#so i was stuck on a route going the opposite for another 20 minutes and then another 20 minutes in the terminal bc the bus driver took a

[puppyeared]

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Monday 8 July 1839

2 40/..

10 ¾

fine morning F72 ½° at 2 ½ am glad to be up – the room so hot, and the sheets so washed à la lessive (.:. damp and queer feeling – stuck to me) got up at midnight for my cloaks one to sleep on and the other to sleep in – then fancied someone rapped and up again about near 2 – could not sleep – nothing comfortable – off at 3 55/.. – high chaussée en avenue de peupliers – Road way 12 to 15ft. wide? very good road and whole breadth between the rows of poplars about 7 yards or not so much? – all along neat farmstead and kitchen gardens – all polder – and a large canal for some distance near (right) and several wind mills – all the farm houses after one model – Everywhere Dutch barns, but the roofs of them straw-thatched – at Lexmonde [Lexmond] at 5 18/.. – nice neat little town – all the Dutch towns great or small neat and good that is substantial and in good order and clean, of course – explanation hereabout the postes, Gross saying they did not go by postes here – nonsense – only I have no Dutch livre de poste, and my carte Routière from Calais and that also from Antwerp incorrect – each of the 2 stages from Gorcum to Utrecht = 2 ¼ postes – 1 horse 20 stivers = 1 florin per poste, and the barriers 9 stivers each and bridges vary – pay the postillion as one horse – at 6 6/.. nice little town of Vianen gated at each end – (got out my carte de Pays Bas yesterday afternoon or we should have gone on knowing nothing) – at 6 11/.. embark on the Leek river good or better than the Thames just above London – over in 10 minutes pulled by 2 men hauling at a rope lying across the river – at Hetwaal [Tull en Het Wall] at 6 26/.. also a nice little gated town, with draw bridge over its canal en sortant, just after passing tho’ the gate, and at 6 41/.. another little town and bridge over canal, and almost immediately the spire of Utrecht cathedral in sight – having crossed the canal (at this last nice little town) drive alongside it along a fine avenue and excellent road as all today, to Utrecht – very pretty as we near the town – the buildings and houses along the opposite side the canal very picturesque and pretty, and good – as if a ship-building wharf – alight at the chateau d’Anvers hotel at 7 21/.. – breakfast café au lait and bread (rolls) and cold butter (and cheese and boeuf fumé not touched) and strawberries price 38 stivers = 1/90 and gave the waiter a civil little French man ./50 – Had up the master of the hotel – his cart de route taken from the French livre de poste! 8 hours or 8 ½ hours will take us to Deventer chez Bekker who will tell us Inn forwards – had just written so far at 9 – good comfortable Inn here – wish we had come on yesterday instead of stewing at Gorcum – but the heat is coming on here now; and we shall have another hot day – cooler in the carriage than in the house – inking over accounts till off at 9 50/.. – Utrecht much improved since 1832  – a large, good handsome town, environs studded with gentlemen houses – at 11 ½ pretty (gentle) descent upon Amersfoort  in fine wooded country and no water in sight – unlike Holland – handsome tall spire of church in the style of that at Utrecht – excellent road, thro’ avenue of fine poplars or high thick alder hedges, or beech or oak forest, chiefly the latter – at Amersfoort at 11 40/.. pretty town – ramparts turned into pretty laid out gardens and promenades as at Utrecht – at 1 26/.. the very pretty house at Appeldoorn [Apeldoorn] – very pretty house and garden, and pretty picturesque little village – got out for 10 minutes and walked in the garden and peeped into the farm buildings – the pigsties undercover (at the sides of large barns) the poor pigs hot and dirty – would be better with more air – En route again at 1 50/.. – a few drops of light rain then and just before but at 2 20/.. rain set in probably for the rest of the day? at 2 54/.. in heavy shower stop to bait at neat brick house Nieuw milligen – great part of our road today lies thro’ beech forest – at 4 5/.. (right) whitewashed Lodges and white gates to the Kings’ summer palace of Loo  and 2 or 3 minutes afterwards nice pretty straggling village of Appeldoorn [Apeldoorn] and poste at 4 10/.. – very pretty in front of the poste sort of large village green ornée – Gross thought the off hind wheel very hot, and put some oil to it – nonsense? I could feel no heat – does he understand carriages? the country much improved since Utrecht – could not have thought such a flat country could be so pretty – the flower gardens and summer houses so gay! –

SH:7/ML/E/23/0079

at 5 50/.. alight chez Beking Bekker at Deventer as recommended at Antwerp – the landlord not at home – ordered dinner in an hour and A- and I went out at 6 5/.. to the great church cathedral – large naturally good church but strangely filled up with pews below instead of galleries above, many pews and many chairs – whitewashed – crypt lately used as charnel house but now under process of clearing out – something in the style of the crypt at York – gave the woman 5 stivers, and she shewed us to the famous gingerbread shop – bought a loaf of the best for 3fl. – then sauntered about – the shops have all plain common windows and make the least possible shew – the town house old and picturesque looking came in at 7 20/.. – dinner not ready – wrote out so far of today till now 8 and dinner and sat over it till now 9 40/.. – fine day till the rain about 2pm  fine before we reached Deventer and fine evening

[diabolik-fics-owo]

Shin Tsukinami x fem!Reader (chapter one)

Word count: 1610

(Y/N)'s POV

          After a long take of work, I was taking the scenic route home. It was beautiful. The trees swayed from the force of the wind, I could here frogs croak and bats sing. The only light I had was the light of the moon and stars. The old road I was on was a dirt one, but it got the job done nonetheless. My house was no more than a ten minute walk away from where I work, so I'm able to get home fairly quickly.

          However, on this night in-particular, I heard the howling of voices. They were getting closer. There were multiple. Their howls and yelps chilled me to the bone. I realized that the pounding of their paws on the ground were nearing closer. Frantically, I looked around myself and came to the conclusion that they were coming from all angles, all directions. I was petrified.

          One wolf leaps out of the underbrush, blocking my way home. Another wolf jumps onto the road next to me, and lands with a thud. They were both barking at me, but not attacking. I start to run in the opposite direction, back to work. The wolves come with me. My neck hurt from breathing so heavily in the cool, autumn air. I wasn't sure I could run for long. The wolves were chasing me.

I was wheezing while running, my lungs couldn't take such a fast pace in the cold. My throat was aching and it was itching, uncomfortable. My body began to ache, but I couldn't stop. I noticed that more wolves surrounded me. There weren't just two or three, there was a whole pack, maybe two, honing in on me. Up to 20 wolves surrounded me.

Stopping moving, I gave up. My legs have out. I was on my knees, eventually I collapsed on all fours, looking around at the wolves that were getting closer to me. They slowing came closer, calculating what to do. However, they all seemed like they were waiting in suspense for something, or someone, to happen.

A chuckle comes from behind me. I'm still on my knees, in the cold, attempting to catch my breathe. Adrenaline ran through my veins. I slowly turned around to see a young man, with strawberry blond hair looking towards me. His laugh pierced through me. All I could do was look up. My legs were sore, and my body was chilled to the bone.

"Looks like you got caught," he laughed. "Well, what do you think? Did my wolves do a good job at hunting? Haha~ look at you, on the ground, how embarrassing," the man teased me. He shamed me for not being able to run and keep up the pace.

I paused, didn't answer him. I didn't know how. These are his hunting wolves? I thought to myself in silence. Even thinking was hard, due to me focusing on the soreness throughout my body. He is sick, hunting a real person like this. I was even more terrified. He must be a sadist to treat a human like this.

Enraged, the man yelled at me. He wouldn't stop. "Huh?! Why won't you answer to me?!" His voice turned raspy and deep. "I asked you a question. You are a lower being. I expect respect! What do you think about the skills of these wolves? I trained them myself. Tell me how terrified you are, I want to hear it," he spoke with an enraged whisper. He came closer to me, and began to twirl my (H/C) between his fingers.

I didn't know how to respond, so I said the first thing that came to mind. "Please, sir," I whispered with a cry. "I don't know what you want, I'm scared. Please, leave me alone!" I whined, not knowing what else to do. "You're scaring me." He stopped twirling my hair in his fingers, and looked me dead in the eyes. I could see the golden shine, and my reflection in his eyes. His face moved closer to mine. He put his fingers on the bottom of my chin, forcing me to lift my head up and face him.

