#guys os this my cue to start watching them or what

[bouquetofalliums]

WHERE????A M I??????

[accio-victuuri]

this is now a bottled joy related cpns blog. 😂😂😂

no… but it won’t stop and i have become fascinated with whatever it is they post and how it’s being interpreted.

( let this cute human being invite you in to read 🥹 )

just when i thought they had already done the most to cue cpfs, they prove me wrong and do more “outrageous” things…… you’ve probably seen some things floating around today but this is my attempt to put things in one place + add some that i missed from my previous posts ( one / two / three / four / five )

let’s start with the main topic right now, about bobo’s alleged renewal and what an employee said during a livestream + some customer service chats.

There has been some talk with the renewal since his contract expires in September, and with all the alleged cpf-bias, you might expect that Bottled Joy don’t get the usual love from so/os. There was a chat asking when will wyb’s contract expire and the answer is “renewed”:

Then in their livestream they put the message: “don’t ask, already extended the contract”. LOL. and also said there will be good news in September, which is when it’s supposed to be renewed. So watch out for that. I personally like their cooperation, even if this whole candy digging didn’t happen.

This guy also said something very nice during the stream : "You can't control Yibo, you can't even control yourself, you can't even control your emotions, if you are an adult, try to calm down your emotions" 💯

I agree with this message so much. This is not just a message to so/o fans — it also applies to us. We don’t control WYB or XZ. We don’t own them. No matter how much money or time we spend on them, they are not required to make us happy to somehow “pay that back”.

for the chats, it’s bxgs sending messages. p1 is the person sending well wishes to yibo since it’s his bday and by extension, to xz, they also said that when the official announcement is out ( their relationship i think ), bottled joy should be in the main table. the chat support replied with received. p2 is also sending a message to yibo and replied with they will try to convey this to wyb too.

I don’t really buy that much into these chats cause the people behind these customer service “bots” are required to make the customer “happy” and in that case being very agreeable. it doesn’t really put much weight into the whole “cpf-bias”. I think they will be sweet and kind to any customer who contacts them.

================

here are other examples of why we think they are aware of what CPNs are going on in the circle.

P1 ( posted 7/25 ) has a caption saying: It is said that if you collect all these five tons ( bottled joy tumblers ) you can travel to 2026 and the kadian for the time it was posted is 18:23. These numbers are so well known if you are a cpf. P2 on the other hand, captioned as: Ton ton don’t know anything, it’s all from the boss @UNIQ-王一博. The whole “don’t know” joke is from a recent cpn too. again, interpret this as you will, it’s too much to be a coincidence at this point.

Today, the shared the One and Only special edition bottle. The kadian is 23:28 ( Love Zhan, Love Bo )

their continuous spotlight of the green ( yibo themed ) and pink?? ( guangdian colored ) bottles that cpfs love. they shared a spongebob x patrick post and then after that is a shot of those bottles. probably to represent zz and wyb who we know love the two.

Lastly, another speculation is that WYB and XZ somehow “own” bottled joy. It doesn’t help that during the livestream, it was mentioned that there is a boss behind the scenes. and that the anchor asked his “boss” if he can talk about the renewal and he was given the go ahead. I personally don’t believe this but I understand why some people are onboard. At the end of the day, support their works and endorsements responsibly. 👍🏻

-END.

[ray-ray-writings]

Okay I’ve been recently getting super into Karl’s streams because I just adore his puppy energy but, hear me out here.

Reader and Karl are friends right? And she goes and hangs out with him a lot and eventually one Saturday she convinces her BF, Techno, to come with her. He follows, mostly cause he’s bored and she’s persistent, they get to Karl’s place, Reader knowing instantly what to do gets up near Karl, grabs something Techno can’t see from where he’s standing, spins and belts out a song for Karl’s Karaoke. (The song playing in my ears right now is Talk Too Much)

Cue Technos surprise as he hears his s/o sing for the first time, grinning like a maniac. Reader tries to get him into it but he refuses until he watches Karl and Reader do a duet together (they’re best friends your honor) cause no one else would duet with him and he just gets up very bored my, lumbers over and snatches the microphone from Karl and does some soft deep number. Nothing energetic it’s gotta be deep and soft. (First thought is resting on Achilles Come Down)

After the singular song he doesn’t get up to sing again and you think he’s hated the whole experience but next Saturday you find him by the door ready to go with a bag in his hand. It isn’t til halfway through the time when he does his weird standing up, snatching the microphone from whoever was singing, setting it back in its stand and grabbing his bag before Reader realizes he brought a fuckin violin. Tommy or maybe Ghostbur get jazzed because “I REMEMBER WHEN MY BROTHER PLAYED THAT” and just-

GOOD SHIT!!!

With love- 🌻

Holy shit 🌻 you have my entire heart. This is so amazing. So so poggers. (Also, this is the only post for tonight! Hope you enjoy!!) 

So yes, you and Karl are best friends and you two hang out a lot. But as more and more things happen on the SMP, you find yourselves spending less and less time together, which makes you sad. So as a compromise, you two decide that the two of you would hang out every Saturday night. No exceptions, no excuses, Saturday is for Y/N and Karl. And it works very well with you guys, sometimes you have dinner and talk or you play games and yes sometimes even karaoke. Even when you and Techno got together and he, Sapnap, and Quackity got together, you two never missed a Saturday. Sometimes though, Sapnap and Quackity tag along which is just fine with you. And if you could convince Techno (you never could but just in case haha), Karl would be fine with that. But everytime you ask Techno, he says no, he doesn’t want to intrude and he doesn’t really want to do some of the things you two do. 

But that all changes on fateful Saturday. Techno had been gone for a majority of the week and had only gotten home in the early afternoon of the Saturday. You two had been cuddled up in bed, just cuddling, kissing, and catching up because you’d missed each other so much all week. But it gets to be that time and you try to leave your bed, but Techno has an iron grip on you. “Tech, babe, I’ve got to go” you whisper, pressing a few kisses to his face before landing one on his lips and smiling at him. Techno only pouts at you, “No you don’t. I just got home. You could stay here with me.” he grumbles, attempting to pull you closer to him, but you don’t let him. “I know baby, but you know Saturdays are spent with Karl… If you want you can come with, Sapnap and Quackity will be there so it won’t be awkward. We can have a fun time. My best friend and his s/os and me and my s/o. It will be fun, come on baby,” you murmur, running your hair through his pink locks causing him to sigh. He pretends to think for a moment before giving you a nod. You smile at him before easily weaseling your way out of his grip, pulling him with you. He steadies himself on his feet as you reach up and press a kiss to his lips before bouncing out of the room. “Come on baby, we’re going to be late.” 

The two of you leave the house and make your way to Karl’s house. You throw open the front door without second thought, “Karl! We’re here!” There’s a bit of noise from further in the house before Karl calls back, “We’re??” you can’t help but laugh as you shut the door behind you and Techno before pulling Techno arm along with you as you move to where Karl’s voice was coming from. You make your way into the living room and find Karl hunched over what you know to be the karaoke machine and Sapnap and Quackity curled up together on the couch. “Yeah, we’re” you answer from the doorway causing all three men’s gazes to snap to you two. A huge smile grazes Karl's face at the sight of you two, Quackity gets a little nervous but is quickly comforted by Sapnap’s smile and a quick kiss. “Hey Techno! It’s great to see you!” Karl, ever the charmer and the kind heart, greets your boyfriend. Your boyfriend gives the man a small wave, “Hey Karl… Sapnap………….. Quackity.” The other two give the pink headed man a small smile and wave before turning their attention back to Karl. You pull Techno around the side of the couch and usher him to sit down and before you can sit next to him, Karl has grabbed your arm and pulled you to the machine. “Karl, I wanted to sit and relax with Techno for a moment,” you complain to your best friend. Karl just grins at you and shoves a microphone in your hand as music begins to play. You roll your eyes at how well your best friend knows you and he moves to sit next to his fiances. With all eyes on you, you decide to have fun. You belt out the lyrics and dance around just having fun. (This is the song! Talk Too Much by COIN!). Every once in a while one of the fiances would let out a cheer, edging you on. Techno though would just be staring at you with wide eyes, he had never heard you sing before, well maybe once but never this carefree. 

The four of them clap in excitement after you finish and then bound over to the couch. Once again, you move to sit next to Techno, but are instead this time pulled down onto his lap with your back pressing against his chest and burying his face into the place where your neck meets your shoulder. “I didn’t know you could sing like that” he murmurs into the skin. You can’t help but melt a little bit as you relax further into him. “It’s just something we do for fun sometimes.” you murmur in response, your eyes watching as Karl stands up and picks out a song for himself to sing. “It was nice” That was the last words before Karl began his own song. 

The two of you watched as each of the fiances sang their own solo. “Do you want to sing something?” You murmur, leaning back and turning your head slightly to talk to your boyfriend. Techno let out a huff and tightened his arms around you for a moment, “No” he answers simply as Sapnap and Quackity step up to the mic. The three of you watch Sap and Quack do a very cheesy duet together causing you and Karl to laugh loudly and Techno to hide his chuckles in your shoulder. When the two were done, they were pouting. “Hey! Stop laughing at us!” “Yeah we sang a very serious duet together” And when neither of you stop laughing Sapnap and Quackity plop down on the couch and fold in to each other, “Fine, see if either of us sing a duet with you Karl” Sapnap juts out, poking his tongue as his fiance. Karl immediately stops laughing and begins to beg his lovers to sing with him, but the two don’t budge. So Karl does the next best thing he can think to do. He turns to you with a wide pout on his lips and puppy dog eyes, and who are you to say no to your puppy dog eyed best friend? You let out a sigh before carefully removing yourself from Techno’s arms, despite the grumbles of protest, and join your best friend by the machine to sing a duet with him. Karl wouldn’t let you see what he picked but as soon as the music began, you almost lost it. Of course he would pick this song. It is not only about two “best friends” it is definitely bound to make his two fiances just a bit jealous. (It is the Bro Duet haha. Find it here)

The two of you goofed around and sang your hearts out, changing every “no homo” to “no hetero” Karl sang the first part and you sang the second. Throughout the song, Sap and Quack, although amused, were admittedly a little jealous, that should be them up there singing about how much they love each other. Techno on the other end of the couch was a little confused and a little jealous. He couldn’t help but wonder to himself if this had actually happened. Had you and Karl one time gone to the beach and you had to give Karl CPR? Had you gone to an amusement park and started choking on a turkey leg and Karl gave you the hymlick? Had the two of you fallen in love with each other? What the hell was happening? Toward the end of the song, Techno found himself standing up from the couch and walking toward you two. It surprised you, because Techno had literally told you he did not want to sing. But here he was, grabbing the microphone from you… in the middle of a song no less. Karl and you stopped singing as you stared at Techno who now held the microphone close to his chest. Almost as if reading his mind, you took a step forward and gently cupped his face, “It didn’t actually happen Techno. It’s just a song.” You comfort your boyfriend. Techno’s shoulders did a big relax at your words. “Sorry” he grumbles out, “Didn’t mean to interrupt your song.” You can only give him a warm smile at that. “It’s okay lover. Do you want to sing something now?” And to your surprise, Techno walks over to the machine and begins looking through the song choices. So you and Karl share a look before making your way back to the couch and sitting down. Karl was immediately engulfed in a huge hug by his fiance’s while you curled into the still warm spot that was Techno’s. Soft cello music rang from the machine as Techno awkwardly stood in front of you four, his eyes dancing around the room. Techno took a deep breath before his beautiful bass voice rings out into the room. His voice completely encaptures the four of you sitting on the couch and not even Quackity is making a single noise. Techno sings a beautiful rendition of Achilles Come Down, it quite literally brings tears to your eyes. But once he’s done and the song is over, Techno sets his microphone down and immediately walks over to the couch and sits down next to you, wrapping an arm around you and pulling you close to him. You try to tell him how good it was, but he kisses you to stop you. Later that night when you two go home, you try once again to tell him how amazed and impressed you were at his song, but he brushes your compliments off and kisses you again before cuddling you to sleep. And so, you figure he absolutely hated it and never wanted to do anything like it again. 

So the next Saturday, you know is another karaoke night and this time Karl had invited the whole SMP to come. You were fine with it and you knew not everyone would show up. So when it was time to go, you looked everywhere in the house for Techno so that you could tell him goodbye but you could not find him. You were about to just leave when you hear your name being called from the front door. You rush to the door and find Techno standing there with a bag in his hand. “There you are. Are you ready to go?” Deciding not to question it, you give your boyfriend a smile and a nod before the two of you head out for Karl’s. When you arrive, there are quite a few people there, but not it’s definitely not everyone. You quickly find Karl and greet him with hugs before helping him get completely set up for the night. Techno hovers around you two, not really helping but not wanting to go around and socialize. Eventually he spots Philza and leaves your side briefly to greet his father. 

Finally everything is set up and ready to go. So Karl calls out to everyone to please take their seats, it’s go time. I would like to say that you go first and sing another fun and upbeat song to get everyone hyped. (I do not have one in mind for this time) But it’s great and a total banger, we stan. So then when you’re done, everyone claps politely and Karl moves to take your place. So you bound over to Techno and sit on his lap. One after another, people went up and chose a song and sang their heart out. You don’t expect Techno to get up and sing. You thought he hated it last time so why would he do it again? But he surprises you, of course haha. But after listening to Quackity screech out a song that you honestly cannot tell what it was because of how much he was joking around and not actually trying his best to sing, Techno had had enough. He carefully moves you off of him, grabs his bag, and moves to the front of the room, snatching the mic out of Quackity’s hand. “Hey! I wasn’t done singing!” Quackity protests, reaching for the mic again. “I was done listening… we are all done listening” Techno shoots back. Quackity glances around the room, lets out a sigh, before shuffling over to his fiances and curling into their arms. Techno very quickly turns off the music and a sigh of relief sweeps over Karl’s living room, which makes you snicker behind your hand. You’re surprised when Techno doesn’t pick another song from the machine, but instead he opens his bag and pulls out a violin. You haven’t seen him play that violin in so long and it melts your heart to see him pull it out and bring it up to his chin. You watch in awe as he brings his bow to the strings and begins to play so beautifully. “Oh I remember when my brother played the violin! He was always so good at it! We used to play together all the time. He on violin, me on guitar… It was amazing,” you hear Ghostbur exclaim from somewhere else in the room. And he’s right, it is amazing. It’s even more amazing when Techno opens his mouth and lets his beautiful bass voice ring out into the room. It’s really truly an amazing thing to see. Techno not only playing the violin, but also singing. The room is dead silent and all attention is on Techno as he sings about his time as king, as the Blood God. Please find the violin cover here and the song he’s singing here. Song is Fallen Kingdom…. Yes that fallen kingdom hahahah).

