#i have to quickly plan a south island trip before i fly back

[tsnbrainrot]

im so stressed about everything and all the logistics i have to get through that i cant fucking sleep…. i have to be up at 5:30…. this is a lot.

[yournameoneverypage]

Moon Over Miami

Anon request; Shawn Mendes x (y/n).

~3.1k

Warnings: Language.

~ * ~

You scowled at your overflowing carry on. You really didn’t want to bring something bigger, because that would mean baggage check and waiting at luggage carousels and that was just a headache waiting to happen.

Shawn was stretched across your bed on his back, tossing a tennis ball in the air and catching it again. “(Y/n), it’s Miami and we’re only going to be there for four days,” he chuckled. “You do not need to pack so many clothes.”

“Yes, I do. You’re a boy; you don’t understand.”

“First off, I am not a boy. I am a man, and a very attractive one at that.”

You rolled your eyes. Even if you wholeheartedly agreed, you were not going to stroke his ego.

“At the very least, lose most of the makeup. You’ll just sweat it off anyway. And you know I like you better without all that gunk on your face.”

“It doesn’t matter what you do or don’t like, now does it?” you snarked.

He sat up and leaned back against the pillows at the headboard. “I just meant that you’re already so pretty, naturally.”

Shawn was always finding little ways to compliment you and, secretly, you loved it, even if it made you blush, even if it was hard to believe some days.

“Fine.” You threw your hands up in the air in frustration. “You pack for me then.”

“Fine. I will.” He stood from the bed and poked your side. “So dramatic,” he teased, dancing his fingertips from ribcage to hip.

You gave him a small shove, and quickly moved out of tickling range (he knew where your most sensitive spots were). You stuck your tongue out at him.

“Don’t stick it out unless you intend to use it,” he smirked.

“Ha! You wish,” you giggled.

~ * ~

You and Shawn.

It was...confusing.

You had first met him five months ago and had become a regular fixture in his life over the past three. You were friends, good friends. Good friends who spent a ridiculous amount of time together. Good friends who flirted. A lot.

There were feelings, definitely on your side, growing stronger every day you spent together, and you were starting to believe there were deeper feelings on his side as well.

Other than outright pressing your lips to his, and you had never really been that forward with anyone, you weren’t sure what to do to tip the scales from friendship and flirtation to more.

You could simply tell him you were falling for him and that you wanted to take your relationship to the next level, but that scared you even more than the thought of kissing him.

~ * ~

Fifteen minutes later, Shawn stood smugly beside you. Your bag was packed neatly, and you were happy with everything he chose (not that you would admit that to him), which showed you he knew you better than you thought he did. There was even enough room left over for accessories.

It shouldn’t have surprised you; he was pretty adept at packing, having been on tour so often.

“Shut up,” you mumbled.

“I didn’t even say anything!”

“But you want to.”

Shawn laughed.

You only added two things, just to prove a point.

~ * ~

You may as well have been in Florida with only Brian and Connor for as often as Shawn had been around the first two days.

The trip had started out incredibly.

You took a redeye from LA to Miami. Shawn held your hand during takeoff and landing. It was your first time flying first class; you didn’t care that you slept through most of it.

Shawn had rented a 3-bedroom beachfront bungalow for the long weekend and had ordered a breakfast basket to be waiting for you when you got there. Everyone ate their fill of croissants and muffins and fresh fruit while you sipped your tea and coffee. Afterward you all agreed that a morning nap poolside sounded ideal.

Shawn claimed the double lounger for the two of you. You curled up beside him and he threw a light blanket over both his and your legs. You laid your head on his shoulder and were asleep within minutes.

When you opened your eyes again, after the best nap you may have ever had in your life thus far, Shawn was no longer beside you. You could see him just inside the back door, talking on his phone.

“Hey,” he announced, returning to the patio, after seeing that you, Brian, and Connor had all awoken. “I’m going to catch up with Camila. I’ll text you after lunch; see where you are.”

~ * ~

You didn’t see Shawn again that first day until you were making plans to spend the evening in South Beach for sunset drinks, dinner, and then a pub crawl for even more drinking.

The boys teased you for being such a lightweight. You were blissfully buzzed, which made it easier for you to let your inhibitions go. Shawn was more intoxicated than you were, which made it a lot easier for you to tug him onto the dance floor.

Flush against him while you moved together to the music, fingertips grazing bare skin, it was too easy to forget that you had been upset with him at all.

Spending all afternoon at the Bayside Market in the hot Miami sun, followed by a night of drinking and dancing into the very early hours of the morning had finally caught up with you. By the time you made it back to the bungalow, you were piggyback on Shawn, your sandals dangling from his fingers by the straps.

~ * ~

Day 2 began with three boys nursing hangovers much worse than yours. You did little things to annoy them, on purpose, which was, admittedly, not very nice of you. You knew they’d had enough when they decided to throw you in the pool. When Shawn reached out, laughing, to help you out, you pulled him in instead.

He chased you into one of the corners of the deep end, trapping you between the pool wall and his hard, wet chest, his arms on either side of you. You had to hold onto his biceps to keep yourself afloat, which, from the look in his eyes, was exactly how and where he wanted you.

Your heart was telling you to use this position to your advantage, finally tip those scales, and you might have if it had been the night before when you were a little drunk. Regretfully, you were sober and when you were sober you tended to overthink things. Now that you were sober, he was too close.

You ducked underwater, under his arm, and quickly pulled yourself out of the pool.

~ * ~

Once you were dry and dressed, you dragged Shawn, Connor, and Brian to Wynwood to go on a golf cart tour of the Walls. They had all been to Miami before, more than once, so they had put you in charge of the itinerary.

From Wynwood you made your way to Little Havana.

After a string of late afternoon texts from Camila, Shawn asked if she could join the four of you for dinner. He wanted you to meet her.

They tried their best to be inclusive throughout dinner, and Camila was certainly nice enough, but still you felt like the fifth wheel, the spare, most of the time.

After dinner, Shawn and Camila wandered off together. When it became clear that Shawn wouldn’t be returning to the house with the rest of you, your heart sank. You stewed in your hurt until it became anger.

You understood that Camila was one of Shawn’s best friends, and he hadn’t seen her for a while. You could forgive him for the day before, but this was supposed to be your trip. You, Brian, Connor, and Shawn. D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers. If all Shawn had wanted to do was hang out with Camila, why had he bothered to invite you at all? You held no grudge against or felt any ill will toward Camila. It wasn’t her fault that Shawn was being a clueless dick.

~ * ~

You were laying on your side, looking out the window of which you forgot to close the blinds. The moon reflected off the still water of the pool that you could see from your room.

You heard the quietest clearing of someone’s throat. You rolled over to see Shawn leaning against the frame of the doorway, bare chested, in soft gray pajama bottoms.

“Couldn’t sleep?” you asked softly. You couldn’t sleep either, even though you were exhausted.

You really didn’t want to spend the remainder of your time in Miami being angry with him. There were still two days left. You patted the mattress on the empty side of your bed. That was all the invitation he needed.

Shawn crawled into bed beside you, tugged on the open collar of the other half of his pajamas, and chuckled, “Thief.”

“It’s so soft, and it smells like you,” you whispered.

Shawn laid his head on your stomach and you instinctively started to run your fingers through his hair, tugging gently on his curls. You heard him sigh deeply, contentedly, and the next thing you remembered was waking up to the bright morning sun.

~ * ~

You smiled and stretched languidly. Shawn must have made his way back to his own room during the night sometime. You didn’t hear anyone else up and about yet. You decided to surprise the boys by making breakfast.

Brian and Connor stumbled into the kitchen, following the smell of sizzling bacon and strong coffee.

“Is Shawn still sleeping?” you asked.

Connor and Brian exchanged a look. Connor cleared his throat and said, “Shawn isn’t here.”

You didn’t even have to ask where he had gone. Returning to your room you retrieved your phone on the nightstand. You hadn’t bothered to check it when you woke up.

There was a group text from Shawn that read:

Grabbing a workout and then a quick breakfast with Camila. Be back soon.

Brian and Connor were nearly finished eating when Shawn returned, oblivious to what he was walking into. He grabbed a few slices of bacon and sat down to join them at the kitchen island.

“Where’s (y/n)?”

Brian and Connor shook their heads at him. “You can be such a prick sometimes,” Brian said. Both he and Connor then stood and left the room.

Confused, Shawn glanced around and suddenly it all made sense. “Shit,” he said to himself, under his breath.

~ * ~

Shawn stood in your bedroom doorway like he had the night before.

“I’m sorry, (y/n).”

You refused to acknowledge him.

“I didn’t know you were going to make breakfast or I would have been back sooner.”

You wanted to bite at him that he shouldn’t have been gone at all.

You had just pulled on your swimsuit cover up when you turned to him. His eyes snapped from your ass to your eyes. You slipped on your sunglasses, grabbed your beach bag, and said, “Brian, Connor, and I will be on the beach, if you decide you want to join us.” You pushed past him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he replied.

~ * ~

You purposely chose to wear the smallest, sexiest bikini you had with you. It wasn’t one you yourself would have packed but since Shawn had been the one to pack your carry on he must have wanted to see you in it. The day you bought it was a day when you were feeling particularly confident in your body.

By the time Shawn made it down to the beach, he found you in conversation with two young men who weren’t Brian or Connor. You had removed your cover up and stood before them in your tiny white string bikini.

You were laughing at something one of them was saying. Shawn saw you reach out and briefly place your hand on his forearm.

Shawn was unprepared for the surge of violent irritation that nearly overtook him.

He saw you notice him. He bristled when you leaned in and said something in the other man's ear. He watched as you slid the temple tip of your sunglasses between your teeth. He saw you put your hand on your waist and slightly arch your back. He watched as you touched the small pendant of the necklace you were wearing and drew it away from the skin between your breasts.

Shawn hated the way the two men were looking at you. His stomach churned; his muscles tensed; his heart felt too tight in his chest. He couldn't take anymore.

Sidling up beside you, he wrapped his large hand around the nape of your neck, gently yet possessively.

“Oh, hi Shawn,” you said casually, shrugging out of his grip. “Meet my new friends, Chase and Evan.” You smiled at them, fluttering your eyelashes and biting softly on your lower lip.

“Boyfriend?” Chase asked.

“Oh no, Shawn and I are just friends.” You eased closer to Evan and reached out, meaning to touch the bracelet he was wearing, but before you could, Shawn grabbed your wrist.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” he gritted through a fake smile, pulling you away.

“Let go of me,” you snapped. He did, immediately. He never had nor would he ever do anything to physically hurt you.

Brian and Connor, having seen more than enough, hurried toward you. They made you and Shawn take a step back.

“What the hell is going on?” Connor exclaimed.

“(Y/n) is being childish,” Shawn growled.

Maybe you were, but you were upset, goddamn it. “Me?! Look who’s talking! You’re acting like a jealous boyfriend! You have no claim on me!”

“You’re both being childish!” bit Brian. “And you’re starting to cause a scene. Get over yourselves and fucking talk like adults. If you can’t, walk away,” he admonished.

Shawn ran a hand through his hair and tugged frustratingly on his curls before storming off.

Brian gestured for Connor to stay with you and he followed after Shawn.

“Why did you have to antagonize him?” Connor questioned.

You glared at him. “This is not my fault. Of course you’re on his side.”

“I am on no one’s side. You’re both at fault, and you fucking know it. Yeah, he’s kind of been an asshole, but you didn’t have to flirt with those guys so brazenly right in front of him.” Connor’s voice softened. “You know how he feels about you, (y/n). You should apologize.”

You were thoroughly abashed but still feeling stubborn. You turned on Connor and said, “I will when he does.”

You put your cover up back on, slipped into your sandals, and grabbed your clutch which held your wallet, your eReader, and your phone. You trusted Connor to bring everything else back to the bungalow for you.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“For a walk. I need to be alone.”

~ * ~

The sun was going down when you returned to the house.

When you walked in the door, Shawn, who had been sitting on the edge of the ottoman, stood, and approached you cautiously. He rubbed the back of his neck. “You were starting to worry us,” he said softly.

“I’m sorry. I needed some time to cool off and to think.”

“I’m just glad you’re safe.” His relief was palpable. He stepped even closer to you. “I’m sorry. For how I acted and what I said on the beach. It’s inexcusable.”

“I am, too. I should never have purposely tried to upset you.” You unconsciously reached out and ran your fingertips along the V of Shawn’s t-shirt. “That was the first time we’ve ever fought... I didn’t like it.”

He covered your hand with his, flattening your palm against his heart, which you could feel was beating quite quickly. “Come and have dinner. It’s time to stop thinking and start talking.”

He smirked and began walking backward, hand still over yours.

It was that smirk that set your heart thumping. You followed, curiously, anxiously.

On the back patio was a romantic table set for two, surrounded by tea lights and lit candles.

“Shawn? What’s going on?” you asked, breathlessly.

He crossed to the table and pulled one of the chairs out for you. “Sit, Love. Eat.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“What?” He felt as if his heart might break.

“Too many butterflies.” You softly bit your bottom lip.

“Oh,” he breathed.

“Can we talk first?”

“Of course.”

You walked over to and sat down on the outdoor sectional.

Shawn dropped down beside you with a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry, (y/n). I’ve been, well, an asshole seems to be the overall consensus. I shouldn’t have ditched you to spend so much time with Camila.”

“I know you’re close,” you said, “and I know it had been awhile since you’d seen her. I tried to be understanding.”

“No,” he interrupted, “this is on me. This was supposed to be our trip. You, Brian, Connor, and me.”

“D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers,” you said in unison and you both laughed.

Shawn leaned closer you. “Do you want to know the truth?” he asked, as if it was the greatest secret he held, which, to him, it was. “She was talking me through my feelings for you.” He tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear. “She made it very clear to me that I was ‘estúpido’ for spending time with her instead of the person I should be, for talking through my feelings with her instead of with the one I really needed to talk with.”

“You have feelings for me?” you breathed, feeling your entire body flush, not just your cheeks.

Shawn laughed softly and took your hands in his, intertwining your fingers. “It’s not obvious? I was jealous of those other guys because I want to be the boyfriend. I want the right to call you mine... I’m falling in love with you, (y/n). Which is insane since we haven’t even kissed yet. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to; every time I see you I want to kiss you.”

Without warning, you pressed your lips to his. It took him not even a moment to respond, pulling you onto his lap and cupping your face. Kissing Shawn was even better than you had ever imagined it would be.

When finally you eased away from him, breathless, you confessed, “I’m falling in love with you too, Shawn. I want you to be mine. I want to be only yours.”

“Does that mean I can kiss you whenever I want to?” he whispered, grinning happily.

“Over and over and over again,” you breathed.

His lips once more met yours. Your hands encircled the nape of his neck. Tender and unhurried turned deep and delicious.

Your lips left his with an audible ‘aʘa’ and you giggled. “Can we eat now? I’m starving.”

Shawn’s answering laugh, rich and lightsome, was everything.

~ * ~

@mendesblurb @benito-mi-vida

[cherryblossomtease]

Chapter 3

18 + only

warnings and summary - Masterlist

You’ve only left Madripoor a couple of times. Mostly it’s the cost of traveling that stops you from going overseas. You don’t need anything cutting into your “retirement” fund.

Amazing how quickly monetary problems can disappear when you’re involved with a very generous Baron.

“Would you like anything to eat before we arrive?” Zemo asks you. He’s got this sleepy sort of content smile on his face as he looks over from his seat facing yours on the plane, his plane to be exact.

“No, I’m fine thanks” You reply. You can feel your expression mimicking his, and why not. Its peaceful up here, alone with him above the clouds.

“You look exquisite in this light.” His tone is sort of teasing as he beats you to the punch because you always make fun of his erudite speech, but you can see that he really means it.

“I don’t think anyone could look bad flying past a sunrise.” You say dreamily, looking out at the fluffy white clouds and the colorful sky, the warm tones hinting at the oncoming day.

He agrees with a little laugh and looks out the window but his mood darkens like it tends to do without much warning. It’s not anger, is that—guilt?

“I’m sorry I was gone for so long.” He says slowly, his attention on you again. The last time he saw you did not go as planned. He’d met the car at the curb before you could even get out at his place and climbed into the backseat with you, telling Oezenik to head back across the bridge. He gave a very cryptic explanation as to why he had to cancel the weekend, something about being in a tight spot that involved his prison escape and whoever helped him do it. You still don’t know that that means, but you can vividly remember how it felt to stand at the top of your street, dreading going back to your apartment on a Friday for the first time in weeks. But it wasn’t just the disappointment. You’d been afraid for him. “Watch your back” You’d whispered to Zemo with that final kiss before you watched him go.

He’d been gone for days.

So when the text came a day early this week you must have sat there in your kitchen staring down at it for a solid minute before picking up your phone.

Would you like to take a trip with me?

You had no idea what to say, had someone stolen his phone? He had never, not once text you anything other than a confirmation of pick up time and certainly not on a Thursday.

Zemo?

Yes

A trip where?

I have business in New York

Yes!

You might have been a little hasty in agreeing to fly across the ocean, but how could you say no!

