicks his pants off as he sits on the bed. “Are you alright, babe?”

Y/N groans, her cunt is raw with overstimulation and it is like every single nerve in her body is lit on fire in the best way possible. She offers Spencer a weak thumbs up that morphed into an equally weak fist bump. He obliged and gave Y/N a sweet forehead kiss in return. 

“So toys are a plus for us,” Spencer muses. He adjusts the pillows on the bed and helps Y/N sit up in a more comfortable position. “Thank you for this. I really enjoyed it. And I’m, you know, glad you’ll be occupied when I’m gone.” 

Y/N’s face flushes as a warmth resembling love covers her entire being. “I should be the one thanking you,” she counters, “Wait…I didn’t get you off.” She says, sitting up and then failing as her tired body gave out. 

“That’s a problem you already took care of,” Spencer protests, gesturing to his stained underwear. “I had already come untouched by the time you told me to touch myself. You put on quite the show, sweetheart.” 

She raises her eyes in disbelief as Spencer chuckles and kisses her cheek. “I’m glad you found that equally pleasurable. I don't think I’ve ever come as hard as I just did. And I doubt it’ll ever happen again.” She rises from the bed, with the help of Spencer. He grabs her waist as they make their way into her bathroom.

“Is that a challenge?” Spencer says, with a cocky smirk

“Fuck yeah it is,” Y/N said, “but I think I need like three weeks to recover.” 

Thank you for reading! Please remember, I appreciate you reading, reflagging, and commenting on all of my fics. I love your feedback and appreciate your support & community more than you'll ever know.

Tag List (I don't want to bother anyone, so just tagging people I mainly interact with)

@reidsbookclub @foxy-eva @reid-ingandweeping @boldlyvoid

[bytecodedotorg]

Calculate the Difference Between Two Dates: A Java Time Detective Story!

Imagine you’re a time detective, solving mysteries about dates—like figuring out just how many days you’ve been working from home or how long it’s been since you started your fitness journey (and promptly forgot about it). In this Java adventure, we’ll le

Imagine you’re a time detective, solving mysteries about dates—like figuring out just how many days you’ve been working from home or how long it’s been since you started your fitness journey (and promptly forgot about it). In this Java adventure, we’ll learn how to calculate the difference between two dates. Buckle up, because this isn’t just a plain old calculation—it’s a thrilling race against…

[hold-fast-and-rise]

Gunung Padang: The World's Oldest Pyramid Hidden Beneath the Earth

What if the oldest pyramid in the world wasn’t in Egypt but in Indonesia? Gunung Padang, a mysterious site in West Java, may be just that. Although it appears as a simple hill covered in dense vegetation, beneath its surface lies a massive ancient structure—one that could rewrite human history.

Recent studies using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), seismic tomography, and archaeological excavations suggest that Gunung Padang is a multi-layered pyramid, constructed over thousands of years. The uppermost layer, visible today, consists of stone columns, walls, pathways, and open spaces, dated to around 3,000–3,500 years ago (1,000 BC). But deeper layers reveal even more astonishing findings.

At a depth of 3 meters, a second layer of columnar basalt blocks has been dated to between 7,500 and 8,300 years ago (around 6,000 BC)—predating the earliest known civilizations. Beneath this, a third layer extends 15 meters deep and is estimated to be around 9,000 years old. Even more astonishingly, a fourth layer, according to C14 radiocarbon dating, could be as ancient as 28,000 years—pushing human civilization back to a time long before recorded history.

This discovery challenges mainstream archaeology, which traditionally holds that humans were primitive hunter-gatherers at that time. Gunung Padang suggests advanced societies may have existed far earlier than we ever imagined. Researchers believe that before the end of the last Ice Age, a vast landmass called Sundaland stretched across present-day Indonesia. As sea levels rose 14,000 years ago, much of it was submerged—hiding potentially hundreds of lost civilizations beneath the waves.

