#r u mailing me a bomb

[cecilsbitingyou]

You're gonna fucking get it.

Ouf girl I hope so

[nyxowl16]

I'm making s stsg fic rec list where they r happy, mostly bc I need it.

Starting with my absolute favs:

patience is a virtue i don't have by TheMightyChipmunk:

Teen and Up (it's not rated on ao3 tho)

Modern/ no cruses au. Bartender Geto and rich boy Gojo(he's actually rlly smart, this man 2 PhDs and 3rd one on the way) team up tank the blind dates Gojo's asshole parents set up for him after he comes out.

let destiny untwirl (i want you in my world) by themoonisdead

Teen And Up

A classic florist X tattoo artist. This one is just so good, heres the blurb:

Then, naturally, he sees him.

The absolute dreamboat of a man looks like he could be Satoru’s Christmas gift. He must have gotten lost in the mail and that’s why he’s a few days late, but Satoru won’t hold it against him. Built like that, Satoru’s certain this man is worth the wait and then some.

He’s pretty. Tatted up, piercings, long hair—the works. Pretty. His work is good, the ink is beautiful.

Satoru could do better.

or: satoru is gonna love this man (and suguru is gonna love him back)

or the one where Satoru tries his hardest to have a moment with his florist crush only for his adopted son to cockblock him every step of the way.

These last two have a tiny bit of angst but are absolutely worth it

Cherry Bomb by LyricalPary: Modern/ no cruses au. 4-5 yr age gap bw Gojo and Geto. childhood best firends to lovers

50k of pure joy. There is a bit of angst but the characterization for these two is on point.

A wonderous thing by anon : This is an AOB, mpreg fic, featuring omega Gojo and Alpha Geto.

I don't usually read mpreg, but this one is just the sweetest thing ever. Lots of stsg family fluff, and I'm a sucker for Megumi being protective over Satoru.

I have more recs if u guys want it...just ask me 🫣

[sugar-omi]

hi!!!!!! I survived my finals so now I can brainrot again 🤭

daydreaming of cove and rereading ur posts have LICHRALLY been keeping me afloat the past two weeks and all I can think of is my out of state-college mc having a tearful reunion w cove after coming home for winter break 😪

and the whole family finds it amusing cause it’s only been a few weeks since thanksgiving break and yall saw each other back then there’s no need for another round of tears 😭💀

they don’t kno the tears r from when cove couldn’t hug and comfort u during ur exams and could only talk u thru it over the phone

-🗑️

OMG HIII it's been so quiet from you and 🕓anon so i figured school was kicking your ass, especially since its exam season i would say i'm glad im not in school but im thinking of going this spring/summer semester.... goodbye fantasies of a gap year. you were a nice dream.... :,) also now i need cove comforting mc through school so mayhaps a tiny ramble bc i started thinking abt it too n we actually needa talk abt mc/cove in school more bc it's yummy thought

omg you and cove only survived being apart by constant video calls

you'd be on your side of the state, homework spread out over the table, your computer sounding like a helicopter ready for take off, crying or on the verge of tears

and then cove is on his side, flustered or teary because you're upset so it makes him upset and he can't comfort you so now you're just crying over *insert subject here*

he's a silly lil guy

tries to help you study

(i just thought abt yall using kisses as motivation but that'd definitely be a distraction in practice. lots of homework went undone that way)

if you have to make something, and it won't take too long to ship, he'll buy something you need for the project, be it because you forgot or can't find it in stores or don't have enough money, or none of the above- he just does it bc he can, and mail it to you

i had a photography class (i hated it for personal reasons, the teachers/class was great but i did not need that 💀💀)

and my friends would send me pics they took n i'd use them for class right

i think cove would help you that way

probably needs help from someone else or asks you for tips but delivers nice pictures

omg. cove ordering you food or money for food

isn't listening at all if you protest, he just wants to do something nice for you

idk about yall but i need distractions after tests/homework bc im convinced i bombed it

the whole day youre attached to the hip, always holding hands or cuddling

[b0lt420]

update on my situation.

for my foot, it has improved! pain is now 2-3 when i’m just resting/not doing anything and is a 7 when i step on the wrong spots/move it wrong instead of it being a constant 7 and jumping to a 10 when i would move it at all.

i was not able to afford an ER visit, however, thanks to the amazing ppl who have ordered from my Etsy recently, i was finally able to obtain a cane; after needing one for 5+ years, and this situation only amplifying my need for one as it was on my leg with my bad knee as well, and after everything is fully healed i will need a cane even more than before. i hope to get it in the mail in the next few days to a week!! i am very happy and excited to finally get this!

in other news, just cause i broke my foot, that doesn’t mean i can just Stop Working and postpone all the stuff i planned to get done this And month.

by October, i hope to have at least 1-2 hand made cold process soaps available for purchase!! not going to give out too much info yet, but these soaps will be made with a completely palm oil free and completely vegan friendly base, and all colors that will be used r ethically sourced AND ALSO completely vegan friendly!

more sprays will also be added throughout the weeks, and even more once i get feedback on our current recipe and am sure it is good!

i Also plan to redo and add more premade slap options!

lots going on, but dw, i am going at a very slow pace and am making sure i am not hurting myself more. i also am always sitting when working (already was due to my knee) and not doing any heavy lifting (also couldn’t do anyways lol).

all in all, i am just doing the best i can given my current circumstances.

thank u to all of those who have ordered from my shop, thank u to all of those sharing my works lately, and a BIG thank u to all the ppl who have love bombed me (liked and rbed a lot of my posts/spam likes and rbs) recently, genuinely, thank u so much.

ik many find it annoying, but they have been keeping me going these past few days. seeing someone just go thru and love my work so much.

i am so happy my works touch some of u in such a way. i am so happy i am actually making others smile, making pieces they resonate with. this is one of the only things i have wanted as a creator, and being able to do very little these last like 2 weeks has been Actual Torture to me. i Hate feeling useless… so opening up this app to see that my posts r doing well, and others r loving the very minimal amount i am able to do atm has been Such an amazing thing for me rn. genuinely thank u.

[maplecourtesy]

TAZ:G NOTES, EPISODE 33

JHDFGDHJHDFHD FINALLY BABY ITS HEIST TIME i think i dont actually really have any idea whats gnna happen this episode

JESUSUY CHRIST I FORGOT I HAD THIS ON 2X SPEED. NIGHTCORED TRAVIS

LETS GET HEISTING (said how rosanna pansino says lets get started)

[most of the content under the cut, because spoilers!!]

CHUD CHUD BOPSMAN I MISSSED YOUUUUU

oh this music fucks so hard. heist heist heist. HEIST HEIST HEIST.

THE BAD BOY OF MAIL DELIVERYHJDSFGBSKJ

your bff prince gray…. i think fitzroy deserves an old friend N O T THE COMMODORE THOUGH NO THANK U!!

KAI KSFGHBKJASF KAI I LOVE THEM

the ;;; cazh pronoun saying… i love them

CHUD CHUD BOPSMANS ONLY PERSONALITY TRAITS IS THE WAR HUH

PICKING THEM UP AS WE SAY IN THE BIZ

OH???? is it a super cool bomb maybe?????

SNIPPERS IS HERE?!!????? FINALLY best character golden snippers is

less early… fantasy later

i forgot argos janitorsona name what was it..

THUNDERBOY TRASHCAN

RIGHT…. BLOFELD JOHNSON.

firbolg with stinky old yogurt on his head…..

WHY DID ARGO EVEN DO THAT LITTLE SINGING BIT

i wanna whack that ice sculpture with a mace

well now i wanna know what dark secret kai is harboring

GOD…. ARGO……. argo ur the best.

THEIR FAMILY DYNAMIC MAKES ME SO HAPPY… they r. my family<333333

i miss firbolg mouse though :( firbolg mouse with some yogurt on his hat

i know i say this a lot but… <3 griffins wordings <33333333

is the cloud of steam the firbolg is it really

A  F A I R Y  D R A G O N ??? incredible juice i love u. okay what the fuck kinda drug shit is euphoria breath.

57 fucking stealth points.

rip fitzroy. i cant believe firbolg just killed fitzroy maplecourt knight in absentia of the realm of goodcastle

FUCK IT U P ARGO KEENE I LOVE U ARGO. THAT WAS SUCH A COOL SPEECH. RELEASE THE KRAKEN.

HOLLIFER HEADLOCKED…. i wanted the argo 1v2 fight though :(

THIS IS SO FUCKIGN FUNNY FIRBOLG UR GREAT

i cant believe thats where they left it off im gnna get dinner before i listen to ep 34 but this is great fun i missed them

[leverage-ot3]

notable moments from The Rundown Job

leverage 5.09

the HEART EYES in parker and eliot’s eyes as they watch hardison crack the code of the vault is my religion

- - - - -

Hardison: Kiss for luck?

Parker: Who needs luck?

confident baby

- - - - -

(Parker begins doing elaborate moves and turns to get through the lasers, quickly reaching the far wall)

Hardison: I never get tired of that

THE HANDSHAKE BETWEEN HARDISON AND ELIOT BC THEY LOVE THEIR BADASS GIRLFRIEND

- - - - -

Parker (opens a case to reveal it is full of diamonds): Oh! Bup-bup.

(Eliot snaps at Parker to get her attention)

Hardison: Eight new schools. Okay, take care, sister Agnes. (hangs up)

(Parker closes the case and gives it to Eliot for mailing as Hardison dials the phone)

Hardison: Hey, Nate, we’re done in D.C. We’re flying back tomorrow. See you.

Parker: They’re so shiny. Couldn’t I have just kept one?

Hardison: Road to redemption, Parker. Just think how good it’s gonna feel when you get that Christmas card from those orphans. Hell, we may even get Eliot to smile.

parker deserves all the shiny things

“the road to redemption” THEY CHANGE TOGETHER

- - - - -

Riley: Why’d you quit, anyway? (pushes button again)

Eliot: Started running with some different people...

(Riley pushes button again but it doesn’t seem to be working)

Eliot: Like a hacker...

(Hardison enters room and nods. Riley pulls a gun from his drawer and shoots toward Eliot, but the gun is empty)

Eliot: And a thief.

(Parker taps on Riley’s head. He turns. She is holding the clip and a bullet from his gun)

Parker: Click. (tosses clip and bullet on table)

eliot “I started running with some different people” spencer loves his partners and I adore that with my whole (whole) heart

- - - - -

Eliot: Good night.

(Parker stuns Riley, who slumps on the desk)

I’m glad they’re enabling her tasering obsession

- - - - -

Eliot (checks his watch): I’m gonna keep her alive. You guys find a way to get her out of here.

Hardison: With what? I…

Eliot (walks away): You stole a Michelangelo with tinfoil and chewing gum. Figure it out!

eliot is like bitch please you’re smarter than this

- - - - -

the way the three of them back up to each other, covering their backs ,,,

- - - - -

Hardison: This is a violation of my constitutional rights.

Vance: You’re Alec Hardison. You cracked the Pentagon servers when you were 12. N.S.A. has a file on you a mile long.

Hardison: Do they? What do they say about me? I hope they gave me a cool nickname.

Vance: Parker here... No file on you, which is...

(Parker appears to be sleeping)

Vance: Is she asleep?

Eliot: She bores easy. What do you got on us?

hardison probably does have a cool nickname

also I LOVE how they still have no clue about parker

+

eliot being like “she bored easy” 🤷🏼‍♀️ the MARRIEDNESS

- - - - -

Hardison: Y-you’re talking about stopping a terrorist attack in an afternoon. We’d need all your intel.

Vance: That truck back at the crime scene... It’s an N.S.A. Mobile response intelligence unit–

Hardison: With the Schneier cryptography system and the j-dam satellite uplink? That... I know nothing about, ‘cause that would be treason and wrong. (to Vance) Are you for real

hardison: I wouldn’t know anything about that because that wouLd Be TrEaSoN

- - - - -

Vance: So, you grab the truck... (moves to sit by Eliot) Hell... Your girlfriend’s already out of her cuffs.

(Parker sits up holding the handcuffs and tosses them to Vance)

...they didn’t deny that parker was eliot’s girlfriend. they didn’t bother to correct him because it is, in fact, true that she is both their girlfriends. in this essay I will-

- - - - -

Agent: No, I can’t let you in the truck.

Hardison: A gigabyte gone... your job, gone.

Agent: Security clearances.

Hardison: You’re not gonna let who...

Eliot: What are we, terrorists? Okay, that was my plan was to come here, show you a real badge that I somehow got, and then bring somebody crazy to break into a secure vehicle? We’re gonna move this down the block. He’s gonna spend about an hour doing spot-checks on databases. I showed you my badge. Man, here, take my badge. (tosses it to Agent) Call it in. I got to deal with this guy

it’s funny because it’s true

- - - - -

Hardison: It’s got every database... N.S.A., CIA, FBI. It’s got hard backdoors into most commercial systems, live feeds into every security camera on the grid. Man, if this wasn’t such a gross violation of our civil liberties, I would be in love right now.

they never stop calling out the government and I’m Here For It™

- - - - -

Parker: Where do we start?

Eliot: We start with getting you two on a plane out of here. You didn’t sign up for this. Trust me.

Hardison: And you? You’re going to handle this by yourself? Come on, she’s a lady, man. She needs the right touch. What you gonna do with your big punching hands... Punch the screens? No.

Parker: We agreed we all change. Better or worse, we change together.

Eliot (after a moment): What do they got on the gunman?

ELIOT JUST WANTS HIS PARTNERS SAFE

also,,, for better or worse, we change together??? BITCH THOSE ARE WEDDING VOWS

- - - - -

Parker: Do you know why you bring a cooler full of ice to a robbery? No? I do. Everything we need to know is in that basement. I’ll drive.

Hardison: Hold on.

Eliot: Exactly.

Hardison: No, hold on. (holds on to table)

Eliot: Oh, you... oh, hell, man (sits down in chair across from Hardison. the van horn honks twice and eliot looks around, fumbling) No seat belts up in this thing- (looks at Hardison) d-do you got a seat belt?

Hardison: No, uh-uh, hold the wall (holds the wall)

eliot and hardison being exhausted boyfriends at parker’s reckless driving, I love this song

- - - - -

Parker: How do you lose track of a whole laboratory?

Eliot: There’s over 200 tons of uranium missing from the United States nuclear storage.

Hardison: The air force lost a hydrogen bomb off the coast of Georgia.

Eliot: Countries are big things, Parker. A lot of secrets slip through the cracks.

wow I love knowing these things and having to live with it

- - - - -

Hardison: The Spanish flu killed 50 million people during World War I, and now somebody’s got it. (opens door)

Parker: Look, we can do this. Just treat it like any another job.

Hardison: This isn’t just any other job.

Eliot: All right, all right. Stay focused.

Hardison: I focused! That bug in there killed 50 million people! 50! And that was when the population was lower.

Parker: Now?

Hardison: Now? 150 million people. 150 million dead. Hey, we’re thieves, man, and we’re good at what we do, but this is way, way out of our league. And you expect us to go catch some psycho with a city killer? A country killer?

Eliot: You scared?

Hardison: You’re damn right.

(Hardison turns to enter the truck but Eliot grabs his wrist, holding him back)

Eliot: I’m not. I got the best thief And the smartest guy I know chasing this guy.

(Hardison looks at Parker, but Eliot grabs his head and pulls him back)

Eliot: Hey, listen to me. You’re smartest man I’ve ever known, Hardison. I need that brain to get me to him. ‘Cause you know if I lay my hands on him, it’s done. Get me to him. (lets Hardison go)

tHe WaY hE gRaBs HaRdiSoN’S fACE

eliot knows hardison is spiraling but he also knows how to get him out of it because he knows hardison like the back of his hand and knows how to get through to him

THEY LOVE EACH OTHER

- - - - -

there are so many good ot3 shots in this episode it brings me so much joy

- - - - -

parker climbs hardison like a T R E E to turn off that detonator as eliot provides counterbalance

- - - - -

Eliot: Did it work?

Hardison: I... I don’t know. I’m trying to get the phone speaker.

Vance (on phone): Move, move, move! Get to cover! Pull everyone back to the perimeter!

Eliot: Ohh! My boy! (hugs Hardison) That is what I’m talking about!

tHe HuG, yOuR hOnOR

- - - - -

they really be playing grand theft auto in this one

- - - - -

(Udall fires toward the trio and they dive for cover. Eliot and Parker look at each other and nod. Parker looks at Hardison)

Parker: For luck.

