#i have a long weekend and only made plans for saturday so!! hopefully i'll get to play a lil more

[softerhaze]

*giggles and tee hees*

[roosterforme]

Adult Education Part 11 | Hangman x OC

Summary: Jessica finally tells someone what happened with Brian, and maybe Jake would be just as understanding if she told him. With the fraternity fundraiser a few days away, her nerves start getting the best of her, but Jake continues to show how effortlessly he can make her happy.

Warnings: Fluff, smut, angst, swearing, frat boys 18+

Length: 4200 words

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Female OC

This story is part of the Beer Boy and Sugar universe but can be read on its own! Adult Education masterlist

Seriously, who let Jake on my masterlist!? Banner by @mak-32

Jessica felt so much better and yet emotionally drained at the same time. She spent almost thirty minutes telling her friend what happened with Brian, and she was pleasantly surprised to find that the other woman wasn't judgmental in the least. When Jessica was finally done talking, she sank back in her chair and fixed her glasses.

"So, yeah... that's why he's holding a grudge. That's why he won't give me tenure even though I deserve it."

She was met with a stony expression. "Just say the word, and Conley is going down. Have you... mentioned this to Jake?"

"No," Jessica replied immediately, her skin itching at the thought. "No."

"You should," she replied slowly. "I think he'd be surprisingly attentive, and I say that a bit begrudgingly."

Jessica cracked a smile as she grabbed her empty tupperware container and stood. "I'll think about it, Dr. Tits." She left the office to the sound of genuine laughter, but by the time she got back to her office, she felt exhausted. It wasn't fair that Brian had taken up so much space in her brain for so long. When Jake texted her and let her know he couldn't make it to her office hours, she felt almost relieved. 

The fraternity fundraiser was this Saturday, and she'd planned everything out as much as she could. Everything was checked off her list, and she was going to meet with the Kappa Pi students at their house on Wednesday evening. The only thing she hadn't done was log into the university portal and see how many tickets had sold for the event. 

Alumni weekend was a huge deal, and it was well attended and advertised, but she was still dreading checking. So she finished all of her classes for the afternoon and then ducked into the lounge to make herself a cup of coffee before her office hours started. 

She looked up as someone else entered, and it was Brian's teaching assistant. The one he was almost definitely sleeping with. "Hi," she said cautiously.

Jessica just nodded at her. She wanted to warn this poor girl, but it was obvious that Brian had her in a similar position to which Jessica had been in last school year. Plus, she already knew he'd make sure both women paid the price if she did. 

It was with tears in her eyes that Jessica returned to her office. That hopeful feeling from lunch was gone now, and she really wished Jake was able to stop by today after all. She plopped down at her desk and decided to just log in and see how poorly her ticket sales had gone. 

"Holy shit," she muttered, nearly spilling her coffee. Over one hundred tickets had sold, and the event was still days away. "Oh my god." Tears welled up in her eyes as she did the math quickly in her head. Her event would make over five thousand dollars for the school. Hopefully the fraternity house would be able to hold that capacity.

When her phone vibrated on her desk, she was startled from her thoughts.

Jake Seresin: I miss you too much. I can't stay long, but I'll be there in ten.

She didn't even bother to respond, but she was waiting by the open door for him when he rushed down the hallway. "Jake," she said with a soft laugh as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. He was still wearing his flight suit, and he was a little out of breath. 

"I missed you," he whispered against her lips, and that made her a little bit out of breath as well. One big hand slid down to her butt as he said, "We had late training days sprung on us for today and tomorrow, and I volunteered to pick up dinner. I talked them into the Thai restaurant down the block from here." Then he froze as Jessica ran her fingers along his patches. "Were you crying? It looks like you were crying."

She shrugged and smiled. "Yeah, but it's not bad." She smiled more as Jake kissed along her cheeks. "A ton of tickets sold for my event on Saturday."

"How many?" he asked, looking at her with pride. 

"Over one hundred."

"Damn, you're good, Baby."

Jessica was looking up at his handsome features and his sexy smirk while he cupped her cheek and ran his thumb lazily along her bottom lip. She kissed his thumb before licking him, and when his eyes went wide, she laughed. "You can't stay?"

He shook his head. "I'll come back on Thursday. We can go to Chippy's after your office hours?"

"Yeah," she replied, tracing his HANGMAN patch. She could already hear Luca's skateboard on the tiled hallway floor, so she needed to be quick. "Do you want to sleep over on Friday night at my place? We could head to the event from there on Saturday? I could... show you the lingerie in my closet?"

Jake groaned softly, and goosebumps rippled down her neck as he asked, "Will you let me pick out something pretty for you to wear?"

"Mmhmm," she hummed as she pressed her lips to his neck. "Anything you want."

"Yes," he gasped, and then you heard Luca whistle.

"Get it, Dr. Reed," he said as he kicked his skateboard up into his hand. "Want me to come back later?"

"No," Jessica said as she disentangled herself from Jake's wandering hands while she blushed. "He was just leaving," she said. Then she looked up at Jake's green eyes and wide pupils. "You were just leaving."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but he kissed her lips softly and said, "Call me later tonight. I'll see you on Thursday."

She watched him rush back toward the elevator before she closed her door behind her. "How many times do I have to remind you not to skate in the hallways?"

"Sorry, Dr. Reed."

"Get out your notebook."

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

When Jessica heard a knock on her office door on Wednesday around dinnertime, she called out, "It's open." Really, she was on her way to the Kappa Pi house, and she hadn't left herself much time to deviate from her agenda. Hopefully whoever this was would make it quick, but then she smiled when she realized who it was. "Advanced Calculus. What's up?"

"Just wondering if you were looking for someone to tag along? I speak fluent 'frat boy', and Bradley is training late with Jake."

Jessica was shocked into silence for a beat. "Yeah. I would love that. I'm actually a little nervous about meeting them."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You've got boobs and a pretty face. They'll be eating out of your hand, literally doing whatever you want them to."

"I'm not so sure," she replied with apprehension. But when they walked across campus to the old Victorian fraternity house with KAPPA PI on the front of it and knocked, Jessica was pleasantly surprised. 

A lanky guy with bad acne opened the door, and his eyes bugged out as he looked between the two women. "Dr. Reed?" he asked in awe. 

"Yes, that's me," Jessica replied, reaching out to shake his head before introducing him to the other professor. When he made no move to do anything except stare at them, she asked, "Can we come in?"

"Y-Yes. I'm James by the way."

Jessica led the way inside, and she was pleasantly surprised again. The front foyer opened up to a rather cavernous living room and dining room. There were beautiful hardwood floors and rich paint colors and a fireplace. The house was clean, and she was sure the kegs and tables would fit inside without issue once the furniture was moved out onto the back lawn. 

"Your house is so clean! Where are your fraternity brothers?" the other woman asked, and James blushed bright pink. 

A few minutes later, there was a lineup of a dozen or so guys staring at the two women. Their expressions ranged from surprise to bewilderment, but there were two on the end who looked like they just won the lottery. 

"Okay, hi. I'm Dr. Reed from the physics department, and I actually recognize a few of you. Calvin?" she asked, smiling at one of them. "From last semester?" He waved awkwardly back at her. "Right, well, I'm your advisor for the alumni event this weekend. I have a list of things you need to do before Saturday at six o'clock." She started passing out copies to each of them as she read off the list. "Move the furniture. Clean the kitchen. Fill the keg barrels with ice. And so on. Any questions?"

Five hands shot up, and Jessica stepped back in surprise. "Here it comes," Advanced Calculus muttered as Jessica pointed to the smirking guy at the end. 

