#i started thinking about this while i was loading the kiln at work it's so silly i love it

[finkinthisfrew]

Anything (Pt.8)

cw: sexual tension and horniness, erection, being naked together

Chapter 8 I shut the door to my apartment and leaned my back against it, my lips still tingling from the kiss we shared before Matty hopped into a cab to get to his meeting which he was now late for. He had changed back into his date clothes from the night before, leaving his hoodie and sweatpants behind.

We'd spent the rest of the morning in bed cuddling while chatting, laughing and eating cereal. Eventually, after much protesting from Matty, I convinced him not to cancel his day of meetings and interviews. He obliged only after I promised him I'd come over for dinner later that evening.

I walked back upstairs, still in a daze, and started making my bed. I had once again been lost in thought when I heard my phone buzz on my nightstand.

I'm not particularly enjoying being apart from you :(

My heart fluttered as I read his text and my phone buzzed again.

If you get out of the studio early, will you please come straight to mine?

I couldn't help but smile at his eagerness. It wasn't just that it was flattering, but something about his unabashed honesty was so comforting. He wasn't afraid of this, which helped me feel unafraid too. I sat down on the edge of my bed and began to type.

I'm also not enjoying being apart from you :( I want to come over straight after, I really do, but I need to go home to shower and change out of my studio clothes first. If I don't... well, if you saw me like that then let's just say you'd probably enjoy being apart more lol

It didn't take long for Matty to respond.

You could sprout a tail and 3 extra heads and I'd still be utterly obsessed with you. Come over straight after- you can wash up at mine. If it helps I promise I won't look at you when you first get here (that's a lie btw)

I rolled my eyes at his message and I couldn't help but giggle- he was so funny and clever. As I began to type a response, I got another text from him.

Not to pressure you. Sorry, I'm being very selfish here. I've just got a bit of a crush, that's all :)

I took a moment to think before I wrote my next couple messages.

Wellllllll, when you put it like that... as long as you don't mind me taking a quick shower at yours before we eat then sure, I'd love to :)

I can text you when I'm heading over. I'll probably be done by 5:30/6:00 pm- maybe even sooner. Should only take me 15 min to get to your place from the studio

I couldn't help but blush when I read his response.

Amazing. See you then <3 Text me whenever you miss me plz

The little heart emoji made me shimmy with giddiness. I was so excited to see him again- and we'd only been apart for... three minutes? Four? It felt insane, but the connection we had felt so deep so immediately. I hopped up from my bed, running to my wardrobe to get dressed as quickly as possible so I could get to the studio right away. The sooner I got my work done, the sooner I'd be able to see Matty again.

The next several hours I spent at the studio working on a new piece as well as finishing up some older ones. Somehow, by some miracle, the day had flown by and I'd finished just a few minutes after 5 pm.

We'd texted throughout the day, updating each other when we found time, but we could both tell we were missing each other desperately already.

As soon as I finished loading my last piece into the kiln, I sent Matty a text letting him know I was heading over and I all but ran out of the building and onto the tube.

I didn't even care that I was covered head to toe in dried clay and glaze with my hair in a dishevelled little bun on the top of my head. I looked my absolute worst, and somehow I felt my best the second I opened Matty's door, which he'd let me know was unlocked. Jogging up his steps, I called out his name. As soon as I reached the top of the steps I barely saw Matty appear before I was swept up in his arms, enveloped in a deep and longing kiss. I greedily kissed him back, which only made him kiss me harder. Our hands ran over each other urgently, taking in each other's presence in every possible way. We tried to break off the kiss after several minutes of making out, but failed every time, going back for more as if we'd been starved of each other.

The sound of a timer going off eventually convinced us to stop, earning a grunt of annoyance from Matty.

"One moment, stay right here," he said before disappearing down the hallway. "Stay perfectly where you are, darling," I heard him yell from the kitchen. Reappearing moments later with his arms already reaching out for me, we pulled towards each other like magnets, embracing once again. After a few more moments of passionate kissing, I pulled away.

"Before we continue," I said giggling as he wrapped his arms around me and kissed my face all over, "I really want to take a quick shower. Do you mind?"

He was just kissing my neck, sending tingles down my spine and making me shiver, when he retreated and said, "Actually, I hope you don't mind, but I had something else in mind for you... follow me."

We walked into his bedroom hand in hand. Then he pushed open his bathroom door, revealing a bathtub full of thick foamy bubbles and candles lit all over. A plush white bathrobe hung on the wall, and a bottle of wine with a large wine glass sat on the stool next to the tub.

I was speechless.

"Hopefully you have everything you need, but if not, just give us a shout and I'll grab you whatever you need. I'll be in the kitchen when you're done," he said giving my hand a squeeze. He leaned down and kissed the side of my nose, to which I turned to face him fully before taking his face in both my hands and kissing him on the lips.

"Thank you," I said softly.

He looked at me sweetly so happy with my reaction as he walked out the door, our fingers parting only when our arms could no longer reach. As he began to close the door, he paused saying, "It's such a comfort to have you here in my home, knowing you're just down the hall... It's really lovely to be home together."

I smiled back at him as he shut the door behind him.

I walked over to the sink and washed my face and cleaned my fingernails of the caked-on clay. I slowly peeled off my clothes, reflecting on what Matty said. I felt so at peace knowing he was here. This wasn't my home, but I felt at home here, because he was here.

I lowered myself into the tub, enveloping myself in the lavender-scented suds. The water was the perfect temperature, soothing my sore body which ached from hunching over the pottery wheel for so long. I poured myself a glass of the chilled wine and sunk deeper into the suds.

My mind drifted back to the last memory I had of Matty in this bathroom- soaked from spraying each other with the showerhead, his shirt clinging to his muscled and toned body, water dripping from his damp curls onto his parted lips. I remembered the tension I'd felt at that moment- the tension we felt. I remembered his face perfectly, the way he looked at my lips, then back into my eyes, panting slightly from our water fight. If I hadn't been so nervous... I wondered what would have happened.

I let myself steep in that memory, and after a while, I couldn't tell if I was getting hot from the bathtub water, or from the memory itself.

Without thinking, I called out Matty's name. He appeared at the door a few moments later, his head poking in. "Yes, darling?" he asked, averting his eyes for my own modesty.

"It's okay, you can look. I think you put enough bubbles in here for a months worth of baths," I said with a lighthearted laugh.

He allowed his eyes to slowly turn and look at me laying in the bath, bubbles covering everything below my collarbone.

"Fuck..." he said to himself quietly. "You are painfully gorgeous, Anna."

I blush at his candidness. "Thank you, Matty." I tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear before remembering why I called him in in the first place.

"Are you doing anything super involved in the kitchen right now, or would you possibly want to keep me some company?" I asked.

He all but skipped over to the stool next to the tub and sat down, leaning in to kiss me.

"Of course, darling. Anything for you." He said as he rolled up the sleeves of the flannel shirt he wore. I could see a spatter of red sauce from whatever he'd been cooking staining his shirt underneath.

He saw me notice his soiled shirt, face turning red as he said "Things got a bit more involved in the kitchen than I anticipated."

"Actually, I was wondering... if maybe you'd like to join me?" I asked, my boldness faltering only briefly from the sweetness of our kiss.

He blinked at me, processing what I'd just asked him.

"It seems like you could do with a soak too," I added tentatively, gesturing at his shirt, my voice a question mark.

"Are you sure?" He asked. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

I smiled at him. "I wouldn't ask if I didn't want it. I promise."

"Well as long as you're sure..." he pulled his flannel off as he stood up to undress.

I looked away as he pulled his stained t-shirt off, allowing him some privacy while undressing. I could feel his eyes on me, his movements measured from the corner of my eye, watching to make sure I was okay with every step he took.

He lowered himself slowly into the tub across from me. The tub was wide enough that we could both lay with our legs stretched out side by side. Matty gently lifted one of my legs to rest on his chest and began to rub my foot. My eyes practically rolled back into my head from bliss. I sighed audibly.

"Now there's a sound I could live for," he said with a smile.

I frowned from pleasure, my eyes closing.

"Are you sure you're not an angel, Matty? You treat me way too well- if you keep this up I don't know what I'll do without you once my placement ends."

Matty's hands paused for a moment. He fell silent, and I wondered if I'd said something wrong.

"I know it's quite irresponsible, but can we pretend that you aren't leaving in a few months? Just for tonight?"  He returned to rubbing my foot, looking me straight in the eyes. "I don't think I can think about that right now. Actually, I don't think I can think about it ever, but just for this one evening... I want to imagine this never has to end."

I couldn't tell if my heart had stopped, or was beating so fast that I could no longer feel it.

"Is that okay with you?" He asked, a look of innocence on his face.

"Of course," I said with sympathy, because I knew exactly what he meant, and I felt exactly the same way.

He kissed my big toe with a giant grin, making me laugh.

I sunk deeper into tub, relaxing, admiring the crinkles beside Matty's eyes as he smiled, taking extra time to memorize each one. I loved the way his eyes squinted when he smiled, the way he always spoke so earnestly with me. I loved that he always asked for consent. I loved how he would get carried away with his excitement, then always pedalled back to make sure I was in the same place as him. And I always was. I'd never fallen into step with someone like this before, every stride matching. I had never felt so safe with someone before. Or so turned on.

"Matty," I said, sitting upright, leaning towards him.

"Yes, dear?" He answered, eyebrows risen innocently.

"Kiss me. Please?"

"Anything for you." He said, rising from the tub, suds slowly dripping down his tattooed chest.

Our lips met, heat radiating from each other, dampness from the steam of the bath and our sweat intermingling. Our tongues met, dancing lightly with each other at first, then building intensity the longer we kissed.

I wrapped my arms around his naked torso, running my hands over his back, skin soft and slippery from the water. He gently placed one hand on the back of my neck, the other around my waist under water.

I couldn't get close enough to him, shifting myself onto my knees and straddling him, sitting down on his stomach as he reclined.

I was hungry for more. I kissed him deeper, and he pulled me in close against him in response, our bodies now touching everywhere.

"Is this okay?" He asked breathlessly, pulling away briefly to check in with me. I was so touched by his concern, which only made me want him more. I kissed his cheek, his jaw, then nibbled his ear. He moaned softly.

"Yes. Very, very okay." I said, my lips returning to his. We kissed even deeper, heat building.

He kissed me with even more intention now, his strong hands grasping at my hips. I ran my nails down his back, to which he responded "Fuck, Anna. I can't get enough of you."

I felt bold, so I pulled away, looked him dead in the eye and said, "So have me. Have all of me."

With that I shimmied further down his body, his erection now hard against my backside. I watched Matty's jaw drop as he processed what I'd just said and done. I maintained eye contact with him as I did it.

"... are you sure?" He asked slowly. "I don't want you to feel pressured to do anything just because I've got a bit excited."

I shook my head. "I mean it. I want you."

He shook his head in disbelief, eyes glazed with passion, "I need you." before he pulled me in with full force.

[shleemies]

Lately I've been going through a lot. I've been experiencing a lot of transphobia on top of my depression and PTSD. I've been struggling a lot with creativity and what art means to me, in addition to being in a ceramics class while my wrists are having a huge flare up making the wheel work I want to do near impossible. I see trans bodies celebrated in art and it means the world to me. I wonder why do I feel unable to do the same? Coming to terms with the fact that I still carry a lot of internal shame surrounding my body and my sexuality. This is not sexual artwork to me, more of a self portrait. More of a love letter to myself. I brought clay home to work with and kept scrapping everything I tried to make, until I sort of accidentally made a t dick. I thought about it, planned it in my head, and started it over with intention. It's been such a struggle to enjoy making art. And I enjoyed making this. Going over familiar curves, smoothing out the cracks and bending the clay in a way that felt so natural. I want to fire this piece and maybe even add underglazes to it, but I'm still so nervous because it's a classroom setting where multiple people will see it and handle it if I don't make time to load and unload it from the kiln myself, which I probably won't. But why should I feel ashamed? Cis women make art of their vaginas all the time. Breasts too. Someone a few weeks ago had a mug decorated with naked gay men they made in class. Trans bodies deserve the same respect and love as cis bodies. I love my body. I just want to show trans bodies are normal and nothing to be ashamed of. I don't have anywhere I share things like this, so it's going here. I may have a breakdown later and end up scrapping it, I might not. I love being trans and I love every trans body. Trans bodies are nothing to be ashamed of. What will I do with the finished piece? No idea. Where does one put a porcelain penis? Perhaps I could make it a wall piece. But despite what I may or may not do with this, it was really important for me to share this. I love my body. If I could only sculpt trans dick for the rest of my life I think I'd be happy. Something to do with trans existence being a constant experience in self creation. Every trans body is a work of art. I am endlessly creating myself and I think that beautiful.

[pulchritudinous-plants]

pottery

ive decided to start posting some of the short writing pieces ive done for Kingdom Keepers over the years. they’re all based off a random word generator (in this case ‘pottery’) and then i pick a random number one through seven to figure out how many characters im using. there’s a few of these already written, though if you’d like you can send in a prompt. the goal is for none of these to be shippy, simply focusing on the keepers friendships and personal lives and i write only until im bored.

Jelly wasn't neat when she worked. Glaze always ended up in her hair and clay was always on her clothes. She’d forget to push her sleeves up and leave them dripping with water from the sink. Her fingernails were almost always stained from oxides.

It was something Maybeck loves about his aunt, just how much she loves her work. She throws herself into it fully, the throwing and slip casting; firing and glazing.

When he’d first come to live with Jelly, face still round with baby fat and not even out of elementary school, he’d been apprehensive. He loved Jelly; had always spent hours whiling away the day in the back rooms painting on pottery shards she couldn’t sell. But it was so different to be surrounded by it all 24/7.

Jelly always got up early to tend to the kilns, restock the bisque wear, and set up shop. She’d be up late doing budget work, figuring out what she had to cut now that she had another mouth to feed.

He’d lived with her for months before she showed him the pottery wheel out back. She didn’t have as much time for it anymore, she had told him. But she showed him the steps; told him he was free to make whatever he wanted.

“We can glaze it and keep it if you want to. Or you can smash it. It’s up to you,”

And so he’d donned a smock and slammed down a ball of clay, already envisioning the giant vases and pitchers he’d be making in no time.

Except, it turned out, throwing on the wheel was hard. Like, really hard. It looked so simple when Jelly did it, experienced hands shaping the clay into a cup in minutes. His first piece that makes it off the wheel is a cup too wide to hold easily with too large of a rim to actually drink from. He glazes it bright blue and gives it to Jelly. She uses it every morning for juice and some nights for wine and says it's the best she’s ever seen.

But it’s nice, to create, even when it does end with him smashing a piece that cracked in the kiln. The slight grit of the clay under his hands, the anticipation of putting a glazed piece into the kiln- how the color would change, how the clay would warp and shrink.

So he keeps working. And he smashes up more pieces than he fires, and there are times when he wants to tear his hair out because he’d just trimmed through the bottom of a pot again, but he keeps going.

Jelly teaches him more as he got older. How to load the kiln, how to properly mix glaze; how to take the wet mush in the reclaim bucket and turn it back into reusable clay. She even takes him down to a lake one day, gathering natural clay just off the banks, and teaches him how to make it usable.

Shelves fill up with his work slowly, though he never gets to pick what goes on display. Jelly always picks pieces that are imperfect, glazes that are patchy and cups that wobble, heavy bottom pots that only barely survive the firing, and slab boxes with uneven seams.

He gives out his work to his friends, on birthdays and holidays and just because days, feigning indifference at their appreciation, acting like he hasn’t spent weeks thinking of what they’d actually use, things that couldn’t be picked up at some store. And he pretends it doesn’t make him grin when he sees Philby using a mug he’s made for tea; Charlene picking out the perfect plant for the new pot he’s given her.

His hands turn dry, clay leaching the moisture out of them. He has lotion on him wherever he goes, something citrus scented that reminds him of the orange groves near Lake Louisa. He keeps his nails cut so short they sometimes hurt and yet still clay ends up wedged between the skin. Clay dust covers his Converse turning them dingy and grey.

He’s never quite as messy as Jelly, keeps his hair pulled out of the way religiously, glaze on his fingertips but never jeans, but he certainly isn’t neat.

He teaches classes at the youth center after the cruise. Uses his DHI money to make sure it's free for anyone who wants it; pays out of pocket for the clay and glazes. He’s not as good as Jelly, not at the throwing or the teaching, but he likes it. He likes to watch the kid's emotions come out in the clay, the joy when a piece finally centers; the relief when it comes out of the kiln unharmed, the frustration when prized pieces crack at the last firing.

And when he’s applying for art schools he fills his portfolio with his best work. Large vases with sgraffito flowers, raku tea sets with feathers burned into the surface, deceptively simple speckled plates that took him months to get right. But he also adds the blue cup, right at the end, stained slightly after near ten years of use, and titles it “A Study in Progress”.

And when he’s accepted into every school he applies to Jelly cries and hugs him and he cries a little too if he’s being honest. And when Jelly gets out the cup and pours him a drink in celebration (which he spills half on himself, because, really, it's not a very functional thing), he thinks, for the first time, that he could do this. Art as a career, not just a hobby. For all his bravado and bluster, the fear of being told his art isn’t good enough, that he isn’t good enough, has been all consuming since he sent out his applications. He doesn’t understand how Willa and Philby are keeping it together waiting for their Ivy league applications to get back to them.

He doesn’t know which school he’ll go to yet: he’s leaning towards California, but Cranbrook and Alfred both have such amazing programs that he knows he’s going to have to think about it. There’s pros and cons to each, he’s sure, namely the distance from Jelly and the closeness to Charlene, but scholarships definitely will influence his decision. He’s got months until final decisions need to be made.

So for now he sits with Jelly, whose forehead is streaked with apple green glaze, planning the best way to nonchalantly tell the Keeper group chat that he got accepted in a way that warrants congratulations and possibly some of Mrs Whitman’s cookies but doesn’t sound like he’s asking for any of it, and breathes.

[ready-to-obeyme]

[OM!] Demon Brothers + Hobbies 🏊

Lucifer

what free time

when he does somehow peel himself off of work, he enjoys ballroom dancing

i can just imagine him putting on a vinyl song, holding up his arms and doing the steps to the dance (1, 2, 3... 1, 2, 3) and god forbid someone tries to come in during this time because he’d be too embarrassed to be lenient on their punishment

i imagine he’s super into learning other couple dances too like tango and salsa, so when you get together with him count on being his partner!

i bet he also loves teaching other people things-- like genuinely, considering he is the oldest of the seven (his brothers just test him LOL)

incredibly patient when showing you the steps, taking pride in your improvement and growing warm at the thought of you being able to dance with him at the next chance you get

and his weakness???? online shopping on akuzon 

which, when you find out, makes him extremely embarrassed and depending on whether you have the same past time-- you may or may not buy everything on akuzon

on his home screen interaction dialogue, he says something along the lines of “Akuzon is too convenient... it’s easy to buy a lot of things” while blushing

so I’m thinking sometimes when he does take a breather from his workload, he scrolls on akuzon just browsing for things because it’s quick

and ends up putting like 5 things into the cart  that he doesn’t really need

doesn’t always follow through and buy everything, but he definitely has moments where he impulse buys and it’s gone to bite him in the butt when packages arrive in droves and his brothers are like ??? why are there so many things

Mammon

loves music-- both listening and making it!

likes making his own mixtapes and playlists

and when he gets to share it with you, he’s so nervous; but the giddy happiness he feels when you tell him that it’s good is SO worth the wait and time he puts into his music

he’d be happy just having his mixtapes and music to himself but being able to share it with someone makes it a lot sweeter

definitely makes playlists for and about you because sometimes the feelings he can’t put into words he can tell you through music

idk if he has a recording studio in his room, but i think it’d be pretty fitting if there was

probably gets into composing his music, rapping mayhaps??

at some point likes to DJ as well, though he’s not too good as it rn, but he definitely loooooves playing with the sound effects and tracks

all of these things are him being able to express himself-- put a twist on something that already exists or creating something on his own

it gives him a sense of freedom: to express himself and to do whatever he wants as he pleases

pretty well-rounded when it comes to playing instruments

when he puts his mind to it, he can probably learn anything

most likely already knows how to play the guitar and the drums

has a pretty good voice too tbh

Leviathan

swimming!!

he may be a shut-in, but ya boy has ocean decor, can control sea creatures, so it’s only natural he can swim and swim well

doesn’t do it as often since he prefers watching anime/playing games loads more, but he it’s definitely something he enjoys since it feels like his natural place to be 

considering his dream is to be a professional gamer, it’s not far off to say that he finds it his hobby to start off small and be a youtuber, probably posting reviews of games he’s played or even writing out walk-throughs online

actually loves going to concerts and cons

if he was a fan of hatsune miku you BET he’d want to go to her first live concert with her life-sized hologram, waving the glowsticks in unison with the crowd

would definitely go all four days of Anime Expo where he would be SO happy surrounded by people who can love the same things he does with the same passion

loves creating cosplay to go to these cons by hand; impeccable detail and intense dedication into the craft that shows his love for whatever he’s making

kinda shy about wearing it, but if you’re down to wear any of his costumes, he’d absolutely die happy

it’s just too much love for him to handle in one sitting 

and ofc, hobbies include board games, games, DND, all those!!

Satan

asides from reading, loves traveling when he can whenever he can

he invites you out to places because he enjoys discovering new things and experiencing new things and traveling is the perfect way to do all of that all the time

he’d enjoy hiking too-- on trails, through the wilderness, among the wild; just give him a backpack, an explorers hat, maybe a walking stick (just like the ones in the movies) and he’s on his way!

loves going hiking with you because he likes the way your face lights up at new scenery or the wonders of the world

likes that he can share this enjoyment and excitement of discovery with you because it feels like he’s sharing a little bit of himself too

indoor activity is snuggling in the covers and having movie marathons! and now that he has you and all your movies on DVD (lol) he can now enjoy so much more things

and when he finds out about Netflix, he is NOT sleeping for DAYS

“Satan... did you sleep last night?”

“couldn’t. the new season of How to Get Away with Murder came out.”