The car came for you early Friday morning and you’d been spoiled by Oeznik with mimosa’s and pastries and taken a long nap once the private jet reached cruising altitude. Now, you were sitting across from the Baron wondering where this was going…not the plane. The relationship.

Today is the first time he’s ever felt the need to apologize for anything.The gesture is kind but unnecessary.

“I told you, I understand. I know you have… a lot going on.” You have to work your way around your words with him sometimes. You do what you must to keep up with what the Baron does outside of your fantasy world with him, but you’re still unsure of letting him know that. After all, It’s his life away from you that keeps the relationship perfectly balanced. Theres no time for feelings to grow when he comes and goes so often, at least you keep saying it over and over as you try to keep your emotions under control, but fuck. Look at him.

The sunrise looks as good on Zemo as it does you. Bands of pale pink break through the small windows bringing out the lighter strands of his brown hair —especially that thick lock that falls out of place so perfectly, like an arrow that directs your gaze towards his eyes which glow with flecks of gold. He’s so easy look at it’s nearly impossible not to. The fact that he’s just as attentive and genuine as he was in the beginning only helps, or doesn’t. You can’t decide, but you take a deep breath, letting it out slowly with a smile as you feel your heart ignore your head yet again.

“You’re going to spoil me rotten once we land, aren’t you?” You ask grinning and focused on the fun ahead.

Zemo laughs and shrugs. “I might have a few things in mind.”

“You’re too good to me,” You say speaking of so much more than this trip alone. He’s been taking care of you so much so that these days work at the club is only needed to pay for luxuries you never considered before, and yet you’re still free to do as you please, Monday through Thursday.

“Hardly good enough.” He says, his voice deep but quiet. "But I will continue to try."

You swallow feeling a little nervous. You really can’t fall for him. This has to stay fun you tell yourself. This man comes with baggage. Scratch that— a Louis Vuitton full set and it’s packed with nothing but trouble.

But wouldn’t you risk it all for another day with him… No! Stop that!

“Are you feeling well?” He asks, catching you off guard. You’ve got to get better at hiding your thoughts. They show on your face like a silent film star when you’re not careful.

“Oh, I’m fine!” You smile trying your best to look it. “When do we land?”

“Soon.”

“Where are we staying? I would assume you can’t just go waltzing into a hotel?" He gives you a funny look but you just shake your head at him. “Don’t think that my being here means I’m ignorant to the things you’ve done. I may not know it all, but I know enough to keep myself safe”

“Safe from who?” He asks with a curious head tilt.

“People like you, without the heart” You say with your brow raised as you make him chuckle softly.

“You’ve been doing your research.” He nods waving a finger at you.

“Google is a hell of a thing. Plus, you forget, my dad was well loved. I can ask questions that other people can’t in spaces most aren’t allowed to go.”

“Ah, that’s right. Your father the fixer.”

You smile feeling proud. It may not be honest work off the island, but on that shitty little rock, you are the daughter of a very important man. He’s gone now, but Madripoor remembers, and if they forget your mother has a knife to their neck to see that they don’t.

“Well, for what it's worth, i promise to always keep you safe. No need to worry about that.”

“I don’t doubt it. I just like to know the plan so if it goes south I’m not left hanging”

“And when have I ever --left you hanging?” He seems insulted.

“You were gone for two… never mind. I’m not mad about it I’m really not Zemo.” He gives you a suspicious look and you smile. “I promise!”

“Sure.” He shrugs with a very unconvinced nod.

You just sigh and stare at him until he looks away. “I need to use the bathroom” You say realizing it. Those early a.m mimosa’s knocked you out for the first leg of the flight, and now you’re full to the brim.

He nods towards the back of the plane and you’re up and in the little bathroom.

It’s a quick trip, maybe a little faster than Zemo was expecting because when you open the door, you overhear him on the phone.

“This is me holding you to your end of the bargain. I need the name now. You see if they find me, they find you. Unless of course you want to come through on those promises and give me the name.”

Name? Is that why he’s going to New York? You know it’s business, but just how involved will it get?

“There.” He draws the word out with a smile. “That wasn’t so hard. Please, next time let’s skip the suspense. ” He says and listens. “Yes I have a way in. What time?” Another pause. “Formal I take it?” He laughs softly. “You always were the funny one. Until next time.” He says and hangs up.

You’re standing in the isle looking at the back of his head wondering what this is all about.

“Spying is not your strong suit.” He says glancing back.

You give a huff and walk over, standing next to him.

“Is everything all right?”

“Yes” He says but he’s distracted.

“Zemo?”

“Yes. Everything is fine.”

“What was that call about?”

He looks up, his brow raised as he thinks, He wasn’t going to tell you at first, you can see that but then he sighs through his nose and lowers his chin thinking. “I need to change our plans tonight, I’m sorry. The reason for the trip has changed. There is an event I need to attend.”

“What sort?”

“The sort that requires a tie.” He mumbles.

All you hear is a reason to dress up and promptly swing your way down onto his lap making him start. “Let me go with you.” You say making sure to look at him with your eyes as big and innocent as your can pretend to be.

“No. Absolutely not.”

You pout just a little. Not enough to be obnoxious, but he can’t resist this face. No one can. “I won’t get in the way.” You say sweetly.

“It’s too dangerous.” He says rubbing your leg. You've almost got him, just a quick whine as you put your arms around his shoulders. “Please.”

Zemo laughs and shakes his head. “Stop that.”

“Zemo… I think you’re forgetting. I may be yours, and I may follow your rules. But I’m a product of Madripoor. You never know when having a girl like me at your back might come in handy.”Zemo rests his chin in his hand, stroking his lips with his finger as he thinks it over. You don’t mind waiting. You like the way it feels sitting on his lap and asking pretty please, so you turn it up a little. “If, I do anything. Anything at all that breaks your rules… you know I’ll gladly accept my punishment” You tell him softly, stroking the shorter hair at the back of his head.

He leans away to look you in the eyes and sees the truth in them. You can talk to him as sweet as sugar but you're not afraid to face danger and he knows it. The way he lowers his hand and gives in with a sigh and a smile as he rubs your thigh makes it clear, Zemo likes this  just as much a you do.

“You’re going to need a new dress” He says and you grin kissing him, never breaking your smile.

[collecting-stories]

The Arrival - Ep. 01 - JJ Maybank

Summary: The pogues (and Sarah) decide to get away from the Outer Banks for senior week though Sarah’s suggestion that they spend the vacation with a friend of hers doesn’t sit well with JJ, who just wanted a week away with friends. Though his opinion of the situation may change his expectation that nothing will go according to plan is truer than they could have hoped.

A/N: This is a ‘they’re just regular teens and there was no gold hunt’ AU. This will be a 5 part story. 

The S’week Masterlist | Outer Banks Masterlist

///

“No.” JJ shook his head, “no, no, absolutely not.”  

“Why not?” Sarah asked, looking back at her boyfriend for support. John B quickly looked away, staring out at the marsh in order to avoid the conversation.

“Why not? Because I’m not spending senior week with a bunch of fucking kooks while they prance around like their in some MTV reality show!” JJ stresses, voice raised. He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it stuck up all over the place.  

“It might not be so bad,” Kie cut in, regretting it almost immediately when JJ looked over at her, “you said yourself that we’ve done senior week here...let’s do ours somewhere else?”

“Sure. Wherever you want as long as it’s not a trip to kookland.”  

“You are so dramatic, oh my god JJ. Last time I checked you weren’t exactly rolling in it. How do you propose we pay for a week down the beach?” Sarah pointed out.  

“You got money.”

“You shouldn’t even be going! It’s not like you fucking graduated, this is senior week. For graduating seniors.” Sarah waved her hand to indicate her, John B, Kiara, and Pope.  

“Screw you!”

“Guys!” Pope finally intervened, pushing his best friend back, “okay, let’s cool down.”  

“Can we please just go to the keys? I’m sick of wasting my time arguing. If we’re going we need to leave tomorrow morning...early.” Sarah said, looking pointedly at JJ.

“Hey, I’m always on time!”  

Despite his protests JJ was exactly where he said he’d be on Friday morning at 5:30a. Sitting outside John B’s house, on time and with his bag packed for Florida. He was the first one to arrive, followed by Kiara who’d almost been early if it wasn’t for the half hour argument she’d gotten into with her mom for leaving the week after graduation. As if that wasn’t ritual.  

JJ said nothing, unusually quite and still completely pissed that everyone had been so on board with Sarah’s plan to spend Senior Week in Florida with some friend at their grandparents’ vacation home. He wanted a chill holiday, just the four of them (five because John B couldn’t be separated from Sarah) spending every day on the beach. He didn’t want some kook vacation laying around a pool drinking vodka in crystal light and talking about ‘daddy’s credit card’ and whatever dumb shit else they did on their weekends.  

With the Twinkie packed to exploding with teenagers and luggage John B took the first leg of the drive south. JJ spent the trip sitting behind the passenger’s seat, rolling blunts in his lap and ignoring his friends excitement for senior week. When Kiara nudged his leg halfway to Florida and he looked over she smiled sympathetically at him.  

“It might be a good week.” Kiara tried to sound reassuring, knowing that it was JJ’s idea to go away in the first place and that they had in fact hijacked his plans, “at least the change of scenery will be nice?”

“So far the only good thing about this trip is not being home for a week.” JJ replied, refocusing on his task. He would definitely murder one of them if he didn’t spend the week at least somewhat buzzed. If you asked anyone in the obx they’d tell you that JJ was laid back and chill, a go-with-the-flow, weed smoking, kid who would probably never grow out of his ‘it is what it is’ phase. But that wasn’t JJ at all. Sure, he could hit up a kegger at the drop of a hat but he liked a plan and he liked the plan to consider him as an important factor. Not just another nameless sidekick to John B’s summer. And so far, that’s exactly what this senior week was shaping up to become.  

“It’ll be fine dude.” Pope said, voice low so he wouldn’t draw anyone else’s attention in the van.  

JJ looked up at him and frowned before nodding. What else could he do but nod and pretend that he agreed with anything that Pope said. They were already halfway to Florida and no one cared about his opinion.  

Sometime after that JJ fell asleep, Kiara taking the same case of blunts from his lap and folding everything up into his backpack. By the time Pope pulled the Twinkie into the horseshoe driveway of a house bigger than Tannyhill, JJ had woken up again, rubbing his eyes as he looked out the window.  

“This is the shit I was talking about.” He said.  

Sarah whipped around, hair flying against her shoulders as she glared at him, “for god sake JJ, can you have a good fucking time? Please.”  

John B made a face, pleading with his best friend to chill. All he wanted was a stress free vacation and the fact that Sarah’s friend was willing to let them stay aided his ability to relax. If only it would aid JJ’s.  

You were standing outside on the steps when the bus pulled up, engine cutting in the middle of the horseshoe. Kiara recognized you from school and Pope recognised you from running groceries for his dad. Sarah pulled the door open and jumped out, throwing her arms around your shoulders.  

“Oh my god, you have no idea how much I missed you.” Sarah said, pulling away, “I’m literally gonna kill everyone, starting with JJ.”

“That makes two of us princess.” JJ remarked, glaring at her as he climbed out of bus.  

“Hey,” Kiara called, drawing attention away from JJ and Sarah, “thanks for having us.”  

“Trust me I was just happy to tell Scarlett that her and Kelce couldn’t stay here.” You replied, looking over at JJ, “I’d much rather spend my senior week with you guys.”  

“Flattered.”  

“Hey, you’ve never had to sit around listening to Topper talk about workouts.” You replied, feeling unusually proud of yourself when JJ cracked a smile.  

“Oh come on, you can’t just do a bench press without the proper preparation,” JJ joked, imitating Topper’s ‘bro’ dialect.  

You laughed and nodded, following him to the trunk to help them unload packs. “Hey Pope, my mom said you got that scholarship you were going for?” You mentioned as you grabbed Sarah’s bag.  

“I did yeah,” he smiled, surprised that you knew or remembered anything about it. He definitely considered you better than some of the other kooks on the island but that didn’t make you friends with him. You were just someone he delivered groceries to every once in a while.  

Once the bus was unpacked you led the group inside, beginning the tour of the house. You lived on Figure Eight in the Outer Banks and you had a house as nice as or better than the Camerons’ but this house was even nicer than that. Your grandparents had old money and they had used it to retire to the Florida Keys where they really only spent the winter months.  

“There are four guest bedrooms, you can divy them up however you want to, I’m this bedroom,” you pointed to the closed door behind you at the end of the hall. “The master is off limits, it’s my grandparents and they’ll murder all of you before JJ even gets the chance if you step foot in their room.” You instructed, looking over to JJ as you spoke. He smiled.

“How’ll they know?” He asked, looking down the hall toward the double doors of the master bedroom. This house could fit four of his inside of it. He shifted his weight as he looked around the hallway, the art on the wall looked like something he would have seen on a field trip to a museum, ugly and old but a clear representation of their wealth.  

“There’s a camera in their room.”

“Kinky.”

“Ew, oh my god JJ!” You practically gagged, causing him to laugh as Sarah scrunched up her face at the thought of your grandparents using the camera for anything more than G rated. “Moving on!” You continued through the whole house until you’d looped back around, reminding them again that the beach let out right behind the patio.  

Once the tour was over you pulled Sarah away from John B, telling her that you needed to talk to her alone. And truthfully, you did. You hadn’t been lying when you told her that you had turned Kelce and Scarlett away for the week. Kelce had texted you days before Sarah and asked about ‘all of us’ getting together for senior week at your grandparents. You knew what ‘all of us’ meant. Him, Scarlett, Topper, and (despite having graduated two years earlier), Rafe. If Sarah was still hanging out with them she would’ve been there too. That was the senior week Scarlett had always planned for but there wasn’t anything you wanted less in life than spending time with all your least favorite people.  

While everyone else unpacked you led Sarah into the kitchen, “so, I told you Kelce had texted me about them doing senior week here?”

“Yeah, but they’re not...”

“No,” you shook your head, “no I told them I had a full house. But they are here.”

“What do you mean here?”

“I mean they rented a place down the street. Like we can see their house from this house. Topper texted me this morning before you guys got here.” You fished your phone out of your pocket and showed Sarah the text that Topper had sent along with the picture of you out on your deck.  

“Bit stalkerish.”

“Sarah, not the point.”

“Look, it’s fine,” she replied, trying to play off that maybe she actually believed that it was fine, “they can do their thing and we’ll do ours.”  

“Yeah, that would totally be fine. Except your brother is here too.”  

Sarah groaned, “fuck.”

“What’s the matter?”  

You and Sarah turned to find John B and JJ coming into the kitchen, the latter going straight for the fridge and pulling out one of the beers that you had bought before they came down.  You watched as he popped the cap off on the counter and took a long gulp, head tilted back. Sarah smacked your arm to get your attention and both of the boys turned to look at her too.  

“Topper told me that he’s here for senior week. Him, Scarlett, Kelce...Rafe.”

“Oh cool...cool, awesome...so, the kook fucking vacation I said I didn’t want.” JJ replied, grip tightening around the beer bottle. Sarah rolled her eyes.

“It’s fine. It’s not like we have to see them.” John B replied, trying to ease his friend’s mood. He didn’t need this argument to flare up again. JJ had only just started to relax and the last thing John B wanted was for him to be in a shitty mood all week.  

“Except we always do. It’s fucking like...what’s the word?”

“Kismet?” You asked, pulling yourself up to sit on the counter as Kiara and Pope joined the small gathering.  

“What’s kismet?” Kiara asked, shaking her head when John B offered her a beer.  

“Topper and” Sarah waved her hand as if to indicate the rest of the group, “them are here.”

“What is kismet?” JJ asked, leaning toward you.  

“It means fate or destiny.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what it is. It’s my destiny to have the shittest fucking time imaginable because we all had to agree to Sarah’s kook vacation.”

“What is that, your vocabulary word for the day? I’m sorry that I didn’t envision senior week as us sitting around together in a dumpster motel with a bunch of other pogues trying to pretend that we’re not still in the Outer Banks. How dare I fucking plan an actual good vacation that you, oh that’s right, don’t have to pay for!”

“Guys,” Pope stressed the word as he stepped between Sarah and JJ, “can we please just focus on having a good time?”

“I’d have an awesome time if I was anywhere but here!” JJ shoved passed Pope and headed out the sliding glass doors toward the beach leaving the five of you to stand in the kitchen awkwardly.  

“So...” Kiara began, looking around at the group, “so Topper is here?”

“Topper, Kelce, Scarlett-”

“She’s a bitch.” Sarah cut in.

“-and Rafe.”

“Isn’t your brother a little too old to be partying on senior week?” Pope asked, looking toward Sarah. Rafe was at least two years into college by now, there was no way he should’ve been hanging around a bunch of high school kids. “Didn’t he already have a senior week?”

“He’ll probably go on senior week with Wheezie too.” You joked, “anything to party.”

“Honestly.” Sarah agreed. She had a feeling her brother’s intention was for more than just partying. If Kelce had planned to stay with you than it was obvious why Rafe was even coming down in the first place though she wasn’t about to say anything to anyone right now. Kiara, she assumed, knew that you had broken up with Rafe over spring break but she doubted that it was common island knowledge that you had been dating him at all.  