Some more, he chuckled at me. "Oh~ this is just the beginning," he laughed. "I wonder what's under that (S/C) skin. I wonder how you taste. Come here, come closer~," I had no time to respond. I was pulled into an embrace, and his hands were around my waist, and one was at the back of my head. I could feel his breath on my neck.

A shot of sharp pain ran down my chest and arms. I felt a liquid drip down my chest, it was hot, but left a cold trail behind. My neck was holt, and it was the center of the shooting pains. I felt a light sucking on my neck. He had bitten me. This man was drinking my blood. !!!!!!How? Why? I began to scream and move.

"Somebody- please! I need help!" I screamed. My voice was hoarse and I couldn't make a loud enough noise to get anybody's attention. The man bit down harder into my throat, making me feel like I was being choked.

I could hear him mumbling onto my neck. "The more you cry our, the worse this pain will get. I might just kill you here. It would be such a shame to waste your beauty," he said, biting down on my shoulder. "... and to think I was going to keep you as a new plaything."

My raspy voice called out, "a playthi- gah!" I cried. I could feel him switch places once again. This time he was biting me on my best. More blood poured out of me, and I felt my blood drip down my back, and onto my arms. It was cold. It felt like the heat was draining out of my body along with my blood.

My hands grasped his shoulders, and I feebly attempted to push him away, but he had too strong of a grip onto my body. His hands were cold. They grasped me firmly, but they didn't hurt me. His hands were rather gentle on my skin, while stilling holding me in my place.

The only thing I could do was look at the moon and the stars, not being covered by the thick clouds. The moon light was still shining through the clouds, it nearly blinded me in my dazed state. I saw somebody else in my line of vision. He was a tall man, with silver hair. Had he always been there? The man was surrounded by wolves. They weren't attacking him. He had similar eyes to the man at my neck, the same golden shine. I noticed that he was getting closer, take slow steps towards the two of us, entwined in each other.

          The new man's voice shook me to the core, "Shin, what do you think you are doing?" He asked the younger boy. Oh~ so this boy's name is 'Shin'? I guess that's a good to know. "Kill her and be done with it. We don't have all the time in the world for your shenanigans," he was cold, distant and mysterious, showing no hint of emotion.

        Shin took his long fangs away from my neck. "You lucked out this time," he whispered in my ear. "Brother, instead of killing her, I think we should keep her. Look at her, she's a beauty! She could be a good addition to our staff... actually, she'd be the only addition," he said, with a light blush on his face. He stood up, leaving me on my knees, gleaming up at the two brothers. I knew better than to speak. They are thinking about keeping me alive, I shouldn't question their motives just yet.

The man with the silver man sighed, “you can keep her. However, if she is disobedience or acts out of place I will not hold back. No mercy will be had,” his words were so cruel, cold, dead.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Shin. “Why do you always have to be so cynical? It’s not that hard to smile, brother,” Shin knelt down next to me, and grabbed my neck. I was fazed, in a daze. More blood than expected was taken out of me in such a short time. “Ehhh~ brother, let me have fun for a few more minutes than I’ll take her,” he said, grabbing my chin once more.

This time, he didn’t bite my neck or my chest, Shin stuck his fangs into my lips, grasping my bottom lip in-between his own. He nearly bit through my lip. It was almost as painful as when he bit me in the neck. The blood that Shin didn’t sip seeped down my chin, and little droplets crashed onto my chest. His hand was once again wrapped around my waist.

Shin removed his lips from mine, and began to trace his lips down my neck, back to my chest. He sank his teeth into the mark he had previously created, making the bite mark larger. He was violently drinking. It was frantic and chaotic. He lapped up every drop of blood that came out of the wound of mine.

The light began to fade from the world. My head was spinning. I was hyper aware of my breathing. It was loud and unstable. My mind felt like it stopped working. My grasp on Shin’s shoulders loosened, I fell back into his grasp. He removed his lips from my chest, looking at me with satisfaction. I heard a chuckle, then the world faded into nothingness.

If you have read this far, please follow because I post fanfics like this a lot!

[listentometalkaboutmorebooks]

you wanna kiss me so bad it makes you look stupid

Friday nights are the worst. 

Look, shout at me all you want, but you clearly haven’t worked the closing shift in a late-night bar before. Drunk people are the worst, especially when they know they have two more days ahead of them to get even drunker. And yeah, I am including myself in that number. 

The only thing worse than Friday nights are Saturdays, because by then everyone has stopped drinking to celebrate and started to drink to forget. I got out of that shift by the skin on my teeth, but fate is a double-edged sword, and I got stuck with Fridays instead. Hey, beggars can’t be choosers, I guess. 

One thing going for Fridays is that you don’t get bothered a whole lot. The sad drunks won’t come out of their dens until the next night, so all you get is the noise of people with their friends and families. Great time to work on hobbies. Knitted a whole scarf one shift. And so when someone walks in, alone, and doesn’t immediately gravitate towards a table? My attention is piqued. 

The stranger sits down at the bar, looking at the seat like he’d rather have put a towel down first. I walk over without being called. 

As I move closer, the lights shift, throwing his face into sharp contrast. 

Shit. He’s really hot. 

He wears an easy grin, the kind you can only get from years of practice. His eyes dart around almost like he’s searching for an escape route, but the rest of his body doesn’t betray any intention to bolt. He’s calm, collected, relaxed… Well, as much as he can be in this loud ass bar. His hands are long and slender, impeccably manicured fingers folded in front of him, sharp teeth poking over his lip, black hair slicked back carefully. It looks like he could kill you and never dislodge even a hair. And honestly… It made me wonder what else he could do without getting ruffled, if you catch my meaning. 

“What can I help with you tonight, sir?” I ask, shaking myself out of my thoughts as I prop myself up on the bar by my elbows. 

“Ah, good evening. I’ll have your finest scotch, neat.” His voice matches the rest of him, polished and posh. It makes me shiver. 

“Celebrating something, are we?” I tease, turning to pour him his drink. 

“One could say that.” 

“Huh, very mysterious. Where’s your partner? Guy like you has gotta have one.” Okay, so what if I’m being a little forward? He’s either single or he isn’t, better to find out before I go getting attached. 

He just winks at me. “What’s your name, darling?” 

“Juno Steel. And yours?”

“A gorgeous name for a gorgeous lady, if you don’t mind my cliche. I’m Peter Nureyev.” He grins, showing off those… really sharp teeth. I’d noticed before, but damn… A second too late, I hold out a hand for him to shake. My chipped nail polish looks childish next to his dangerous-looking manicure, but I’m too distracted by his strong grip to lose any sleep over it. 

“Where are you from, then, Peter Nureyev?�� I hum, pulling a stool around the bar so I can sit opposite him. 

“Oh, a bit of everywhere. I’ve never settled down anywhere for too long, three months maximum. Although, here seems quite a bit nicer than most of my other stops.” 

“So, what are you running from?” 

“Bold of you to assume I’m not the one chasing.” 

I raise my eyebrows, impressed, and drop the subject. He might be hot, but I still don’t want to end up on his kill list. He seems like he might actually do it. 

“Tell me, Juno, what do you think of Hyperion? Should I finally settle down?” 

“Eesh, Hyperion City isn’t most people’s first choice for a relaxing retirement. Sure, it looks all shiny and new, but soon as you get close something tries to stab you.” 

“I can deal with stabbings. I’ve had experience.” Nureyev smirks, wrinkling his nose at me teasingly. I can’t tell if he’s kidding or not… 

“I don’t doubt it…”

“But you seem to enjoy it, since you live here?” He says, backtracking over the stabbings like it was a normal thing to say. 

“What, you’ve never gotten stuck somewhere? I was born here, and I guess I just got sucked in. I’ve had this job since I was 20.” I scoff, absently wiping away a drop of water and tossing the towel over my shoulder. 

“I guess you’re right. How old are you now, then?” 

“It’s rude to ask a lady’s age, Nureyev. You seem like someone who should know that…” 

Down the bar, someone waves to get my attention. I look over, and it’s a gaggle of drunk girls. They can stand to wait another few minutes, right?  

“My apologies, dear.” He follows my gaze and sees them too. “I don’t mean to take up too much of your time, Juno, no matter how pleasant your company…” 

“You’re not taking my time, I’m giving it.” I tell him, standing up and unwinding my apron from around my waist. “I’m going on break!” I yell to the back room, not really caring whether they heard me or not. A minute later, I’m sitting in the seat next to him. He’s tall, taller than he seemed from behind the bar. His legs are all folded up under him. 