When he’s done, the room is so silent you could hear a pin drop. Techno glances around the room in a panic and you can see his face flushes. You know the voices are going crazy, trying to convince him that he just fucked up and everyone hated it and hated him. So you slowly stand from your seat and begin clapping. Heads snap to you as you clap. Philza quickly joins you, standing up and clapping. Slowly everyone joins you, and then everyone at once. Techno gets a standing ovation from the crowd. This makes his blush even harder and he quickly takes the violin off his shoulder and puts it back into the bag. You don’t let him get off the makeshift stage though, you quickly walk up to him, grab his now empty hands causing him to freeze and look at you. You just simply leaned up and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. “That was amazing Techno” you mumble against him. He hums in response, kissing you back. “Oh it was nothing” he murmurs back. After a few more moments, the two of you pull apart and you give him a small smile, “sing a duet with me?” you ask him as the applause dies down. Techno looks hesitant, but one quick glance around the room at the encouraging smiles, he decides one more song couldn’t hurt. He lets you pick out the song and his heart almost melts at the choice. (Here is the song. It is Come What May from moulin rouge). Your voices meld so well together and it doesn’t leave a single dry eye in the house. Again, once you’re finished the room is roaring with applause. Literally everyone is crying. Like it’s so obvious you two love each other and that you two mean the words you’re singing in the song. You two end the song with another very passionate kiss as everyone claps so hard they’re all sure their palms will be red and sore the next morning. You and Techno pull apart and you have matching grins on your faces as you set down your mics and move back to the couch to cuddle again. It takes a hot minute for anyone to step up to the machine, not wanting to follow that amazing performance, but slowly Karaoke night gets back on track. Neither of you two get up to sing again though. You’re just content to sit in your boyfriend’s lap and he’s just content to hold you. As you snuggle into him, Techno thinks over the past two Saturdays and he decides quietly to himself that maybe spending Saturdays with you and the fiances wouldn’t be so bad… I mean he actually had fun. He deserves to have a bit of fun every once in a while.

[starleska]

Augustus St Cloud for the ask game? :o

oh anon i LOVE YOU thank you for giving me the chance to gush about Augustus St Cloud, perhaps one of the most mortifying and intense crushes i've ever had 😭💖

What made me like them:

oh my God, okay so the first time i watched the Venture Bros with my partner i was actually obsessed with the Monarch, who fits my usual f/o profile super well...until we first met Augustus. and he made us both laugh so hard that we started imitating him around the house, just slipping into his voice to make each other giggle. as we progressed through the series i got this little creeping thought in the back of my head like, 'hey, wouldn't it be funny if you found him fuckable', which i forcibly repressed...to no avail 😢

cue like three months of me successfully keeping this a secret from my partner until i finally confessed my crush whilst hiding my face under a pillow. they teased me mercilessly with their spot-on Augustus impression (much to my horror and delight), and they still do it today 😳😳😳

to answer the question properly: he's a stylish, eccentric bastard with unending confidence and he loves to neg everyone around him. exactly my kind of man;;; he's also a sly and clever guy, and deserving of the supervillain title due to the insane stakes he ramps everything up to. the entirety of Spanakopita! is testament to his weirdness, and exactly why i adore him so much;;;;

My favourite thing about them:

don't make fun of me but smth about that voice just makes me shiver 😳😭 quite a lot of my f/os have very distinctive voices (Baldi, Prof Ratigan, Murderface, etc.) and Augustus' is one i could listen to for hours. i believe it's inspired in part by Truman Capote? either way, Augustus doesn't just speak - he drawls, like every syllable is simply an inconvenience to him, and he simply doesn't have time to deign speech to your ears. it's beautiful 🥰

Nicknames we have for each other:

haaaa oh gosh it's so tough to think about;;;; it's less a nickname, but mentally i often revert to, 'Mr St Cloud'. he deserves the respect!! in return, Augustus has this mortifying habit of talking down to others, so a well-placed 'baby' or 'princess' would break me 😭😭

A headcanon of our relationship/friendship:

i'm such a bad selfshipper that i always get extremely embarrassed trying to imagine myself interacting with Augustus, even if my selfship fanart might indicate otherwise 😂 i get torn between a romanticised version, wherein the attraction is a mutual slow-burn due to a respect and fascination with one another; and the realistic version, wherein the attraction is incredibly one-sided and easily exploited by Augustus for his own gain 😳

My favourite image of them:

look at that shit-eating grin. i love him 😖 Anything else?

if i get even a background cameo of Augustus in the Venture Bros movie i will sob for a week [ask game]

[bumbershots]

A CERTAIN ROMANCE

CHAPTER THREE: WHO ARE YOU?

Author’s note: Hello! Once more I would like to thank you all for the love this story’s been getting, it truly blows my mind. I am also looking for a beta reader so if anyone out there is interested let me know! (: Let’s pick up right where we left off...

Story masterlist ** Word count: 2.3K **

Two souls don't find each other by simple accident, Harry thought after taking a seat for the first time that night, his feet were probably going to be swollen tomorrow, they were killing him already. But he wasn't keen on turning down a dance from the girl collapsing in the settee right next to him. A slow Amy Winehouse song was their cue to rest.

"Do you want a beer?" Her voice sounded a bit hoarse, probably from all the giggling and singing she did while dancing the night away.

"Yes please."

He watched her trot to the small bar on the other side of the flat, focused on how the multiple bracelets bounced in her left wrist as she instructed her brother which beer to give her. As she came back to take her previous seat, he felt a small wave of anxiety for wanting nothing more than to start a conversation with her, as she handed him the beer. Usually it was the other way around, but in most of the cases, people wanted to know his persona.

He knew the silence was becoming awkward, but he was still debating whether to ask about her upbringing or what she did for work, whatever the case was, he didn't want to make a fool out of himself, he almost never seemed to be that lucky.

"You're not used to people being calm around you, are you?" Alma’s frown os curiosity is a mirror to the one on the musician's face.

"Yes and no?" Harry's coy tone makes her smile warmly and shake her head in denial, "so, I'm Hampstead station guy?" Her eyes widen, a shy smile appears on her full lips before she takes another large sip of her drink.

"It's unlikely to find the same person thrice in the tube! I told my friend Laura, it felt like a glitch in the matrix." She answers and he lets out an amused laugh.

"For the record, I wasn't following you, at all..."

"I know, you just had to take the same line I did and it was a happy coincidence," she interrupts him, the new song gathers a few more dancers and Harry wonders if she will ask him to dance again, "although it would've made a great anecdote for my YouTube channel; story time, a famous musician follows me around the city possibly plotting my painful death." She joked as she gingerly flashed her hands before the two of them, as if presenting the latest play from the West End.

It was Harry's eyes turn to be wide and smack his hand into his forehead.

"You have a YouTube channel?" His interest was genuine and Alma made herself more comfortable on the sofa, before proceeding to fill him in about what that was about, just videos about her 'sort of interviewing remarkable people' or so she claimed.

It was something that started as a class project back when she was seventeen, trying to get good grades to win a scholarship and study abroad —none of those things happened. She kept doing it afterwards because it was too much fun, once she interviewed all her friends, she moved onto her family. "Believe me when I tell you, that I have more relatives than I should!" With a smile as big as hers, he sighed before breathing 'lucky' as his heart sped and she continued.

Restaurant owners, chefs, firefighters, barristers, doctors, accountants, waitresses, sexual workers, sex shop employees, bankers, homeless people, hairdressers and apparently every person from her home country had been on the informal interview series. Harry was impressed with the whole concept and her.

"I sort of abandoned it a little when I moved here last year, it was crazy busy the first couple of months and the whole bureaucracy... and I was a little homesick to be honest." For the first time in the night, her voice is thinner, he has to lean in a few inches to hear better, "I miss my parents, my cousins, my aunt, my grandparents. But this is something I've wanted for the longest time you know?" Her eyes bore into his, allowing him to see the vulnerability swimming in them, "I've never felt like an outsider here, never got lost in the tube, took the wrong bus or anything like that. Isn't it weird?" Harry smiled at the sentiment, thoughts of his latest trip to Japan flashing before him.

"No, I think it's marvellous that you feel that way." He cannot be real, is the only thing running through her mind like a restless hamster in its wheel.

Harry and Alma talked about everything they didn’t have in common, despite the brief interruptions to do some shots and drink champagne with the birthday boy. Their families were discussed, their favourite things to do in the summer. Alma even asked him how was work going, as if she didn’t know that he was one of th world’s most successful artists. Harry was thrilled to joke through their drinks and the girl wasn't shy to ask him for a couple more dances. None of them noticed the partying dying around them, it was only after Fernando said his goodbyes to his laughing sister, that they noticed how late/early it actually was.

Before they knew it, golden hues streamed through the window behind them as Freddie walked out of his room and offered them coffee.

"I'm never drinking straight vodka again," Freddie mumbled to himself after finishing his cup of coffee.

"At least it wasn't Vodquila like last time," Alma's words make him groan but agree. "I should go now, need a shower and a healthy breakfast."

After Harry also admitted he needed to be on his way, with all their belongings gathered and after saying goodbye to a very ill Freddie, neither Harry or Alma looked forward to their imminent separation. He had spent hours hearing how busy she is, when not recording content, she was working at Wenzel's and teaching Spanish to her neighbour's daughter on the weekends. Still, he was determined to meet with her again.

As soon as they started moving down the street, Harry noticed the next one was where he had to turn right in order to go home. It wasn't a short walk but the most effective route for sure.

"So, the bus stop is that way," Alma nodded her head to the left, smirking knowingly as she stuffs her hands in her coat pockets.

"Of course," they had come to a rolling stop at the corner. Harry suddenly felt beyond nervous about asking the girl for her phone number. "Thank you, for keeping me company last night." It was amazing he wanted to add, but licked his lips quickly instead.

"You mean keeping you from catching up with all your friends," she corrected him.

Harry shakes his head and smiles, the dimples graciously adorning his cheeks, his racing heart giving him the last push needed to finally ask. "Do you think we could go, like for coffee... sometime?” With that she laughed, immediately memorising the sound of it, her loud cackle is one of the nicest things he has heard in awhile.

"Only if I can buy you something from the selection of pastries." Harry laughed loudly, completely relieved by her answer. She dug around her purse for a moment before taking out a pen and what seemed to be an old receipt, quickly scribbling down her number and handing it to him.

"I'll call you," he beamed, carefully placing the piece of paper in his wallet. He'd be an idiot to lose such a precious fragment of information.

"Looking forward to it," Alma smiled at him for one last time before she started walking to the opposite direction. "See you around Harry." His face was a bit puffy from not having slept properly, but she would be lying to say he didn’t look adorable at the same time.

He waved and watched her walked away, her sweet and tired morning smile seemed to be engraved into the musician's mind as he headed home.

The air was still a bit cold, but the heat was starting to rise and plague London for the rest of the day, the hot summer everyone's been yearning for was finally here, even Harry could feel it in his bones as he continued down his path. He was still highly enamoured by the amazing night he spent sharing a piece of himself with Alma. His feet felt heavy, were even burning a little, but it was nothing as he made his way through his home gate twenty minutes later.

He decided to get some toast and a cuppa for breakfast, his high spirits not faltering even one bit although he could feel the consequences from the all-nighter already with each yawn. After eating he decided to take a shower that got him ready for a well deserved sleep in his comfortable bed.

Waking up around six o'clock startles him at first, Harry is well rested now but a bit grumpy for the weird taste on his tongue, something usual after drinking beer. He scolds himself for not brushing his teeth earlier as he walks in his bathroom. The cool tiles against his bare feet wake him up a bit more. After some needed dental hygiene, Harry gets dressed to go out and pick up his sister for their weekly dinner. Hopefully he can convince her to stay in, that way he can go on and on about the events from the night before.

His feet still hurt, he can even feel a blister underneath his big toe. But it doesn't bother him, it's actually a nice reminder of the incredible things that miraculously happened. Harry knew that since Alma was related to Fernando, someone that was bound to be in his life for the next six months or so, there was a big chance they would've met at some point. But he'd rather think it was fate, some sort of good karma coming round, he stared at her contact on his phone, still charmed by the fact that she gave it to him on the back of a receipt. Ignoring that she only did it that way, because the thought of asking for his mobile to enter it herself, was a very bold move. And Alma wasn’t really that confident, not when his green eyes were boring into hers anyway.

"When are you gonna call her then?" Gemma's voice snaps him out of his daydream for the third time during their quiet dinner in her flat. "What is it? You've got that look."

"What look?" He asks before his sister frowns and pinches her bottom lip with her thumb and index finger. It's his nervous quirk, he sighs, "I don't know, I'm just so nervous." Without a valid reason, he knows the girl is so lovely, maybe that's why.

"You're afraid of fucking it up," she knows, Harry nods. "Well, you could tell her that, perhaps on a text—

"—I want to call her, texting her will make me feel a wanker." Gemma smiles at her little brother, he looked uncharacteristically unsure of himself but nonetheless excited. It was endearing how the first thing he told her after crossing her home's threshold was 'my life is officially a chick flick!' Before proceeding to explain with detail about the whole situation.

"What about a text that reads: hello, this is Harry please save my number so when I find the guts to call you, you don't think it's a telemarketing scam," Gemma might be joking and mocking him all at once, but has a point. A text so she also has his number, makes the situation more even, she can call him too. "Assuming she gave you a real phone number."

"What?" Harry is mortified.

"I'm kidding, you should've seen your face," his sister wanted to drag a bit more her joke, but the preoccupied look on his face stopped her. Gemma couldn't wait to tell their mum, knowing that she would be just as absorbed. "There's nothing wrong with showing interest right away. If you want this to be honest and genuine, set an example." She finished before taking the last bite of pizza.

Harry knew that to be true, but now he was left wondering if it was the right time for him. Had he really left behind all the ghosts and baggage from his past? Or was he still carrying them in the new tattoos of his knees?

Despite his sister's encouraging words about how nothing could go wrong this early with Alma, he couldn't help but wonder if his still grieving heart was ready.