Pope suggested that it was a good idea to leave JJ be, that he’d eventually cool down and come inside on his own, especially once he realized that he had no means to get back to North Carolina. He either came in and accepted that this was the vacation they were getting or he camped out on the beach, either way he was stuck in Florida for the week. Still, you couldn’t help feeling guilty that he was having a shitty time. When Sarah had asked if she could stay with you for the week you had stressed whether it was okay with her friends or not.  

That guilty feeling was completely, so you said, the reason for heading down the beach to find JJ. “I did ask Sarah if it was cool with you guys...coming down here. I know it’s not exactly what you had in mind.” You offered as you sat beside JJ on the beach. In another hour the sun would be completely gone from the sky, the oranges and pinks in the horizon hinting at the coming night.  

“I feel like I should be bitching to a confessional about how much I can’t stand Sarah right now.” He replied.  

“I mean, you could try it?” You teased, moving so your back was to the water and you were facing  him, “alright JJ, tell us what’s got you so upset and try to include a tragic story from your past.”

JJ cracked a smile, meeting you eyes as he put on his best reality show sob voice, “I’m just like, really pissed at Sarah and it totally reminds me of the summer my turtle died.”  

You couldn’t help the burst of laughter as you fell back into the sand. JJ joined in, sour mood getting shelved for another day. He honestly didn’t hate the view or being near a beach, or the incredibly comfortable mattress that he had in the room he had claimed for himself. He was even hesitant to complain about you. Not quite the stuck-up kook that he expected, you’d been welcoming to them since the Twinkie first pulled into your driveway.  

“If it’s Top and them you aren’t thrilled about I don’t blame you. I was definitely looking forward to a drama free week and I feel like that might have just become unattainable. But, we’ll avoid them best we can and focus on other stuff.” You said, trying to ease his upset.

“Other stuff like?”  

“Other stuff like, I got invited to a party down the beach tonight...if you wanna go?” You asked, “I mean who can be sad when they’re drunk?”

“John B...never let him talk to you when he’s drunk.” JJ replied. He stood up and offered you his hand to grab.  

“I’ll keep that in mind.” You said, texting Sarah that you were headed down to a party with JJ.  

The party wasn’t far away and groups of people had already gathered despite it still being early in the night. People who had just shifted from lounging on the beach to the beginnings of what would become a party. It was still in the transition between disjointed groups sunbathing and people getting drunk as you and JJ walked up. He was quiet as you walked through people trying to find somewhere to set yourselves up.  

You weren’t sure if Sarah would really show up with everyone or if she was so peeved with JJ’s attitude that she’d stay away for the night. You kept an eye out for any sign of Topper or anyone else in his group, hoping to avoid them for as long as possible. Maybe the whole week if you were truly lucky.  

Beach parties in the keys were not as good as the boneyard parties you were used to but it would have to do for tonight.  A little less chill and relaxed, people seemed to be forcing the good time as opposed to just letting it happen. The chill vibe that you felt like it should’ve had was non-existent but you weren’t entirely sure that wasn’t just you projecting. Maybe everyone else was already having a good time and you were trying too hard already for the sake of the boy trailing  behind you. People had coolers sitting around with different seltzers, hard lemonades, seagrams, and locos but not a plain beer in sight. JJ complained about the missing keg and you tried to make up for it by offering him a peach Jack Daniels. You took a can of something called Unicorn Swirl, bypassing other people on the beach to sit up on the lifeguard’s deck.  

“This is disgusting, by the way.” JJ mentioned as he took a drink, face screwing up at the overtly sweet taste of the peach. He downed another gulp quickly, trying to trick his brain into not realizing the taste and only getting the alcohol.  

“You’ll be hard pressed to find a keg here.”

“So what I’m hearing is, even the parties are shit?”  

“Not total shit-” you paused to take a sip of your drink, JJ laughing as you almost spit it out. “Oh my god, that’s disgusting!” You gagged at the after taste, holding the 16oz can out for JJ to take, “try it.”

“You just spit it out and you want me to try it?”

“Just...you have to experience it...I can’t even describe that taste.” You replied, taking the peach from him to wash down the taste. “It doesn’t even have a flavor.”

JJ kicked it back, tilting his head and gulping. The sugary taste of whatever flavor they intended it to be made him gag worse than you had and he leaned all the way forward, spitting most of it back out onto the sand. “Holy shit! That is the worst fucking thing I’ve ever had in my life!” He exclaimed, “it tastes like fucking medicine! Why did you make me drink that?”  

“I didn’t make you.” You insisted, taking a sip from his peach.  

“You literally held it in my face and told me I ‘had to experience it’. How is that not making me?”

“Yeah  but I told you it was gross before you drank it so you already knew that.”

“I can’t believe you brought me to a beach party with nothing to drink.” He replied, taking another, smaller sip from the can and pulling a face as he made himself swallow.  

“Why are you still drinking that?”

“Trying to get drunk enough that this whole vacation doesn’t suck.” He shrugged.  

“Hey!” You reached over and smacked his arm, “the whole thing doesn’t suck! I’m super cool, what’re you talking about!”  

“Except you brought me to this party so...not as cool as you think you are.” He took another sip and gagged again, “god I have to stop drinking this.”

“Come on,” you put your peach down and grabbed the unicorn from his hand to abandon that on the lifeguard stand as well, “I know there’s a distributor around here...lets get some real beer.”  

“Sounds good to me, anything but this.” JJ replied, following you away from the crowd of people on the beach.  

-

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[sonatanotwo]

Reconnecting

Bro wrote me this years ago... I still love it so much. I wrote this kinda based off it... including my attempt at matching the style a bit... though I am awful at present tense, so uh yeah. I never posted it, but came across it again recently and realized it was perfect with Day 3′s theme, SO. Here it is. lol There’s some headcanons here Bro and I have toyed with too... like the Academy... which is located in Colorado Springs (where I lived for awhile XD)... which is just a little over an hour drive south of Denver. :Db There’s a lot more about this headcanon’d time I’d like to write one of these days. XDa ANYHOO... 

It hasn't been since Christmas that Virgil's spoken to his brother. It's not really surprising as they haven't really spoken a whole lot over the past few years. Once almost inseparable, it now feels a bit like there’s a chasm between them.

It seemed like life had conspired to draw them apart ever since Scott had been accepted into the Air Force Academy. The last years of high school weren't the same without Scott being there. His brother called him every day at first, but days became weeks and weeks stretched to months. He came to hear more about how his brother was doing secondhand. Scott was busy. Scott was top of his class. Scott wasn't coming home for the summer. He never heard these things from Scott.

Then Virgil went to the Denver School of Advanced Technology.

He saw Scott a few times then, but couldn’t forget the first visit when he'd first been settling in. It had been then that he'd realized that the something that had always existed between them felt like it was missing. Perhaps it was one of those things that became lost when childhood came to an end or maybe the time apart had something to do with it. He hadn’t been sure, but either way he mourned it’s absence. He buried himself in his studies, concentrating on graduating and his plans for the future.

Now here he is, in Dad's jet with Scott at the controls, flying them home. All of Virgil's belongings from Denver packed in the hold, because he’s moving back home. He's a mechanical engineer now and will soon be a member of International Rescue. He's excited to finally begin to learn to fly the ship he'd long ago told their dad he’d pilot one day, but that’s not what's on his mind as he sits in the cockpit.

He'd been surprised it was Scott waiting to take him home instead of their Dad. The reunion had been happy at first, but now an uncomfortable silence had dropped over the cockpit. Attempts at conversing just feel awkward. It’s all so wrong. It had never been like this before.

Here he is finally having to face what he couldn't years before. Soon they’re meant to be partners, going into dangerous situations together to rescue those in need. How can they pull that off? They feel so disconnected from each other. It barely even feels like they’re best friends anymore, at least to him. Virgil isn’t sure if Scott has felt it too. Could it be just him who feels this way? He can’t bring himself to broach the topic, deciding instead to hope it just needs time.

He just doesn’t know what to do or say the whole rest of the trip home. Things feel a little easier once they arrive, but their dad, unsurprisingly, seems to catch on pretty quickly that something isn't right. Virgil notices the way he watches them. They've been home only a few days before he suddenly has them pack up and sends them off to the family ranch for training — just the two of them.

Their first exercise set out for them has them not in the training rooms, but outside, scaling one of the large rock formations not far from the ranch. 'No talking,' is the one rule their dad has imposed. Once that wouldn’t have been a problem at all, but that's not the case now; he’s barely able to read his brother.

Virgil’s now absolutely certain their Dad knows as he pauses his ascent, trying to interpret the slightly worried look Scott’s throwing down at him. He can’t work out what Scott’s worried about.

They’re using new gear Brains sent with them to test. Virgil's been pretty impressed with the multifunction version of the grapple gun Scott's making use of several yards above him — at least he is until unexpectedly the pack releases from the tool, sending Scott falling backwards with an unusually startled cry.

Their panicked gazes meet for the briefest second and Virgil knows Scott needs him. Virgil doesn’t think, he just moves, reaching out and grabbing for his brother's wrist as he falls past. With no chance to brace at all, growing shoulder muscles are put to the test as they're wrenched from the sudden weight of his falling big brother.

Suspended by Virgil’s own grapple line, they simply breathe for a moment, trying to recover from the scare. It's Scott who breaks the rule of silence first.

"So... what do you say we pause this exercise?"

"Agreed," Virgil responds eagerly.

Finding Scott a purchase, he's able to climb down a short ways to a wide ledge and Virgil soon joins him, sitting down beside each other, both still shaken.

"I'll pull the grapple apart when we get back," Virgil offers, worried since it's not often something Brains creates has a flaw.

"Good plan," Scott agrees distractedly, blue eyes locking with his suddenly. "Virgil..."

Virgil raises a questioning eyebrow, but doesn’t get a chance to respond. A hand hooks around his neck and Scott closes the distance between them, forehead pressing against his.

The last time Scott did this — when his brother left for the academy so long ago — is what first comes to mind. Then all the feelings and words come like a rush. The flood of relief, gratitude, trust and love. 'You saved me,’ ‘You’re amazing,’ and 'Thank you.'

He hasn't felt their bond like this in so long; suddenly it feels stronger than ever. Overwhelmed in the best of ways, tears form in Virgil's eyes. 'Anytime,' he replies, echoing his brother's feelings with much the same.

Scott pulls away only long enough to briefly get a look at him before closing the gap once more, this time to draw him into a tight hug that Virgil returns just as tightly. Tucking his face into his brother's shoulder, he feels for a moment like a boy again, finding comfort and safety in his brother's arms.

"I've missed you, Scotty," he admits out loud, knowing Scott can feel just how much, just as he can now sense how much Scott has been missing him. It’s like the door that had closed between them has been thrown wide open. He hopes it never closes again.

"Me too, Virg."

They sit on the ledge a little longer before mutually agreeing their done and head back to the ranch. Sitting on the porch side by side after dinner to watch the stars appear in the darkening sky, Scott makes the executive decision that they're going to head home in the morning.

They're already halfway home when they finally contact their Dad to let him know they're on their way home. At first he doesn't seem very happy with them, but as they try to explain, there's a change in his expression as he watches them talk — he knows and Virgil can see he’s relieved. 

Taking over the controls for a while to give Scott a break, a silence falls between them, but this time it could not be more comfortable. While they still have a lot of catching up to do, every one of Virgil's doubts are gone. He has his best friend back and something feels complete in a way it hasn't in a long time. They aren't back at the island yet, but now he really feels like he's home.

[emwritesfootball]

Holiday Threesome | Tyrone Mings and Harry Winks

okay I can't stop thinking about threesome with Mings and Winks. what do you say about this: you and harry going on holiday with your friends and harry sees on instagram that mings is in the same place as you and he wants to catch up with him so you all meet up. it's the first time you actually met him, you knew who he was and harry talked a few times about him since they're close. with tyrone being that good looking you couldn't help but check him out a few times and feel sexually attracted to him and it doesn't go unnoticed by harry, he teases you about it and later that night you end up having threesome, having harry in your pussy and tyrone in your mouth as it was h's condition. i also thought about part 2 smh about you going clubbing with you bff and her cousin when harry didn't want you to go because her cousin has a crush on you but despite it you went out, when you come back to your and harry's room you're greeted with visibly angry harry and smirking tyrone, at first you're confused with tyrone's present but when he says 'i think she deserves to be punished, don't you agree h?' it all clicks in place. ty fingering you hard while harry holds you to stop you from squirming around and moving your hips, that night harry lets tyrone have your pussy who didn't have mercy, fucking your brains out with a lot dirty talk and boys not stopping until you're completely fucked out

Gonna go ahead and do this in one go, so it’s gonna be loOoOoOng, sorry not sorry xx

- - -

Harry had whisked you away on holiday to Île de Ré, an island off the south of France, and you were in love. The two of you were lounging in the private villa he’d booked for the week, recovering from the bit of jetlag that came with flying so soon after a match. You’d just gotten out of the shower when Harry made the discovery that Tyrone was also on the island, looking up at you with the puppy-dog eyes he only used when he wanted something. 

“Yes, Harry?” You asked as you stood in front of him in just your towel, watching the blush fan out across his cheeks as he realized there was nothing underneath the towel you were wearing.

“Tyrone is here,” he said, showing you the location pics that were on his teammate’s private Instagram story. “Do you mind if I ask him to join us for dinner tonight so he and I can catch up?”

“Sure,” you replied, shrugging. “I cant’ wait to meet him - maybe he’ll give me some embarrassing stories about you on international duty.”

“He better not,” Harry mumbled, shaking his head as he typed out a message to Tyrone.

A few hours later, you were seated on an outdoor patio overlooking the Pertuis d’Antioche as you sipped a glass of Chardonnay that was produced right on the island. 

Tyrone was better-looking in person and you couldn’t stop checking him out. You’d seen him play on your tv screen a few times during away matches or when Tottenham played Aston Villa, but interacting with him in real life was a different story. Whenever you made him laugh, you would blush over the rim of your wineglass at the deep sound that went right to your pussy. 

Harry wasn’t blind - he could see the effect his England teammate was having on you and the way Tyrone was responding to you as well gave him an idea. “Are you up for a threesome?” He murmured, pulling you in for a kiss when Ty got up to use the toilet. 

“Wh-what?” You asked, shocked. You couldn’t hide the needy whimper that escaped when you thought about what it would feel like to have Tyrone’s hands on you like that, and that was all the confirmation Harry needed.

“We could do tonight if you’d like - and if Ty is down.”

“If Ty is down for what?” Came Tyrone’s question as he rejoined you and Harry. You were blushing like crazy now, and Harry wasn’t going to let you live it down.

“Go on, love,” Harry chided, giving you a cheeky grin. “Ask Tyrone for what you want.”

Tyrone looked at you expectantly and you squirmed in your seat. “I, uh, would like to know if you would, uhm, like to have a threesome with me and Harry...tonight?”

Tyrone’s gaze darkened and he leaned forward so he could tuck a lock of hair behind your ear as he whispered, “I’d love to.”

***

The rest of dinner and dessert was excruciating, your pussy throbbing and soaking your panties as your mind raced with thoughts about tonight. Towards the end of the evening, Harry started laying out a few ground rules for tonight: your pussy belonged to Harry but Tyrone could have your mouth all to himself. When Harry left the table for a moment, Tyrone couldn’t resist pulling you into his lap. “I’ve been watching that pretty little mouth all night,” he confessed, trailing kisses down your neck, “and I can’t wait to put it to good use later tonight.”

You were still in Tyrone’s lap when Harry returned, but he didn’t mind - Harry knew you were loyal to him, but he also liked to spice things up once in a while and this threesome was perfect for that. “You both ready to get out of here?” He asked, clearing his throat to get you and Tyrone’s attention.

Less than an hour later, you were on your knees looking up at Tyrone as you sucked him off while Harry was balls-deep in your pussy. You could barely fit over half of Tyrone’s cock in your mouth, but you were determined not to disappoint him, moaning around his length as you worked him over with your hands and mouth. Tyrone had one hand in your hair and the other lightly around your throat as he fucked your face, enjoying the sounds you made as you choked on his dick. Tyrone came down your throat just as Harry came in your pussy, the feeling of Harry’s cum coating the inside of your walls enough to trigger your own orgasm. 

When the three of you went to bed that night, you found yourself sandwiched between Harry and Tyrone, their hands possessively on various parts of your body.

***

Part Two

On the penultimate night of your holiday, your best friend and her cousin ended up meeting you and Harry on the island. Harry didn’t want you to go clubbing, you reminded him that he’d already had one of his friends spend time with you on the island and now you wanted to spend time with yours. Your friend’s cousin had a crush on you and you’d always known - it wasn’t really a secret and Harry knew, too, which was why he didn’t want you to go. Harry didn’t necessarily agree, but you snuck out while he was taking a mid-afternoon nap, enjoying the adrenaline rush that came with knowing you’d probably end up being punished when you came home later that night.

You were gone when Harry woke up and he knew exactly where you’d run off to, calling up Tyrone to see if his England teammate wanted in on Harry’s punishment for you. Tyrone quickly agreed, excited to watch you come undone under his and Harry’s rough hand. When he arrived at the villa, Harry told him all about his plans to punish you and what he’d let Tyrone do to your body, and the two of them waited for you to come home.