“Hello there.” Peter teases, finishing his drink and setting it down in front of him. “Terrible time for you to go on break, really.” 

“Shut up. And hey, you never answered my question about your partner!”

“Well, that’s why I’m here tonight, actually. I just ended a five year relationship.” Nureyev says, grinning. 

“Uhh. I’m… Sorry?” 

“Don’t be. I’ve been needing to make that decision for a while now, honestly.” He sighs, that permanent knowing smile settling back onto his face. He really doesn’t seem upset about this at all… 

“Why did you end it? If it’s not too personal.” 

“You’ve already gotten pretty personal with me tonight, darling, it’s not like this crosses a line. I ended it simply because she was so… Bland. All her decisions were made for her, she was just told where to spend her money and then she did. I’m also fairly certain she was cheating on me. A lot. She wasn’t really even trying to hide it…” 

“Jesus, Nureyev… That really sucks.” I wince, patting his arm very awkwardly. How the hell do you comfort people, and why is he now laughing at me?!

“Juno, it’s alright!” He chuckles, covering my hand with his own. “She was only in it for the drama. We met at a charity auction and she told me she loved me the same night. Onstage, in front of everyone. I have to admit, one of the only reasons I stuck it out as long as I did was because she truly was very lenient with her money…” 

“Oh. Good?” I’m not sure what to say here. “I know a thing or two about bad relationships, so I get where you’re coming from. My last partner… You don’t want to hear it. That’s a story for another day, I think.” I shake my head. 

“You say that as if we’ll see each other again, sweetheart.”

“Well, would you like to see each other again?” I ask, cocking a brow. 

“I thought you’d never ask! Although next time, why don’t we try and find sometime when you’re not supposed to be working, hm?” He adds, and I look past him to see a mess of people at the bar. Looks like they didn’t send out anyone to replace me… 

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry, Nureyev, I should probably go back to work. Like I said, I’ve had this job since I was 20 and I have no interest in losing it now.” I wince, throwing my apron back on and rounding the bar once more. 

“I can wait until your shift is done…?” He asks, sliding a finger over the rim of his glass and looking up at me through hooded eyes. How the hell do you say no to that? 

“I’m done at 12.” I reply, pouring him another drink without even thinking about it before moving on to the rest of the mob. 

True to his word, he stays until the bar closes, and conveniently forgets to pay his tab. 

God, he’s lucky he’s hot.

[strangerfictions]

Baking Confessions

Request:  Can you write a Dacre or Billy (which ever is easier for you) with prompts 1 and 13 if possible Thank you! Xx

1: “We made too many cookies”

13: “There’s a snowstorm. I guess we’re stuck in here together till it passes.”

Summary: You and Dacre have been friends for awhile and he calls over while you are about to start baking. It starts snowing very heavy so you both decide to do some shots that eventually leads to some confession from Dacre.

Warnings: Mentions of drink but other than I think it is just pure fluff!

Words: 1907

A/N: Thanks to @dreamin-of-dacre​ for this request! Sorry it took so long for me to get up! I had a few essays due last week in uni before going into hospital so I needed to get them done before ! I really struggled to get this one right but after some playing around with the plot I came up with something I was happy enough with! If you want to send me in a Christmas request I have a list of prompts here!

You had been friends with Dacre for a while now. You met on set of Stranger Things and since then you were inseparable. It was a few days before Christmas, and you were getting ready to bake when you heard your doorbell. You open the door to find a very cold Dacre.

“Let me in. Its unnaturally cold Y/N!” You shiver feeling the cold hit your body. You step aside letting him past you. You quickly close the door trying to keep the warmth in the house.

“God, I didn’t think it was so cold out there until I opened the door!” You walk past Dacre who is taking off his jacket, scarf, gloves and hat.

“Put them on the radiator to keep them warm for when you leave.” You shout down the hallway at him as he does what you say.

“Brilliant!” You can hear Dacre whisper as the zip of his jacket hit the radiator as he throws it over the it.

“What are you doing here anyways? It’s was too cold for you to be out” You start to get the ingredients ready to make some cookies as Dacre walks into the kitchen.

“I was out and about and said I would call over. Otherwise I would have been at home bored out of my mind” Dacre sits up on the counter opposite you. He watches you as you pull out the flour from the top press.

“Okay…damn it…come out” You hear Dacre slid off the counter as you struggle with the bag of flour.

“Here let me help” He places his hand on your hip sending a shiver up your spine as he reaches up to get the flour.

“Thanks” You whisper not sure how to feel after feeling his hand on you. You walk past him to the island and start weighing out your ingredients.

“What you making?” He sits back up on the counter opposite the island

“Cookies for Santa!” You say smiling and thinking back on the other times you did this with your family.

“Can I help…or at least get some at the end of it?” Dacre smiles at you as you nod your head. Something catches your eye and your attention is drawn to outside the window.

“It’s starting to snow!” You walk toward the window and realise that it is a lot more than snowing. It’s a full-on blizzard.

“That’s a snowstorm. I guess we’re stuck in here together till it passes.” Dacre places his hand on the small of your back having the same effect as last time. You hadn’t noticed it any other time Dacre had touched you like this, but you liked it.

“Well we better make the most of it! Grab an apron and I’ll put on some Christmas tunes” You both walk off in opposite directions and meet back up at the island with apron and speaker in hand.

Rocking around the Christmas tree plays in the background as you begin to make the cookies. You didn’t think your day would turn out so nice, but it had, and you were so happy for it.

“Thanks for coming over by the way! I think I would have been pretty bored on my own” You smile up at Dacre as you both mix the ingredients together.

“I’m glad I made the decision…hey Y/n you have flour on your nose” You reach up to rub it off, but Dacre hand is there already rubbing it off for you.  

“Thanks” You mumble trying to ignore the familiar feeling bubbling up in your core.  You try and distract yourself from Dacre blue eyes by routing through the drawer beside you. You grab the two cookie scoopers and place them on the counter. You then get out the baking sheets from the drawer underneath and place them beside you.

“I think we may need more baking sheets Y/N” Dacre says looking down at his large bowl of cookie mix. You look at both of bowls of mixture and realise he may be right.

“I think you may be right” You laugh as you begin to scoop mixture onto the baking sheet. You can still feel the awkwardness in the air.

“You know what this needs…Drink!” You say as you run into the living room where you kept your drink trolley. You quickly grab the vodka and two shot glasses and jog back into the kitchen to see Dacre filling the last space on the baking sheet.

“I’d never say no to a bit of vodka especially on a day like today! We also need a lot more baking sheets” Dacre takes the shot glassed off you along with the vodka.

“I don’t have any more. I think we are going to be here a while because we will have to reuse the baking sheets” You watch as Dacre pours two shots of vodka spilling a small bit on the counter.

“Here take this. It’s going to be a long night” You both knock back the vodka grimacing slightly from the taste.

You grab the two baking sheets and place them in the oven.

“Okay they should be done in twenty minutes!” You say smiling at Dacre. You clean the island down and sit up on top of it while Dacre leans onto the counter head in his hands.

“I say we get absolutely pissed Y/N. I mean we’ll be here for ages anyways with the amount of cookies we have to bake so why not have some fun with it”

That is exactly what you did. By the time the first batch off cookies were done you were both already very tipsy.

“Okay…second batch in ! Pour me a shot to celebrate!” You shout at Dacre who has been sitting on the counter for the past 20 minutes or so.

“Coming right up !” Dacre pours you another shot as you check the time. This continues until the third batch of cookies are done and you are both sitting on the floor backs against the island.

“We made too many cookies” Dacre stands up and grabs two cookies as Christmas music drifts around the kitchen. Sitting back down he hands you a cookie letting his hand linger for longer than needed.

“Sorry…the drink is warping the senses” Dacre mumbles as he sits down beside you. Of course, you knew he was lying but you let it slide.

“I guess you will have to take some cookies with you tomorrow because I wont eat them all!” You feel Dacre get closer to you. Silence falls between the two of you only the voice of Frank Sinatra can be heard in the kitchen now. You both sit there in silence until Dacre suddenly sits up from his slouched position.

“Question?” He looks over at you seeing the surprised look on your face at how sudden his movements were.

“Ehh sure!” You weren’t sure what to expect him to ask but drink was involved and that never helped anything.