He nodded at Jessica and asked, "If I switch my major to physics, will you be teaching all the classes?"

"Um, no," she answered, shaking her head in confusion. Then she pointed at the one next to him who had his hand raised.

"Do either of you need a date for Saturday night?" he asked eagerly. 

Jessica snorted and covered her mouth with her hand. She was about to answer when her friend said, "Both of our dates are in the military. And they're jacked. And they're mean."

A chorus of boos and groans filled the space, and Jessica had to try her best to answer the relevant questions without laughing. She showed the boys where to move the furniture, and she inspected the kitchen. Then she checked to see if there was enough room for the string quartet next to the stairs. She was determined to deliver on the elevated frat boy aesthetic since so many people seemed excited about it. 

"I think we're done for the day," Jessica told the guys with a smile as they fought over who got to escort the two of them back to the front door. "My email address is at the bottom of the list if you need to contact me for anything." A bunch of hands shot up in the air, and she added, "Anything pertaining to the event. If you try to ask me out again, I'm just going to delete the emails."

The guys lowered their hands and mumbled goodbye as the women stepped back out onto the silent porch. "Jessica, all those boys are going to sign up for your lectures next semester. I guarantee it."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "No, they won't. If anything they'd sign up for yours!"

But she was laughing as she walked down the steps to the sidewalk, and Jessica followed behind her in her high heels. "Just wait until Jake sees the twenty one year old kids with acne trying to flirt with you. He'll get jealous and pouty, I can practically see it now."

Jessica scoffed. "No, he won't! And didn't you meet Bradley when he was twenty one years old and in a frat?"

She froze on the sidewalk as that familiar blue Bronco parked on the next block up. "I sure did. And prepare yourself. Bradley is going to be insufferable on Saturday night."

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

Jake could only really focus on Jessica. After that brief couple of minutes in her office before Luca arrived on Tuesday, he was sweating it out until he could get home and jerk off. He came all over his hands in the shower as he thought about coating up her glasses instead. 

Now it was Thursday morning, and he leaned against the shower wall and thought about what kind of lingerie she might have in her closet. He hoped there was a little bit of everything. He could imagine her in something soft and white, almost ethereal. He could just as easily picture her in some leather with a riding crop. His groan filled the glass shower enclosure as he wrapped his hand around his cock again. 

He realized by the time he finally started getting dressed that he was going to be late if he didn't seriously get a move on. He was just buttoning his uniform shirt when his phone lit up on his bed. Jessica had sent him an image. His fingers abandoned the buttons so quickly to grasp for his phone. And holy shit, his hot girlfriend sent him a picture of a dark purple lace bra and thong laid out on what must have been her light blue bedding.

"Fuck," he grunted as he glared down at his cock. He really didn't have time to get hard again right now. But... he was curious, so he wrote back. 

You wearing that today, Jess?

She didn't respond until Jake had parked his new truck on base, but this time, she sent an up close photo of the tops of her breasts hugged by purple lace. He was practically drooling as he ran for the locker room with his bag.

Keep 'em coming, Baby.

He decided to keep his phone on him. It would be worth getting reprimanded. She sent him a handful of filthy looking photos as the day progressed, but it still wasn't enough. She must have taken a bunch of them in the morning before she left for campus, and Jake was so thankful. 

He had to adjust his uniform pants several times that evening when he walked from his truck to her office. On his way into the building, he passed a delighted looking Bradshaw and his wife on their way out. She was practically hanging off of him as they walked, and Jake heard her softly ask, "Okay fuckboy, you want me to get your Beta Gamma paddle out when we get home?"

Bradley froze and met Jake's eyes as his cheeks started turning pink. "Hangman," he grunted, and his wife spun to face Jake with a coy smile. 

"Hi, Jake," she sang as she reached for her husband's hand. "See you on Saturday night."

It was hard to still feel jealous of what they had when Jake knew what was waiting for him a few floors up. He took off toward the elevators, and then he walked as quickly as he physically could to Jessica's office. Two taps on her door, and she was pulling it open for him. He did the briefest glance around the room to make sure she was alone before he closed the door and backed her up against it. 

"Are you trying to send me to an early grave?" he whispered, his voice sounding a little harsh as he smiled softly at her. But his smile vanished immediately when he felt her hand run slowly across his thigh before she cupped his length through his khakis. 

"I just thought I'd keep you entertained while you were at work." She gave him a little squeeze, and Jake bucked against her hand. He glanced down to see that her soft sweater was the same purple color as her underwear, and she had on a little black skirt and black heels. He kissed her forehead and then her nose as he grabbed her ass with one hand and pushed her hair back behind her ear with the other. 

"You kept me hard while I was at work. That's what you did, Professor Reed." Jake wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and kissed along her jaw softly. She gasped as he used his other hand to slowly bunch her skirt up until he could feel the round of her bare ass cheek in his hand. 

"Jake," she whined, making it sound like three syllables instead of one as her hands slid up and around his neck. He kept his hand on her neck gentle and his kisses light as he grabbed her ass and slipped his fingers inside the back of her thong. "Jake!"

Her hands were grasping at his hair as he kissed her ear and rubbed his erection against her sweet body. "You're gorgeous. You drove me crazy all day. You know that? You did it on purpose?"

"Yes," she gasped as he sucked gently on her neck before soothing the spot with his tongue. 

"Mmm," he hummed quietly as he panted. "You gonna let me see that pretty purple set?"

Her voice was an obscene whine that left him grinding against her harder as she moaned, "Yes!"

And he couldn't help himself as he pressed the softest kisses along her jaw and ear and asked, "You gonna let me fuck you hard on your desk?"

Jessica's eyes were wide, and her glasses had gone crooked on her face, but he kissed her lips after she said, "Yes." Her hand reached out to press the lock on her door, and then Jake carried her to her desk and set her on the edge. Her eyes already looked blissed out as she spread her thighs wide and hooked both of her feet around his calves, pulling him closer. 

He tipped her chin up so she was looking at him, and then he took both of her soft thighs in his hands as she kept eye contact. "I'm crazy about you," he murmured as he pressed himself against her core. Then she pulled her sweater up and over her head before tossing it to the floor. Now her glasses were really crooked, and her hair was a mess as she reached for the fly of his pants. Jake was lost to the feel of her hand gripping his length as she pushed his pants down. Then she released him and leaned back on both of her palms with her lace covered tits thrust alluringly toward him.

"Fuck me," she commanded in her teaching voice. "Fuck me hard on my desk."

"Jesus Christ," he cursed, guiding his hands up her thighs, pushing the fabric up until that little skit was around her waist. When he tugged her damp thong to the side, he was treated to the sight of her wet pussy all ready to go. She ran her high heels up and down his thighs until he grabbed her behind the knees and thrust himself deep. 

Jessica's jaw dropped open as Jake held her legs in his hands and fucked her hard, his thrusts relentless as she started to whine. He gritted his teeth, the obscene slapping sounds of his body meeting hers filling the room as he watched her pussy take him. Her tits were bouncing beautifully each time he filled her, and she just kept getting louder. 

"Someone's gonna hear you," he warned, his voice a growl as he braced his feet a little wider apart on the floor. "Someone's gonna come knocking if you're not quieter, Jess."

She pressed her lips together and whimpered loudly in response as he continued to fuck her, rocking his hips into her body, his balls slapping her ass. Maybe he just didn't give a fuck if someone heard. Maybe Jake didn't care who knew that he was getting Jessica off on her desk right now. This was his girl, and she was a professional teaser. Even the way she was gripping him so tight with each stroke was too much. Her body was made for him, the way she responded to him like this. 