It was half-past eleven by the time you got back. You were slightly tipsy from the alcohol but also riding the high that came from dancing at a club with your friends. You quickly sobered up when you turned on the lights to find Harry and Tyrone sitting on the sofa in the living room, looking at you like fathers who’d waited up all night to discipline their daughter when she came home late. 

“H-Hi Ty,” you stuttered out, blushing a little as you tripped over your words. “What are you doing here?”

Wordlessly, Tyrone and Harry stood up and stalked over to you. Your pussy tingled at the sight of Tyrone towering over you and Harry looking at you sternly with his arms crossed. When Tyrone spoke, his eyes were on you, but his question was directed at Harry. “I think she deserves to be punished, don’t you agree, H?”

Your eyes widened and you shook your head as you took a step back. Tyrone and Harry advanced on you, but you weren’t scared - just turned on at the thought of being punished by Tyrone and Harry at the same time. Harry chuckled as you tripped on the rug and landed on your ass - the humiliation at being on the ground stinging far worse than the physical pain. “Ready for your punishment, naughty girl?”

Tyrone and Harry helped you up, leading you back to the sofa. It started out with a mindfuck - Harry kissed you long and slow, teasing your lips with his as he drew whimpers from your mouth. You didn’t even notice Tyrone spreading your legs and undressing you from the waist down when Harry cupped your tits and squeezed roughly to make you moan. 

By the time you realized what was happening, Harry was holding you down as Tyrone started to finger you. He went slowly for the first few thrusts, then added a second finger to stretch your dripping cunt as he picked up the pace. His fingers hit your cervix and you cried out, squirming in Harry’s arms as your boyfriend held you down. “If you want an orgasm at the end of this punishment then you better behave,” Harry growled in your ear when he couldn’t get you to stop moving. “Heh, good girl. Finally listening when I say something. Where was that obedient girl this afternoon when I told her she shouldn’t go out tonight?”

“I...I don’t know,” you ground out, nearing an orgasm as Ty picked up his pace again.

“Don’t. Cum,” Tyrone ordered, his eyes meeting yours as his fingers stilled inside you. “Do you think her cunt is ready for my cock?” He asked, turning his attention to Harry.

“Guess we’re about to find out.”

Tyrone bent you over the back of the sofa, giving your ass a few harsh spanks before he slid easily into your dripping pussy. You cried out, clutching at the fabric as he pounded into you. He fucked you with abandon, not giving you much time to adjust to his length and girth as he started talking dirty to you.

“God, your cunt is so tight - you’re so wet.”

“My dick is gonna destroy this pretty little pussy...fu-uck.”

Harry listened as Tyrone teased you with his words while he pounded into you, taking your chin in his hands as he looked at you, wanting in on this, too. “You gonna cum all over Tyrone’s cock, dirty girl?”

You looked at Harry, your eyes half-closed as you were overcome with pleasure. You tried to form words but all you could do was nod and moan, your eyes rolling back as your walls spasmed around Tyrone’s cock and you had the first of many orgasms that night.

Harry and Tyrone took turns using your holes, reveling in your responsiveness to them. When they were done, your jaw was sore from all the blowjobs you’d given and your pussy was aching and dripping cum.

“You’re travelling with the national team whenever Winks gets called up, yes?” Tyrone asked as the three of you were laying in bed. You nodded sleepily as you traced patterns on Ty’s chest. “Good, because I’m going to need your pussy whether we win or lose.”

Forever Tags: @chilly-me-softly @savingprivatecass @inlovewithamess @footballdaydream @brewsterbabyy @bbychilly @jamesdanielmaddison @hmminnbirdd @sweetlikesugar9 @lawsandother @eastxfeden @words-for-marcus @eatsleepbreathefutbol @hoelymolywinksy @marco-asensios @kingkepaff @meteora-fc

Tyrone Tags: @idiotsfc @qwetyronerty

Harry Tag: @footballffbarbiex @sunslittlesister

[greekgrad12]

It Takes Two: percabeth!au

chapter two :)

Mattie Jackson and Hayley Chase meet at the start of summer and discover that they are each other's identical clone. With a little more investigating, the two girls discover that they are, in fact, twins. Things only get crazier when they find out that their adoptive parents were once in love. Now, they have to work together to reunite Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase before Mattie’s dad ends up dating the new camp counselor and Hayley’s mom gets married to a kid hating, gold digger.

And what better way to do that than to switch places?

or

i rewatched It Takes Two and decided to make it percabeth :)

read on ao3

chapter one here!

************************************************

The faded white stone was the first thing Annabeth Chase noticed when she and her daughter pulled into the driveway of their summer house. Well, summer house was a loose term now. Annabeth had been living here all year while working on a new project. One that was very near and dear to her heart. When Chiron called and asked if she would be willing to redesign the old camp, she was more than happy to. She even threw in a family discount, because that's exactly what he was. Family.

Annabeth Chase was a very famous name in the architecture world. She graduated top of her class at Berkeley and quickly got a job at Medusa & Co. Architecture. Her coworkers were somber, but the work was good. Working for a big company like Medusa & Co. brought on a lot of challenges, but that's what drew her in. Annabeth loved a challenge. What she didn't love were the rumors and scandals constantly going around about faulty cement, old metals, and rickety wires being used to create their buildings in an attempt to make more money. When she decided to investigate and learned that the rumors were true, Annabeth just had to leave. Creating her own Architecture Company took some time, but the exposure and resources she acquired while at Medusa & Co. helped her along the way. And the money she got from her tip to the media about what was really going on at her old job didn't hurt either.

Now, she was the proud owner and head architect at Parthenon Architecture. Having expanded her company to five different states all over America, Annabeth was a busy woman. So busy that she never really had time to think about her life outside of work. She knew she wanted to get married and have a family. Something permanent. But even with the casual dates, her friends insisted she go on, Annabeth never felt that spark that she knew made something worth pursuing. She knew what that felt like. She'd experienced it before, with-

"Woah," The sweet voice of her daughter broke Annabeth from her thoughts, "Remind me why we don't stay here more often?"

Annabeth didn't have time for romance, but she wanted a family. Thanks to adoption agencies, she could have that. But honestly, Annabeth wasn't even sure if she was ready to be a mother when she went in for a consultation with the agency. Her parents divorced when she was young, and due to her mother's career in government at D.C., Annabeth was left with her father. Eventually, her stepmother came into the picture and the blonde little girl was pushed into the background. The woman wanted absolutely nothing to do with Annabeth and her father did nothing to help. Things only got worse when her little twin brothers came into the picture.

Annabeth's mother would come back every other month and the two would spend the day together, but she couldn't be there every time the girl needed her. The best thing her mother did for her was sign Annabeth up for Camp Half-Blood when she was a seven. That first year at camp changed her life. She made friends who became family and finally found a place that felt like home. People who felt like home. A boy who felt like home.

"Remind me how often we come to Rhode Island?" she teased the ten-year-old.

The girl turned back to her mother and responded with a straight face, "Ha-ha."

Annabeth laughed at that, "Come on, Hayley, let's unpack. I wanna show you something in the house."

Despite her estranged relationship with motherhood, Annabeth never had to think twice about adopting Hayley. Before adopting the girl, she did her research. Apparently, Hayley's birth mother moved to California a week after she was born, hoping for a fresh start with her new child. Unfortunately, her new life didn't have room for a baby. The woman tried for about two months before abandoning the little girl at an adoption agency. Annabeth knew what it was like to feel abandoned, so she was happy to claim the two month old as her own.

She tried her best to be an attentive and caring mother, and being her own boss helped make that possible. Still, with Annabeth being so busy with the camp reconstruction plans, she and her daughter hadn't been able to spend as much time together this year. Hayley had spent the greater part of last year begging her mom to let her join them in Rhode Island, and as much as Annabeth wanted her around, she wasn't about to pull her daughter out of school for a whole year. Especially with everything they've gone through at past schools.

Much like Annabeth, Hayley Chase is a famous name. Hayley wasn't a problem child. She is a good kid. A good kid with bad luck. Getting her daughter into schools was the easy part. As the granddaughter to a Congresswoman, an American and Military History professor at West Point, and the daughter of the third most famous Architect in the United States, schools were eager to have Hayley in their programs. And having an eleventh-grade reading level didn't hurt either. It was when the school year began that things usually went south.

Wrong place, wrong time basically sums up Hayley's life. Nothing too crazy happened, but it was usually enough to ensure that the girl wouldn't be getting an invitation back. So far, she had been kicked out of three schools. Once for getting too many detentions due to 'continuous disrespect,' which is just a fancy way of saying, "You're child pointed out too many of my teaching mistakes and I'm sick of being contradicted."

Another time was when a nasty girl in her class tripped Hayley in the lunchroom. The girl's tray went flying, and the food fight that ensued was blamed on her. The last incident was the result of a classroom fire, but there's really no time to unpack that. Hayley never meant for these things to happen. She knew how hard her mother worked, and she admired her greatly for that. The last thing she wants is to add stress to her life.

What Hayley didn't realize, however, was that she made Annabeth's life anything but stressful. The woman couldn't be prouder to have a daughter as clever, kind, and patient as Hayley. Annabeth spent her whole life wanting to build something permanent, but when she finally did, she looked around and realized that it's wasn't worth much without someone permanent beside her. She wants to do right by her daughter, and that's one of the reasons why she was so excited to finally have Hayley over at the summer house with her. Not only would she get to spend time with her daughter again, but Annabeth would get to show Hayley where she grew up. Her home.

Camp Half-Blood.

Hayley was now carrying a backpack over her shoulders and tugging a suitcase behind her as she walked up the steps to the giant house, "What is it?"

"It's a surprise," The woman answered, simply. Annabeth had just dropped her bag onto the porch and was currently scrummaging in her bag for the door keys.

"What kind of surprise?" Hayley pressed while admiring the exterior of the house. The two story mansion had once belonged to her great-grandmother, but it hadn't been used in years. The green-eyed girl suddenly found herself hoping that the surprise wasn't spiderwebs and dust. Then again, her mother had been living here on and off again for the past six months. If there was even a hint of spiders, the house would have already been hosed down by exterminators, "Surprise like, 'I'm doubling your allowance for not causing trouble this year!' or surprise like, 'Grandma's coming to visit'?"

Annabeth had unlocked the door but held it ajar, "Actually, yes, your grandma is coming in a few days to visit."

A grim look overtook Hayley's face. It's not that she didn't like Grandma Athena, it's just that she was very... controlled. Hayley always assumed that it was the Congresswoman in her that made the old lady so uptight. Every time she came to visit, her mom would get anxious and start to stress work. The little girl knew all about her mother's upbringing. The mother-daughter pair were very close, and Hayley was protective of the people she loved, so she never enjoyed seeing the effect her grandmother had on Annabeth.

"Why is she coming here?" The young girl asked, trying her best to hide her disapproving tone, "The only thing she does when she comes over is stress you out and give me passive-aggressive looks for not indulging myself in nonfiction books."

"Hayley, if you want to read Agatha Christie, read Agatha Christie. If you want to read Marvel Comics, read Marvel Comics. Don't let her make you feel bad about your interests," If there was one thing Annabeth was willing to face her mother for, it was her daughter. It pissed the woman off to no end when her mother, the one who had basically abandoned her as a child, tried to tell Annabeth how to raise her daughter.

That's another thing Hayley loved about her mom. No matter what she did, her mom was right behind her with unconditional support. When Hayley entered the Spelling Bee, her mother stayed up the night before and helped her practice, even though she had scheduled an early meeting the next morning to ensure she would be off on time to attend the contest. When the girl wanted to join an art class, Annabeth went out and bought her a whole new art supply kit. When, at the age of four, she decided that blue and yellow were magic colors, and her mom decided to make blue cookies for her. She only made them once, and Hayley was young when she did, but the girl still could have sworn she remembers her mother tearing up when her daughter took her first bite of the blue food.

And there was the time when she was three, and Hayley had her first asthma attack.

Annabeth had been a wreck for the entire process. Of course, Hayley had recovered quickly, and thanks to her Flovent medication, she hasn't had a major attack in years. All thanks to her mom. If Annabeth Chase was anything, it was a planner. Hayley was on a strict schedule when it came to taking her medication. Even though her daughter's asthma hadn't acted up in years, she wasn't going to chance losing her ever again.

"Rebel against Grandma?" Hayley joked, "Sounds like a plan."

Annabeth huffed out a laugh, but Hayley could tell something was off. She just now noticed that her mother hadn't been looking her in the eyes and that she was still standing in front of the cracked open door, blocking the girl from what's inside. She also noticed that her mother didn't answer her question about why Grandma Athena would be visiting.

"Why don't we go inside? I may have lied about the surprise- or rather, the extent of it. There is actually more than one."

Hayley's confusion must have been very noticeable, because right as she was about to ask more questions, Annabeth opened the front door to reveal two people waiting inside.

"Piper! Leo!" Hayley dropped her bags onto the porch and ran to her godmother and honorary uncle. The two dropped down and hugged the little girl with just as tightly as she did them.

"Hey, Hay!" Leo teased the girl as her arm wrapped around his neck.

"Oh my goodness, there is no way you got this big over one school year!" Piper exclaimed as she pulled back from the girl's other side, "You get any taller and you're gonna outgrow Leo."

While that was definitely an exaggeration, Leo still scoffed at the girl. Watching as the three got reacquainted, Annabeth picked up her daughter's bags that were abandoned on the porch and laid them inside. After she placed her own bags on the floor, Piper's dark eyes shot up and reached Annabeth's gray ones.

The woman smiled down at Hayley before walking over to give her mom a big hug. Piper McLean and Annabeth had been friends for years. The two met in the third grade. They bonded over daddy issues and a mutual love for Skittles. You know, normal kid stuff. After decades of sleepovers, secret handshakes, bad haircuts, and One Direction phases, the girls were still inseparable. If anyone could read Annabeth like a book, it was Piper. They were a fantastic duo. So much so, that Piper was her personal assistant. Technically, she was here for work, but Annabeth was just grateful to have her best friend here for the occasion.

Annabeth met Leo Valdez in college. He was the smartest person on the robotics team and the two shared many classes together throughout the years. They became fast friends, bonding over conspiracy theories and arguing over who was the better Property Brother. When Annabeth needed a Head of Construction at her firm, she knew exactly who she wanted by her side. Leo was more than happy to accept.

Leo and Piper were great employees and even better friends. They were supportive when she told them she wanted to adopt. They were always there to remind her that it's okay to take a break. And whenever one of them decided to take her out and let her live a little, the other would watch Hayley. And they both loved Hayley.

"Glad to see you're still alive," Piper's tone was flat and quiet against Annabeth's ear. She knew her friend didn't want Hayley hearing what she had to say, and honestly, neither did Piper, "Oh, and look at that. Is that a phone sticking out of your back pocket? A phone that I have been trying to reach you on for the past hour?"

Annabeth pulled back from the hug and Piper could finally see the guilt written on her face, "I know. Look, I'm sorry I didn't answer, but I knew what you would be calling about. I couldn't exactly have you yelling at me with my ten-year-old in the passenger seat."

"So, she doesn't know then?" The black-haired woman knew the answer, but the way she was now staring Annabeth down -arms crossed, eyebrow raised- made her realize the real question she was asking went along the lines of, what the hell is your plan here?

"No," Annabeth sighed out, "I was going to tell her on the drive over from the airport, but there was just so much to catch up on-"

"Yeah, Annabeth!" Piper whisper-yelled as an exasperated look took over her face, "There is so much to catch her up on. Starting with-!"

"Hey, you two," Leo coughed out, loudly. As the girls turned their attention back to him and the little girl, they saw Leo motioning to Hayley. Annabeth's daughter sent confused glances to the three adults, "Annabeth, why don't you show Hayls what's outback?"

Annabeth clasped her hands together and moved past Piper, who was now giving Leo the death stare, "That's a great idea, Leo. Come on, Hayley, there's another surprise waiting for you."

Hayley loved a good surprise as much as the next girl, but she was very aware of the mumbled bickering going on between Piper and Leo as she and her mom walked to the back of the house. That kind of put a damper on things. There was definitely something being kept from the little girl, and she had an idea that whatever it was wouldn't be found outback.

"Come on, kiddo," Annabeth said as they reached a little study. Hayley almost missed the door as they walked up to it. The wood of the door matched the wall around it, and a few strayed out plant decorations hid it even more. It was like the room was intentionally being hidden away. Once her mother opened the door, Hayley could see why. It appeared to be a private study- a homey, little room. There was a desk that sat in the middle, surrounded by comfortable looking chairs and giant bookshelves. To the side, there was a giant bay window that let the sun in and overlooked the coastline. A telescope stood off to the right of the window and a globe of the world to the left.

"Wow," The girl breathed out. Hayley stepped into the room and heard her mother chuckle from behind her.

"Just wait," Annabeth took her daughter's hand and lead her to the giant bay window. Annabeth sat down on the cushion while placing the little girl in her lap. She pointed out towards past the water and to an open area that was covered by what looked like to be a camp.