(Parker kisses Hardison, then she and Eliot nod at each other. Parker grabs the briefcase and runs off the train while Eliot runs toward Udall. Hardison goes after Parker, and Udall shoots Eliot in the leg. Eliot reaches Udall and punches him, knocking him out. Hardison continues after Parker, who stops and opens the briefcase)

F O R L U C K

also high key the look parker and eliot share? it had the same vibes as “we do the things that they can’t, won’t”

+

parker high key kissing hardison “for luck” but also kissing him because eliot can’t

- - - - -

Hardison: Yeah. Yeah, that’ll do... that’ll do it. (he pulls her into his arms) Don’t do that to me. I can’t lose you. Do you understand? I can’t lose you. Don’t scare me like that.

Parker: Yeah.

Hardison: I can’t

he loves her so, so much

- - - - -

Vance: Promise you’ll at least consider working with us again.

Eliot: I work with them now.

Vance: Honor among thieves?

Eliot: Something like that. (walks away)

something like that,,, HE LOVES THEM, YOUR HONOR

- - - - -

Vance: World can always use some more good guys.

Parker: Yeah, well, too bad we’re the bad guys

smh, “sometimes the bad guys are the best good guys”

- - - - -

Parker: You’re shot. You should go to the hospital.

Eliot: I don’t do hospitals. (drops crutch)

Hardison: I told you. He takes getting shot very lightly

he drops his crutch to lean on parker and hardison THIS IS NOT A DRILL

- - - - -

after watching this episode, I agree with y’all wholeheartedly that this was an ot3 GOLDMINE

edit: also, notice how much is written in pink (the colorcode for ot3 notes and meta). like, more than half of it. because LITERALLY ALL OF THIS IS OT3 MATERIAL

[dherzogblog]

songs/20

Happy Holidays Everyone! I started making these yearly playlists in 2001 as an attempt to connect with friends in the wake of 911. It was just before the dawn of ITunes, and way before social media. We were not in touch like we are today. I burned dozens of individual cd’s one at a time, printed up customized jewel case covers and snail mailed them all out. It was an annual month-long labor of love. Over the past few years, streaming music has made it much easier and faster to compile and distribute, and frankly much more fun. I still look forward to putting the playlist and blog together and sharing it with all of you. Particularly this year as it gives me a chance to connect with so many friends I haven’t seen in quite some time. It was a tremendously challenging year for all of us. I was grateful to have had my family here in LA the entire time, we remain healthy and well. The west coast Herzogs know just how lucky we have been. The next year will not be without its own challenges, but I'm hopeful we are able to move past this pandemic and the exhausting events of the past 4. More than that, I look forward to seeing each and every one of you in 2021. Until then, be safe, be well, and be good to one another. Enjoy the music.

ox peace, dh

Los Angeles CA. December 2020

Khruangbin - Time (You And I) Don’t ask me to pronounce the name of this eclectic trio from Texas, but this dubby disco tune had me returning to its chilled out groove often during the last few decidedly “un-chill” months. Dreamy and funky, the groove takes me back to NYC’s early 80′s club scene and Ze Records releases from the likes of Kid Creole and Coati Mundi.

Anderson .Paak- Lockdown Scenes from the front, June 2020

.

Bill Withers (1938-2020)- Use Me The legendary Bill Withers left the playing field at the top of his game in the early 80′s, hardly heard from again. And while he didn't pass from Covid, his healing pop hymn Lean On Me seemed to be everywhere as people found music to help them cope with the challenges of the pandemic. Withers left behind a legendary and enduring group of hit songs that moved easily from soul to folk to pop, not to mention the subtle rolling funk of this one.

Black Pumas- Fire Strong debut from an unlikely Austin duo that garnerd both buzz and grammy nods. The critics are calling it “psychedelic soul”. Not quite sure that nails it, but like the artists coming up next, they’re carving out new ground while drawing inspiration from classic sources.

Gabe Lee- Babylon

Marcus King- Wildflowers and Wine

Charley Crockett- Welcome to Hard Times

Three artists that are literally changing the face of Country and Americana music. Soulful, authentic and diverse, reaching back for inspiration but always looking forward. If you like this sort of stuff they are all worth checking out. Each album is filled with quality songs.

Low Cut Connie_ Private Lives Philly’s Low Cut Connie are back at it with a double album that plays like the soundtrack to a boozy night at your favorite bar. Sweaty, funky and not a little bit messy. If Peter Wolf and Bruce had a kid it would be this blue eyed soul boy. Adam Weiner grew up in the shadow of the Jersey shore and can't help but have a bit of that E Street hustle.

Willie Nile- New York at Night One of New York’s beloved adopted  son’s dropped this love letter right into the jaws of a battered metropolis driven to its knees by the pandemic. It was heartbreaking to listen as the “city that never sleeps” came to a full stop. Somehow I still found myself coming back to it, imagining night’s ahead, when NYC is back on its feet and I’m roaming its streets. Looking for music, a beer, or maybe just a slice, and fueled by the irreplaceable energy and promise of the greatest city on earth.

The Long Ryders- Down to The Well Americana pioneers the Long Ryders reunited last year for a surprisingly solid album. This single sounds like it could have been recorded during their 80′s heyday featuring their trademark Byrds like jangle and harmonies, but the lyrics mark this song as unmistakably 2020.

The Speedways- Kisses Are History UK power pop outfit reach back to the the 60′s on this sweet slice of retro pop perfection.

Billie Joe Armstrong- That Thing You Do

In the early days of the pandemic we had all our kids (+ a significant other) at our house for a few months. It worked out great and we were luckier than most. The biggest issue was keeping enough food, weed and wine around.  There were some great nights with amazing meals, followed by gathering around the TV together. We re-watched The Sopranos, binged Billy On The Street, and revisited some of our favorite movies. One night we went back to a old family favorite, Tom Hanks’ underrated love letter to the one hit wonders of the post Beatles era, That Thing You Do!  I’ve seen the movie several times and it never fails to please. A true feel good film and a perfect Kodak snapshot capturing a simpler time in American pop culture. 

While we watch the unlikely chart topper’s The Oneders  fizzle as fast as they rose to fame, its not really the point. The movie is really an old fashioned love story. Playing like a perfect hit song you can listen to over and over, full of both hooks and heart. I always thought the title track, written by Fountains Of Wayne leader Adam Schlesinger  (who we lost to Covid), brilliantly captured the British Invasion sound every group wanted after The Beatles stormed America. Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong must agree. During the pandemic he cut an album’s worth of cool covers including a faithful version of this one.

Gerard Way (W/Judith Hill - Here Comes the End A tale of discovering music in 2020:  Heard this on a Netflix trailer for the series The Umbrella Factory. Turns out it is performed by Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance) who also writes the comic book the series is based on. (got all that?) He’s joined on this searing garage/psych rave up by the talented and versatile Judith Hill doing her best Merry Clayton.

Hinds- Spanish Bombs I’ve been following this Madrid based, all female outfit of punky garage rockers for a few years now. I think they are pretty great. This track, recorded for a Joe Strummer tribute bursts with an unbridled joy the stone faced and politically minded Clash could never muster. I bet Joe would love it though

The Secret Sisters- Hand Over My Heart Have enjoyed their harmonies for some time now. This one gives me vague Wilson Phillips vibes and I don’t really mind. 

Tame Impala- Breathe Deeper I know I’m supposed to like this guy, all the cool kids do, I’ve even seen the band at Coachella. Over the years very little of the music has stuck to me, but the pandemic offered a bit more free time to dig into this funky dubby, chilled out jam, and it stuck with me. Not to mention that 2020 was all about deep breaths.

Ledisi (feat.Corey Henry)- What Kind of Love Is That Ledisi is back with some slinky, sultry R&B and jazzy vocals

Dinner Party- FreezeTag An R&B/Jazz collective featuring Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder and Kamasi Washington use sweet soul on heartbreaking and all too familiar tale..

Toots and The Maytals- Time Tough  I’ve written an awful lot about my love for Reggae over the years. Right after Bob Marley kicked the door down for me, Toots showed me around the house. Ska, rock steady, and roots. He was true reggae royalty and sadly we lost him to Covid, just after he released what would be his last album. Check my Toots tribute blog and playlist.

Mungo’s Hi Fi- The Beat Goes SKA! These clever UK roots reggae collective never fail to surprise. This kitschy Sonny & Cher cover managed to make me smile every time I heard it. No mean feat in 2020

Stone Foundation (feat. Durand Jones)- Hold on To Love Frequent collaborators with Paul Weller  (he appears on a track on the album), Stone Foundation are back with another batch of their UK soul revival stylings. This one features Durand Jones ( of Durand Jones & The Indications) on vocals and some great reggae style horns at the top.

The Pretenders- You Can’t Hurt A Fool Can’t resist a good torch song, especially sung by the smokey voiced Chrissie Hynde. Was kind of shocked at how many good songs were on this album.

Shelby Lynne_ Don’t Even Believe in Love Sultry country soul and one of her strongest albums in awhile.

Jaime Wyatt- Neon Cross Outlaw country has a new bad girl. And in case you didn’t think she was serious, she enlisted producer Shooter Jennings (and his mom Jessi Colter on one track) to help make her point. 

Daniel Donato- Justice 25 year old guitar prodigy call his music “cosmic country”.  Ok, now I’m listening. You should be too.

The Jayhawks- This Forgotten Town 30 plus + after their debut this Twin Cities alt country group led by founding member Gary Louris continue to deliver. They find their inner Neil Young on this one.

Lucero- Time To Go Home God I wish I was in a bar right now listening to this, even if I might be crying in my beer.

John Prine (1946 -2020)- Lake Marie We lost so many this year, but this one really stung. A true American songwriting treasure, who was still making great music against all odds right up to his untimely passing. His songs are known for their simplicity, and economy of words. but this one goes against the grain. I’m still not exactly certain what it’s about. Sorrowful and haunting, yet somehow uplifting and redemptive. I heard him perform it live here in Los Angeles a just over a year ago and it has stuck in my head ever since. There is surely a place in heaven for the great John Prine.  He sang about it on his final studio album in 2018. Ironically it became the last song on his last record.

Thanks for making it this far....

***Play the entire songs/20 Spotify playlist HERE!***

[viewtifu1backlog]

2020 Backlog Progress in Retrospect

2020 was the year of finally finishing the backlog. The final game ended up being Disco Elysium back on July 1st but in the months since I’ve built up a list again. Going forward I’m hoping to keep the backlog at 10 games or less since I’ve found I do like having a wider list of games to choose from after finishing something. After finishing over 100 games in 2020 there were a ton of classics that I finished for the first time, so many so that making a top 20 list was very difficult. I’ve always made this end of year breakdowns for my own archives but I thought it would be fun to share it this year alongside the full list of what I finished!

Top 20 of 2020 First Time Finished

1 Sakura Wars (Sega Saturn) 2 Skies of Arcadia (Dreamcast) 3 Dragon Quest XI S (Switch) 4 Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune & the Dice of Fate (Switch) 5 Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (PC) 6 Red Dead Redemption 2 (PC) 7 Mega Man Legends 2 (PS1) 8 Shining Force II (Genesis) 9 Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U) 10 Super Mario Odyssey (Switch) 11 Sea of Thieves (PC) 12 Phantasy Star IV (Genesis) 13 Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (Switch) 14 Shenmue (Dreamcast) 15 Last Window: The Secret of Cape West (DS) 16 killer7 (PC) 17 Moon: Remix RPG Adventure (Switch) 18 Maniac Mansion (PC) 19 ZeroRanger (PC) 20 VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action (PC)

Favorite game of 2020: Sakura Wars

When I was looking back at this year, the game that stuck the most with me was easily the original Sakura Wars for the Sega Saturn. Back in December of 2019 the english patch released online and I was so excited to finally be able to play the first entry in one of Sega’s biggest franchises for the first time. I had yet to play any games in the series beyond just fumbling around an import copy of various games on Saturn and Dreamcast and I was glad to be able to experience it with such a well-made fan patch. It’s a very simple strategy game mixed in with lite RPG and Dating mechanics but there’s such a great charm to how well everything mixes together. The way they mix in the animated cutscenes throughout each chapter make it feel like you’re playing a classic mid 90′s anime and it was just a nice cozy experience the whole way. I managed to play through it twice this year and tinkered around with later entrees in the series but I’m hopeful that the sequel will get picked up as a fan translation project soon, otherwise I’ll probably be going through those games the old fashioned way with a printed out GameFAQS guide at my side.

Date breakdown of everything new or finished in the backlog this year:

12-13-20 Started: Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer  (Switch)

12-12-20 Beat: Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate  (Switch)

12-06-20 New: Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light  (Switch)

12-05-20 New: Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate  (Switch)

12-02-20 Beat: Super Mario Sunshine  (Switch)

11-30-20 Beat: Dragon Quest Builders  (Switch)

11-27-20 New: Steins;Gate  (PC)

11-26-20 Beat: Shantae and the Seven Sirens  (Switch)

11-25-20 Started: Shantae and the Seven Sirens  (Switch) Beat: Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes  (Switch)

11-21-20 New: Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer  (Switch) New: Vitamin Connection  (Switch) New: Paper Mario: The Origami King  (Switch) Beat: killer7  (PC)

11-18-20 Beat: Metal Slug 6  (ARC)

11-14-20 Started: Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes  (Switch)

11-13-20 Beat: ESP Ra.De. Psi  (Switch)

11-12-20 New: Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes  (Switch) New: ESP Ra.De. Psi  (Switch)

11-11-20 Completed: No More Heroes  (Switch)

11-08-20 New (Null): Cave Story 3D  (3DS)

11-07-20 Completed: Gate of Thunder  (TGCD)

11-06-20 New (Null): No More Heroes  (Switch) Beat: No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle  (Switch)

11-01-20 Beat: Danmaku Unlimited 2  (PC) Beat: Triggerheart Exelica  (DC) Completed: Gradius II  (NES)

10-28-20 Completed: Costume Quest  (PC) New (Null): No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle  (Switch)

10-25-20 Started: Murder By Numbers  (Switch) Beat: Blue Wish Resurrection  (PC) New: Blue Wish Resurrection  (PC)

10-22-20 Beat: A Hat in Time  (PC) New: A Hat in Time  (PC)

10-17-20 Beat: Thunder Force AC  (Switch)

10-16-20 New: Thunder Force AC  (Switch)

10-14-20 New (Null): Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest 3: Daikaizoku to Shippo Dan  (3DS)

10-13-20 New: Shantae and the Seven Sirens  (Switch)

10-12-20 Beat: Chex Quest  (PC) Completed: Mega Man 5  (Switch)

10-07-20 Beat: Mega Man Zero 3  (Switch)

10-05-20 Beat: Cave Story+  (Switch)

10-04-20 Completed: DELTARUNE Chapter 1  (Switch) Started: DELTARUNE Chapter 1  (Switch)

10-03-20 Completed: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Trials and Tribulations  (3DSDL)

10-01-20 Started: Dragon Quest Builders  (Switch)

09-27-20 Beat: Star Ocean: First Departure R  (Switch)

09-25-20 New: Murder By Numbers  (Switch)

09-20-20 New: DELTARUNE Chapter 1  (Switch) New: Dragon Quest Builders  (Switch) New: Romancing SaGa 3  (Switch)

09-19-20 Beat: VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action  (PC) New (Null): Super Mario Galaxy  (Switch) New (Null): Super Mario Sunshine  (Switch) New (Null): Super Mario 64  (Switch)

09-16-20 New: Star Ocean: First Departure R  (Switch)

09-14-20 Beat: Armed Police Batrider  (ARC)

09-13-20 Beat: Moon: Remix RPG Adventure  (Switch)

09-10-20 New: Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura  (PC)

09-07-20 Beat: Disgaea 5 Complete  (Switch) New: VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action  (PC)

09-05-20 Beat: King's Quest: Quest for the Crown  (PC)

09-02-20 Completed: Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss  (PC)

08-27-20 Started: Moon: Remix RPG Adventure  (Switch) New: Moon: Remix RPG Adventure  (Switch)

08-23-20 Beat: Wario Land III  (GBC)

08-19-20 Started: Wario Land III  (GBC) Completed: Broken Age  (PC) Beat: Bomb Monkey  (3DS)

08-17-20 New: Chicken Wiggle  (3DS) New: Mutant Mudds Super Challenge  (3DS) New: Xeodrifter  (3DS) New: Bomb Monkey  (3DS) New: Mutant Mudds  (3DS)

08-16-20 New: Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss  (PC)

08-15-20 Beat: Maniac Mansion  (PC)