“Okay so I like this girl…she’s great! I get on great with her. I have since we met really but I don’t want to make things awkward between us. Although there is a bit of tension between us so maybe its already awkward…yeah basically I’m looking for some advice” Dacre smiles at you his cheeks turning rosy from embarrassment. Of course, you weren’t really expecting him to bring up a girl especially after the little things that had happened all through the night. You begin to question yourself. Had you imagined them?

“Y/N? You okay?”

“Shit sorry just thinking uhmm I would say just tell her because what have you got to lose?” You couldn’t bring yourself to even look him in the eyes. You quickly stand up and start to pour yourself out another shot knowing it back while Dacre slowly struggles to get to his feet.

“Okay your right…I’m going to call her right now. First some liquid luck!” Instead of pouring a shot he grabs the bottle of vodka and brings it to his soft lips.

“Good luck, I guess! While you confess your undying love to this girl, I’m going to pack your cookies up” You try and hide your disappointment, but you really couldn’t care if he could tell.

“Okay I’m just going to do it here if you don’t mind!” Dacre takes his phone out of his front pocket. You watch as he scrolls down his contacts. He already has her number saved you think to yourself. You turn your back to Dacre afraid if you continue to watch that you may let a tear or two slip out. You begin to pack away Dacre cookies when you feel your phone buzz in your back pocket. You pull out your phone and turn it over in your hand. Dacre was calling you. You cant even bring yourself to turn around.

“You know your calling me” You whisper barely able to get the words out. You didn’t think this whole situation could get worse.

“I know. That’s who I wanted to call!” Dacre walks towards you pressing end call. Your phone stops buzzing in your hand. You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. You hadn’t dreamed all of those little things tonight. You slowly turn around to face Dacre who was inches away from you.

“I may be slightly…okay a lot drunk but I needed it to be able to tell you. I knew tonight was different I just wasn’t sure why may it was the little things throughout the night like touching your hands or helping you with the flour. Maybe it was just being here with you two days before Christmas in a massive snowstorm getting drunk and baking cookies. Who knows why I decided to tell you, but I don’t want things to be awkward Y/N and if you don’t li…”

You didn’t know what had come over you, probably vodka but you smashed your lips to his taking him by surprise. Eventually his surprise wears off and he begins to kiss back. His soft lips pressed against yours. You couldn’t help but think at how well they fit together. You both pull away lips red and breathless.

“Shit” You laugh at Dacre reaction not knowing what to say but you know you should say what you have been thinking the past few weeks.

“The tension has been building for awhile and I’ve felt it ever since it started but I chose to ignore it because I didn’t think you saw me that way. That was until tonight. The little touches here and there the lingering glances. I couldn’t get enough of them tonight. I don’t think it will be awkward at all in fact I fell like it will be better than what it has been!”

“Good because it was already pretty awkward Y/N! I have an idea. Lets sit, talk this out, drink the rest of this vodka and eat all of these cookies” Dacre looks down at you as you nod at his suggestion. He takes your hand in his and pulls you towards the sitting room. On your way you grab the cookies and he grabs the vodka bottle leaving behind the long forgotten shot glasses. 

You spend the rest of the night and early hours of the morning on the sofa making out in between eating cookies, drinking vodka and talking.

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[heyyy-hey-babyyy]

Take Care

Summary: While on a hunt in West Virginia, the trio literally run into a group of campers. While on the search for some help they run into a new unknown foe. 

Pairing: Dean X reader, Sam x Reader,

WARNINGS: Canon-typical violence, horror movie scenes

Wrong Turn (2003) Fusion with Supernatural

2457 words.

Notes: Please note that I changed the plot a bit, because some of it would not make sense if the main characters were Dean and Sam Winchester. Just saying. 

Spoilers for Wrong Turn (2003) below.

The Impala screamed down the interstate, Dean drumming his fingers on the wheel, barely listening to Sam yammer on about the case we were heading toward. You smirked to yourself, one ear bud in your ear so you could hear the boys up front, and caught Dean throw you a wink in the rear-view window.

“So it looks like at least three people have gone missing in the last few days, two of them skilled free climbers. They haven’t found any bodies or proof that either of them were even there. Not even a vehicle.” Sam finished glancing up at the road from his phone a distant look in his eyes.

“How do we know they were ever there then?” Dean asked casually, maneuvering the car around a slow-moving pickup truck, placing both hands on the wheel for a moment.

“GPS.” Sam responded back. “Their phones were still on until recently.”

You glanced out the window at the highway rushing past, noticing how wooded this area was. You had never been to West Virginia, and certainly never this far off the grid, your phone losing service by the second. Huffing out a sigh, you put it on airplane mode to conserve the battery, clicking through your “Impala playlist.” You often got “road trip anxiety” as Dean liked to call it, and being sprawled out in the backseat with some music was the only cure. The Impala began to slow and you heard Dean curse under his breath, prompting you to pop your head up behind the front seat. There was a heavy traffic jam ahead, a couple semi-trucks nearest the car. Dean slowed the Impala to a stop and slammed his hand down on the dashboard in frustration.

“Relax,” Sam muttered, glancing back at you and rolling his eyes, before stepping out of the Impala up to the semi-trucks. All of the vehicles seemed to have their engines either idling or off, and you could hear Sam clearly up ahead.

“Hey, do you have an idea what’s going on up here,” Sam asked as a trucker with wild hair stuck his head out the window.

“Tractor jackknifed about five mile up,” the trucker responded, spitting some chew at Sam’s feet. “Spilled chemicals and shit all over the road.”

Sam glanced back at us quick before turning back to the trucker. “Any idea how long it’ll take to clean up?”

“Couple hours,” the guy responded, a sigh escaping from Dean’s mouth that identically matched the one out of Sam’s up ahead.

“You in a hurry?” The trucker continued. Sam glanced up at him quickly, clearly weighing his response. You were secretly glad that he decided to talk to the man rather than Dean. The older Winchester was good with people, but you could feel his frustration rising, having sat still for almost ten minutes now.

“Yeah,” Sam finally stated. “We,” he continued gesturing toward the Impala. “are trying to get up toward Raleigh by tonight.”

The trucker nodded, “Well, what you oughta do is get back in your car, fix your hair a couple hundred more times—”

“Thank you,” Sam simply stated walking away quickly before the guy could finish. You stifled a laugh in the backseat, and Dean was coughing into his hand to hide his own when Sam returned.

“Shut up.” Sam muttered. “Road won’t be clear for a while. Let’s back track and see if we can find another way.”

Dean nodded, cough laughing one more time before backing the Impala up expertly and heading in the opposite direction of the traffic jam. You all drove for another thirty minutes or so while Sam navigated toward some side roads, until his phone lost service completely, Dean shook his head in frustration and turned roughly onto a dirt road, a wooden sign stating “Gas, 1 Mile.” Pulling up to what could only be described as a shack, Dean parked the Impala and threw an arm over the bench seat, turning toward you.

“You don’t have to go to the bathroom, do you?” He asked lowly. You shook your head no, and he nodded his. “Good, stay in the car.” It was more of a demand than request, and normally you would fight him, but the abandoned gas station filled you with unease, and you felt much safer hunkered down in the backseat. Sam glanced at you and smiled, before opening the door with a creak.

_______________________________________________________________________

Dean mirrored his brother, and walked toward the man out front who was wearing nothing but a wife-beater and seemed to be sitting on a beer keg.

“Excuse me, sir,” Sam started, as the two approached. “Do you have a payphone?” The man gestured with a bottle of Pepto-Bismol in his hand, and Sam headed in that direction, muttering that he was going to check in with Cas. Dean chose to keep close to the man and glance at the map framed on the wall next to him. The man continued to drink his Pepto quietly, letting it dribble down his chin. Sam stopped at the payphone, picking up the receiver and clicking the hook a couple times, before loudly dropped the receiver back down to its home.

“This one’s not working,” Sam huffed out. “Do you have another phone I could use?”

“Long distance?” The man asked quietly. Sam looked quickly at his brother for help, raising his arms and dropping them down slowly.

“What isn’t long distance from here?” Dean asked gruffly, coming to stand next to his brother, who was much more paitent.

“You cuttin’ wise with me son?”

“No,” Sam decided to cut in. “Sir, we are just looking to make a call.”

“Well, that’n there is my only phone.”

“Right.” Dean answered, shoving his hands into his pockets, and looking back at Y/N in the backseat. “The highway is really jammed up. Do you know of another route heading south?”