SLAM POETRY

doesn’t think he’s very good, but definitely likes writing down in his journal and even some scattered words that form a bit of poetry sometimes

really really shy about sharing it, but if you coax him a little, he’d be willing to show you (though you’ll have a hard time convincing him to show you poetry he wrote about you)

people have said, and I agree, cat cafe is definitely something he’d seek out and enjoy; literal dream come true

a house of cats that lucifer can’t ban him from LMAO

Asmodeus

has a very creative mind and deft hands meant for craft (among other things ahem)

as a fashionable person and a trendsetter, he’d love making his own jewelry and clothes, picking out the beads and metalware for the earrings or bracelets and feeling out the cloth and stitches for his outfits

if levi IS into making cosplay, it’d be such a nice way for them to bond together since Levi is pretty good with picking out material too

i like to imagine he enjoys making jewelry for his brothers too:

a stud earring for mammon, maybe convincing him to explore other options and wear other jewelry too

giving his brothers the options of clip on earrings if they wanted to try something temporary, gives satan a golden bracelet, lucifer a silver ring etc

suuuuuper supportive of you if you wanted any type of piercings and would absolutely love it if you wore his jewelry

god he would bedazzle you in all his jewelry and clothes if he could

another hobby is doing yoga!!

good for the body and soul uwu

definitely gives a good reason for any of his flexibility, or maybe it’s because he’s naturally flexible that yoga is calming for him

also loves to invite you to do yoga with him

you’d definitely get a bit steamy doing certain positions with him, but MOST of the time, he does encourage you to stretch, relax, and strengthen your body

Beelzebub

so athletic he could probably play every sport

i agree with the masses: he’d DEFINITELY be good at hockey

basketball too (just imagine Kagami from Kuroko no Basuke)

you know what they say about big hands

big, strong hands, good for crafting that involves a little more strength, but considering he’s a pretty tender and patient guy, is great at sculpting with clay, which extends to pottery as well

just imagine him sitting near a kiln, spinning the clay and using his hands to shape the curve and notches of a pot

considering how many plates and bowls he’s probably eaten, it makes for a good way to replace them HAHA

good at crafting with glass too considering it requires steady hands and strength to spin glass evenly

enjoys a lot of arts and crafts and loves giving them as gifts, especially if they’re made from his own hands

one of the main reasons why he started and likes doing these as a hobby actually

adores the look on you face when you created a glass terrarium for your plants or created glass ornaments dyed with your favorite colors

would definitely be the type of person to put his hands on yours as he teaches you how to shape the clay and have plenty of fun with you watching you try to make glass ornaments with or without success

Belphegor

during his waking hours, he loves to study the stars

loved to watch them in the human world, but without a night sky, he’s content with looking up for constellations in books from the library

if you buy him the cute lamp that lights stars onto the ceiling, he’ll find you so endearing because he’d enjoy lying in bed with you and just looking up at the lights and being in each other’s arms-- imagining the day he gets to do this with you for real, on a picnic blanket, looking up at the moon and stars

i imagine he’d like to doodle too

i say MAINLY doodles because they’re easier like drawing chibis or whatever thinks is amusing and lowkey keeps him awake (though Lucifer doesn’t like it when he draws on the desks)

does sometimes go all out and draw amazingly well, whenever the mood strikes him

when you ask him, he jokingly says you’re his muse; but honestly wouldn’t put it past him to have drawn a portrait of you, awake or asleep, at some point

surprisingly good at sewing-- or at the very least mending rips and tears

i feel like beel has a lot of ripped shirts (...from being, yknow, ripped) so he’s gotten pretty good at simple stitches, which eventually evolved into something more

didn’t start off as a hobby but he did eventually find it soothing to sew and embroider

levi and asmodeus adore his skills and he grumbles, but doesn’t ever say ‘no’ to them when they ask for his help

[saphirered]

Really live your fic on Cabel. Think you can do a M9 one shot with Artificer reader? With a flashback of their war and lost their group.

I hope it’s to your liking. I’ve been caught up in work so sorry for the wait 😅.

You were sitting with the rest of the Nein in a tavern. Tensions had somewhat lowered for now but you’d be off on your next adventure soon. For now you would relax even if for a short while. The band was playing a lively tune and you could feel your foot tapping on the ground along with the beat while sipping your drink making happy conversation with Caduceus. A hand grabbed your shoulder and pulled you to your feet turning you around. Slightly caught off guard you stumbled but the laugh from Caduceus confirmed it was safe.

“Come oooon y/n!” Jester exclaimed while pulling you to a makeshift dance floor. 

“Okay. Okay.” You laughed taking your place as Jester did hers, waiting for the right beat to hit and starting your dance. Jumping, bouncing twirling and twisting arm in arm along to the beat. Eventually Beau joined in too and she somehow managed to drag Fjord and Caleb with too. How she managed you didn’t know but possibly under the threat of exposing all their secrets. Before you knew it all of the Nein had joined the dance laughing along. How far you’d all come. 

——————————————————————————

You’d been captured at the Garrison. The back and forth between sides taking control of the Ashguard Garrison had been maddening. You and your unit had been sent in to defend the garrison once it fell into your hands and now the enemy had gotten it back from you. You had been taken prisoner along with the rest of your group. You were escorted through the mountain passes back to the other side to be interrogated but you and your friends weren’t much looking forward to the ‘gracious’ offer of food and shelter and especially not the prospect of spending your final moments in chains at the mercy of those who would see you dead after you’d outlived your usefulness. 

They made a mistake not searching thoroughly and letting you keep your armour. Blessed be the gods for your ability to integrate your tools into your armour. You devised a plan with your friends. Every time you rested they would try and steal some materials. Not enough to notice but just what you needed. The time of your escape came around. While most were asleep one of your friends picked the lock on your cuffs freeing your hands. Another distracted the soldiers in charge of keeping an eye on you, shouting profanities, cursing them and complaining about anything and everything to be as much of a nuisance as possible. It worked.

First up you freed your tools and began the construction of an Eldritch Cannon, small enough to hide it behind your shapes and not draw the attention of your captors. You were successful. 

Your friend acting as the distraction got a pretty good beating after refusing to shut up that would certainly result in bruises and might actually be a broken nose but it’s worth getting out. You gave a nod to your friend who’d been picking the locks on the others’ manacles one by one. 

Okay you had one chance. They started getting fed up with your talkative friend began losing their interest but he kept trying. It was time for him to get out too so you threw a pebble as far as you could in the opposite direction. The sound gained their attention but the light you made it admit scared them even more. They shouted waking the others, save for a few all going in the direction of the light. Taking this as your cue you set off the cannon blasting the soldiers close to you away. Second another of your group tossed a fireball right at the cluttered mess igniting their supplies and blasting away those within range. 

You got up and began running. All of your able-bodied enemies now awake began giving chase but you had the advantage here. You kept running, jumping over rocks, sliding down ledges dodging arrows. You saw one of your friends had managed to sneak your firearm and some ammunition from their stash before it was set on fire. They toss it over and you begin loading a shot while running. 

——————————————————————————

You’re hidden behind a fallen decaying tree as Beauregard begins walking over the hunched figure in the swamp. You don’t trust the situation for a second but she insisted in taking the ‘right approach’ as whatever this creature was it might be friendly. You take aim waiting for whatever happens next, ready to take the shot if you need to. 

Of course it went south pretty quickly and you took the shot as you expected. The fight began. You really had gotten so used to this that your nerves had gone away entirely and instead were replaced with a calmness every time you took aim. It wasn’t always like that.

——————————————————————————

The enemy was still giving chase and you’d eventually have to stop. Some of your fellow soldiers had fallen and you were forced to leave them behind praying that whatever deity they worshiped would shelter them. You couldn’t afford to slow down but you had to rest at one point. A few of your group had already begun to lose pace. You had noticed a ledge a ways ahead. You were a quick climber and an especially good shot from the distance. Someone had to hold them off because there was no way you could out run them especially not if they had called for reinforcements. Someone had to create a window for them to get away. 

“You have to keep going.” You spoke out of breath. “I can hold them off for a while.”

“We’re not leaving you behind.” Your friend spoke.

“We’ve already left behind enough. Someone’s gotta make it out alive. I’ll come find you when I’m done. See you on the other side, old friend.” You clasp your friend’s hand before you let go and begin running to the ledge and jump to the other side beginning to climb up before they can stop you. They try to call after you but don’t want to risk anyone hearing them or exposing you. 

You climb up the mountain to the spot you had seen and lay down using the natural rock to stabilise the barrel. You calm your breath but the nerves make you shake a little. And a little is a lot on a long range. You breathe and count. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5…. Breathe. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Breathe. The tremor subsides in the next minute and the first target enters your range. You take aim. And fire. First one down. Reload. Take aim. Fire. Reload. Take aim. Fire. Reload. 

——————————————————————————

“Are we there yet?” Jester asked Fjord as you were trudging through the snow, the Kiln far behind you.

“No not yet.” 

“Are we there yet?” This time it was Beau asking. 

“No.”

“Are we there now?” Beau and Jester asked in unison. You could practically hear the half-orc grind his teeth trying to keep his cool. You knew he loved every single one of the Nein to hell and back but even you had to admit they could be quite something to deal with.

“Maybe it’s best to stop asking so we can focus on directions instead of getting lost? Besides if you’re not constantly reminded of the time it may look like we’ll be there faster and the faster we can get some pastries.” This seemed to quiet Jester down but Beau was about to counter that statement so you instead indulged her in a conversation about her latest workout routine. Fjord shot you a thankful glance. 

You continued on your path for many more hours until the sun set. Caleb put the dome up keeping you all warm. You sat around a fire provided by both you and Caleb just engaging in happy conversations. 

“Ooh, ooh, ooh! Y/n can you tell the story of how you found us again! I love it when you tell stories!” Jester exclaimed practically begging you.

“Yeah y/n, tell me more about how you use that weapon of yours so I can shoot Beau in the ass with this!” Nott cackled holding up the pistol she had been holding on for a while now. 

“Okay, okay. If you want to hear the story I’ll tell you but Nott, you have to promise you won’t shoot anyone on purpose. These are no toys and they’re only to be used responsibly in self defence.” 

“I will make no such promises!” Nott screeched but puts the pistol away. 

“I-uh think you should. If not for your sake, for mine besides I’d like to hear the tale too.” Caleb argued which seemed to convince the goblin although begrudgingly so.

“Okay. I promise I won’t shoot anyone I don’t intend to and will use it only in defence.” You were pretty sure you could see Nott cross her fingers behind her back but it was the best you were gonna get and you weren’t gonna derive the others of a story just for that. 

“Once upon a time…” You began as you tinker up a quick little trick drawing up pictures using one of your abilities to display some of the scenes like a children’s storybook. Beau lied down stretching her legs across your lap and Jester sat right next to you pointing out little details as you brought the pictures into existence. Nott studied every single one that portrays any kind of firearm while Caleb covered her eyes jokingly every once in a while preventing her from inspecting it closer. Fjord sat back hanging onto your every word as Caduceus poured everyone some tea. 

——————————————————————————

You were running out of ammunition but you managed to sent quite a few of them tumbling into the crevices between the rocks and off the steep ledges. You weren’t equipped well enough to take them all out but you certainly got their attention as seemingly they lost the tracks of your group and were only chasing you but you had no intention of getting caught. Covered in scrapes and cuts and arrow wounds you treated on the fly. You were no healer but you managed to patch them up enough to be able to keep moving until you could get proper treatment. 

They were gaining on you to the point where you could see them and they could see you. You’d be in open range if you were to stop now and take down as many as you could so your only hope was running. A piercing pain reached the side of your lower back. You suck up the pain and keep going taking a quick glance around for any way to gain an advantage on the terrain. A tunnel not that much further, or climbing up a mountain side again… You’d take your chances with the tunnel. The tunnel drew closer so you turn around and stop for a second casting Wind Wall between you and the soldiers chasing you. That should hold them off for a little bit or at least long enough for you to disappear. 

You enter the tunnel… shit…. dead end… You should have gone for the mountain! You slam against the stone wall up ahead and when you do the ground beneath your feet sinks away sending you tumbling and sliding down bouncing between rocks until you reach the ground. You just lay there for a bit. Oh how the fates loved messing with you. You looked up into the shoot you fell down into the darkness up above. At least you got rid of them and no way they were gonna find you now. 

You laughed feeling heavy and tired. Closing your eyes you felt the exhaustion go the past days come over you and you embrace the darkness of sleep and your surroundings. 

——————————————————————————

“I thought I was dead for sure but then when I woke up I looked into the bright yellow eyes of this goblin woman standing over me aiming a crossbow at my face scaring the living daylights at me. My wounds were cared for and the bad ones were covered by this lovely pink green moss. Then of course in the first moments of consciousness I was questioned by a daring woman in blue inquiring with such expertise any word may give away just exactly what information she needed. I had to prove myself friendly and told them what happened and told them what I wanted to do because you see, I only wanted to end a war, bring peace and protect my people. I wanted to leave this world better than I found it and turned out so did these people. 

They told me they were on their way to save someone but couldn’t share who. So in return for helping me I would help them in any way I could. We braved the wilds of Xhoras together…” You continued the epic tale and slowly one by one they started to fall asleep exhausted from the day. 

“The story doesn’t end there. There’s still much more to be told as the final chapter is yet to come but that’s for another time.” You catch a smile from Caleb as he lays down and closes his eyes. 

“Tell it again please.” An already half asleep Jester mumbles leaning on your shoulder. 

“Tomorrow. Time to sleep now.” You carefully lower her to her sleeping bag and make sure she’s tucked in properly as to not grow cold in the night. 

“Thanks for the story.” Fjord said, still awake for the first watch. You join him sitting next to him looking over the snowy wilds with a smile.

“You’re the ones bringing the story. I’m just the one telling them. There’ll be plenty more in the future I’m sure.” You glanced over the rest of the sleeping Nein with a smile. To many more stories to come.

[toysoldiers-rwby]

Deleted Scene. SYT Ch10.2

Show Your Teeth

Characters: Fiona, Winter, May, Robyn, Joanna Rating: Explicit (tagged as thoorist) Tags: slice of life, sexual tension Word Count: almost 6k

Second Draft of ch 10. I tossed out almost 20k words to find an ending that was the right amount of tension and bittersweet. I think this one was too angsty. honestly i don't remember

Read Show Your Teeth on on Ao3

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Dr. Pietro was too valuable to be in the middle of Grimm infested fields, thousands of miles away from the Kingdom. He was constantly wrangling in both the Watts and a few other scientist for his current project. It would explain Author Watts’ sour mood, his eagerness to experiment on Glade.  

But Glade was Glade, May realized with a smile. The stray that manipulated the military, the stray that outsmarted two fucking kingdoms! Being able to improvise and make the best out of being an illegal experiment…  

Glade did a double take, those glowing white pupils dilating like a cat. Ears flicking in confused circles as plume of fire they were blowing onto the metal faded to the embers died on their lips. Fire Dust glowed across their skin, high-lighting the fullness of their cheeks and hard planes of muscles beautifully.  

May only understood a few signs but she knew the sign “What?”  

She continued staring and grinning. “Nothing.”  

Glade crosses their arms and leans against the workbench. They’re posturing. With the military feeding them, they didn’t even need to flex to show off their muscles. That calm and confident grin echoing Joanna and Robyn’s. There isn’t enough raw arrogance to compete with Winter, maybe in a few years after the tuffs of curls grow out. But right now they look too adorable.  

Silvio looks up from his Scroll. His face starts at confused, slides down to contempt then utter disgusted as he looks between Glade and May. He takes a deep breath and Glade is already rolling those glowing blue eyes, “Gaaay! Oh wait…” He stares at Glade. There’s an analytically rude way his silver eyes flick up and down their body.  

They’re not in uniform. Too much grease, too much molten metal, Dust, and various other things that would permanently damage the thick fabric. Instead it’s a simple broiler suit, arms tied at the waste because fuck safety and stand in the raw Solitas air in their binder.  

“Would that still be considered Gay? How would that work with… y’know?”  

“That’s a stupid question for a genius,” May scoffs with a small smirk.  

“If I wasn’t freezing my balls off I’d pelt you snow,” Silvio glowers. He pouts, turning his chair and continues playing with Marrow’s weapon schematics. May’s Scroll pings.  

G.O.A.T: Fi and Win stares a lot too G.O.A.T: yall can admit im hot  

If they weren’t working on Winter’s weapon she’d throw her Scroll at that smug face. “Literally hot. I think I can see you steaming,” May says with a small frown. It doesn’t stay though. She’s far too happy.  

Things were getting better.  

It took till fucking mid-terms but it was fucking getting better. Glade sticks out their tongue, the Dust infused tongue piercing glowing brightly. Then they blow a kiss with embers and a wink- and the warm stutters her heartbeat. Glade chuckles silently and goes back to work. She can’t help but continue watching.  

Blacksmiths had all but died in Atlas. They have machines and factories and there was something captivating about watching the kiln from the fire and Dust dance against their skin. Something about watching someone’s passion in action.  

And yes. May wouldn’t feed that ego but Glade was hot.  

And criminal or not, they were a genius. They pulled the saber out of the kiln, setting it against the anvil and hammering it into shape. Glade may have been a pacifist but they were a fighter. There was no one else more qualified to make weapons than Aurora Glade-  

“They’re a good kisser you know.”  

May screamed turned around. They saw white wiggling ears and looked down to see Fiona smiling. She’d be laughing if she wasn’t breathing so hard. Face flushed adorably, even tinting her ears lightly- Gloveless fingers engulfed her vision.  

“Cold!” Fi’s hands cups her cheeks. May sends them tumbling backwards trying to escape but Fiona laughs and follows. She tries to find footing but its all snow out in the tundra and they fall deep into it.  

“Gay!” Silvio’s yell is swallowed by the emptiness and snow.  

Fiona manages a laugh and needs to gasp for breath again. May hisses, body shivering as snow melts against her thick Atlesian clothes. Then she’s too hot, Fi’s breath warm against her lips. Still too far.  

“I wish I could kiss you…” Fiona whispers.  

May was about to pull her into one but Marrow and Harriet shouting stops them. Thousands of miles away from the Kingdom and it’s eyes and ears still follows. Fiona sighs, ears flicking in frustration. The Junior Ops were rather far for safety reasons, testing out upgrades and smoothing out kinks as the geniuses upgrade them. There were some pros to being in this ‘Accelerated Program.’  

But stealing small moments right in under Atlas of them gives a certain thrill. May’s hands manages to slide into Fiona’s and she brings it to their lips. Fi sputters, that blush running deeper, lower down that lovely neck.  

“Nice to see you two being productive.” The drawl is both familiar and unfamiliar. Fiona gasp out another bubble of giggles and May laughs. The Glyph is actually warmer than the snow as it pulses under them. It gently pulses and lifts May and Fiona off the ground.  

The pair is meet with more than Winter’s eyes. Robyn and Joanna are grinning down at them, far to amused to play stoic like the Specialist. All three of them are flushed and panting slightly. But… for some reason no matter how deep Winter’s breath were, it wasn’t fulfilling. She was fighting in a binder again-  

“May isn’t your partner anymore,” Fiona teases with a grin. May ignores the small sting in her chest. “Your not allowed to be jealous if I top her-”  

“I don’t need to hear this!” Silvio yells a little more aggressively. He stands up, hugging his thick coat tight to his body. The civilian snow gear almost makes him penguin walk to the Junior Ops. “Marrow! Give me your gun!”  

“I thought you said-”  

“Give it!” Marrow yips and immediately surrenders his weapons. Silvio then retreats deep into the airship. Leaving Marrow confused, unarmed and pouting.  

Glade gives RMJT (Ramjet) and their supervising officer a side-ways glance and a smirk but continues to work on Winter’s weapon. With some steam and wind Dust, they cool it down sharpen the blade in long arching fluid motion. The muscle on their arms on full display and almost as nice as Joanna’s. May would need to feel them to get a fair evaluation though-  

"Kitten."  

“Stop calling me that!” May swats Joanna’s handsome face on reflex. Joanna laughs and gently pushes her hands off.  

“But you even paw,” Joanna hums low and playfully. She worse than Fiona when she feels like it and judging from the light in her eyes, she felt like it. “We still have a bet. If I win you finally start using my crossbow staff.”  

“We never decided on what I’ll get if I win,” May argues. There were so many ideas she had. A date night with just Joanna was always fun and calm. She did promise to take her around to show off the glowing street art in Mantle.  

“Why bother? That’s never going to happen,” Joanna winks and is already walking a little ways from the airship. May finds herself following, staring at that broad back and the muscles testing the fabric of her coat. She huffs in frustration but reaches for her staff and extends it. A quick double to confirm that all the Dust chambers are full.  

May nods.  

Joanna doesn’t fire her crossbow bolts. She splits that staff into two axes and charges. May’s mind fire scenario after scenario, the smile still on her face. Joanna is stronger and has a longer reach. She doesn’t need a two handed weapon to over power her and her long arms is enough for the axes.  

May smirks. Two weapons makes it harder for May to block so she’ll just dodge- Joanna fires a bolt at her feet. It glows purple and the pull of gravity nearly drops May to her knees. Instead she tucks and rolls left, then scrambles back to avoid the an axe head. The other end is loaded and May barely hits it away to avoid it. Only this time the bolt explodes far to close behind her and topples the two.  

The Marigold scowls. She vaguely remembers that Joanna was a cop, one of the best in Mantle. She’s older, has more experience fighting people than Grimm. She also has stronger Aura and more reserves. That explosions does nothing to her while May’s ears are ringing and the snow crunches unevenly under her feet.  

Joanna lets her blink the world back to focus. She’s grinning, tapping an axe bladed crossbow on her shoulder. "Gonna call it kitten?" Her partner taunts playfully. If this was last semester May might have thrown her staff or go invisible. Then throw her staff.  

She only grins. “Not even in your dreams.” May does go invisible. Joanna immediately couches down, grabbing a handful of snow and flies it into the air. May grins. Smart, resourceful. Gullible. Chambering fire dust, she melts the snow. Solitas is cold enough that water instantly freezes again, leaving a mist that blankets the field. May throws the gravity bolt back with enough Aura to pull Joanna to the ground.  

She was going to follow up with lightning but May always underestimates how strong Joanna is. The gravity bolt doesn’t pin her, barely hinders her as she charges towards May again. For a moment they were in the Field.  

For a moment, Joanna doesn’t attack and just presses her lips to May’s. She surrenders into it almost instantly. Joanna’s kiss was always slow burning. There’s a lingering sense of power and control. Like a beast in hibernation. It’s one of those things that is given to you.  

That moment passes as Joanna continues to shove May out. Their lips part far to soon. It’s worth being pinned into the snow by her girlfriend though. Hidden in the snow, Joanna breaths hot against the back of her neck.  

“I win.”  

“I don’t exactly call this a lose…” May mumbled. Joanna easily lifts them both up and May’s blushing to hard and staring at the ground. Heart beating too fast for something so simple. Maybe she did like being handled… Her teammates laugh. The Ice Queen can’t. Winter does relax, the barest hint of a smile on her face.  