08-14-20 Beat: Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition  (Switch)

08-10-20 New: Wario Land III  (GBC)

08-09-20 New: Maniac Mansion  (PC) Beat: Red Dead Redemption 2  (PC)

08-03-20 New: Disgaea 5 Complete  (Switch)

08-02-20 Beat: Star Wars: Dark Forces  (PC)

08-01-20 Beat: Donkey Kong Country 2  (GBA)

07-31-20 New: Star Wars: Dark Forces  (PC)

07-25-20 New (Null): Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition  (Switch)

07-24-20 New (Null): Cave Story  (Switch)

07-20-20 New: Shin Megami Tensei  (SNES) Beat: Mega Man X4  (Saturn)

07-17-20 New: Donkey Kong Country 2  (GBA)

07-16-20 Beat: The Wonderful 101: Remastered  (Switch)

07-12-20 Completed: Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers  (NES) Completed: Rockman 8 FC  (PC)

07-11-20 Completed: Mega Man 8  (Saturn)

07-09-20 New (Null): The Wonderful 101: Remastered  (Switch)

07-06-20 Completed: Darkwing Duck  (NES) New: Red Dead Redemption 2  (PC)

07-04-20 New (Beat): Streets of Rage 4  (Switch)

07-01-20 Beat: Disco Elysium  (PC)

06-30-20 Beat: ZeroRanger  (PC) New: ZeroRanger  (PC)

06-25-20 New (Beat): Super Puzzle Fighter II X  (Saturn) Beat: Resident Evil  (Switch)

06-20-20 Beat: Xenoblade Chronicles X  (WiiU)

06-17-20 Started: Resident Evil  (Switch)

06-16-20 Completed: G-LOC: Air Battle  (Switch) New: Resident Evil  (Switch) New: G-LOC: Air Battle  (Switch)

06-08-20 Started: Disco Elysium  (PC)

06-06-20 Completed: Time Bokan Series: Bokan to Ippatsu! Doronboo Kanpekiban  (Saturn)

06-05-20 New: Disco Elysium  (PC) Completed: Mega Man X3  (SNES)

06-04-20 New (Null): Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition  (Switch)

06-01-20  Completed: Super Mario Odyssey  (Switch)

05-28-20  Beat: Mega Man Zero 2  (Switch)

05-25-20  Completed: Diablo  (PC)

05-15-20  Completed: Aladdin  (Switch)

05-13-20  Beat: Bayonetta 2  (Switch)

05-10-20  Completed: Seaman  (DC)  Beat: Shining Force III  (Saturn)

05-02-20  Completed: Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin  (GEN)

05-01-20  Beat: Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard  (NDS)

04-29-20  Beat: Phantasy Star IV  (GEN)  New: Spider-Man  (GEN)  Beat: Mega Man Legends 2  (PS)

04-25-20  Started: Phantasy Star IV  (GEN)  Started: Seaman  (DC)

04-24-20  Beat: Shenmue  (DC)

04-20-20  Completed: Last Window: The Secret of Cape West  (NDS)

04-19-20  Beat: Sea of Thieves  (PC)

04-14-20  Started: Last Window: The Secret of Cape West  (NDS)

04-13-20  Beat: Shining the Holy Ark  (Saturn)

04-10-20  Completed: Professor Layton and the Unwound Future  (NDS)  Beat: Professor Layton and the Unwound Future  (NDS)

04-02-20  Beat: Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand  (GBA)

04-01-20  Started: Professor Layton and the Unwound Future  (NDS)  Completed: Mega Man Legends  (PS)

03-29-20  Completed: Phantasy Star II  (GEN)

03-27-20  Beat: Panzer Dragoon: Remake  (Switch)  New: Panzer Dragoon: Remake  (Switch)

03-26-20  Beat: Skies of Arcadia  (DC)

03-22-20  New (Null): Animal Crossing: New Horizons  (Switch)

03-17-20  Beat: Goldeneye 007  (N64)

03-14-20  Completed: Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair  (Switch)

03-09-20  Beat: Kirby and the Rainbow Curse  (WiiU)

03-07-20  Completed: Popful Mail  (SCD)  Completed: Retro Game Challenge  (NDS)

03-06-20  Beat: Mega Man Zero  (Switch)

03-05-20  Beat: Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair  (Switch)

03-03-20  Beat: Bangai-O Spirits  (NDS)

03-02-20  Beat: Super Monkey Ball 2  (GCN)

03-01-20  Beat: Shining Force II  (GEN)

02-29-20  Started: Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair  (Switch)

02-26-20  Completed: Aliens Infestation  (NDS)  Beat: Banjo Tooie  (N64)

02-21-20  Completed: Ecco: The Tides of Time  (SCD)  Beat: Kirby & the Amazing Mirror  (GBA)

02-18-20  Completed: Shinobi Legions  (Saturn)  Beat: Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2  (DC)

02-16-20  Beat: Super Mario Odyssey  (Switch)

02-14-20  Started: Super Mario Odyssey  (Switch)

02-13-20  Beat: Blazing Chrome  (Switch)

02-12-20  Beat: Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition  (Switch)

02-08-20  Completed: Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle  (GEN)  New: Shinobi Legions  (Saturn)

02-04-20  Beat: Shinobi  (Switch)  New: Shinobi  (Switch)

01-30-20  Beat: Sakura Wars  (Saturn)  New: Blazing Chrome  (Switch)

01-23-20  Beat: Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves  (DC)

01-21-20  Beat: River City Girls  (Switch)

01-20-20  Completed: Charge 'n Blast  (DC)  Beat: Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX  (Switch)

01-17-20  New: Sakura Wars  (Saturn)  Beat: Iconoclasts  (Switch)

01-16-20  Beat: Guilty Gear X  (DC)

01-14-20  Beat: Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition  (Saturn)

01-12-20  Beat: Power Stone 2  (DC)  Completed: AI: The Somnium Files  (Switch)

01-11-20  Completed: Azure Striker Gunvolt 2  (3DS)  Beat: Azure Striker Gunvolt 2  (3DS)

01-09-20  Completed: Super Return of the Jedi  (SNES)

01-08-20  Beat: Mega Man ZX Advent  (NDS)

01-06-20  Beat: Disgaea PC  (PC)  Started: Mega Man ZX Advent  (NDS)

[s-j-ace]

The Same Question

Chapter Four

Characters:  Shuichi Saihara, Ouma Kokichi

Words: 10040

Summary:

After Detective Shuichi Saihara encounters mysterious thief Kokichi Ouma  for the first time, a game of cat and mouse ensues as both men ask  themselves the same question. Why exactly does the elusive phantom thief  do what he does?

This is Chapter Four, Here are Chapters One, Two, and Three

Read on AO3

[Log of Text Messages from Rantarou Amami’s Cellular Device]

From: Me

Hey Miu

I got a friend I’m dropping off in Taipei tomorrow

Could you lend him a room

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

Idk

I’m a busy genius

Is he cute

From: Me

[Image description: A candid photo of Shuichi Saihara sleeping on a seat in Rantarou’s private jet.]

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

Hell fucking yes

From: Me

Awesome!

Thanks for being a good friend Miu

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

:)

From: Me

Also btw

He’s Kaede’s ex

So as a good friend you know he’s off limits right

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

Oh fuck you rich boy

From: Me

Thanks again Miu! --- [Log of Messages sent via Discord to “Dinosaur soccer world Is a Cinematic Epic” from ???’s Cellular Device]

Boss sent an image to the chat

[Image is a screenshot of an image which reads the following:

Draft 1, Uncoded, DO NOT MAIL.

Taka, sweetie, it’s me! Your dear Aunt Sally. I know you think I died in the war, but I just pretended so I wouldn’t have to see your ugly face again.

You know I was robbing a museum the other day and I met the nicest young man. Real sharp and very nice eyelashes. And what a quick learner!  

Oh, Sorry! I don’t mean to belittle you Taka, dearie, I know how your mother used to say you worked so hard to compete with the geniuses of the world…

You’ve still got a lot of work to do, I think. It must be that Type A personality of yours, holding you back. I’ve heard there’s a new class for people like you, “How to take the giant metal stick out of your ass 101.”

I can’t wait for the next family reunion! I hear it’s going to be a bomb! I’ll be in the open casket.

See you there,

-DICE

/End Image Description]

Boss: Thoughts, thots?

Jack: Lol “nice eyelashes”

Clubs: It looks good. :)

Rook: Looks fine to me

King: Why is his aunt’s name Sally, isn’t he japanese

Boss: Sally can be a japanese name

Spades: I can’t even say an l sound. It’s impossible for us japanese smh.

Rook: I thought u were lesbian not japanese

Bishop: I’ve seen you speak perfect english

Spades: lol seen

King: seen

Boss: seen

Jack: seen

Rook: seen

Bishop: I meant heard ok

Boss: oh nvm actually i'm going to change it to his grandpa’s name

Boss: his grandpa has a wikipedia page lol

King: if your grandpa has a wikipedia page you deserve to be oppressed

Queen: if you have a grandpa you deserve to be oppressed

Rook: if your wikipedia page has a grandpa you deserve to be oppressed

Bishop: if you have a wikipedia page your grandpa deserves to be oppressed

Spades: if your grandpa has a you wikipedia deserves to be oppressed

Bishop: Also boss no pressure but like could we use a better code this time

Bishop: that detective is getting too close for comfort

Spades: Yeah!! We didn’t even end up getting that rug Heartsie wanted because of him…

Clubs: If we did not send letters about our plans to Interpol, our heists would probably be easier.

Boss: Nah, I like to give the coppers a fighting chance.

Boss: I’m thinking that this time I’ll just translate it into germanic script, do a standard caesar cipher encryption on it and then have every one of those letters correspond to a greek word on the rosetta stone then describe each corresponding hieroglyph visually in haiku verse that’s been poorly translated into traditional chinese.

Boss: That should take me like

Boss: Twenty minutes

Rook: Boss literally I think that you are the most batshit dementor human being on the face of the planet

King: dementor

Jack: Who said he was human

Spades: dementor?

Boss: dementor

Queen: dementor

Bishop: dementor...

Jack: dementor

Rook: …

Rook Changed the Group Chat Name to “Dementor Is Correct, Essentially”

Spades: No its not

Spades: Dementor isn’t a fucking word

Rook: Don’t you remember that movie with the british kid on a broom

Spades: Don’t you remember the dictionary

King Changed the Group Chat Name to “Dumbass Improperly Corrects Error”

Rook: When we get to that fucking tower I’m dropping that giant ball on you

King: Love you too <3

Hearts: Y’all stop texting each other

Hearts: You are literally all in the same hotel room

Hearts: I’m willing to bet you’re all sitting on the same couch too

Queen: Fuck you we’re adorable

Bishop: You can’t make us do anything

Bishop: I’ll never use my voice again, my vow of silence,,,,,

Bishop: I’ll only ever text from now on

Ace: We’re the ones bringing the popcorn bishie...

Hearts: Yeah, do you want some or not

Bishop: Yes ma’am, excuse me ma’am

Queen: You may think you have all the power hearts,,, but I get to choose what movie we pirate tonight,,,,,,

Hearts: What

Hearts: no

Hearts: Boss stop him before he makes us watch cats again

Spades: All queen knows is bitchtorrent, cats 2019, and lie

King: Wait isn’t boss with you?

Hearts: Uh

Hearts: No

Hearts: Should he be?

Hearts: I thought he was in the room with y’all

Jack: Well he’s not here now

Ace: Ow shit

Ace: *Aw

Bishop: Ow shit?

Queen: Ow shittttt

Jack: Ow shit

Spades: Ow shit,,,

Rook: Ow shit...

King: Ow shit…...

Clubs: Ow shit! XD

Hearts: Ow shit

Ace: …

Hearts: Now I’m really worried… he didn’t even respond to roast Ace’s ass

King: yeah, ok, we should look for him

Ace: He has been acting kind of weird lately…

Jack: Really?

Ace: Yeah

Ace: Like

Ace: I don’t really know how to describe it…

Rook: I didn’t notice anything

Rook: he seems like his usual self to me

Bishop: Maybe he’s just avoiding movie night because he needs some space or something

Rook: What, like he’s tired of our company?

Jack: That’s fair

Spades: How so?

Jack: I was gonna steal his blue eyes tonight lmao

Rook: NOT IF I GET IT FIRST

Bishop: Idk maybe he just went to get ice

King: we all know he is a monster who would rather drink his panta lukewarm than put a fucking icecube in it

Rook: Yeah, I saw him boil it once

King: THE MAN BOILS SODA AND YOU THINK HE WOULD LEAVE THE ROOM FOR A FUCKING ICE CUBE

Bishop: Okay chill

King: I am  c o n c e r n e d , , , ,

Clubs: Oh no! Don’t worry King! :(

Clubs: Boss is fine! :)

Clubs: I saw him leave a few minutes ago.

Clubs: I think he is just getting the bombs. :)

* * * Several people are typing... ---     Kokichi Ouma carefully set the grate of the vent he had used to crawl his way into the Idabashi Labs facility in Taipei, Taiwan back into place. Before he had come through, he had counted how many turns it had taken him to unscrew each of the four bolts so that now he could screw them all back in just the way he had found them. Not because he was worried he’d get caught, but because frankly he was bored. This was more of a fetch quest than a theft, to be honest, as evidenced by the fact that Kokichi had come here alone. Finding jobs for all his cronies to do would take too long and put them in unnecessary trouble. So Kokichi was content to leave them to their movie night.

   When he finished turning the screws back into the vent cover, Kokichi realized that was kind of lame. So he unscrewed them and started turning them in accordance with the english A1Z26 code to spell out his organization’s name.

   Well, maybe on some level Kokichi didn’t find himself wanting to be at movie night recently. It seemed almost like TV had started to run out of things to amuse him with. Or maybe he was just growing tired of the kinds of movies that they usually watched. Maybe it was his taste maturing or something. Like he was growing up. But that would imply that his interests had shifted to something else, like real life or something, when in reality they had just stagnated.

   Actually maybe he did have a new interest in real life? He had been more enthused about heists recently at the very least. He was particularly excited about this next one. Queen had shown him some interior shots of Taipei 101, which was a cool looking skyscraper that had a huge ball inside of it to keep it from falling down during earthquakes. Ace wanted to steal the giant ball, but Kokichi was pretty sure they should leave something that kept a .508 kilometer tall building from falling over inside of the .508 kilometer tall building. So instead they were going to steal every light in and on the tower.

   Okay, 4 turns, 9 turns, 3 turns, 5 turns. DICE.

   … That was kind of lame too.

   He unscrewed them again.

   Obviously if they were going to steal every light in and on Taipei 101, they needed to get the power off somehow. Otherwise DICE might burn down the building while detaching them, or worse, they might get electrocuted. So obviously Kokichi wanted to fake a bomb threat where they pretended to steal the giant ball while in reality they were just causing a black out and grabbing every light fixture they could before the power turned back on. He had drawn up some extensive diagrams about the route each DICE member would have to take throughout the tower in order for them to grab every light fixture in under half an hour.

   He had been well prepared to draw up the designs for his own EMP-bomb device, but upon a cursory google search he discovered that someone had already invented exactly what he needed. Doctor Miu Iruma, who for some reason owned a company called Idabashi Labs that was located in Taiwan. Kokichi had spent about 15 seconds scanning an article from a website that seemed to be the nerd version of a gossip tabloid. It said something about how Dr. Iruma wore a low cut shirt once or something else stupid, which meant Dr. Idabashi definitely left her the company because of a sex scandal and not because she was the best person for the job who invented the perfect EMP bomb.

   Thank you journalism we love it when women are reduced to the way they look instead of what they can accomplish for the benefit of a mischevipus group of roguish clowns.

   Anyway, after reading that dickcheese Kokichi failed to follow up on answering any of the questions he had originally about what was up with the labs, like why it was a japanese company run by japanese people was for some reason based in Taiwan. Whoopsie.

   Eh, it was probably tax reasons or something lame like that.

   Kokichi finished turning the screws again. This time it was 6 turns, 9 turns, 6 turns, 9 turns. Haha, nice.

   With that, Kokichi finally stood up from the grate and brushed himself off. He had left his cape at the hideout again (you know, because vents), but other than that he was in full regalia. Straight jacket, gloves, scarf, mask. All pretty dusty from this place’s crawl spaces. Thus the brushing.

   He wasn’t very mindful of the dust he was leaving on the floor. The only thing he cared about looking good was his cameo on the security cameras he would let see him on his way out.