“Nope.”

Dean shook his head and headed back over to the map. “Why is this ‘Bear Mountain Road’ dotted on the map?” He asked, turning his head toward the man.

“Dirt. ‘fraid they ain’t got around to pavin’ it yet.”

“It looks like it runs into the highway about 15, 20 miles.” Dean said more to Sam than anyone else.

“If you say so.” The man answered anyway. Dean headed back toward the Impala, Sam following behind. “Thank you very much.” He said toward the man. “You take care.”

The boys were back into the Impala and tearing off with a cloud of dust, so they didn’t hear the man mutter after them, “You’re the one gonna need take care.”

_______________________________________________________________________

You all kept driving for another half hour or so, Dean finding the dirt road easily enough, and continuing down it, muttering to himself about washing Baby later. The road was surprisingly smooth, and Sam went back to checking out his phone for service, when the Impala suddenly seized up, jolting you to an upright position, your wrist steadying yourself on the side door and bending a little too far back. With the wheels locked up the Impala continued to slide on the smooth dirt, crashing harshly into a white jeep parked in the middle of the road, the screech of metal drowning out any other sounds.

“Y/N” you heard from your fog, shaking your head to hear more clearly.

“Sweetheart,” Dean said, pulling your face toward him lightly, his other hand grabbing at your hurt wrist. You hissed loudly, ripping it away, and leaning back into the seat out of his grasp. Sam was out of the car in a second and leaning into the backseat to look at both your head, which you only then realized was bleeding, and your wrist.  The Impala spinning and crashing caused you to hit your head as you weren’t buckled in from the awkward angle you were laying in. You muttered that you were fine, but Sam wasn’t listening, instantly going to wrap up your wrist, and apply a butterfly bandage to your head. You realized Dean wasn’t in the car any longer, and strained to see what was going on outside.

It looked like Dean was talking to a group of people, who were dressed like they were going hiking. They were talking animatedly, and Sam hurried wrapping up your wrist, so you both could get out of the car and investigate. Once he was done, you slipped out of the back seat to a standing position, testing your balance. Sam’s hand never left your lower back, keeping you steady as you walked up to the group.

“How did you blow your tires?” Dean was asking as we approached, a girl with short red hair explaining. “Someone left some barbed wire in the middle of the road.” Dean nodded his head, glancing at Baby and seeing identical barbed wire attached harshly to her front tires.

“I can’t believe someone just dropped it there,” the girl with the long brown hair said with exasperation, throwing her hands in the air.

“Nobody dropped anything.” Another woman stated, coming around the corner. “I just found this tied to a tree back there. Somebody did this.”

“Redneck hospitality at its finest,” the guy in the yellow shirt muttered in response. Dean shifted to put an arm around your shoulder protectively, noticing you standing next to him. He frowned at the bandage on your head and around your wrist, but you waved him off.

“I’m gonna try and find a phone,” the woman with the barbed wire discovery stated. “I think I saw a gas station like a couple miles back.”

“We were just there.” Sam stated, the newcomers turning toward him. “There is no phone.”

“Okay, why don’t we just wait for someone else to come along?” Another woman suggested, glancing from her group members to us.

“What like speed racer here?” The barbwire woman said, pointing at Dean who scowled, pulling you closer to him.

“Look, I’m not going anywhere.” The redhead stated, looking at the guy standing next to her, who must be her boyfriend. “You guys go and we’ll just stay here, Francine.” The new group continued to bicker about Francine and her boyfriend getting high when the woman with the long brown hair walked up to us.

“Hey,” she said. “What’re your names?” She looked genuinely curious.

“Dean,” He replied. “And this is Y/N and Sam.” Dean continued gesturing toward you and his brother. The Winchester’s were having a silent conversation about what to do next when the woman walked up. 

“You guys hurt?” She asked again casually. Sam and Dean shook their heads looking at you, and you did the same.

“Good,” The woman replied. “Then let’s go.”

_______________________________________________________________________

You walked along with three members of the other group, who you learned were Jessie, Carly, and her boyfriend Scott. The brothers decided to go along if only to find a phone and call up Cas. The road was flanked by deep woods on either side, giving the bright sunny day a clouded feel, and making you shiver slightly in your plain shirt, Dean reaching back to take your hand, but you brushed him off slightly, knowing he was only worried about you. The boys continued to walk, Sam asking Scott what they were all doing out here, quickly learning that the five of them were camping. Scott was very talkative, launching into a speech about trauma and slow-motion movements, making Dean chuckle lowly. You couldn’t help but be drawn to these people in a way that you haven’t been since meeting the Winchesters and joining them on the road. Scott was infectious, and Carly had a positivity about her that eased the entire group as they walked. Jessie was hard to read, but that made you like her even more, as she seemed to match Dean’s sarcasm and kept everyone on their toes.

You walked with everyone, silently taking it all in when the red and orange glow of a burning fire caught your eyes. You stopped abruptly, Dean following suite, looking up into the woods.

“Hello! Anyone up there!” Scott yelled from next to you. Dean looked at him cautiously, weighing rather to tell him to keep his voice down, when Sam spoke up.

“Somebody must have started it.” You all kept walking, you hanging behind to stare at the fire.

You couldn’t help but feel like you were being watched in those few moments. It made you uneasy, but you chalked it up to the many wild creatures who were sure to be buried in the dense forest.

The feeling didn’t last long, as you trudged quickly up a hill to keep up with the others, a wooden cabin coming into view. Scott and Carly ran up ahead, the brothers and you hanging back, not liking the look of the abandoned cabin.

“Looks like we’ve just been saved kids!” Scott yelled, heading toward the entrance. The cabin was surrounded by cars and looked like the roof was about to cave in.

“We make this quick.” Dean stated to you and Sam, Sam nodding, and reaching back for the gun hidden in his waistband. The land was filled with abandoned rusted cars and random objects, an old bike drawing your attention briefly. Dean approached the door and pulled at the screen.

“What are you doing?” Jessie asked cautiously.

Dean stopped, looking at her questioningly, used to the third degree from you, but not from a stranger.

“We need to see if they have a phone.” You stated quietly.

“And I have to pee.” Carly continued with a whine.

“Okay, but West Virginia and trespassing are not a good mix…” Scott answered trailing off lightly.

“Guys,” Sam started, always the voice of reason. “We have two wrecked cars…” Carly nodded vigorously, and Dean inched the door open further, entering the building.

The place was a complete mess, dust flying around and flies buzzing noisily. There were a few half eaten dinners set on the kitchen table, and a record playing on a phonograph in the corner.

“Okay, who lives here?” Scott asked, panic lacing his voice. “I think we should go.”

Dean continued to look around, Sam and you venturing further into the house while Carly and Scott continued to argue. Scott finally settled down and went to help Carly find a bathroom, opening a door to the side that was filled with random objects. You continued to look stumbling upon stacks of sunglasses and keys, items that made you all the more uneasy.

“Sam,” You whispered. He looked over at you carefully, and you held up some of the keys. “We need to go.” Sam nodded quickly and headed into the kitchen to grab Dean. Suddenly, a truck began to pull up, chains clinking and clanging loudly. You ran to the window and looked out, unsure of what was coming toward you, when you felt a hand on your shoulder. You turned around startled and Dean grabbed you roughly around the waist, diving under the nearby bed, taking you with him. You watched as Sam found Scott and Carly and quickly pulled them into another room, just in time for the doors to slam open, and heavy footsteps thud through the entryway.

Read part II here!

[vocaotome]

Interactive Queer Fantasy Novel Review - Moonrise

A couple months ago I was invited to try out Moonrise, a text based urban fantasy interactive novel by Natalie Cannon. Although I usually stick to visual novels, since I had played and enjoyed other choice of games before, I decided to give Moonrise a try and write a review for it.

While the game had an interesting premise with smooth, enjoyable prose and witty modern humor, my overall experience has been a rather mixed bag, probably because I don’t appear to fall into the specific audience for the game. I’ll give a vague outline of the plot and share my impressions while trying to not give too much away. In order to prevent constantly switching between “the player”/“you”/“us” etc, when referring to the character we are playing I’m going to use “Heather” (a name from the list of choices available, you can also type in whatever you wish) and “she”.

Full review under the cut, or on wordpress if you prefer it instead.