"Is that the camp you've been working on up here?" Hayley asked, eyes still set towards the campground, "It looks beautiful."

From what she could see, the cabins were beautifully designed with different symbols on each building, "What do the different symbols mean?"

"Each camper is placed in a certain cabin based on what you designed your schedule to look like. For example, if you wanted to spend the majority of your summer in the gardens, you could request to be placed in the Grain cabin. It's just to help to keep campers organized," The woman explained, "Obviously you could still participate in the camp singalong with the Lyre cabin, or go swimming with the Triton cabin, but this way you could be focused more on your interests and be surrounded by people who shared them."

"You said you went there, right?" Hayley turned to look back at her mother, "What cabin were you in?"

"I was always in the Owl cabin," Annabeth grinned at the memory, "We spent a lot of our time in the arts and crafts department. We also held the highest number of wins in Capture the Flag."

"Capture the Flag?" The girl stared at her mother with an amused expression, "What's that like?"

Annabeth grinned down at Hayley, "Well, I guess we'll have to go over there one day and let you find out for yourself."

Her daughter's green eyes widened as she jumped from her mother's lap, "Wait, really? I get to go?"

"Well, since we won't be here the whole summer you're not an official camper, but yes. I talked to the activities director and he said they would be happy to have you come down and join in on the fun," she explained, "My only condition is that you aren't allowed to ditch me when your grandma get here. THAT, and I want a ceramic mug."

Hayley wrapped her arms around her mom's neck, "I will, I promise! It'll say Worlds Best Mom and everything."

There were many surprises in store for Hayley Chase this summer, but her daughter finally getting to experience Camp Half-Blood was Annabeth's favorite. With the architect's demanding schedule and her daughter's extracurriculars, the two didn't have a lot of extra time for just them. Summer was when they could be together the most, and no matter how much she wanted her daughter to experience the same joys she did at camp, Annabeth didn't want to send Hayley to the other side of the country without her. And there was no place for Annabeth at camp now.

However, due to her new project being Camp Half-Blood, Annabeth had the perfect excuse to bring her daughter to the place most special to her. She wanted to share her experiences with her daughter. Show her the giant pine tree right at the camp entrance where she would sit under the shade and read. Tell her about the firework show that the camp would have every year. Share every strategy she helped come up with to win almost every game of Capture the Flag. Bring her to the dock where she spent almost every day with a boy. A boy with messy hair and sea-green eyes. Green eyes that Hayley's own resembled. Annabeth wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse. Looking into those eyes remained her of the boy she loved. The boy she wanted to build something permanent with. The boy who teased her, encouraged her, and stuck by her no matter what. Her best friend.

The boy who she tried to keep. The boy who she couldn't keep. Annabeth thought fate was a cruel being. For years, the blonde girl just wanted someone who would stay. Someone who wouldn't leave. And when she finally found that someone, life forced the two apart. Although she hadn't seen him in years, Annabeth would still think of that boy and wonder about the man he became. While working at camp, the woman was reminded of him more than ever. The memories -and feelings- they shared.

Yes, Annabeth wanted to share her experiences with her daughter, but she could not share him. Annabeth could not tell Hayley about the boy who was shorter than her for a majority of their youth together, and how he would glare at her when she teased him about it. She could not tell her daughter about the boy who would sit through every one of her architecture rants with a smile. She could not tell her daughter about how he could coax the truth out of her with a single look, and hold her when it hurt too much to talk about.

Annabeth could not tell her daughter about her first love, P-

"Annabeth!" A voice shook the woman from her thoughts. As Annabeth's daughter pulled away from her, she noticed that her once ecstatic expression was now replaced with a look of confusion. And it wasn't hard to figure out why.

When she turned her head towards the voice, Annabeth came face to face with Luke Castellan, her fiancé.

[tealin]

Basler to the Beardmore 4: And Back Again

As usual, the properly formatted post is up at the official blog – caught this too late as usual!

Having had the grand tour of the Beardmore Glacier, we set our course to return to McMurdo.  There was one waypoint we were to hit on the way back, but the first part of the journey was just peaceful ice and cloud as far as the eye could see.

After about an hour of abstract land- and skyscapes, we approached our rendezvous point with history: 79°29'S 170°E – One Ton Depot.  There it is!

One Ton Depot was the name given to the final cache of food and supplies taken out along the route to the pole in the summer of 1911, so that not everything would have to be hauled from base when they set out to reach the South Pole the next summer. It was supposed to be laid at 80°S, but due to a spell of bad weather, the condition of the ponies, and the imminence of the end of the safe travel season, they decided that 79°29’S was far enough. In 1911 that was the prudent decision; they could not have known that, the following year, the last three survivors of the five who reached the Pole would get within that 35½ statute mile margin and could really have done with the extra food and fuel. It is one of the great ‘what if’s of polar history.

Another ‘what if’ hovers around Apsley Cherry-Garrard’s trip to One Ton in March 1912. In Scott’s plans, he called for the dog teams to meet the returning Polar Party out on the ice shelf. Due to extenuating circumstances at base, the dogs were sent out later than called for, and under the command of Apsley Cherry-Garrard, who had never been in a leadership position before and could not navigate with a sextant as the Navy men could. The Polar Party was reported to be in good condition by the last people who had seen them, and, time having passed since the planned rendezvous, were likely to be nearer One Ton than the original rendezvous, he was instructed to go there and then decide what to do.

Just as it had when the depot was originally laid, the weather was starting to break up – Antarctica moves very quickly from summer into winter, and it takes no prisoners. Cherry and the dogs arrived at One Ton on March 4th; over the following week only two days were clear enough to travel, and all were bitterly cold. The dogs were short of food and losing condition, so taking them further would have been a significant risk. On March 10th, Cherry left the extra rations and turned back north. Again, an apparently prudent decision at the time, but one that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

It was a completely unscouted location so we couldn't land, but we did a low tight turn so that I could see the terrain and, more importantly, what was visible on the horizon.  I had heard that One Ton was the furthest south one could reliably navigate by landmarks alone – a convenient location for a young explorer who had failed to get his head around celestial navigation.  The view would be different from a few hundred feet up than it would be from ground level, but with the clear day and calm conditions I could at least guess what might be seen. The impression I had was that the top of Erebus would just poke up from the horizon, there, but as far as I could tell from the plane, one was more likely to see Mt Discovery, which was closer and darker.  

This is a fully zoomed-out view of Ross Island from that loop:

We were closer to Minna Bluff and Mt Discovery; the latter is a smaller mountain than Erebus, but being closer and with more exposed rock, the atmospheric perspective would not blot it out so much.

This is not a fair photo to judge against the previous one for distance, as I have zoomed in here, but you can see how the contrast is much higher on these nearer landmarks.  I think the only way you'd locate Erebus more easily than Mt Discovery from here is if there was enough of an eruption to make a large smoke plume.

When planning this trip with the fixed-wing coordinators, alternatives had been discussed in case the Basler flight didn't work out.  I would get views of the Beardmore from a turnaround flight to Pole, and for a recce of One Ton might join one of the regular maintenance trips out to an automated weather station called Alexander Tall Tower, which is only 25km from the location of One Ton.  All the automated weather stations have names, hence ‘Alexander’; 'Tall Tower' is because it's 30m high with instruments at regular intervals all the way up, to measure what's happening in different layers of air.  

As it happened, the Basler trip came off, but we paid a visit to Tall Tower anyway – in fact we buzzed it: one of the other Kenn Borek planes was out there, having brought its attendant meteorologist plus one of the other media outfits, a film crew making the second series of One Strange Rock.  This crew were my best friends at McMurdo so it was really fun to see them at work, not least because their luck with flights had been much poorer than mine.

Just as One Ton was on the 'Southern Road' in Scott's time, so Tall Tower is on the Southern Road now – a slightly different route, taken by the South Pole Traverse convoy taking supplies from McMurdo to Pole, oriented to go up a different glacier than the Beardmore.  We followed this some of the way back, so I got a good appreciation of the road as a scratch on the cue-ball surface of the ice shelf.  Returning parties tried to use their outbound tracks as much as possible to navigate home; sometimes the light was bad and sometimes they were covered by drift, but they'd often cross the tracks again once celestial navigation straightened them out, and that would put them back on course.  A team of sledges with dogs and ponies is going to leave a fainter scratch than multi-ton tractors hauling vast bladders of fuel, but in a vista of windblown snow, a manmade disturbance can really stand out.

Rather than following the road all the way back, as terrestrial creatures would do, we flew over White Island!  This is the side which catches the wind from the south and east, so is not as white as the side you see from McMurdo.

And as we approached Williams Field, the light was just right to show off the sea ice/Barrier interface south of Cape Armitage.

When we finally piled out of the plane, I thanked Steve enthusiastically for what had been by far the best flight of my entire life.  'Yeah, sorry about the turbulence back there,' he said.

'Oh that was nothing! I've had much worse coming in to Edmonton.'  Which is true; I once made peace with death on a flight into Edmonton through a storm which, later that afternoon, spawned a tornado.

'Yeah, but's that's because you were flying into Edmonton.'

I can't argue with that: the Beardmore is definitely not Edmonton.

An article in the October 1911 edition of the South Polar Times – the magazine whose writing and publication kept the men happily occupied during the dark and crowded months of winter – posited Antarctica as a holiday destination in the distant future when global warming had rendered it balmy.  In this antipodean Switzerland, tourists would travel comfortably by aeroplane over the geography which the men reading the magazine were, at that point, yet to walk across themselves.  Wilson illustrated this article with a gauzy cloudscape and a wonderful spindly yellow biplane like the Wright brothers'.  Cherry, writing on the other side of a war which saw the rapid development of aircraft into nimble and efficient vehicles, knew the future of Antarctic travel was in the air, and thought that sensible.  I wonder if either of them could have imagined such a jolly picnic in the sky, going most of the route to the Pole and back in one day, in time for a nice hot dinner in the Galley.

[getparkd]

Got To Be NC!

As you might know, I am a huge fan of parks. Some of my favorite public lands are the very ones in my home state of North Carolina. I have lived here my whole life and have been visiting these parks since I was a kid. Although I have not visited all of them, one day I know I will. So, enjoy this list (and review) of the beautiful parks of NC!

1. Carolina Beach 

Fun Fact: Carolina Beach is one of the only places you can find the carnivorous Venus Flytrap and Pitcher Plant in the wild. This park is home to a subtropical wetland, which is the perfect ecosystem for these carnivorous plants. While you may be tempted to take one home with you, beware because the state of North Carolina made it a felony to poach Venus Flytraps in 2014. Also in the park is Sugarloaf Dune, which has been used as a navigational marker since 1633. In total, the park has 7 miles of trail, and is one I have visited many times during my stays in Wilmington. 

2. Carvers Creek

3. Chimney Rock

This spire of rock is instantly recognizable to anyone within miles. Chimney Rock is 315 foot tall and overlooks Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure. “Lake Lure?” you may ask, yes Lake Lure. The spot where they filmed the unforgettable lake scene in Dirty Dancing, as well as the scene of Baby dancing down the stairs. The town is also home to an annual Dirty Dancing festival, so you might want to plan your trip when Baby and Johnny are back in town. As well as Dirty Dancing, you may recognize this park from the climax scene in The Last of the Mohicans. 

4. Crowders Mountain

5. Dismal Swamp

6. Elk Knob

7. Eno River

8. Falls Lake

9. Fort Fisher

Home to the Civil War-Era bunkers and one of the best aquariums in North Carolina. Fort Fisher is a hidden gem in ENC. As a student at UNC at Wilmington, I know all to well about the beach. I know where to find a dirty beach, a crowded beach, and I certainly know how to find a good beach. Fort Fisher is just that. You can sit on the sand and watch the pelicans fly overhead and the cargo ships come into port without the worry of trash and dirty water. Because it is a state park/recreation area, it is kept very clean and has nicer facilities than public beaches in the area. It also has 4 wheel drive access to the beach. If you are visiting, don’t forget to stop by and see Luna, the albino alligator at the aquarium. 

10. Fort Macon

Fort Macon! This place is probably one of the most interesting places in North Carolina. I recently wen there with my little brother to have a little day trip. The park itself is a beautiful ecosystem, as the Musgrove trees are my favorite. We stopped first at the beach was had clear water and a great view of the Cape Lookout lighthouse from the shore. Next we went to the actual fort which was the best part of the trip. Walking throughout the fort you see rich stone works and manicured lawns. I got some really cool Insta and VSCO photos here as well. Highly recommen! 

11. Goose Creek

12. Gorges

13. Grandfather Mountain

One of the windiest spots in the entire state. Grandfather Mountain is home to the famous mile-high swinging bridge. Walking across the bridge is both exhilarating and terrifying. As requested by the staff, hold on to your belongings, and even small children, to keep them form blowing into the valley below. It is also home to an amazing zoo that houses black bears and mountain lions. 

14. Hammocks Beach

Hammocks Beach State Park is a park I visit quite often as it is only about 30 minutes from where I live. I have visited both the mainland site, which has an amazing visitors center and serene wooded trails, and the Bear Island site. Bear Island is a 3-mile long barrier island that is home to nesting sea turtles and clean beaches. A ferry, kayak, or personal boat can take you over to the island to enjoy the water!

15. Hanging Rock

16. Haw River

17. Jockey’s Ridge

My favorite! Jockey’s Ridge is located in Nags Head, North Carolina, right next to Kitty Hawk, the site of the first human flight. Jockey’s Ridge is the tallest active sand dune on the Atlantic Coast. Hiking through this park feels like you are in Star Wars! Some of my favorite activities to do are sandboarding down the giant dunes and paragliding. Jockey’s Ridge to me is the most fun and the most beautiful of all the parks I have visited.

18. Jones Lake

One of the two lakes formed by the geological phenomenon called Carolina Bays. This phenom creates lakes of varying pH levels, resulting in different coloration of the water. Jones Lake is colored a bright red color. This lake has great swimming and fishing. Beware alligators though!

19. Jordan Lake

Jordan Lake is like other lakes in my state, but the one things that makes it interesting: the Bald Eagle. Jordan Lake is the summertime home of this rare species. It is fascinating to watch this birds fly and hunt for prey. You can enjoy swimming and hiking, as there is 15 miles of trails throughout the park.

20. Kerr Lake

Another amazing park in the beautiful state of NC! Just like Jorden Lake, it is also home to a bald eagle. We have camped on the shore a few times and I love waking up early to watch the sun rise over the lake. We take our boat and pull our tubes. Another great thing this park has is rolling, smooth roads. Take your longboard and carve down these streets. There is also a really nice marina down the road who has killer ice cream. 

21. Lake James

22. Lake Norman

23. Lake Waccamaw

Just like Jones and Carolina Beach, these park is home to some cool species. The American alligator and the Venus Flytrap are easy to find in this swampy park. While the slews and backcountry of this park are full of blood-sucking mosquitos and alligators, the lake front dock is an amazing spot to swim. The pH level of this lake makes it perfectly clear. Not only is it clear, but it also is only about 4 feet deep which makes it perfect for younger or inexperienced swimmers to have fun without all the worry. I personally like driving around and seeing all the beautiful lakes houses after taking a swim, but there is also a really nice restaurant on the lake front that I’ve heard has amazing burgers. 

24. Lumber River

Lumber River is the only black water river in North Carolina, and is also a National Wild and Scenic River. This park ahs great kayaking, but beware alligators. 

25. Mayo River

26. Medoc Mountain

27. Merchants Millpond

28. Morrow Mountain

29. Mount Jefferson

It is our family tradition to go every Thanksgiving to get our Christmas tree from the mountains. So, last year we decided to go to West Jefferson and we visited Mount Jefferson State Park. It was approximately 17 degrees and there was ice everywhere, but we hiked to the top and enjoyed the view of the valley below. One of the coolest things about Mt. Jefferson is the Luther Rock. This rock juts from the side of the mountain and allows you to walk out on it and take in the beautiful scenery. 

30. Mount Mitchell

Mount Mitchell is the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi River. The observation area at the top allows for you to see as far as 85 miles on a clear day. Just make sure as you head up, you layer up because it can drop temperature very quickly. 

31. New River

32. Occoneechee 

33. Pettigrew

34. Pilot Mountain

35. Raven Rock

Oh Raven Rock! We took this trip after a long day at the ball field on my mom’s 40th birthday. Needless to say we were tired, but we still decided to tackle the 4.2 mile hike to the Raven Falls. We were expecting a waterfall, but instead we got rapids. We did however cool off in the river before taking our long hike back. Despite this, the actual Raven Rock was beautiful and the park is still on of my favorites. 

36. Singletary Lake

The best thing about this lake is how secluded it is. It is tucked away behind a tree line and barely visible from the road. The only people that frequent this are its junior campers. You can enjoy a peaceful evening fishing on its 500 foot peer and if you’re feeling lucky test your swimming skills with the alligators. 

37. South Mountain

38. Stone Mountain

39. Weymouth Woods Sandhills

40. William B. Umstead

I just recently took my second trip to this park and it is still as beautiful as the first time. There are over 35 miles of hiking in this park so it is very unlikely you will see it all. While I do love hiking, I enjoy just driving through the park as well. The stone bridge over Sycamore Creek is one of my favorite spots as it has rolling fields of grass that you can lie down in and have a picnic if you please. 