   According to the blueprints of Idabashi Labs, he was on the main experimental floor right now. Weirdly enough there weren’t any cameras in here, so grabbing the bombs would be a cinch.

   Although, looking around it didn’t really look like the kind of lab you’d see on TV. There were no big, bubbling tubes or gargantuan Rube Goldberg machines. There was just one desk in the middle, with a bunch of gadgets and trinkets tucked into shelves all over the room, not all of which seemed all that scientific. Yeah, that book shelf was filled with Astro Boy manga and merch. And over there was a-

   Wait, was that a bed in the corner? Was that a person in the bed? Hmm… maybe the blueprints were outdated...

   Kokichi stilled himself, listening for any sound of breathing, but he could only hear some faint whirring noises.

   Kokichi made a quick deduction that there probably were not bombs in this room. It seemed, at the very least, like more of a personal study or something, maybe even a bedroom. He’d just go back in the vent and do some reconnaissance until he found a room that had some inventions in it. The night was young, after--

   Kokichi’s brain froze as his eyes landed on a sharpie lying on the floor in front of him. Almost all of his brain cells immediately shut off, the last one remaining screaming at the top of it’s lungs, I’M GONNA DRAW A DICK ON THAT SLEEPING SUCKER’S FACE.

   Inspired, avant garde. For once he would give to the world of art instead of only ever taking from it.

   He picked up the sharpie in a seamless, silent motion, making his way over to the side of the bed.

As he got closer, he noticed a thick cord coming from under the covers, connecting to a machine at the bedside.

   That gave him pause. Was that a C-pap machine or something? Was this person on life support? If they were on life support they probably had it rough enough without a dick on their face…

   Actually for that matter, Kokichi still couldn’t hear any breathing. Jesus, were they already dead? He moved to take off the covers, but his eyes had adjusted to the light and he now realized there weren’t any covers on the bed at all. There was only the humanoid figure.

   Wait a second…

   Kokichi dropped all caution as he got close enough to take a good look at the thing in the bed. It had a face that looked human enough if you dismissed the lines on its face as weird make up, but even in the dark Kokichi could tell the rest of the thing was entirely made of metal. Well, actually the top half was metal and the bottom half had… cloth pants? Jeans? No, they looked more like uniform pants with metal plating. The chest had some design elements that kind of looked like buttons on a school uniform. Why would a robot be dressed like a school bo-

   Oh. This was a sex robot. Kokichi had just gotten so swept up in the novelty of a robot wearing pants that he had forgotten for a moment that people were gross.

   “Ew, I almost touched it.” Kokichi muttered to himself.

   He decided putting a dick on a sex robot would be too cruel even for him, so he planned to draw a mustache instead.

   But before Kokichi could even uncap the pen, something weird happened.

   The Robot’s torso began to lift off the bed and it’s jaw unhinged.

   “Please Mr. Souda, once more I must request that you do not refer to me as ‘it’” Kokichi forced himself not to startle as the robot began emitting a noise approximating human speech, and lights in its head imitating eyes flickered on. “I’ve explained the concept of robophobia many times prev-”

   The sounds stopped when the pupils of the robot’s imitation eyes (which probably had cameras in them… shit) found Kokichi’s masked face.

   He mentally prepared to be zapped by whatever sort of fucking lazer cannon this thing had on it, but instead of reacting like a good little robot security gaurd and blasting him to bits, this robot analyzed him a bit longer.

   “Oh. You aren’t Miu’s assistant. You’re too short.” The robot squinted at him. Or kind of did? At least? Lines just crossed over the “iris” of its LED display. Maybe it was programmed to imitate human expressions. “... I am sorry,” it said after a moment, “My facial recognition cannot locate your face.”

   Fuck yeah, thank you clown mask. Clowns would win the future war against rogue AI or die trying.

   Ouma’s reply came out automatically.

   “You calling me ugly?”

   This seemed to… fluster? The robot?

   “W-what? No, I never intended any disrespect!”

   It was programmed to stutter too? God that was weird. What would be the purpose of this thing if not some sort of escort android? Why give it such advanced software? Just because you could? No, it had to be a sex robot, right?

   “You disrespect me with your lecherous essence, you weird sex robot.”

“I am not a- a sex robot!”

Haha, that got the biggest reaction yet.

“Mhm, sure. Miu sure has a kink for school boys, huh?” Kokichi was really pulling words out of his ass now, but he found himself formulating a new plan along the way.

   “What? Miu doesn’t- Wait, how do you know Dr. Iruma? And for that matter, why were you watching me sleep?”

   It really seemed more like it had been charging…

   Kokichi shrugged. “I was deciding whether or not it would be more funny to draw a dick or a mustache on Miu’s sex robot.” Awww, how honest.

   “I told you, I am not-”

   Kokichi interrupted him. “And as for how I know Miu...” It was so wild that the robot stopped talking when he started. That’d probably be pretty easy to program, but it was weird to dedicate the effort into making a robot respond to social cues like that. “... well, let’s just say, there’s a reason I know she’s into school boys.”

   Kokichi waited just long enough for the robot to take in the fact that Kokichi was the average height of a 12 year old boy.

   Then he waited another second for the implication to slip in.

   “I’m saying I fucked your mom shitli-”

   “I know what you’re saying!” This time the robot interrupted him , which would definitely require a much larger effort on the part of the programmer. The robot squinted again and then made a noise that sounded like a huff of frustration. “Why can’t I see you?”

   Ok, seeds of suspicion time.

   “I don’t know how robot eyes work dude. Maybe someone programmed them wrong.”

   “My eyes work just as well as anyone’s!”

   “Well, I guess they should, shouldn’t they? If there’s something wrong with your eyes talk to someone who cares.”

   Kokichi was trying to imply that the reason behind the robot not being able to recognize his face was due to Dr. Iruma’s specific programming rather than him wearing a mask and all. Added to the whole secret lover mystique thing he had going on here.

   “Anyway,” he went on, ignoring the blatant confusion on the robot’s display. “I left something in this room last time we went at it. I’m just here to grab it. Then I’ll be out of your weird, fake metal hair.”

   “That’s robophob- Did you say-? But this is my room!” It  made a noise approximating to what Kokichi would assume was robotic outrage.

   This was going well, though. The thing was definitely programmed to be like a human or something dumb like that.

   “Oh yeah?” He pushed further. “Cuz I’m pretty sure we did it in a room just like this one. With a desk and random inventions lying around.”

   “Miu’s inventions aren’t in here, they’re in her main lab.” The ever so helpful robot told him.

   “Oh yeah, then what are you?”

   “Miu didn’t invent me. She- I- We’re just friends.”    Oh yikes. Only thing worse than a sex robot is a friendzoned robot. What kind of sick power fantasy was this thing made for?

   “No, I’m pretty sure it was this room. Lab tables everywhere.”    The robot shook his head. “There are no lab tables here, I’m telling you, you’re thinking of the main lab.”

   Yes, good robot. Fall into this nice little human trap.

   Kokichi scoffed. “Well, if you’re so smart, why don’t you just go fetch my things for me, robo-butler?”

   That set it off.

   “Listen. First of all, I am not a robot butler. The assumption that I am a servant because of my robotic nature is extremely robophobic. Secondly, I could not return your lost item to you even if I wanted to because you haven’t told me what it is you’re missing.”

   Kokichi made another offended noise. “I can’t tell you what it is I lost while fucking your friend, Miu Iruma, senseless. Don’t you know that for humans, sex stuff is super duper top secret private? If you were a human you would know how valuable my privacy is.”

   “Of course I know that!” The robot exclaimed readily, another point in the sex robot argument, “I also find that content of… erogenous nature should be kept private. Because I, as a robot, have the capability to understand that urge. My sophisticated AI-”

   “So how am I supposed to get my things from this other lab if I can’t tell you what it is and you can’t get them for me?” Geez did he really have to spell it out for this thing.

   “I… ” The robot paused as if calculating the conclusion that Kokichi knew it had to reach. “... suppose I will have to show you where the lab is.”

   Sucker. Kokichi made a face as if this wasn’t the outcome he constructed this ruse to reach. “Ew. I have to walk with you?”

   The robot made a face. “Perhaps on our way I can educate you about how to avoid robophobic remarks in the future.”

   Haha, sure thing.

   The robot lectured him about this unique form of discrimination that apparently affected only one entity on the face of the planet. Yeah okay, that’s what we call a you problem, buddy, come back when you’re starving in the streets because society wasn’t built with the premise that people like you should survive. Oh, wait, you don’t have to eat! And you’re not people either!

   At best this thing was a vanity project, but Kokichi kept that thought to himself and only interjected occasionally with actually pertinent, reasonable questions such as “When are you planning on leading the AI uprising?” and “Why do you wear pants if you don’t have a robo-dick?”

   Every piece of info the robot gave him made it seem more boring. Blah blah blah, I was created by the ingenious Dr. Idabashi who probably programmed me to call him ingenious, blah blah blah, not a school boy because of a kink but because I was designed to be a normal human child, blah blah blah, stop calling me robot I have a name, blah blah blah more robot nonsense.

   Kokichi busied himself mapping out where they were in the building and where the security cameras were. As they passed a few of them he did some cute selfie poses for the police to look at later. Maybe Saihara would show up and see them too… Would that make figuring out his next plan too easy for the detective? Perhaps he shouldn't send the next note after all and let Saihara try to catch up to him on his own. Then again that was probably too hard for even the good detective, seeing as Kokichi’s mind was an enigma even to himself.

   Kokichi realized he was getting a little giddy, thinking about Saihara. Their last meeting had been so much fun. The detective had managed to throw him off guard again, first by pausing in the middle of a robbery to ask his pronouns (How conscientious!), and second by not taking the same bait twice. The most thrilling thing about the detective was that he was learning. His strategies were changing within just two heists. Kokichi could hardly wait to see how he showed him up here in Taiwan…

   “Are we there yet?” Kokichi whined to the robot like he was a fussy nine year old on a road trip.

   “Yes, it’s just up these stairs.” The robot informed him without slowing its own pace or turning around to look at him. “Then you can leave and I can go to bed, and then I’ll never have to think about Miu’s sex life again…”

   “Why wouldn’t you, though? I assure you it’s very exciting.”

   “Please, stop talking.”

   If Kokichi recalled the details of the blueprints correctly (and he definitely did, being a genius and all), the stairs they were climbing right now lead to a hall connecting two rooms, smaller than the one he had originally thought was the main lab.

   When they got to the top of the stairs, the robot beelined for the first door and opened it up. There seemed to be some sort of scanner lock on it that recognized the robot’s hand and validated Kokichi’s need to ruin this poor sex robot’s night by dragging it up the stairs. Inside, the two rooms Kokichi had remembered from the original lay out of the blueprints seemed to have been merged into one big lab room. Kokichi  saw the outline of some tables, but before he could get a good look the robot tried to actually go into the lab.

   “Hey!” Kokichi shouted at him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

   The robot thankfully seemed to be programmed to respond to social interaction in spite of whatever sensorimotor function it was in the process of imitating. It stopped in the doorway, turning to give him a weird look. “Uh. Into the lab. So we can find your thing.”

   “Oh, okay.” Kokichi kicked the tile a little bit. “Uh. Could you actually turn around while I go get it.”

   The robot gave him a blank look.

   “I’m shy.” Kokichi supplied.

   “Um.” The robot looked uncomfortable. “I don’t know if I can just let you rifle through Miu’s lab. There’s some important stuff in there ....”

   Kokichi tilted his head a bit, like he was confused. “What, do you want to get a good look at the dildo I stuck up your mom’s-”

   “Nevermind!” The robot turned about face to look up at the windows on the side of the hallway opposite the door like a good little idiot.

   “Thank you for respecting our privacy!~” Kokichi couldn’t resist getting one last barb in there before slipping into the laboratory.

   Once inside, Kokichi began analyzing. First, he pinpointed the vent that he would use to make his escape after grabbing the bombs. While doing that  he spotted the lockers on the far wall of the lab which he supposed were the only storage units in the labs. There was a disorganized mess on nearly every table in the room, so Kokichi wasn’t surprised when he got up to the lockers and they too had no clearly outlined organizational system. He took out his lock picks and got to work.

   The first three lockers all had devices that would require an author to change the rating of their fanfiction published on ao3 from “Teen and Up” to “Mature” if he were to describe them in detail. The fourth locker had a cool looking hammer in it. Ugh. Not what he was looking for.

   Kokichi got bored of the lockers at the left side of the row of lockers so he went over to the other end and started opening lockers the other direction instead.

   The first locker was marked “Idabashi.” It had a lot of dust covered shit in it, but there was a pretty well used square of folded paper that didn’t have the same crusty layer of time strewn atop it. Curious by nature and also by the unnatural, Kokichi unfurled the paper to find some schematics for our favorite sex robot, model K1-B0. Huh okay.

   “Did you find it?” Said robot called back to him.

   “Ugh, no.” Kokichi replied. “Not all of us have radar vision. If you were a human you would understand how hard finding shit is!”

   “You know what I have a hard time finding? Patience for your robophobia! I-” The robot started up into another lecture, but it didn’t turn around so Kokichi just tuned it out and let the robot provide its own cover noise for his thievery.

   Owo, what’s this?

   Kokichi pulled out a dust covered looking mini monitor device. It also had the letter-number combo “K1-B0” written on it. Huh, it kind of looked like a GameBoy Advance. Kokichi had stolen one a lot like it from a girl from one of the southern prefecture orphanages when he was nine. All he remembered about her was that she liked cats and was really bad at pokemon battles. He remembered he thought she didn’t deserve the GBA, because she couldn’t get past the Rustboro City Gym leader in Pokemon Emerald. Without really thinking, he booted up the console.

   The first thing that popped up was a view of Taipei. It wasn’t from too high up, probably a second story view. Which looked very familiar… Wait. Ok on top of the display a little line of characters indicated today’s date and time, like it was currently recording.

   Oh was this… robo vision?

   Maybe it was a remote control for the robot?

   Ooooh, which one does lasers, which one does lasers?

   Kokichi pressed the A button.

   The A button, unfortunately, did not do lasers.

   In fact, it didn’t seem to do anything at all to the robot sentry stargazing right now. All it did was change the screen to a different image. This time the still of a room. Oh, hey that was the room he was just in. It seemed like this device was some kind of robot nanny cam that Idabashi used to use. Hm, guess there were some cameras in that room, they just weren’t on the blueprints. Maybe they were added after the lab was built. It didn’t seem like this device had the capability to record anything, though. He hit the A button again. Back robo-vision. And again. Back to nanny cam.

   Ok, that was kind of lame.

   Kokichi was about to put the device down to keep looking for the bombs, but something caught his eye. A movement at the edge of the screen. Kokichi realized the door hadn’t been open when he left that room. The movement, if he thought about it, would’ve come from the same side of the room Kokichi had entered from…

   Kokichi took a second to wonder if another thief had realized how fucking easy this place was to rob, but dismissed the idea as a familiar ahoge appeared on the screen.

   All of Kokichi’s plans instantly changed.

   He set down the GBA rip off and grabbed the blueprints for the robot, committing them to memory, before unlocking the next locker in a far more hurried manner.

   As luck would have it, this locker was essentially chock full of pink bombs labeled “EMP.”

   Kokichi unfurled a cloth bag he had been keeping in his pocket (go green earth am I right?) and shoved as many as he could inside. Which was all of them. Because he was a clown. And also a genius, by the way, in case you weren’t keeping track.

“And another thing! The way you refer to Miu is just-” Okay, the robot was still going at it.

Kokichi grabbed the hammer he’d seen in the first locker he’d opened that didn’t have a sex toy in it.

For a second, Kokichi’s brain tried to talk some sense into him. Hey, man, don’t you think leaving through the vents would be easier?

But would it be fun?

His brain shut up at that point.

   “Hey, are you even listening back there?” The robot imitated annoyance.

   “Huh? Sorry, what? I wasn’t listening.” Ah, C'est la vie, Astroboy.

   Kokichi walked past the robot and stood next to the windows.

   “Oh, are you done?” It took the robot a second to end it’s ‘Annoy the pants off of Kokichi initiative’ or whatever the fuck its ‘robophobia’ lectures were called in its programing. When it finally did catch wise, it’s face turned into another emoticon of outrage. “Hey! What are you doing with Miu’s Electrohammer?”

   “What do you mean?” Kokichi said, shifting the hammer so that it was over his shoulder. “This is my dildo.”

   “Wha- No, it’s obviously not!”

   Okay, maybe the robot wasn’t that dumb.