Could Gunung Padang be the key to unlocking our forgotten past? With three underground chambers yet to be explored, the secrets of this ancient pyramid are still waiting to be revealed.

[maribatserver]

Tag Team Tournament 2025

It's everyone's favorite time of year: Tag Team Tournament Hype Season! This year the Tag Team Tournament will take place from Sunday, July 27th - Saturday, August 2nd, so make sure to save the date and get started on your projects early!

Now as always, check out our Event Guide for the full rules and guidelines for submissions. We're not changing anything this year, but a refresher is always a good idea. Well, we're not changing the rules this year. We are making a BIG change to our line up.

After a tragic case of being in dead last place, our Mod Team made the decision to take Spandex Flex out of the running. In their place, we welcome back Pretty Punk, since our sever members declared Konette to be the best Super Fam ship during our super April Fool's Day fun.

This year, our 8 teams are:

Seamless Spin - Cassandra Cain x Marinette Dupain-Cheng

3's Company - Any Poly Ship

Rare Flair - Any Ship Without A Team

Lucky Shot - Roy Harper x Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Art Couple - Damian Wayne x Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Java Junkies - Tim Drake x Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Book Design - Jason Todd x Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Pretty Punk - Conner 'Kon-El' Kent x Marinette Dupain-Cheng

We are super excited for this year's Tag Team Tournament, and we hope that you're excited too! To help you get in the creative spirit, and to hopefully inspire you with ideas, @newdog14 assembled playlists for different genres of stories to help inspire you. There are also ship playlists which were made last year, and a Pretty Punk playlist coming next week. The genre playlists will be going up real soon too, as chosen by our server members. If you'd like to join in on that vote, send us an ask for an invite!

Speaking of things our server members voted on, we'll be releasing our prompt list early again this year, so make sure you check the blog each week to see if those have gone up with a playlist.

Many thanks to @newdog14, @nottesilhouette, and @izanae for their hard work in preparing this event. From brainstorming prompts to designing team logos to coding spreadsheets to suffering through the weirdest music videos ever, there's a lot of work that goes into an event this big! And thank you to everyone who has participated in this event, and to those who plan to participate this year. We could never pull this off without you!

[caw4brandon]

We Like, Are Totally Spies

When we think about shows that will appeal to boys. Action is the easiest to relate. Something like; Ben 10, American Dragon Jake Long, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Justice League will be on the list. It has drama, it has fights and it's cool!

However, there has been a movement in that era where specific cartoon shows aim to get girls into action. Kim Possible, Juniper Lee, My Life as a Teenage Robot, and The Winx Club are perfect examples of such shows.

There is an odd case for more girl-centric shows. Something about the need to balance femininity with action. The show needs to feel like an action that happens to have the main characters be girls. This is where today's topic comes in. We're talking about how;

- How's the Mission, Spies? -

< Totally Spies > by Vincent Chalvon-Demersay and David Michel follows three teens; Sam, Clover and Alex from Beverly Hills living a secret life being Super Spies for WOOHP (World Organization Of Human Protection) under their boss; Jerry Lewis.

Their missions involve travelling the world. Fighting mad scientists and twisted outcasts who seek to dominate the world with style and gadgets that conceal themselves as fashionable equipment.

The trio plays specific archetypes. Sam (green) is the brains, Clover (red) is the fashionista/ boy obsessive and Alex (yellow) is the athlete and occasional nerd. Despite their differences, they share several common interests such as their love for shopping and spy skills of agility, hand-to-hand combat and espionage.

Across six seasons, the girls matured from high school to university students. Confronting the daily struggles of homework, social lives and their petty arch-enemy, Mandy.

As a vibe, < Totally Spies > fully leans into the Beverly Hills lifestyle of fabulous fashion and some familiar pop culture names of that era. The show has a mix of the James Bond type of super spy world filled with dull henchmen, high-tech machines and some tacky villains.