Then she’s looking at Glade. The saber is finished and sings as it cuts through the air. With a press of a button the secondary splits from the handle and drops into their free hand. They test the pair out, feeling the balance, checking the sharpness. After a little more teasing and a small impatient frown from Winter, the weaponsmith finally surrenders it.  

“An adequate display,” Winter hums, keeping her expression and voice void of the pride in the eyes. Glade was amazing and they knew it. They frowned deeply at the insult and May laughed with Fiona. They were adorable. Even with the eerie glowing eyes. “Would you like to prove me wrong? I believe Watts is still trying to get combative readings from your neural augments.”  

There was an interruption from the Junior Ops. Of course it was Harriet who scoffs, “Stop playing with your pet,” Harriet said. "We’re here on business, Specialist Schnee."  

… Pet. May grits her teeth. She takes a deep breath trying to let the comment wash off. Winter’s constant reminder floats through her head. The need to play nice and play up Robyn’s image.  

It was Robyn’s fame that saved Fiona’s scholarships when the public learned Winter was promoted. It was Winter’s image that lets her be around Glade so much that their sign language was second nature in just a few months.  

Atlesian 101. Public opinion is everything. At the end of the day, they were all social creatures. All victims to a mindless and easily fooled community.  

But Robyn was a Mantle Rat. She doesn’t see the manipulative threads. She heard a bitch insult a friend who’s been stripped of everything and leaps into action.  

“What did you call Glade?” Robyn hisses. Fiona is standing by their leaders side. It wasn’t that Fiona was sweet and kind and without spite. It was that she didn’t have the protection May had, couldn’t act on her anger without a family name and money.  

So Fiona practically snarl and bare her fangs stuns May for a moment. The pair make the face of RMJT. They’re charming and cute smiles were plastered all over the net and zines. If a photo of them got leaked right now, Fi would lose her scholarships. They both looked ready to throttle the hare.  

“Get over yourself, Hill,” Harriet sneered in that Atlesian tone. May scowls. She’s faster than Robyn so she’ll be second in line to beat the asshole up. "Maybe if you were a real Atlasian Huntress you’d realize Glade is just a toy." May’s heart is in her ears. Roaring. Angry. Two years till freedom. May desperately reminds herself. Two years till they can finally bring Atlas down-  

Fiona moves first so Robyn follows her partner. Joanna’s long arms catch Fiona in a bear hug while May struggles with Robyn.  

"You called them Winter’s pet!" Fiona angrily yelled, thrashing in Joanna’s arms. Somehow May managed to shove Robyn her way. Joanna’s strong arms easily pinned the two in a bear hug. Fiona looked at the only other Faunus. Marrow had wandered over, no doubt to stop all the yelling. “Marrow! You can’t be okay with that!”  

“I- I’m not!” the underclassmen stuttered, tail low between his legs.  

"Then fucking do something!"  

“Assault isn’t the answer, Ms. Thyme,” That cool commanding voice. May sighs. That mask slips on too easily sometimes. May can’t blame her… She’s a Schnee she was literally born into it. Everyone calms a little. Winter isn’t even looking at RMJT but the airship side door. //Focus in use  

The workbench and kiln are abandoned… Winter clears her throat. Glade pokes their head out.  

Brows knitted up in fear above those glowing blue eyes, their ears a timid low. They looked at Robyn and Harriet, both their shoulders tense and absolutely pissed. Then they looked back at Winter and vigorously shake their head no, trying to hide away again.  

From the corner of her eyes, May saw Marrow bit his lip, tail twitching as he tried not to giggle. May was eager to latch to the lighter mood. Her anger doesn’t melt so easily. But… but Glade was scared. So she takes a deep breath and smiles softly. Not enough to be friendly because Glade was a solo vigilante.  

If they had to keep their relationship a secret they definitely had to keep their history with Glade buried.  

Still Her chest was bubbling at how cute timid Glade was. Marrow cracked laughing softly and May couldn’t help but to snort. Winter gave a sigh, frustration genuine on her face. For a moment even May thought she was irritated at the ‘criminal’ but the twitch in her arms told a different story. Winter fought against her true nature, pushed aside all the comforting gestures she’d learned for Weiss and gave Glade a wary thin look.  

“I assure you, you’re safe… Unless you doubt my ability to beat everyone here?” Winter asked slowly, toeing the line of intimidating and teasing. Glade made more adorable Faunus noises.  

May couldn’t help but to smile. Everyone else, save for Harriet, thought it was adorable so she was allowed to too. Before Winter could try coax them in, someone kicked Glade out of the airship. Silvio scowls glaring hard at the students.  

“Aren’t you fucking assholes suppose to be smart?” He ask. “Do you know how much Grimm you just brought in?! Two hordes of Megoliaths!”  

Winter sighs. She’s had a lot of practice so it comes out natural. It almost convinces May. “Harriet, take the fighter and the others. I need a word with RMJT.” Winter said, glaring hard at Robyn.  

During the short time it takes to load up the workstations and for the Junior Ops to leave, May realizes that Winter might actually be made. As soon as they were gone, Winter tapped a few buttons on her Scroll. May could feel the guarded edge on the back of her mind and in her Aura fade off as the hidden cameras in the room shut down.  

//HH & Winter Rift. White knights flaw. PICKUP HERE Immediately the Schnee exploded, that cool demeanor all fire and frustration.  

“What the fuck were you two thinking?!” Winter yells at Robyn and Fi. Again. At least it was almost two weeks. Still May sighs and tries to find a way to de-escalade the situation. It’s hard when she sides with Fi and Robyn. Fiona’s hackles practically raise, fist balled up tight as she glared at her former leader. Robyn looked ready to throw another punch.  

Before either of them could get a word in, Joanna’s massive figure stepped between them. She only crossed her arms, staring down at all three women. The interruption was enough for them to catch their breath. Mostly Winter who leaned against the table, almost struggling to breath as she rubbing her temples.  

“Fi… you should know you need to pick your battles. There are still people trying to get you expelled and I’m not there to-”  

“We don’t need your protection,” Fiona hissed, ears twitching low. "Focus on Glade, Silvio, Weiss and Whitley." That hit May and cracked Winter. So many emotions she needed to keep under control flashed across her face. May pressed her side into their girlfriend’s, hoping to ground her. Eventually the pain and fear faded to… guilt.  

Then Winter shook it off.  

It was replaced by fustration. “Point is there is a lot of people that don’t want to see you four graduate,” Winter said. RMJT rolled their eyes. They were the under-dogs. An estrange elite, two nontraditional Mantle Rats who said fuck the law and a Faunus that was better than a Schnee in both academic and fighting- Winter was still talking. “They have a lot of power if you give them any kind of leverage you’ll never graduate.”  

“We’ll be fine.” Robyn huffed.  

“No you wont,” Winter hissed at Robyn. She stood up, back straight and shoulders tense. Brittle. May gently put her hand on Win’s shoulder, only to have… her former partner shake it off. Winter soldiers on, “You have no idea, what Atlesians are capable of. You need to do better!”  

“I know!” Robyn yelled back. They were within each other’s melee range now. “I have people swarming me every day reminding me I’m the Hero of Mantle. I know!”  

“You wanted follow my grandfather. Step up and lead by example, Hill.”  

The importance of image finally clicks for Robyn. Realization settles in as her shoulders relax for a moment. Robyn tries to smooth out those hard edges but pitty and fustratin shines through. “So do you,” Robyn nearly hisses. “You’re the only one keeping them prisoner.”  

That makes Winter pause. She looks at Robyn and something filters across her face.  

Pity or envy?  

Before RMJT can say anything the bay doors open and Glade was the first one to jump out. Winter actual held them back. May remembered something Winter said at the beginning of summer. That Glade’s Dust was potent enough to level an entire block. They saw that masterful application during their work and now…  

And now Glade is finally away from civilians.  

Even from the possible safety of the Bullhead, high in the air, May could feel the heat piercing the Solitas cold. A blaze of fire rolled through the snow and ice, leaving the dead rocky ground bare. The weaker Megoliaths burned in the fire.  

The Dust in their boildersuit fade from red to dark orange. The herd was culled again, this time impaled by earthen spikes. A quarter of the herd was cut down in seconds. The Alpha Megoliaths roared, legs shattering the earth spikes under its feet. They could see the ground shaking from the sky. If Glade’s Aura and Dust doesn’t attract the second horde, the small earthquakes would have.  

Glade was skilled enough to avoid capture by Vale’s Glynda Goodwitch. Skilled enough to wrangle Grimm, skilled enough to have the entire Kingdom of Mistral after her and elude them for a year. Skilled enough that violence was a choice for them. And even stripped of everything they bite back in a differnt way.  

Winter crosses her arms. The movement pulls May to the argument that the two leaders could never really settle. What to do with Glade? "Their semblance is similar to General Ironwood’s Mettle." Winter explains. May hates their semblance even more. “Glade can Focus on an aspect, personality, emotions, senses, a task, Dust, lying… acting.” Winter said. There was something at the end of it. It dipped and strained… like she was stabbing her own heart. “Atlesian 102.”  

And suddenly May’s freeze and burns.  

“Give them what they think they want.” May mumbles. Focus on a lie or an act, May grits her teeth. Pretend like nothing is wrong for the sake of your friends or play up the torutred experiment to gain sympathy.  

“Everyone loves to see their hero and knight save someone. And the Faunus experiment is the perfect damsal.” Winter practically growls under her breath. May watches her. Anger deep in her eyes. Winter didn’t ask for the image, for the fame. It followed her from her family now in the military it has grown like steel wires.  

She waits a few moments. When RMJT responds with silence she finally leaps from the aircraft. She landed gracefully next to Glade. She let some of her Ice Queen image chip and crack to give Glade a pat on their head. The Specialist didn’t draw her new saber, fresh from the kiln and anvil. Instead she stepped back and let Glade fight.  

Glade never needed their help.  

Not with the Geist.  

Not after their surrender.  

May and Robyn looked at each other, conflicted and a little confused. How much was an act from their semblance? Robyn groaned into her palm. The look of regreat solid on her face before she leaped out.  

“Sometimes I think she forgets she’s dating Winter,” Joanna whispered to May. It felt like that most days… May blames the distance. The physical one, between Atlas and Mantle. “Come on. Killing Grimm will calm us down and we can’t get showed up by a civilian.”  

"How does adrenaline and hot sweaty women equal calming?" Fiona muttered. It was a half hearted joke. A little real but overall a bad deflect. May takes a breath.  

Glade is okay. Just a manipulative bitch. Hopefully. And if they’ll still be there tomorrow. Things will get better. Hopefully.  

May follows the rest of RMJT out of the airship.  

Joanna was right. Fighting Grimm burnt the argument and fight out of them. Despite all the show, Glade gased out far to quickly to be effective Hunter. They did kill a lot of the first herd and the second was no match for eight nearly qualified Hunters.  

Snow was starting to return to the area where Glade orignally landed. There was a small tent picked up with a few chairs. Fiona waving at them while Joanna gave a broad grin and blowing a kiss. Robyn plays along, a hand over her heart and swooning into May’s arms. Until the estranged Marigold snorts and drops her.  

But just because Joanna was right doesn’t mean Fiona was wrong.  

May stands above Robyn for a second. Admiring the messy plantium locks and the flushed tanned face- Robyn winks. “Ugh-” Instead of sinking down into the snow and kissing her girlfriend she kicks the snow into her face. Joanna and Fiona laugh, loud and joyful. They were all too tired to be guarded. It feels less like a fight, less like a mission watching a ‘criminal.’ Their stupid smiles always made it feel like a date.  

As soon as May took a seat in on the chairs she didn’t want to move. She hiss curses under her breath feeling her body throb. A Sabyr kicked her jaw, a Sulfur Fish stung her calf… but the thob was in her gut and growing lower and lower as she watches her partner.  

Joanna pushed Elm out of the way earlier, taking a hit from a Megoliath. It must have fucked with her shoulder because she’s rolling it, stretching her coat tight against her back muscles. May feels that solid heat ghost under her fingers. She doesn’t have the same hair routine but giving Joanna massages was good in its own way.  

She wasn’t strong enough for a deep massage but that just means May kept on trying. Enjoying warm skin under her hands, the hard shift from muscle to muscle. Every twitch was like Joanna was flexing.  

May feels Marrow’s tail thawt against her leg in a lazy motion. It sped up a little as Joanna slips a sleeve off, brunching up her shirt to push a the knot directly and showing an unfair amount of muscles.  

She wants to kiss her. Fuck public image. Fuck all the pretending, the cold attitutdes. May was tired of all the Atlesian bullshit. She killed dozens of Grimm and at least deserves to kiss her fucking girlfriends. Joanna was barely out of breath and May wanted her gasping.  

“Hey, Robyn,” Marrow called out, breaking her out of her daydream. “You can’t arrest people, can you?”  

“I quit so I could attend Atlas Academy, wags.”  

“Huh… Well that,” He gestured to Joanna. Robyn walked over, quietly observing as Elm walked up and tried to massage the kink gone. Both their muscles flexing and tested Atlesian thick clothing. "That should be illegal."  

“You know what is illegal?” Robyn asked. May could hear that stupid smile in her voice and she was groaning loudly to drown out Robyn but it didn’t work, “Not kissing my girlfriend- Damn it! Look alive, May!"  

May snapped to attention just as a Megoliath roared into view. Everyone switches back into fighting mode. May ran after her leader, twisting the chamber in her staff. It clicks empty, empty, then she felt electricity hum as lightning Dust chambers in.  

“Joanna!”  

“For the record I hate it when any of you do this!” Joanna yells. She still held her out her hands for May to vault off of and May only grins. Blame it on all the times Winter carries her around or all the rush from the Glyphs, or maybe she just likes being handled by Joanna. Her partner only frowns as hearing her thoughts. She still throws May high into the air and barely has time to dodge the Grimm herself.  

Elm jumps in, holding onto the trunk with Roots further anchoring her to the ground. May yells a warning, plunging the staff deep into the Grimm’s eye. It doesn’t bleed, doesn’t smoke, it just… sinks in with a bone shuddering wet noise. The lightning Dust pours into the Megoliath. Joanna helps Elm clear the twitching tunk and stomping legs.  

An explosion throw’s May’s off.  

It wasn’t silent like the crossbow bolts so it had to be something Fiona stole. May’s limbs burns like she’s been fighting for an hour. She sinks deep into the snow and it doesn’t help. It does the opposite. All the blood is pooling between her legs, all the running and fighting had everything rubbing just right. May tries not to think about the last time she had sex. About how the snow feels like Winter’s cool hands crawling into her neck.  

With a shuttering breath she stares up at the bright sky. Focuses on how warm the rare Solitas sun is on her skin because they were in public. Fiona eclipses the sun for a moment. Then a moment longer as her body falls-  

“Fi!” May screams, trying to scrample away. The snow gives and gives under her hands and Fiona finally craches into her. Even the sharp headbutt does nothing for the low arosual in her gut. If anything it just gives her shaft a reason to thob harder. It has everything to do with Fi’s groan and not how her brain was mixing pleasure and pain. With Fiona’s hands firm on her chest. Sweet laughter against her neck.  

May drops her Aura for a few seconds. The idea was that the snow would chill her blood. But so many hours, wrapped around Winter’s fingers… May groaned slamming her Aura back on. She wanted those cool hands on her thighs. Clawing. She wanted Fiona seated higher on her chest.  

Who’s idea was it not fuck? Winter? It has to be Winter’s.  

Fiona’s laugh draws May out of her pout. “Woops,” Fiona mumbled unapologetically. There was something in her voice. The faux innocent tone and sinfully slow drawls. “It’s a good thing Joanna won, you really need something for distance.”  

“Shut up,” May growled. As revenge she hangs limp. Fiona is strong enough to carry her but she just… so tiny. And tired. The snow makes things harder than it should be and they fall back into it. Out of stupid habits May holds Fiona tight, as if they were falling out of another crashing airship. As if Fiona wasn’t already laughing on the way down.  

“This is your fault y’know,” Fiona said with a grin. Looming over her, elbows blocking May. It fucks with her breathing and then more. Fiona’s eyes flicker down. That heated gaze slowly growing intense, like the day in the changing room. She licks her lips, her ears straining forward for more soft noise. She knows Fi can feel her heart race. That innocent smiles grows sweet and beutiful and so far from innocent.  

Her knee slides up.  

Pausing between May’s. That low throb was firmly settled between May’s legs now. She glances away but that only opens her up. Fiona’s lips and nose press into her neck. Her pulse is far to alive against such a soft kiss. Too soft. May wants more. Her body already arching for it.  

“Fi…” May was starting to tremble.  

“We deserve a second,” Fiona says as if it was a warning. Then her teeth digs in hard. May presses her hand against her mouth, breath loud and sharsh as her back arch but Fiona’s hand quickly comes up to pin it down. Her ears flutter pointedly. May wanted hands and teeth, Fiona wanted it all including her moans. She sucks hard and gives May a teaser for what it could feel around her pulsing cock.  

She doesn’t stop until May tugs her hair. After May feels pre-cum sliding down her shaft. Fiona growls and huffs. Teeth teasing the bruise but it was already healing. It still hurts, so Fi tongue sooth the spot. Low and slow like it was May’s shaft- Their Scrolls ping and Fiona looks ready to break it in her hands.  

G.O.A.T: stop. i can SMELL you horny idiots from here happywool: that’s a bad thing?  

She steal a kiss from May. Even burried in the snow, fighting in the cold, the kiss is warm and sweet. Even if Fiona’s sharp teeth nip with fustration.  

Her knee shifts higher. A hand palms May’s chest.  

G.O.A.T: SERIOUSLY. I CAN’T EXACTLY GET LAID foxhot: sounds like a u problem G.O.A.T: just finish the grimm so we can get Win home  

That stops Fiona dead in her tracks.  

mt.spur: what happen angeldust: Nothing important. G.O.A.T: i disagree and stop being a dumb bitch G.O.A.T: she’s fighting with her binder on angeldust: So are you! G.O.A.T: i didnt feint bitch  

May and Fiona rolls their eyes and share another kiss before Fiona pulls her onto her feet. "The sooner we finish the sooner we can finsih," Fiona says with a wink and runs off. May watches her with a small smile and tries to shake the snow out of her hair and clothes.  

The rest of the evening slips into a mix of auto-pilot and a straight up blur. The simple social outing for the ‘criminal’ was an extra hour, almost two. The Grimm was easy but they kept coming. Like every other week. RMJT has been out on so many missions half their classes were online, in the damn airships. The ones that weren’t were Combative Training, Advance Stealth Operations or Body Conditioning.  

Her Scroll kept going off too much to call it a nap and she feels to restless when she finally realizes they’re back in Mantle.  

May sets her back down the table and stretches out the kinks in her back. She groans as a few joints pop back into place. A pair of hands slide onto her shoulders, pressing into areas she didn’t realize were tense.  

The hands were too big to be Fiona’s, too small to be Joanna’s, too warm to be Winter’s. She blinks in surprise. For such a flirt Robyn was actually rather reserved. Most of her advances only happened when Winter was around. And sure enough, somehow the they manage to drag the Specialist.  

Or with Joanna, carry.  

A feint blush is on Winter’s cheeks now and she lets out a sigh. May has gotten used to all the touches and her partner’s casual show of strength. But Winter probably regressed up in Atlas, with only Glade.  

“You can set me down now,” Winter mumbles.  

“Not even a please,” Joanna playfully huffs. Instead she sits down on the couch. Her hands interwined with Winter’s… pressing it against her thighs.  

Just like the changing room.  

The room suddenly feels hotter. May’s blood was already hot from all of Fiona’s teasing and now its rapidly pooling in her shaft- Where’s the lamb. May looks around to see the women walk out of their bedroom, a bag in one hand and twirling the knife in the other.  

Now in the privacy of their home, Fiona is a little calmer. Her grin is still dark, her ears still strained but she doesn’t look like shes ready to pounce.  

Her prey is already caught after all.  

Fiona looks at May and winks. With a touch the coffee table and everything on it gone and she replaces it with the bed in their room. May finds her self menuvered, seated on the edge with Robyn behind her.  

May can only stare dazed at Winter. The women was… she was the image of Atlas perfection. Control, yet she’s trembling with Joanna’s hot breath on her neck. Power, though when that knife slices into her uniform she’s praying Fiona’s name.  

“Fi… fuck,” Winter mutters. Her Aura flares where the knife licks her skin. May whimpers and shifts between Robyn’s legs. Her leader murmers something. Something about how good girls don’t interrupt a show. A hand strokes May thighs, promising a reward for good girls.  

Fiona briefly smiles over her shoulder. The knowledge that this show was also for them… May throbs against her clothes. Whimpers with as Joanna hums, staring at the tent her pants. Winter looks ready to feint. Breathing shallow and eyes clouded. Still Fiona goes slow. Those flexing abs revealed inch by near minute.  

“Hurry, please Fiona… I’m going to pass out-”  

“Oh!” Fiona’s blinks, that dominance replaced by surprised concern. She laughs nervously, knife swiftly gliding through the shirt, coat and binder. Winter’s Aura lights up her skin as the blade tilts her head back.  

Exposed. Volunrable. Submissive.

[smokinholsters]

A Decision at the Crossroads

A Heartland AU - Chapter 3

“I am just a poor boy

Though my story's seldom told

I have squandered my resistance

For a pocket full of mumbles, such are promises

All lies and jests

Still a man hears what he wants to hear

And disregards the rest

“Oooh oooo Ooohoo

When I left my home and my family

I was no more than a boy

In the company of strangers

In the quiet of the railway station

Running scared,

Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters

Where the ragged people go

Looking for the places

Only they would know

Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie

Lie la lie, lie la la la la lie la la lie”

The music cut off abruptly which startled Amy from her revelry “In .5 Kilometers take Erin Kiln Road exit and bear right at the crossing.”

Amy chose to cut the radio at this point so that she could pay attention to her navigation app. Unlike Mitch’s truck Amy’s had satellite radio which had several channels to keep the kids occupied on trips, short and long. The music helped to keep her mind from straying too much about seeing Mitch, seems the longer they were married the more she hated being away from him.

Ty pulled into his spot by the house and walked over to where Mitch and Matt were sitting.

“Shouldn’t be much longer, you done at work ?” Mitch asked Ty “beer ? coffee, water ?”

“For now, water would be great thanks.” He answered sitting as Mitch pulled a cold bottle out of his cooler.

“So who’s coming ?”

“Surprise guest, Mitch’s wife misses him.”

“Really ?” Ty said “that’s nice actually, good for you Mitch.”

“Think it would be Ok to let those guys out in that meadow for a few hours ?” Mitch asked nodding towards the small barn.