"Jake," she keened, extending the syllables once more as he ran his hand down her calf and lifted her leg so he could kiss her ankle. The shift in position had her squeezing around him while she eased herself onto her back. Jake watched her lace covered tits bounce as her hands grappled for something to grab onto. She held the edge of her desk as she came undone for him. A few more sharp thrusts, and Jake pushed himself deep, filling her up with his cum. And once again, when he withdrew himself, he got to watch the mess he made drip down her ass only to collect on her thong before dripping to the desk.

When Jake looked up along her body, Jessica had herself propped up on her elbows with a serene smile and crooked glasses. He leaned down over her and kissed her. "I got a little carried away," he whispered as he ran his fingers through her hair and squeezed her thigh. 

She looked impossibly sweet as he fixed her glasses, and she said, "I plan on getting carried away with you tomorrow night when you sleepover." 

He devoured her mouth, but the kisses turned lazy and unhurried. Eventually Jake helped her sit up again on the edge of her desk, and he took in the sight of her rucked up skirt, purple bra and his cum between her thighs. "Let's get you cleaned up, and I'll take you to Chippy's."

"Sex on my desk and Chippy's? Today just keeps getting better," she said with a laugh as Jake grabbed some tissues from her shelf and wiped up her desk and picked up her sweater. Once she was in his arms, he pulled her shirt over her head and helped her wiggle her skirt back down. 

When he zipped up his pants, he told her, "Why don't you grab a journal or two to take with us? We can read it together over some Sam Adams and peanuts."

Jessica's eyes lit up, and she actually clapped her hands. It was the cutest fucking thing he had ever seen in his life, and he watched as she clicked across her floor on her heels to the shelf. "I love that," she murmured. "Great idea, Jake."

He loved it, too. He loved everything about her. She was so smart and beautiful, but she was funny, too. She wasn't clingy, and she had a fascinating career. She didn't need him around, but she seemed to light up when he was, and that's what left Jake a little breathless as she turned and looked at him with two journals in her hand. "You ready?"

Jake kissed the slight bruise he left on her neck on the ride down the elevator. When the doors opened, Brian Conley was there arguing with a young woman, and he felt Jessica tense up in his arms. "It's okay," Jake murmured against her hair. Even though her posture remained a little rigid, she let him take her by the hand and walk out into the lobby, and Jake absorbed the glare that Brian shot their way so Jessica didn't have to. 

He'd had just about enough of that asshole, and the next time he witnessed Brian being a dick or if he heard his girlfriend complain about him again, Jake was probably going to lose it. But as soon as they were inside the dive bar, Jake noticed that her shoulders seemed less tense, and she smiled as soon as Chippy waved to her. 

"Hey, Reedy."

"Hi, Chippy."

He started pouring two pints as he shot Jake the look of warning that he'd become accustomed to; it was almost a part of the experience now. But the bar was absolutely packed tonight, and Jessica held his hand a little tighter as she stepped around peanut shells on the sticky floor. There was only one high top table free with only one stool at it. 

Jake kissed Jessica's cheek and nudged her in that direction. "Grab the table while I get the beer and peanuts?" She took off in that direction, and Jake headed for the bar. 

"So. You're here to stay then?" a disgruntled Chippy asked as he shoved a bowl of peanuts next to the pint glasses. 

Jake tried to reel in his surprised laugh. "Yes, sir. I'm not going anywhere."

Chippy grunted as he took the twenty dollar bill from Jake and made change for him. He slid the bills across the bar but kept his hand on them. "If I so much as see you with another woman or see tears in that girl's eyes," he said, nodding toward Jessica, "you'll never see the inside of this bar again."

Jake waited for him to pick up his hand, and then he took all of the bills except for a few singles. "Understood." Then he could tell he'd been dismissed when Chippy started waiting on the group next to him, so he took everything back to the table where Jessica was perched on the stool. 

"Literally all of the seats are being used," she told him, but Jake set everything down and then pulled her into his arms.

"Just means I get to hold you, then." He sat and then helped her onto his lap, and she settled on his thigh while he kissed her cheek and the side of her neck. "This is perfect."

Her cheeks were a little flushed, and Jake could smell himself on her as he wrapped his arm around her, letting his hand settle on her hip. This gorgeous woman was wearing panties soaked with his cum and calmly opening one of the physics journals to share an article with him. "Oh, you'll like this one," she told him, smiling over her shoulder before pointing out the title on the page. She thought he was smart, and she seemed to like having him around outside of bedroom activities, too.

"I'm sure I will," he replied, kissing her shoulder as he listened to her tell him about jet propulsion in a newly designed aircraft.

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

Intelligent, self aware Jake is ruining me a little bit. Brian is a dank ass little bitch. Please send asks if you'd like to see a certain type of lingerie in her closet. Frat fundraiser is up next. Thanks @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 12

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[strongsassysexysloane]

Seventh Day of Twelve - A Soundtrack to your Curious Mind

See below link for previous days drabbles

When it's a quiet day at home surely they couldn't get away with sneaking another gift under your nose.

. . . .

For a Monday morning it really didn't feel like one. First, you got to sleep in, second was that there actually wasn't a call in, nothing. It was sweet, the kind of morning where when you wake up with the feeling of being late for something and then realising you have nothing to worry about and roll back over. And that's exactly what you did. You didn't fall back asleep however, just laid there thinking over the past week, a smile curving your lips with the memory of each present.

The chocolates were amazing, the flowers were surprisingly wonderful, you'd never say no to free coffee or food. The gloves were sweet but necessary and the photo was special, the perfect addition to your desk. Everything was personally picked and picked especially for you. There was that warm and fuzzy feeling again.

You rolled out of bed with the feeling that it was finally the weekend. Putting on a pot of coffee to brew you wondered around the house. Taking in the morning rays mixed with the icey chill of the new layer of snow over night.

While the coffee was dripping you opened the front door to retrieve your paper. The wide grin appeared on your face once more as you found a small brown box lying on top of the morning News with an envelope attached. You ripped open the envelope to find a typed letter.

Dear y/n,

Here's a little something I thought you'd like. I hope your CD player still works.

Thinking about you,

Insert who you hope it is here.

You laughed at the last part. There was no hint to point you closer to the person you hoped it would be. Although one thought came to mind, this was hand delivered so it couldn't be Jack.

Your heart dropped a little at the thought.

You put the letter aside and looked at the gift inside. The CD was in a paper sleeve with hand written list of songs. It was a mix of everything from P!nk, Walk Me Home to Wonderwall by Oasis and a few you hadn't heard of before. It was an interesting mix, you hadn't gotten a mixed CD in we'll ever so this was a bit special. The handwriting on the sleeve didn't look familiar, you could pick Jack's handwriting up easily. It was cursive but messy, this was cursive but neat and less slanted than her's.

You sipped your morning coffee and had a piece of toast while examining the letter and CD more closely.

Later you found the CD player was tucked away in a cabinet along your hallway. You grabbed it out when a thought came to mind. You weren't quite sure why it hadn't earlier, which made you put on another pot of coffee to get the brain ticking quicker, but they knew you had a CD player. The last time you had it out was at your 90's themed birthday party. There was a lot of people from work there that night so now your options were a little more varied. Your mind, more like your heart, kept pointing out that one of those people was Jack. However Jack was in NOLA, was it such a crazy idea that she had gotten someone else in on the plan?

No, she wouldn't do all this.

You slipped the CD in and blasted the tunes while you did a few chores to get your mind off the mystery person. Music always helped getting the hard jobs done and the songs were really good. Some you hadn't heard in years.

It wasn't until around lunch time that you finally texted Jack.