- Time to go to Plan B! -

The episodes are condensed into their own episode. Although there have been some arcs that follow specific villains who have a bit of history with the main characters.

Tim Scam is a former agent who went rogue against WOOHP and Terrence Lewis; twin brother to Jerry and a sore thumb to WOOHP. There also reoccurring allies as well. Brittney (cyan) who joined the team as a trainee, Dean from the three-part series < Evil Promotion Much? > and Blaine a freelance agent who dated Clover.

The conflicts, if we can even call them conflicts at all have aged rather strangely. Some of the villains commit petty crimes like kidnapping celebrities due to jealousy or act extreme. Like being anti-consumerist with the solution of destroying malls.

Yet, some are still relatable to this day such as a kid villain who is mad at his father for being busy as a commentary on how parental neglect can cause warped ideas in a child. Whatever, it's a pre-teen show. Let's not look into it too deeply.

The world of Totally Spies is also interconnected with several other shows; [The Amazing Spiez] and [Martin Mystery].

< Martin Mystery > follows Martin, a paranormal investigator for the Center with Martin's step-sister, Diana Lombard and Java the Caveman. Fighting monsters, urban legends and aliens.

According to a special crossover episode. Martin's boss; M.O.M (Mystery Organization Manager) and Jerry know each other. Likewise, in Amazing Spiez; Jerry is also the boss of the Clark siblings. Lee, Marc, Megan and Tony. Sadly, these shows were short-lived and cancelled.

It does raise an interesting point. Why is Totally Spies more popular? As a guess, I think it's because the chemistry between the characters is a lot more interesting and fun.

The three girls are best of friends and while they sometimes bicker over boys, responsibilities and opinions. They will always put their friendship and mission first above all else. It feels more real, in a superficial way.

That an actual girl would have a girlfriend group this tight-knit and if they ever become a part of something bigger than them. They would do it together.

- Here We Go Again! -

Tacky villains, cute super spy girlfriends and awesome gadgets aside. The show has a few good jokes here and there. Its art style borrows a lot from Anime and its colors are groovy to the eyes.

For a show that was meant to attract girls into action. The show has also garnered a large following from boys as well. I think another secret to the success of < Totally Spies > can also be because of its approach to the subject. Like I said in my introduction.

There is an odd case for more girl-centric shows. Something about the need to balance femininity with action. The show needs to feel like an action that happens to have the main characters be girls.

This show is a girl's show. The girls are unapologetic being girly. Doing girl things like shopping, manicure, dating and going on dream vacations but with their secret life as spies. The show balances it out with good action and is still using that girly theme to add to its gadgets.

Heck, some of the gadgets are stuff that I would personally want to have. The Jet Pack backpack, The Wind Tunnel 3000 Tornado Blast Hair Dryer, Lazer lipstick and the Compowder are on my list. Especially with its costume change function.

It's a show that embraces both ends of the spectrum and allows it to show its respective strengths rather than shy away from the themes. With the announcement that this show is going to have a season 7/ soft reboot. It does look promising with several concerns.

But I am hopeful that for a beloved show such as this. The girls will have a proper return and inspire a new generation of girls (and boys) to be < Totally Spies >

[patrik6090]

how y'all Minecraft

@patrik6090 would make a huge Minecraft mural

@pennyroyald makes an ugly ass house

@mariyoursweetheart would make a random ass novel about her and girlkisser in the books

@importantpeachfury would probably Minecraft date people

@hawaii-official cartographer

@system-of-cats 's minty would probably create a small farm

@manicali 50%s the game exactly

@plutowhoops creates a villager trading center

@groggle enters the nether then lives there

@mango-mentally-ill would mod the game

@stargazing-with-friends would play a Minecraft knockoff

@ms-macintosh makes a huge ass Minecraft world

@lunaxio plays spectator only

@f4y3w00d5 6th best Speedrun worldwide

@canisnebular would be a Minecraft twitch streamer

@sarrinight dream smp member

@crispyasaurusxx would post Minecraft fact videos on YouTube

@asqadia-banthen pretends to be a cat

@eirxair omega rp

@losairr would create massive worlds in creative

@official-saxony 'minecradt is for stupid kids'

@letmeoutofthebasementplease Minecraft dater

@illusionsignmisdirecti0n Minecraft block artist

@weenietickler 'whats a Minecraft?