[thebiasrekkers]

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC Genre: BTS Mafia!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Smut, Slow Burn WC: 2,544 Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

AO3 | WP

Chapter 11: Stigma

“Are you calling me a sinner? What more do I have to say?”

Three Days Ago Seoul – Myeongdong; Jung District South Korea

A soft pop sound came from Taehyung as he pulled the sucker from his mouth, his eyes roving over the different wares in the district. Street vendors thrived in Myeongdong, as they did in most downtown districts, but he enjoyed the atmosphere of Myeongdong more than the others. It always seemed lively here, as well as in Itaewon. But Itaewon was also where a lot of the tourists went, and he wasn’t about to play “guide” for any of the non-locals. Even if some of them were kind of cute to look at.

He was also playing a dangerous game. This wasn’t Golden Jackal territory. Hell, this wasn’t even White Snake territory where Dongwook Hyung’s entourage claimed home. He wouldn’t have cared about that, even if it was. Jungkook and Yoongi Hyung did a number on his group when they came trouncing through Gangnam – watching as they ran with their tails tucked between their legs.

No. This was Jade Fang territory.

Like the Golden Jackals, the Jade Fangs were a group of young, up and coming gangsters. Their leader, Im Changkyun, had a few dark rumors swirling about him. There was a stigma that came with being a gangpae , but he knew Hoseok Hyung was doing his best to stray away from that. Especially since they were planning on going straight. But Im Changkyun didn’t care about that. He wanted to devour every district in his path, destroying all obstacles and eliminating any possible forms of opposition. He didn’t even bother attending district head meetings because he felt they were beneath him.

He was a real son of a bitch as far as Taehyung was concerned.

“Well, well, well,” came a voice through the crowd, “if it isn’t the Shadow Claw, Kim Taehyung.”

Taehyung stood up to his full height, slipping the candy back into his mouth as he tried to pinpoint where the voice came from. The stick poked out from his mouth and he grasped at it with two fingers, watching as six men approached him dressed in business casual. Pedestrians parted the way, some scurrying off the side as they made it obvious they didn’t want to get caught up in the chaos that was surely about to ensue.

He wasn’t surprised that his reputation was well-known. All the upper ranks of the Golden Jackals were known by name. Taehyung, however, was called the Shadow Claw because he could meld in and out of a crowd. He struck from the shadows and disappeared just as quickly, like an actual thief in the night. He was rarely caught off guard.

Well, until now that is.

A single brow raised slowly and he mentally cursed himself for not agreeing to let Jimin tag along with him. He even offered to postpone his business trip to Jeju Island a few more days when Taehyung made it known that he was going to go on a little scouting errand. He’d reassured Jimin that he would be fine. He’d be in and out, quick fast and in a hurry. No one would know that he’d even been there.

Shit, he thought, rolling his shoulders back as they formed a semi-circle in front of him.

His back was to the street vendor and he could hear them quickly shuffling around. They were probably gathering their things so that they didn’t have their merchandise ruined. It was certainly a smart move. Taehyung grinned, flashing a boxy grin for half a second, then continued sucking on his candy. When he saw two of the six revealing the bats they’d had hidden behind them, he pulled the candy from his mouth and rocked on the heels of his shoes. He brushed some of his hair out of his eyes while shaking his head.

“Yeah, that’s me,” he said, confidence clear in his tone, “who’s asking?”

The one who spoke grinned wickedly, his dimples showing as he reached into his pocket. “Lee Jooheon, the Yellow Jacket.”

Taehyung’s eyes never left his and he watched him like a hawk. With a flick of his wrist, his hand came out of his pocket and in his hand was something black and silver. He whirled it around with a flourish that showed his expertise in handling it and when his hand finally stopped moving, the distinct shhk practically screamed over the noise of the streets – the blade to the butterfly knife shining beautifully.

There was a pregnant pause that stretched between them before Taehyung clapped a fist into his palm, his face showing clear realization, albeit mocking. “Ah, from the Jade Fangs,” he said, then nodded. “Mmhm, I thought you looked familiar. It’s been awhile.”

Jooheon rolled his neck, his dark brown hair falling over his brows. Taehyung couldn’t help but find amusement in his dimples and he chuckled at the urge to want to poke at them. God, he was such a little shit but he already knew what kind of situation he was in. Crossing into Jade Fang territory was a no-no, but that never stopped him from doing it before. He’d just never been caught.

And now? Well, now he would need to come up with something clever.

“You’re a little far from home, aren’t you Taehyung?” Jooheon shifted his weight to the other foot. “You know this is Jade Fang turf. What gives?”

Taehyung gave a slight shrug. “I was curious.”

“This isn’t the first time you’ve trekked your dirty feet into this place.”

“What can I say? I like a little danger every now and then.”

“Well,” Jooheon said with a scoff, “you’ve definitely found it.”

Taehyung took a step back, the back of his calf brushing up against the vendor’s table. He held his hands up to show that he wasn’t trying to stir up any shit. “Look fellas,” he said lightly, “let’s not cause a scene. You guys just look the other way and I’ll be on my way. Whaddya say?”

Jooheon laughed and the others laughed with him, taking a step forward. “We already looked away enough times. This time? Well, we’re going to give you a little reminder of whose house you just walked into.”

“Well shit,” he muttered, taking another step back so that the table shifted on the ground, “guess you leave me no choice.”

He pivoted on his heels and jumped over the table, hearing the others scurrying behind him. He leaned over and upturned the table to serve as a shield. Once it obstructed their view, he thrust a kick into the bottom of the table and sent it sailing out. He heard it make contact with someone, but he knew that someone wasn’t Jooheon. Not wanting to waste another second, he vaulted over the fence and tore through the brush, barreling through the park as shouts of outrage roared out against his back.

He'd managed to make it several yards before a hand grasped onto the collar of his jacket. His arms went backwards and he slid out of his jacket, spinning on his feet to aim another kick into the gut of the person who’d caught up to him. He watched his jacket fly into the air while the other person hit the dirt and Taehyung snatched it out from mid-air. Not wasting time trying to put it back on, he turned to run again only to be stopped by two more of Jooheon’s group blocking his path.

One swung the bat at him as Taehyung skidded to a halt, his body bowing backwards to dodge the blow. The other aimed a punch to his ribs and he barely managed to block it with his forearm. Curling his body forward, he lunged out so that he could shoulder slam the one who’d tried to punch him. He felt fists crash into his back and he grunted. However, it wasn’t until the bat came down on the back of his knee did his legs finally buckle.

Using the force of his body, he shoved the guy in front of him out of his way and then spun around on his back leg to aim a jump spinning back kick into the guy holding the bat. It clattered to the ground in tandem with its wielder as he crashed to his knees. Two more came running toward him, further blocking his exit. Taehyung used the guy on the ground as a stepping stool, jumping onto his back so he could aim two kicks at his assailants. They flew back, crashing into the ground shoulder first, and Taehyung stumbled forward as he landed unevenly on his feet.

Looking behind him, he saw the four of them trying to get back up and he grinned. Just as he was about to launch off into a dead run, he was stopped by Jooheon. There wasn’t enough time to stop or even dodge and before he knew it, pain exploded into his side. Taehyung looked down and saw that Jooheon managed to shove his knife into his stomach, pushing it in all the way to the small silver hilt. A gasp of pain was all Taehyung could issue before someone’s fist crashed into his temple. The skin broke and blood flowed freely. He tried to aim a punch to Jooheon’s face and failed as he blocked, stepping forward and forcing Taehyung back a step. Jooheon shoved his hand away and crashed his fist into Taehyung’s cheek, forcing him to fall to the ground – taking the knife with him.

He inhaled dirt and coughed hard, his fingers digging into the grass as he tried to get back up. He was suddenly assaulted from all sides, several heels slamming into his back and sides. A kick crashed into his gut and he coughed hard, blood and spittle staining the ground. He growled, forcing himself up and as he did, he threw dirt in a wide arc. Hisses and yells of pain issued soon after and he rolled as far away from them as he could, scrambling to his feet and tearing off into the thicket of trees in the park. They gave chase but he was fast, his adrenaline kicking his speed into overdrive.

Running through the park for several minutes, he dodged and dipped through several dark blind spots. When the threats seemed further and further to his back, Taehyung dipped to the street and hailed a cab. Without bothering to give a destination, he just told the cab driver to hit the gas and to get him out of Myeongdong.

He painfully slipped his jacket back on, trying to button up the front so that the tell-tale sign of his injuries wouldn’t be obvious. He didn’t need the driver asking any questions or trying to take him to a hospital. Vision hazy, there was only one person he knew he’d be able to see.

Just one…

Present Day Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District South Korea

“hyung-ah. Taehyung-ah!”

Blinking, he looked up – meeting the concerned eyes of Jimin. He grinned, tilting his head to the side slightly. “What’s up?”

“What’s up?” Jimin frowned. “What’s up?! You went strolling through Jade Fang territory, that’s what’s up!”

Taehyung shushed him, waving his hands back and forth. They decided to have lunch at a traditional Korean tea house. Several patrons looked at the two men and they both bowed their heads politely, waiting for the other customers to resume their own conversations and dining before looking back at each other. Taehyung lifted his cup of green tea to his face, trying his best to ignore the look that Jimin was giving him.

“Why do you have to be so dramatic?”

He saw Jimin’s brow twitch with annoyance. “After what Hoseok Hyung said, you think I’m being dramatic?” Taehyung nodded and he hissed when he felt Jimin’s foot connect with his shin. “He told us to keep our guard up and you had to go and get your ass caught in enemy territory.” Jimin seemed unfazed by the pout that Taehyung was giving him. “What were you even doing there?”

“I was scoping the place out.”

Jimin blinked. “…are you out of your mind?”

Now it was Taehyung who was flashing an annoyed expression. “What? We’re better than those fuckin’ punks. Hoseok Hyung could own that area and run it with his eyes closed.”

He heard Jimin sigh as he set his teacup down. “So what? You want to start a turf war with the Jade Fangs? Taehyung-ah, come off it.”

“You think we can’t do it?”

“No,” Jimin said, pointing a finger at him, “the point is that we shouldn’t be doing it. We’re trying to go straight, Taehyung-ah. That whole gang war shit is behind us now.” He sighed again and Taehyung folded his arms over his chest. “We had enough of that five years ago. Haven’t you had enough? Aren’t you tired of it?”

Taehyung opened his mouth to retort but felt he couldn’t when he saw the look on Jimin’s face. It wasn’t pity and it wasn’t anger. It was disappointment. It was a face that he often made when Taehyung did something selfish and so completely unlike himself.

Feeling the anger deflate from him slowly, he groaned before roughly rubbing his hand through his hair. He couldn’t win against Jimin. Not when he looked at him like that. “…yeah, you’re right.”

Lifting his gaze to meet Jimin’s, he smiled when he saw that he looked a bit more pleasant. Suddenly, his phone chimed. Looking at the screen, Taehyung grinned when he saw that it was from Raelyn. Swiping his thumb over the screen, he opened her message and blinked several times before laughing loudly.

Rae Noona: 1,170,080₩ - that’s how much your little house call is gonna cost you.

Wow. She really billed him.

“Who is it?”

Taehyung began texting his reply. “Raelyn Noona.”

Tae-Tae: Paypal or Venmo?

“Huh? You mean Raelyn Hyungsoo-nim,” Jimin asked in disbelief, “Hoseok Hyung’s ex-girlfriend, Raelyn Briggs?”

He nodded as she sent him another reply.

Rae Noona: Paypal charges so make it 2,340,240₩.

“…you really are crazy, Taehyung-ah.” He heard him sigh with exasperation. “Don’t you have enough women clawing after you? Why do you have to look at Hyungsoo-nim?”

“She’s not our Hyungsoo-nim anymore, Jimin. Hoseok and her ended things awhile back.”

Tae-Tae: I’ll just give it to you in cash.

Rae Noona: …no, just Paypal it. I don’t want to see you.

Tae-Tae: See you when you finish your shift! ; )

He put his phone in his pocket and shrugged, lifting the cup of tea from the saucer. “Besides, if I have to get down on my knees and beg Hyung to even let me hang out with her, then he’s not the Hoseok Hyung we know anymore.”

Jimin pursed his lips together, his worry etched clearly on his face. But he knew his Hyung well enough to know that when it came to his friends, his brothers, Jung Hoseok wouldn’t let that be a wedge to come between them. He always had a good handle on his feelings. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to lead them as long as he had.

Taehyung would have never called him their “Boss”. 

[iambuckyrogers]

3 Nights... (Chapter 1/7)

Summary: After your friend bails on your trip to Australia a week before you were due to fly out, your best friend Steve swoops in and saves the day. Unbeknown to you, he’s harbouring the biggest crush on you, but will it get in the way of your holiday?

Word Count: 1325

Chapter Warnings: a few swear words

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Authors Note: Like 95% of my other stories, this has ties to my life and a holiday I went on recently with a friend from high school. It's VERY loosely based on a couple events that transpired and gave me inspiration for my first (published) series :) hope that you enjoy it, if you wish to be tagged in future parts send me an ask/dm and I’ll add you! Likes, reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated <3

*****

Steve took the stairs to your apartment 2 at a time, pressing the buzzer when he reached the top.

“2 seconds,” your voice floated over the intercom. Steve leant back against the wall and folded his arms. Crazy to think it had been just a week since you had rung him in tears, your best friend had bailed from your trip to Australia and left you all alone.

“I’m not letting you run off to the other side of the world by yourself,” he had said and offered to accompany you.

“Steven, I’m a grown woman I’ll be fine,” you argued though your voice betrayed you.

“No, you won’t. I worry about you,” he had admitted, heart clenching the moment he said the words. You had known each other for a couple of years, meeting through a mutual friend at a college party one night and ever since then, Steve had been completely smitten. Eventually, he had convinced you to let him go with you but, it wasn’t until after he hung up that he realised what a huge mistake he had just made. Now, he was stood outside your, apartment shifting from foot to foot as he waited for you. Not long later the door opened to reveal you struggling with 2 huge suitcases, a handbag and a smaller suitcase.

“Oh my god,” Steve sighed as he lunged forward to grab the door before it slammed on you.

“Well, I didn’t know what I might need,” you explained, your lips curling into a smirk. Steve simply shook his head, helping you to carry your numerous bags to the cab. The trip to the airport wasn’t long, checking in and clearing customs was surprisingly quick, so in no time you were stood at the gate waiting to board the plane.

“Thank you for coming,” you whispered, looking up to Steve.

“It’s my pleasure,” he replied, pressing a quick kiss to your forehead, “besides, who will make sure you don’t do anything stupid if I’m not there.”

“Ha ha,” you mocked. The line began to move as tickets were scanned and people boarded the plane.

“Here we go!” you squeaked, eyes crinkling as you scrunched your face in excitement.

*****

After a stopover in Dubai, you were on your way again, en route to Brisbane, Australia. Steve was just drifting off to sleep when the plane shuddered and his stomach dropped. You grabbed his forearm, nails digging into his skin.

“I hate turbulence,” you whispered looking up at him, your eyes wide.

“It’s alright,” he soothed, prying his arm from your death grip and slipping it behind your shoulders, pulling you into his side. The plane bumped and jolted again and he could feel your heart beating erratically.

“Did I ever tell you about the time Bucky convinced me to ride the Cyclone at Coney Island?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Well…” Steve told you about his childhood, all the stories that you hadn’t heard before in the hopes of taking your mind off of the turbulence. Sure enough, it worked, halfway through reciting his various childhood allergies he looked down at you and you were fast asleep. Carefully, he reclaimed his arm and settled into his own chair. He couldn’t sleep, just in case you needed him, but that was fine by him.

The rest of the flight was surprisingly smooth and you landed in Brisbane right on time. After collecting your bags from the carousel you made your way to the bus station to meet your connection to Byron Bay, a small coastal town a few hours south of Brisbane. The bus was pretty empty, there were a few other international travellers as well as Australians from other states. Despite there being plenty of seats you sat next to Steve, not a breath of space between you due to the closeness of the seats and Steves board frame, but he certainly didn’t have an issue. The bus grumbled down the road, unfamiliar scenery speeding past the windows but Steve didn’t take any notice, he was too entranced by the look in your eye as you took it all in. Like a kid in a candy shop, you looked out the window, your mouth agape in wonder. The bus entered a long tunnel, seemingly going on forever until finally, Steve could see daylight. You emerged and the city of Brisbane grew around you, buildings rising from the ground, certainly not as expansive as New York but impressive in its own, foreign way. You were still enthralled with the world around you, watching as the urban sprawl gave way to forests of greenery, lush tropical trees dotting the side of the road. After about an hour you roused Steve from a light sleep, tapping him frantically on the shoulder.

“Stevie look! We’re crossing the border-“ you paused for a moment, “now!” Sure enough, there was a small sign reading ‘STATE BOARDER. NEW SOUTH WALES” that flew past the window as the bus drove along. The unbridled joy in your face was enough to get Steve excited.

It was another half an hour before the bus pulled into the bus station.