- How's the food coma going? :P

You didn't have to wait too long.

- Almost comatosed but the case keeps distracting us. How's your day off? Got any new surprises?

- Sounds like you might be there for longer than you thought. It's good, got the chores done and dusted while bopping along to my new tunes that my secret Santa left me.

- Secret Santa hey? Thought you had a secret admirer.

If only. You kept that thought to yourself and the one question that you really wanted to ask her and went with...

- Trying not to get my hopes too high. Still can't figure out who it is.

The replies stopped, along with your heart but you got on with the rest of your day which consisted of nothing much more than checking your phone every other minute even though you turned the volume up. You popped on a movie while flicking through your phone.

Half way through the movie your phone started to vibrate and you got all excited thinking it was a certain blonde. It wasn't but you weren't complaining either.

"Hey Kase, what's up?" You smiled, pausing the movie and getting up for a drink of water.

"Jimmy and I are going for breakfast tomorrow and thought you might want to join. It's all good if you don't, being your day off an all." Her tone was chipper, you knew she was at work, she'd helped with the case on Saturday but got an early mark and had to come back in today to wrap everything up.

"Work or no work a woman's gotta eat."

You heard a chuckle through the line. "You sound like Bishop and Jimmy."

"He said a woman's gotta eat?"

"Something like that. Meet you at the Diner around 7?"

You held in the sigh of being up so early but agreed and said your goodbyes. It was early for a weekend for you but seeing two of your favourite people outside of work made it worth it. Taking your tall glass of water, you sat back down on the couch and continued the movie. The next vibration on your phone came through minutes later.

- Sorry, got a lead. If this pans out I might be home sooner than expected but don't get your hopes up. I still need to find Ellie a present that's allowed on the plane. Dwayne doesn't think I'll be allowed his gumbo.

You laughed at the thought of Jack trying to carry a bowl of gumbo onto a flight just for Ellie. If she could take it with her she probably would.

- That's exciting, my hopes are under control. I can only wish for one thing at a time right now. I'm sure Ellie will be happy with a candy bar from the airport.

Ellie would be happy with any sweet she got. You both knew that but you knew Jack wanted to get her something specific. Something she couldn't get in DC.

- That's understandable but it is Christmas time. Miracles do happen, looks like I'll be home in a day or two. Looking forward to seeing you...

You over thought the last sentence for too long and now felt weird about what you might send as a reply. You were looking forward to seeing her too but could you say that? You wanted to kick your brain for this.

- I like this kind of miracle. Hope everything goes to plan and I can see you at work in a few days. It's quiet without you.

Simple but had meaning if you read between the lines which you know Jack does.

The texting continued on into the night. She even sent you another picture of her dinner which only made your sad salad even more sad. You would definitely need to do some grocery shopping tomorrow but nothing you could cook would live up to anything Jack was eating down south.

. . .

This one didn't seem to flow as much as I liked but I have work early and wanted to get it up at the usual time.

Hopefully you all like it :)

[stevesnailbat]

fear of the (un)known | steve harrington

chapter seven : happier 

summary: Grace, or 007 as she had been called, finally escaped Hawkins Lab after seventeen long years. But, freedom is a lot harder than she thought it would be to maintain.

warnings: pining once again, a little angsty

word count: 2.0K

a/n: this chapter took forever so my bad!! but there’s a time jump and everything is about to get a lot more interesting after this one!! hopefully I'll be more consistent with chapters 8 through 12 :) gif by @harringtown

read the rest HERE!

-june 1985-

“So you’re telling me that you didn’t even know when your birthday was until you were sixteen? Like, not a single 'happy birthday' or any kind of celebration during the whole time you were there?” Lucas implores, plopping down next to Max on Hopper’s couch.

“They were in a lab, dipshit. It's not like they were at some fun summer camp or something.” Steve quips, shoving Lucas' shoulder lightly as he leaned against the back of the couch. 

“The most fun I ever had in the lab was when they’d let me stay out of my room for the day, if you’d even call that fun. I found my own fun in messing with people’s minds when I was younger.” Grace retorts, a small smile passing over her face for a moment.

“What about you, El?” Max asks, facing the girl sitting next to Mike on the couch. “Did you ever get to celebrate anything?”

El only shook her head, looking from Max over to Grace, a sad look on her face. Grace rubs her hand along El’s shoulder for a moment, knowing that she hated thinking about the small details and bad memories of being in the lab. 

“So, it’s settled then.” Max says, a smile lighting up her face as an idea crossed her mind.

“What’s settled?” Mike interjects snidely, making Max’s eyes narrow in his direction. 

“Grace just said that her eighteenth birthday is this weekend, right?” Max snaps, watching the rest of them nod. “El said she’s never had any birthday celebration either. So, let’s give them both a birthday party!”

“You guys really don’t have to—“

“Oh c’mon, Grace! It’ll be fun!” Max pleads, and Mike, Lucas and Will nod excitedly. 

“I don’t need a party, I can assure you that.” Grace insists, shaking her head while smiling kindly at the redhead. “But we can celebrate El’s birthday in place of mine.”

El’s eyes light up at the thought of celebrating with all of her friends, which warms Grace’s heart. She gives her a look as if to say ‘thank you’ for giving them the idea, and Grace ruffles her hair lovingly. 

“Alright, enough talk about this, we can work out all the details later. Right now, I need to get you all home before I get yelled at or accused of losing you all.” Steve interjects, throwing his chin up as he points to the door, motioning for the kids to get up. 

Everyone says their goodbyes and the kids head out the door to go towards the BMW in the drive. Steve shoots a small smile and wave in Grace’s direction before turning to leave the house, closing the front door behind him. Grace could feel her heart skip a beat merely because of the eye contact they just had. She knew she was in too deep to lose the crush she had on him to simply be his friend. She stared at the spot that Steve last stood for a little longer than anticipated, only breaking from her thoughts at the sound of El’s giggle.

“What’s so funny?” Grace asks, quirking her eyebrows questionably at the smiling girl next to her. 

“You like Steve.” she replies simply, making Grace’s eyes go wide momentarily.

“Only as a friend, El.” Grace says calmly, trying not to blush at her blunt statement. “That’s it.” 

El gives her an incredulous smile, as if to tell her that she’s not very believable. Grace huffs quietly at El, chewing on her lip as she wracks her brain for something to say to cover up her feelings. She didn’t want everyone knowing what she was feeling, even though it was quite obvious to everyone around. 

“Even if I did like Steve, I would never do anything about it.” she said weakly, biting back the feeling of sadness she felt at the words she spoke. “He thinks I’m just the crazy girl who showed up in his backyard and got into his mind a few times.”

The look on El’s face showed that she didn’t believe a word coming from Grace’s mouth once again. El knew that there was some kind of feelings between the two of them. She’d seen the way Grace would sneak long, admiring glances at Steve while he was reading to her at the table, and she’d noticed how willing he was to do almost anything to help her. They kept coming back together, but neither of them wanted to admit why. 

El only shook her head at Grace’s answer before standing up from the couch, heading towards her room without a word. Grace didn’t have the words to describe how she really felt, but she knew that, in her mind, El did. 

For the next two days, Grace and El didn’t hear much from the party. Of course, El talked on the phone with Mike and would visit with him—with supervision by Grace or Hop—at the cabin, but that was the extent of it. They were both becoming a curious about the sudden disconnect. Little did they know, Steve and the kids were planning a birthday party for both of them throughout the course of those two missing days.

When the Saturday came, El got a call from Mike around 3 p.m., telling her that he was leaving his house to ride over to the cabin. She was excited as usual, just the thought of seeing Mike bringing a smile to her face. Seeing the way El lit up around him made Grace’s chest ache, but her heart swell. She wanted something like that, something that would make her smile the way seeing Mike made El smile. 