Gameplay

The basic gameplay of Moonrise is the same as most games on the choice of games platform, all text with no graphics and only stat based choices. The game offers the option to choose between she/her and they/them pronouns at the very start, but as per the basic game premise (supernatural celebration of queer femininity), player cannot identify as male in this game so no he/his pronouns. Choosing between cis/trans/other/not saying is also available, though I felt that there was an assumption that the player is not cis or at least is someone who is pretty invested in using specific pronouns (early game it's mentioned that "you" talked to Alice about your pronouns).

While the game description claims that the main character may be asexual and there are dialogue choices which allow you to refuse romantic advances saying you are asexual, I felt that the narration didn’t really reflect that since there were many parts in the common scenes (regardless of route or picked choices) where you express strong attraction towards beautiful women. The 3 love interests were pretty likable and varied in their backstories and personality, although I wish all of them got equal amount of screentime (your roommate inevitably gets more scenes than the otherworldly goddess you meet in the last chapter). You can date just a single person or multiple people at once.

The players also get to choose between being “Fierce” (20% initial boost to Bloodthirst, Uncanny, Defense attributes) or “Civilized” (20% boost to Empathy, Responsibility, Snark attributes). The choices throughout the game either raise these attributes further or improve your relationship with the love interests.

For those who are concerned about homophobia, Moonrise very briefly mentions the existence of homophobic people but for the most part all the characters treat LGBTQA+ people as very normal (example: Heather finds Alice's puppy love for a girl in her class very cute), so no need to worry on that account.

 Plot

The pace of the game is pretty fast right from the start, we begin with “Heather” directly being thrown into a situation where the player has just transformed into a wolf. Another werewolf called “Alice” soon finds us while Heather is confusedly struggling between canine instincts and human reason. I really liked the part where "you" still are convinced that you are a 100% pure wolf and are completely operating under that impression, lol. All the wolf related terms also are rather endearing, time to refer to all my close friends as my packmates <3

At first I was a little bit wary of Alice, who is revealed (within 5 minutes of playing) to be the one to have turned Heather into a werewolf, but she grew on me very quickly, especially with her youthful admiration of Heather and the open vulnerability she shows to us. I’m also grateful to her for helping Heather turn back human, the idea of getting stuck as a wolf forever (which Alice mentioned happening to some people) sounded pretty disturbing. (I did giggle at how Heather was like “bleh, wolves have it better, no student loans”)

Alice returns together with Heather to Heather’s home which she shares with her best friend and roommate Rosario, the first LI we run into. I liked Rosario’s character and sense of humor a lot (random: I bust a lung laughing when the narration mentioned them lightly smelling of weed), though I wish the narration used less jargon when explaining Rosario’s lifestyle as an adventurous and dynamic queer person (this issue popped up a couple of times later in the game too, though not frequently enough to be a deal breaker). The below paragraph made me stare for a solid minute before I managed to comprehend everything.

Rosario is super relieved to see Heather safe and quickly warms up to Alice, and in order to develop a relationship with Rosario (also if you’re interested in building up your empathy stat, very useful for diplomatic options) we must be friendly towards Alice and let her stay in our home. To be honest it's hard to be an asshole to Alice, she’s a cutie. I liked it when Alice was described during this scene to have corkscrew hair and dark skin, yay for varied designs!

Anyway, around this time we learn that Heather is a doctor-in-training working for their residency. I laughed at the part where after picking a choice, the prose apologized to me for doubting that I'd call work to inform my circumstances.This is the point where the free part ends.

Regardless of whether we go to our job, meet our coworkers and interact with patients, or go all SCREW U to your job and hang around in a park (irresponsible, imo, you’ve been missing for a day because of this whole wolf business), you run into the second LI, Chika, a seemingly cold and quiet young doctor who works in the same place as Heather and is actually also a werewolf.

She also seems to have harbored a strong crush on Heather for quite a while, even during routes where I've acted very distant towards her so far she pretty much immediately confesses and we get the option to kiss her. Personally I prefer more buildup in romantic relationships in my stories, but I guess this isn’t surprising considering that we have already spent about 2 chapters on the prologue and this is a short game consisting of only 8 chapters.

The next few chapters are a mix of slice of life situations where Alice, Rosario and Heather blossom into a pretty cute makeshift family, with optional scenes of bonding in wolf form with Alice. Alice also gives us a lot of information about the vampire and werewolf lore of this world, and informs Heather about the 2 opposing factions of the supernatural society: the masquerade, who prefer to keep the human and supernatural worlds separate and operate as an organization under strict rules of secrecy, and the rogues, who prefer a wild and free approach in life and wish to go public about the existence of supernatural creatures.

Not gonna lie, the masquerade sounds amazing on paper, being their part apparently means getting your university tuition paid and guaranteed jobs after graduation, that sounds like a dream lol. However they are a bit to stuck up for Alice’s tastes, especially because of her foster parent who is someone high up in the Masquerade and pretty unpleasant. Rogues sound rather bad at this point since Alice mentions being “hunted” early game and they are supposed to be the ones “after” her.

In Chapter 6 we run into Cassandra, a vampire and the foster parent mentioned above, who pretty much kidnaps us to her place. Over the course of a very tense and threatening conversation, she gives us plenty of reasons to NOT consider signing up for the masquerade, though I think that was the opposite of her intention. The game's description of Cassandra's attitude towards young people like they were "particularly ugly vase that begs to be shattered" sounds so accurate to how some old people act lol. We have to escape Cassandra by choosing either diplomacy or violence, and choosing the wrong option that you don’t have enough attributes for can get you killed.

(Random: Cassandra being portrayed positively in some future scenes after claiming to eat her servants is unnerving. I hope that was a joke ;;;;)

If chapter 6 was the one familiarizing us with the masquerade, chapter 7 is the equivalent part for rogues. We meet up with Chika who is relieved to see Heather safe (even out of her route she acts way too familiar when it comes to physical distance with Heather, her cold queen settings vanish when it involves the person she likes, lol), and reveals herself as the leader of the rogues. We get a bunch of information about the rogues’ motivations and plans, and the misunderstanding that they want to harm Alice is cleared up.  (It’s also possible to get some more explanation earlier in the game if you acted all wolf-y right from the start and went on a solo wandering trip which Chika joins)

After the conversation Chika springs a sudden offer for a date on Heather, which made me giggle during the walkthroughs where I rejected her hard. It was extra funny because we had been talking about serious stuff™ right until that point. It is possible to go on a date with her and have a sexual encounter afterwards. All dates in this game can end in sex, but it is optional.

There is a scene with Rosario where we hang out and have some heart-to-heart talk soon after the encounter with Chika, and this can end up being a date depending on our choices, regardless of whether we are already dating Chika or not. I think there is a malfunctioning romance flag here because Rosario talks as if I’m dating Chika even if I have refrained from ALL romantic choices with Chika.

At the start of chapter 8 we are forced to choose between the masquerade and the rogues, though considering the way the representatives from these groups (Cassandra and Chika) have treated us until this point, choosing the masquerade seems like madness.

~~~~~~~

If we choose the Masquerade, Alice and Heather visit Cassandra again to join the society. We meet people other than Cassandra who thankfully are pleasant enough, and suddenly a masquerade member came to seek Cassandra’s help and we ended up being asked to help perform some ritual to teleport somewhere and rescue/steal Dracula's brides??? What? I was very confused during this part because the story flow suddenly became very fast and I was having difficulty keeping up.

During this mission there is a possible dead end (ironic, the people who we went to rescue end up accidentally killing Heather), but as long as things go smoothly, we encounter Ishara, the last LI who a special werewolf from some other far away place (planet? dimension?) and treated like a goddess by the supernatural community because of her special powers and JAW DROPPING BEAUTY. She likes the way Heather treats her casually unlike everyone else, and there is another sudden date offer.

After the rescuing of Dracula brides, we get a slice of life-ish scene with them, Cassandra, Ishara and Rosario in a coffee shop. This is where we finally get some backstory on Cassandra and learn about some of her positive points, being a lesbian Robin Hood of sorts isn’t something I expected from her XD

Although I don’t think it’s possible to keep your relationship with Chika intact in this path, you can talk with your other 2 love interests about the nature of your relationship (open/closed, romantic/queerplatonic). There was one playthrough when I somehow found Ishara sitting on Heather’s lap and kissing Rosario, wild.

Before the final fight, there is a brief scene where Chika meets up with Heather and is quite heartbroken over her choosing the masquerade. Soon after that the day comes where we face off against the Rogues who have decided on a kill or get killed approach.