@thatonelemoneater amateur speed runner

@wyfy-meltdown 100%s the game

@not3catsinatrenchcoat hates the game for no reason

@mersinia listens to all the fan music videos

@roeldraws makes Minecraft skins for a living

@sentientballofpeas would find the game comedical

@the-rat12 massacres the villages

@err0r-404notfound plays with mods only

@saphi-everything hates Java loves bedrock

@angelicassassinations does drug rp

@ihavehomework2dobutimhereinstead would create Minecraft hardcore videos

@gobodegoblin would mod Minecraft

@finla is a Minecraft alien alpha kid

@pansexualcake9 would be a dream Stan

@ibuildblasters hates Minecraft

@vee1021 would make a Minecraft build get famous on Reddit then never play again

@enbypalsidk Minecraft movie only

@watercraver hates all block games

@mayowayo 'minecraft ripped off Roblox!'

@moongasux doesn't know what Minecraft is

@untitled14360 loves Minecraft greatly

@kimisbunny simps all stream

@sunsickle has never played but loves it

@durdurdurrrb Marty's a Minecraft cow irl

🤹 plays mods

Girlkisser made Minecraft in 2012

Puki anon plays it with his kids

R.S I love it

Dawg I shouldve had the plays mod

Ion remember the last time I played vanilla Minecraft

It's been literally years at this point

[petrifiedwoodsblog]

The History of Petrified Wood in Indonesia

Indonesia, an archipelago rich in geological and cultural history, is home to some of the most fascinating petrified wood deposits in the world. The country's unique geological conditions have created an environment conducive to the formation of these remarkable fossils. Here's a closer look at the history and significance of petrified wood in Indonesia. Sell Petrified wood in etsy

#### Geological Background

Indonesia's location along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area with significant volcanic activity, provides the ideal conditions for the formation of petrified wood. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and the resulting sediment deposits have played a crucial role in the creation of petrified wood. Over millions of years, trees buried by volcanic ash and other sediments have undergone permineralization, resulting in the beautiful stone fossils we see today.

#### Discovery and Early Uses

The discovery of petrified wood in Indonesia dates back to ancient times, with locals finding and using these stone-like pieces in various ways. Early communities may have used petrified wood for tools, ornaments, and ceremonial objects, appreciating its durability and unique appearance.

In modern times, particularly in the 20th century, the commercial and scientific interest in petrified wood increased. Local artisans began to recognize the aesthetic and economic value of petrified wood, crafting it into jewelry, furniture, and decorative items. This trade provided a source of income for many communities and helped put Indonesian petrified wood on the global map.

#### Notable Sites

Several regions in Indonesia are renowned for their petrified wood deposits, each with its unique characteristics:

- **Banten**: Located in western Java, Banten is famous for its high-quality petrified wood. The area has yielded numerous large and well-preserved specimens, attracting both scientists and collectors. SELL ON ETSY

- **Sumatra**: The island of Sumatra, particularly the regions around Jambi and West Sumatra, has significant deposits of petrified wood. The fossils found here are often characterized by their vibrant colors and intricate patterns.

- **Kalimantan (Borneo)**: Kalimantan is another key area with rich deposits of petrified wood. The region's tropical climate and volcanic activity have contributed to the formation of diverse and well-preserved specimens.

#### Scientific and Cultural Significance

The study of petrified wood in Indonesia provides valuable insights into the region's ancient environments and climatic conditions. By examining these fossils, scientists can reconstruct past landscapes, understand vegetation changes, and gain a better understanding of the geological processes at play.