“It’s a sound space, fencing’s good so if they won’t jump I don’t see why not . Come on, I’ll give you a hand.”

“Three horses.” Matt said standing as well.

Once out Ty went over to fill the trough by turning on it’s automatic spigot not used often and Mitch and Matt to fetch some hay for them. Coming out of the barn they heard, then saw Amy’s blue dodge pulling in slowly.

“Go ahead Mitch, I’ve got this” Matt said hoisting the half bale onto his shoulder.

Mitch smiled, pulled off his gloves and wiped his hands on his pants while he walked over to meet the truck. At 190 cm in bare feet Mitch was tall, with boots and his hat on he stood an imposing 200 cm and Amy was in love with every one of them. When she slid from the front seat in her tank top covered in flannel both hiding her maternity jeans, and as always her boots and hat, he picked up his step to get to her faster. She smiled at him and he surreptitiously dropped his hat gently to the ground as he placed his hands softly under her flannel and onto her belly as she reached up and pulled him down to kiss him.

Ty and Matt came around the end of the barn and stopped. Mitch and Amy whose face was blocked from view were locked just as described, her arms around his neck, his hands on her belly leaning down while she strained up, her hat not even a second thought.

Matt laughed after a few seconds and seeing no end to the spectacle before them “Ahem, get a room you two.”

Amy dropped her head and leaned it against Mitch’s chest for a second before answering while still hidden behind him. “We brought a room actually.”

Hearing her voice cut through Ty like fire, he’d know it anywhere and everything Mitch had said and he had heard from Matt came flooding back especially the name Lyndy, odd for sure and the name of Mitch’s daughter. Matt had said two family ranches, horses, white face, Hudson. TY then recalled he thought he’d heard Mitch refer to his son once as Jackson. It couldn’t be and then he moved and there she was, Mitch’s long arm wrapped around her rather expanded waist as they turned to the two men.  He looked from her belly up into her face and her eyes, which were disbelieving and following his gaze.

“Amy ?”

“Ty ?”

Matt smiled “the plot thickens.”

“Amy ?” Mitch asked looking down.

“Ty Borden Mitch, my high school boyfriend ?”

It bothered Ty hearing her trivialize their relationship as a matter of fact high school fling.

“Oh, oooohh,” Mitch said “sorry Ames, I told Matt the name was familiar but I couldn’t figure it out.”

“Actually first you thought he was Ty Burton because of Kelsey Burton.”

“There is that” Mitch said, “regardless, Ty, it’s good to finally meet you” he finished laughing.

“Sorry, can we sit anytime soon ?

“Sorry sweetheart come over by the trailer. Ginger Ale ?”

“Tea ?”

“I think there’s the orange ginger you like.” Mitch said as he dropped his hand from her waist when they got to the chairs.

Amy smiled at him again before she sat and raised her hand to his face gently, “perfect, thank you Mitch.” Ty watched as she awkwardly lowered herself into the seat.

“Why don’t we get that rocker arm out of Amy’s truck and unwrapped.” Ty said ready to get out of earshot. This was all too surrealistic for him.

“Sure you don’t want to catch up ?” Matt asked playfully.

“Let’s get started Matt, let Amy and Mitch visit for a while.” Ty said with a small smile at Amy before turning to walk around the trailer.

“Good to meet you Amy, sort of missed this part, I’m Matt Connolly.”

“The deputy, Mitch told me you’ve been very kind, it’s nice to meet you Matt. Uhm, is he Ok ?” She asked softly with a nod towards where she guessed Ty headed.

“I think he’s just surprised, I’m sure he’s fine.” Matt said with a half smile Amy didn’t believe at all.

“I should give Ty a hand.”

“I’ll let you have Mitch back in a few minutes.”

“It’s fine Amy, he’s been missing you too.”

Amy smiled and Matt returned it before heading off to follow Ty.

Mitch sat down after carefully handing Amy her mug. She sipped as she looked at him with her piercing blue eyes over the top of the mug.

“Good ?”

“Mhmmm, she hummed, “thank you Mitch.”

“So this is a bit weird.”

“I’m thinking it may get weirder, I’m getting a vibe, like a Georgie vibe.”

“You don’t think …”

“I don’t know, you should go help.”

“And you ?”

“Maybe a lay down after this tea.”

“I like hearing that.” He said reaching over to kiss her belly, then up to catch her lips before standing and reaching for his hat.

“Want to tuck me in ?” She asked reaching for his hand.

“No, no, no” he answered playfully dancing backwards a little.

Amy pouted, “ No, no, no ? Ok, go off and play with the boys then.”

He smiled and turned to leave.

“I love you Mitchell Cutty.”

“I love you Amy Fleming.” He answered turning briefly and smiling at her before disappearing.

Mitch found Ty and Matt struggling to get the cracked rocker arm off.

“Problem ?” Mitch asked standing back as Ty hauled on the end of the ratchet arm before losing it and banging his hand.

“Shit. Sorry, the bolts are frozen tight, we’ve got one off. We may have to use a cutting torch.”

“Well, let me give it a go, take a few minutes and rest.”

Mitch checked under the fender and fit the ratchet to the nut before reconnecting the ratchet arm. He looked at it for a second and then asked “maybe it’ll be easier if we could extend this, maybe a pipe ?”

“Physics might help.” Ty nodded taking a pull on a cold water battle. “There are pipes in the shop.”

“I’ll go.” Matt said moving before the others could say anything.

“How long have you two been married ?”

“About 8 years give or take, I got back to the states and discharged about when she got back from Europe the second time.”

“How did you meet ?”

“It’s funny, I was a senior when she started high school and then joined the military. She claims at least to have had a crush on me as she says half the incoming class did. Anyway, when I got back I was a bit aimless and was thinking of hitting the oil fields but I had a horse with a problem so I went to Amy and the rest is what you see.”

“So the funny part ?”

“Oh right, I dated Lou once, her sister” Mitch said looking over for acknowledgement  “through an on-line thing.”

“Lou ? What happened to Peter ?”

“Divorced.”

“Really. They had a kid though.”

“Yup Katie and then Georgie of course, anyway after Maverick, my horse Amy and I dated, then I took a job working for Heartland for a while, partnered up on the herd, my parents retired and we took their ranch over and here we are 2 ½ kids later.”

“How’s this Mitch ?” Matt said coming out of the shop with some black gas pipe in the right size and length.

“That may be the ticket, let’s give it a whirl.” Mitch said when they heard the distinct closing of the trailer door and Mitch looked up.

“Want to check ?” Matt asked.

“No she was going to lay down and rest after her tea.”

“She Ok ?” Ty asked thinking a second later that maybe his tone was a little enthusiastic.

“Oh yeah, it’s being 5 months pregnant. Amy carries heavy and up front on that small frame of hers.”

Mitch took a few minutes to lay a couple padded shop blanket’s over his door, now that they had a longer handle that could conceivably slip he didn’t want to damage the door.

Next, he took off his flannel exposing his long arms and then leaned against the pipe. Both Matt and Ty watched the muscles on Mitch’s arms swell and define impressively.

“Damn man, what do they feed you on that ranch of yours.” Matt said watching.

“Grass ….. fed …….beef” Mitch answered his voice straining until the load sound of metal screeching against metal as the pipe moved forward a bit.

He leaned back and took a breather for a second “well it moves, got any penetrating oil Ty ?”

Ty nodded and got up to fetch it. He leaned under the fender and a few minutes later straightened up “let’s give it a few minutes.”

Mitch grabbed a bottle of water and sat down in one of the metal chairs when his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, checked the screen and answered.

“Hey Buddy, how’s it going ?”

“Just out of the shower Mitch, fence is done and Cass called over to your place to see if we could tempt Amy to join us for burgers at Maggie’s, seems she’s with you. Alright if we grab yours for dinner ?”

“Oh sure the kids will love it, I’ll let Amy know.”

“How’s it going over there ?”

“We’ll be back tomorrow, I’ll let you know when we’re back.”

“Have a good night Mitch, I’m sure Cass will send some pics.”

“Thanks Caleb, have a good night, hi to Cass.”

“Caleb ?” Ty asked “O’dell.”

“Yup, I guess you two knew each other. He’s the third partner in the Heartland herd.”

Ty nodded filing that away, “who’s Cass ?”

“Caleb’s wife.”

“Wife.” Ty repeated “what happened to Ashley ?”

“Divorced.”

“Divorced, really and Cass ?”

“Scott’s partner at the clinic, she’s a vet. They’re taking their kids and ours I guess for burgers at Maggie’s, we’re pretty tight.”

“Maggie’s is still there huh, Soraya in charge ?”

“Soraya lives in London now, so does Maggie actually. Lou owns Maggie’s.”

“That’s right I read that in an article I found when she became Mayor.”

“What do you think, give these bolts another go ?” Mitch asked finishing his water.

Once they pushed through the bolts the repair was textbook, they fit the rocker, reattached the brake assembly and the new tire and ran the software looking for errors, that last thing they did was a quick test drive.

They were wiping up, putting assorted tools away and discussing dinner which they decided they’d all feel better eating take -out around the fire rather than fighting a restaurant.

They heard the window slide open and all turned “Mitch ?” Amy called out in a somewhat amusing voice.

“Right here” Mitch answered obviously used to it.

“I’m hungry.”

“There’s a bag of clementines in the fruit bin.”

“I want Bar-B-Que.”

“Bar-b-Que.” Mitch repeated.

“Pleeeeaaase.”

“I’ll ask.”

“Thank you my love” was followed by the window sliding closed.

“So PJ’s ?” Matt asked laughing.

“Is that Bar-b-que ?”

“Really good but not so close so it’s a pick up, an hour easy.” Ty answered.

“OK well, quick shower, order and go, call it a test drive.”

“I’ll go with you” Matt said. “Meet you back here in 20 minutes, I’m just down the road, tell Amy we’ll be covered in sauce in 90 minutes or so.”

Mitch smiled “On us.”

“The tab and the sauce.” Matt answered heading to his truck.

“Well I have a couple of patient follow up calls to make from the house after showering so I’ll leave you with Matt for now.”

“Thanks for everything Ty.”

“Nothing to it Mitch.”

In the trailer Mitch immediately stripped off his dirty flannel shirt followed by his T shirt and dumped them into the washing machine that doubled as the dirty clothes hamper on short trips. Turning, he spotted Amy standing in front of the mirror as he sat to pull off his boots and socks. She was standing before the mirror in panties and her tank top which she had lifted over her belly, when he stood she was running her hands over her belly and he walked up behind her.

“Hey sexy.” He whispered leaning down to kiss her neck and run his hands under hers on her belly.

“I look like a beach ball.”

“You don’t look like a beach ball, you’re beautiful. What’s up ?”

“Nothing,,,,,,, Ty,,,,,,, he was staring at my belly because I look like a beach ball.”

“I think maybe Ty is having a case of what could have been Ames, it’s natural. I have to shower.”

“Shower ?”

“Alone Ames, bar-b-que remember ?”

“Clementines bin, got it” she said turning and planting a kiss on his lips “go hunt and gather me some food.”

After Mitch left Amy came out of the trailer with the intention of setting up their table for dinner. Instead she heard a truck door open and looked around her trailer to see Ty closing the passenger door on what she assumed was his truck, a mid 70’s GMC.

“Hey” she called out.

“Oh hey, everything OK ?”

“Fine, come visit, we can catch up.”

Ty stood for.a second as if the question itself was shocking.

“Ty ? Come talk to me” she said gently and smiling.

He nodded “let me just grab my phone.”

[punkscowardschampions]