He takes his time walking back home, not caring if it was a really long one, he was aware of the curious eyes once he reached the Southbank but paid no attention to them. He welcomed the chill breeze, hoping for it to cool his boiling mind. Remembering the last time he walked along the river arms around his former flame, her laughter still ringing in his ears, her tender kisses in his knuckles, her delicious scent flying away with the airstream into London's sunshine.

Missing someone is not wrong, Harry reminds himself.

There's no point going down the rabbit hole of what ifs about their relationship. Harry can admit his mistakes, no matter how hard it comes to him, he can also apologise wholeheartedly. He did all those things already, months ago. Which is why he was able to keep her as a friend, not a close one, more like an acquaintance. And she's happy, he can see that, knows it.

Why does he feel like he's still drowning? He's already been pulled from the vast ocean of hers. Harry groans, struggles to open his gate, his good spirits from this morning nowhere to be found.

He doesn't know if it's the memory of her, the fear of loneliness, coincidence and laziness, or a bad habit? But he doesn't text the girl with warm brown eyes, instead he plays the voicemail that sometimes haunts his nightmares, on repeat, for the rest of the night.

///

Let me know if you like the story! *** Join the taglist!

///

TAG LIST: @laurxn-robinson // @mellamolayla

Next chapter

[tuwam]

tact.

“who’s younghyun?”

the question comes later. days later.

@consilian }

there’s a lot that yoojun’s learning. less about the things he studies, the words he has to memorize and the procedures he has to know as well as breathing. that’s easier, absorbing and repeating until it becomes as easy as breathing. that stuff he thinks he can play off well, so well that when wonwoo quizzes him sometimes yoojun will see a smile. it makes yoojun’s cheeks swell up.

but one thing he can’t do as easy as repeating and repeating and repeating. as easy as breathing even, is the communication thing, the cues and the knowledge that comes easily to others. it’s probably easier for some, ones who weren’t raised in the wilderness or by a man who’d only recently upgraded his cellular device. or perhaps, who still calls it a cellular device and not a cellphone. yoojun remembers the slight teasing he received from the elder pack members, the ones who found integration into society easier, earlier than yoojun.

it comes from slight words, slang he’s picked up from children shows. no one is able to understand how he can comprehend his textbooks but can’t quite pick up on the nicknames and slang they throw around. but he does, he has to.

these things are harder to understand. wonwoo helps but wonwoo doesn’t have the guide to every situation there is and yoojun has come to learn to face them, awkward stares, red ears and all. like now, when soyeon whips around to him so fast that she nearly falls from the stool. they’re at yoojun’s place, yoojun had been watching her scarf her bagel and half of his own in her mouth in fascination. she’s been smiling easier, admittedly there was a awkward patch after the nightmare, the worry had hung on her like a haze and it took a few days for her not to tiptoe around her. for her to be okay with not being okay.

they’re working on it. yoojun keeps telling wonwoo they need to talk about it but wonwoo has insisted it’s too early.

let her breathe yoojun.

and yoojun still doesn’t know what that means. what he does know is she’s eating more, she seems content in the seat and if he doesn’t ask now he’ll surely forget. so he asks and soyeon looks so bewildered she almost chokes on the bagel. wonwoo, who had been previously quizzing yoojun stops immediately, and yoojun feels the scold coming. his ears immediately flatten because soyeon’s eyes are wild - scared. it comes off her in waves nearly knocking yoojun backwards. he holds still.

wonwoo had been right.

‘yoojun.’ he sinks in his spot, chin coming to rest against the top of the counter. he wants to hide from soyeon’s gaze, wants to apologize, wants to hug her again - do something. his apology is a small whine from the back of his throat. whatever snapped soyeon to him starts to soften and the alarm that’s covered her body in red in his eyes starts to dissipate. she breathes, swallows and her scent starts to waft back in, tentative and gentle. yoojun doesn’t move, but his ears perk up when she reaches her hand over to him.

the ruffle is quick, fond and his nuzzles her palm with his nose.

“you call the name a lot - in your sleep.” he hasn’t received any okay that he should keep going with his question but soyeon’s smiling and if she needs him to stop she’d say so. that and well - her fingers playing in his hair do a good job of trying to distract him. wonwoo does the same thing he realizes. but this is more for her than him, yoojun watches soyeon take a deep breath, the grin remaining on her face before her hand removes so she can rest her chin in her palm, elbow perched on the counter. wonwoo’s taken to putting yoojun’s flash cards down, though he doesn’t dwell beside them, he continues cooking. it’s probably another effort to distract yoojun, but it won’t work.

‘he’s my - hm. well he’s my lover.’

the ladle sings against the stove and yoojun turns to look at wonwoo whose eyes are looking at soyeon now, scandalized. yoojun can’t quite make out the expression on his friend’s face. it’s rather new.

‘soyeon.’ the exasperation in his voice isn’t and yoojun feels both a giggle and a whine coming up. they do this to him all the time, they tend to share some sort of knowledge yoojun has no familiarity with and make a silent agreement to keep him out of it. not today.

“he’s someone you love!” yoojun’s indignant with his answer, perking up the minute he thinks wonwoo might switch the subject. because he knows this one! they don’t have to hide it from him! why wouldn’t he know what a lover is! there’s something, a hint of a chuckle leaving wonwoo’s lips before he turns away from them completely, and focuses on the food again.

‘he’s someone i love very much yes.’ “he’s someone you miss a lot too.”

that much yoojun knows. he’s picked up on it each time he’s found himself rushing to her side in the middle of the night. the worry, the desperation and soyeon always grasping for something, anything. more often than not it ends up being yoojun, though the last time it was both him and wonwoo. the ache he often sees in her eyes are gone for the moment, replaced much later, much more privately. he wants to help.

“i can find him!” wonwoo’s told him about making promises before he knows enough, so he switches his approach. “i can try!!” ‘yoojun.’ wonwoo’s voice is the same as always, a gentle warning, though it’s fond and when yoojun tilts his head to look at his friend the older is flicking the top of his head immediately. there’s this thing they’ve been talking about, tact. yoojun has come to realize he doesn’t have quite enough of it, to know when to stop or start, or speak or wait. he tries to look apologetic but when wonwoo still has a hint of smile, like he knows yoojun so well that he expects it ( because he does ) yoojun finds his ears wiggling and his smile staying.

‘yoo,’ soyeon’s voice is gentle as she starts, though, the sadness starts to creep in her eyes again. ‘where he is, you can’t go.’ yoojun only notices now, but wonwoo has stopped cooking in favor of leaning his elbow on yoojun’s shoulder. instinctively his head leans over for any comfort he can get. the depth of soyeon’s discomfort with this place, this topic, rolls over as much as the sadness. he wants to brace it for her, because she’s always doing it alone.

‘why not?’ it’s wonwoo who asks because yoojun’s trying to cope with all he feels around them.

‘put simply. it’s dangerous. put honestly, it’s a district head’s coven.’ that - is something yoojun definitely doesn’t understand. his eyes flit to wonwoo for explanation because soyeon’s looking at the other male expectantly, a strange glint in her eye. there’s silence after that, yoojun with a need to pull from someone. anyone. instead of responding wonwoo removes himself from yoojun’s shoulder, the warmth immediately making him lean back to chase it. yoojun tries to scream tell me without saying it, without bothering them. he wants them to be okay with telling him, comfortable. 

there’s a long way to that. wonwoo is flipping the scallion pancake, yoojun’s mouth waters and, ‘a district head is equivalent to your pack leader’s leader.’ he perks up instantly. “i’ve - never met him.” ‘and you probably shouldn’t. though i’m sure he’s considerably nicer than a district head coven. werewolves will wag their tails faster than they’ll snap someone’s neck. vampires aren’t quite the same.’ soyeon says it with a dry laugh leaving her lips later. wonwoo passes a dark liquid in a weird shaped glass her way. a whiff passes yoojun’s nose and his tongue sticks out in a gag at the unmistakable stench of alcohol. soyeon takes a sip regardless. ‘district heads aren’t people to meet and become friendly with. they’re the people you hope the friendly ones don’t meet.’

yoojun can’t imagine such a person. the pack’s leader back in the woods, hyunwoo, had admittedly been someone he wouldn’t introduce his university friends to. but he wasn’t a bad guy, just of a different style. it’d been how he’d explained his personality to wonwoo, who was equally happy to express his opinion. at the time, their trip had luckily come to an end. but a person so bitter, no, dangerous that people shouldn’t meet them? he doesn’t want to imagine.

‘younghyun is there. and everyday he’s there is another day i’m plagued with guilt. i miss him more than i can bear.’ the sips have turned into gulps, yoojun hand reaches out and soyeon holds it, her other still cradling the glass. 

“let’s go get him then.” laughter again, louder, still as dry. yoojun ducks his head. ‘we cannot. you definitely cannot.’ “but, you want to see him right?” ‘yoo.’ wonwoo’s warning is a press of a hand on his shoulder but soyeon’s pain amplifies the more he holds her hand and it’s pushing him to press on, to keep asking. ‘some things aren’t that simple.’ yoojun knows that, of course he does. but, ‘you want to help. i know.’ soyeon’s smile is small.

yoojun wants her to smile, genuinely, without worry. he’s asking a lot, but it’s all he wishes for them. her and wonwoo alike. he’s realizing that they’re plagued with more than is fair, with more than they wished for. all children probably ever wish for at first breath is to live. maybe not all but he’s sure they would’ve wished to live before they wished for this, born into it or not. it’s not fair. 

“how can i...” yoojun’s voice grows small and he feels wonwoo’s fingers in his hair instantly, calming, scraping against the surface to try to tug at the mess the older knows he’s thinking through. soyeon’s hand squeezes his own, she settles down the empty glass to once again lean against her palm.

‘just, be you. be here. safe.’  “i can do that.” he knows he can. ‘that’s enough then.’ it’s a lie. if it were enough, she wouldn’t be having these nightmares, she wouldn’t smile so sadly so often. but he nods, his head falling into wonwoo’s scratches os much that he’s leaning into the older’s leg and nearly falling when wonwoo moves to grab the food. there’s a chuckle and laughter as soyeon leans over to make sure he’s okay and wonwoo only gives him attention when he’s leaning down, chopsticks full of pancake placed in front of yoojun’s mouth.

‘eat, and look up the word tact later.’ yoojun pouts but eats and it disappears immediately.  “sorry hyung.” but wonwoo’s stuffing his mouth full again and only rising with the question of whether soyeon wants another glass with her food. yoojun crosses his legs, soyeon climbs atop the counter and does the same. wonwoo fusses with them both but they end up continuing the witcher in the kitchen instead of the living room. they fall asleep in a heap in the corner and for tonight at least, soyeon’s nightmare subsides.

[mariposalass]

Pokemon Self Ship AU

Cue in the X & Y era Pokemon Anime Theme Song 

Thanks to a bunch of Pokemon reblogs, memes and posts flying all over Tumblr (and especially those of my little precious PokeBirds and now Scorbunny & the other Galar starter Pokemon with Sword and Shield announced to be released by the end of the year), I’ve gotten the ‘Make a Pokemon self ship AU’ bug that I decided to make some stuff based around the Pokemon series. I tend to suck in mainline games, haven’t touch Pokemon Go beyond seeing videos and my folks playing it at one point, but I’m well aware of the franchise, know most of the Pokemon, and saw the Anime a couple of times. Note this AU won’t include anything related to Gen. 8 as Sword and Shield won’t be here until the end of this year, so hold your horses and watch out for spoilers, people! Here’s the long as heck of post of Pokemon AU headcanons:

Much of the main story here is in Kalos (the Gen. 6 region) and has both game and anime influences all over, though other regions will be featured in one form or the other, however me and my f/os are isolated from the story of both the X &Y game and anime for the most part. And yes, real life animals exist in here as well!

Mari hails from Cyllage City (the location of the Rock Gym in X and Y) in Kalos, but due to her job as a travel writer, she has been on the digital nomad’s life since finishing college. Her adopted siblings Harry and Kairi, her boyfriend Philip, and best friends Issa & Kirby join her in her journey all over the Pokemon world.

How did she met them: Harry and Kairi were adopted into Mari’s family when they were 11 (Harry), 9 (Mari), and 7 (Kairi) respectively after the social services brought the kids over to her family if they want to take them in: The Dursleys here were killed in a flash flood at Amberette Town (and were not nice people from what she has heard) while Kairi’s grandmother died from natural causes whereas her parents died young from unknown causes. The siblings met Issa (moved in from Hoenn) and Philip (moved in from Unova) through the Pokemon Summer Camp, while Kirby flew into the Tan house by accident. No really, that last one isn’t a joke. Issa and Harry have been dating since college and have yet to get engaged at the moment.

Mari works as a full time travel writer, which means she currently spends most of her time away from Cyllage City and sometimes from Kalos; she does write stories on the side as well. In addition, Harry works as a Pokemon Ranger, Issa is a journalist (she’s also Alexa’s co-worker so she does know Viola to an extant), Kairi is honing in her Pokemon Performer capabilities, Philip is now Professor Sycamore's assistant, and Kirby is, well, Kirby, enough said.

Despite the fact that Fennekin, Chespin, and Froakie are the starter Pokemon of Kalos, Mari, Harry, and Kairi ended up getting a Piplup, a Rowlet, and Torchic who’ve stowed in a cargo ship mischievously during the start of their Pokemon journey at 11, 13, and 9. The bird Pokemon sneaked into the Tan house at night, distracted by the scent of the food her mom was cooking then and she in turn panicked upon seeing the stray Pokemon wanting some of the dinner as well. They have since evolved into Empoleon, Decidueye, and Blaziken after years of training and evolving and act as the main leaders of their teams. Had Empoleon didn’t came into her life early on, she would’ve pick Fennekin as her starter Pokemon.

Many of Mari’s Pokemon are gained throughout her travels as a part of her travel blogger job: she gained a Gardevoir and a Roselia in Sinnoh as a Ralts and a Budew respectively, a Beautifly in Hoenn as a Wurmple, and an Alolan Vulpix in Alola. Only Empoleon and Umbreon (as an Eevee) were caught within Kalos, thought the former came about because of the starter birds sneaking into her childhood home years ago.

Since Mari didn’t plan on being a Pokemon Performer unlike Kairi, she decided to do Gym Battles in Kalos whenever she is at home, though she isn’t going to enter the Kalos Pokemon League any time soon in the near future. So far, she has the Bug, Cliff, Plant, Voltage, and Fairy badges: she hasn’t earned the Rumble, Psychic, and Snowflake badges.