Thirty minutes passed and there was a knock on the front door. El rushed past where Grace and Hopper were sitting in the living room, hurrying to open the door with a smile on her face. The smile on her face faltered slightly when she opened the door to see how many people were there. The party and Steve stood on the other side of the door, balloons, gifts, cake and pizza boxes in tow.  

“Surprise!” the kids say in unison, making Grace and Hopper turn to see what was happening at the door.

They all walked inside, setting everything down as they piled into the living room and kitchen area. Grace stood from the couch as she looked over to Hopper in the recliner next to her, who had a small smile on his lips. She walked over to the kitchen, heart filling with warmth at the sight of El’s grin. Max looked over to her and El after setting the balloons down, watching as El skipped past her to talk to Mike. Grace had noticed that El ignored the girl, but had never brought it up. She pulled Max into a quick hug, a smile still stuck on her face. 

“Thank you for doing this for her, I’m sure she really appreciates it. Even if she doesn't say it to you directly.” Grace says thankfully.

“Don’t thank me, thank Steve for putting all of this together.” she says, pointing at Steve, who was already digging into the pizza they brought. “He planned it all and even put your name on the cake and got you a present.”

Grace’s stomach was in knots now, the thought of Steve putting in that much effort for her making her feel nauseous. She looked over to him, locking eyes with him for a long moment. Steve smiled at her, completely skipping past the pain in her eyes as she smiled back. She walked towards him, reaching for a plate to grab some pizza too. 

“You didn’t have to do that, y’know.” Grace says quietly to him, peering over at him with a hesitant gaze as he furrowed his brows. “You didn’t have to make the party for me too, I told you it should just be about El.”

“It’s no big deal, Grace. It is your actual birthday after all. You’re an adult now, you’re free. You deserve some kind of celebration.” Steve insists, nudging her shoulder as he continued to eat. 

The pain in her stomach grew deeper as Steve said that she was free, because she knew she was far from it. She was far from being able to celebrate anything. But, she forced a smile onto her face to show appreciation for the nice gesture. Grace was truly grateful for everything he did, but knew it wasn’t just out of the kindness of his heart. She knew he was forcing his feelings down too. It was better that way. They both knew it. 

The celebration continued with bubbly chatter and laughing. The kids carried on happy conversations about comics and new movies coming to theaters soon while Grace and Steve listened passively, neither of them saying much to the other. The scene in front of Grace was enough to make her smile, really. Seeing them all happy and content made her feel at home, like she was finally growing into a normal life again. 

Steve couldn’t help but notice the smile on her face, and couldn’t help but stare at her longingly. He felt himself getting lost in her smile for a moment, a feeling of adoration spreading through his body as he did. A rough hand on his shoulder shook him from his thoughts, Hopper had noticed the trance he was in and had to break him from it. Steve’s cheeks grew hot at the thought of getting caught, but Grace didn’t notice the interaction at all.

“How about you bring over those presents you brought?” Hopper suggests to Steve, making Grace and El snap their heads in their direction. 

“Oh—Right, yeah. I’ll get those.” Steve stammers, standing up from the chair abruptly to grab the gift bags. 

Steve handed the bags to Grace and El, and each of them dug into them quickly. El’s smile grew even wider—if that was even possible—when she saw the comics and mixtapes inside the bag from her friends. Grace pulled out several movies and some mixtapes, eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the mix of presents in front of her. 

“You said Hop wasn’t too fond of you reading so much, so I thought you’d like some movies and music instead.” Steve says, picking up one of the movies from the table to look at it. 

“You really didn’t have to do this—“

“But I wanted to do it. So, just accept the gifts, Grace.” Steve laughs bitterly, raising his eyebrows at the frown that crossed her face. “This is what friends are for.”

“Thank you, Steve.” she says, pulling him in for a quick hug. “You’re a great friend.”

There was something about hearing the word ‘friend’ slip from her lips that made Steve nauseous. Of course, he had just called her a friend, but it seemed all too real when she said it to him. He forced a smile as she pulled away, watching as she let her eyes flicker from his quickly to avoid his gaze. Steve felt like his heart was being ripped out by the thought of never being able to find out what life would be like with Grace, it was all he wanted. But it was better that way, things were better with them as just friends. 

So, he sucked it up and hid his emotions, like he always did. He watched her from afar, seeing the smile on her face as she talked about the movies he bought with Max and Will. The only thing he wanted was for her to be happy, and this was how it had to be for that to happen. 

tags: @sourapplebaby @harringtown @jxnehxpper @charmed-asylum @daddystevee @queenofthehairharrington @heart-eye-harrington @hystericalmedicine @a-magey @lemonypink @karasong @batbatsupermanme @used-avocado @letscici @igotmadskills @mikariell95 @anerroroccurrrrred @blueberrylemontea-fanfic @ilovebucketbarnes @bravest-at-heart

[justinsdaysinthedark]

Post # 6 - It is what it is

I'd be lying if I said I haven't spent the past half an hour with tears flowing from my eyes staring at a blank screen wondering how I'm going to get everything I've got floating in my head out. I suppose listening to Coldplay live in Argentina probably wasn't the best choice of music to set the mood. I'll work on that one in the future...

Where do I start? It's been a question I'm often asking myself at the start of these blog posts and it's certainly not the easiest one. What do you guys know? There's been so much happen since my last post on Thursday night.

Friday July 26th: I saw my doctors around lunchtime who came in quite concerned. Whilst they were confident my lymphoma was one called DLBCL (Diffuse Large B- Cell Lymphoma), some tests had come back with suspect results that it could be a more aggressive and harsh type of lymphoma called Burkitt's lymphoma and if confirmed, chemo was starting that night with no time to waste. There was also one marked in the middle (a cross of the two) called Burkitt's Like Lymphoma which is treated similarly to DLBCL. Whatever it was, I couldn't change it. I just wanted answers and if treatment needed to start, let's get it underway!

Adam, my incredible haematology doctor sent off another test of my gall bladder to finally get the confirmation I was after. It was urgent. He had to know. It was reassuring of Adam to state "Justin, we need to know what this is. Preliminary results are due back later this afternoon and that will hopefully rule out Burkitt's. if it is Burkitt's, we'll start chemo tonight and I'll be with you every step of the way - even if I have to stay back a few hours."

I know doctors earn a fair coin on a lazy day, but how many give you that much confidence that you and your health is important to them? I'm going to have it a guess and say not many but alas, I am so incredibly lucky with the team of doctors I have.

4:00pm and Adam strolls in the door heading straight for my room. My heart drops, similarly to what it had when Michael dropped the news I had lymphoma. "Good news. Preliminary results are back and we're confident it's not Burkitt's. You can't rule out anything in life, so there still is a small chance it could be. We're happy to wait for the final results on Monday, figure out a treatment plan from there and start Chemotherapy next week. Spend Saturday and Sunday on day leave and I'll see you next week."

This was news to my ears. In a time of what has been negative or no news, I could spend the weekend with family relatively freely and forget everything was happening for a few hours each day. My Uncle Bob and Aunty Denise were down from Tasmania to see me, as was my Aunty AJ and cousins from Bairnsdale so it all felt like it fit into place.

Friday night saw me considerably more relaxed with this news...that was until Collingwood started and it was the demolition it was. Slightly humorous side note, the nurse came in around 9pm for my nightly observations. Naturally, my heart rate was up a bit more than normal watching the football (118BPM - normally between 70-85BPM). This caused the nurse to call in the team of doctors who wanted to put me on an ECG machine for the night and monitor my heart. I assured them it was because Collingwood were on and if they gave me an hour, I'd be okay. It took some convincing, but it finally worked. Back they came an hour later and it had gone down - crisis averted.