Liam & Edie

Liam: get out of work early, I need your help Edie: alright Edie: what are we doing? Liam: I finished a 🎬📽🎞 & it has to be screened tonight at a specific time Edie: do you know what cinema you wanna infiltrate Edie: like, max capacity blockbuster moment or a more independent arthouse style? Edie: I have ideas for both, if you don't already Liam: gotta be sold out seats for max exposure Edie: looking up whatever dumb superhero shit is on right now Liam: put the word out for me too, yeah? 📢 you've got more 👀 on you Edie: of course Edie: keep it vague but intriguing? Edie: what's the angle Liam: my sister is Edie: your sister? Liam: she's 16, would've been Liam: today Edie: the film is for her Edie: not a hard sell Edie: every twat loves a party Liam: every twat's forgotten about her already Liam: I have to do something Edie: I'll get all the people there I can Edie: 16 is a big one Liam: I'm looking for a cake to blow up Liam: big enough to splatter lots of rows but not too huge to sneak in Edie: really do need a pram Edie: if you do wanna go big, my ma has a kiln, easy to bake in and quicker Edie: I could put it in a backpack or some ridiculously oversized handbag my sister has Liam: you're amazing Edie: you or the audience haven't tasted the cake yet Liam: be more fitting if it tastes bad Liam: like we're shoving bittersweet down everyone's throats Liam: & in their faces Edie: that's easily done Edie: toxic hazard here we come Edie: how long have you been working on the vid? Liam: a while Edie: are you happy with it? Liam: there's no more time left to do edits Liam: I gotta get it out there, like I said Liam: 18 is gonna need something bigger Edie: timing is key Edie: did you talk about it Edie: what she'd want to do Liam: looking that far ahead wasn't something she let herself do Edie: that's fair Edie: I haven't looked that far ahead before Edie: we'll make it special Edie: something she'd approve of Liam: there has to be some way to throw a party after that's not the standard gay shit Edie: an anti-party Liam: yeah, without being ☢️ & barcode tattoos about it Edie: so a disgusting cake, what else can we fuck up Edie: bastardized 🎈s are almost a given Edie: maybe we can play some party games Liam: use your talents on the happy birthday song Edie: I'll do my best for you both Edie: did she believe anything happened after you die? Liam: she wanted to come back as someone else, show up back in my life just when she reckoned it'd gotten settled & boring Liam: but I don't think she really believed that, just didn't want me to turn into one of those twats Edie: yeah, most people want to believe something like that Edie: some continuation Edie: but the percentage who genuinely do, I don't know Liam: a lot of shit she said was for my benefit of my ma's, I don't know if she knew I knew that but I did Edie: Yeah Edie: but through reassuring you, she was probably trying to give herself that same comfort Edie: again, whether it worked is unlikely, but we keep going 'til we don't Liam: yeah Liam: I have certainty in her not wanting everyone to act as if she was never here this fast, I'm going with that Liam: her friends, a lad she liked, they're supposed to give more of a shit Edie: we'll make them remember Edie: I was thinking Edie: she'd be in transition year now Edie: they're always having bollocks seminars and lectures Edie: that would be easy to hijack Edie: well, not easy, but we could Liam: you're so fucking smart Liam: I didn't even think Edie: it'd be a way to get the ones who won't hear our call tonight Edie: which are arguably the ones who need a lesson in caring more so Liam: keep it going like pass the parcel Edie: a project worth the waste of time that whole year is Liam: then a holiday, me & you Liam: where we won't waste any time Edie: are we going to find a holiday home? Liam: did you like living with me? Edie: so much Edie: I wanna live with you properly Edie: all the time Liam: then yeah, we'll find a holiday home & when we get back you can move into mine Edie: really? Liam: our mas will both have shit to say about it but so do we Edie: if they're really going to object to that degree Edie: we'll work for enough money to rent our own place Liam: & sleep wherever else we have to until we've got that Edie: as long as I'm with you Edie: I miss you when I'm not Liam: I wanna be with you all the time too Edie: maybe if we split our time between mine and yours, they wouldn't even notice Liam: they can tell themselves they're keeping a better 👀 on us if we do Edie: yeah, and it's not 'as serious' as moving in together Edie: in their minds Edie: guess it'd be better if we were going 'round sleeping with anyone and everyone Liam: I've had more offers since I got a girlfriend than before Liam: must be a shared view between our parents & lots of the girls at school Edie: 😡 Edie: adds to them feeling something if they get to fuck someone over at the same time as, I guess Liam: I'll never hurt you or let anyone else do it Edie: I know you won't Liam: I love you Edie: I love you Edie: no one is gonna stop us from living the life we want Liam: [a pic of a pram he has stolen for her to fill with stuff and there's a birthday pinata in there currently like oh hi] Liam: I found this for you Edie: 😍 Edie: Baby! Edie: you got me wheels Liam: I couldn't stop thinking about you struggling with a heavy backpack Edie: You're so sweet and I'm so excited Edie: is what's going in the pinata a surprise? Liam: I was gonna tell you but lets keep the excitement going Edie: is it 🕷s Edie: or 🦷 Liam: do you know where I can get that many 🦷? Liam: that'd be a great idea Edie: 🤔 Edie: maybe a vet's dumpster Edie: think people dentists study 'em Liam: maybe my ma kept our 👶 teeth Liam: I'll have a look Edie: Mine kept hers Edie: you'd need quite a few to make an impression Liam: the fake blood I'm gonna add will help Liam: but you're right Edie: there's loads of roadkill around mine Edie: could get that for the 🦴🦴 Liam: I don't know if I want you touching it though Liam: you could get sick or something Edie: I've got gloves Edie: the only illness they had was potentially bad eyesight 🚗 Liam: you've gotta be careful, baby Edie: okay Edie: for you Edie: how else can I help you though? Edie: the cake is in Liam: keep thinking, all your ideas are perfect Edie: I wanna be Edie: what about spiking the drinks, but not in a fun way Edie: or is that too 👿 Edie: just a laxative or something, nothing mad Liam: it don't matter, we won't drink it Edie: I definitely won't Edie: don't even miss any of it Liam: we need something that'll make them 🤮 she did lots of that Liam: only fair Edie: what does that 💊🧪 wise Edie: too much salt is a dead giveaway with one sip Liam: charcoal is probably too big a giveaway too Liam: & you can't get ipecac no more Edie: 😕 ugh Liam: we'll have to settle for the laxatives Edie: they'll make themselves sick all on their own Liam: you did make a fucking disgusting cake Edie: you don't even wanna know what I put in it 😏 Liam: I want all your secrets Edie: you can have everything Edie: [a gruesome list of god knows what] Edie: it smells so gross cooking right now Liam: don't make yourself 🤮 Edie: I'm getting some fresh air Liam: what can you 👀? Edie: from here, the pond Edie: which also smells, so I might need to go look at the 🍅🥔s growing instead Liam: go decide on your outfit Edie: what do you want me to look like? Liam: beautiful Edie: nothing more specific? Liam: nah, not until I've seen what you come up with Liam: you test well Edie: 🤞 Liam: 😍 Edie: that's what I want Edie: always Liam: I want you Edie: I can't wait to go away with you Edie: are we going to the sea Liam: we can Liam: we can go anywhere you like Edie: I just wanna watch the sun go down under the waves with you Liam: you watch that, I'll watch your face while it does Edie: You're so Edie: you make me feel like a person Edie: a real one, that matters Liam: you matter to me, Eds Edie: I'm not used to this feeling Liam: you know I'm not either Liam: we'll get used to it Edie: it's like I believe you but I can't believe it Edie: if that makes sense Liam: I get it Liam: I do need you to believe me though Edie: I do Edie: you're just perfect Liam: nah, I'm not Edie: to me then Liam: whatever's wrong with me, we're good together Edie: we're going to make a perfect baby Edie: that always feels like a person Liam: I'm gonna love it even if things go wrong Liam: I need you to know that too Edie: I know you will Edie: and I believe that Edie: I wouldn't have agreed if I didn't Edie: you won't be able to not love your own child Edie: even if it's hard Liam: & I'll wanna be with you, perfect or not Liam: whatever else happens Edie: we can do it Edie: I love you and I want it to work Edie: I wanna be a good mum and give the baby all the love and attention and everything it could ever want and need Edie: that is so much more than most people have Liam: the baby is so fortunate to have you for its ma Liam: you've done everything right already & its not even here yet Edie: I wanna do it right Edie: I can't imagine doing it wrong Liam: I know you will Liam: you set your mind on shit & it gets done, that's how you are Edie: makes me sound like an assassin Edie: don't hate that Liam: I don't hate thinking about you holding a 🔪 Edie: next video Liam: it'll be on my mind until then Edie: I can give you a preview Edie: if you show me the fake blood Liam: [does obviously] Edie: 🤤 Liam: I made extra for you knowing you'd be into it Edie: That's just one of the reasons we work Liam: are you gonna give me the rest of them? Edie: I'll start on the list but I don't know if it'll ever be done enough to be conclusive Edie: and I'd hate for you to think I'm not serious Liam: that's another reason why we work Edie: see, they keep adding up Edie: good thing I didn't commit to tattooing it on me Edie: run out of space so quick Liam: I don't think her video is done enough Liam: I don't know what to do Edie: You'll regret it if you miss her birthday, I think Edie: you'll have chances to add to it and improve on it every year if you want Edie: it's a tough one to know what's enough on, yeah Edie: 'cos what could be Liam: if it's shit I'll have ruined her birthday Edie: do you think it's shit? Liam: I can't tell Liam: I can't feel anything Edie: I can watch it before you show it Edie: or you can just do it Edie: they aren't going to forget it though, regardless, and that's what you want, yeah Edie: for them to remember her Liam: you've gotta watch it on a big screen Liam: I'll watch you & I'll know if it's good or not Edie: okay Edie: I won't tell you I know it'll be good Edie: cheapen my actual reaction Liam: 👌 what do you wanna tell me instead? Edie: another reason we work is you're talented and creative too Liam: I have to try to bring something to the table if we want a perfect baby Edie: you mean aside from how insanely hot you are Liam: its gonna look like you so that don't count Edie: maybe it'll get to be tall like you Edie: my 10 year old sister is already taller than me Liam: you only wanna be taller for kissing me Liam: there'll be a no dating rule until they're like old enough to properly move out Edie: might save your back, that's all Edie: they won't need to, they'll be happy with us Liam: I've already saved yours with this pram, I'm not bothered about mine Edie: but I am Edie: I'll invest in some stilts Liam: & have you snatched up by the circus, nah Liam: don't matter if its twins in there, I'll pick you all up Edie: 🥰 Edie: you make me look and feel like that emoji, legitimately Liam: [a picture of some random people he's sneakily taken a photo of while he's out and about and changed so they have no eyes because he misses and wants to see her rn] Edie: ooh baby Edie: 👁s would be a great pinata filling Liam: have we got time to turn 🍇 or some gay shit into 👀 like a ma on halloween? Edie: OH Edie: speaking of mas Edie: just had a 💡 Liam: what? Edie: she has mealworms to feed the 🐦🦅s Edie: too late for the cake but how perfect Liam: genius Edie: my next idea was going to get some caviar but I don't think my wage is stretching that far Liam: I could steal some Liam: dunno where the fuck from though Edie: bet they don't have any at the spar Edie: there are tadpoles in the pond but I'm not murdering them Liam: the worms will work Liam: I'm on my way to yours, how long til the cake is cooked? Edie: you're coming here Edie: 😄😄😄 the excitement is only going ↗️ Edie: about 10 minutes, though a bit of burning can't hurt Liam: I thought you'd like a hand with decorating Edie: I'd like to see you Liam: you miss me too Edie: so bad Liam: I know Edie: come see me Liam: I kept the secret for as long as I could but I'm nearly there now Edie: no secrets, right Liam: I don't want there to be Edie: I'll tell you everything you wanna know Liam: tell me what we're doing tomorrow Liam: after this Edie: we're gonna get in the car and drive 'til we get somewhre we want to stop Edie: and we'll get fish and chips and ice cream and play on the beach and then we can talk about bringing the baby back and doing it all again Liam: the baby's face when it eats ice cream for the first time Liam: & feels what sand is like Liam: we'll film it all Edie: 🥺 Edie: I feel like I might cry? Liam: everything we don't remember any more we'll do again with our 👶 Edie: there's so much good stuff to relive Edie: stuff we didn't get to do too Liam: yeah, there's lots of shit I've not done Liam: I used to feel properly awkward about it Edie: just 'cos my childhood was weird in an 'exotic' way doesn't mean it weren't too Edie: there's loads of Irish childhood staples that we didn't have Edie: we'll make that list too, for the 👶 Liam: I can't think of a better way to start the baby book Edie: I'm gonna do it for your birthday Liam: yeah? Edie: I've got a feeling Liam: that might be knowing that I'm outside Edie: [dramatic run out] Liam: [we know he's as extra and would immediately stop whatever he's doing/ drop whatever he's holding so they can kiss dramatically, don't get a hole in that pinata yet sir] Edie: [ah you crazy kids, dunno where the rest of the fam is tbh] Liam: [100% gonna say he puts her in the pram and pushes her into this gaff like a giant nerd, so imagine her just squished in there please] Edie: [LOL adorable, try not to break it already] Liam: [you probably don't have time to do pram repairs on top of everything else lads] Edie: [we got schemes honey] Liam: [if you don't draw on each other with icing pens when you're decorating this cake I don't wanna know either of you] Edie: [my boo has put her foot down] Liam: [all the tattoo practice and ideas in any possible artistic medium thank you] Liam: [we all know what saucy behaviour you'll be getting up to as soon as he gets there though] Edie: [but the softest ever tbh 'cos a tough day and you just wanna make sure he's okay] Liam: [honestly there's only so busy you can keep yourself boy, we all see you] Edie: [not gonna force you to talk on it but also gonna be clear it's an option] Liam: [he's just trying to get today over with as if tomorrow and on any other day he won't think about it, oh hun] Edie: [mood] Liam: [where is his mother? what is she doing rn? those are my real questions] Edie: [sad things don't think about it Liam: [anyway we know the vibe so is there anything else you wanna make a point of happening rn before we skip to the aftermath?] Edie: [hmhmhmmm we can probably skip] Liam: [everyone gonna be cross at you lads] Edie: [I like to think the fam was there earlier so they were already moody, but then you come back with the police and you're gonna skip town tomorrow so lol] Liam: [his poor mum having to go down the garda station when she's already living her best life, likewise gonna be in a great mood] Edie: [safe to say you will not be invited back tonight gal] Liam: [Rio is gonna tear Liam a new one cos he was all I'm gonna look after her it's chill when they last talked haha] Edie: [oh lordy] Liam: [I just hope they got to do all their creepy plans before the police ruined it] Edie: [or at least the important ones, and that it went well in that people are talking about it] Liam: [gotta let you have that] Edie: [tis important and a mood] Edie: how's your ma now Liam: she's still going Edie: I thought she'd like it Edie: if you explained what you did Liam: she likes what we did but not how Liam: she don't understand that playing it in the sitting room wouldn't work Edie: she wants to keep it all private Edie: if people feel uncomfortable it's only because they should Liam: we know that Edie: is she more 😭 or 😤 Edie: one is easier to deal with Liam: it's both, at the same time for a while Edie: that must be so exhausting Liam: it's just what she's like Edie: you've not really known her any different? Liam: I must have, but I don't remember Liam: not clear enough Edie: I'm sorry Edie: if I could've taken the blame harder, I would've Liam: I don't want you to take any of it Edie: I don't care about getting into trouble Liam: you will if it sticks next time & you maybe can't earn as much cash Liam: be the perfect ma you've set your heart on Edie: not at the sake of you though Edie: it's so unfair I couldn't take my fair share Liam: you did, you weren't there for the shit I did before that got me my talking to from the 🐷 Liam: it's about her not you Edie: yeah, I know Edie: wish we'd saved the pinata for them though 🐷🤮☠ Liam: we'll make a 🎬📹 I've still got the rave masks Edie: Yes Edie: it's the least we can do Liam: you'll feel a bit better at least Edie: no, it's not about me Edie: how do you think it went, before they showed Liam: you thought it went decently I could see it in your 👀 Edie: it did Edie: it was beautiful Edie: but did you like it? Liam: I reckon she would've Edie: she'd be proud, for sure Liam: yeah Edie: but I am, whilst I can't guarantee that Edie: I can this Edie: are we still going tomorrow Liam: I'll show up, if you can't get out send me a 6 Edie: I'll get out Liam: safely Liam: I'm not gonna watch you fall out your window Edie: I won't, babe Edie: no guard dogs here Edie: they can't keep permanent watch Liam: no 🔥🌉 either though Liam: your ma must already hate me Edie: I'm not staying though Edie: I'll pretend to listen to them Liam: I understand baby, I don't want to be here Edie: I want to take you to the beach Liam: we'll go then Liam: smooth it over after if we have to Edie: I don't know how to care about making them happy, never mind doing it Liam: all you need to do is say what they wanna hear Edie: wait 'til they hear about the baby Liam: we just won't tell them until your 🤰 makes us Edie: but 'til then Edie: literally who knows what they want Liam: we know what your sister wants, she told me Liam: we'll base it off that, be good Edie: 🙄 Edie: she's a fine one to talk Liam: don't you wanna behave with me & for me? Edie: for you, not them Liam: I'm only asking you to do it for me Liam: so they won't be getting in our way Edie: what do you want me to do now then? Edie: tell me Liam: explain why we did it but pretend you're sorry that it got out of hand Edie: alright Edie: I'll hate every second of it but I'll do it Liam: I'll make it up to you Edie: tell me how Liam: 💍 Liam: I'll get you one Edie: you already got me a pram Liam: that was for the 👶 too, I wanna give you something that's just yours Edie: oh Edie: will I have to hide it too though Liam: as long as you don't bury it Edie: we could pretend it's not THE 💍 Edie: put it on a different finger Liam: you've still got great ideas after earlier Liam: you really are a genius Edie: Hardly Edie: I'm just trying very hard to be very good for you Liam: you don't even have to try Edie: I do when it means having to hide how I feel about you Liam: nobody can say shit about me promising to marry you one day Edie: they say all kinds of shit Liam: you don't have to hide that we're in love whatever they say Edie: I never will Edie: they know I am, that they can't change that Liam: if you don't wanna be good we can leave tonight Edie: you're right that it'll make shit easier Edie: I can ignore them Liam: I don't care about shit being easier if you're not happy Edie: I am happy Edie: they might not be happy with the way it's come about but they can't harp on it too hard without making me miserable Liam: I couldn't have done everything today without you Edie: I'm glad I could do that for you Edie: that's how it should be Edie: is going to Edie: I've got your back, you've got mine Liam: yeah, like a family Liam: me & you are, however long this baby takes to show up Edie: there's nothing you could ask that was too much of me, seriously Liam: not a test this time Edie: can handle it either way Liam: I know 👀 Liam: but I can't handle missing you more than I do, if you wanna like be a huge bitch to me or something like Edie: I could try if you wanna be less loveable for a sec too Liam: one sec I'll have to try & stop thinking about how alive you were tonight first Liam: & find a less gay way to say it than that while I'm working on it Edie: you say gay, I say workable lyric or tat inspo Liam: when you've filtered it through your 🧠 it'll be right Liam: all I know is beautiful wouldn't be good enough Liam: 🎇🎆 Liam: either Liam: I think the closest would be when you get a puddle of petrol, all those colours, that kinda bullshit Edie: I wish I could tattoo that onto me Edie: a bruise would be closest to that Edie: but I wish I could see me how you see me more Liam: I'll start filming, see what I can do Edie: you have a year 'til my birthday too Liam: lots of chances to get footage then Edie: be good for the baby too, when it grows up Edie: see we loved them before they even got here Liam: we'll record as much as we can Liam: starting at the beach tomorrow Edie: we'll make a sandcastle dreamhouse Edie: and find the perfect shell to start a collection for them Liam: I don't think I've ever made one Edie: 1/8 ratio water to sand is a good start Edie: then it depends if you want the castle buckets, or a plain one so you can sculpt it yourself Edie: add seaweed, shells and pebbles, et voila Liam: I'm gonna look for enough shells to make a mobile too Edie: 🌌🧠💡 Liam: maybe we can make it sound on top of looking nice Edie: if we find some driftwood too, that would be 🔝 Liam: we'll go back if we don't Liam: until we do Edie: if we like it we can move there Liam: what kind of 🏠 do you want? Edie: one that's the perfect size for just us three Edie: and always feels cosy and like a home and is the place you actually always wanna come back to because it's that comforting Liam: 🗺❌ Liam: I'll take you hunting Edie: maybe we'll find another to takeover when we're down there Liam: lots of them are holiday homes now summer's over they'll be empty Edie: and not everyone invests in good security, even though they're rich enough to Liam: pick the one you like best, I'll get us in Liam: most people don't bother changing their alarm codes from the default Edie: right Edie: they kinda deserve it Liam: if you're not gonna treat your shit like you want it, someone else will take it Liam: why not us Edie: 9️⃣9️⃣9️⃣ Liam: how long can we stay this time without your ma calling that number herself? Edie: when we're on our way, I could tell her we've gone Edie: rude of her to stifle our creativity 📹🎞📼 Edie: but if we give her something, she might freak less Liam: you got any 🎁 in mind? Edie: you mean getting her a stick of rock or? Liam: whatever works Liam: you know I'll do it Edie: It's not even you, they admit they don't know you Edie: maybe we give them the chance, when we do come back? Liam: 🎲 Liam: alright Edie: it might be totally unbearable Edie: I make no promises to the contrary Liam: you don't have to, you'll be there Liam: unbearable is when you're not Liam: like now Edie: I know Edie: it hurts my heart not being with you right now Liam: if my ma decides to stop, I'll call you Edie: do Edie: I'll get out of here as soon as I'm physically able Liam: me too Liam: even if it means I'm waiting outside for you 👀 Liam: 🛰🌏 Edie: You can wait outside my window any time Liam: 📹🎞📼 Liam: 🤫 Edie: 😳 Edie: everything you do is hot Liam: I'm thinking about you whenever I do anything, maybe that's why Edie: I won't dispute that Edie: even though you definitely deserve more credit Liam: you can give it to me when the credits roll on your film & you realise what you look like to me Liam: & that everything I do is to turn you on or make you smile, laugh, all that happy shit Edie: I don't know what I ever did to deserve you Edie: but I'll be a better person from now if it means I get to keep you forever Liam: nah, don't change a single thing Edie: 🤏 😈 🤏 😇 Edie: got it Liam: we won't show every 🎬🎞 to the 👶 Liam: or every 🎤🎧 either come to think of it Edie: got to have things to protect them from Edie: may as well be us, not actually a threat Liam: [sending her all the cute baby videos such as when they eat a 🍋 etc like this will be us because we can't be dealing with our mother popping off anymore] Edie: [sending her stuff of the twins 'cos that big sister evidently lol] Edie: him* soz babe Liam: [Grace would die if she knew] Edie: [when you are 10 and MORTIFIED honey] Liam: [when his ma is having a breakdown and he's just spamming the bae with random adorable baby content from the internet casually] Edie: [so sorry to your ma but also not sorry we did] Liam: [he can't handle all your emotions gal I'm soz, we're living our best fantasy life here instead] Liam: [I vote this happens until he can actually call her and thus end the convo cos we know they highkey enough to do that]

[queen-of-deans-booty]

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester- Part 2

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Word Count: 2,827

Warnings: typical supernatural violence, language, angst, blood, you know the usual

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Supernatural. All credit goes to their respective owners. Any and all comments on these are appreciated. I really want to hear what you guys think about this one!

Feedback is the glue that holds my writing together.

Tags at the bottom

The next day, Dean did his part by staking out the Wallace house while you and Sam were stuck in the motel room, doing all kinds of research. There had to have been someone at the party that might know the Wallace’s.

“Who should we look up?” Sam asked.

“I think we’re setting the bar too high with this one. If Luke wasn’t having an affair, then that means it’s not an older woman. I don’t know the motive yet, but what if we targeted someone much younger? I don’t know, Tracy?”

“Why Tracy? She watched her friend die.”

“I have a gut feeling on her,” you shrugged.

“Good enough for me,” Sam said before typing on his laptop. In the meantime, you took out your phone and dialed Dean, waiting for him to pick up.

“Hey.”

“How’s it going?”

“Awesome, yeah, I talked with Mrs. Razor Blade again. I’ve been sitting out in front of her house for hours and I’ve got a big steamy pile of nothing.”

“Look, someone planted those hex bags, someone with access to both houses. There’s gotta be some connection. I was telling Sam, maybe it’s not an older woman. Maybe it’s someone much younger.”

“Yeah, well I hope we find ‘em soon cause I’m starting to cramp like a—son of a bitch.”

“Quit whining,” you lightly rolled your eyes.

“No, Y/N, I mean, son of a bitch. That backstabbing little liar.”

“Who? What is going on?”

“Tracy is their babysitter.”

“Come back. We may be onto something here,” you spoke before hanging up on him. Turning to Sam, you made sure he was paying attention before you spoke again. “Guess who babysits for the Wallace’s?”

“Apple-bobbing cheerleader?”

“Bingo. Told you I had a gut feeling on her,” you said. It wasn’t long until Dean came back, and when he did, he wasn’t happy.

“I can’t believe her. She told me she never even heard of Luke Wallace.”

“Huh, interesting look for a centuries-old witch,” Sam commented as he looked at his laptop. As soon as Tracy came up, he decided to do some research on her.

“Yeah, well, if you were a six-hundred-year-old hag and you could pick any costume to come back in, wouldn't you go for a hot cheerleader?”

“Well, Tracy’s not as wholesome as she looks. Did some digging—apparently, she got into a violent altercation with one of her teachers, got suspended from school,” Sam explained, showing you and Dean his laptop screen.

One screen was a picture of Tracy with notes next to her face. Her name, where she lived, her parent’s names, her student email along with one of her parents’, what grade she was in, who she had for homeroom, her counselor’s name, and who her emergency contact was.

“What are we waiting for?” you asked as you got up and put on your jacket. “We’re wasting time in here. Let’s go to that high school and talk to that teacher.”

“I never missed high school,” you said as you walked into an art classroom. It was meant for ceramics due to the large number of kilns everywhere. Dean looked around before settling his gaze on demonic looking masks that students have made. The longer he stared at it, the more intense his features got.

“Dean, you okay?” you asked which brought him out of whatever spell he was on.

“Yeah,” he whispered.

“Does this bring back memories?” Sam asked as he approached from behind.

“What do you mean?”

“Being a teenager, all that angst.”

“Oh,” Dean said, a little relieved. Of what, you didn’t know.

“What’d you think I meant?”

“Nothing,” Dean shrugged before looking at a kid who put a big bone-shaped piece into a kiln. “Now that brings back memories.”

“You gentlemen wanna talk to me?” all three of you turned around to face Tracy’s teacher who she had the altercation with. Once his eyes landed on you, he blushed. “Sorry, gentlemen and lady.”

“Ah, Mr. Harding,” you began.

“Oh, please, Don,” he interrupted you, reaching out to shake your hand. He moved onto Sam and then Dean before smiling.

“I’m Agent Getty, this is Agent Lee, and that is Agent Ruffalo. We just had a few questions about, uh, Tracy Davis,” Dean did the introductions as you flashed your badge at him.

“Uh, yeah, Tracy, uh, bright kid, loads of talent. It’s a shame she got suspended.”

“You two had a violent altercation?” you asked.

“Yeah, she exploded. If Principal Murrow hadn’t walked by when he did, Tracy would have clawed my eyes out.”

“Why?”

“I, uh, you know, I was only trying to rap with her about her work. It had gotten inappropriate and disturbing,” he gulped silently. Something wasn’t right about this man. He was sweating too much to be telling the truth.

“More disturbing, than, uh, those guys?” Dean asked, pointing to the demonic masks on the wall.

“She would cover page after page with these bizarre cryptic symbols, and then there were the drawings. Detailed images of killings, gory, primitive, and she would depict herself in the middle of them, participating.”

“Symbols, what kind of symbols? Uh, anything like this?” Sam asked, pulling out a small bag with the Celtic coin in it.

“Yeah, yeah, I think that might have been one of them,” Don said, eyeing the coin. The way his eyes widened when he saw it didn’t sit right with you.

“You know where Tracy is now?” you asked.

“I would imagine her apartment.”

“Her apartment?” Dean asked, surprised.

“Yeah, she got here about a year ago, alone, as I understood it, as an emancipated teen. God only knows what her parents were like,” Don chuckled.

“Do you have an address?” you asked, ready to take it down. Looks like you three were going on a manhunt.

As soon as you three left the high school, Sam went to Tracy’s apartment to see if he could find anything while you and Dean talked to her friends just in case Sam caught a dead end. Hopefully the younger brother got something because you wasted a whole afternoon with her friends.

“I hate this case,” you groaned as Dean pulled up to the motel room.

“Tell me about it,” Dean grumbled before spotting his brother to your right. “What happened?”

“Tracy was nowhere I could find. Any luck with her friends?”

“Does this look like the face of luck?” you asked as you got out of the car. “Her friends don’t know where she is. It’s like the bitch popped a broomstick.”

“She could be making the third sacrifice any time,” Sam sighed as he led the way to the motel room. Just before you could enter, you were stopped by a little boy in an astronaut’s costume.

“Trick or treat.”

“This is a motel,” Dean sassed.

“So?”

“So, we don’t have any candy.”

“No, we have a ton in the uh…” Sam trailed off, pointing to the car.

“Where do you think it all went?” you whispered to Sam before motioning to Dean.

“Sorry kid, we can’t help ya,” Dean shrugged.

“I want candy,” the kid grew angry.

“Well, I think you’ve had enough,” Dean argued. The little boy glared at Dean through narrowed slits. He walked past him not but before shoving his shoulder into Dean’s body. Dean scoffed but held up his hands in defense.

“Come on, we need to figure this out,” you sighed, opening the door to the motel room. Instantly, the hairs on the back of your neck stood up, and when Sam entered next, his gun was raised as he pointed it to the two intruders in the room.

“Who are you?!”

“Sam! No!” you exclaimed, recognizing one of them as the only angel you knew. “It’s Castiel! The angel. Him, I don’t know.” Dean joined the group and closed the door before turning the light on.

“Hello, Sam,” Castiel said.

“Oh my God—er—uh—I didn’t mean to—sorry. It’s an honor, really, I-I’ve heard a lot about you,” Sam stuttered as a smile grew on his face. Sam held out his hand for Castiel to shake, but as you figured, the angle didn’t know what to do. Sam shook his hand slightly to show what to do, and Castiel understood.

“And I, you. Sam Winchester—the boy with the demon blood.”

“Don’t forget girl, too,” you piped in.

“Glad to see you’ve ceased your extracurricular activities.”

“Let’s keep it that way,” the man by the window said.

“And who are you?” you asked in a threatening tone.

“This the raising of Samhain, have you stopped it?” Castiel asked.

“Why?” you wondered.

“Y/N, have you located the witch?”

“Yes, we’ve located the witch,” Dean answered for you.

“And is the witch dead?”

“No, but—”

“We know who it is,” you interrupted Sam.

“Apparently the witch knows who you are too,” Castiel said as he walked to the table and picked up a hex bag. “This was inside the wall of your room. If we hadn’t found it, surely one or all three of you would be dead. Do you know where the witch is now?”

“We’re working on it,” you bit the inside of your cheek.

“Apparently not hard enough,” the unknown man said before turning to face you. “I know of your powers, your destiny. Killing this witch should come easy to you.”

“Why do you guys care?” you asked.

“The raising of Samhain is one of the 66 seals.”

“Come again?” both brothers asked.

“Shit, I forgot,” you said with wide eyes. Turning to face the brothers, you let out a small chuckle. “Yeah, I may have forgotten to mention that breaking the seals will cause Satan to rise.”

“You forgot to mention that detail to us?” Dean asked, shocked.

“Sorry, I was emotional that day. Now you know. Back to them,” you said, turning to face the Angels.

“Lucifer cannot rise. The breaking of the seal must be prevented at all costs,” the man said.

“Okay, fine, why don’t you just tell us where the witch is and we can kill her right now?” you asked.

“We are not omniscient. This witch is very powerful, she’s cloaked even our methods.”

“Okay, well we already know who she is, so if we work together—”

“Enough of this,” the man said, taking a few steps to you.

“Okay, who are you and why should I care?” you asked, sassing him back.

“This is Uriel, he’s what you might call a… specialist.” Castiel spoke.

“What kind of specialist? What are you gonna do?”

“You—uh, all three of you—you need to leave this town immediately,” Castiel said.

“Why?” Dean wondered.

“Because we’re about to destroy it.”

“So, this is your plan, you’re gonna smite the whole fucking town?” you asked after exchanging worried looks with the brothers.

“We’re out of time. This witch has to die, the seal must be saved.”

“There are a thousand people here,” Sam argued.

“One thousand two hundred fourteen,” Uriel said calmly.

“And you’re still willing to kill them all?” you asked, having a huge problem with this.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve… purified a city.”

“Look, I understand this is regrettable, but we have to hold the line. Too many seals have broken already.”

“So, you screw the pooch on some seals and this town has to pay the price?” Dean asked, pissed just as much as you are.

“It’s the lives of one thousand against the lives of six billion. There’s a bigger picture here.”

“Right, cause you’re bigger picture kind of guys,” you scoffed. There was something about angels that really ticked you off.

“Lucifer cannot rise. He does and hell rises with him. Is that something that you’re willing to risk?”

“We'll stop this witch before she summons anyone. Your seal won't be broken and no one has to die,” Sam said, trying to negotiate.