She just so happens to be good friends with Clemont and Bonnie in this AU, although she didn’t knew of their adventures with Ash, Pikachu, and Serena until she was visiting Kanto near the end of the main game/anime storyline wherein Clement sent her an email about what happened during their journey around Kalos.

Almost every other F/O of mine are either in Cyllage City or in Lumiose City in this AU.

Believe it or not, Mari had an encounter with Diancie when she was 6 when her family visited Terminus Cave on a family trip. While she was exploring the cave, she was nearly blinded by the pink aura Diancie gives off and got a good glimpse of the Jewel Pokemon before she (This particular Diancie here is a girl, so…) vanished from her sight. Since then, she vowed to meet her again and hopefully catch her as an integral part of her team. This is what caused her high school blind date to dump her because he literally thought she was this insane to think that she saw Diancie face to face; his FC is this guy from the same group as Mari’s FC.

[optimisticcritique]

Gotham 4x10 - Re-Watch Review

Almost done with the catch up! 

Wow, arkham has really let itself go. Who is running it now anyway? It looks like a complete circus. No wonder Jerome must feel comfortable there.

"It was playing when I killed her" Well, maybe you should have turned the music off before you killed her....or maybe, I dunno, not killed her. 

Stabbing someone and slicing their throat with a record....what a waste of a perfectly good record. 

Aaaand this is all done as the guards just stand there and watch. High quality service. 

Jim shutting Sofia down, what a huge burn. 

But seriously, why get involved with Sofia Falcone if you were just going to dump her like this? You already angered Carmine and killed Mario. You really wanted to have a fling with Sofia and risk messing with the family more too?   

So, are there no more skits now? Haven't seen one of Ed's shows in awhile. I guess Lee was like, “Okay, let’s tone down the shows and the glittery outfits...okay?” Then he just gets so disappointed that he can’t wear all the glitter and do his performances. He had a closet full of planned green glittery outfits to wear in public and now he constantly stares at them longingly. Sometimes he even wears them when he is all alone or when he sleeps because he just can. 

"If she stabs him, it solves the issue" Well, he’s not wrong. 

I know for a fact that was the only appearance of Grundy in this episode. So Drew put all his make up on, stood there for a second, and then left...Must have been such a hard day of filming.  

I wonder how long Penguin was waiting there for Sofia. Did he sit and talk with Victor until she arrived? Did they get bored so they ate some of her food? Maybe her peanut butter? 

Try not to notice that, while Oswald is confronting Sofia, he is yelling as he is looking up at her. The height difference is more apparent than you would expect in this particular scene. 

"...and a good foot rub" Cue Victor looking down at Oswald's feet. He must have had so many questions. 

When are villains going to learn that they should be present when giving torture? 

"Jim. I'm a reflection of you" *Jim looks closely* "Don't see it" Haha 

The face being easily fixed. I half expected Jim to pull off his face to find a robot underneath. I mean, it is Gotham. Anything is possible. 

"Jerome, Fish, Penguin..." Jim considers them to be the worst psychopaths? Jerome would be the most touched by this. 

"People will remember me for months" I know Penguin will. Hard to forget a guy in a pig mask who threatened a soon to be adopted son’s life and served you human meat pies.

Pyg going country? Why am I not surprised by this? 

Okay, does Ed even shower at this point? Comb his hair? Wear more clothes? It sure doesn't look like it. 

"Has been" "Excuse me!" Heey, be nice to Eddie.

He was more infamous than you, Sampson. Were you ever on the front page headlines of a newspaper or on television? I don’t think so. Granted, Ed hijacked some of that television spot but that’s beside the point.  

I really like this actor playing Sampson. We have barely seen much of his character so far but he has a nice presence. 

I'm sad to say that I believed Lee for a second about the Narrow's Lung...

Sampson kind of makes that food look good. He should be on food commercials. 

Sofia - thinking ahead and preparing for almost anything. 

...Yeah, except that. Sirens already messing up her plans.

“kitty cat” When are they going to start calling Selina ‘Catwoman’? Does she have to be age appropriate? 

They were so ready to just go ahead and make the deal anyway. Oswald, why is it that you end up sabotaging your own self? 

Penguin with his pure little bird son. Seeing little Martin in that chair. So cute 

"One day all of this could be yours" I am getting Lion King vibes. Does Martin can’t wait to be king?

Hey Os, at least he confessed the truth! Not complete betrayal. He should get the “not as bad as of a betrayal as it could have been” award. 

I just imagine Babs on hold, hearing "WHAT?!! HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS?!" In the background as she shakes her head, grinning at Penguin’s rage. 

Babs is staring right at the camera as she is talking. It's like she’s staring into my soul... 

Victor just automatically knows that he is free to go murder. Was it a code word? Did Oswald and Victor invent code words for stuff? I really want to know what that conversation was like, as Victor suggests certain code words and Oswald is just like “no. just no”. 

"We are not working for anyone but ourselves" Yeah, good luck with that. I hate seeing the sirens be lackeys. 

Imagine if Victor actually succeeded...4 major characters just dead there. Imagine all the shock and riots that would ensue. Actually, scratch that. They would probably still find a way to bring back their bodies from the ashes. 

I have to wonder how much of Sofia's plan was actually a plan or just pure chance from Penguin's self-sabotage and Jim underestimating her.

No! Don't yell at your child like that! He loves yoooooouuu!

Let's see...each season has a new weakness/loved one to Penguin. Season 1 had Penguin's mom, season 2 had Penguin's dad, Season 3 had Penguin's husband best friend, season 4 has Penguin's unofficially adopted son, Season 5....? Pet penguins?! Crazy uncle Zsasz?!?! 

"If she sets foot in Gotham again, I'll put her behind bars." Yeah, I'm sure that'll happen.

“Once Sofia Falcone is gone...where does that leave us?" Translation: Once your girlfriend is out the way, are we finally going to be an item? 

Yeah, this working together won't last long.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" That was Ed being sassy. 

Wow, that was darker than expected coming from Lee.  

Lee and Ed work well together. Nice dynamic.

So...Penguin was drinking....was he half drunk when he was blowing things up and screaming as guns were firing? That feels like the equivalent to doing crazy drunk stuff in Gotham, honestly. 

Wait, did Martin draw that picture? Is that supposed to be Tabby in the picture? There was a pony tail... yet it looks like Selina was the one that got him in the car???  

"Kid gives me the creeps." What are you talking about? That’s Penguin’s adorable adopted murder son you are referring to! Hardly creepy.

"Must be hard to live your whole life trying to get daddy's approval. I myself can't relate since my parents loved ME without condition!" Savage Penguin. You always know where to hit it where it hurts.

I have issues with this plan. Like, were they just supposed to take Penguin's word on submitting and expect him to follow through? What was to stop Penguin from lying? Is there some kind of criminal code of lying I know nothing about?

The way his body wiggles like he's ready to pounce.

"Not meant to be a sidekick, Lee" Funny...you seemed fine when you were doing things for Oswald when he was mayor. 

"I like who you have become. The Ed you were before. My friend" Ed’s expression when she says that. Wow, he looks like he is about to cry. All he wants is to be accepted!!! 

Penguin -- always coming with a plan. 

How did Penguin know that it would be a place with a hole for Martin to go in? Did he pick the meeting place? Does he know every inch of Gotham? Was it more like “Hey, can we meet at this place instead? Why? No reason. My car is just low on gas, that’s all...” *drives over pot hole to fit it perfectly* 

"I don't want to leave you" Ugh kill me. 

I really will miss these Oswald/Martin scenes. I hope we get to see more of them and they do not involve putting Martin’s life in danger again. 

"I have something better planned for Sofia Falcone" Penguin’s mind: I’m going to call your daddy on you! Muahaha

If it is that easy to escape arkham, how come there are so many prisoners still there?

Mirror ed has returned! Of course he shows up, right after Lee says that she doesn’t like his Riddler side. 

Over all: For the most part, I enjoyed the episode. There was some questionable plot holes but I still enjoyed it. The sirens team up with Sofia. Oswald “blows up” Martin and tells Victor to take him somewhere else. Pyg escapes prison, Jim/Lucius find out he is not who he says he is. Ed and Lee take control of the Narrows, as Ed discovers his brain damage is psychological and the Riddler starts to make his return.

Previous Review: 4x09 Next: 4x11

[secretradiobrooklyn]

SECRET RADIO | 10.19.20

Secret Radio | 10.19.20 |  Hear it here.

1. Melome Clement & Tout Puissant Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou - “Gnon Nu To Min Lin”

One thing that consistently amazes me about this TP music is that it’s like listening to classic oldies

I just read that Melome Clement died right at the end of 2012. I hope that means he lived a long life. 

2. Fela Ransome Kuti & His Koola Lobitos - “Wa Dele”

Absolutely awesome footage of Fela Kuti, some from before and after the period of this song. Hell, it opens with a shot of him hugging Ginger Baker. He’s clearly a massively charismatic guy. There’s great footage of the horn players too, and tons of amazing dancing, both onstage and (I think?) backstage. There is also one very bad moment in the footage that is super jarring… but I think on balance the footage gives a huge dose of color to an already colorful song — I know I fell in love with this song long before I saw these shots!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVYqMQ5PKXM

3. Panbers - “Haai”

One side effect of running a music magazine was that music would be sent to us, solicited, unsolicited or otherwise — and I loved it. Part of why I started writing about music was that I loved getting CDs in my literal mailbox. One set that arrived at Eleven before I got there was a beautifully made collection called “Those Shocking Shaking Days: Indonesian Hard, Psychedelic, Progressive Rock and Funk 1970-1978.” It wasn’t the kind of thing I was listening to, or for, at the time, but it made a certain impression. Now I’m amazed at how Indonesia, Turkey, Nigeria, France and Benin were pumping out great music in 1978 that all seems like they were part of the same scene… but they couldn’t have been. Right? Italians, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Estonians, Peruvians — just great music being made all over the planet at the same time. Wow.  

4. La Femme - “Welcome America”

This band seems to me like a more modern version of the band Little Rabbits from the ‘90s-‘00s, whose music I totally love. I really like the spoken style of some French pop — like the lyrics aren’t being sung, they’re being announced. I get the impression that this is an indie sort of band in modern French music but not crossed over into the French pop stratosphere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KomjRIqlF7g

A Town Called Panic! soundtrack

If you haven’t seen this movie, we highly recommend it. Don’t even look it up, just pop it in at the top of your queue. It’s really weird and completely rewarding.

5. Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot - “Initials B.B.”

This is one of the foxiest songs ever recorded, in my opinion. I mean, she’s beautiful and he’s beautiful for SURE, but also it’s written into the chords and arrangements. It’s so royal.

For the eye makeup if nothing else:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPOYtC1n5bE

Paige adds:

I should note, Chris and Christine when I dedicated this to Bridget, I was only thinking of the chorus “initials, initials, initials, B. B.” Immediately when it started playing, I realized I’d completely forgotten there were verses and that I have no idea what they’re saying. But considering it’s Serge and Bardot, there’s a high chance it might be a song for grown ups. So just the B.B. part is for Bridget.

6. Betti-Betti - “Guikolo” 

From Bridget to Brigitte Bardot to another B.B.: Betti-Betti. I love the character and timbre of her voice, and the way the horn hits anticipate the beat — everything seems to be out ahead of the beat, it’s amazing. And this is only a hunch, but I think she does the amazing mouth drumming in the middle of the song. If anyone knows whether that’s actually her doing it, I would love to know. I feel like it happens in several of her songs. It just knocks me out every time.

7. Guided By Voices - “Hot Freaks”

This song will always be deep in the heart of my Seattle self. I feel like this is the moment that Guided By Voices became ineluctable. 

8. Techniques Band - “And I Love Her”

So languid, so strangely refracted. 

9. L’Oeil - “Bernadette”

 This song comes from a collection called “Wizzz: French Psychorama (1966-1971), Vol. 1.” Everyone sounds so locked in together on the groove, the vocals can go off on their own TV comedy scene. I want to know more about this band. 

10. William Onyeabor - “Tomorrow” 

The rhythm of this song grows so gradually that you don’t even feel it growing ever more complex until the backing vocals start to wind around each other in an ascending ladder of harmony. Meanwhile, the lead vocal just keeps expressing an absolute truth about life: No one knows tomorrow.

11. Marie Lafôret - “A Demain My Darling”

Lijadu Sisters - “Sunshine”

This is such a pretty song in the verses… but then it opens up into an extended instrumental passage built around this perfect little guitar phrase. I assume great hip hop songs have been built around this sample, but I haven’t heard em yet. In headphones the instruments are being slowly panned around the room in different directions, which is pretty great as well.

12. T P Orchestre Poly Rythmo - “A O O Ida”

When I’m digging around for T.P. tracks I haven’t heard, sometimes a song really lands. I make a note, come back to it a few times, realize I’m into it, cue it up and realize that I should have recognized the song from its place on a comp or something I’ve already heard. But they sound so different from copy to copy! The version of “A O O Ida” here is from a recording of the 1976 original pressing. The version I knew but didn’t even recognize is on Analog Africa’s excellent “The Skeletal Essences of Afro Funk.” At first I thought they were entirely different takes, but they’re not — just really different EQs and mastering. I love all of Analog Africa’s remasters on all of their amazing, amazing compilations, but in this case I prefer the version here. It sounds so sharp and wild. 

13. Teddy Afro - “Mar eske Tuwaf (Fikir Eske Meqabir)”

Teddy Afro must be the biggest entertainer in all of Ethiopia, and he is internationally revered as well. I first heard his music as background music in Ethiopian restaurants, but as I’ve come to explore more music around the world, I find his songs’ production to be really fascinating. He kind of floats over the top of a giant cumulus cloud of orchestral music and telling stories. In this case, he’s relating the story of Seble and Bezabih, the heroes of a famous Ethiopian story called “Love Until the Grave” that I gather doesn’t end well.

14. Salah Ragab - “Black Butterfly”

Josh Weinstein told us about Salah Ragab, and this song makes me feel like I’m living in a cartoon. 

15. Giant Sand - “Temptation of Egg”

In Seattle I went to see Grandaddy at the Crocodile, opening for a band I’d heard of but never seen so figured I’d check out. Giant Sand was touring on this album, “Chore of Enchantment,” and I’d never seen anyone play both keys and maracas AND guitar while singing and somehow seem like he was barely doing anything at all. I got the CD but it didn’t seem like the same thing… until the day after I met Paige, when we found ourselves at my place and I pulled out this album. It unfurled like a genie from a bottle.