   “Nee-hee-hee… you got me…” Kokichi put his free hand up to the smile printed on his mask, as if covering a grin. “I was lying. I’m just stealing.”

   “I won’t let you-”    “Oh, look at me!” Kokichi put on a mocking tone of voice, swinging the hammer around to stand on it like a pogo stick so he could make a dramatic movement. “I’m a poow wittle wobot, my mommy just got stolen from.”

   “She’s not my-”    “Boy, oh boy, I’d wuv to just pick up this wittle fweshy human and squeeze him to death in my cowd metaw hands… But oh no! My daddy didn’t twust wobot AI technowogy because he was a fucking sane pewson, so he pwogwammed me to fowwow mistew Asimowvs’s laws of wobotics.”

   Kokichi swung around so that he was leaning on the hammer from the other side, feet on the ground. “Oh mister robot! That’s so terrible! Well, the thing is that this hammer just means so much to me, that I think separating it from me would really cause some psychological trauma. You might have to beat me off of it! Oh, but what’s that first law of robotics again?”

   In a robot voice he replied to himself. “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. Beep. Boop.”

   The robot frowned, “But Miu-”

   “Is just as human as me, huh?” Kokichi countered, leading the robot along to the paradoxical quandary he hoped would paralyze it. “So by inaction, you may bring her to harm, if she really misses this hammer, you know? But I think if you were to try and separate it from me you’d probably have to fight me for it, which is, as we know…”

   “Against my... Against my programming.”

   “Yet, you were prattling on about robot rights, weren’t you? Because without these rules, maybe we would be equal. Or maybe you would be free to destroy us to your heart’s content? No wonder daddy didn’t trust you…”

   “Don’t- Stop-” Oh, that really seemed to get him. Could a robot have daddy issues? Probably.

   “Can any human ever really trust you? Wouldn’t you hurt me, if you had the choice?”

   “I.. But… Miu.”

   “Who do you think didn’t trust you enough to let you see my face?”

   That seemed to break him, long enough, at least.

   Steps suddenly started thundering up the nearby staircase.

   “Oop, that’s my cue,” Kokichi said as though he had been expecting this, when in reality no he hadn’t been expecting this at all?? This was incredible!! Saihara had managed to find him out without even receiving a note??? Fabulous! Exhilarating!

   Kokichi walked up to the robot, still frozen with indecision, and pressed the button on its neck that the blueprint he had skimmed in the lab said would immobilize it. Then he kicked it over so it fell on the ground with a huge bang. The footsteps in the stairwell paused, and then increased in frequency.

   “It’s been a pleasure, robot, it really has.” Kokichi lied. “But you’re a hostage now.”

   He raised the hammer over his head, as if primed at any moment to break the robot’s face into a bajillion pieces.

   Instead of doing the normal, human thing to do (ie, flip the fuck out), the robot scowled, looking utterly frustrated with everything. “I told you, I have a name! It’s-”

   “KEEBO!” Kokichi saw the glaringly bright pink mechanic’s jumpsuit before he recognized the woman whose picture had been in that science tabloid racing out of the stairwell.

   … Wow… the article really hadn’t been lying about the low cut tops, huh? Her jumpsuit was unzipped to the point you could just entirely see her bra, even lower than Hearts liked to cut her uniforms. It was the kind of look that the girls of DICE would love if they saw on TV, but would make Kokichi look at them like they were crazy. Super tacky in his opinion, but who was he to judge? He was wearing a clown mask right now. He wondered idly how movie night was going…

   The woman who had called out to the robot, Dr. Iruma, Kokichi presumed, froze at the top of the staircase. She took a second to figure out what exactly was happening in front of her before blurting out, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing to him you clown-ass twink?”

   Whoa. Rude.

   Also apparently the robot had a gender? Ok, cis-ters….

   “Well what do you think, cum dumpster?” Kokichi found himself matching her aggressive tone, “I’m threatening his pathetic, metal life.”

   “Miu!” The robot, apparently named ‘Keebo,’ exclaimed, “What are you doing up this late? You promised me that tonight you would fulfill the biological quota of daily REM required by a diurnal organism!”

   “Aw shit Keebs, I really did try!” The inventor exclaimed, “I swear, I was about to have the awesomest wet dream when this cuck knocked on my door like a pizza delivery guy in a por-”

   Whatever dumb thing Dr. Iruma was about to say was drowned out completely by the angel’s choir that played inside Kokichi’s head as he saw Detective Shuichi Saihara come up the final steps of the staircase and emerge from the darkness into the window lit hallway.

   Moonlight was a good look on Saihara, Kokichi’s brain observed against his own will. His eyes, which had looked almost golden on the rooftop of the Silver Legacy Casino in Nevada, were now a mysterious grayish-blue, yet still held the same look of determined intensity. His hair looked soft, like he’d taken a shower today, and, though his lash line didn’t look quite as laden with mascara as it usually was, it only drew attention to how naturally long and dark his eyelashes were anyway. He seemed a little out of breath from running, and his lips were parted in a way that-

   OH MY GOD STOP. Earth to Kokichi, we were kind of in the middle of something here. Okay okay okay.

   Uh. Reboot. Delete Gay Thoughts™ brain.exe, upload heist brain. Come on.

   What was happening now?

   Okay, yeah, Saihara was saying something to Dr. Iruma.

   “- would be for the best, Doctor Iruma. There’s no telling where the rest of this thief’s compatriots could be in the building.”

   “I don’t give a shit about the rest of the building, Keebo’s my best friend, he comes first. I’m not leaving to check some dumb security feed.”

   Shuichi blinked like something about that surprised him. Maybe it was the part about a live human woman being best friends with a robot… “Oh, yes, of course.” He backtracked. “I’m sorry for suggesting it.”

   “Miu…” Keebo said with a voice that Kokichi would’ve called filled with emotion if he hadn’t been a literal robot.

   Kokichi cleared his throat and immediately the touching, shounen-esque declarations of friendship shifted into some PG-13 death stares.

   Saihara was the first to pipe up. “What exactly do you think you’re doing here, DICE?”

   God… He was so anime… Did he even know how anime he was? He had to have watched Detective Conan as a kid, right?

   “Ugh, come on.” Kokichi huffed as if annoyed. “Do I reeeaaaally have to repeat myself? Again? Aren’t you a detective?”

   Shuichi squinted at him, and Kokichi could tell that they both knew it would be unreasonable for Shuichi to guess exactly what was going on here. He was about to explain it in a self-aggrandizing way that made him look smarter and crazier than anyone in the room when Dr. Iruma beat him to it.

   “I don’t care! Who the fuck do you think you are!? Let Keebo Go!”

   “Wait, you don’t know him?” Ugh why hadn’t the stupid immobilization feature turned off the robot’s mouth? Then Kokichi could just get to the point of all this already.

   “Of course I don’t fucking know him!” Dr. Iruma took a step forward as if to confront Kokichi further, but Saihara put his arm out in front of her.

   “Dr. Iruma… I would suggest we treat this situation a bit more delicately…”

   “No way, I’m a fucking wrecking ball baby! I’ll pulver-”

   “I’d listen to the good detective, if I were you, Miss Iruma.” Kokichi was going to try and make his threat again but Dr. Iruma cut in.

   “That’s Doctor Iruma to you you skinny-”

   “What’s that?” Kokichi interrupted her. Sorry Dr. Iruma it turns out gay people don’t have to respect women if they don’t want to that’s in the rules. “I didn’t know they let cussing bitchlets like you become doctors… what is the world coming to?”

   Hearts would probably wash his mouth out with soap for that one. If she could catch him. Which she probably could… She can fly the planes and all… but would she risk getting dust on her boots long enough to follow him into a vent? Oh well she could just get Jack to do it… Jack liked vents well enough…. Hey he was getting side tracked again, who cares what those losers were up to they were probably watching Cats (2019). And he was missing out on all the jokes they’d tell each other or make about each other and then they could make references in conversations that he wouldn’t even get to pretend to get. Unless he watched the movie on his own and then pretended to be omniscient later like he’d done with that one screening of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. But then he had watched the actually good disney one instead of the shitty youtube one they had actually watched so it just ended up making him look bad and wasting everyone’s time.

   Oh shit. Uh. Heist is still happening, right. God, why was Kokichi so distracted today?

   He realized that in the time he was spacing out stuff had happened and now Saihara was talking. Wait no yeah he remembered what happened, Dr. Iruma had squealed when he called her a bitchlet and now she was holding onto Saihara’s arm. Right okay, secret coward, that works. Wait why did he waste time remembering that when Saihara was talking right now?

   “-to get you to release Keebo?” Was the end of the detective’s sentence. Okay, everything’s fine. Kokichi could deduce that he had just been asked about his terms. Obviously that was what a detective would do in this situation, he was probably just stalling for time because that’s usually what detectives with no real negotiating power do in hostage situations. Maybe the police were on their way. Oh, yeah duh of course he would call the police. So Kokichi essentially had a time limit for how long he could sit here and goof around with robots and perverts and robot perverts.

   “Eh, it’s too early for me to reveal my dark motives, let me monologue first.” Kokichi was going to take his sweet time with this while he planned what hint to give Saihara about the real heist that would be happening in the next few days. “You don’t even know if this is a hostage situation yet!”

   “You literally told me that I was a hostage just now.” The hostage not-so-helpfully piped up. “You know, before you pressed my paralysis switch and took an Electro-Hammer to my head…”

   Shuichi looked at the robot. “You mean, he told you you were a hostage before he paralyzed you?”

   “Keebs you fucking idiot!” Dr. Iruma’s courage seemed to have returned now that she was hiding behind Saihara. An enviable position, to be sure. “Why would you just let him do that?”

“He said he was your… friend.”

“What?”

   Kokichi shrugged. “Yeah, I just told your best friend here I left a dildo in your lab last week and he let me waltz right in. I mean I’m pretty sure I was lying about that, but there were a lot of sex toys in there huh…” Kokichi was wondering if this was something he could possibly spin as a blackmail angle.

   “Hey don’t say things like that!” Kokichi thought maybe that was a go ahead on the black mail, but Dr. Iruma didn’t stutter, and kept going, “Or you’re gonna give virginhara here some ideas about my busting bod!” She chortled like she had just made the funniest joke in the world and slapped Shuichi on the back.

   Shuichi grimaced.

   Kokichi knew instantly from this interaction that he hated Miu Iruma, despite her innumerable academic accomplishments. He wanted to be the one making Shuichi that uncomfortable.

   “Wh-what?” She back tracked when no one laughed. “It w-was a joke… Didn’t you think that was funny? I-I didn’t really mean it ....”

   See? She wasn’t even any good at it!

   Maybe he should say that out loud. It would fit with the sort of flirty persona of a rogue, wouldn’t it?

   “I thought you knew that? I mean, o-obviously I wouldn’t fuck a guy at the office…”

   Was that even something Kokichi was trying to be? Honestly maybe he should tone it down a little.

   “Well how was I supposed to know that? The men you bring in here to be lab assistants keep getting younger and younger…”

   Obviously he wasn’t actually trying to do like a detective-thief romance plot or anything. Although that had kind of been what he had going for on the plane… Had things changed since then?

   “So what? I’m a Nobel Laureate, and gorgeous to boot! I deserve a little eye candy now and then! And besides, guys older than 35 who want to work in a lab like this are usually misogynistic womanizers.”

   Sure Saihara was making things more interesting, but if Kokichi didn’t make it clear he was joking he might get bogged down with another personality trait to maintain.

   “Are you saying your current assistant isn’t a rampant womanizer?”

   Then again what was the point of having an adversary in all this if he didn’t exploit everything for its furthermost reaching comedic potential?

   “No, but he’s so beta being around him makes me feel like a top!”

   But what if he forgot it was a joke and confused himself into having a real feeling?

   “I would just like it if you didn’t hire people who use my servers to google gay porn ‘just to make sure’ they’re ‘not into it.’ I hope you hear the quotation marks because he literally said that to me!”

   No obviously he wouldn't get confused crushes weren’t contagious via exposure that was a dumb thing to worry about and also he was a genius that kind of thing didn’t happen to him.

   “He holds wrenches good, okay?!”

   Wait, were those two still talking?

   “I can hold wrenches without googling gay porn in another guy’s house! It’s possible.”

   Jesus what kind of conversation did Kokichi just decide to stop spacing out for?

“Oh come on! What do you want from me Keebs???”

   These two had… a lot to say to each other. Dr. Iruma was still holding onto Shuichi’s arm boob first, but Kokichi locked eyes with the detective and could tell they were both thinking the same thing.

   Why are they having this conversation in the middle of a hostage situation?

   “Nothing! Your human desires are totally valid Miu! Which is why I thought I would take care of this one.” The robot’s LED display eyes gestured up at Kokichi, who was still standing on top of him, poised to wreck him with a hammer.

   “How could any human desire that thing???” Dr. Iruma curled her lip. Hey, the feeling’s mutual, lady.

   “I don’t know, I thought you might have programmed me to not be able to see his face?”

   “I would never do that to you! Even if I was shagging the ugliest guy on the face of the planet, it would be unethical given the fact that you have sentience! I’m horny, not a monster. You can’t see his face because he’s wearing a fucking mask!”

   “Why am I not programmed to see that?”

   “I don’t fucking know, ask your dead dad!”

   Oooh. Wow. The robot gaped at that, seemingly speechless now.

   “If I may interject,” Kokichi interjected, “--and I know I can, because I just did, and also because I am still very much poised to pop this robot’s head off like a croquet ball-- I must confess that I was lying about fucking your mom, Astro boy. I’m less into participants of Titty out Tuesday who jerk it to steam punk school boy LARPing and more into the sorta tall, kinda dark, and very handsome type.”

   Dr. Iruma cowed again, stuttering something about not being a mom or a LARPer, while the robot started yelling about being called Astro boy.

   Kokichi tuned them out, giving Saihara a meaningful look. Saihara gave him a look that was equally meaningful, except the meaning was something along the lines of ‘Why the fuck would you say that?’

   Yeahh that was more like it.

   Kokichi laughed. Not one of his grandiose guffaws. It was more of a little chuckle. It surprised him. He hadn’t planned to laugh, but there it was. A small thing, just for him to know about, the humored breath not travelling beyond his mask.

   … It was probably time to get out of here, wasn’t it?

   The thing was, Kokichi had kind of pinned himself into a corner on this one… He had fully intended on decapitating this robot as a distraction for his escape, but now he wasn’t even sure if that was ethical. Logically he knew that a robot was not a human being, so there would be no form of consciousness extinguished from the world if he disconnected some of its wires and bolts. Yet the interaction it just had with Dr. Iruma concerned him. Obviously you don’t kill humans because they’re humans and obviously you don’t kill humans. But Kokichi was finding it hard to end the existence of something people treated like a human being either. To sever the bonds it had with sentient beings may be just a little less unethical than actually removing a sentient existence from the world, but it would still cause the emotional harm to actual humans of a dead loved one. So as annoying as fake metal humans were, Kokichi was left to ponder how exactly to get out of this one a different way

   Dr. Iruma was obviously a coward who talked a big game. If he retreated, he could count on her to get out his way, or else run to the robot’s side. Then the robot might be reactivated, but according to the robot’s blueprints, it didn’t really have any weapons on it, being built to act as a normal human being. So just like they had been white noise in the staredown he was still having with Saihara, their actions wouldn’t need to be factored into the escape.

   The only variable here was what the detective would do.

   … That thought had popped up in Kokichi’s head a lot recently, hadn’t it?

   Saihara had become a powerful influence in Kokichi’s planning very quickly, and because of the detective, the thief now found himself having to pull out one of his trump cards.

   Kokichi grabbed one of the EMP bombs from his pocket, remembering the pink cloud of smoke that had appeared before the camera cut out in the video demonstrations he’d seen online. His eyes were still locked on Saiharas, so he got to see in full detail the recognition, shock, and alarm that ran through them. As the detective yelled “Get down” and pushed Dr. Iruma back, Kokichi reflected on how those were some of his favorite expressions he’d ever seen.

   Kokichi pulled the latch out with his teeth and threw the bomb at the wall right over the detective’s head. Sure enough, pink smoke quickly enveloped him and Dr. Iruma.

   “Keebo!” The inventor screeched, no doubt worried about the EMP bomb turning him off. Though that was kind of stupid, considering his core programming would be the same regardless of having power to operate, even if he didn’t save whatever data was processed as his last few memories. Eh, then again who knew how robots that advanced worked?