~~~~~~~~

If we choose the Rogues instead, there is no falling out with Chika (she’s ecstatic to have Heather join them) and we visit the Rogues’ hangout instead. After some socialization we embark on a journey to find Alice’s biological dad who is a powerful but loner werewolf and a possible valuable ally for our fight against the masquerade. This course of option made a lot more sense to me than the Dracula bride thing in the masquerade route.

We manage to locate the man and he joins our cause (I laughed at Alice and his naked reunion, the side effect of transforming between wolf and human forms), not only because he’s annoyed by the masquerade’s way of doing things but also because he suspects them being involved in the death of Alice’s mother and Alice becoming a werewolf (werewolf genes aren’t hereditary). In the Masquerade route Cassandra claims to not have done it, so I’m curious what exactly happened.

We also run into Ishara while on this mission (I’m curious how she is here instead of wherever she was during the other route, how exactly did the butterfly effect work?), and similar to the Masquerade route, get the chances to flirt with her and go on a date. It was interesting how Ishara sex scene has a little more detail than others, and extra text about being trans if your character is trans too (If you are cis she just mentions it during the date).

After the mission there is a party where we can do a lot of socializing, and similar to the masquerade route, confirm with your love interest(s) about the nature of your relationship. Then once again it is the time for the final fight, only this time it’s the Masquerade attacking us.

~~~~~~

I must admit that I was somewhat disappointed with how brief the final fight was. The few paragraphs leading up to the fight are pretty much the same in the Masquerade and the Rogues version, then we simply get to choose between persuading for peace, fighting to kill or to defend. Every one of these choices only have one paragraph explaining the result. During my first playthrough this caught me by surprise as I was expecting to actually read a tear jerking speech about living together in peace, not just a super concise summary. The epilogue is also basically just that, a sentence each about the final fate of the characters who stayed with you until the end.

 Final thoughts

Writing: The prose is where the game shines. The usage of uncommon (but not unknown) vocabulary in the more metaphorical imagery was lovely.

However, there are places where some unfamiliar LGBT terms or custom pronouns caught me off guard and made me pause to look stuff up. Personally I believe using too many technical terms in stories makes dialogue sound a bit forced and disrupts narration, but thankfully such instances weren’t very common in moonrise.

The humor was great, me frequently laughing over random things while describing the plot should be proof enough of that. The worldbuilding was done with a lot of care and the flow of plot was pretty logical for the most part, but towards the end I couldn't comprehend the logic behind some events and even after multiple playthroughs I haven't found any explanations for a couple of things, like the real mystery surrounding Alice's mother's death.

Characterization: Characterization was good but varying in quantity- Rosario and Alice were pretty well rounded character development wise and I loved their cute family-like interactions. I was all AWWW when Heather called the place with them her home ;v;

Compared to that Chika felt more of an enigma, but her date and the optional running off into the woods scene still gave her some chances to develop (though it mostly confirmed that she was a good person wishing for freedom and we didn’t really learn much about her personal emotions aside from liking Heather). Poor Ishara got even less chances, so all I managed to grasp was her loneliness. All three of the romance interests shared the issue of overly rapid romantic developments though, though in varying extents (repeat: poor Ishara).

Some side characters like Cassandra got detailed backstories, but it’s hard to grow to like her after experiencing ends where we got killed at her hand over something small. Because this story is only available in the masquerade path and there is no foreshadowing about her positive qualities before the route split, a lot of people might simply never play this path.

Player customization: I also wish the game description didn’t imply that the player character can be customized a lot. Considering how it was implied that the player had an abusive family and is trying to become a doctor because she wants to do and be “better’, imo the already present backstory is too defined for story to be immersive. I personally don’t seek to self insert so it’s not a problem for me (I PREFER this to a blank slate), but it may be for others who came into the game with wrong expectations.

One more thing I would like to see implemented in future versions is choosing if I was polyromantic/polysexual or not at the start of the game. Regardless of whether the player has locked into a romance route or not, "you" still keep thirsting after the beautiful possible LIs that cross your path. I found that rather distracting during my first playthrough since I was playing the game while planning to develop a monogamist cis lesbian character and I felt a disconnect whenever it happened.

Ending: Lastly, the ending. I don’t mind the short epilogues, but the description of the “final fight” was simply so short that it felt anticlimactic, so I will just hope that the ending will be more extended with detailed scenes in a later version.

In summary? Good prose, interesting worldbuilding but too-short romance and rushed ending. Worth a read if you like modern fiction with fantasy supernatural elements involving lots of queer characters and aren’t overly critical in your evaluation of the flow and logic in a story. The game is really cheap though, the amount of content you get is definitely worth $1.99, so if the game sounds like your cup of tea go ahead and try it out!

P/S: A short guide on maxing out the relationship points: being nice to the LI is a given, go on dates with them, and pick the following choices which might not seem obvious (I might be missing some choices that seem obvious to me but actually aren’t orz):

Chika: Ask Naoki to move but politely, Hold her hand (during date), Ask to come up for “coffee” (sex/literal coffee), Don’t choose the masquerade (duh)

Rosario: Embrace her, We let her (Alice) live here, Yes, spar without hurting

Ishara: Compliment, Flirt Back

[bts7writings]

can u do a detailed bts reaction to you during active labor and are giving birth with them beside you?

JIN

“JIN!” you scream out, not even caring to mask your pain.

He keeps making random jokes to lighten the mood of the birthing room and it’s only making you want to murder him. “OW… FUCK!”

Jin switches hands again as he tries to un-cramp the current one.

“He’s a funny one” the doctor laughs as he continues doing his work, “wish I had more first-time dads like this, the usual ones just faint.”

Maybe you’d murder the doctor after he’d deliver you child safely. These thoughts were the only thing keeping you from fully loosing consciousness from the pain. “Can’t you just drug me?”

“Can you?” Jin asked.

“It’s almost over, y/n - come on one more push.” the doctor says not taking his eyes off of his work.

“Good…good.” You hear the crying. You know your going to hate it after sleepless nights that are sure to follow, but for now that sound is pure happiness to your ears.

“Okay dad, ready to cut the umbilical chord?” Jin nods smilingly, kisses your forehead, and walks over to cut the chord. The nurses quickly takes the baby to get cleaned up before handing him to you, where Jin’s already seated peering over.

You take him in your arms, humming a small snippet of a lullaby to try and calm him down. After a while before he’s just staring up at you, no longer crying frantically. You look over at Jin, who seems to be frozen in his very spot.

“Want to hold him?” he nods not trusting himself to form complete sentences, You hand him over to Jin and watch as the most important men in your life finally meet.

Jin looks up at you with glassy eyes as his smile lights up the room.

“I’m a dad”

SUGA

You were a no bullshit type of person, that and the fact that you didnt want to feel any pain that will traumatize you into not having anymore kids after the first one.

You were perfectly happy getting the epidural as opposed to the natural route - it didn’t make you less of a mother, no matter how many books were written to sham women of it. Yoongi supported anything you decided on 100% and  in reality he didn’t want to see you in pain anymore than you wanted to experience it.

So when the curtain went up and the doctors told you to push, you were sure it could not be this easy.

Yoongi made sure to keep by your side mimicking your facial expression and trying to make you as comfortable as possible.

“…and we’re done….nurses.” you saw the doctor hand over you child to the nurse and you’re state of calmness immediately shifted.

“Is she okay? I don’t hear any crying?” You try getting up to see what’s wrong, but yoongi get up and motions you to lay down

“Everything fine!” you hear one of the nurses assure you, “She’s sleeping”

“She’s what?” Yoongi tries not to laugh and makes his way towards the nurses. He gets the okay and picks her up gently, coming back to you.

“She’s so tiny” He whispers to you afraid to wake her up. She hands her over to you as he takes a seat beside you.

You stare down at you child checking if anything is wrong, but you see her in a peaceful slumber - perfectly fine. “…she came out sleeping….”

Yoongi nods smiling from ear to ear not being able to take his eyes off of his child. “She’s perfect”