16. Blonde Redhead - “En Particuleur”

Blonde Redhead was for a long time my absolute favorite band to see live. I think the first time was at Under the Rail, and literally the second she first screamed I burst into surprised tears. The twins looked like one angel and one devil. John Goodmanson worked with them before he worked with Harvey Danger and I was honestly in awe of them. They were also my path into Serge Gainsbourg, for which I will always be thankful.

17. Michel Polnareff - “La Tribù (Hippy Jeeeh!)”

It’s amazing how many layers of reverb this recording is soaking in, which helps keep it super spaced out, along with that synth sound firing straight up out of the atmosphere.

18. Fabio - “Lindo Sonho Delirante”

Another find via Now/Again Records. The original cover for the single featured a photo of Fabio with his arms outstretched, enwrapped in text. The breathless, almost torn quality of the backing vocals is trés classique. Also, another great example of mouth drumming.

19. Os Bongos - “Lena”

*A great find own my quest to find Muxima! I love the guitar tone on this.

20. Avolonto Honore et l’Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - “Avi Yaman Houé”

Avolonto Honore belongs to that first group of four — plus of course T.P. Orchestre — from the original “Legends of Benin” that basically makes him a saint in our book. He’s definitely one of the most amazing-looking players among them. This track they’re working is a super deep groove… and then when the horns come in, they sound surprisingly like Adriano Celentano’s “Prisencolinensinainciusol.” I believe that is Papillon on the guitar as well, another top favorite musician ever.

21. Yuri Morozov - “Neizyasnimoe”

Johnny Fantastic is probably the person we know who knows the most about Russian history and culture. Also American presidents. He is who I want to talk Russian psych and underground music with. So far, I’ve mainly found cool stuff from Estonia, which is plenty exciting, but I feel like there must be a whole Muscovite weird-rock scene that we just haven’t met yet. What do you think, Johnny?

22. Flavien Berger - “La Fête Noire”

Via roundabout paths, this one gets totted up in Julian’s column. Thanks, Julian. This was one of the first batches of songs that Paige heard of French music made after the ’70s, and it clearly stuck. Sometimes she sings along with the ending, which is my favorite. One translated lyric that sticks out is “I leave the comings and goings of the souls / On the other side of the diving board”

Hailu Mergia - “Embuwa Bey Lamitu”

We have been so glad to have “Wede Harer Guzo” in our collection. Every track is a pleasure. Great for working creatively alongside.

23. Ram Jong Vak - “Twist (Dance Twist)”

More Cambodian pop wizardry.

24. Rocky Horror International - “Alltid Lys Hos Frankenstein”

I tried to convince Paige, when we were leaving our art castle on Cherokee, that we couldn’t have Halloween that year, because we were going to be way too busy. She agreed — and then got us tickets for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” the weekend before, which isn’t technically Halloween… and thank god! It was my first live Rocky, and I may not’ve ever done it if I didn’t do it then. Truly a singular experience, there’s nothing like it no matter how hard people try.

Paige adds: The church of Rocky! 

25.  Arsenal - “Bolero”

Still just reading about this track. One guy wrote in on a track, asking, “Is there any place in Russia where I can still buy this music? I have been searching all over the western planets, but no success so far.” Which made my whole existence feel different. The western planets? How far do you have to go to find a copy of this record?!

[footiefanficwonderland]

Silver Lining (James Rodriguez OS)

Ever since he has moved to Munich, James Rodriguez has been nothing but miserable. However, a playful, perky blonde may make him realize there is a silver lining in all his misery after all.

A/N: I know I should be working on your requests right now instead of writing random fluff, bit this was just so cute to write I just couldn’t help it. My apologies. I hope you enjoy this and that you won’t hate me too much. Lots of love xo

James started at the invitation in his hand as the negative energy built up inside of him. It was the invitation for the annual gala dinner in honor of the beginning of the new season. Usually, black-tie events like this one didn't make him irritated nor angry. But usually, he wasn't the one who has just arrived at the new club, in the country whose language he couldn’t even begin to understand, let alone speak. Usually, he wasn't the one whose girlfriend has just dumped him 10 minutes ago because she had no intention of leaving her whole life just to travel across the continent to support his career choices. Usually, he had more than one friend and usually that friend wasn't an overly energetic German guy who seemed to have the ability to make friends with everyone, even a plant.

Yet, there was a first time for everything.

Angrily, James crumped the invitation in his fist, for it only reminded him at how lonely and pathetic he felt here, and as he was going through the hallway, he absentmindedly threw the paper ball to the right. In retrospect, James didn't have the last clue where he expected the ball to land. Frankly, he only wanted to get it out of his sight.

However, a split second after, a shout came out of the direction he threw it in. Stopping in his track, James took a few steps back. Of course, the door of one of the offices that were located down the hall was open and the paper ball flew right on the desk.  His luck.

Behind the office desk stood a young blonde with a puzzled look on her face, holding his invitation in her hand. A flash of anger appeared on her face but disappeared as soon as her eyes met his. It seemed like she was going to scold him but changed her mind.

„Is this yours?“ she asked politely.

„No, I mean yes but-“ James stuttered. For some reason he felt nervous under her gaze even though he didn't know if it was the possibility of her being angry at him or something completely unrelated that was making him so nervous.

„It's mine but I've been meaning to throw it away. I didn't realize I was throwing it in your office, I'm sorry.“

When she smiled, James was able to pinpoint the reason of his nervousness. He was sure he hasn't seen such a charming smile ever since he arrived to Munich.

„Everything is alright,“ she said putting the paper in the trash can next to her desk.

„I'm Abigail,“ she smiled, extending her hand over her desk. „I work in the HR.“

James, who was still standing at the doorway, went inside and shook her hand. „I'm James. James Rodriguez. No. 11 on the pitch,“ he explained because, for some reason, he wasn't sure if she knew who he was, and he just wanted her to remember him.

Abby laughed a little bit at his introduction. „I know who you are.“

„You do?“ James asked, genuinely surprised and eternally happy that someone knew about him. He seemed to be invisible around here.

„I work in the HR, I know who everyone is,“ she giggled. „Also, you are James Rodriguez, of course I know who you are,“ she quickly added.

Her smile must've been contagious because James couldn't help but smile whenever she did, and his was that big goofy grin that he worried she'd find ridiculous. Also, he noticed that she was talking to him in English ever since she laid her eyes on him, and for that he was eternally grateful.

He wanted to say something more, to talk more, to talk with her for hours. He didn't know whether it was because she was very beautiful, or because he was just happy to make conversation with someone without it being awkward. Just as it happens in situations like these, he was of course unable to think of anything else to say.

„I hope I'll see you around James. If you need anything, please come see me. Even if its' just to say hi.“ Abby said smiling, as she sat back on her chair. James took this as his cue to leave.

He wasn't quite sure if she was just being polite or there was something more to it. But he caught himself liking the idea of coming to see her as frequent as possible.

….

„Is this seat taken?“

Sitting on the stairs in front of the club headquarters, James heard familiar voice behind him. He turned around only to see Abby standing there, in all the glory of her soft blonde waives falling over her breasts down to her waist and her Barbie pink pencil skirt with a ruffle just below her knees.

It has been a few days since he met her and even though he wanted to, he never found an excuse to come see her. At first he was excited about it, and it seemed like a marvelous idea. Finally making friends with someone here- especially someone that pretty- made him get up from bed in the morning with joy. But the more he thought about it, the more he questioned himself, until he finally convinced himself that she was just being nice and she probably didn't have any desire of him bothering her.

Thus, he smiled somewhat shyly at her, nodding his head. Abby flattened her skirt and set down on stairs beside him.

„Tagescafe Schwabing,“ Abby said after a short while, her eyes fixed on something in the distance.

„Huh?“ James asked in confusion, turning to face her.

„It is a small cafe in the Hohenzollernstraße. It's very cozy and cute, and what's best about it is the fact that it's not crowded with people. You can go there and sit for hours reading, working... even playing video games- no one will bother you.“ Abby explained. „Oh and their latte is heavenly!“ she added excitedly.

„Why are you telling me this?“ James asked confused.

Instead of answering, Abby stretched her arm out for him to shake. “I'm Abby.“

James was even more puzzled now. Almost offended. Could it really be possible that she has forgotten about him already?

„I know who you are. We've met the other day, remember?“ he answered calmly.

Abby looked him directly in the eyes, her emerald green ones sparkling in the sun. „No, you met  Abigail from the HR. But after 5 o'clock, I'm no longer working. Then I'm just Abby,“ she said with a smile. Her smile seemed so warm and genuine. With the corner of his eye, James glanced at his watch. It was 5:30 now.

„So, who are you after work, James Rodriguez, No.11?“ she teased, using the exact same words that he used to introduce himself the other day.

James couldn't help but laugh. „Just James.“

„Okay James. Now that we officially know each other on and off work, I'm going to tell you something,“ Abby announced in a serious voice. He waited for her to continue.

„The other day, you were mad about something, am I right?“ She asked, but as he didn't answer, she continued. „But it wasn't just something. It was the invitation, wasn't it? It reminded you that you are all alone here. In an unfamiliar country. Whose language you don’t speak. It reminded you that all your friends, all familiar faces are miles away, and that you are all alone. In fact you weren't even mad at all, were you? You were just lonely.“

She was still looking ahead as she talked and James couldn't dare to look at her. His eyes were fixed at his hands resting on his knees. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. This woman was reading him like an open book.

„How do you do that?“ he asked quietly after a while, the color of his voice indicating that he was half amused half scared.

Abby laughed at his expression. „I work in the HR. It's my job to know all of that. Besides,“ she continued, „I’ve been there. I've been you. I was one of the best students in my university, but there weren't many job opportunities in my city. So, when I got the offer to complete my internship here, I immediately took it. It was the best and the hardest decision I ever had to make. It was a good job. I knew it could be the stepping stone for my career and the opportunity to create the life that my family has wanted me to have. But i hated it. I have never been more alone in my life. I didn't speak the language so well, so it was hard for me to make friends with anyone at work. I lived alone, I ate alone. I spent every day alone. The highlight of my day was the evening when I'd call my mum and dad and lie to them that everything was fine. I would lie about how happy I was, how this job was everything I ever wanted, how many friends I've made. I even bought a cat!“ She exclaimed to emphasize her point. “I am a dog person, but I bought a cat because a dog couldn't fit in my tiny apartment.“

As if realizing she has gone too far, Abby chuckled and waived her hand dismissively. „Anyhow, it was awful. I tried to think positively, you know, motivate myself with those stupid quotes. But then I realized that if  I wasn't going to quit my job- which wasn't an option- I had to suck it up and deal with it. So, I used the time when I felt completely alone, in the best way I could. I did everything I've been putting off for years. I read almost all of the books on my shelf. I enrolled in a program at the gym. I explored the city. I found so many cute places-  Tagescafe Schawbing is one of them. They helped me realize that you could spend time alone and still have fun. You should visit it sometimes.“

When she was finished, James just looked at her for a few moments, processing everything she has just said. „Is that why you have been talking to me in English ever since we met?“ he asked after a while.

Abby simply nodded. „You were already struggling having to talk to everyone around here in German. I figured I didn't have to make it even harder,“ she confessed.

And for that, James felt the sudden urge to hug her. Not because she was pretty. Not because he could potentially like her. Not because he already liked the idea of someone like that existing in this new chapter of his life. Not even because he missed having someone to hug. He felt the need to hug her because that was the most considerate anyone has been towards him for a while. And that was all he needed.

He didn't hug her though. The scenarios playing in his head were usually much better when they stayed just in his head. So he just smiled and thanked her genuinely.  

„As for the gala dinner, I'd love to go with you,“ Abby said all of a sudden.

James couldn't even explain it but he could feel his cheeks turning red. „That is really sweet of you, but if you're doing it because you pity me, please don't. I'll be alright.“

„Are you kidding? I've been rambling for at least15 minutes now and you didn't interrupt me once. You are a great listener, James, and I have tons of problems. By the end of the evening, you'll be the one pitying me.“ Abby joked, trying to lighten up the mood.

For the first time since she’s met him, she heard James laugh. Genuinely laugh. And it was a beautiful laugh indeed.

He pretended to think about her offer. „I think I'll risk it,“ he chuckled.

They sat in silence for a little while. It was Friday and the end of working hours, so almost everyone has already left the stadium. The parking lot was becoming more empty by the minute. James was dreading the moment when Abby would get up to leave as well. The Abby that she's told him about was a lonely cat owner. But that was from the time when she was still an intern. She seemed to have such a fun, outgoing personality, she probably had tons of friends now and much better things to do than get her pretty skirt dirty by sitting on the staircase with him.

James examined her as she raised her arms and gathered her blonde waives to tie them into a ponytail, and he wondered how old could she be now. Judging by her story she was probably around his age, maybe a bit younger, but he couldn't tell for sure.

„Do you have a navy blue suit?“ she asked out of the blue.

„I don’t think so,“ James answered, thinking.

„Well, let’s go find one. It'll go great with the dress I'll be wearing,“ she said picking up her bag.

„Wait, now?“

„Yeah. You don't have other plans do you?“ Abby teased and James narrowed his eyes at her good-naturedly.

„Okay, but under one condition. We'll also look for a dress for you to wear to our date after the gala.“

It was a statement more than a question, and this time it was Abby who was taken by surprise. To be completely honest, James took even himself by surprised when those words escaped his mouth. He wasn't quite sure when he realized he wanted to invite her for a date but apparently he did.

„What if i told you i don't date people from work?“ Abby asked.

„Then I'd have to remind you that after 5 you are not 'Abigail from HR', you are 'just Abby'. And I was planning on taking you on a dinner date anyway.“ He smirked.

Abby couldn't help but laugh. „Deal,“ she said as she stood up, extending one arm for him to take, so she could help pull him up.

„Wait, how come you already have a dress when we've only talked about the gala just now?“ James remembered to asked as they were walking towards the parking lot.

„Oh honey,“ Abby chuckled. „I am the head assistant of the HR manager, which means 'of the record'“, she said making the sign with her fingers, „ I'm running the HR. I got invited way before you did.“ She informed him, a gloating smile on her face.

James was impressed. „It's good I always had the thing for powerful women,“ he only half joked.

Abby threw her head back laughing and that laugh made James feel better about himself than he did in a long time.