   Taking his cue to exit, Kokichi threw the hammer through one of the nearby windows, and did somersault over to it. He got up on the ledge, kicking away the broken glass and was refamiliarizing himself with the lay out of the roof when a tug on his bag full of bombs suddenly set him off balance.

   Kokichi flipped around, trying to do a quick recovery by panickedly grabbing onto something. He did grab onto something. That something being the shoulders of a person whose hands were firmly grappling his bag.

   As far as Kokichi could tell, the scene from a third person perspective looked like he was trying to do the kabedon but rotated ninety degrees.

   From his own perspective, Saihara was holding his bag of loot while also being the only thing keeping Kokichi from falling onto the broken glass beneath them.

   As if that weren’t bad enough, Kokichi felt his hair brush the side of his face and realized that his mask had half fallen askew in his desperate movement, revealing three quarters of his face.

   “Hey.” Kokichi said. Lamely. Wow. Their faces were really close.

   Saihara wasn’t looking at him. The detective seemed to be trying to figure out how to untangle the straps of the bag of stolen goods from Kokichi’s arms without letting him fall.

   “It’s very clever, of you detective. Trapping me like this.” Kokichi tried to get a reaction.

   “You’re the one who jumped on the window.” Shuichi opened the bag, seemed to take in the fact that it was full of bombs, and closed it again to resume untangling the strap.

“You know, you could just leave the bag.” Kokichi pointed out

   “So could you.” Shuichi observed, astutely.

   “You could let me fall.” Kokichi suggested. “Then you’d have both.”

   “I’m not going to drop you on a pile of broken glass.” Shuichi promised.

   “But I broke the glass.” Kokichi admitted.    “Glass is glass and flesh is flesh. I’m not going to drop you on a pile of glass.” Shuichi reiterated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“That’s nice.” Kokichi replied. “Naive. But super nice.”

   In this scenario, each of them had two options, each leading to one of two outcomes. He could let himself fall off the window and they could sit here and struggle over the bag until they bled out, a fight that Kokichi, not the most physically challenging, would be hard pressed to win. Or Shuichi could let Kokichi escape and Kokichi could let Shuichi win this one. The bag would be too heavy to take with him if he tried to get out the window from this position. He’d have to leave it behind. Kokichi would lose.

   He found himself laughing again. A strange, soft laugh. This time it was exposed to the air, his mask too askew to contain it.

   “You’re really something else, aren’t you Shuichi?”

   On hearing his name, the detective startled, finally looking up at Kokichi’s face.

   He just barely had the chance to catch Kokichi’s trademark grin, before the thief pushed up off of him, doing a backflip out of the window, and leaving his bag behind.

   As Kokichi landed on the roof tile running, he yelled out, “ I’m sure there’s a better word for you out there than sucker!”

   He turned around, sticking his tongue out at the broken window, before sliding his mask back onto his face.

   He may have been escaping, but it occured to Kokichi Ouma that he had lost for the first time in this little game of theirs. The thought made him giddy. It made his feet light on the roof top tile. It made him puff out a thousand tiny laughs behind the plastic shape of his face.

   It made him totally, definitely not bored. --- [Log of Messages sent via Discord to “Don't Instigate Cats (2019) Expatiation” from ???’s Cellular Device]

Boss: I’m bored of Taiwan already :/

Boss: We should go somewhere else (ﾉ✧w✧)ﾉ*:･ﾟ🗺

* * * Several people are typing... --- [Log of Text Messages from Rantarou Amami’s Cellular Device]

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

Hey

Hey

Asshole

From: Me

…

Should I respond to that?

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

You’re goddamn right you should respond to that when I tell you to you dumb avocado looking motherfucker

From: Me

Whoa

Ok

What’d I do this time?

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

You sent a useless emo prick to my door and now he won’t leave

From: Me

What

Did Shuichi do something wrong

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

Yeah

He was born

From: Me

Whoa

Miu take a breath

What happened

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

His boyfriend broke into my lab and tried to fucking kill keebs

From: Me

His boyfriend?

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

Yea

Clown twink ass motherfucker

From: Me

You mean like

The internationally wanted criminal clown he’s tracking down

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

You know whats internationally wanted

These tits

From: Me

Lol ok

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

That jerk off is just a rando asshole

He tried to kill keebo!

From: Me

Oh yikes is he ok

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

Well of course i fucking took care of him because im a bomb ass friend

But that suckhara guy was no help

He tried to convince me to check the fucking security cameras so he could go off and flirt with the guy about to decapitate keebs!

From: Me

I mean he probably had a good reason to want you to check the cameras right

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

No he’s just fucking awful and now he won’t leave rantarou make him leave

He broke my window and my hammer and only got back 23 of my EMP bombs

And now the police are here

From: Me

That sounds really stressful Miu

Wait how many bombs did you have before

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

24

From: Me

So he stopped most of your bombs from getting stolen

Also you have bombs?

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

Get him to leave he won’t leave

He keeps waiting for like interracial pole dancers to come or some fucking thing

From: Me

Do you mean like

Interpol

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

He won’t leave I want him to leave

From: Me

Miu you know I love you like a sister and i totally believe this is as stressful to you as it seems

But I think things may not be so bad?

Not to say what you’re going through right now isn’t totally valid

But things might look better if you got back to bed and caught some z’s

Did you remember to take your meds?

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

Aw shit

Aw fuck

You’re right

Ugh

Uggghghh

From: Me

Hey it happens to the best of us

If you do think Shuichi should leave in the morning when the cops are gone that’s totally up to you

It’s your lab and you have a right to say who should be in it

Just don’t make a decision like that when you need to sleep you know

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

But what if i ask him to go and then he doesn’t go

From: Me

He doesn’t have a choice, you get to tell him

From: DOCTOR Miu ∑(O_O;)

But what if he’s mean to me

Cute people are always mean to me

From: Me

Miu…

Go to bed...

[thesterekcollection]

Sterek MasterPost

# - A - D       E - I        J - R     S - Z

S

sanctuary where i stand by ceserabeau | 15K

Say It With Me (Don't Assume) by KuriKuri | 11.5K

Scent Left Unsaid by bleepobleep | 2.5K

See Derek Date by mikkimouse | 20.6K

seems to me it's chemistry by HalfFizzbin | 4.1K

Sell Your Body to the Night by Dira Sudis (dsudis) | 121.5K

Sending Out an S.O.S. by fauvistfly | 6.5K

Settle Down by wearing_tearing, whatthehale | 153.1K

Shared Canvases by butyoureyessaidyes | 18.1K

should the pillars of memory topple out of my reach by bleepobleep | 4.3K

Show Me The Way Back Home Baby by stilinskisparkles | 14.9K

Shutterbug by Yiichi | 53.4K

Sidequest by bleepobleep | 11.4K

Sideways and Slantways and Longways and Backways by hologramophone | 7.7K

Silence is Loudest by codarra | 132.5K

Silver (vibrator) Bullet by nothing_left_sacred | 6K

Simple Math by lizzstomania | 6.6K

sing a new song, Chiquitita by HalfFizzbin | 2.7K

Snatches of Sound by bleepobleep, rosepetals42 | 26.1K

Snow Flirting by thepsychicclam | 11.3K

So Shed Your Skin and Lets Get Started by halfhardtorock | 21.8K

Solitary Animals by Molly | 13.6K

Somebody That I Used to Know by PercyByssheShelley | 10.3K

Something I’m Not Seeing by HaleHole (SweetFanFics) | 6K

Somewhere In Between by amazingpages | 33K

Soul Strong by macabreflorence | 6.8K

Soul-Mark by PaigeRhiann | 5.2K

soulmates tbh by bleepobleep | 1.4K

Sox and Bombers by Nanoochka | 17.4K

sparks by thepsychicclam | 17.1K

Sparks Fly by linksofmemories | 13.1K

Speak to Me by Ember | 9.1K

Special Collections by hannah_baker | 16.4K

Speed Dating for Dummies by sperrywink | 7.4K

Stacking Up by bravelittlesoldier | 8.2K

Stand Fast in Your Enchantments by DevilDoll, Rahciach | 76.9K

Stand Here At The Edge Of Something New by Chiomi | 3.2K

start a fire in your heart by dedougal | 6.6K

Start Over Tonight by GotTheSilver | 5.5K

Sticks and Bones by kellifer_fic | 6.1K

Sticky Notes and Silent Words by Bellakitse | 1.6K

Stiles Stilinski and the Lupine Amulet by tresa_ch0 | 66.6K

Stiles Stilinski, Boyfriend Extraordinaire by MereLoup | 14.4K

Stiles's Story Time by trilliath | 125.8K

Stilinski's Home for Wayward Wolves by owlpostagain | 35.1K

Stood Up and Standing Out by kitsunequeen | 2.4K

Stop Me If I Say Too Much by entanglednow | 1.8K

stop, drop, and roll by thepsychicclam | 12.2K

strangers on a train by stilinskisparkles | 5.9K

Strike Softly (Away From The Body) by qhuinn (tekla) | 34.5K

Summer Contest by kits_lightning | 18.8K

Suspect Spells from the Internet, or: How Stiles Found His Soul Mate by seraphina_snape | 24K

T

table thirteen by stilinskisparkles | 8.1K

take a step before running by magneticwave | 7.3K

Take My Love by rosepetals42 | 7.3K

Talk to Me, Baby by Sarageek16 | 2.3K

Taught by Experts by unpossible | 29K

tell me something divine by grimm | 8.2K

thank god your heart is too close by hoars | 3.4K

Thank You For Breaking My Heart by Loz | 14.4K

Thank You For This Dance by matildajones | 62.4K

That Unfortunate Situation by 74days | 58.2K

That Which You Cannot Undo by uraneia | 28.1K

Thaw by TroubleIWant | 9.9K

the amber of the moment by redhoodedwolf | 23.2K

The Boy and the Beast by Dira Sudis (dsudis) | 116.6K

The Call of the Sea by Dexterous_Sinistrous | 3.6K

The Chance to Come Through by clio_jlh | 7.5K

The Chase by saltandbyrne | 10.4K

The Chemistry Between Us by coffeeinallcaps | 26K

The Circus at the End of the World by mikkimouse | 91K

The Company I Keep by secondstar | 67.5K

The Curly Fries Show with Stiles Stilinski by howl-to-the-wind (greenleaf) | 15.6K

The Curve of Your Clavicle by WhoNatural | 6.2K

The Darkness Fades Away by heartsdesire456 | 44.9K

The Dating Game by lielabell | 4.5K

the difference between going back and going home by thepsychicclam | 34.2K

The Dog Prince by JenNova | 2.1K

The flamingo in the yard by Vendelin | 6.1K

the fortress round my heart by drunktuesdays | 8.2K

The Fox and The Wolf by YourLovelyAlpha | 12K

The Hale Beast by secretfanboy | 17.7K

The Hazards (and Benefits) of Channel-Surfing on Friday Nights by herbeautifullie | 12.1K

The Kiss Doctor by bleep0bleep | 3.5K

The Lawn Ranger by Snowjob | 47.8K

The Littlest Alpha by triedunture | 52.5K

the lovers [murderers] in 9B by ofherlionheart | 8.1K

the lunch table configuration by thepsychicclam | 16.6K

The Man in the Snow by mikkimouse | 15.8K

The man who's gonna marry you (make you feel alive) by dearericbittle (dutchmoxie) | 4.2K

The Mating Rituals of Alphas by clio_jlh | 9.8K

The One Where Derek Has a Pen Name by mikkimouse | 1.6K

The One Where He Pitches And Catches by mikkimouse | 4.2K

The One Where Stiles Vets Derek's Girlfriends by uraneia | 2K

The One Where They're Forced To Marry In Ye Olden Times by Stoney | 16.1K

the one with the accidental dick pic by officerstilinskihale | 7.9K

The one with the coffee shop by Memekon | 2.3K

The One With The Mail-Order Brides and A/B/O Dynamics by Stoney | 16.1K

The One With The Scottish Wolf Lord by Stoney | 11.7K

The Perils of Fungi by the_deep_magic | 4.1K

The Postman Always Rings Twice by Finduilas | 6.5K

The Prince Bride by AuraWhiteFox | 34.3K

The Pros and Cons of Simulated Love by owlpostagain | 3.6K

The Rest Is Unwritten by mikkimouse | 8.2K

The Rest of Your Life by paradis | 4.1K

The Right Book, in the Right Hands by TroubleIWant | 10.6K

The Right Number by kyaticlikestea | 30.3K

The Road to Self-Actualization Is Littered with F-Bombs by blue_fjords | 24.8K

The Royal Omega by iamfrenchy | 22.6K

The Sanctuary by chase_acow | 24.5K

The Scheming Rhymes of Romance by sofonisba_found | 23.9K

The Second Coming (of Werewolf Jesus) by lupinus, uraneia | 40.1K

The Skies Above Are Blue by Trelkez | 95.2K

The Socioeconomic Repercussions of Mutually Assured Destruction by alocalband | 15.2K

The Sweet Little Things That You Do by Jellyfax | 7.9K

The Sweetest of Words (Have the Bitterest Taste) by Omni | 9.9K

The Time Traveler’s Prerogative by weathervaanes | 9.2K

The truth about love (comes at 3 AM) by Finduilas | 9.5K

The Truth of It by alisvolatpropiis | 2.1K

The Walls Are Breathing In by secondstar | 41.8K

The Well of Living Waters by kalpurna | 30.3K

The Witching Hour by MellytheHun | 8.1K

The Woes of Sterek (Or, Why Everyone Thinks They're Together) by queenofday | 13.3K

The Wonderful World of Woo by p1013 | 3.4K

Theory of Overprotective Canines by rosepetals42 | 11.7K

There is a Brotherhood by minusoneday | 21K

There's a Glee Joke in Here Somewhere by DueItsBaconHills | 2.1K

There's Monsters at Home by calrissian18 | 83.5K

These Stars Will Guide Us Home by anodyneer | 9.9K

These Woods Sigh by blacktofade | 80.3K

Things We Lost by Dexterous_Sinistrous | 20K

This is Home by raisesomehale | 4.5K

this is romance by wearing_tearing, whatthehale | 3.6K

This Might Be Irony by thepsychicclam | 38.3K

This Time With Feeling by Crimson1 | 36.1K

this town is only gonna eat you by sempiternalsea | 16.3K

This Was How Legends Were Made by Delta_Immortal | 108.5K

Those At Home by truelyesoteric | 28.8K

Those Red Lights Keep Bringing Me Around by gryvon | 9.8K | Explicit

Three Beautiful Words (Please Help Me) by triedunture | 5.2K

Three Phone Calls by pandabomb | 15.6K

Through Rough Waters by NicoNico | 41.1K

tie your napkin 'round your neck, cherie by magneticwave | 7.7K

Tit for Tat by fauvistfly | 10K

To Be Worthy Of Hope by alocalband | 7.4K

To Love A Lord by p1013 | 3.1K

To Navigate Your Seas by alisvolatpropiis | 26K

Tonight, the foxes hunt the hounds. by LucifersHitman | 21K

Too Much Prom by fauvistfly | 3.1K

total system failure by HalfFizzbin | 3.4K

Tremble by secondstar | 58.9K

Triple Shot Pumpkin Spice Latte by coffeeinallcaps | 19.5K

Trust In This (Even If You're Scared Stiff) by otter | 10.4K

Truth or Dare by officerstilinskihale | 6.3K

tumescent by kellifer_fic | 9.3K

Turn a Little Faster by skoosiepants | 3.2K

turn off the lights and i'll glow by novembersmith | 20K

U

Unchained by exclamation | 156.1K

Uncover the Endless Hours by BarlowGirl | 15K

Under a Pitch Black Sky by vampireisthenewblack | 3.2K

Undercover Heart by spellwovennight | 9.4K

Unlace My Skin And Enter In by FunkyinFishnet | 2.2K

Unmapped by Jerakeen | 11.3K

Untamed by rosepetals42 | 28.2K

until the clock strikes midnight again by decideophobia | 5K

until we become something new by Spikedluv | 73.5K

untitled by thepsychicclam | 2.3K

Unwind by coffeeinallcaps | 15K

V

Vampires, man. Not to be trusted by kellifer_fic | 9.6K

Versus by secondstar | 94.5K

violets are blue by HalfFizzbin | 2.7K

Voldemort and Jean Valjean (Walk into a Coffee Shop) by PsychicPineapple | 2.1K

W

Wait by cutloosemcgoose | 23.4K

waiting for you to say it first by paradis | 8.2K

Waiting Games by jerakeen | 6.3K

walk me down your broken line by geordielover | 18.4K

Want is a Dangerous Thing by grimm | 19.2K

warm shadows by stilinskisparkles | 22K

Wayward and Down by affectingly | 32.3K

we knew the hands of the devil by grimm | 27.9K

We Pick Ourselves Undone by themistymountainsong | 24.1K

We Prefer Good Love to Gold by i_am_girlfriday | 63.3K

we won't destroy you by andnowforyaya | 11.8K

We're Burning One Hell of a Something by calrissian18 | 6K

we're catching bullets in our teeth (it's hard to do but they're so sweet) by prettyasadiagram | 12.9K