Saturday afternoon and evening was wonderful. I went down to dads for dinner and was fortunate enough to spend some much needed time with family over a beautiful dinner and good laugh.

Sunday was much the same. I went home, mum did a fair chunk of washing for me as I spent it being me. Seeing Courtney, napping in my own bed and even headed over to Fountain Gate and got some much needed new clothes and other miscellaneous items - something that seems so simple but is such a luxury when you've spent the past 15 days in hospital.

Monday July 29th: They say the more you think positively, the more positive news you shall receive....or it goes something like that right? I woke up this morning the most upbeat and best I'd felt in weeks. I felt fine. I felt no pain, almost like I'd woken up from a shitty hotel! In all honesty, I felt like I'm abusing the system however I keep being quickly reminded how much I need to be here. Did I wake up so positive because I lived my old life for 16 hours over the weekend? Is it because I was hoping to hear a reasonably positive outcome with this lymphoma test? Probably a mix of both if I'm honest. But whatever it was, I was hopeful.

Adam came around at roughly 10:00am. Didn't really have much for me in terms of news but more of an outline of the day. If they hear the results of the test they were waiting on, they'd write me up a treatment plan ASAP and get chemo started this afternoon. At worst, I'd be starting it tomorrow (Tuesday). They just needed that definitive answer of what type of lymphoma I have - an answer I'd love more than anybody.

Either way, we agreed i'd need a PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) line in which basically is a long-term cannula. It runs from the inside of my arm right up and around and stops basically just outside my heart. This is for easy access for the chemotherapy and even an easy exit for blood tests - something that's proven incredibly difficult to take from me over the past few days. Additionally, these lines can last up to six months verses the three days you get from a cannula. There were too many positives to say no to!

This wasn't scheduled for any time in particular, so 1:00pm came around and I was about to be taken to get the PICC line in.

Just as I was about to leave, Adam came in with a few words I'm all too familiar with. "Well, the pathology tests we were waiting on have come back inconclusive..."

Woah. Wait. What? How do tests of my gall bladder that was removed six days ago come back inconclusive? How does one of the main sources not have enough 'data' to tell them what sort of lymphoma I have? I was just stunned.

Adam continued "As a result, we can see some signs of Burkitt's lymphoma and that's what we're going to treat you for. You're young. You should be able to handle it and it's better to over treat you than under treat and be stuck where we are at the moment. It's an intense 16-day chemo treatment that will totally wipe out your red and white blood cells as well as your platelets. We foresee you being in here for another 3-5 weeks, depending on how well your body goes getting these levels back up to normal post this first treatment..."

I honestly say this but that's all I remember from this conversation. I was hoping I'd be heading home this week but looks like that definitely won't be happening. Today marks day 40 of the past 55 days in hospital (day 15 of this stint) and if I go off the longest suggested time expected, I have another 35 days to go. That honestly crushed me.

I got taken down to get my PICC line in - quite an easy process. Very similar to putting in a larger cannula, just a whole lot longer and uses local anaesthetic as well as being guided by an ultrasound and X-ray. I'm lucky enough to have two ports, which will hopefully speed up some of my medication and how much they can pump in. Does it feel weird? The only weird part was feeling it slide down past and near my heart - but that's okay now!

By the time I return, dad made his was in to try and help process the news. We get Adam in to once again explain the process. In layman's terms, I'll be starting an intense and high-dose 16-day chemotherapy program kicking off tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. Most of the time across the next 16 days, I'll be hooked up via IV drip getting whatever medication is required. I think I saw I have rest days on days 7 & 8 which I suppose will give me two days to look forward to. At the end of the day, it's something I'm not certain on and will be a day by day process and constant learning about what's going into my body to help fight with me.

I do have one request for you all. With my body not producing red or white blood cells or platelets over the next few weeks, I do request if you are planning to visit however are sick to stay away those extra few days. With my immune system going to be at the lowest it's been, I don't particularly want to pick up something I don't need. Additionally, as much as I'd love flowers, they're also banned due to the infection risk of the spores mixing with the chemotherapy and causing some dangerous damage from the inside.

At the end of the day, if you're not sure please message me and check as I'm not entirely sure myself about everything. I'm constantly learning as I'm going.

How am I feeling? I'm nervous. I'm nervous at the unknown. How will this affect me? How bad am I going to feel? Will I lose my hair? What will my energy levels be like? In advance, I do apologise if over the next few weeks I'm not myself. Truth be told, that's because I probably won't be.

In a way, i'm finally excited to start my treatment first thing tomorrow morning (after yet ANOTHER lumbar puncture). I was so envious of both people next to me getting their first rounds of chemo today. I know mine will be intense but I just can't wait.

I've learnt so much about cancer and chemotherapy over the past four days and I know there's so much more to learn. Today I learnt I'll be incredibly highly cytotoxic, which basically means all needles and anything used on me need to go in a separate bin just for me. Additionally, I'll have to get used to the good old double flush after the toilet to ensure all waste is disposed of. Mouth ulcers are a big issue with most chemo patients as well. I'll have to start brushing my teeth after every meal and taking a special mouthwash 3x daily to assist with keeping these under control. There's plenty of other little things, but they're two I least expected.

Everything really hit me last night....not like it did tonight though. I just had twenty minutes to reflect and it just became a sudden realisation. What I'm going through is real. It's not a 'joke' anymore. It's not something they're looking at as a potential cause. It is the cause. I have a legitimate medical issue and it's finally time to fight lymphoma. All well and good to be talking the talk like I have been - it's now time to walk the walk. This sits well with me. If I give somebody my word, I do whatever I can to get it achieved. Unfortunately for the lymphoma throughout my body I've given it my word and it's time to fight it. Round one begins tomorrow morning.

I leave tonight feeling a whole lot better than I did when I started tonight's post. I didn't learn from my words earlier as Coldplay live from Argentina is still playing however I'm in a much more comfortable mind space.

My best friend of a lazy 20 years, Dylan visited tonight with his partner, Jacqui. One phrase popped up more than most and they made me aware it was a common phrase coming out of my mouth.

"It is what it is."

I can't control what's happened to me as "it is what it is." What I can control from here though is how I fight lymphoma. Thanks for the visit tonight guys, I appreciated the two hours spent here in what's been an incredibly tough afternoon.

Much love.

Juzz xx

[pbandjesse]

I can't believe it's 11:30. If both feels way later than that and we're earlier. I'm tired. But I'm not as exhausted as I think I would be normally. Today was a really good time. It just feels like it was 6 days in one.

I slept okay last night. I woke up at 8 and got ready to go to the museum. I got there a couple minutes late because of traffic but it was no big deal. I setup my project and the kids came basically on time. It was the largest group ever had for in the neighborhood but they were really good kids. I had 21 but four of them were special needs and so they didn't really participate and then they just kind of walked around the museum when we were on tour. So I had 17 and that was fine. It was nice. They were good kids and paid attention and did all the things I wanted them to do. The teachers and chaperones we're just on point and it was great. Whenever I needed help they were right there. It was awesome.

I finished up there around 12:30. I had agreed to do an extra half an hour but that made me late to work at the school. Not that it actually matters besides my paycheck but not a big deal. I'll make it up somewhere else. But since I already knew I was going to be late I stopped at Chipotle and had nachos.

While I was eating my nachos I solve two ends of the spectrum of police officers in Baltimore. I saw traffic cops wearing fluorescent vests and I saw Baltimore Police in camo. So the most visible and the least visible. Very strange. You're in the city why are you wearing camo.