[bloojayoolie]

Being Alone, Apparently, and Beautiful: 66437 2 years old, 76 lbs Emmett Handsome, hunky, gorgeous coloring, sweet & social, housetrained, lived harmony with a small dog & a bird, tolerant of visiting children, playful- loves toys & Fetch- NEUTERED in At Brooklyn ACC hoping for a Second Chance Please help share me! TO BE KILLED - JUNE 27, 2019 "EMMETT LOVES LONGS WALKS, RUNNING, AND PLAYING IN WATER," Emmett's owner told the shelter's intake staff just before signing him over to the Brooklyn ACC, leaving him not only sad but terrified and alone at this strange place. Emmett is a big, healthy and gorgeous young man with a beautiful black brindle coat. He's two years old, neutered and housetrained and has already lived in harmony with a small female dog and a bird. Emmett's a smart guy whose housetrained and crate trained. Take a look at his video's recorded by the shelter's volunteers and watch him go back for more love and affection when he realizes that the volunteers are pretty cool and actually rooting for him. Emmett has some pretty awesome notes from his former family. Please take a look, mull it over and consider giving this hunk a new leash on life. He's so worthy. <3 A staff member writes :Emmett is really something special . The more time i spend with him the more i get to see these layers of pure love unfold. With some patience and time he has shown how amazing he is to his human . When we go for a walk he has such a prance and holds his head nice and high . he occasionally stops to turn around show so affection by jump up and giving kisses . He likes to jog , hes gotten me to jog with him a few times and i find myself enjoying our little sprints !! Off the leash he enjoys playing catch and chasing birds . And when he is not running around he stops near his human and request lots of rubs on his butt and head !! He really seems to enjoy face massages and i am more than happy to give it to him because he is just amazing and deserves all the love .And what Emmett needs right now is a permanent home to give him such !! EMMETT@BROOKLYN ACC Hello, my name is Emmett My animal id is #66437 I am a desexed male brown brindle dog at the Brooklyn Animal Care Center The shelter thinks I am about 2 years old, 76 lbs Came into shelter as owner surrender 6/18/2019 Reason Stated: OTHER Emmett is rescue only Emmett was placed at risk due to behavioral concerns; although he has shown improvement with certain handlers, Emmett remains highly fearful in the care center. We feel he would be best set up to succeed if placed with an experienced rescue partner who can allow him to acclimate and decompress at his own pace. Emmett is otherwise healthy. You may know me from such films as... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZRjw3nmY8Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY-x5kFs_Hk My medical notes are... Weight: 76.6 lbs Vet Notes 6/19/2019 DVM Intake Exam Estimated age: 2 years Microchip noted on Intake? negative History : os Subjective: BARH Observed Behavior - hard barking, lunging, trying to bite rope. Escalated to attempting to snap. Muzzled for exam. Evidence of Cruelty seen - no Evidence of Trauma seen - no Objective P = wnl R = eupneic BCS 5/9 EENT: Eyes clear, ears clean, no nasal discharge noted Oral Exam: muzzled H/L: NSR, NMA, CRT < 2, Lungs clear, eupneic ABD: Non painful, no masses palpated U/G: MN MSI: Ambulatory x 4, skin free of parasites, no masses noted, healthy hair coat CNS: mentation appropriate - no signs of neurologic abnormalities Assessment:Apparently healthy Plan: Continue to monitor while at BACC Start trazodone 5mg/kg PO BID for shelter anxiety Prognosis: Excellent SURGERY: neutered Details on my behavior are... Behavior Condition: 5. Red Behavior History Behavior Assessment Behavior during intake: Emmet had a very tense body with his chest exposed. He was hard barking and growling during intake. he did not allow for any handling by counselor. Date of Intake: 6/18/2019 Spay/Neuter Status: Neutered Basic Information:: Emmet is an approx 2 year old large brindle and white male neutered dog that was surrendered to BACC due to behavior concerns Previously lived with:: 2 adults 1 dog How is this dog around strangers?: Emmet is aggressive around strangers and he will bark and growl. How is this dog around children?: Emmet has been around various ages of children and was described as tolerant but always supervised on a leash. How is this dog around other dogs?: Emmet has lived with a 3 year old female small dog and was described as respectful and tolerant of the dog. How is this dog around cats?: Emmet has not been around cats. Resource guarding:: Emmet will growl if his treats are moved from him and is not bothered when toys or food is moved away. Bite history:: Emmet has a bite history in April 2019 where he scratched the owner with his tooth when they were drying his paws. Housetrained:: Yes Energy level/descriptors:: high Other Notes:: Emmet has lived with birds and was described as respectful around them. Emmet is not bothered when moved from the furniture, when held or restrained, or when his sleep is interrupted. Emmet will growl and snap when given a bath, brushing his coat, or when his paws are touched he will bite. Emmet will growl and bark when someone unfamiliar approaches the house or family member. For a New Family to Know: Emmet is described as pushy and fearful. Emmet loves long walks, running, and playing in water. Emmet will follow someone around or be in the same room as someone when they are home. Emmet will play with balls, stuffed toys, squeaky toys, and chew toys. Emmet will play fetch, tug, and wrestling. Emmet has been kept mostly indoors and will sleep in his crate. Emmet has been fed instinct raw dry food twice a day. Emmet is house trained and will use the bathroom on grass. Emmet is well behaved while in the crate when left home alone. He does well in a metal crate for 8 hours. Emmet understands how to sit, come, down, stay, and give paw. Emmet will go on slow walks on the leash 3-5 times a day. Emmet pulls hard on the leash and will stay close by someone's side when off the leash. ======================== Date of intake:: 6/18/2019 Spay/Neuter status:: Yes Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Owner surrender Previously lived with:: 2 Adults, 1 Dog (Small, Female - 3yo) Behavior toward strangers:: Growls and barks Behavior toward children:: Tolerant (w/visiting children) Behavior toward dogs:: Respectful and tolerant (w/resident dog) Behavior toward cats:: Unkonwn Resource guarding:: Previous owner reported Emmett to growl if treats are moved away from him. No reported resource guarding over toys or food. Previous owner reported Emmett to guard his bed and was observed to snarl and bark when approached or passing by him. He also displays mounting and guarding behavior toward soft objects (i.e. pillow or dog bed). Previous owner reported Emmett to growl and snap when given a bath or brushing his coat. When his paws are touched he growl, snap and escalate to biting. Emmett was also reported to growl and bark when someone unfamiliar approaches the house or family member. Bite history:: April 2019: Previous owner reported Emmett to scratch the owner with his tooth when attempting to dry his paws, resulting in breaking skin and drawing blood. He was observed to growl and snap toward the owner prior to making contact and immediately retreated and shook off after the incident. Housetrained:: Yes Energy level/descriptors:: Emmett is described as pushy and fearful with a high level of energy. Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Mild pulling Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: None Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Soft and loose body, tail wagging, ears back, some panting, approaches handler, solicits attention, follows handler, readily accepts treats, engages in play with handler, play bows, leans into handler and accepts all contact, licks handler Call over: Approaches readily, soft and loose Sociability comments: Handling Soft handling: Soft and loose, tail wagging, ears back, open mouth and lolling tongue, some panting, sits down, leans into and accepts all contact Exuberant handling: Soft and loose, tail wagging, ears back, open mouth and lolling tongue, some panting, lays down, some lip licking, leans into and accepts all contact Handling comments: Arousal Jog: Engages in play with handler, soft and loose Arousal comments: Knock Knock Comments: No response to knock; Approaches assistant, soft and loose, ears back, tail wagging, solicits attention Toy Toy comments: Minimal interest; Grips and moves away Summary:: According to Emmett's previous owner, he has lived with a 3-year-old female small dog and was described as respectful and tolerant of the dog. 6/19: Emmett was uncomfortable with handling, giving the handlers a clear warning by freezing and hard staring when an attempt was made to place a collar on him. His warning was respected and attempts to place a collar on him were suspended. He greeted a novel female dog through the gate and displayed a neutral posture. 6/20: Emmett was successfully collared today. He was introduced to a novel female and displays a neutral posture but does not greet the female. He walks past her and explores the pens, keeping to himself. Summary (1):: Emmett understands the cues for "sit," "give paw" and "down". Date of intake:: 6/18/2019 Summary:: Tense, hard barked, growled; No handling performed Date of initial:: 6/19/2019 Summary:: Tense, hard barked, lunged, mouthing rope, snapped toward handlers; Muzzled ENERGY LEVEL:: Emmett has been observed to exhibit a medium-high level of energy during his interactions in the care center. We cannot be certain of his behavior in a home environment, but we recommend that he be provided daily mental and physical stimulation as an outlet for his energy. IN SHELTER OBSERVATIONS:: 6/21/19: When approaching his kennel and introducing the rope to him, Emmett was observed to stand up and retreat to the back of his kennel, low growling. He then began to hard bark and snap toward the rope when attempting to place it around him. After a few attempts, Emmett was able to walk out of his kennel and out into the play yards for an interaction. While outside, the handler clipped a leash to his collar without issue and Emmett began to explore the pens. He was observed to remain tense and wary of interacting with handlers and two other staff members, while seeking an exit. After some time, the handler sat down on a bench in the pens and Emmett was observed to approach her readily and leaned into the handler's legs for attention. Emmett was observed to accept all contact, as he slowly warmed up and continued to solicit attention. He was also observed to lick the handler's face. This behavior continued for about 10 minutes. After his interaction, the handler was able to slowly place the rope around Emmett and return him to his kennel. 6/22/19: Emmett was observed to be laying down in his kennel when the handler approached. Upon opening the door and introducing the rope, Emmett stood up and began to low growl, bare his teeth, hard bark and snap toward the rope when attempting to place it around him. After a few attempts, Emmett was able to be roped and walked out of his kennel without issue and outside for a relief walk. Once outside, he began to solicit attention from the handler and softly engage in play, leaning into all contact. When Emmett was brought back inside for his interaction, he allowed the handler to clip a leash to his collar and he was observed to explore the room. Emmett stayed near the handler and continued to solicit attention, lean into and accepted all contact. When introduced to tennis balls, Emmett was observed to engage in play and offered the handler play bows. He remained soft and loose, licking the handler and wagging his tail. During his interaction, a novel staff member entered the room and Emmett was observed to approach her readily with a soft, loose and wiggly body, soliciting attention and leaning into contact. After his interaction, Emmett allowed the handler to slowly place the rope around him and returned him to his kennel without any issue. BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only Behavior Asilomar: TM - Treatable-Manageable Recommendations:: No children (under 13),Place with a New Hope partner Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to Emmett's overall level of fear observed during his interactions in the care center, as well as his handling sensitivity, resource guarding and bite history previously reported in a home environment, we feel he would be best set up to succeed in an adult-only home at this time. Place with a New Hope partner: Although he has shown improvement with certain handlers, Emmett remains highly fearful in the care center. We feel he would be best set up to succeed if placed with an experienced rescue partner who can allow him to acclimate and decompress at his own pace. Force-free, reward based training only is advised when introducing or exposing Emmett to new and unfamiliar situations, as well as utilizing guidance from a qualified, professional trainer/behaviorist. Potential challenges: : Resource guarding,Handling/touch sensitivity,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Kennel presence,Bite history (human) Potential challenges comments:: Resource guarding: Previous owner reported Emmett to growl if treats are moved away from him. No reported resource guarding over toys or food. Previous owner reported Emmett to guard his bed and was observed to snarl and bark when approached or passing by him. He also displays mounting and guarding behavior toward soft objects (i.e. pillow or dog bed). Please refer to the handout for Resource guarding. Handling/touch sensitivity | Bite history (human): Previous owner reported Emmett to growl and snap when given a bath or brushing his coat. When his paws are touched he growl, snap and escalate to biting (SEE BITE HISTORY). Please refer to the handouts for Handling/touch sensitivity and Bite history (human). Fearful/potential for defensive aggression | Kennel presence: Previous owner reported Emmett to growl and bark when someone unfamiliar approaches the house or family member. This behavior was also observed during his interactions in the care center, as well as when inside his kennel. Although he has shown improvement with certain handlers, Emmett continues to display initial fearful behavior when attempting to remove him from his kennel where he has been observed to low growl, bare his teeth, hard bark and snap toward the rope. Please refer to the handouts for Fearful/potential for defensive aggression and Kennel presence. EMMETT IS RESCUE ONLY…..TO SAVE THIS PUP YOU MUST FILL OUT APPLICATIONS WITH AT LEAST 3 NEW HOPE RESCUES. PLEASE HURRY!!! IF YOU CAN FOSTER OR ADOPT THIS PUP, PLEASE PM OUR PAGE FOR ASSISTANCE. WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH LINKS TO APPLICATIONS WITH NEW HOPE RESCUES WHO ARE CURRENTLY PULLING FROM THE NYC ACC. PLEASE SHARE THIS DOG FOR A HOME TO SAVE HIS LIFE.

[misc-oneshots]

Families, eh?

Request: Can you do a os of Chibs/oc that's a single mom of 2 teenage boys who need a dad around??? 😚

For: @mamareadstoomuch <3 Words: 2,439

Chibs x Reader

Gemma slid the pack of cigarettes over the bar to you, you thanked her, took one and lit it. It was odd seeing Gemma, head Old Lady, behind the bar but she got you each a beer and then you came around to and sat on the bar stool beside you. “So, what have the little darlings done this time?” She asked you, her ever perfect eyebrow quirked with curiosity. You took a long drag of your cigarette and pinched the bridge of your nose; you didn’t know where to start.

The current, and almost always, cause of your stress was your teenage twin sons, Matt and Noah. Their father had been your high school sweetheart, you’d married young and had the twins quickly, they were around before their father had even got his patch with The Sons of Anarchy. Then the fucking idiot decided to try to rat on the club when he got caught and threatened with jail time. You made your loyalties known, you cared more about the club than you had done him in the end, they often pulled together to help you with the kids and you’d help them with theirs. They helped especially when he’d spent the mortgage money on booze. You’d all but been separated from him when he’d been arrested anyway because he’d come home one night and hit Noah.

You jumped in the way and he’d beaten you, Matt and Noah had ran from the house and down the road to get their Uncle Clay and Auntie Gemma. Gemma had kept them with her, you had thanked her endlessly for that. You wouldn’t have wanted them to see you broken like that. Clay along with Jax and Opie, who were both prospecting at the time, dealt with your husband and Chibs, who had been having a drink at Clay’s, tended to your wounds.