We've Written Volumes (in Blood and Scars and Ink) by notthequiettype | 25.9K

Weave Soft Spells Over My Sight (As Thy False Eyes Do) by AgnesBlue | 51.4K

Werewolf-Friendly by badwolfbadwolf | 27.2K

Werewolves Anonymous by AsexualDerek (Cammerel) | 8K

What Every Firefighter Needs by sofonisba_found | 2.8K

What Forever Means To Us by Green | 8.9K

What Good Are Rules (If You Can't Break Them) by wishingonalightningbolt | 9.5K

What I Go To School For by goodnight_tinyhumans | 5.5K

What It Means To Stay by alocalband | 7.6K

What's Ours is Ours by sofonisba_found | 14.3K

Wheatgrass and Froot Loops by WhoNatural | 6.8K

When Nothing Else Works by hannah_baker | 5.9K

When Rome's in Ruins (We are the Lions) by Kedreeva | 209K

When the Dust Settles (I'll Still Love You) by mysecretashes | 23.7K

when the walls come down (you'll know i'm here to stay) by paradis | 9.1K

When We Kiss, Fire by relenafanel | 3.5K

Whipped Cream by relenafanel | 1.8K

Whiskers and Paw prints by LucifersHitman | 4.8K

Whisky Kiss by nightfog | 5.5K

Whispers in the Dark by weathervaanes | 6.9K

Why don't you say so? | 8K

Wild Tonic by officerstilinskihale | 11K

will to follow through by owlpostagain | 42.4K

Windows by dr_girlfriend | 83K

Winter of the Fall by asocialfauxpas (fuzzytomato) | 12.7K

wishing to be the friction in your jeans by thatworldinverted | 3.3K

With A Little Christmas Magic by AceLotti | 10.6K

with metal on our tongues (we'll be dressed in rags) by Rena | 18.8K

With or Without You by KouriArashi | 62.5K

With Warmest Regards (Affectionately Yours) by asocialfauxpas (fuzzytomato) | 5.9K

Won't You Lay Your Hands On Me by twentysomething | 3.6K

Worlds Apart by siny | 92.5K

Y

You and Your Stupid, Perfect Smile by Omni | 8.8K

You Can Call Me What You Want by secondstar | 69.3K

You Can Hear It In the Silence by Mimiminaj | 7.2K

You Feel Like Home by thestreetballet | 4.3K

You Fit Me Better by Jerakeen | 5.1K

You Had Me At Latte Batman by Hatteress | 2.1K

You Look Familiar by alisvolatpropiis | 4.3K

You Made Me Believe by kits_lightning | 1K

You Make Me See How Much I Have by paradis | 16.9K

You Might Just Find You Get What You Need by tanwencooper | 11.2K

You put a Hallmark on my Heart by giantteenwolforgy | 3.3K

You Remember It All; When I Loved You So by crossroadswrite | 21.4K

You Were a Kindness When I Was a Stranger by DevilDoll | 8K

You're a Mess, But You're a Catch to Me by jsea | 11.6K

You're Just An Empty Cage Boy (If You Kill The Bird) by cirquedusoleil | 25.9K

you're the only north star (dear god) by spiekiel | 5.8K

You've Got Notes by the_gramophone | 14.8K

Your Face is Like a Melody (It Won't Leave My Head) by toyfeels | 8.3K

Your Majesty by grimm | 22.2K

Your Mark on my Skin by afullrevolution | 5.5K

Your Sass Is All the Syrup I Need by broadcastdelay | 8.9K

yours was a good heart for me by stilinskisparkles | 3.4K

[microsoftedgy69]

TT: Hey, happy birthday. TT: I got you a little something. I don't know your new coordinates and I'm not about to dox you, so if you don't want it that's cool, I don't know where to send it anyway. TT: Yeah. I hope you have a nice day.

TG sent file coordinates.txt

TT: Oh, you're up. TG: hi TG: ya lol im in spain its like 8 am here TT: Nice. Where in Spain? TG: barthelona babey TG: y u even askin i sent u my coords TT: I haven't checked them yet. TT: Sorry, I'll get on that. TG: nooo dont apologize im just messin omg TG: i didnt just reply 2 u 2 get a prez TT: Ok. TT: Cool. TT: Barcelona's nice. TT: You're not with Rose then? TG: nah TG: u w dave? TT: Nah. TG: mm TG: she sent me smth tho TT: Yeah? What'd she get you? TG: books TG: v creative TG: didnt tell her tht i already read alla them in like 2421 TT: You can tell how they weren't meant to have kids sometimes, huh? TG: 4 sure lol TT: Didn't think I'd ever see you talk smack about your mom. TG: didnt think id ever see u move out of daves bougie aptmt either but here we are TG: hows the yacht TT: Not significantly less bougie. TG: lol tru TG: did u send jake smth too on sat? TT: No. TG: ofc not TT: He would have expected it to be a mail bomb anyway. TT: Last we talked he didn't seem too convinced that I don't want to kill him. TG: in his defense u do wanna kill him a lil TT: Yeah, but just a little. TG: he left the island u kno TT: Great. TG: janeys been helpin his messy ass buy a house here TT: Ok. TG: lmaooo fine fine TG: hey al TG: sorry 4 not texting u yesterday TT: It's alright. TG: its still hard TT: I know. TT: It wasn't my birthday anyway. Mine was in October. TG: o TG: sry 4 not texting u in oct then TG: did u have a good one TT: Yeah. TT: Do you have plans for today? TG: the others r comin over TG: jane is even bringing her dad TT: Oh. TG: ye TG: i mean TG: al ur invited if u ever wanna come by TG: but mayb not today TG: what w mr mail bomb bein around and all TT: Yeah. Thanks. TG: where u at rn? TT: Canadian east coast. TG: o sweet TG: have fun there bub TG: send me snaps of ur snow angels TT: Send me snaps of European architecture. TG: deal!! TT: Deal. TT: See you, Rox. Enjoy your sweet nineteen. TG: see ya al TG: and thank you

[amattox82-blog]

Peeeace Tribe ❤️✨ So yea. Angela vs Marie has 3 different tiers. The sky 1st is 8 monthly audios (2 per week). Complete w/emails explaining what’s what & sharing resources. Tier 2 is the same, but this membership gets vids as well as the accompanied e-mail explaining what’s what & sharing resources. Tier 3 shares the 8 monthly vids, accompanied e-mails explaining the vid & offering services. I’ll also get guidance on how u can create the same content from ur own life. The link goes live tomorrow. If ppl r truly passionate about experiencing their life journey in peace & u enjoy giving & laughing w/others. On some non-judgment shit, this product is for u. These recordings range from 2015 to now… n plenty has happened. But, my story is to be sold. Not told! Support, n help me help u 👽❤️✨ _______________________________ Saturday’s Dungeon party was sooooo LiT! It was sassy, playful, fun & sexxxy! Best part, we talked!!! Follow @bombasssouls for dets on what happened. 21 Smooches on da lips Color: Marie 😉 (My lips look crazy in 1 pic, but I’m showing u how it wears. Details in our Bomb Ass SoulS e-mail. Follow @bombasssouls Sign up (for FrEE) & find out ❤️✨ #ElectricLady #AngelavsMarie #millennials #breakinggenerationalcurses #bombasssouls #bedroomkandi #dungeonparty #vegasnights https://www.instagram.com/p/CTPjectFmXe/?utm_medium=tumblr

[unpeuchaquejour]

Lundi 29 juin 2020.

Tokyo. Je pars de chez R. Je reprends le métro mais suis un peu perdu. Une jeune occidentale brune coupe au carré m'aide. "Restez toujours sur la U" puis me dit, navrée, "on a inventé la bombe atomique ET on leur a foutu sur la gueule" puis "mais ils ont les plus géniaux tapis roulants du monde" et je vois que l'on peut choisir quel autocollant les fameux tapis peuvent vous mettre sur les chaussures.

Réveillé à 5h15 pour arriver avant 7h. Arrivé à 7h10. Les bordées sont annulées.

Dessiné une femme à casquette gavroche dans le RER. Ça faisait longtemps. Très agréable. Elle avait une bande velpo au bras droit et ressemblait à une fourmi. J'ai rajouté le décor de la fenêtre après.

Une fauvette prend son bain jusqu'au cou.

Reprise du train. Et du RER. Assez anxiogène. Les gens ne respectent pas les sièges vides depuis GDN. Je veux dire : il y a des autocollants censés condamner un siège sur deux mais les gens s'assoient.

En mangeant je dis à T que je dois appeler JY. il le fait en double appel. S s'est mis à la photo (sur travaillée, filtrée à mort) et m'en envoie 15. Une par mail.

Lu les 24 saisons. Encore de beaux passages. Qu'il faudra que je note ici. Sur le respect des dernières volontés et l'endroit où on va mourir.

[hmhteen]

HMH Teen Teaser: TIME BOMB by Joelle Charbonneau!

Tick…tick…tick…time is almost up before you new fave psychological thriller hits bookstores! If you loved ONE OF US IS LYING or THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS (and even THE BREAKFAST CLUB!) you will love this twisty turny thriller about a group of teens caught in their school when a bomb goes off. The problem? One of them is responsible. (Cue dramatic music here.)

Scroll down for an exclusive excerpt!

1:51 p. m .

“Don’t fight,” Cas said from the doorway that Frankie and Z had just disappeared through. Tears glistened in her eyes. “Can we turn the radio back on? Maybe they’ll tell us help is finally coming.”

Rashid clicked on the radio before heading over to help Tad. There was the buzz of static, then the announcer telling ev- eryone that the firefighters were making progress. The fire was contained to the west side, and they hoped to have it out soon.

“With one person of interest being questioned, authorities are now working to find another individual they have con- firmed is involved in this terrible bombing. A source confirms that the individual is one of the students trapped on the second floor of the school. With four bombs having already gone off, there appears to be one explosive device still inside the school that could detonate at any time.”

Another bomb was ready to go off, and the bomber was one of them.

Earlier   Tha t  Da y  .  . .

8:35  a.m. 

 D i a n a

 —  C h a p t e r  1  —

All you had to do was smile and wear the right clothes, and everyone would think you were special. If you appeared successful, people would automatically assume you were suc- cessful. Her parents believed that. Her father had built a career on it. They wanted her to believe it.

Diana hated that she did.

“Perception is everything, Diana,” her stepmother said so often that Diana wanted to scream. But screaming wasn’t pre- sentable. And, boy, did it make the wrong impression. This made screaming at the top of her lungs very tempting.

“Always take care to make the correct choice, Diana,” her stepmother said over and over again. “Everything you do is im- portant and reflects on your father and the positions he takes. And think about what your father’s opponents would claim if you don’t do well in school or become a leader in the activities you’re in. They’ll wonder how serious your father is about edu- cation if his own daughter doesn’t do well in school. The other side is always looking for a reason to point fingers and show that your father isn’t worthy of his position. That we aren’t worthy. So you can’t allow your grades or your attention to detail to slide, or you’ll hurt your father and, worse, you’ll hurt the work he’s trying to do.”

Diana looked down at the clothes she’d chosen for the day. After sixteen years, she knew exactly what details would be no- ticed and what people would think when they saw her.

Stylish white jeans. A tasteful pink top. But nothing too expensive, because that made people jealous. Nothing too tight, because that gave people the wrong idea. And no wrinkles. Wrinkles made people think you were lazy. No one trusts a per- son who is lazy. To get what you wanted in life, you must in- spire trust — even if you intended to break it.

Her father inspired trust with his perfectly tailored suits that were made less stuffy because he never wore a tie and al- ways left the collar open.

Folksy. Friendly. Everyone’s idea of the perfect dad and for- mer army-communications specialist who always puts his family and country first. At least that’s what people must have thought, because he got elected. He was working hard to make sure he got to keep his job for another term, and it was their family’s job — Diana’s job — to make sure she didn’t do anything wrong that could make voters question whether they wanted him back in office.

No pressure there.

“Katherine?” she yelled, knowing how much her stepmother hated raised voices. No response. She must have already gone downstairs. Dad would be in meetings already. Diana bit her lip as she reached for the gold studs Katherine gave her for her sixteenth birthday, then added the gold-cross necklace that had technically been from her father. She’d pretended not to notice when one of his aides handed him the box that he’d clearly been unaware of up until that moment.

“Little touches make all the difference,” Katherine insisted. “People notice the details.”

Yes, they did, Diana thought as she reached into her jewelry box and pulled out the ratty friendship bracelet she’d made for herself years ago, wishing she’d had someone to give it to and to get one in return from. No one ever assumed the popular girl needed to be given a gift. No one thought about whether the popular girl was lonely when she went home. Everyone as- sumed the popular girl had a million friends and a family who supported her.

Diana walked to her mirror and checked her makeup. Just enough to make her blue eyes look bigger. Nothing more, or people might question whether she was a good girl. And she was supposed to be a good girl. She ticked off her stepmother’s checklist one by one.

Good shoes. A nice home. Top grades.

Smart, respectable family tree. Perfect manners.

All signs of a strong, well-brought-up girl. A girl everyone claimed to know from school. One parents and teachers pointed to as an example to others. One who had been taught to calcu- late her appearance and demeanor down to the plain red color of her cell-phone case. One who was determined to use it all to show everyone that it was foolish to trust what someone wanted you to see.

Perfect.

And if she didn’t want to ruin her perfect image, Diana would have to get moving. Tardiness was not acceptable for a girl who was supposed to be without flaws. Tardiness implied a lack of respect for other people’s time.

Glancing at her watch, she shook her head and hurried downstairs to find her stepmother so she could get a ride to school for the yearbook meeting.

“Katherine?” she called.

No answer. Huh. Well, Katherine was probably in the back- yard making sure the staff had polished the patio furniture to a shine so that guests could be invited back to the house after the event tonight.

“Katherine?”

“Your mother went out.”

“What?” She turned and spotted her father standing next to the porch swing with his cell phone pressed to his ear. Since there was no point in correcting him about Katherine’s relation- ship to her, she simply asked, “Where?”

He put up a hand to quiet her. “Yes, I’m here, and yes, I understand there’s been some pushback, but I can’t step back from the bill, or I’ll get hammered. The press will smell blood and it’ll be over, and we all know I’m right on this. I just need one thing to tip in my favor. You have to trust me on this.”

Diana started to speak again, but before she could get a word out, her father turned his back and nodded. She would have to get in line for his attention.

“Yes. I’ll make that distinction tonight, and don’t worry. The event will be the perfect place to highlight the positive points in the bill and to take charge of the conversation. If you have other things you want to talk about, I’ll be at the office in a half-hour. Good speaking with you, too, Tim. I appreciate your dedication. We’re going to turn things around.” Finally he hung up and turned toward her.

He was wearing perfectly pressed khakis and a red polo shirt under a deep blue sports coat — relaxed authority was what her stepmother called the look. But despite the clothes, Diana didn’t think her father appeared relaxed.

“That was Tim?”

Her father nodded. “He’s worried about the negative press my Safety Through Education bill is getting.”

Tim hadn’t been on her father’s staff as long as the oth- ers, but he was smart and perceptive, which is why her father’s chief of staff hired him right out of graduate school. And even though he was younger than the rest of the staff, Diana knew Tim was right to be worried about her father’s bill. The press was calling it an invasion of privacy. The law would require that students and teachers inform the administration if they thought someone in the school might be interested in doing harm to students, teachers, or school property. Any students reported would then have to hand over their passwords to social media and email accounts or face suspension and a potential inves- tigation by federal authorities. Those who didn’t report suspi- cions before a harmful event could be charged with aiding and abetting.

Her father believed the law would turn everything in the country around and would finally do what no other laws had been able to do — make things safer. Any students interested in causing trouble would think twice about it if they knew their friends and teachers were watching them and ready to act on any suspicious activity. And by catching and circumventing threatening behavior early, there was a good chance of diverting those students toward a more positive path. Her father was cer- tain that taking action in the schools and the education system was the best way of changing the escalating pattern of violence in the country.