“Welcome to Byron Bay!” the driver announced. You practically launched yourself out of your chair the moment the bus came to a stop. The first step outside the air-conditioned bus was suffocating, moist air enveloping you in a stuffy embrace. Every pore in Steve’s body simultaneously screaming for him to get back into the bus. He pushed on, collecting your luggage from the bus and meeting you under a nearby tree.

“Alright, so we’re here,” he stated.

“No shit Sherlock,” you laughed brushing a sweaty strand of hair behind your ear.

“What’s the plan, chief?”

“We walk,’ you grinned. You hadn’t organised to a hire car because Byron was so small, you were convinced you could walk everywhere so you opted to save some money.

“It’s only like a mile and a half to the accommodation,” you argued.

Not even halfway there, a wheel on Steve’s suitcase hit the edge of a curb and snapped off its axel, leaving him with one functional wheel and a whole lot of anger.

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” He yelled, kicking his suitcase along the ground.

“You tell it Steve!” you jeered, earning a look of pure hatred from Steve. He forged on, half dragging the broken suitcase behind him, grumbling profanities. After trudging up and down a couple more hills you finally arrived at your accommodation, with all of your suitcases intact and an enraged Steve bringing up the rear. You took a moment to take in the sight before you. Atop a hill, nestled between tall palms and native shrubbery sat a small white cottage. A set of wooden stairs led to a veranda which wrapped around the front porch. A wrought iron daybed took centre stage, covered in floral patterned pillows it looked good enough to sleep on.

“It’s beautiful,” you breathed out and Steve couldn’t agree more, it truly was as picturesque as it was described in the ad.

“Shall we take a closer look?” he gestured for you to lead the way. The inside was just as beautiful as the exterior. Painted in muted pastels of green and yellow, the topical vibe could well and truly be felt. Pictures of rich tropical forests adorned the wall and, like outside, floral pillows decorated the bed.

“Wait, there’s only one bed?” Steve noted, looking to you quizzically.

“Oh, I probably should have mentioned that me and Y/F/N were just going to share. Is that ok? I can always use the pillows to make a bed on the floor if yo-“ he cut you off quickly.

“No no I could never ask you to do that! We’ll make it work,” he assured you, while on the inside he was having a full blown panic attack. This was going to be a lot harder than he first thought.

NEXT CHAPTER

[hollandtom1996]

Turbulence || Tom Holland (prologue)

Original Post: on ssimagines

Pairing: eventual Tom Holland x Reader

Word Count: 1447

Summary: Airport security and a plane ride you’ll definitely never forget. Only mentions of tom no real interactions with him.

Warnings: plane crash, injury

Note: You are flying from the north/south american continent to London. You are on a small plane that I’m not even sure if exists for transatlantic flights, but I decided it was better to have a small flight rather than a larger one.Also on the note if I’m not sure if this is realistic or not. I’m not going to do in depth research about desert Islands in the Atlantic. So I’ll say this now and I will say it in the first official chapter: THIS ISLAND IS MADE UP. IT IS NOT REAL. IT IS SMALL REMOTE AND HARD TO GET TO. Any question or inconsistency about said made up island i am sorry for in advance.

Request/Taglist

Masterlist

You had been planning this trip for months, and now it was finally here. You packed your bag the days ago, so you only had to add a few last-minute things before taking off. You made sure to check in the day before and leave four hours early to ensure you would be there on time. You had done everything right. It wasn’t your fault that there was some sort of celebrity at the airport causing tons of people to be there and making it harder for you to get to your gate. 

You asked your close friend to drive you to the airport so that you didn’t have to pay for long term parking. When the two of you got there, the drop off area was absolute chaos. There were people and cars everywhere. Your friend had made a last-minute decision to park to avoid all the chaos but finding a parking spot seemed just as bad as the drop off. 

After ten minutes of searching the parking lot, you finally found an empty spot. The only downside was that it was a ten-minute walk to the nearest airport entrance. You had three bags: a large suitcase, a carry-on suitcase and a backpack. You were forced to figure out how to get all your bags from the car to front desk where you could check your large suitcase. That was a struggle of its own. 

After checking your bag, you made your way to security. From the looks of it, the crowd outside was the smaller one. There were tons more people crowded around security. Some had signs while others had cameras. Luckily for you, they were blocked off from the actual security line. They were just really loud. 

“Why are there so many people here today?” you asked the woman who was checking tickets to ensure that you were where you were supposed to. 

“There’s some fancy celebrity who is flying out of the area today,” she said as she scanned your ticket. “There was some movie shooting nearby and apparently they just wrapped on it or something. The actor is leaving now.”

“Oh, he must be pretty popular,” you say as she hands back your ticket having confirmed that it was valid. 

“Apparently,” The woman gave you a warm smile. “Have a safe trip.” You nodded at her before moving into the line. 

It took between ten and twenty minutes to get through security. Once you were through, there wasn’t an issue with a large amount of people. Getting to that point took an hour longer that you expected leaving you with just one hour to wait until your plane was supposed to board and take off. You spent the time getting some water and finding you gate. You got settled in with a book and waited to board.

You booked your flight knowing that it was a small plane. There were maybe 75 seats on the flight. It was cheaper and made you more comfortable to know that there were fewer people there. The gate was tucked away in a back corner of the airport. There weren’t many people around. It was a contrast from your experience earlier in the day.

There were only a few people waiting with you to board. When you bought your ticket, the majority of the plane was already booked. You figured that the majority of the flight was elsewhere in restaurants or stores in the terminal. There was a small girl with her mother sitting a few chairs away from you. She looked maybe eight or nine. She was reading a small chapter book. She took a moment to take in her surroundings. You made eye contact with her and gave her a small smile which she returned before going back to her book.

You stood up to stretch when the overhead speaker announced that your flight would be boarding soon. A few more people came to gate shortly after. There was one man in particular who looked familiar. It took you a second to recognize him. He was the new spider-man. 

He went to the desk first and was boarded quickly. The mother and child followed shortly after along with an elderly couple. Then the rest of the small flight was boarded. 

You got on quickly and found your seat. The small flight made it easy for you to find your seat. You put up your suitcase in the overhead bin before getting settled into your seat. You were in a window seat. Not long after you were seated, a gay couple who looked to be in their mid-twenties sat in the seats next to you blocking you in. It was then it hit you. There was no backing out now.

You’d been in the air for a few hours now. Many of the other people in the cabin were sleeping at this point. You had taken a short nap early on in the flight and where awake and alert. A stewardess was walking the aisle offering any who were awake something to drink. You let your mind wander as you sat waiting for her to get to you. 

Two rows ahead of you sat the new spider-man, Tom Holland. He also had a window seat making him fairly easy to see. He was looking out the window giving you a good view of his profile. 

You had to admit you were a big fan of his. You were skeptical of him reviving your favorite superhero, but you were completely blown away by his work. When you heard that he was filming his next movie in town you were excited hoping that there would be a place you’d recognize when you went to go see it. You never would have guessed that you would be able to possibly meet him. Still sitting a few rows behind him, you weren’t sure you would actually get the opportunity to. 

“Ma’am, can I get you something to drink? Water, juice or anything?” the stewardess said as she reached you. Her voice was hushed as to not wake the couple who had fallen asleep next to you. 

“Yes please,” you said copying her tone. “I’ll take a water.” 

She nodded before turning to the cart that she had been pulling behind her. As she prepared your drink you looked back to see that Tom was no longer looking out at the window. You could no longer see him as he was being blocked by the chair. You let out a quiet sigh as you sank back into your seat.

Returning your attention to the stewardess, she handed you the cup of water. You thanked her, and she moved on. Looking out the window, you sipped your water enjoying the view of the ocean. 

About an hour pasted uneventfully. One of the men next you had woken up and had brought out a computer. You didn’t look to closely at his screen, but he appeared to be typing something. You had gotten out your book and were reading it a very leisurely pace. You were leaned toward the window. At first it was in hopes of catching a glimpse of Tom, but now it was just how you were comfortable. 

Suddenly the plane shook. Your hands instinctively shot to grab on to the arm rest as your whole body tensed. The fasten seat belts light came on overhead. There were a few people shuffling to click their seat belt together, but you were lucky enough to already be buckled. 

The turbulence didn’t let up. It felt like you were falling through the air. There was nothing supporting you. The plane was losing altitude quickly. It didn’t take a genius to realize something was wrong. 

The air mask came down just confirming your theory. Quickly you put yours on. The man next to you put on his significant others before reaching for his. You knew that that wasn’t a wise thing to do. You just shook your head as you tried to control your breathing. 

Everyone on the plane was tense as the plane continued to fall. You looked around in a panic. You didn’t know what to do. You felt completely helpless. 

The man beside you woke up and started freaking out. He elbowed you in the stomach in his panic. You leaned over one hand clutching the mask and the other clutching your stomach. The man’s movements hadn’t stopped though and he knock his elbow again into you. This time it hitting the side of your head. 

You moved away from him quickly causing your mask to come off your face by the sudden motion. Then everything went black. 

[thehikingviking]

Olomana, Paku’i & Ahiki, Three Peaks of Oahu

I initially did not plan on hiking this peak. My original goal was to hike Ko’olau Summit, a previously unregistered P1k which is the highest point along the northern section of the Ko’olau Range. I felt I could best access the peak via the Poamoho Trail, which meant I had to go to city hall and get a permit and a code for a combination lock to open a gate. Not having the gate combination would add additional mileage to an already long outing. We got an early start and reached the locked gate while it was still dark out. I tried the code but it didn’t work. I spent at least 45 minutes trying to open the lock, and as sunlight began to creep over the horizon I knew that I failed. Walking several additional miles to the trailhead was not an option since daylight was limited. Dismayed, we got back in the Jeep and drove to a coffee shop near the military base. We sat around wondering what we should do instead, and hike seemed like the only natural answer. I saved a track of Olomana on my phone, a P1k that was also a listed peak on Peakery.com. I was previously discouraged by the class 4 rating, however I was determined to make the day count. There was a lot of discussion online on where to park, but no good guidance, so I decided to park at Maunawili Valley Neighborhood Park. We walked along the road in a big loop towards the Olomana Ridge Trailhead tucked within Royal Hawaiian Golf Club property. As we made our way up the road, we found several no trespassing signs. On most days I might have turned back, however I wasn’t about to be shut down again. We approached a manned security station and walked by with our shoulders up and chest out. No one came out to question us. Finally, we reached the Olomana Trailhead, and my anxiety subsided. I wondered if all the signage is there just to keep the tourists out, while allowing access to the better knowing locals.

Not far from starting off down the trail did we run across several feral pigs. They squealed and scattered as we approached.

The trail climbed to a low section of Olomana Ridge where we crossed paths with the ridge trail. We took a right here and followed the dirt path up the ridge.

There was another group hiking right behind us, and Asaka and I wanted to show them that we were faster. We began hiking at full speed and all of them dwindled except one. This motivation made the ascent go by very quickly. We eventually ditched the final contender by making good time on some steep sections and class 3 rocky scrambles. My heart was pumping by the time we reached the summit. Waimanalo Beach was to the southeast.

Kailua was to the north.

Mokolii Island was barely visible to the northwest.

Konahuanui stood to the west.

The next two peaks, Paku’i and Ahiki stood to the south. They looked pretty intimidating. 

Feeling as motivated as ever, we pushed on towards Paku’i, the second of the three peaks. There was a short down climb here which was aided by a rope.

Aside from the short down climb, getting to the second peak was pretty easy. 

Scrambling to the third and final peak looked to be the most challenging part of the day.

To get there we had to descend a much longer section of exposed rock. Without a rope this would have been sketchy, but with a rope it was just within the bounds of my comfort zone.

Asaka followed after me as I nervously watched from below.

The vertical rock turned into a trail once again as we crossed the final saddle. Then we began snaking our way up the final rocky ridgeline.

The climbing wasn’t all that hard, but it was mentally challenging, requiring high focus. The views from the top were great, even if it was the lowest summit of the three.

There was a summit register which we signed. I think failing on Ko’olau Summit was a blessing in disguise, as this was the most enjoyable hike/climb of the trip. We carefully made our way back towards the second summit, watching every step and double checking every hold.

As we stood on the middle summit we watched several helicopters fly overhead. We were probably giving them a good show.

I was finally able to relax once back at the first summit.

On our return, we decided to follow the ridgeline all the way down. The trail was not as clear as the previous trail, but we found our way.

That night we went to Honolulu where we ate some of the best Ramen I’ve ever tried outside of Japan and Taiwan.

The next day we chose to hike up Koko Head which was more of an exercise hill.

The climb up the old tracks got our hearts pumping. Views from the summit were great, but there were just too many people around for me to truly relax.

Later that afternoon we went back north to find something to do before our flight. With no creativity, we decided to hike a small peak named the Pillbox. It was simple, but views were great in the late afternoon sunlight.

We flew back to California that night.

[tagsecretsanta]

From Photowizard17

To @such-a-random-rambler

Secret Santa does not own this piece of work, full credit goes to the author mentioned above.

It was wet, it was cold and it was miserable. Unfortunately there was a job to be done and International Rescue answered the call. It was the worst recorded blizzard in Ontario, Canada since 2013. Houses were buried, streets were unusable and power had been out for 28 hours already. Just like the storm back in 2013, this particular weather phenomena also started just before Christmas.

“Are you sure there is nowhere else these people can go?” Gordon asked the local fire marshal. “They are really exposed to the elements out here, I don’t think many of them can last very long.”

“Unfortunately son, our town hall collapsed just before you arrived and the roads are closed, we don’t have anywhere for them to go.” The man was in his late sixties, clad in winter firefighting gear and ready for battle with an unforgiving Mother Nature.

With this being such a small town, nothing really happened around here, so to have something of this magnitude happen this quickly, was devastating. All Gordon could do was help direct people into the Pod bay of Thunderbird 2 and hope for the best. Virgil and Scott were out in two modified Pods trying to clear snow for emergency equipment, but the 90 kilometer per hour winds and the fact that the snow was still falling, were not helping. The wind pierced through layers of clothing, sending shivers down people’s spines, mens mustaches and beards were freezing with snow and slush.

Gordon had begun packing people into the Pod bay of Thunderbird 2 to help get as many people as possible out of this blizzard. Without the Pods inside, the bay could hold approximately 250 people, the towns population was near 1000.

“Thunderbird 5, this is Thunderbird 2, where is the nearest safe location within quick flying distance of Thunderbird 2?”

“Thunderbird 2 there is a town about 200 kilometers south of your location that is not having nearly the same weather difficulties you are having. The problem is I don’t know if you will be able to take off in those winds with all of those people onboard below,” John answered. He had been wracking his brain for a solution ever since they arrived, but moving that many people at a time who were not strapped in, in those weather conditions was just a bad idea.

“What if I asked them?”

“What if you asked them?”

Gordon looked around, these people were desperate, all they wanted to do was have a nice Christmas at home with their families and now each one of them is having to practically fight for their lives. “Yeah ask them, ask if they would be ok being transported like this, that way at least we know that we tried everything. Besides we can’t wait for the GDF their ETA was another 10 hours.”

John sighed, Gordon honestly had a point. “Scott, did you hear that?”

“Yeah John I heard. If Gordon thinks it will work then we have to try, but we also have to take all necessary precautions. That also means having EOS do predictions and probability.”

“Already done,” the AI chimed in. “the probability of success, while transporting 244.5 passengers in these weather conditions is 61.5%. The percentage will increase if Virgil is piloting Thunderbird 2.”

“Hey?!” Gordon was slightly touched by the comment, but he understood. Virgil was the best pilot of Thunderbird 2.

“EOS,” John interrupted, “how much will the probability of success increase if Virgil pilots?”

“Probability increases to 72.8% success.”

“Then it is settled, we are not asking we are just doing. Virgil head back to Thunderbird 2 and get ready for launch. Gordon count exactly 244 people and get them in the Pod bay. I’ll start notifying local officials of the plan,” Scott ordered.

A chorus of FAB’s followed and the plan was set in motion. By the time Virgil arrived back at Thunderbird 2 Gordon had loaded the first set of passengers. There would be a total of four trips to carry civilians and then one more trip to carry all of the local rescue teams and any stragglers that were left behind.

The ride was rough and crammed and uncomfortable but the plan was working. So far 488 people had been transported to the other town and were now safe from danger. “Thunderbird 1 this is Thunderbird 2. Scott, Thunderbird 2 is taking a beating, I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this up.”

“FAB Virgil, EOS? What is the probability of Virgil transports more people at once?”

“Taking into account the two successful trips plus the physical problems Thunderbird 2 is having, Virgil should be able to transport 270.2 people safely.”

“FAB, in that case Scott I think I am going to do one more trip and then come back for the rescue crews and stragglers.”

“Sounds good Virgil,” Scott answered. “From my heat sensors it looks like there are only 12 people left on our end who need help getting out. We may get home in time for Christmas after all.” Scott smirked.

As Virgil took off with the last load of civilians all he could think of was Christmas. He loved the carols and the food, but he was never really fond of Christmas. It had been years, before the start of IR, that all of his family had even been together on Christmas. He knew his work was noble and that this is what he had signed up for, but Christmas used to mean sitting by the fireplace while Grandma told stories and the smell of rich, creamy hot chocolate filled the air. But now, if he even gets to two of his brothers on Christmas it’s a miracle.