I missed the bus right as I was going up the hill. But another one was about five minutes away so it was fine. The blue line runs all over the place so I don't know why I ever bother worrying about the next bus. It'll either be there in the next 2 minutes or it will take 45. No in between.

I got to the school at 1:30 and got to work on some prep for the day. There wasn't a ton to do. When I went and got the kids I have them come right upstairs with Chelsea and had everyone bind a book. So there's only like three or four left. So that's excellent. And the kids were mostly really good today. We did have one thing happened at the end of the day that wasn't cool. But Chelsea really laid down the law and their were tears but I think they got some understanding.

Right before the end of the day though me and Damien took Otto my clock and turned him into a graduation Furby. I had really wanted to get a graduation for me to bring to Charlotte's graduation tonight but it just didn't happen. And that's not what I really need. It's just a black and white wearing a little hat. And Otto is black and white so we made him a little graduation cap. And then Damien told me he wanted to make a certificate. And I didn't know what he was talking about but I told him go ahead. And he brings me a little scroll with a little ribbon on it because he made a diploma. He didn't know that's what it was called that's what he made. Absolutely precious.

All of the kids got picked up real early and I was able to make the early bus. So I got home before 6. I took a shower and I got changed. I redid my makeup and fix my hair. I packed my purse up and then I called a car.

My driver was really nice and we had a really nice conversation all the way to the tap room. And James was outside. And it was so nice to see him. He looks so handsome. His hair was all done up and his shirt was really cute.

And I had a great night. I helped set some stuff up. I took the plastic off stuff for his mom. I said happy birthday and happy graduation to his sister because both happened today! So congratulations to James's sister Charlotte for graduating from Hopkins with 9 cords. I think that's what they're called. The colorful ribbons that they put around their necks when they have a bunch of extra things. Because she's incredibly smart. And she's very nice. And tonight was a really good celebration.

I got to meet a bunch of change this family and family friends. I got to tell stories. And I got to meet Hopkins grads that thought I was fascinating and that was cool. I wish I would have had more time to learn more about them but they kept asking me questions. I had a really nice time. We got to go on a brewery tour and there was a bunch of rats back here and we all thought I was hilarious. Not uncommon because you know wheat and barley and things. I don't know why other people were surprised by it. It's Baltimore. I'm sure everything is clean enough in the actual process of beer making.

I had a really good night though. At the end of the night James mom told me to take as much stuff home as possible. So I got three plants and two plates of food and both the Diet Cokes that they bought for me. Someone accidentally crushed with my plants but I think I'm going to be able to save them. When I got home after my Lyft ride. Which was very good. The man was very very nice and we had a really nice conversation. I use chopsticks to take them back together. So I'm hoping with some babying I'll be able to save them

James stay behind to finish helping clean up. And I got home and got washed up. Brought all of my stuff inside. Put all the food in containers and opened up my new package. Which is my new weird pink robot dog. Which is absolutely incredible for a 14 year old dog. It rolls over and plays dead and it does guard Duty. I'm very excited to explore this thing a little bit more. The books that came with it has a basic function and an advanced function and there's a lot of things that can do and I'm excited that has autonomous features. Those are my favorite kinds of robots.

I'm going to get ready for bed now. I'm very tired. I have the next four days off and I'm going to finish my tooth sculpture and I'm going to finish my lesson plans. I'm going to go to the Xfinity store and figure how to cancel my internet because there is no option for that on their website or explanation on how to do it. I keep saying I'm moving. But it just wants me to move my service to my new place. James has internet I don't need to internet. But I will figure it out. But I'm hoping it's just a nice weekend. And I can take the bus long distances to stores I don't get to go to often. And James has his job interview on Saturday and then we have the whole afternoon together. And hopefully we'll move some more stuff to his place. And I'm just hoping it's a really good day.

I hope it's a good night for you guys as well. Sleep well everybody. Stay safe out there.

[usagitomusashi]

Two Days at ACEN 2018 - day 1

ACEN (Anime Central) is a three day Anime Con held in a near-Chicago suburb (Rosemont) occupying the convention center and nearby Hyatt hotel.

I only heard about it three years ago. That Saturday, my wife and I went, but we got there late and, no sooner had we purchased our passes and the exhibit floor closed.

We visited a couple panels, watched some video and were impressed with the cosplay but our visit was short and not satisfying.

I've been back three times since. The con starts Friday morning and runs 24 hours a day through the weekend closing at 4:00 on Sunday, then officially ending with a 1-hour ceremony.

My wife has not attended with me. We have a kitty that needs insulin shots every 12 hours and we live far enough that the logistics of returning home every 12 hrs is not practical.

That second year, I bought her a weekend pass thinking I could pull it off but she ended up not going. The third year, I just bought a ticket for the formal dance and was just going to bring her for that, but she blew me off.

So, this year, I was resigned to going by myself.

Also, as in the past years' visits, I took Friday off with the plan being to go all day Friday and Saturday and skipping Sunday. Even that is a challenge. To get the most out of each day, I stay late but get very little sleep on Friday night. Like, I left around 1:00 AM, got home just before 2:00, went to sleep at 3:00, up at 7:30, made us breakfast, ran a couple errands and was back there at 10:30. I stayed again 'til 1:00 by which time I was beat.

ACEN uses the Guidebook app and it's very thorough. It allows the con-goer to plan their days well in advance and keep a custom schedule for ready reference. I usually make a schedule that includes a number of overlapping events because you never know where the day may take you and it's nice to have options.

There is so much to do. It seems like there are at least a dozen things happening at once. What I typically observe is that, if you're not doing anything at ACEN, you're missing something, and if you're doing something, you're missing something else.

Besides that, they have a very large exhibit floor for the major publishers and production businesses as well as many miscellaneous vendors. There's just too much for me to comment upon.

They also have Artist Alley which is, as one might expect, an opportunity for artists and craftspeople to show off their talents and hopefully sell stuff.

So, these are things to do between schedule items. Plus, there's walking. At the convention center, they have the exhibit hall, artist alley, a vast gaming center and a very large common space where people hang out and do ad hoc posing and photos.

They also have several indoor cosplay gathering areas (scheduled photo shoots). They also have the panel rooms, one very large room, and two smaller but still large rooms on the ground floor. The second floor has maybe a dozen more panel rooms and these are still pretty big. They reserve a room or two for kids and crafts.

Everything else is in the hotel or on the street between the two for cosplay, food trucks, music, hanging out, etc. Getting between the two either involves this very long walkway with an overpass or the outside sidewalk which can be quite crowded. There's one shortcut from the convention center to the hotel but it's sort of a one way cut.

Anyway ... lots of walking (probably other, warm weather cons are more spread out but it's all relative).

The hotel includes the grand ballroom with several activities and a smaller ballroom. The con has several dances and concerts. They have a lot of rooms for board games, a pachinko parlor, a manga library, a number of video rooms and common space to hang out.

Of course, you have to eat and I think the food choices are the weakest area of the Con with respect to what is available withou going off site. I'll leave it at that. Also, there are a lot of large hotels in the area so con goers stay at a number of locales other than the primary location. I imagine there is some amount of hanging out that happens in each.

So, where was I?

On the first day, I arrived about an hour before the official start and picked up my pass. That was quick. Then, I took a walk around the hotel to refamiliarize myself with what's where.

Like, board gaming:

The pachinko parlor:

The library:

... and the video rooms.

... more of day 1 to come.