Culturally, petrified wood holds a special place in Indonesian heritage. It is often used in traditional crafts and modern art, symbolizing the connection between the natural world and human creativity. The trade and display of petrified wood also contribute to local economies, supporting artisanal communities and promoting tourism.

#### Conservation Efforts

As interest in petrified wood has grown, so too have concerns about its conservation. Over-collection and illegal mining can threaten the preservation of these natural treasures. Efforts are being made to regulate the collection and trade of petrified wood, ensuring that these fossils are protected for future generations.

#### Conclusion

Petrified wood in Indonesia is more than just a geological curiosity; it is a testament to the country's rich natural history and cultural heritage. From ancient times to the present day, these stone fossils have captivated the imagination and provided valuable resources for both scientific study and artistic expression. As efforts to conserve and protect petrified wood continue, its legacy will remain a significant part of Indonesia's story. Petrified wood bowl in etsy

[saltlakritsegott]

There are many similarities between Khmer art and Javanese art, but do you know that they share a common ancestor and that for more than twice?!

Kedah, Kutai, and Borneo island was a part of funan longtime ago since the era of Kaudinaya to fan shih-man . Then those area was longtime considered like a refuge for the period of Funan and also of Chenla by some kings attacked by Chinese just after the reign of Rudravarman of Funan , and by Chenla during the reign of Jayavarman 1

The inscription of Kotai ( earliest of Java 4 century ) mention to have Mulavarman, the son of Kundunga who was described like a dragon bearded like the Brahmin Kaudinya also composed in the Brahmi script such as the earliest inscription of south east Asia , found in Funan .

Also there is some princess, the daughter of Jayavarman 1 who was married with an Indians Brahmin and was the parents of the Sanna and Santana the 2 parents of Sanjaya dynasty later . Here some explaining:

Inscriptions refer two royal figures of the name Sanna and Sannaha as predecessors of Sanjaya. According to Javanese Tradition (History of Indonesia, B. R. Chatterji), Sanna and Sannaha were brother and sister, Sanjaya was the son of Sannaha. Connecting with the Khmer court of Ba-Phnom, the daughter of Jayavarman I, queen Jayadevi mentioned in one of her inscriptions about donations to a sanctuary of Siva Tripurantaka. This sanctuary was founded by the princess Sophajaya, also a daughter of Jayavarman I who married the Sivaite Brahman Sakravarmin born in India. It is in high probability that this Sivaite Brahman was connected to the sage Agastya who became known as the Sivaite Guru of both South India and Java. This new development that was credited to the sage Agastya in spreading the first time of Sivaite culture in South India was strongly seen as a contributing factor to the emergence of the Sivaite community in Central Java. On the other hand, Sanjaya have been related to the queen Jayadevi who was portrayed as queen Sima in a Chinese account.

The ruler of Ta-Tche sent a bag of gold to be laid down within her frontiers. The people, walking by, avoided the bag and it was untouched for a long time. One day, one of the crown princes stepped over it and the queen was furious. She ordered to have her own son executed, but with the objection of her court, a compromise was set to just cut off the toe that touch the bag of the gold.

The story portrays a provocation orchestrated by the kingdom of the Great Kingdom (Ta-Tche) which was no other than a Chinese reference to new formed Malayu kingdom under the control of Water Chenla.

The title SivaKandavarman, in particular, could be related to Skandacisya, mentioned to be the son of Aswataman (and the nagi queen) whom we had identified as king Hun-Tien of the Funan Empire (Kambuja Desa: The Funan court: King Hun Tien and the establishment of Funan). That could be the early ancestral lineage of the Pallava court when Aswataman still ruled the Menam Valley. Before they were driven out from Funan by the Chenla's uprising, evidences show that their residence was located on the Kedah mountain of Malaya and Ganthari was their new country founded as a reminiscence of Parthia (Nokor Khme: The Impact of Krakatoa: The Sea Trade Route). In that case, Skandacisya have been related to king Mulavarman who left an inscription at Kotei that was dated at the beginning of the fifth century. Other inscriptions that were erected by king Purnavarman at the middle of the same century were found at western part of Java (ISSA: The Indianization: The First Evidence of the Indianization of the Farther India). They are evidences that Ganthari already extended itself to western Java and probably to South India where they established Kanchipura as a seaport to control the straight of Malaka.