Right now though there was a job to be done and he needed to focus. The last of the people had been dropped off and were being treated in a nearby set up clinic in the local church. Maybe they would get home for Christmas. “Thunderbird 1 this is Thunderbird 2, I’m leaving the drop off zone…” Virgil trailed off.

“Virgil?”

“Scratch that, I was leaving.”

“What do you mean you ‘were’ leaving?” Scott was now standing beside Gordon with the last of the survivors and the rescue crews.

“My front left VTOL is all iced up and the landing gear won’t retract. Until I can get it cleared I won’t be leaving.” So much for getting home in time for Christmas. “I’m going to divert all auxiliary power to the heating systems for the VTOL and the landing gear bay.”

Twenty minutes had passed and the front VTOL was still iced up. “Virgil, how’s it going?”

“S-Slow Sc-scott,” Virgil replied. “I tr-ied diverting all heat t-to the VTOL’s. That i-is not working either. But I hav-e one more idea.”

All Gordon could do is glance at each other, they didn’t know what was going on and now people were starting to get really cold without and shelter other than Thunderbird 1 blocking the wind. On the other end of the comm they heard Virgil mumble something about ‘here goes nothing’ then earth shaking creaks and shutters coming from Thunderbird 2. “Virgil?” Scott shouted over the noise, much to the confusion of the civilians around him. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I took of-f Scott. I was hoping the increased power build up would f-force the ice off or at least melt i-t.” Virgil didn’t need to see his older brother to now that he was worried, this could go very, very wrong. There was one last shutter over the comms before all went quiet.

“Virgil?” Scott inquired. “Thunderbird 2?”

“I can’t believe that actually worked.” Virgil responded, “Scott ETA 10 minutes.”

“FAB Virgil, nice work.”

After Virgil returned with Thunderbird 2 Gordon helped load the last remaining passengers and the Snow Pods into the Pod bay. By then the snow had stopped falling and the wind had died down considerably. After one last sweep of the premises Virgil and Gordon took off in Thunderbird 2 towards the town for one last dropoff while Scott followed closely behind in Thunderbird 1 should any more problems arise.

Turns out Thunderbird 1’s vertical thrusters had frozen as well, but there was enough space for Scott to take off using his main thruster. They were lucky this time.

Now they were on their way home. Although Thunderbird 2 could push it and get home in just over an hour, Virgil thought it safer to push the systems, but not to their max. Now they would be home in about two hours. “Thunderbird 1 if you want to go ahead and get home Gordon and I are fine with that. We know you’re itching to get home.” Virgil said smirking at Gordon.

“That’s ok Thunderbird 2, we are nearly there anyway.”

About 10 minutes later Tracy Island appeared over the horizon. 7:23am, Christmas Day.

Thunderbird 1 descended into the pool while Thunderbird 2 landed on her runway and made her way into the hidden cave. Post flight checks were done and the three brothers changed into their street clothes ascended the stairs to the lounge together.

The sun had just begun to rise over the ocean horizon. A Christmas tree standing nearly nine feet tall was glowing and twinkling in the morning light. Above each brothers and Kayo’s portraits hung a string of delicate lights, and tinsel hung off the railing of the stairs. In the lounge sat seven people.

John was passing hot chocolate around while Grandma told stories of her adventures from her youth. Alan sat with Kayo curled up on the couch in blankets, while Brains fiddled with stubborn tree lights.

A welcoming surprise was Lady Penelope and Parker who were sitting on the other couch with little Sherbert. Gordon strode over to Lady Penelope and gave her a kiss, while Scott walked over to Kayo and did the same.

Virgil stood in the entryway looking at all of his family gathered together. The rich, creamy hot chocolate, the stories and most importantly the company. It was all like he remembered. They had made it home for Christmas.

Grandma walked over to Virgil and gave him a kiss on the cheek, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Welcome home boys,” she said. “Merry Christmas.”

[evalynnmesserli]

A Bit Different Chapter One: The Meeting

Fandom: Sonic the Hedgehog

Summary: Sometimes, who you think you are isn’t you. Sometimes, the easiest answer isn’t always the right one. Sometimes, the truth you believe is a lie.

A/N: Two chapters posted so close together? Don’t get used to it. I’m sick and stuck at home and somehow managed to write this through the medication. Sonic’s in this chapter! Whoo! Also depending on if I manage to not pass out in the next ten minutes, there might be another chapter posted today. I was inspired to write this by @squigglydigglydoo, @spiritsonic, @monpian , and @whatisthisnonsense’s “Sonic is an alien” theory. So yeah.

Extra Notes: I spelt Robotnik as Robootnid the entire time I was writing this due to meds but I think I caught them all. If you see that I didn’t then now you know why.

————————

Doctor Robotnik was, in his (delusional) opinion, the greatest genius the world had ever known, in both his own world and in this one that he’d found himself trapped in over twelve years ago after wandering onto that blasted floating island that had disappeared into thin air and was nowhere to be found even though he had searched everywhere and--!

He really needed to learn to stay on track.

Ignoring disappearing floating islands (that leave him stranded as the only human on the entire planet--!), Dr. Robotnik felt that he could solve any problem that came his way. Any question or oddity, he could easily figure it out. Except for this. Except for the fact that on his screen showed him someone that should be dead being perfectly alive and healthy.

Sure, he looked older, it had been six years after all and he’d just been a small child when the incident had happened, but that didn’t matter because he still should be dead. Dr. Robotnik had seen his body himself. There was no way.

Yet there he was, on the cover of South Island’s newspaper. “Local Hero Sonic the Hedgehog Saves the Day Yet Again” the headline read. Dr. Robotnik thought for a moment then turned to the egg-robo at his side.

“This might actually be him,” he said to the robot. “All the facial recognition scans match up perfectly, but I know I saw him dead.”

The robot was silent.

“I know! It’s impossible, but here he is! Perfectly fine and healthy!”

The robot beeped quietly.

“Don’t use that kind of tone with me!”

The robot went silent again.

“The question is how? How did he survive? And why is he using a stupid name like Sonic? Seriously? What kind of a name is that? Does he think he can hide from me?”

The robot remained silent.

“You’re right. It might not actually be him. Hmmmmm, how about this, I put my Life Data plan into action. If he’s the real deal then I can capture him and harness the Chaos Emeralds to power Robotnikland. I’ve improved since the last time so it will succeed.”

The robot beeped.

“I was getting to that! If he’s not who I think he is then it’s simple: he’ll die and I’ll have already started my conquest so there would be no point in stopping then. If I really need to I’ll just find some Chao to use.”

The robot beeped twice.

“Good talk! Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time I had a bit of a reunion.”

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

“Thank you so much, Sonic!” the cat said, taking her books from the young hedgehog. “I really need to watch where I’m going huh?” She laughed loudly.

Sonic nodded, internally wishing she would actually follow through on her comment. This was the third time today that Garnet had tripped over something and nearly gotten one of her books trampled or destroyed. One more time and he was just going to leave it.

“--not thank you enough,” Garnet continued even as Sonic grew impatient. She finally seemed to get the hint though because she smiled and said, “Anyhow, I’ll let you get back to whatever it was you were doing. Bye!” With that she ran off...and bumped into at least six people on her way to round the corner. Sonic shook his head in exasperation. When would she learn? He decided not to dwell on it and leave before she called for his help again. He had no problem with occasionally helping the villagers, but he really didn’t want the them to start depending on him too much.

So, he turned around and ran.

A normal Mobian can run rather quickly when needed or even just casually a with a lot of training, but Sonic was no normal Mobian. He didn’t know how and he didn’t know why, but he could run much faster than anything else on the island. Trains, cars, planes, whatever it was, he easily beat it. Some found it strange but it was normal for him. He’d been able to do it as long as he could remember and even before that. He never questioned it.

As such, he ran and ran and ran. Out of the village and all the way to a small shack that he called a home. Most wouldn’t be alright with a random twelve-year-old living on his own in a worn down hunk of wood that looked like it would collapse under its own weight with the slightest disturbance, but those who lived on the island had grown used to it. Sonic was strange and they had learned to live with it.

When he made it to the shack, Sonic immediately went around back to the banged up red plane which sat, rusty and unoperational, just a few feet away from the hunk of wood Sonic called home, where it had been for six years.

Sonic put his backpack down as he walked around it. He’d named it the Tornado when he first learned that most people named their planes. It had no special meaning to him, he’d just thought it sounded cool. The words written on the plane however, meant something.

Sonic ran his hand along the blocky white letters on the side of the plane. His name sat there, startling against the red and gray. Noticeable. Demanding attention. Sonic had taken it as his name when it was discovered that he couldn’t remember his. In fact, he couldn’t remember anything before waking up in the village infirmary years ago.

There had been an explosion on the opposite side of the island and when a search group had gone to investigate, they found Sonic lying unconscious surrounded by rubble from a house that no one had even known was there. They tried to question him when he woke up, but found that he could neither speak nor remember anything. Not even his own name. Nothing from the rubble was salvageable enough to figure out who Sonic was, but they had found an old plane that had managed to survive somehow, though it was completely broken and useless. Still, Sonic took it and the name painted on as his own.

Six years later and he was trying to get the Tornado working again so he could leave the island. Don’t get him wrong, Sonic liked the island and the villagers well enough, but he wanted to explore the world. He wanted to find what else was out there and go on adventures and face off against dangerous foes like Fang the Sniper or even find someone who could keep up with him to race. He didn’t want to be stuck on this island where he was already an outsider his whole life. He was going to get out. He was going to fix the Tornado and find somewhere new. Even if he had no idea how to fix a plane. He’d figure it out. It was only a matter of time.

Sonic was so deep in his thoughts (at least for him anyway) that he didn’t see the flicky flying straight towards him until it landed smack in his face, surprising him to the point where he fell backwards onto his butt.

The flicky flapped desperately around Sonic’s head, panicked chirps escaping its beak. Sonic stared at it a moment after he stood up, trying to figure out what was wrong when suddenly a robotic blue wasp came flying at them and snatched up the little creature. It looked at Sonic for a moment before quickly flying off back in the direction where it had come from.

For a moment Sonic just stood there, unable to process what exactly had just happened. Then he realized that whatever that robot was must have been what the flicky had been afraid of. Without a second thought, Sonic raced after the robot and flicky, easily closing the distance between them. He was about to jump up and grab the helpless animal when he was thrown into a tree by a beetle-like robot.

Sonic groaned silently as he stood up only to come face to face with a strange creature he had never seen before. It was almost egg shaped and had a pale and shiny peach head and giant orange mustache. It also wore a bright red shirt, black pants that looked like they were also its shoes, and a tiny yellow cape. The creature grinned at him before turning to the robot that still held the flicky.

“Do it,” the Egg Thing commanded and the robot shoved the flicky into another beetle looking robot. Sonic watched in shock as the robot trembled for a moment before opening its eyes and rolling away, the flicky still trapped inside. The Egg Thing turned back to Sonic and grinned wider.

Today was the weirdest day in Sonic’s life.

“Hello, ‘Sonic’” the Egg Thing said. “Long time no see, huh?”

Yup. Weirdest day ever.

[wanderlisa]

Skydiving

I always said to myself that whenever I made it to New Zealand I would go skydiving. As I was planning my trip to Australia and New Zealand it was in the back of my mind but I tried not to think about it too much.

I ended up breaking my elbow 12 days before my trip. I thought, “Well, there goes skydiving.” I had travel insurance so it was no problem rebooking my trip for a month later. (I always recommend buying travel insurance for international trips. I use World Nomads.) I was in a sling for five weeks – luckily no cast – and couldn’t stop thinking about skydiving and feeling disappointed. (And yes, I realized the irony of thinking about an extreme sport while having an injury from biking to work.) At my last doctor’s appointment before my trip my X-rays looked good. I asked my doctor if I could go skydiving on my upcoming New Zealand trip and he said yes!

Skydiving was going to be happening about a week into my trip so I tried to not think about it. There was no point getting myself psyched up days in advance. I spent a few days solo traveling in Sydney, which I absolutely loved, and then I joined a group trip in New Zealand. I went with an organization called Under 30 Experiences (it’s actually for those under 35). My sister and some friends had been on their trips and recommended it.

New Zealand is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life. We toured the South Island, which is supposed to be the more beautiful island. I was constantly in awe of my surroundings. I especially loved Queenstown, which might now top Cape Town as my favorite city in the world. Queenstown is the “adventure capital of the world” and where I would be going skydiving.

Six people in my group signed up for skydiving. We were scheduled for a Thursday afternoon. That morning the whole group took a short flight on a small plane to Milford Sound. The scenery out the window was absolutely stunning. I started getting nervous thinking that I would be jumping out of a similar plane over a similar landscape later in the day.

We took a short cruise in Milford Sound and then headed back on the plane to Queenstown. Now I was really nervous. Right after getting back to Queenstown the six of us had to head to the skydiving office. We signed forms and paid a lot of money. We were then shuttled outside of the town to the skydiving location. It was a beautiful sunny day. We had to sit outside for a while until it was our group’s turn. There was a grassy field where every so often tandem skydiving duos would land with their big colorful parachutes. Everyone looked so happy. It made me feel a lot better so I tried to think about how I would feel after landing and not focus on the jumping part.

After waiting around for a couple of hours we were finally called. It was a whole production to get dressed in our skydiving outfits – a jumpsuit, helmet, goggles, and harness. We were given markers to write messages on our hands for the camera. I wrote “Hi Mom.” I was going to wait until after I went skydiving to tell my mom. We watched a short instructional demonstration where we learned the proper position for jumping out of an airplane – the banana – where your body is facing downwards, parallel to the ground, with your legs and arms bending upwards.

There was an option to pay more to get GoPro pictures and video from our skydive. Obviously we all paid more for that. Before I went on the plane I met Will, the person I would be strapped to, and he filmed a short introduction video of me, asking if I was nervous. I was only slightly nervous at this point. Will said he’s done this 9,800 times! I was in good hands.

I was the last person in my group of six to get on the plane which meant I would be jumping first. There were also three other pairs who got on after me, and because I was sitting on the left side, one person in my group would be jumping before me. I was fifth in line. We sat on the floor of the airplane on what looked like two blue padded gymnastic balance beams in the order we would be jumping, facing the back of the small plane. Will slid back before me and started strapping my harness to his.

The plane took off and I started getting really nervous. This was it, there was no backing out now. The view out the window was beautiful but I wasn’t paying any attention to it. Will started filming and was cracking jokes. I wasn’t having it and asked him to please stop. Looking around the airplane, everyone was quiet and seemed nervous. It was also too loud to hear anyone except Will. He kept tugging on the straps, testing them. I felt safe but still couldn’t believe I was about to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

Once we reached 12,000 feet a light next to the door went on, indicating the door would be opening soon. And then all of a sudden everything was happening in fast motion. The door opened and the first pair approached the edge. Before I could even process it the first four pairs had jumped, one after the other, and it was my turn. I was a puddle of nerves. We scooted to the edge, were sitting there for a couple of seconds, and then Will pushed us and we were falling. I started screaming. I didn’t know which way was up and felt air pushing at me from all sides. I felt my stomach drop and was tumbling downwards. My first thought was “I don’t like this.” My second thought was “Oh My God I can’t breathe.” I stopped screaming and started gasping for air. Nobody said anything about not being able to breathe. Even while in free fall I was logically able to think that the more we fell the more air I would have. I was able to stay calm but I was not enjoying this at all. The 45 seconds of free fall felt like an eternity. And then finally Will opened the parachute. I’m impressed that he was able to do that with one hand while filming with the other hand.

As the parachute opened we slowed down significantly and the chaos around us turned into quiet and calm. We were the only ones I could see in the air and we were flying. Or falling slowly. I was able to breathe again and I calmed down. I was finally able to appreciate the breathtaking view. There was a gorgeous blue lake below us and mountains and green pastures surrounding us. Will told me to put my hands out in front of me and wave to the camera. I did that and quickly put my hands back on my harness. I know it didn’t make a difference if I was holding on or not but it made me feel more secure. Even though I calmed down a lot we were still thousands of feet up in the air and it was scary to think about. It took about four or five minutes after the free fall to land. This was my favorite part. I could see the grass field getting closer and closer. Will told me to raise my legs so I wouldn’t break a leg. That I could do. I did not want any more broken bones. We landed and I felt such a sense of relief. It felt so good to be sitting on the ground.

I felt shaky and I think that was the adrenaline. Within a couple of minutes I met up with everyone in my group who landed right after me. Some people were saying they wanted to go again. That was a hard no for me. It reminded me of getting off a roller coaster and some people want to go again and others are completely done. I’m so proud of myself and glad I did it but I think it was a one time thing for me. I learned from this that I am definitely not an adrenaline junkie.

We had to wait around a while longer to get our photos and videos but it was completely worth it. It was a long day and we were excited to get back to the rest of the group and relay our adventure to them.

Thinking about it now, the scariest moment of my life was sitting on the edge of the plane, about to jump and knowing there was no turning back. I still can’t believe I did this and I probably won’t do it ever again, but I do recommend trying it one time. It’s something you can tell your grandkids one day.