“We're wasting time with these mud monkeys,” Uriel said lowly, but you still heard.

“What the hell did you just call us?” you asked, taking a few steps to the angel. Dean placed a hand on your shoulder, but that barely calmed you down.

“I’m sorry, but we have our orders,” Castiel sighed.

“No, you can’t do this, you’re angels, I mean aren’t you supposed to—you’re supposed to show mercy,” Sam said, concerned for everyone’s lives.

“Say who?” Uriel asked, still staring at you.

“We have no choice,” Castiel said.

“Of course you have a choice. I mean, come on, what? You’ve never questioned a shit order, huh? What are you both, just a couple of hammers?” Dean growled.

“Look, even if you can’t understand it, have faith. The plan is just.”

“How can you even say that?” Sam gasped.

“Because it comes from heaven, that makes it just.”

“Like hell it does,” you rolled your eyes.

“Tell me something, Dean, Y/N, when your father gave you an order, didn’t you obey?” Castiel was right about that one, but he wasn’t right about this.

“Tough shit, because your plans have changed,” you growled out.

“You think you can stop us?” Uriel asked you, standing up to his full height. There was something that snapped inside you when he said that, and you couldn’t help but use your magic as a defense mechanism. Looking down, you tried to take deep breaths, but it wasn’t working. When you looked up gone was the normal color of your eyes, and in place were bright blue ones. Blue magic swirled between your fingertips before flaming up. Taking the few steps necessary to get into Uriel’s face, you would fight him if it meant protecting this city.

“Maybe not, but I’ll have a hell of a fun time trying. You deal with Heaven’s problems and we deal with Earth’s. You’re on our turf now, you don’t get to make the rules. Get in my way, and we’re going to have a problem. Kill me if you have to, but I remember a certain angel telling me that nothing was ever going to happen to me. My time isn’t right now, and I have a feeling you answer to Castiel.”

Castiel stared at you, never seeing your powers in action. The blue of your magic matches the blue in your eyes, and he knew that color matched the color of his grace. Amara was having an effect on you from where she is now because not a lot of people can stand up to Uriel, especially humans. Dean immediately grabbed your shoulders and pulled you into his body, away from Uriel. The calming sensation of his skin made you calm down, and the magic went away as did the blue in your eyes.

“We can do this. We will find that witch and we will stop the summoning,” you said to Castiel.

“Castiel! I will not let these people—”

“Enough!” Castiel held up his hand, silencing Uriel. He looked at you with a hard look on his face. “I suggest you move quickly.”

Nodding, you grabbed your jacket before giving Uriel the death glare. Turning away, you left the motel room with the brothers hot on your heels.

“What the hell was that?” Dean asked.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Come on, we have to go get this witch before everyone dies,” you sighed as you got into the car. Sam and Dean got in, and as soon as Dean started the car, Sam looked upset.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he sighed, fingering the hex bag. “I thought they’d be different.”

“Who, the angels?” Dean asked, making you look at Sam silently who just nodded. “Well, I tried to tell ya.”

“I just… I mean, I thought they’d be righteous.”

“Well, they are righteous, I mean, that’s kinda the problem. Of course, there’s nothing more dangerous than some asshole who thinks he’s on a holy mission,” you commented.

“But, I mean, this is God? And Heaven? This is what I’ve been praying to?”

“Look man, I know you’re into the whole God thing, you know, Jesus on a tortilla and stuff like that. But just because there’s a couple of bad apples doesn’t mean the whole barrel’s rotten. I mean, for all we know, God hates these jerks. Don’t give up on this stuff, is all I’m saying. Babe Ruth was a dick but baseball’s still a beautiful game.”

Sam sighed as he looked through the contents of the hex bag once more before picking up the charred bone.

“Well, are you gonna figure out a way to find this witch, or are you just gonna sit there fingering your bone?”

“You know how much heat it would take to char a bone like this?” Sam asked.

“No.”

“A lot, I mean, more than a fire or some kitchen oven.”

“Like a kiln,” you spoke up, coming to the realization that maybe Tracy isn’t the witch.

“Like exactly that.”

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[shirtlesssammy]

4x07: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester

We’ve already recapped the closest episode to a Thanksgiving episode Supernatural has so we thought we’d pick another holiday episode this week. Since Cas and Sam’s friendship is getting a little more screen time this season, we thought we’d go back to the beginning and recap the episode where they meet. Yay!

Then:

This badass graced our screens for the first time.

Now:

Ah, Halloween. A young mother comes home loaded down with a literal bucket of candy. Her husband wants to taste test for quality control, but she shoos him away. She then heads upstairs to give their baby a bath --the husband coming in a minute. First, he needs to sneak in a few pieces of candy!

After eating a piece, the husband starts to gag, and finds a razor lodged in his mouth. He starts coughing up blood and razors and dies on the kitchen floor just in time for his wife and baby to find him.

One Day Before Halloween

Agents Sam and Dean are interviewing, Mrs. Wallace, the victim’s wife. Dean finds a hexbag. Sam asks about enemies her husband might have had.

Back at their hotel, Sam is researching the contents of the hexbag. Dean is scarfing down candy (razors or not, I agree with your plan, Dean!). Neither brother can find a reason for Luke Wallace’s death.

At a Halloween party (no booze=lame), Jenny and Tracy, who are clearly rivaling for one dude’s attention (NOT WORTH IT), arrive to assess the lameness. Tracy decides to liven the festivities up by bobbing for apples. Jenny follows, only she gets stuck under the water while it starts to boil and she dies a horrible burning death that I can’t imagine.

Later, Sam and Dean arrive at the crime scene. Dean is gross. Sam finds a hexbag.

While researching the second death, Sam discovers that this might be part of a spell. “Three blood sacrifices over three days, the last before midnight on the final day of the final harvest.” This spell is summoning a demon. Samhain to be exact. (My headcanon is that they mispronounce Samhain because they’re in a completely different universe than ours.) This ritual can only take place once every 600 years. This year just happens to be that year. Of Course! When Samhain rises, every evil and bad thing Sam and Dean fight will rise with him.

On a stakeout, Dean continues to eat his Hell stress away.

While he’s complaining to Sam on the phone, he watches Tracy walk up to the Wallace house. Son of a bitch.

This is A Look:

Sam finds some dirt on Tracy. She’s been suspended from school in the past for an altercation with a teacher. They head to the school.

In the art room, Dean sees horrific masks that clearly remind him of Hell. “Bring back memories?” Sam asks. OUCH. Sam was just talking about high school though (of which Dean didn’t really get to experience and didn’t finish.) Don, the art teacher, comes in and the brothers ask about their altercation. “I was only trying to rap with her about her work.” Far out, man. But really, it seems that Tracy’s art was getting a bit too violent for school appropriate work. Cryptic symbols and gory drawings. The brothers wonder where Tracy is now, and Don reveals that she lives in an apartment.

Later, the boys reconvene at their motel. Tracy is AWOL. A little trick or treater is eager for candy.

Dean ate it all. Then he fat shames the poor kid. The kid has a death stare to end all death stares so I think he’s winning. (Natasha: #TeamKidAstronaut)

Sam forges ahead of Dean and finds an intruder in their room.

“Who are you?!”

“Sam! Sam, wait! It’s Castiel.”

(I just love that both Sam and Mary got to meet Cas the same way --with guns drawn and Dean rushing over to stop them.)

There’s Bunny Colvin another angel there as well, but Dean doesn’t know him.

Sam is SUCH A CUTE BEAN meeting Cas. He’s so flustered and excited. And Cas just poops all over his excitement.

He calls him the boy with the demon blood and congratulates him on stopping his “extracurricular activities.” He then asks Dean if they’ve stopped the rising of Samhain. They haven’t. And now the witch is wise to them. Cas found a hexbag in their room.

AAGGHH, Cas is foreign and formal and he doesn’t even look at Dean (haha, they’ll have plenty of time to stare and stare at each other in the next scene.) Cas informs the brothers that the rising of Samhain will break one of the 66 seals. It must be stopped.

For Posterity:

Uriel, the other angel, is a specialist and he’s here to destroy the town. Dean is incredulous. They can’t destroy this town. Cas is thinking big picture though --destroy the town, save humanity.

Dean’s got to stare think on that.

Sam is incredulous too. “No, you can’t do this, you’re angels, I mean aren’t you supposed to – You’re supposed to show mercy.” Lol, Sam, welcome to the reality of angels on Supernatural. It is a bit crushing to watch Sam’s faith get burnt a bit here. Dean then pulls out the Free Will big guns and asks Cas, “You’ve never questioned a crap order, huh? What are you both, just a couple of hammers?” Cas bites back with a rhetorical question about John Winchester. Dean’s digging his heels in though. If they’re going to destroy this town, they’re going to destroy Sam and Dean along with it.

Cas acquiesces.

Dean and Sam emerge to find Baby egged. BABY. Heads will roll for this, I swear to god. (Uh, #TeamKidAstronaut?)

In the car, Sam contemplates the hex bag and confronts his disappointment with the righteously dickish reality of angels. Dean urges Sam to not abandon his faith. (Dean Bean!) Sam gently absorbs this moment of brotherly insight and then realizes that the charred bone in the hex bag was cooked by an industrial heat source. Moment. Over.

At the school's art room they narrow the bone char down to the kiln and find a heavily locked drawer in the teacher's desk. In the drawer they find a bowl of children's bones. Blegh.

Meanwhile, Castiel and Uriel hang out in a park, Uriel casually dropping insults to humanity so fast it's like he's on an I HATE HUMANS game show.

Cas admonishes Uriel for maligning God's favored creations and counsels him to settle down and wait to see what happens with Dean and Sam. Uriel proposes yoinking the Winchesters elsewhere before blowing the town straight to Hell, but Cas tells him they need to follow their “true orders,” whatever those are.

On Halloween night, costumed children walk past creepy garden displays while within one very normal looking house, the girl from earlier is held captive in the basement of the witch/teacher's house. He creepily draws his knife down her breast (ew), raising his arm for the killing blow (jerk), when his chest gets riddled with holes. It's the Winchesters! Yay! They save the totally innocent girl, who backs away and begins to...sneer at her dead witch brother on the floor. Before the Winchesters can kill her she power blasts them across the room and presumably holds onto their guts (or their balls?) while she monologues.

While she works a spell to bring Samhain into the world, Sam smears blood over his face and that of his brother's. Is it the latest facial trend? Time will tell. The floor splits open and black demon fog emerges. It gives Sam and Dean the miss and then swoops into Don’s dead body.

“My love,” the witch greets Samhain with a kiss (me: gags at the incestual overtones). He greets her with, “You've aged.” EXCUSE ME, MOTHERFUCKER?

Samhain clearly isn’t one for loving reunions because he immediately snaps her neck and surveys his surroundings. It's time to PAR-TAY. He stares at Dean and Sam, who lie still on the floor, and then shambles past them. After he leaves, Dean asks Sam about the blood. It turns out, Sam gave them both a nice blood mask because masks are what people used to use to hide from Samhain. Nice work, Sam! As an added bonus, that blood mask should also keep away the bunnies. (You're welcome, Dean?) Samhain stumbles through town, past unsuspecting costumed children. Dean and Sam race for the cemetery to head him off.

Sam proposes whipping out his super magic psychic mojo to fight Samhain. Dean begs him to not use his power, handing off Ruby's knife instead.

At the crypt, the not-mourning-their-friend-at-all teens throw their Halloween party when they hear a noise. It's definitely not the cops, unless the cops are six feet tall, undead, and covered in blood. Samhain locks the confused kids into the vault and walks away again without a word. Oooookay. And then behind them, the vaults begin to rattle. The dead are coming out. Sort of. They pull kids into the vaults like sand worms and shoot out viscera, blood canon-style. Dean finds them, shoots out the lock, and joins the party - I mean, saves the kids.

It’s zombie dance off time, baby.

Sam heads off to fight Samhain, who tries and fails to power blast Sam.

They engage in fisticuffs, a demon’s favorite way to hold an ultimate battle. Sam uses his powers to suck the demon essence from Samhain and send him back to Hell, but Samhain's strong. He advances, step by step. It's slow enough that Dean has time to head upstairs and witness his brother mind-whammy the demon straight back to Hell. Err....awkward.

Samhain filters back down to Hell, leaving the Winchesters to shoot sad puppy eyes at each other instead.

The next day, they pack up and get ready to leave. Uriel zaps in to rub salt in the wound, and tells Sam that he was told not to use his powers. Sam tells Uriel that his powers saved the town, thank you very much. Uriel uses his wings to flap about 4 feet across the room so that he lands right in front of Sam's face. DRAMA LLAMA ALERT. Uriel threatens to annihilate Sam as soon as Heaven doesn't need him anymore. “As for your brother,” Uriel advises Sam, he should “climb off that high horse of his.” Sam should ask Dean about what he remembers from Hell. (Us, in a chorus: we wish we couldn't feel a damn thing.)

At the same playground where Cas and Uriel observed humanity, Dean sits contemplatively on the park bench.

Cas appears on the other bench and Dean gives him a less-than-warm welcome. “You're here for the I told you so.” Nope. In fact, Cas tells Dean that their true orders weren't to stop the summoning of Samhain. Instead, their orders were to do whatever Dean and Sam told them to do.

“It was a test to see how you might perform under battlefield conditions.” Dean loves this revelation (not). He defiantly tells Cas that he saved the town – including the kids playing in front of them. And that's enough for him.

Cas reveals that he was praying for Dean and Sam to save the town. “These people – they're all my father's creations. They're works of art.” With the Samhain seal broken, they're one step closer to Hell for everyone on Earth and Cas and Dean share a knowing moment about the reality of Hell's horrors. “Can I tell you something if you promise not to tell another soul?” Cas asks. “I'm not a...hammer, as you say. I have questions. I have doubts. I don't know what is right and what is wrong anymore.” He tells Dean the coming months will continue to test him. It's clear they'll test Cas as well. Cas flaps out.

What in the Sam-Quotes is this?

It’s Halloween, man.

Those little dudes are scary. Small hands.

Yeah, well, if you were a six-hundred-year-old hag and you could pick any costume to come back in, wouldn't you go for a hot cheerleader? I would, hmm…

For us, every day is Halloween.

You're angels! You're supposed to show mercy.

There's nothing more dangerous than some a-hole who thinks he's on a holy mission.

Babe Ruth's a dick but baseball's still a beautiful game.

Zombie ghost orgy, huh? Well, that's it. I'm torching everybody.

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive!

[daveleddenwriter]

The Tortured Artist

The Tortured Artist

By Dave Ledden

For as long as I could remember I wanted to be an artist. My earliest memory is of my three year old self finger painting on the driver side door of my dad’s vintage Mustang. His face went blood red with rage and tears built up in his eyes when he caught me. I can still hear my mom’s words, vividly. “Calm down! She’s just a baby, she didn’t know what she was doing!” Needless to say he kept me well the hell away from his car for the rest of my childhood.

  For years I was the top art student at every school I went to. I continued painting, sketching, sculpting etc..  I got marks that were excellent, so I began studying art at college. I moved into a small place with my friend, Sasha. Well, at least I did for my first year of college. She dropped the philosophy course that she was doing and planned on moving closer to her home and her boyfriend. I was relieved to have some privacy, It meant I could have more space in the flat to work on my creations and she wouldn’t be here to force me to not stay up all night working. I was secretly excited the day she left.

 “I hope you won’t be lonely here by yourself.” Sasha said, putting clothes in a suitcase.

“Maybe a little, but I’ll manage.” I said, trying not to grin. “So you’re moving in with your boyfriend?” I never referred to him by his name because to this day, I’ve no clue what it is.

“No. We’ll move in eventually, but I’m not ready yet.” She replied. I nodded. Sasha then took a peak at the picture I was currently drawing. It was a ink sketch of a  cemetery with Tim Burton style headstones and trees.

“That looks darker than your other pictures” She said.

“I thought I’d experiment with a new style.”

“What has you experimenting?”

“You’re meant to experiment in college.” I replied, smirking.

Sasha laughed, then she became serious. “I hope you take care of yourself when I’m gone.”

“Yes mom.” I replied, sarcastically.

She continued  “Sleep, bathe, eat regularly.”

“Breath, blink.” I joked.

 We chatted until she had to leave. I helped her carry her luggage to her car. We finished loading her bags into the car. She hugged me.

“I’ll call you when I get home.” Sasha said.

“Okay.” I replied.

“Marian, please promise you won’t work yourself to death. Get some sleep and don’t shut yourself off from the world.”

I looked into her  eyes and saw that she was genuinely concerned. I didn’t want to promise her that, I knew if I did I’d be lying to her, but I didn’t want her to worry about me. So for what felt like an infinite amount of time, I couldn’t give any form of response. I stood quiet and expressionless. Sasha waved her hand in front of my face, snapping me back to attention.

“Marian, promise me!” Sasha said, with a stern look on her face.

“Ok…” I said, weakly.

***

I slammed back four cups of coffee and two cans of monster that night. After finishing my graveyard sketch earlier in the day, I had a new project to start working on. I was enjoying trying out the gothic art style and I wanted to make a sculpture in it. It was a doll, a girl with a white face and a long black dress and long black hair. The dress was made with some spare cloth I had and the hair was made with wool. I made her thin arms with some silver metal. Her face was also made with metal, but I painted it white. It took close to four hours to finish the doll and the sun was coming up. I looked at the sculpture with satisfaction and placed it on the shelf facing my bed. I finally crashed and went to sleep.

I woke in the afternoon, groggy and tired. I was blinded by the sun rays that invaded my bedroom through the curtain-less window. I rubbed my eyes until they adjusted to the light. When they did, I looked at my shelf, wanting to see the doll. My shelf was vacant and I was immediately wide awake from shock! I shot out of bed and stood frantically glancing around my room! I calmed down when I saw the doll lying face down on the carpet, about a foot away from the front of the shelf. The doll didn’t look damaged when I picked it up to inspect it closely. I was relieved because I wanted to work on a new piece tonight instead of repairing this one.

***

I created at least one art piece a night, sometimes more than one. I had a two week long break from college and I spent all of that time locked up in my apartment. I slept most of the day and worked nearly all night, every night. I never admitted this to Sasha whenever she would call. My groggy voice would always almost give me away, but I was able to reassure her any time she would become suspicious. My routine was working with little to no hassle… until halfway through the first week of the mid-term.

I heard strange noises at first. It sounded as if an animal was scratching the inside of the vents. I naturally assumed I had mice and I was quite angry that I’d have to leave my apartment to get traps or poison. I didn’t deal with the problem right away. I didn’t want to waste time. I had started a new sculpture that was gonna be far more complicated than any other ones that came before it, and thus required a lot of time to complete. It was a life sized self sculpture made from clay. The porcelain coloured skinned statue stood at 5ft 7’, and was clearly too large to fit into the kiln that I keep in the kitchen. My plan instead was to go over it with a hair dryer until it was bone dry. I got started and continued to work diligently on it. I neglected so much sleep, sometimes working the whole night through. When I actually did sleep it was only for short naps. I was beginning to hallucinate from exhaustion. A couple of times since the college break, I thought I saw my doll walk around my bedroom, through the cover of my eye. When I turned my head around to get a better look, she was always on her shelf where I left her, stood as he’d always been.

I only ate packaged foods that I didn’t have to waste precious time cooking or preparing. I also made sure that there was a cup of water next to me at all times so I didn’t accidentally kill myself with dehydration. I occasionally drank from the wrong cup resulting in me swallowing what I can assume to be a gallon of paint tainted water, in the course of only a couple of days. It was worth it. As long as I finished my piece, I didn’t mind having to withstand a bit of poison. Sasha rang a few times while I was focusing on the sculpture, so I didn’t respond. I was far too busy for guilt.

The scratching from the vents didn’t stop, in fact it had gotten worse. One night while I was making progress on statue me, so much It seemed that I would have it finished a few of days earlier than scheduled. The mice in the vent were going crazy! What was odd was the scratching didn’t sound like toe nails on metal, it sounded like metal on metal. It was pretty late, 03:35 A.M. according to my phone so I assumed I was just hallucinating again. I was too happy with my work to care so I powered through. All was going well until maybe a half an hour later. The scratching stopped for five minutes. I sat in total silence, glad that the mice were giving me some peace and quiet. Suddenly another noise emanated from the vent, but it wasn’t scratching. The sound that I heard this time, I can only describe as being demonic laughter. It didn’t sound like it came from a person. I’d never heard anything like it before, which is why I’m having difficulty describing it. It was high pitched, like a cartoon rodent, but it also sounded like metallic rattling!

My heart was racing and I was physically shaking. The laughter ended and when I calmed down I decided to not only get to sleep there and then, I also planned on taking Sasha’s advice to give up neglecting sleep in favour of my art, at last, before I completely lost my mind. I eventually did fall asleep after a while, but it didn't last long. I was forcefully woken up by what sounded like a fog horn. I sat up in my bed, terrified, “Ya know, I’m starting to think that it isn’t mice.” I said out loud to myself before exhaustion took over me once again. I was woken up again. This time by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. I sprang up in my bed again and switched the lights on. My eyes were drawn to my almost finished self sculpture. It was now headless. The wires that were inside the sculpture, acting like a skeleton were sticking out of the top of the neck where the head used to be. They looked like they had been chewed through by an animal. Statue me’s head was on its side on the floor, looking at me face to face. I looked into its hazel eyes, there was a crack running through its left pupil and iris. The head was scalped. Shards of black clay, that was the sculptures hair was scattered all over the carpet.

I almost broke down crying at the sight of it. I then noticed her, the doll stood at the foot of my bed, facing me. She had a still poker face, but it felt like she was mocking me. I garnered the courage to speak up.

“You broke it, didn’t you?!” I sounded  small, like a frightened child. The doll remained stationary and gave no response.

“Why did you do it? That’s so mean.” I realised how petulant I sounded but I was trying to keep my voice from trembling. Yet again, no response. The doll just stared at me with its dead eyes. She was really pissing me off at this point and I lost it and screamed at her.

“Why are you doing this to me?! What are you doing in the vents?!” I was still shaking, but this time it was a blend of both fear and anger. I tried my best to maintain a straight face. The doll and I stared at each other down like we were in a duel, waiting to see who will draw their pistol first. Neither of us made a move.

“What am I doing?” I thought, letting the ridiculousness of the situation sink in. I looked away from the doll and hung my head for a split second. When I did, I felt something being thrown at my forehead. The projectile landed on my lap and I saw it clearly. The doll threw a balled up sock at me.