Indonesian and Cambodian share definitely the same bloodline of rulers in the past and can be considering in each other to be descendants of ancients brothers and countrymen

[raffleshitposting]

my thoughts and ramblings on merdeka (2) [spoilers!!]

CAN I BE SO FR this was my favourite production of the play so far.... the cast are incredibly talented and i really liked the additions of traditional malay and indian dance that weren't there in the original play (or at least, not in the recording i have). the coordination and chemistry of the cast (despite their increased size) during the added choreography in the syed yassin scene where farquhar and company were running around in circles and collectively sniping the temenggong's house, as well as the rani of jhansi regiment marching and flag signalling (semaphore?) scene gave me literal CHILLS.

also on the characterisation of raffles, i deeply enjoyed the played-up machiavellian portrayal of him for comedy here. i think i whispered to my friend "lore-accurate raffles" multiple times during certain scenes LOL it was so damn funny i was trying not to tweak out in my seat everytime the actors pranced around on stage. on the other hand, the real raffles is probably rolling in his grave rn. truly the raffles of all time.

also the way they utilised the stage and props in this one is genius even though all they had to work with was these platform things which they could stack and move around? in chapter 1 during the ritual humiliation scene where raffles and the installed sultan sat together in the palace (narration taken from hannigan's raffles and the british invasion of java!!), the platforms they sat on were stacked high and they were put in a very elevated position as compared to the original play, where they were just sitting on chairs on the ground. thought it was a very clever way of showing how the british constructed and enforced their superiority by literally elevating both the installed sultan and raffles above the the stage. watching this scene IRL was a very sobering and upsetting event like the whole audience was silent and the tension..... holy shit wtf. and in chapter 3 or 4 (?), there was also a bit where raffles and farquhar literally backed the sultan into a corner by moving the platform back into him which was a small thing but i will be thinking about this for the rest of my life...!! AGGHHGH

though i was a bit wary at the way they replaced the plot of the 'raffles must fall' book club with the one about a youth group staging a play for a school festival at first (not because i didn't like the idea, but i was just not used to the change and wondered if they were going to change any other parts of the play) i came to realise that the changes made were a sort of 'modernisation' of the play for 2025 (complete with jokes about DEI and cancel culture) because the original play was made in context of the bicentennial and i suppose it would've felt quite dated. and also they retained the scenes i loved in the original anyway so im good :3

also this is a random thought, but the national service protest scenes eerily made me reflect on the state of modern student protests in singapore. idk if it's just me but like it just feels so impactful that students (students MY AGE) were fighting for a cause they believed in with such conviction. but nowadays, it seems like any protests here are quickly shut down by the authorities as soon as they start (moe lgbtq protest, 'smiley face' guy, nus campus protests for palestine etc.). and it's easy to think that any sort of protest or activism is not worth the legal issues and are ultimately a waste of time and resources, but like. the whole point of protests is having the courage to disrupt the status quo for something you believe in, regardless of the consequences you might face!!! head in hands fr.

(OKAY TIME TO BE NITPICKY (not actual criticism. just things i want to be annoying about) erm ackshually ☝️ farquhar was scottish so i wish he was given a scottish accent, but i think it's really funny how he was given an exaggerated posh english accent instead. the rest of the audience loved it and i can honestly forgive it because i also love making fun of the english accent LMFAO. ALSO i was quite sad that they didn't do the thing where they threw the 'MERDEKA' prints to the audience </3)

BUT overall i fucking loved this play man. so much. kudos to the playwrights and the actors and everyone involved i'm so glad i watched it live (AND MANAGED TO GET FRONT ROW SEATS AHHGHHGHHH). truly the quintessential singaporean play i hope they stage this again every so often 🙏🙏 WILD RICE THEATRE DO YOU HEAR ME. WILD RICE THEATRE.......