Chibs had stayed with you for two weeks after that, sleeping on the sofa and helping you around the house and making you and the boys feel safe. That was the first time you felt your heart pull towards Chibs, who for years had only been a friend and club brother to your husband. After your husband had been arrested, excommunicated from the club and ultimately battered to death in jail, you and Chibs had briefly pursued a relationship and you’d been happy. Your boys had loved having him around and you were glad that for once they had a positive role model. Then the Sons pissed off a mob boss and Old Lady’s started to be threatened, Chibs cut off ties with you and the boys to keep you safe.

Still you were close to The Sons, you were still kin to them and after a few awkward months you and Chibs fell back into your old friendship, both brushing away feelings for safety. If your biggest mistake in life was marrying that asshole then the second was letting Chibs walk out of your life. That was years ago now and if you both of you were honest, neither of you knew why you were still denying your feelings for one another; maybe it was easier to stay in that habit?

But back to the problem at hand, your lovely twin boys.

You took a swig of your beer and another drag of your smoke before telling Gemma, “Someone called me a MILF so they beat him up and smashed his car in, I have a sneaking suspicion that Tig probably helped.” Jesus, you’d have gone mad years ago if it wasn’t for Gemma and Chibs as Tig often took it upon himself to act like your third child which was the last thing that you needed. Gemma tutted and shook her head, “You know they never gave you this shit when you were with Chibs.”

You rolled your eyes at her and stubbed out your smoke in the ashtray, she was constantly trying to get the pair of you to pull your heads out of your asses and face the fact that you still had feelings for each other and she wasn’t above bringing your kids into it.

She wanted you to be an Old Lady again.

“Gemma, stop it. I’ve got bigger things on my plate, like how to control my kids.” You groaned and swigged your beer, as if on cue Tig and Chibs entered the clubhouse, they stopped in front of you and Gemma. Chibs put his hands on his hips and nodded towards you with his head, he spoke to Tig, “Well, go on.” Tig held his hands up in defence, “Whaaat? What are you talking about?” Kozik, almost sensing a chance to mess with Tig, wondered in with his hands in his pockets, “He’s talking about you helping the boys smash that guys car in.” Tig glared at him, “Y/N isn’t going to believe you, you rat.” “If he’s ratting then he must be telling the truth.” You cut in and Tig’s face fell. Kozik came around the back of the bar and gave you a high five over the bar. “Okay, okay, alright, stop the witch hunt.” Tig sighed, “All I’m saying is that I helped the boys out. They were going to do it anyway. I just helped them not get caught.”

As if the universe was ready to screw Tig over further, Clay and Jax walked in shouting your name with Unser in tow. Tig sighed at his luck. “Y/N I’m sorry to have to do this but I’m going to have to take in Matthew and Noah.” Unser told you. “Why?” You asked innocently enough trying to plead ignorance until you could think of a plan. Unser sighed, “I think you know why Y/N. They beat up a man and smashed his car. I gotta take them in.”

“When was this?” Chibs cut in. Unser eyed him wearily, “This morning.” “In that case I’m sorry to tell ya but you got the wrong boys.” Chibs stated with absolute certainty. When your head whipped around to face him, he folded his arms and leaned back on the bar with ease, like the matter was settled simply because he said so.

“And why is that?” Unser sighed and waited for the bullshit story that he’d have to feed back to the station. “They were with me,” Chibs stated with utter certainty, “I’ve been trying to help them with their mechanics. They both want to try and get jobs here so that they can pay rent at home. It was a surprise for their mum that you just ruined.” You placed a hand on your heart and feigned surprise, “That’s my boys. What would I do without them?” “Live longer.” Kozik muttered behind you. The clubhouse door opened and your darling twin boys fell in, pushing and jostling each other. They stopped dead when they saw Unser, you and The Sons watching them. Chibs spoke before Unser could, “Boys, Unser seems to think that you’ve been up to no good. Don’t worry, he knows that you’ve been trying to get jobs to surprise your Ma and pay rent.” Noah’s face scrunched in confusion but Matt was quick on the update, “Yeah, it was supposed to be that. A surprise I mean. Thanks for ruining it.” “My lovely boys.” You smiled but your eyes burned with the promise of punishment.

Unser held his hands up in defeat, “Well I looked into it, that’s all I can do.” He left with Clay and Jax, no doubt to talk about club business. Matt let out a low whistle, “Thanks for that Chibs.” “And just what the fuck do you two think you were playing at?” Chibs snapped at the boys and they both straightened their backs but their expressions remained sheepish. Noah glanced at Tig but Chibs spoke again, “Don’t even think about it, Tig’s already been told. Now we told Unser you were working to help your mum out and that’s exactly what you’re going to do.” “And how are we going to do that?” Noah snapped like a typical teenager.

“Don’t speak to Filip like that.” You interjected, “Do you have any idea how much trouble you could have been in if it weren’t for him? Do you really think I like knowing that you boys are getting your fathers temper?!” The twins looked down at their feet and mumbled an apology to Chibs. “It’s not me that you have to apologise too. Now you’re going to find jobs and sort your own mess out.” He told him, “You know that I’ll help you if I can.” “Well you could always mentor them.” Gemma added helpfully pulling out another smoke, “If you were serious about them being good mechanics, we could always use a few more of them around here.” You gave Gemma a half glare, as much as you loved her for giving your boys a chance and making the story that you’d told Unser almost true, you could see that she was just using it as a ploy to get you and Chibs closer again.

“Really?” “You’re serious?” Your twins asked in unison, the promise of being close to The Sons and their bikes too exciting. Chibs gave you a sly wink and you mouthed ‘thank you’ to him.

----

True to his word over the next few months, Chibs taught your boys all they needed to know about engines and bikes but he worked them hard and kept them busy so by the end of the day they were too tired to cause any trouble. Chibs, on the other hand, found himself free most of the day now as the boys were doing most of his work and barely needed his instruction anymore. So, when he wasn’t attending to club business, Chibs found himself in Gemma’s office pestering you while you were trying to help Bobby with the accounts. He’d throw paper planes at you, walk past and playfully pull your hair, tap his pen insistently against the desk and, when he was being really demanding, he’d lift you straight from your seat and carry you into the bar and force you to have a drink with him.

In short he seemed desperate for your attention and Gemma and The Sons all found it hilarious how obvious he was being. Today he just annoying you, you snapped, “Chibs will you just leave me alone?” You reached up and out of your chair to try to snatch back your pen from Chibs who was sat on your desk holding it out of your reach. He inched the stolen pen out of your reach again and you dropped back into place with your arms crossed and pout firmly in place. “Aww, will you look at that face.” Chibs teased and reached down to pinch your cheek. You slapped his hand away, “How can a man who has done so much to help my kids be such a child?”

He grinned mischievously, “You’d be surprised how often one of those things helps the other.” “Idiot.” You joked. He laughed, tucked your pen inside his pocket and pulled you by the hands so that you were stood in front of where he sat on the desk. “Fil-” You started but he cut you off. “When are me and you gonna sort ourselves out?” He leaned close to you and whispered the words across your lips. Your cheeks flushed instantly, this was the Chibs that you remembered. The alluring, charming man that you’d had a relationship with.

Damn you’d missed him.

“It wasn’t me that called it off.” You mumbled. His expression dropped for a moment and he brought his hand up to play with your hair, “Aye, I know lass. It was my fault, I was stupid. I only wanted to protect you.” The weight of the moment quieted your words so you only whispered, “How do I know you won’t do it again?” Chibs moved his hand from your hair to your cheek and gently ran his harsh thumb across your soft cheek, “I thought distance would keep you safe but I was wrong. If I want to keep you safe, and those boys safe because you know ah love them, then I need to keep you close.”

You both fell quiet for a moment until you realised that he was waiting for a response. You swallowed hard, “I do want you Chibs, I want us again. But,” His face fell at the word but you continued, “Let’s keep it between us for now? I don’t want to upset Noah and Matt if it doesn’t work out.”

He nodded and, with a large grin, leaned down to kiss you.

-----

It took two weeks, three days and an hour for Chibs to drunkenly announce his love and your relationship to the club. But it came as a shock to no one because it had taken your boys and Gemma only a few hours to realise something was going on between you and Chibs and they were thrilled. “Jesus, Chibs.” You put your face in your hands to hide how intensely red it had gone. He dropped himself down beside you on the couch, wrapped his arm around your shoulders and pulled you to him, “C’mon darlin’, when I have a lass as wonderful as you I just want to tell people about it!” You didn’t remove your face from your hands so your words came out muffled, “Shut up or I will kill you.” “Don’t you kill our new Da!” Noah laughed with an exacerbated Irish accent. “What was that boy?” Chibs shouted and the Sons laughed. Noah blushed, “Sorry, I just meant that we think of you like –” His twin saved his babbled apology, “You just did an Irish accent you idiot. He’s Scottish.” If you could you would have buried your face further into your hands but as it was you’d gone as far as you could, honestly this lot would be the death of you. By the time you dared look up from your safe haven, Chibs was wrestling with Tig and your boys around the clubhouse and Juice had taken Chibs’ seat beside you. Juice passed you a beer, “Families, eh?” He offered.

You took the beer from him and watched Noah swing on Tig’s back while Chibs had Matt in a headlock, you clinked your beer with Juice’s. You grinned and agreed, “Yeah families.”

[geneeste]

Timeless fic: Improvisation for Beginners (1/1, Lucy/Wyatt)

So I wrote this in a hurry last night, thinking today was Friday (it was that kind of night). Then today was just…a day. But! Here is this silly little thing for you, I hope you enjoy it. It very nearly didn’t have a title. Continued thanks to @bethanyactually​, without whom this fic wouldn’t make much sense. Rated Teen for smooching.

Few notes: Somewhere in this thing is an easter egg. Enjoy responsibly. SNAFU = Situation Normal: All Fucked Up

Lucy is well into her third drink when she notices Wyatt on the phone at the bar. He’d gone to get them another round–including one for Rufus, whenever he decides to show up–and Lucy is waiting in their booth in the very noisy pub, just passing the time by watching normal people talk with normal friends and family from their normal lives.

“Normal” in that they have no idea about the shadowy organization controlling their lives, or that time travel is actually something a small group of people do on a regular basis.

Lucky jerks.

Wyatt is making his way back to their table, efficiently juggling his phone and her drink in one hand, and two bottles of beer in the other. She adds that item to her already long list of Impressive Things About Wyatt Logan: remarkably good with his hands.

If she blushes and avoids looking at him after that thought, well, he just doesn’t need to know why.

Wyatt sets their drinks on the table, then holds up his phone as he slides into the booth opposite her. “It’s Rufus.”

Then she hears Rufus’ voice on speaker. “Hey Lucy.”

“Hey Rufus,” she says, frowning at Rufus’ grinning picture on the screen. “Where are you? We were expecting you an hour ago.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Rufus’ tinny voice says. “I was just telling Wyatt that the Lifeboat’s OS is throwing a hissy fit, and I got called in to try to calm it down.”

Lucy chuckles. “You talk about it like it’s a toddler you’re going to put in time out,” she says, then barks a laugh, looking up at Wyatt. “Get it? Time out?”

“That’s funny,” Rufus says carefully, and then, “Hey Wyatt? How much has Lucy had to drink?”

Wyatt’s mouth turns up with amusement and he shakes his head. “She’s fine. She’s having a good time,” he replies, and something deep and warm in his voice makes her flush a little.

Or maybe that’s the booze. Whatever.

Not wanting to draw anymore attention to how much she’s had–she deserves that Around the World cocktail, damn it–she swiftly changes the subject. “Do you want us to come keep you company? We can finish this last round and come over.”

“Nah. There’s literally nothing you can do here, and I’m going to be elbow-deep in code for a while. I’ll just see you tomorrow. You guys aren’t driving, right?”

“No,” Wyatt assures him. “We’re Ubering.”

“Good. Have a beer for me, okay?”

“Will do,” Wyatt says. “See you, buddy.”

“Bye Rufus,” Lucy says, sliding her new cocktail over, having sucked the last one dry.

Wyatt clicks the screen off after Rufus ends the call, then turns the phone over on the tabletop. He eyes her empty glass, then raises his eyebrow at her. “Is it just me, or are you hitting the hooch pretty hard tonight?”

She tries (and completely fails) to look innocent, shrugging with practiced ease. “Not really. Just happy to have a free night.”

He just looks at her calmly, like he’s going to wait her out all night if he has to, and she caves like an overeager spelunker.

“Fine,” she says, shoulders sagging. “My mother has apparently been trying to contact me again. My old phone is basically DHS property now, so Christopher has been giving me updates on the messages, and I know I’m going to have to deal with her eventually, I just don’t know how, and it’s…,” she stops, trying to find the right word. “Well, it’s just a SNAFU, isn’t it?”

His other eyebrow joins the first one, raising in surprise. “Listen to you and your appropriate use of military slang.”

That makes her smile. Just a little bit. “You were bound to rub off on me eventually,” she says, and feels a blush spread from head to toe when she realizes what she’s said.

Wyatt smirks and tilts his head at her, gaze going speculative. “Is that right?”

Still red (which she blames on the cocktails, because she is not usually a blusher), she huffs impatiently. “You know what I mean.”

His head tilts further, and he leans in. “Do I?” he teases, his tone all flirtation this time.

“Yes, you do,” she says, well on her way to flustered, and she pushes him back to his side of the table, managing not to let her hand linger on his chest, despite the urge. “Besides, you’ve had the same number of drinks I have. What’s your excuse?”

“Just trying to keep up with you,” he says, smiling. It lights up his eyes. “Plus, I’m bigger than you and beer has less ABV. Don’t worry, I can handle myself.”

“I’ve noticed,” she says lustily into her drink before she can stop herself.

Wyatt makes a choking noise, and when she looks up it’s clear he’s trying not to laugh, eyes mirthful and lips pressed together. But the tips of his ears are also red, and she finds that oddly delightful.

“I think that’s my cue,” he declares, reaching over and pulling her already mostly-empty glass out of her hands. “I’m cutting you off.”

“But–” she starts.

Getting out of the booth, he reaches a hand out for her. “It’s getting late anyway,” he says.

She sighs, but lets him pull her up. He grabs his leather jacket off the hook on the side of her bench and shrugs it on, then gets hers and holds it up for her. She turns around and tries not to read anything into the way he helps her into it and pulls her hair out from under the collar, fanning it out around her shoulders.

When he’s done, she’s breathless, and he’s barely even touched her.