“You piece of…!” I stopped myself mid-sentence by biting my lip. I snatched the doll up and ripped it’s arms off with my bare hands. Her face remained expressionless, so I pulled off her head and crushed it. I then pulled her wool hear out of her dented metal scalp, and tore her fabric dress into scraps of rag. I bunched up her remains into a ball and tossed it in the trash, leaving my apartment for the first time in almost a week.

 I got back inside and collapsed to my knees in front of my wrecked sculpture and cried. I tried to calm myself down but I couldn’t hold back. All of my anger, fear, misery, got the better of me and what made it all worse was the fact that I was so tired! Two solid streams of tears flowed down my cheeks and I started cradling the severed head of statue me. I finished sobbing and sat at the edge of my bed. I told myself that I could repair the sculpture another time, but for now all I wanted to do was chill. I was too afraid to go back to sleep. I planned on sitting in my well lit bedroom and waiting for morning to come. It’s too bad that that didn’t happen.

I woke up lying across my bed on top of the covers. I was blinded by the light and I could hear a now familiar and horrifying metallic scratching. I looked at the floor and saw the doll standing before me, fully intact as if she never been damaged at all. She stood next to the sculpture of me. She had broken off both of the sculptures arms and the head was so crushed if was practically powder. “Die!” I roared, chucking my phone at the doll. I missed. I finally saw the doll move, it was lightning fast but moved as if it was on the verge of breaking to pieces. It preformed a strange side flip and my phone passed right by it. She then hissed at me and sprinted away. I didn’t see where she went.

After that night she didn’t leave. I could hear scurrying around the vents every night from then onwards. She would laugh at me and make sure that I never got a wink of sleep. She mostly hid herself. Only letting me see her so that she can force me to watch her destroy all my art. She loved when I was afraid and crying, she was having way too much fun making me her pet. She wouldn’t even let me leave my apartment and she snapped my phone in half. I was eventually rescued after a few weeks of this torment.

I heard a bang at my front door,

“Marian, dear, open up! you’re scaring me!” Said a female voice.

I was so relieved that Sasha had come for me, but I didn’t even have the energy to give a verbal reply let alone answer the door.

“Marian, you’re class said that they haven’t seen you in a month and you haven’t answered the phone for much longer than that. Let me in, I’m worried about you!” Said Sasha.

After an hour the police broke my door down and they and Sasha saw me lying on the floor. I was thin, pale, bony, dehydrated and babbling incoherently to myself. “What happen!?” Screamed Sasha. I really wanted to have the mental capacity to form a response, but couldn’t.

FIN

[ars-simia-animus]

You’ll Rise Up, Free and Easy

Chapter Three: “Shadowboxing”

Summary: Tension mounts between Peter and Tony on the subject of Peter's education. Peter enjoys the freedom of his days at home, following his passions with ceramics, reveling in the fine fabrics in May's sewing room... He doesn't know how to explain his trepidation at returning to school. Meanwhile, Tony remembers Mrs. Ana Jarvis, the first person to feel a responsibility toward him and to reach past his barriers.

Read after the break.

January, 1903

Peter had a new routine for his days at home. He woke at six thirty, washed, and went to the kitchen where May would be singing. He made the coffee for them while May finished cooking. Then, they ate breakfast together at the dining room table, like they had when Ben was alive, only Peter was the one to read the newspaper aloud while May chided him to “leave the world’s troubles for after French toast.”

It was sweeter even than he remembered to spend his mornings with May. She always swept him away and danced with him around the kitchen as they were washing the dishes. He would laugh and encourage her back to the sink. It was a fun little charade.

If May didn’t need to visit a client for measurements or a fitting, she would work in her sewing room, on the cast iron Swinger, pedaling and humming, while the machine’s needle joined fabric. Meanwhile Peter would pedal his pottery wheel, elbows-deep in clay slip, throwing vases or platters or bowls. May joked: “We Parkers have ankles as thick as Samson’s neck. But, just our right ones.”

Most of the time, however, May was gone, visiting her clients on Manhattan or Long Island. The house was empty, but it was an emptiness that reminded Peter of the delicate winter sky, colorless, cold, but free. He liked this kind of solitude.

He experimented with form and glaze, painted and carved intricate designs, and shaped precariously tall or wide clay bodies, for hours. However, he didn’t have any orders to fill, and though he had plenty of ideas and passions to follow, he knew, with a deep sense of responsibility, that he must use his materials to create pieces to sell. But what? He didn’t have any clients like May or a shop like Mr. Jameson.

He was a business. Mr. Stark said that 40% of the profit would be set aside for expenses. If he continued to create ceramics without a plan, soon he would have no materials and no profit. Not to mention fuel for the kiln to operate. Peter had never been part of the business of Jameson’s Porcelain & Ceramics Co. Mr. Jameson wouldn’t have even allowed him to look at the cash register, let alone the accounting books. But, Peter had kept inventory and knew that Mr. Jameson ordered by comparing the inventory to the materials needed for upcoming orders.

So, Peter retrieved the slate he’d used for school and some chalk and kept good track of the materials he had. Peter tacked the slate on the scullery wall, where he would be reminded to update it as he worked. He also created a plan (though it was simple and stupid, he thought) of where he could sell his work.

He knew this wasn’t enough, but he wanted to show Mr. Stark that he was thinking seriously, responsibly. This was one of the factors for his sensitive mood when Mr. Stark told him he had to go back to school. It felt like he’d failed already at being a ceramicist.

During the day, when pieces were being fired in the kiln, if Mr. Stark wasn’t there visiting, Peter would do chores for May. But, that didn’t take long, so he’d start supper… but, any earlier than four was too early even for stews. So, often he would either mold figurines that could be rewetted and clay used again, or, he walked around the house, reciting tongue twisters and passages of books he’d memorized. Occasionally, he would go into May’s sewing room and touch the satin or velvet fabrics, which he loved.

In the sewing room there were also bolts of the fabrics Ben had woven when he was a textile worker in Philadelphia. Peter ran his hands over the tartans and tweeds, thinking they felt scratchier than they should. Or, maybe that was the grief woven in them that made them feel barbed and sad.

Ben left his life in Philadelphia to come care for Peter. The textile factory wouldn’t hold his job for him, so he accepted the loss, and he and May shipped everything they could afford to post to a little motel in Queens. Before they even went to the motel where the remnants of their lives were boxed and waiting, they retrieved Peter from the Blessed Virgin Orphanage.

Ben eventually found work at a New York textile factory. It was rougher— there were fights every day between workers, sometimes with knives— but it paid a comparable wage. May began work for the first time in her life since immigrating; she’d been a seamstress’s apprentice in Italy. In America, she was a washerwoman. They were happy, but Peter nevertheless felt weighed down by guilt.

He moved on from the heavy textiles to the gossamer laces. They were smooth as milk under his hands. Un-spindling them, he would let them wash over his arms or he put them over his head, like a bridal veil. Many times he remembered the Starks’ Christmas party and would become as light as the lace around him. In those moments, he pretended he was dancing with Pepper. Sometimes when he imagined this, he was dressed as himself that night, sometimes in a fine vicuna suit like Tony wore, and sometimes he imagined himself as Pepper, or, alighted in her silk and pearls and silver.

Peter was so happy. He was so thankful. But, the pressure in his aching ears was building as he thought about returning to school. They crackled at him about how far behind he must be in Grammar and History and how there were so many faces he wouldn’t know and expectations to meet...

Peter’s face was darkening, a sunset color. Tony hadn’t meant to upset him; he couldn’t help but suspect there was more to this than a young teenager not wanting to go to school. Tony hinged his jaw back and forth and focused on the sensation. He didn’t want to give in, either, though.

Peter was an intelligent boy— a genius, a prodigy— and although it wasn’t unheard of for such people to accomplish great things outside the system, he needed to learn to “play the game” a little, too. Besides, Tony hadn’t lied; education was more than a merit, it trained brilliant minds to be efficient. If Peter was going to grow into the man he could be, he needed all the resources he could get.

Still, Tony had never seen Peter so belligerent. He drew a breath. “We’re not getting anywhere at this rate.” Tony tried. “Let’s talk more about it another time, hm?” He turned back to the table and began collecting the playing cards.

However, this suggestion did not ease Peter’s mind. “I don’t want to talk more about it later, sir. I don’t want to talk about it at all!”

Tony looked at him. He was escalating. Some dormant thing in Tony spiked up, like a scorpion tail. He said, in a measured tone, “Peter, we're done with this for today. We can talk when you’re feeling yourself.”

“I am feeling myself! Nothing’s going to change between now and then.” Peter leaned forward unconsciously. “It’s a waste of time for me to go to school, Mr. Stark.” Tony frowned. “I just want to learn my trade and its business.”

“How do you suppose you’re going to learn business without Mathematics or Economics?” Tony asked, irritation mounting.

“By experience, sir!” Peter exclaimed. “That’s what apprenticeships are meant to be.”

“By experience , is it, Mr. Carnegie?” Tony drew back dramatically. “You want to delve in and run a business? You’re fourteen, Pete.”

Peter’s voice cracked. “You — you said all this was a business investment.”

“School is a business investment, too.” Tony said, this time more softly. I’m always so affected by his tears , he moaned to himself.

“No, it’s not!”

“Don’t raise your voice at me, kid— I’m not shouting at you .”

This seemed to push Peter back down into a more reasonable mood. The kid’s shoulders slumped and he lowered his glare to the floor. After a gulp, he said, “Why can’t you teach me Mathematics and Economics?”

Tony closed his eyes and sighed. Then, he tapped Peter’s chin to get his gaze. “ I will . But, as Pepper so often loves to remind me, I have a company to run, with hundreds of employees who depend on having a competent chairman of the board to get things done.

“That’s not including a household to oversee as well, although Jarvis sees to most of that. Then there are partners like Rhodey and the U.S. Railroad Company…” Tony felt like he was rambling. He passed a hand through his hair and massaged his neck briefly.

“Look,” he said, “I will teach you— everything I know! But, it’s difficult to ride here, an hour both ways, and meet my other responsibilities and it's impossible to do it every day.”

In a small voice, Peter said, “I know.” He did understand, though it was painful. He wasn’t trying to demand so much of Tony’s attention.

“I just don’t want you to always be waiting for me to come. There’s no sense wasting time you could be studying. You should spend your time learning now, while you have more freedom. Do you understand what I’m telling you?” Tony asked.

Peter was silent, but he nodded.

Just then, the kitchen door opened. May, carrying a large basket of potatoes, sidestepped inside. Tony stood politely when he saw her. “Oh. Good afternoon, Mr. Stark!” May caught sight of Peter’s expression and paused.

“Good afternoon, May.” Tony said cheerfully. “You’re looking lovely today. Allow me to relieve you of your load—“

But, she’d already set down her basket with a grunt.

“Thank you, sir.” May said with a wry lilt. She wasn’t one for such compliments, but she held an unusual amount of grace for Tony because of Peter and Mrs. Stark. Through their eyes, she had come to see past his social persona a little more than most of his acquaintances. “Hello, Peter, motek. How are your ears?”

“Welcome home, Aunt May,” Peter said in a bashful voice. “I’m fine.”

May nodded and turned back to Tony. “Won’t you join us for lunch, Mr. Stark? I can have it ready within half an hour.”

“Thank you, but I had better not. I have to meet with Rhodey about some railway business before he makes good on his promise to ambush me and tie me on the tracks.” He said drily. “I'm glad to see you, though.” Tony continued. “Pepper reminded me this morning that we’ve still not met to officially discuss the terms of Peter’s apprenticeship contract.”

May smiled. “From what Peter has told me, I doubt I’d have much to contest, Mr. Stark; it seems you’ve been wonderfully generous.”

Tony noticed Peter grimace. “I want to be sure he has what he needs to be successful.” Tony said and drew himself up as if preparing to leave. “Well, perhaps the next time you are at the mansion, the three of us could draw up the contract and sign it.”

May had noticed the grimace as well. She sent him a questioning look before telling Tony: “I was planning to deliver an order to Mrs. Stark on the 8th, if that suits you.”

“I’ll make preparations and send Happy to give you a ride.”

“Please don’t go to any trouble, sir. I can catch the streetcar.”

“It’s no trouble.” Tony said.

There was a pregnant pause. Peter realized that Tony was going to say goodbye. He didn’t want Tony to leave this way, after they had argued and he’d been so stubborn. However, if he apologized, he felt that he should agree to do what Mr. Stark said, and the thought of going back to the schoolhouse or any schoolhouse was beginning to make him sick.

Tony spoke again. He looked at Peter, a little forlornly. “Will you come, too, Pete? It concerns you after all and I’d like to hear what you think about things—”

Peter bristled. He didn’t seem to believe that last statement. “Well, thank you, sir.” Peter said, not controlling the irony in his tone. “That’s the first I knew of it.”

“Peter Parker.” May chastised quietly and Peter immediately felt miserable. “If you have something to say, you should speak like a young man who deserves to be heard. Then I’m sure Mr. Stark would listen.”

Embarrassed tears started in his eyes and Peter hated how sensitive he was. The pressure in his ears was now a throbbing pain from all the stress. He barely heard Tony tell May that it was alright and he understood Peter was upset.

May interrupted his thoughts. “Peter,” she said. “Your face looks curdled as spoiled milk. What’s wrong?”

Peter sighed. “Uh, I… um.”

Tony cleared his throat. “We were just speaking about… the possibility of continuing Peter’s schooling.” Tony took a breath. “He’s not too keen on the idea.” May glanced at Peter with a slight worry to her eyes. “But I think he has promise and could easily attend a good college—“

Peter balked. College? The future, which was once like a cold sky, gave way to a tidal wave. It was at his door, crashing heavily, hemming him in, and he couldn’t breathe.

“I agree.” May said simply. Wildly, Peter snapped his attention back to her. “But, let’s not talk about it now. We can figure it all out on the 8th.”

“May,” Peter said, but she cut him off.

“We’re not talking about it anymore today.” She said in a pleasant but firm voice.

April, 1864

Tony returned to crawling through the flower beds of the Jarvis cottage only at night. He told himself he was a scout. He was gathering important information at great danger to himself by spying on enemy troops. Really, though, he wanted to be near Ana and Jarvis, though he knew he was not allowed.

Mrs. Ana had already told him no when he asked her to sleep in his bedroom during a few big storms. “I have my own bed and you have yours. Besides,” she said and pointed to the ceiling. “You know of those tall spires on top of the mansion?”

Tony nodded. “The iron spires.”

“Right,” she said and smiled. “If any electricity from the atmosphere ventures too close, the spire will conduct it down the rod and safely along a wire into the ground.”

Tony thought of all the lightning that must be in the ground as he rooted through the dirt. Almost superstitiously, he was thrilled every time his foot or fingers disturbed the soil. What would it feel like to be full of electric power?

Under the wisteria and hollyhocks he was shielded from the downpour and dropped his umbrella at the entrance of his tunnel through the thicket. He was very gentle with the plants so he wouldn’t crush them and upset Mrs. Ana. Closer to the cottage, he saw a warm glow from a little cellar window.

Inching up, he peered inside and was instantly captivated. Jarvis was in the amber lamplight, but not dressed in his staunch black suit and patent leather shoes. He wore sporting trousers with knee socks and a simple cotton undershirt. He also had on a beaten pair of plimsolls that Tony had never seen before.

The lantern sat on a low surface, perhaps a box, behind Jarvis so that his shadow was hard-cut on the wall before him. Jarvis jabbed at his shadow or cut a fist upwards occasionally— no, Tony realized, rhythmically . Jarvis’s feet never stilled or tripped. He seemed at once steady and speeding through time. Sharp breaths matched his patterned movements.

Tony couldn’t keep his own breath. It kept leaving him while he watched. Eventually, Jarvis let his shadow alone and moved to a seemingly very heavy leather bag that hung from a trio of chains. Jarvis punched the bag with such force— and the sound of the connecting blow was so deep— that Tony’s heart lost rhythm. Jarvis broke into a reverie of strikes.

The sky jealously unleashed obnoxious thunder above Tony’s head. Stupefied, his brain translated the peals into the scene with the punching bag and Jarvis boxing. It was like a revelation or a child’s first ghost story. Tony was awed and irrevocably obsessed.

Mrs. Ana came down the stairs and joined her husband. She was also dressed in sporting clothes, but Tony was very used to the sight. It’s what she wore when they played, or, “exercised” as she called it. Jarvis paused and seemed to greet her. He kissed her cheek and she reeled, laughter throwing back her head.

A different sort of fascination filled Tony. He laid down, belly flat in the dirt and seedlings. His chin rested on his chubby arms. He felt the desire to curl up like a pup, resting, watching a game across the room that he wasn’t supposed to join. Still, he hoped he’d be invited.

Mrs. Ana squared up; just like Jarvis, she began to bob and float around, circling her husband. She had that winsome daredevil look that Tony loved so much. That look meant fun. Jarvis moved, too, and the two of them began to spar, bare-knuckled.

Tony couldn’t believe it. He jolted up, but froze. It seemed like his mind had ground to halt.

Jarvis jabbed at Mrs. Ana, who effortlessly dodged. She was so fast! And she was laughing. Jarvis smiled as well as he blocked her punches. A couple times a strike would land and Tony’s stomach would lurch in a fearful excitement. But, once it was clear that neither of them would hurt the other, he relaxed and began to have fun, too. Both Jarvis and Mrs. Ana were obviously strong, but what thrilled Tony most was their speed.

They moved almost together, hardly seeming to be fighting at all, they were so skilled. Also, they knew and understood each other, which lended to their even match-up. Huffing, they paused after a while and stretched. Jarvis ran his hand up Ana’s neck. She leaned in and nuzzled noses with him. Then, they began to kiss.

Confusion and frustration overcame Tony. He worked at the little window until he could swivel the pane inward. He called out, “Wait a minute! Who won?”

“Good Lord!” Jarvis cursed— Tony burst into giggles—

And Mrs. Ana exclaimed: “It’s that groundhog, back! Where’s my broom?”

Mrs. Ana was quickly marching up the stairs, laughing and scolding at the same time. Soon she had him muffled up in a large blanket and was scrubbing dry his dark hair. “I thought we were quite past snooping in the bushes, Little Mister!”

Tony couldn’t be suppressed, however, not by any amount of correction. “Were you boxing? Each other? I didn’t know women boxed their husbands.”

Mrs. Ana snorted, but otherwise ignored his happiness. “What’s going to happen when you’re discovered missing?”

There was no hint of concern in his voice. “No one ever comes to my room unless they have to. Mother might come, but she’s in Paris right now for summer clothes shopping.”

Mrs. Ana moved on to his ears, wiggling her fingers, enveloped in the blanket, at the opening of each. Jarvis entered the parlor, now dressed in day trousers and a starched cotton shirt. Tony smirked at him. “Do you not wear pajamas, Jarvis?”

“With guests in the house,” Jarvis said, “I should think not, Young Sir.” Mrs. Ana chuckled a little. Jarvis recoiled slightly. “Is that snicker aimed at me, beloved?” His voice was underlaid with a pretend wounded tone.

”Most certainly it is,” she said. “I hope you don’t expect me to don an evening gown to receive this little runaway prince.”

Tony watched them in this sacred, domestic setting, noting how differently they acted, even with each other. Tony was an observant boy. He remembered the way people spoke, the looks on their faces, and the gestures they used.

As he grew, he began to see more: tics, minute expressions, doubletalk, etc. This skill was essential to avoiding his father’s anger and his mother’s tears of disappointment. It also helped him build a buffer between people and his emotions. It was never safe to be honest about how he felt. Every year, he was a better performer.

Jarvis and Mrs. Ana were performers, too. He realized this when Jarvis walked into the kitchen fully dressed at 8:45 at night. Mrs. Ana didn’t go to such lengths, but he’d seen her bite back derision toward different people on the estate, including his mother at least once.

October, 1863

He’d taken apart a jack-in-the-box his mother brought him from France. He figured out that the puppet was on a spring easily; he could feel the wiry coil through the puppet’s thin velveteen body. However, he wanted to see how the turning crank released the lid on the box. Mrs Ana had walked in to find him trying to pry the puppet out; so, she retrieved a small screwdriver and supervised as he unfastened the bottom panel so as to keep the toy from being truly damaged.

Maria, his mother, had entered his nursery just as he plucked the little music box from the toy. Tony could remember how her face succumbed to a storm of hurt emotions. “Tony! Figlio ingrato, why have you done this?” Her voice was wet with tears. “Your mama bought that specially for you, and after we were apart so many weeks.”

Mrs. Ana had stood, hesitantly holding an explanation on her tongue. Tony dissolved into tears immediately. Instead of trying to explain himself, he only apologized again and again. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Don’t cry, Mama!”

Maria sobbed. “You’re too old to call me that. Do you want your father after you?”

“No.” He said.

“Look at this.” Maria continued, picking through the mechanisms laid out on the floor. “Did you not consider how I would feel? I don’t buy you special toys for you to wreck them.”

Mrs. Ana took a sharp breath, but she pursed her lips.

“I can fix it, Ma—Mother.” Tony hurried to reassemble it. Maria sighed and massaged her forehead. “I remember how it fits together. I’ll fix it right now!”

Maria seemed to notice Mrs. Ana for the first time. “Mrs. Jarvis, did you permit him to do this?”

Tony paused. He helplessly looked between Mrs. Ana and his mother. Then he repeated, “I can fix it, Mother. I love my gift!”

“Tony, stop crying.” Maria said wearily. “Mrs. Jarvis?”

“I’m sorry, madam,” said Mrs. Ana. Tony’s heart clenched. He became angry but couldn’t understand why.

“Disrespect and disregard for possessions are not habits I would expect you to promote as his caretaker.” Maria said.

Mrs. Ana took a breath through her nose as quietly as she was able. “I don’t believe the action was committed with any harmful intent, Madam Stark. He was learning how the toy works.”

“Learning how it works?” Maria parroted. She scrutinized her son and the beginnings of trust reappeared. “ Capisco … You should think before you act, Anthony, cuore mio .”

This time, Mrs. Ana did not restrain herself as much. “It seems to me he was thinking of his future as an engineer. Master Stark should be quite proud.”

Tony remembered the expression on his mother’s face as she left his nursery. He had reassembled the jack-in-the-box as quickly as he could and left Mrs. Ana to run and show his mother. But, when he found her, she was somehow dried up, disconnected, despondent. “Impressive, cuore .”

He threw the jack-in-the-box when he returned to the nursery and Mrs. Ana jumped from the rocking chair. His little fists were tight enough to drive his short fingernails into his palm. His shoulders were quaking. He felt hopelessly out of control. Mrs. Ana approached and kneeled before him. Wordlessly, she took both his fists and held them firmly.