[misfitbimbosblog]

"Kiss of the Knife"

STU MACHER X READER

Chapter Three: “Ghosts Can Bleed”

*—a new body, an old lie—

Woodsboro Sheriff’s Department – 10:17 a.m.

Deputy Barker pushed the crime scene photos across the table with a grimace. “That makes three in forty-eight hours. Same signature. Same knife.”

Sheriff Winters flipped through the blood-slicked prints: a cheerleader found gutted in her driveway, a barista strangled with a telephone cord in the back of Woodsboro Java, and now—this.

A high school guidance counselor. Face carved with a familiar, mocking smile.

“Don’t say it,” she muttered.

Barker didn’t have to. They both knew. It was back.

Or someone wanted it to be.

⸻

Outskirts of Woodsboro – Motel 6

“I shouldn’t be here,” she whispered, pacing the length of the small room like a caged animal.

“No one knows,” Randy said, perched at the edge of the bed, hands shaking. “They all still think you died in the original massacre.”

She stopped. “That’s the point.”

Randy glanced at the letter again, then at the bloodstained message he’d brought earlier. “You don’t fake your death and stay gone for five years just to check in under your real initials.”

“I didn’t check in. Someone else did—for me. And left this.” She pulled the Polaroid from her coat. Randy paled.

“Jesus. You think it’s him?”

“I think it’s someone who knows what Stu and I were. What we did.”

“And what you survived,” Randy added. “Barely.”

The name had barely left his mouth and it still made her spine stiffen: Stu Macher.

She’d seen him die. Had felt his blood on her hands.

But five years was a long time to be dead. And now someone was playing Stu’s game—maybe with him.

Randy reached into his backpack and pulled out a manila envelope, something he’d been holding back.

“I found this in the department’s digital archive,” he said. “Never released to the public. Gail digitized a bunch of case files before she went off-grid.”

He dropped it on the bed between them.

The label read:

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE – SUBJECT 037 – LAST SEEN WITH STU MACHER

She stared.

Her file.

Blood-soaked. Sealed. Forgotten.

“Town thought you burned up in the Macher house fire,” Randy said. “There was no body. But they found traces—blood, your necklace, enough to convince everyone.”

“Everyone but him,” she whispered. “Whoever’s sending these… they know I survived.”

And maybe they knew why.

She looked out the motel window. Woodsboro looked the same. Quiet. Hollow. Watching.

“Who’s the third victim?” she asked.

Randy hesitated. “Miss Langford. She was our guidance counselor senior year.”

Her stomach twisted.

“She was the only adult who ever asked me if something was wrong,” she muttered.

“They’re picking off the loose threads,” Randy said. “Anyone who might’ve known you didn’t die.”

She turned back toward the door.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“To find the fourth thread.”

⸻

Woodsboro – Abandoned Library Basement

The library had closed after the first round of murders, but the basement—long ignored—held records dating back a century. Surveillance files, yearbooks, tapes Gail never aired, confessions, things sealed under “classified trauma management.”

She pried the file cabinet open with a crowbar.

There—hidden behind a stack of 1996 VHS tapes and dust-thick files—was a folder labeled:

MACHER – PERSONAL EFFECTS (UNRELEASED)

Inside was a tape.

Written in faded Sharpie:

“To Her—In Case You Lived.”

She didn’t breathe.

Not until the old television sparked to life and Stu’s face lit up the screen, grainy and grinning.

“Hey, baby,” his voice crackled through the static. “Guess this means you made it out.”