She turns around to face him and he’s watching her, and things are pleasantly fuzzy but she thinks she can see something like hunger in his eyes. It doesn’t make her feel any less breathless.

“Ready to go?” he asks.

She nods, not trusting her voice, and he leads her out of the pub with a hand low on her back.

It’s quiet outside; the pub is in an older part of town, further away from the clubs that are so busy this time of night, so it’s really just the two of them out there on the dimly lit sidewalk. Wyatt’s got his phone out, probably ordering their Uber, so she lets herself be fascinated by the way her breath clouds in the cold air until he’s finished.

They’re standing quietly and companionably, but the tension from inside the pub followed them outside, and Lucy feels it like a pull in her stomach. It’s not long before she can’t stand the silence anymore.

“I’m sorry about, you know, all the drunken sexual harassment in there,” she says, looking up at him, and takes a deep breath. She can see her breath drift over Wyatt’s chin on her exhale–when did he get so close?

“It’s only harassment if I don’t like it. Did you hear me complain?” he asks, and his voice is low and gruff, and it is doing things to her she’s probably not ready for.

Probably. “Still,” she says, and she can’t help but sneak a look at those full, attractive lips of his anyway. “I should probably limit myself to two drinks from now on. Wouldn’t want to make Rufus uncomfortable.”

“Lucy,” Wyatt murmurs, eyes most definitely not on hers either, “Rufus isn’t here.”

“No,” she replies, and that pulling sensation in her stomach is spreading up, tugging her closer to him with every too-fast beat of her heart. “No, he isn’t.”

She doesn’t feel fireworks when their lips touch. It’s more like what blooming flowers must feel, opening up to air and warmth and the light of a full life. It’s way more dramatic than fireworks somehow, and it’s probably the leftover buzz amplifying her feelings, but Lucy is almost overwhelmed by the immediate rush of awareness, of rightness that comes with Wyatt’s kiss.

And they’ve barely gotten started.

The kiss transforms from tentative to insistent in an instant. Wyatt’s hands are in her hair, and he’s walking her backwards until her back meets a hard surface, and by the rasp against her jacket and the change in light, she’s guessing he’s moved them into one of the slightly more private brick alcoves next to the entrance to the pub, but she doesn’t care enough to look. Not when he’s moving one hand out of her hair and under her jacket to slide over the thin material covering her stomach.

She gasps, and he immediately takes advantage, deepening the kiss. The pressure is right but the angle isn’t quite, so she pushes up on her toes, and then it’s so perfect she whimpers. (She can’t remember the last time she whimpered during a kiss.)

Wanting to feel him too, she finds his sweater and pulls it up until she can get her hands under it and on his skin. His hisses into her mouth, and she feels his abs clench under her fingers, and the reaction makes her temperature skyrocket. She wraps her arms around him, digging her fingers into the taut muscles of his back.

He grunts, and suddenly he’s got one hand bunching her jacket against her back to press her closer, and his other is gliding down over her body to grip her knee and yank it up around his hips. The new position allows him to grind his hips into hers, and he does, hitting a sweet spot that makes her cry out.

He kisses down her neck while she gulps for air, and everything’s fine–everything’s wonderful, in fact–until a noise manages to pierce the bubble of lust that’s enveloped her. Opening her eyes, she looks over Wyatt’s shoulder to find the source.

Finding it, she sighs. “Wyatt, wait,” she says, trying to focus and get his attention, although his nipping at her jaw isn’t helping her do that. “Wyatt, we need to stop.”

To his credit, he stops as soon as her words register. He’s breathing hard when he pulls back. “Sorry, I’m sorry. We shouldn’t be doing this when you’re drunk. Or against a wall on the street. Sorry, you’re right, I shouldn’t have–”

“No, I just mean–” she points over his shoulder. “I think our Uber is here.”

He freezes at that, and then groans. “Shit,” he says, but he’s laughing, and he drops his forehead to her shoulder.

She cards her fingers through his short hair, and she feels him shiver in response, turn his head to nuzzle her neck, and she really doesn’t want to move, but–

Wyatt’s phone starts to ring in his pocket.

He chuckles and straightens up and away, putting a few inches between them. “Probably the driver.”

She nods. “Probably.”

“Likely trying to tell us he’s here so that we can get going.”

She nods again, smiling. “Very likely.”

He searches her face in the shadows. “Where should I tell them we’re going?”

“I don’t know,” she tells him truthfully. When his face falls, she grabs his hand. “But don’t we make it up as we go anyway?”

A slow grin wipes away the tension on Wyatt’s face. “Aren’t you the one who told me we shouldn’t improvise on the fly?”

Lucy moves past him toward the waiting car, using her grip on his hand to bring him along. “Like I said, you’re rubbing off on me.”

[chipotle]

Signs of the old Apple

For a long time, there’s been two competing narratives about Apple’s pricing:

They’re “premium”: sure, they’re expensive, and yes, you pay for the brand name. But when you compare them with products of equal quality, counting not just feature specs but design, materials, and build quality—so an iPhone with a Galaxy S, a MacBook with a Dell XPS—they’re rarely unreasonably higher, and the user experience of macOS and iOS is arguably1 worth it.

They’re “luxury”: there’s nothing about a Mac, an iPhone, or an iPad that truly makes it better than its competition; the only reason anyone buys Apple products is for the supposed status of owning them and showing them off.

For most of my Apple-using life, I’ve unsurprisingly been in the first camp. But for the past, oh, let’s call it five years, Apple has been making this…difficult.

Phone prices have climbed faster than their sizes, especially at the high end;

Their vaunted hardware engineering and design teams have become tethered to form over function, leading most infamously to the “butterfly” keyboard that prioritized thinness at the expense of not only typing feel but reliability;2

Laptop prices have also climbed fast, possibly because prioritizing form over function turns out to be expensive;

While iOS 7 made significant UX changes, those changes sometimes came at the expense of clarity (e.g., little to no visual cues as to where tap targets are), and later development seems fairly stagnant, other than a few changes for the iPad;3

While Apple has always had a “we know what’s best for our users” attitude and has never been super chatty about their decisions, they’ve just made themselves look arrogant and unresponsive a few times, most infamously over battery management.4

But the two products announced this week show off two old-school Apple moves we haven’t seen in, well, a while.

First, the new MacBook Air. They’re bringing the Magic Keyboard to it, as we all assumed (hoped?) they would, fixing the biggest problem with their laptops of the last few years. They’ve upped the starting SSD from 128G to a more respectable 256G, and upgraded to a modern Intel processor that can turboboost up to twice as fast as last year’s Air—and that’s just the base processor: you can get up to a quad-core i7.

And they lowered the price.

For the last few years Apple’s been far more likely (especially with Macs but arguably with the iPhone, too) to improve a product some ways while making it worse in others and raising the price, playing right into that “luxury” narrative. But this wasn’t always Apple’s modus operandi. For many years, their classic move was upgrading a product while keeping the same price point: you still paid $1499, but now the CPU was faster, you had more RAM, you had a bigger hard drive, and so on. But the new Air is back down to the semi-magic $999 point (and Apple loudly trumpets that it’s $899 with the education discount). To be fair, we’ve been seeing more of this from Apple in the last couple of years—there was a modest price drop moving from the iPhone 8 to the XR, and while high-end iPads climb to nosebleed pricing territory, the low-end model has gained power while dropping in price—but there was a multiyear stretch when “get more for the same money” became “get mildly aggrieved for another couple hundred.”

Second, the new iPad Pro—but especially the new iPad Magic Keyboard, which has a trackpad, a USB pass-through port, an amazing cantilever design like no other tablet keyboard case I’ve ever seen, and a wheeze-inducing price point of $299–349 depending on size. This is also a classic Apple move: the damn thing is so expensive you can’t help but think of it as overpriced, but there’s literally no competition for it. You are not going to be able to get a keyboard case that nice from anyone else. (Amazon will fill up with knockoff versions for $99 or less, and they will all be pretty bad by comparison, because that’s the way of things.)

Personally, I’ve grown frustrated with the iPad’s software limitations at both the OS and app level. I wrote about that in “The iPad needs more focus on the little things” last August, which concluded with,

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not giving up my iPad. Who knows what iPadOS 14 will bring? But in the meantime, I confess I’m watching what happens with the next MacBook Air revision pretty closely.

Well, that update is here, and frankly, they knocked it out of the park. It’s pretty much everything I was waiting for.

And yet, if the iPad Magic Keyboard lives up to its promise, it’s the keyboard case for the iPad that I’ve always wanted. I still do love the iPad, and the Magic Keyboard might make it the best portable computing device for me ever—in terms of hardware. Unfortunately, hardware won’t fix the frustrations I have with the platform. So now, I suppose I’m watching what happens with the next major iPadOS revision pretty closely.

For the time being, though? The portable computer for me—and, I think, for anyone who wants the best laptop—sure seems like it’s the new Air.

I’m using the term literally here: many of the Linux-using folks that I know don’t like the macOS user experience at all, and long-time Windows users often find the small differences frustrating, just like I do when trying to use Windows (or a Linux desktop environment). [return]

Other things I’d put in that camp are the Touch Bar, a clever idea that, five years on, remains a solution in search of a problem; the change to make the bottom row of the keyboard the same size as the other rows and the left and right arrow keys full-height, just so everything is perfectly symmetrical; the spartan set of ports on modern Mac laptops, even the biggest ones that could surely spare space for a micro SD card slot; the now discontinued 12″ MacBook. [return]

I know that undersells some of the changes for the iPad, and I’m not throwing in with the “iPad multitasking is a fiasco that ruined everything” camp. The biggest problem isn’t features being unintuitive—as many people point out, little about any modern GUI is intuitive, strictly speaking—but being undiscoverable. For a quick example, you can display folder contents in both macOS Finder and iOS Files by icon, list view, or column view. Finder controls those through little buttons; you can find that feature for yourself. In Files, though, you swipe down to reveal the iOS equivalents, and there is no visual indicator or other affordance that suggests swiping down is a meaningful action. There are more of these hidden gestures in iPadOS with each major release, and even the ones I know about get frustrating. (Swipe up from the bottom edge to pull up the dock or go back to the home screen or pull up the multitasking space navigator? This is bad UX design, okay? It’s bad.) [return]

The narrative to this day is still “Apple secretly slowed down your old phone to get you to buy a new one.” That’s wrong on multiple levels, but the secretly part isn’t. If Apple had treated battery management like a public-facing feature from the start, they’d have saved themselves a massive PR fiasco and multiple lawsuits. [return]

[thatitch-blog]

I just read the new helmet rule in the nfl. It seems they are trying to forbid players from using their helmets and all when tackling. This os going to change everything. Players now have to be thinking about how they tackle, when they tackle. As someone who once played defensive back, i remember that thinking too much about tackling is what leads to getting embarrassed by someone. It leads to freezing up and arm tackling. This game is going soft. No doubt about it. Would Tom Brady still be playing if this was the game of the 80s and 90s? Absolutely not. You cant touch him now. Troy Aikman had 51 concussions. That is called hyperbole, but he had a lot of them. They hit him helmet right to the head, and other than his obvious disdain for the tampa bay buccaneers, which he makes apparent by openly rooting against them when commentating on their games, none of his post career behavior seems odd.

Soon they will figure out that 300 pound men running into each other at high speeds will never be safe. Will they then do away with pads and make it a touch or flag league? I guess we are going to see more offense since you can no longer tackle people without mapping out your approach, and because ridiculous penalties will keep drives alive. It was agonizing to watch college players being literally thrown out of games and branded dirty players for hits my voach would have congratulated me for making, hits which put ronnie lott in the hall of fame.

Also, as a young fellow playing football, before the now famous missed practice that ruined my entire life until it led directly to the birth of my child, a path i would happy to describe in detail with you over a clear glass of maxwell house, i enjoyed some success on kick offs. I returned a couple all the way, which is my mind, the football equivalent of the home run. The home run is gone in the nfl. There are no kickoff returns. I wouldn't have a place in today's nfl. But then neither would any of the white legends of the 40s 50s and 60s. I could have started in the 40s on any nfl team. They had the same attitude towards lifting weights as me: those are heavy and not at all in my way, why would i go out of my way to pick them up? Shouldnt there be an asterisk by the names of legends of this era which leads to a footnote that reads simply: "didnt play against black people," like all the greats in some other areas might have one nowadays that says "didnt play against malaise (not without holding him down and torturing him first).

Had to get it in, didnt you! This is going to ruin your journalistic integrity

Dr. Sims said not to do this.

Do what?

Split in two, one self judging the other. He said it is a way to slip responsibility for stupid decisions, by pretending to be the one judging the person making the person making the stupid decisions, instead of the person making them, and it can lead to split personalities.

Yes, but you made up dr. Sims. Which was a stupid decision

Dr. Sims: this is precisely what i am talking about.

See!

The point we were trying to make is that football is dangerous. Your kids might get hurt playing it. These fuckers are paid a lot of money, and old age sucks anyway. So you forget to wear pants every now and then, who cares? Beong fully cogniscent as an old person only means you are fully aware of how much life sucks compared to how it used to be. Id rather forget im old and think im still playing the redskins tomorrow. So stop coming up here, james garner, how the fuck did gosling turn into you? Notebook reference, from the female perspective. I am already regretting it.

It was also on a kick off i made the best tackle of my life. I got an angle on a guy on tge sidelines around midfield, so he was going full speed and i was going to full speed, and, helmet to helmet, i knocked him all the way to our bench. My 70 year old physical science teacher congratulated me on it the next day. Really.

Joe buck: and jameis winston got off a nice throw on the run there, wouldnt you say.

Troy: i guess. Buccaneers, should call them the fuckinqueers.

Joe: why the buccaneers? Everytime? Why do you hate them?

Troy: they know.

Dr. Sims: homosexuals, please do not be offended by troy's outburst, queers as it is used here does not refer to homosexuality, it means pussies, wimps, cissies.

Joe buck: yes, but isnt that because of the stereotype that male homosexuals are wimps?

I dont think so

Troy: it rhymes perfectly with buccaneers, fuckin wimps wouldnt

Joe buck: but us it worth it?

Troy: i think so.

I agree

So do i

Joe buck: but youre the same person

Dr. Sims: this is very unhealthy.

Joe buck: jerry markbreit, was it offensive.

Markbreit: i have throw the flag.

Today's pussy ass league!

Cue studio laughter. Show benny hill sexually harassing young girls overend credits to the fun music

Markbreit: blatantly sexism!

Fuck!