Tony gasped; he’d been holding his breath since the toy was launched out of his hands. “It’s your fault!” He was lost. “Mama— Mother’s angry. She hates me.”

“Your mama loves you. Her feelings are hurt; and, yes, I bear some responsibility in that.” Mrs. Ana waited until she could be heard over his tearless sobs. “People don’t understand each other all the time. Their spirits are wounded and they become angry. But, they do not cease to love those dear to them.”

Tony felt every muscle contract; it was as though he were trying to crush himself from the inside. His fingernails bit deeper into his hands. He wanted to punish himself for what he did, for how his mother felt.

“You’re angry now.” Mrs. Ana persisted. Her hands loosened around his until they felt like a mitten, warm and unrestrictive. “Have you stopped loving anyone?”

Tony gritted his teeth. Yes . “Me!” It was pure, honest, and unbearable.

Mrs. Ana choked. Fear shone in her eyes and Tony collapsed into tears and, quickly, hyperventilation. When she put her arms around him, he flailed at her. Mrs. Ana took the blows without reaction. She tightened her hold and hefted him onto her chest, holding her arm like a bar under his legs. Dizziness prevented much more struggle.

She opened the window clumsily. A swell of fresh air splashed his face. Then, still gripping him, she hooked a foot under the rocking chair and dragged it to the window. Despite so much gasping, Tony felt like he wasn’t breathing at all. His lungs began to hurt. She sat, pressed him against her chest and began to rock him.

“I’m going to hold a hand over your mouth,” she said, “and close one of your nostrils for a little while, but you’ll still be able to breathe.” Hard hiccups were all the answer he could give. She used the hand that had been under his knees to clamp over his mouth. The thumb of that hand plugged one side of his nose.

Breaths slowed and balance returned. Tony’s lightheadedness pained him. He slumped against her. She kept her free arm around his shoulders, supporting him. When she felt he was in control of his lungs again, she uncovered his mouth and her hand joined the other around his shoulders. He yawned in the cool breeze from the window.

For a long time she rocked him. The chair creaked; its wood was worn down and each piece rubbed against the other. He didn’t mind, though. There was something about this that felt necessary— every aspect of it, down to the croaking of the chair. Tony realized furiously that he was chewing on his thumb. He removed it, thinking how he’d be reprimanded if anyone had seen.

Then, Mrs. Ana spoke. “No one has stopped loving you, Tony.” He stilled at the sound of his name. This sounded like a secret, so he listened. No one . He felt her kiss his hair.

“You were not at fault,” she said, her cheek still resting gently on his head. Her murmuring voice was close to his ear. He felt enveloped, like in the tall foxglove and delphiniums. “I love how you’re curious, how you discover the purpose of things— discover their function… I love the way you take things apart to learn about them. I love how you put them back together.”

He listened.

“You’re a kind boy.”

She kissed his head again.

April 1864

In the Jarvises’ kitchen, Mrs. Ana’s voice sounded different than when it was so close by his ear. That time they spent when she rocked him by the nursery window was different. Nothing like that had happened again since then. He wondered, somewhere in the soundless part of his mind, if she would ever hold him again.

“Tell me, Little Mister,” Mrs. Ana addressed him sternly, “what exactly possessed you to sneak through my garden in this deluge?”

“Your cottage doesn’t have any spires,” he said. “I decided to check on you.”

Jarvis asked her a question with his eyes. But, Mrs. Ana ignored him and smiled at Tony, a hand over her collar. “You are a sweet little thing, aren’t you?”

“I can walk you back to your room, Young Sir.” Jarvis offered kindly.

“But I just dried.” Tony argued. “May I stay here?” He looked hopefully between the two of them.

“I hardly think you’ve dried ,” Mrs. Ana said with a laugh. Then she looked at her husband. He gave in easily.

Tony was changed into a clean shirt of Jarvis’s which worked as a nightgown. Jarvis warmed a cup of milk for him while Mrs. Ana checked that the guest room sheets weren’t dusty (from disuse.) Tony felt half-asleep when he crawled into the bed. Jarvis surprised him by tucking the blankets around him. “I hope you’ll inform us should you need anything during the night, Young Sir.”

“Thank you, Jarvis.”

Mrs. Ana came to the other side of the bed and fluffed the pillows under him. “I’d have you get a proper night’s sleep, Little Mister.” She warned but with no severity. Her hand traced his forehead and he closed his eyes. “Enough mischief for tonight.”

He felt her press her lips to his temple; then, there was only sleep.

January, 1903

Peter handed Tony his hat. He wanted to ask Tony not to leave; he didn’t say anything like that, though. Instead, his mentor cleared his throat. “I was going to ask you, Peter,” he said. “I am delivering a lecture at the university on Monday. Would you like to go with me?”

Blinking, Peter felt a little hope light in his chest. “To the university?”

“I could take you in to the university library.” Tony said. “If you’d like.”

The university library, where his parents worked… he’d never been allowed inside; it was reserved for students and staff. Peter shuffled. “I’d like that, sir.”

Tony smiled and Peter couldn’t help returning it. “Well! We’ll meet Monday. The lecture is at one o’clock. We can lunch in Greenwich Village before and you can spend as much time among the stacks as you wish in the afternoon.”

Peter softened. “Thank you, Mr. Stark.”

Tony winked at him, which was an unusual gesture. Peter thought that they each were feeling very awkward after this afternoon together. He was worried, but felt Tony’s hand on his head, like normal. He forced a goodbye and watched Tony walk to the small barn that was built in the Parkers’ lot for Tony’s horse. Then, May called him inside.

[detroitconnections]

Clay Project Continued!  This past Monday we wrapped up the clay coil pot project we started with the kids two weeks earlier. The whole point was to keep the kids engaged in a part of the process of clay, while engaging with their local cultural and physical history. 

It was a really fun day! I arrived at Bennett early, at about 12:45, and met the Pewabic Street Team. Alethea, Annie, and Steven set up the mobile kilns quickly, and we were heating them both by 1:20 or so. We loaded the wood kiln not long after, with five pots. The rest were on the bus and got to Bennett around 2. These went in the gas kiln, which fired fast. The kids came out and were so excited, it was impossible to keep them in their groups. They were free to amble around the blacktop and visit the various stations, including the three clay cities-- rolled out maps brought by the Street Team, where kids could build the city of Detroit in their image. The Pewabic Van was another station in and of itself; panels on the inside walls pulled away to reveal historical facts about the pottery house and accessible info about clay and firing/making processes. 

Lastly there was the spectacle of the firing itself. The small raku kilns fired quickly, the gas kiln was especially fast, and we were able to take out the hot pots and place them in the trash cans to reduce within a half hour or so of starting that kiln up. The kids got to see the flames when we added more combustible material over the pots, and were buggin out at that point. Unfortunately, we ran out of time before we could quench the pots into the water buckets, so most of the kids were not able to see the pots emerge finished, but they will next time we’re at Bennett! Some of the bottoms burst, but they still exist as cool weird sculptures that the kids got to make collaboratively with us. The Detroit clay held up great in the kilns and worked well with the glazes. The pots are shiny and cool! It was a little chaotic, but not so bad because the kids didn’t have to do too much except communicate and enjoy themselves and learn about the firing and participate in it. Firings are best done as community events, where people can get together and talk to each other! This was that, and I appreciated the help from everyone who made this work. I think the kids will be able to remember it when they see the pots in their classrooms.

Group #2, Nathan & Madison

[thegregorybruce]

May 3, 2020 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

WELL, WELL, WELL! It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. You’re a new subscriber and I’m so glad you’re here. I’ll do my best to help you save scads of time and money on all your home improvement projects. Did you know I listen to music when I compose this newsletter? Soon you will see all of your fears will pass away safe in my arms. Can you guess what song that’s from? CLICK or TAP HERE and be prepared to relax.

You and I, on the other hand, have been friends for who knows how many months or years? Let’s try to figure it out. Do you remember the video I shot showing how to identify a load-bearing wall? Can you guess how many years ago that was? CLICK or TAP HERE to read the column and be sure to watch the video!

The Day of the Kiln

Yesterday I had so much fun with my youngest daughter! She’s had an interest in pottery for at least eleven years. I’m quite sure it started in a class she took in high school. Over the years, she’s made some fantastic small objects. Here’s one I have in my office.

Two weeks ago she asked, “Dad, can you help me build a wood-fired kiln? I want to see if I can fire my own pottery. It's can be small if it works, then maybe we can build a bigger kiln.”

How could I turn down that request? What an exciting new project and one I’d never done before! I asked her to start to do some research - you’ll see why this is important soon - and at the same time, I jumped on YouTube to start to look for inspiration.

I quickly found a video and decided this method was worth trying. All of the materials I purchased can be reused in case it doesn’t work. But, after watching the video, it appears that success is guaranteed. CLICK or TAP HERE to watch the video.

Here’s the small kiln we built. I recorded a video and I’m creating an eBook with step-by-step photos showing how to build the kiln.

When I get the eBook complete, I’ll upload the video for you.

The Fun Quiz

You may be participating in the new one-question FUN QUIZ each issue. Oh my, I’m getting great feedback from you!

I know, I know, you could be one who’s not yet dipped yourself in the magic water of the quizzes. I can hear you saying, “Tim, WHAT’S in it for ME? Why should I take your silly quiz?”

Easy!!!! Here are a few reasons why you should take the quiz:

I guarantee you’ll LAUGH at some of the answers

There’s a good chance you’ll DISCOVER something new and interesting

You’ll be able to SHARE your new knowledge, impressing your friends & family

Your ego will get a BOOST when you find you answered the question correctly

This week’s quiz features an unusual word. You MUST REALLY read each answer closely and not skip over what may be the right one!

CLICK or TAP HERE for today's FUN one-question quiz. You'll be able to test the depth of your ignorance as Dr. Caster used to say!

CLICK or TAP HERE to see the quizzes you’ve missed out on!

Joe’s Free Standing Tree House

Joe, who lives in SC, sent me an amazing video two nights ago. He’s been working on this:

He’s at the point where all of a sudden he’s losing sleep worrying that the structure could collapse and seriously injure his son and his friends. He’s got GOOD REASON to worry as he made no less than four CRITICAL errors.

As I’ve often said, it’s SO IMPORTANT to do RESEARCH BEFORE you start a project! Joe didn’t do enough, OR he may have ended up at websites that offer up BAD ADVICE. You do know those are more plentiful than pieces of hay in a hay wagon on a cool autumn evening, right?

I emailed Joe as soon as I read his email to tell him the good news. First, I asked him to STOP WORKING and wait to listen to my podcast. Fortunately, Joe will discover that he doesn’t have to spend lots of money to make the structure safe.

You’ll be able to see his video and listen to my suggestions in the next issue of this newsletter. You’ll also see an example of one of the hundreds of hand-drawn diagrams I made giving sales presentations while sitting at dining room tables all those years ago.

I remember doing one for a kitchen remodel where I drew a quick revised floor plan and commented on the blue tile for the countertop. It was a superb choice.

Crawlspace Wall Insulation

Craig emailed me about a mess in his crawlspace. Look at this:

He wanted to know how to STOP the insulation from falling down.

What would you suggest he do? Please type your suggestion as a COMMENT at the bottom of this page.

What do you think my solution was to cure Craig’s conundrum?

CLICK or TAP HERE to see if you’re RIGHT. Sit back and listen to what I had to say.

Cat Tongue Tape

I’ve been testing a very interesting grip tape for three months now. I wanted to really put it to the test before I told you about it.

The results are in! CLICK or TAP HERE to see this new product, how I tested it, and what the results are.

I’m pretty certain you’ll be amazed.

That’s enough for a Sunday.

Today is build-dock-panels day here at my house. A wicked Nor’easter devoured and pulverized four of my cedar dock panels last year!

While I’m building the pre-stained cedar panels, my daughter will be stoking the new kiln! Wish her luck on her first firing.

Tim Carter Supreme Commander - www.AsktheBuilder.com BEST CLEANER on the Planet - www.StainSolver.com Generator of Cool Waves - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Wait, wait. I worry that you may have heard me say, “Get out your pressure washer to clean your deck.” What I said was, “Do NOT get out your pressure washer to clean your deck.” Do you understand? CLICK or TAP HERE to see why I’d NEVER EVER use one. You’ll see me wearing my firefighter’s helmet and bunker pants.

The post May 3, 2020 AsktheBuilder Newsletter appeared first on Ask the Builder.

from Home https://www.askthebuilder.com/may-3-2020-askthebuilder-newsletter/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[manuelclapid]

May 3, 2020 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

WELL, WELL, WELL! It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. You’re a new subscriber and I’m so glad you’re here. I’ll do my best to help you save scads of time and money on all your home improvement projects. Did you know I listen to music when I compose this newsletter? Soon you will see all of your fears will pass away safe in my arms. Can you guess what song that’s from? CLICK or TAP HERE and be prepared to relax.

You and I, on the other hand, have been friends for who knows how many months or years? Let’s try to figure it out. Do you remember the video I shot showing how to identify a load-bearing wall? Can you guess how many years ago that was? CLICK or TAP HERE to read the column and be sure to watch the video!

The Day of the Kiln

Yesterday I had so much fun with my youngest daughter! She’s had an interest in pottery for at least eleven years. I’m quite sure it started in a class she took in high school. Over the years, she’s made some fantastic small objects. Here’s one I have in my office.

Two weeks ago she asked, “Dad, can you help me build a wood-fired kiln? I want to see if I can fire my own pottery. It's can be small if it works, then maybe we can build a bigger kiln.”

How could I turn down that request? What an exciting new project and one I’d never done before! I asked her to start to do some research - you’ll see why this is important soon - and at the same time, I jumped on YouTube to start to look for inspiration.

I quickly found a video and decided this method was worth trying. All of the materials I purchased can be reused in case it doesn’t work. But, after watching the video, it appears that success is guaranteed. CLICK or TAP HERE to watch the video.

Here’s the small kiln we built. I recorded a video and I’m creating an eBook with step-by-step photos showing how to build the kiln.

When I get the eBook complete, I’ll upload the video for you.

The Fun Quiz

You may be participating in the new one-question FUN QUIZ each issue. Oh my, I’m getting great feedback from you!

I know, I know, you could be one who’s not yet dipped yourself in the magic water of the quizzes. I can hear you saying, “Tim, WHAT’S in it for ME? Why should I take your silly quiz?”

Easy!!!! Here are a few reasons why you should take the quiz:

I guarantee you’ll LAUGH at some of the answers

There’s a good chance you’ll DISCOVER something new and interesting

You’ll be able to SHARE your new knowledge, impressing your friends & family

Your ego will get a BOOST when you find you answered the question correctly

This week’s quiz features an unusual word. You MUST REALLY read each answer closely and not skip over what may be the right one!

CLICK or TAP HERE for today's FUN one-question quiz. You'll be able to test the depth of your ignorance as Dr. Caster used to say!

CLICK or TAP HERE to see the quizzes you’ve missed out on!

Joe’s Free Standing Tree House

Joe, who lives in SC, sent me an amazing video two nights ago. He’s been working on this:

He’s at the point where all of a sudden he’s losing sleep worrying that the structure could collapse and seriously injure his son and his friends. He’s got GOOD REASON to worry as he made no less than four CRITICAL errors.

As I’ve often said, it’s SO IMPORTANT to do RESEARCH BEFORE you start a project! Joe didn’t do enough, OR he may have ended up at websites that offer up BAD ADVICE. You do know those are more plentiful than pieces of hay in a hay wagon on a cool autumn evening, right?

I emailed Joe as soon as I read his email to tell him the good news. First, I asked him to STOP WORKING and wait to listen to my podcast. Fortunately, Joe will discover that he doesn’t have to spend lots of money to make the structure safe.

You’ll be able to see his video and listen to my suggestions in the next issue of this newsletter. You’ll also see an example of one of the hundreds of hand-drawn diagrams I made giving sales presentations while sitting at dining room tables all those years ago.

I remember doing one for a kitchen remodel where I drew a quick revised floor plan and commented on the blue tile for the countertop. It was a superb choice.

Crawlspace Wall Insulation

Craig emailed me about a mess in his crawlspace. Look at this:

He wanted to know how to STOP the insulation from falling down.

What would you suggest he do? Please type your suggestion as a COMMENT at the bottom of this page.

What do you think my solution was to cure Craig’s conundrum?

CLICK or TAP HERE to see if you’re RIGHT. Sit back and listen to what I had to say.

Cat Tongue Tape

I’ve been testing a very interesting grip tape for three months now. I wanted to really put it to the test before I told you about it.

The results are in! CLICK or TAP HERE to see this new product, how I tested it, and what the results are.

I’m pretty certain you’ll be amazed.

That’s enough for a Sunday.

Today is build-dock-panels day here at my house. A wicked Nor’easter devoured and pulverized four of my cedar dock panels last year!

While I’m building the pre-stained cedar panels, my daughter will be stoking the new kiln! Wish her luck on her first firing.

Tim Carter Supreme Commander - www.AsktheBuilder.com BEST CLEANER on the Planet - www.StainSolver.com Generator of Cool Waves - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Wait, wait. I worry that you may have heard me say, “Get out your pressure washer to clean your deck.” What I said was, “Do NOT get out your pressure washer to clean your deck.” Do you understand? CLICK or TAP HERE to see why I’d NEVER EVER use one. You’ll see me wearing my firefighter’s helmet and bunker pants.

The post May 3, 2020 AsktheBuilder Newsletter appeared first on Ask the Builder.

from Home https://www.askthebuilder.com/may-3-2020-askthebuilder-newsletter/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[williamccreynolds]

May 3, 2020 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

WELL, WELL, WELL! It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. You’re a new subscriber and I’m so glad you’re here. I’ll do my best to help you save scads of time and money on all your home improvement projects. Did you know I listen to music when I compose this newsletter? Soon you will see all of your fears will pass away safe in my arms. Can you guess what song that’s from? CLICK or TAP HERE and be prepared to relax.

You and I, on the other hand, have been friends for who knows how many months or years? Let’s try to figure it out. Do you remember the video I shot showing how to identify a load-bearing wall? Can you guess how many years ago that was? CLICK or TAP HERE to read the column and be sure to watch the video!

The Day of the Kiln

Yesterday I had so much fun with my youngest daughter! She’s had an interest in pottery for at least eleven years. I’m quite sure it started in a class she took in high school. Over the years, she’s made some fantastic small objects. Here’s one I have in my office.

Two weeks ago she asked, “Dad, can you help me build a wood-fired kiln? I want to see if I can fire my own pottery. It's can be small if it works, then maybe we can build a bigger kiln.”

How could I turn down that request? What an exciting new project and one I’d never done before! I asked her to start to do some research - you’ll see why this is important soon - and at the same time, I jumped on YouTube to start to look for inspiration.

I quickly found a video and decided this method was worth trying. All of the materials I purchased can be reused in case it doesn’t work. But, after watching the video, it appears that success is guaranteed. CLICK or TAP HERE to watch the video.

Here’s the small kiln we built. I recorded a video and I’m creating an eBook with step-by-step photos showing how to build the kiln.

When I get the eBook complete, I’ll upload the video for you.

The Fun Quiz

You may be participating in the new one-question FUN QUIZ each issue. Oh my, I’m getting great feedback from you!

I know, I know, you could be one who’s not yet dipped yourself in the magic water of the quizzes. I can hear you saying, “Tim, WHAT’S in it for ME? Why should I take your silly quiz?”

Easy!!!! Here are a few reasons why you should take the quiz:

I guarantee you’ll LAUGH at some of the answers

There’s a good chance you’ll DISCOVER something new and interesting

You’ll be able to SHARE your new knowledge, impressing your friends & family

Your ego will get a BOOST when you find you answered the question correctly

This week’s quiz features an unusual word. You MUST REALLY read each answer closely and not skip over what may be the right one!

CLICK or TAP HERE for today's FUN one-question quiz. You'll be able to test the depth of your ignorance as Dr. Caster used to say!

CLICK or TAP HERE to see the quizzes you’ve missed out on!

Joe’s Free Standing Tree House

Joe, who lives in SC, sent me an amazing video two nights ago. He’s been working on this:

He’s at the point where all of a sudden he’s losing sleep worrying that the structure could collapse and seriously injure his son and his friends. He’s got GOOD REASON to worry as he made no less than four CRITICAL errors.

As I’ve often said, it’s SO IMPORTANT to do RESEARCH BEFORE you start a project! Joe didn’t do enough, OR he may have ended up at websites that offer up BAD ADVICE. You do know those are more plentiful than pieces of hay in a hay wagon on a cool autumn evening, right?

I emailed Joe as soon as I read his email to tell him the good news. First, I asked him to STOP WORKING and wait to listen to my podcast. Fortunately, Joe will discover that he doesn’t have to spend lots of money to make the structure safe.

You’ll be able to see his video and listen to my suggestions in the next issue of this newsletter. You’ll also see an example of one of the hundreds of hand-drawn diagrams I made giving sales presentations while sitting at dining room tables all those years ago.

I remember doing one for a kitchen remodel where I drew a quick revised floor plan and commented on the blue tile for the countertop. It was a superb choice.

Crawlspace Wall Insulation

Craig emailed me about a mess in his crawlspace. Look at this:

He wanted to know how to STOP the insulation from falling down.

What would you suggest he do? Please type your suggestion as a COMMENT at the bottom of this page.

What do you think my solution was to cure Craig’s conundrum?

CLICK or TAP HERE to see if you’re RIGHT. Sit back and listen to what I had to say.

Cat Tongue Tape

I’ve been testing a very interesting grip tape for three months now. I wanted to really put it to the test before I told you about it.

The results are in! CLICK or TAP HERE to see this new product, how I tested it, and what the results are.

I’m pretty certain you’ll be amazed.

That’s enough for a Sunday.

Today is build-dock-panels day here at my house. A wicked Nor’easter devoured and pulverized four of my cedar dock panels last year!

While I’m building the pre-stained cedar panels, my daughter will be stoking the new kiln! Wish her luck on her first firing.

Tim Carter Supreme Commander - www.AsktheBuilder.com BEST CLEANER on the Planet - www.StainSolver.com Generator of Cool Waves - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Wait, wait. I worry that you may have heard me say, “Get out your pressure washer to clean your deck.” What I said was, “Do NOT get out your pressure washer to clean your deck.” Do you understand? CLICK or TAP HERE to see why I’d NEVER EVER use one. You’ll see me wearing my firefighter’s helmet and bunker pants.

The post May 3, 2020 AsktheBuilder Newsletter appeared first on Ask the Builder.

from Real Estate https://www.askthebuilder.com/may-3-2020-askthebuilder-newsletter/ via http://www.rssmix.com/