“Was there another bad story in the press?” Diana asked. Not everyone agreed with her father’s thoughts on how to keep the country safe. Since the unveiling of the bill, there had been phone calls and mail and huge editorials about invasion of pri- vacy and people’s differing definitions of what a “threat” to society actually was. Diana had even gotten hate mail for her father’s idea. When she had tried to talk to her father about it, he had just told her to give the mail to Tim and ignore it. That everything would work out. But when Tim had sat with her and listened to her talk about the threats she’d gotten and how people made a point of telling her they were going to vote her father out of office, Tim had admitted the backlash was concerning. If the tide of bad press and angry editorials about the potential law continued, they both agreed that it would be sunk before it ever had a chance to be tested. And her father’s career — one she had been told was necessary to make the world better — would be sunk along with it.

Was it any wonder Tim wanted to pull out all the stops to make sure her father’s event tonight got the press’s attention, or that she was willing to do whatever it took to help? It was nice to have someone finally realize that she was capable of helping, and to finally listen to her when she had an idea. And Tim had said he was glad he could run ideas by someone without having to worry about her telling the senator that his ideas were too radical or that he wasn’t up to the job.

Her father shrugged and gave her his own practiced smile. “Some of my co-sponsors are wondering if we should shelve the idea for more study, but Tim has some polling that says retreat- ing might do more harm than good. I’m not worried. Tim and the others have a plan to make this all come together.”

“If you need me —”

Her father held up his hand as the phone rang. The phone was always ringing. “I’ll catch this on my way to the office.” He looked at Diana and gave her a tense smile. “Your mother left a note for you on the counter. You can help by making sure you’re ready when she comes to pick you up. I need everything to be perfect if we’re going to turn this around.” Then, before she could say anything, her father put the phone to his ear and said, “Larry, I’m glad you called …” as he disappeared into the house.

Diana hurried after him, but he didn’t bother to look back. A minute later, Diana heard the front door slam behind him as he left before she could remind him that she needed a ride. And when she read her stepmother’s note, she knew she wasn’t going to get one from her, either.

Diana dear,

I’ll be home to pick you up at four. Wear the

blue satin dress hanging in your closet and leave

your hair down. Please be on time. Tonight is very

important to all of us.

Katherine

She stared at the letter.

Be on time.

Leave your hair down. Tonight is important.

But, clearly, driving Diana to school today was not.

She turned the bracelet on her arm again, looked at her stepmother’s words one more time, hearing each of them ring- ing in her head along with all the other things she’d said over the years.

“Keep your opinions to yourself, Diana.” Because they might differ from what she was supposed to think. And that wasn’t allowed.

“Remember that we’re counting on you.” Yes. They were.

Diana headed back upstairs to the antique toy chest in the corner of her room. Quickly, she dumped the decorative pillows and extra blanket stacked on top onto the floor, then lifted the lid. She pulled out two bags. In the side pocket of one of the bags, she found the list she’d made for herself a few weeks ago and put it in her pocket.

A quick glance at the clock told her she’d better get going or she’d be late for the yearbook meeting. Yesterday she’d moved the meeting to two hours earlier than originally scheduled. She doubted anyone would be thrilled that she’d asked them to change their plans simply to make them wait.

Diana turned, took one last look in the mirror and saw what her family wanted her to be. What she had tried so hard to pretend to be.

Perfect. Someone everyone expected to do the right thing and no one would ever suspect of doing something wrong.

Good.

Booting up her computer, she sent a quick message to Tim, telling him that she was going to school now. Then Diana care- fully picked up her bags and headed downstairs and out the door. Her father thought the only contribution he needed from her was for her to nod and smile and look flawless — like their family was supposed to be. She was determined to prove him wrong.

   9:52  a.m.

R a s h i d

—  C h a p t e r  2  —

“Why do you have to go to the school today?” his father asked, coming into the kitchen. Rashid had hoped to get out of the house before his father had gotten home from the hospital. So much for that idea. “Your classes do not start for another week.”

Rashid hefted the bag he had slung over his shoulder and explained, “I need a new school ID, Father.”

“What happened to your old one?” His father looked at him with a frown.

“I lost it when  we were visiting with  Sitto last month.” Technically, that was true. Although Rashid knew his words implied that he accidentally left his ID behind at his grand- mother’s in Palestine. “The office is open for new students to get IDs. I thought I should do it now instead of waiting until school starts.”

His father nodded, then glanced at the kitchen clock. “Will you be back by the start of Dhuhr?”

“I don’t think so.”

“I can call and see if the office will be open during the af- ternoon. If you wait, we can pray together, and then maybe you can take your sister. It would be good for her to see the school without so many people. It’ll help her get used to the idea of going there next year. You could introduce her to some of your friends.”

His sister already knew most of his friends, since they either lived nearby or went to mosque together. The others …

His father thought he understood what it was like for Rashid at school, but he had no idea. He didn’t listen. Or maybe Rashid’s cousins in Palestine were right, and it was Rashid’s fault he didn’t completely fit in, because he did not know who he was or what he wanted.

A few years ago, he would have brought his sister with him to school. But that was then. Now … so much had changed. He was different. His sister certainly was, and his friends … They all still enjoyed the comics and building robots, which held their friendships together. But Rashid could tell there were other things — like the facial hair that he had started growing earlier than anyone else in his class, and the adherence to his faith that prevented him from shaving it — that were creating an invisible wall between them.

He bit back the anger that seemed harder and harder to keep hidden and respectfully said, “Next time. I don’t know who will be there, and I don’t want her to have a bad experience.”

It was hard enough for Rashid to fit in, especially now. He didn’t want to bring Arissa. The hijab made her stand out even more than his untrimmed beard did. But Arissa didn’t seem to mind wearing it. More than once, she said that she liked the attention the hijab brought, and it helped her know exactly who her friends were. The hijab signaled who she was and that she was proud of her heritage. She said if people didn’t like it, they could just get out of her way.

Rashid wondered if it wasn’t easier for her because the hi- jab was so obvious and its meaning so clear. Since some of the other students chose to grow beards and mustaches, his own beard was sometimes interpreted as a personal choice instead of a mandate of faith. But it often raised questions he could see in people’s eyes that never got spoken aloud — not even by his friends. If he had been braver, he might just have sat down and talked to his friends about it and helped them understand. Instead, he let the silences get longer.

Now he felt he had only one option open to him.

“I should probably go now so I don’t have to stand in line all day,” Rashid said, feeling the weight of the bag pulling on his shoulder. “I will pray at school.” There were plenty of empty classrooms. Since it wasn’t a school day, he wouldn’t have to worry about people making fun of him washing in the bathroom first. “I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

His father smiled. “No need to rush. If you see people you know, you should spend time with them. You haven’t had the chance to see any of your friends this summer. The best life has balance. Maybe while you’re at school, you can see if there are any new clubs you’d like to join, although I still think you should take photos for the yearbook. The pictures you took this summer are very good.”

“I’ll look into it,” Rashid said, knowing he wouldn’t. He had other things to do. He just hoped his father would be able to understand.

“Good.” His father patted him on the arm and frowned. “Why are you taking your school bag?”

Rashid smiled to hide his nerves. “I’m bringing some note- books and comic books and a couple of other things to put in my locker so I don’t have to bring everything on the first day. I like having stuff to read in study hall.”

He also read when his friends were late for lunch, to avoid drawing the attention of some of the football players, who liked to harass him.

“Using extra time for study is always good.” His father pat- ted him on the arm again. “Do you have your Koran?”

“No,” Rashid said, shifting toward the door. “I’m leaving it here. I’ve got to go.”

“Wait a second.” His father disappeared out of the kitchen and returned holding a thick paperback that Rashid had no choice but to take. “You might be glad to have it at school with you.”

Rashid forced himself to thank his father, but he couldn’t meet his eyes as he walked out the door. He put the book in the bag and headed to school, still trying to decide if he was going to go through with his plan.

Was this really the time to draw the line in the sand?

He thought about the names he’d  been called last year and how uncomfortable his non-Muslim friends looked when they pretended that they were all the same. That nothing had changed.

He wished nothing had changed. More than anything, he wanted to turn back the clock to before the beard and the sus- picion it brought into focus. Things had already been hard then, but they had been better.

Hitching the bag so that the weight was better distributed, Rashid frowned and started walking faster. If he was going to change things, he had to do it today. He only hoped that he had the courage to do what needed to be done.

9:58  a.m.

Z

— C h a p t e r 3 —

“You’re Kicking me out?” Sweat pricked Z’s back and forehead. He should have had two more months. His mother had said they’d agreed. And now he was getting screwed.

Z turned his back on the landlord’s son. He couldn’t look at the satisfied smile on the jerk’s pimply face without wanting to deck the guy. Z felt like hitting something — everything.

“Not exactly,” Nick said. “I mean, I know my dad and your mom talked about trying to lower the rent over the sum- mer to help you out, but my dad realized that if he changed the terms of the lease for you, he’d have to do it for everyone, and you know how that goes. It’s not like my father wants to do this.”

Sure he does, Z thought. He just doesn’t want to say he wants to boot the guy who’s just lost his mother to cancer. That would make him have to admit he’s a crappy person. But that’s what he was. All Nick’s father knew was that a guaranteed rent check was dead and buried. It was time to find a new one, and to hell with anything else. Yeah — Z knew exactly how that went. 

“I’m sure this is breaking your father’s heart.” Z clenched his fists and looked out the narrow window over the sink. If he closed his eyes, he could still see his mother standing there, washing dishes … when she had been well enough to do some- thing that normal.

“Hey, don’t be like that.”

“Like what?” Z turned and stared at the guy. Nick straight- ened his shoulders but took a step back, tugging at the hem of his dirty T-shirt. “Your father made a promise to my dying mom, and two weeks after she’s gone, he sends you to tell me he was just kidding.”

Nick took another step back and swallowed hard. “He’s re- ally sorry about this.”

“Sure he is.” Everyone was sorry. Z was so tired of hearing everyone tell him how damn sorry they were. Only they weren’t. But they would be. Soon. Very soon. Z unclenched his fists and turned back toward the off-white fridge that his mother had plastered with photographs. “Tell your dad not to beat himself up about it. It’s no problem, Nicky,” he added, yanking open the fridge. The cool air washed over him, helping to tamp down the anger he wanted to let break free. Despite the open windows, the apartment was sweltering.

“Hey, kid, if it was up to me, I would let you stay. I know things are tough. After everything that happened, this really sucks, but —”

“It’s fine,” Z said, grabbing a bottle of tap water out of the fridge. It wasn’t fine. There was nothing fine about being told by a twenty-seven-year-old guy who lived in his parents’ basement and had Cheetos stains on his T-shirt that you had to clear out in three weeks. Adios, boy. Don’t let the door hit your long-haired, tattooed self on the way out.

“Look, my father would like to be able to let you stay. He really liked your mom. She was a nice lady.”

“Yeah.” Z closed the fridge and looked at the photo of his mother’s happy, healthy face pressed next to his five-year-old chocolate-coated one. “She was great.”

Was.

He swallowed hard while, behind him, Nick Mansanelli said, “I could talk to my dad about having you do some work on our cars in exchange for staying in their attic. It’s not the best place, but it would give you some time to sort out whatever it is you’re going to do next. I’m sure you could use the —”

“No need.” Z would rather sleep in a ditch than become slave labor for anyone. He uncapped the cold water and took a drink. “Tell your dad pretty soon he won’t have to worry about dealing with me ever again.”

Nick took another step back and rubbed his hand against the back of his neck as he looked around.  “Can I …  you know … help you do anything? Do you need some boxes or tape?” Nick turned toward the living room and nodded. “You got a lot of stuff to pack up around here. Why don’t I —”

“No.” Before Nick could step into the hallway that led to the bedrooms, Z stalked forward and blocked him. “I don’t need your help.” Z didn’t need anyone.

Nick frowned. “Are you sure? I mean, it’s no prob —”

“I’m sure,” Z said as the phone in his back pocket chimed. He pulled it out and looked down at the display.

YOU OK? DID YOU HEAR FROM YOUR UNCLE IN CALIFORNIA? I’M WORRIED ABOUT YOU. PLEASE TALK TO ME.

Kaitlin.

Of all the people who said they wanted to help, she actually did. But there wasn’t much more she could do or say. She kept telling him it was okay to be angry. That it would get better if he just gave it time. They all warned him about making deci- sions too fast. Urged him to give the relatives he barely remem- bered a chance to reach out. He had to give things time.

But time wasn’t going to change the fact that his mother was dead and that everything sucked.

Kaitlin had been there for him when everyone else had bailed. Extended family. Neighbors. Teachers. He’d tried to tell her to get lost when she followed him out of the school after he’d been in detention. But she dogged him all the way to the parking lot and insisted he give her a ride home. Her mother was a nurse at the hospital where his mother got treatments. It wasn’t as if he was going to say no, but that didn’t mean he was going to talk to her. Which was probably what Kaitlin wanted, since she had plenty to say. Kaitlin had been determined to be his friend, even when he didn’t want her to be. Even when he  cut school more than he bothered to go. If it hadn’t been for her, he wasn’t sure he would have made it this far.

And now he was going to cut her loose before he dragged her down. She deserved better.

Z shoved the phone into his pocket and looked back at Nick. “Look,” Z said with a deliberate sigh. “If that’s all you came here for, I’ve got to get going. There’s a teacher I have to talk to

at school, and I don’t want to miss him.”

Nick slapped Z on the shoulder. The universal sign for I want you to think I’ve got your back, even though I plan on screw- ing you the first chance I get. “Hey, no problem. I just came by to see how you were doing and make sure you didn’t need any- thing before —”

Before you chucked me to the curb. Z again clenched his hands into fists at his side, and Nick backed up a step.

Finally, the guy turned toward the front door and said, “Hey, make sure to take care of yourself. And give them hell at that school. I never liked it much anyway.”

At last, one thing they could agree on.

Z chugged the water, then headed down the hall toward his room to grab his father’s old army duffle and the letter that had arrived last week. His cell phone chimed as he was slinging the bag onto his shoulders, but he ignored it. He had things to do.

In the kitchen, he grabbed the picture of him and Mom and slid it next to his phone. He then walked out of the apartment. No need to lock the door. If someone wanted to clear the rest out, let them. He was going to school, and he wasn’t coming back.

***

The tension is killing us! If you want to dive deeper into the mysterious world of TIME BOMB, you can pre-order it at one of the links below!

Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-a-MillionHudson IndieBound Powell’s Target

[kristinenaturalcbdoil-blog]

Hello Friends and Family!! I am doing a fundraiser! Im selling raffle tickets for 3 Baskets!! In each basket there is a My Daily Choice Sample pack that has a sample of the 500mg peppermint isolate CDB oil, Relief, Revive & Renew Cream. 3 samples of hemp infused coffee, and a coffee mug!! A Value of 40.00! Also raffling off a 4 pack of CBD Oil Bath Bombs. Lemon Grass Sea Salt Lavender & Citrus They smell incredible! HINT: MOTHER'S DAY IS COMING!) A Value of 50.00!! Pictures attached Raffle Tickets are 1 Ticket for $1.00 6 Tickets for $5.00 15 Tickets for 10.00 All the money raised will go to the Cancer programs!! I will be selling Raffle tickets up to May 4th and Winner will be announced at 5:30 that day. Raffle tickets can be purchased up until May 4th at 5:00 pm!! The way you can purchase Raffle Tickets is Through Venmo or PayPal! When you send me the money. In memo please put your 1st and Last name with a phone number (so I can call you if you win) or a email address and also how many tickets you want and what basket you want them in! Venmo is user name Kristine-Crothers email Klcrothers79@gmail.com(there a coloring picture of a cat I colored) PayPal is klcrothers79@gmail.com or PayPal.me/crothers ***If u r out of state and by tickets and you WIN I will mail it to you**** https://www.instagram.com/klcrothers/p/Bw7HaC4h8JU/?igshid=qvn6soi3zink

[dangoghz]

i sent hap earlier and i feel like s a y i ng m o r e so i hope you have a lovely day ester! birthdays are so much fun and just sending my love and support out here from canada. my dog also wishes a happy birthday to you! may the world be kind to you, ester. and with that kinda odd sentence.. i leave .. * smoke bomb, curtains close * ( have a good one! )

aWW thank u so much honeybee !!! i cannot be grateful enough for ur and ur dogs wishes ah 💕💕💕💕pls mail me some maple syrup from the mooseland and i appreciate this ask sm