[alloftheangels]

for that ask thing if youre up for it just answer the whole thing. i'll read every answer even if no one else wants to take the time to

musorry it took me so long to do this ahhh but you’re so sweet thank you

200: My crush’s name is: Steven 199: I was born in: Newfoundland, Canada198: I am really: sleepy197: My cellphone company is: bell196: My eye color is: blue195: My shoe size is: 10194: My ring size is: 8193: My height is: 5′2″192: I am allergic to: nothing afaik191: My 1st car was: i haven’t had one of my own lol190: My 1st job was: never had one189: Last book you read: Girl, Interrupted188: My bed is: so comfy and needs the sheets changed187: My pet: s are nerds186: My best friend: Lucy!!185: My favorite shampoo is: don’t really have one?184: Xbox or ps3: uhhh ps3?183: Piggy banks are: rlly good because i find money i didn’t know i had182: In my pockets: no pockets on my pajama shorts181: On my calendar: don’t have one oop180: Marriage is: special and exciting to me c:179: Spongebob can: ????178: My mom: is probably the best parent i could have asked for177: The last three songs I bought were? Fast Car by Tracy Chapman, Hurt by Johnny Cash and I don’t remember any other than those lol176: Last YouTube video watched: primitive technology-mud175: How many cousins do you have? 2 second cousins lol174: Do you have any siblings? older brother173: Are your parents divorced? nope172: Are you taller than your mom? i think we’re the same height171: Do you play an instrument? yup, guitar, bass, clarinet, a little piano170: What did you do yesterday? went to visit lucy in the hospital, hung out w some friends[ I Believe In ]169: Love at first sight: nah168: Luck: yes167: Fate: yes166: Yourself: nope165: Aliens: yes164: Heaven: i believe in a good and bad afterlife 163: Hell: ^162: God: nope161: Horoscopes: kinda, for fun?160: Soul mates: yes159: Ghosts: yes158: Gay Marriage: yes157: War: nope156: Orbs: what155: Magic: kinda[ This or That ]154: Hugs or Kisses: hugs153: Drunk or High: neither lol152: Phone or Online: phone151: Red heads or Black haired: both150: Blondes or Brunettes: blondes (i’ve always had a thing for blondes idk why)149: Hot or cold: neither 148: Summer or winter: summer147: Autumn or Spring: spring146: Chocolate or vanilla: chocolate145: Night or Day: night144: Oranges or Apples: oranges143: Curly or Straight hair: on me, straight hair142: McDonalds or Burger King: mcdonalds141: White Chocolate or Milk Chocolate: milk chocolate140: Mac or PC: PC139: Flip flops or high heals: flip flops138: Ugly and rich OR sweet and poor: how is this even a question, sweet and poor137: Coke or Pepsi: not a fan of cola136: Hillary or Obama: ehh obama?135: Burried or cremated: buried so i can have a neat headstone134: Singing or Dancing: singing133: Coach or Chanel: neither132: Kat McPhee or Taylor Hicks: who131: Small town or Big city: big city130: Wal-Mart or Target: target129: Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler: neither128: Manicure or Pedicure: manicure127: East Coast or West Coast: east coast126: Your Birthday or Christmas: christmas125: Chocolate or Flowers: flowers124: Disney or Six Flags: never been so idk123: Yankees or Red Sox: nope[ Here’s What I Think About ]122: War: bad121: George Bush: b a d120: Gay Marriage: yes?? duh119: The presidential election: ew118: Abortion: pro-choice117: MySpace: dead before i got the chance to meet it116: Reality TV: entertaining sometimes 115: Parents: mine are good114: Back stabbers: fuck em113: Ebay: good112: Facebook: meh111: Work: meh110: My Neighbors: nice lady109: Gas Prices: too expensive jesus fuck108: Designer Clothes: unnecessary 107: College: idk 106: Sports: ew105: My family: good104: The future: scary[ Last time I ]103: Hugged someone: like an hour ago102: Last time you ate: about 7:00101: Saw someone I haven’t seen in awhile: i think like three weeks ago?100: Cried in front of someone: today99: Went to a movie theater: almost two years i think damn wild98: Took a vacation: i don’t really do that97: Swam in a pool: couple years96: Changed a diaper: never95: Got my nails done: like more than a decade ago (at a salon i do them myself frequently)94: Went to a wedding: three or four years?93: Broke a bone: never have92: Got a peircing: 3 years ago91: Broke the law: never that i know of90: Texted: today[ MISC ]89: Who makes you laugh the most: Steven88: Something I will really miss when I leave home is: Molly (my dog) and steven87: The last movie I saw: Star Trek 486: The thing that I’m looking forward to the most: nothing really85: The thing im not looking forward to: going to homewood84: People call me: by my name83: The most difficult thing to do is: get out of bed82: I have gotten a speeding ticket: never81: My zodiac sign is: Leo80: The first person i talked to today was: my mom79: First time you had a crush: second grade78: The one person who i can’t hide things from: mom lol77: Last time someone said something you were thinking: i dunno76: Right now I am talking to: steven75: What are you going to do when you grow up: no idea74: I have/will get a job: hopefully in the new year73: Tomorrow: sunday72: Today: saturday71: Next Summer: 201870: Next Weekend: october69: I have these pets: dog and cat68: The worst sound in the world: ice scraping 67: The person that makes me cry the most is: idk honestly i just cry a lot66: People that make you happy: lucy, steven65: Last time I cried: today64: My friends are: amazing people63: My computer is: kinda shit62: My School: nope61: My Car: isn’t mine 60: I lose all respect for people who: i have a lot of answers for this59: The movie I cried at was: i don’t remember aaaaaaaaa58: Your hair color is: bleach blonde rn57: TV shows you watch: nothing consistently 56: Favorite web site: this hellsite for some ungodly reason55: Your dream vacation: i wanna go to bora bora but also tour europe54: The worst pain I was ever in was: when i overdosed 53: How do you like your steak cooked: don’t like steak52: My room is: a mess51: My favorite celebrity is: frank iero50: Where would you like to be: sleep49: Do you want children: i think so48: Ever been in love: yes47: Who’s your best friend: lucy46: More guy friends or girl friends: guys45: One thing that makes you feel great is: people complimenting my makeup44: One person that you wish you could see right now: not sure43: Do you have a 5 year plan: i don’t even have a 5 minute plan lol42: Have you made a list of things to do before you die: not a physical one41: Have you pre-named your children: no40: Last person I got mad at: probably steven lol39: I would like to move to: not sure38: I wish I was a professional: guitarist or bassist [ My Favorites ]37: Candy: sour patch kids36: Vehicle: idk35: President: no34: State visited: never left the province 33: Cellphone provider: i guess my current one32: Athlete: nope31: Actor: not sure30: Actress: not sure29: Singer: don’t28: Band: don’t even27: Clothing store: wh26: Grocery store: who has a favourite grocery store25: TV show: don’t really have one24: Movie: the rocky horror picture show23: Website: tumblr i suppose22: Animal: opossum21: Theme park: never been to one20: Holiday: christmas19: Sport to watch: hockey18: Sport to play: nope17: Magazine: nope16: Book: laura jane grace’s autobiography 15: Day of the week: friday14: Beach: sandy cove beach13: Concert attended: the first time i saw marianas trench12: Thing to cook: i hate cooking11: Food: nachos or taquitos10: Restaurant: boston pizza9: Radio station: we only have two lol8: Yankee candle scent: never seen one irl7: Perfume: i have this dove spray i rlly like but it’s discontinued :(6: Flower: gerbera daisies5: Color: blue4: Talk show host: nope3: Comedian: bo burnham2: Dog breed: alaskan malamutes1: did you answer all these truthfully ?  ye