“….The irony” you laugh to yourself. the small movement causes you child to wake up and as soon as she does - the sound you WERE expecting appears and fills the whole room.

Yoongi takes out his phone to record and you try and shush her, while holding in your laugh.

“Now that sounds like the intro to my mixtape”

JHOPE

“Slow - uhmmmm - down, you’re going to get us killed” you say in between contractions. your hand is on the dashboard as Hoseok is trying wingardium leviosa the car to the hospital.

His eyes are wide with anticipation, worry, and a little fear as he makes the last turn into the hospital. He runs out of the car to open your door and is ready to carry you bridal style into the hospital when you both hear a familiar voice coming towards you. 

“We got here as soon as you called” hoseok sisters runs out of the emergency door with a male nurse carrying a wheelchair for you.

“You are the best sisters I’ve ever had” Hoseok claims as he helps you into the wheelchair and is ready to fight the nurse for the right to wheel you around the hospital.

“Hoseok…” you breathe trying to get him to calm down. The chair starts to move and you sigh in relief when you see hose following beside you with his sisters.

“Lets get you into the birthing room, are you the father?” you hear the nurse ask.

“Yes.”

In the birthing room, Mejiwoo used her phone to get in touch with your side of the family that couldn’t be there, while the rest of your family was seated int he waiting room.

“I’m sorry I’m freaking out” he apologizes again and again as you wince in pain.

“Mhm” you manage to moan out as the medical team starts the procedure of natural birth. Hoseok face is stuck in a worried expression as he tries to be sympathetic with you.

“Okay, we’re going to need you to push now” the doctor instructs. Hoseoks curiosity getting the better of him peers over to the side and -

“Nope!” Mejiwoo cuts into his line of view, “Y/n gave specific instructions for me to not let you see that half of her for now.”

“I hate how well you’re taking this”

The doctor nods towards you, “another push”

“Yeah, eyes up front.”

You start laughing, but it gets cut short by the sharp pain.

“Push”

You groan, letting go of hoseok hand to grip the bar beside your bed. The crying of a healthy baby boy is enough to let you breath out in relief, even if you still feel pain - it’s not mixed with worry.

Mejiwoo goes to see him get cleaned, before grabbing him and bring him towards hoseok. “Here you go, dad.”

Hoseok pulls him close to his chest, “Oh wow… he’s perfect.” He hands him to you, not letting him out of his site nor letting himself out of his sight as he leans into you.

RM

“Oh” you moan out again for the 100th time tonight. Namjoon is sitting on the birthing room couch, trying to concentrate on his book to no avail.

You’ve told him to not worry and try to read after the 12th hour went by of you in labor.

“Ohhhhh” you groan, “you’re such a dick”

“Well you weren’t complaining this much while making the baby.”

You try to suppress your smile, “I hate you.”

After a few more minutes, you fail trying to sit up. “Ow, no…no, Joon - call the doctor. Ow, it hurts.”

Namjoon wasted no time in running towards the door to yell at the doctor to come into the room.

“Lets see now.” The doctor peeks under the robe to check on the dilation, but comes out real quick. “Mr and Mrs. Kim, we’re going to have to preform an emergency C-section-”

“Is everything okay? is she okay? Is -”

The doctor gets up from his chair and nods calmly, “Its a low risk procedure, the baby hasn’t shifted in the right position for birthing - so I’ll call in a surgical team right now.”

“But-”

“Joon,” you manage to moan out and in a matter of second all of his questions stop and his attention is solely on you, “We’re going to be fine, just come here.” You extend your hand and he takes it with no hesitation.

The epidural is given to you immediately and a curtain is put on the upper section of you body so you cant see or feel what’s happening from you waist down.

“We should’ve taken the epidural first” you sigh in relief, “So much easier.”

Namjoon manages a smile, but his eyebrows won’t lighten up.

“Hey” you hand reaches up to smooth over his worry lines, “I’m not in pain, they’re doing their job, you’re here with me…We’re going to be okay.”

There are a few things that Namjoon cant question nor control and it seems to drive him crazy most times, but with you it’s the complete opposite. No questions, no control - just you.

You hear and smell the burnt flesh from the laser cutting into you. With just a few moments later you see

“Namjoon-” you don’t have to finish your sentence, as namjoon rushes over to the pediatric surgeon to see how well your baby girl is doing. The crying starts pretty soon and you see Namjoon holding her for a while before she calms down.

“20 toes and 40 fingers, just like her mom” he jokes handing her to you. You grab her and rest her on your chest, finally being able to breathe easy. Namjoon finally takes the seat next to the bed and touches her tiny fist.

“You don’t actually hate me, right?” he says it jokingly, but you can see the glint of doubt in his eyes

“What? No.” You state matter-of-factly, “Joonie, I could never- I love you so much.” You sit up slighting and kiss his cheek, “I love you and our kid.”

He leans in this time, kissing you with a hum on his lips and his dimples present on his cheeks. He leans in again, resting his head on your shoulder to get a better look at his little girl.

“Love, you’ve made my world and you’ve made my happiness” 

JIMIN

Jimin bits his lips from yelling out in pain. He knew you were in much worse pain than him, but your hand squeezing his thighs was sure to leave a bruise. He didn’t want to disrupt your concentration in pushing, so he chooses to silently endure it all.

“Oh you’re doing great, baby.” he says, when he gets a chance and then naturally tries to grab your hand into his - guiding it away from his thighs.

“Shit.” You breathe out, an squeal as the last of your strength goes into the final push as a loud crying echoes the rooms walls.

“Congratulations, it’s a healthy baby boy” the doctor says hiding it over to the nurse, who in turn hands it over to yo so you can start 

“Oh you’re so loud” Jimin teases, the little baby calms down slightly at his dads soft tone. “Do you like my voice? You’ve heard it enough for 9 months.”

“He likes you” you joke as you continue to play with his little fist. After a whole moments of just being the three of you, you start to realize that just the three of you were not the only ones in the hospital.

“Jimin…”

“Hmmm?” he says as he’s smelling the baby’s hair.

“You need to go out and tell our parents the news.”

“I don’t want to leave” he whines, leaning back into his chair.

“Well I can’t go and you’re the one who invited half of Korea to come.” you tease, “right?” you talk to the baby, “Daddy doesn’t listen when mommy says close friends and family only.”

“Well mommy is going to have to greet them all one by one as I lead them in to see my greatest accomplishment.” he mimics you baby talk, but nonetheless starts getting up. “I’ll bring in our parents first, I’ll be back.” He pecks you lips and kisses the baby’s head gently before heading out.

“ITS A BOY!” You hear him yell form inside your birthing room, followed by cheering of what you feel like is a whole city.

V

Taehyung is bitting his tongue trying to figure out what’s on your mind. You, on the other hand, are trying to keep everything out of your mind. Your eyes are closed shut as you try and concentrate less on the contractions and more on the gentle waves surrounding you in the birthing pool.

You’re not much of a whiner and this has definitely broken your record for most painful experience, but it wasn’t intolerable like you feared. Just as there seemed to be a pattern of waves, it got disrupted by an abrupt sensation, which you quickly opened your eyes to.

Taehyung wad getting into the pool, clothes and all.

“But your clothe-” 

“Is replaceable, love” he shrugs off, “I want to be here, whether you want to or not…but I really hope you do” he teases. He comes up behind you so you’re able to lean back on him.

“Why wouldn’t I?” you close you eyes again.

“You’re doing great y/n” the doctor complements, “Everything seems in order, now we’re going to ask you to push as much to help the little fella get out of there yes?”

You nod and feel Taehyung take both of you hands into his own, before kissing the back of you head.

“one….push…” this is it “two….” god that hurt “push….” hello kegels “come on almost there.” oh no “………keep pushing…ke-great job!”

You muffled your screams with your own hand, trying to not make as much noise so you could hear everything around you. Luckily the only thing you could hear after a while was the soft and beautiful crying of a newborn.

Taehyung kisses your temple one last time as his eyes and trail follow the doctor with the baby. He grabs onto the baby, determined to be the person to hand you the child.

“Oh hey little one” He hold her close to his chest, “I’m your dad.” The smile on Teahyung’s face is enough to light up the whole world. “Wanna see mama?” He cooes, gently walking on his knees towards you.

“Hey” you smile as Tae hand her over and puts an arm around you both.

“second love of my life meet the first love of my life”

JUNGKOOK

“How are you this calm?” you ask Jungkook as he sets up the cameras in your birthing room.

He made sure to to be clear with the hospital and doctor that he wanted to film every moment of the birth because that was his thing. So he was setting up all decent angles you allowed as you hummed out your contractions as they came.

“I feel like I’m born to do this, you know?” he admits setting up the last of his stuff

“You can’t be good at everything,” you tease, “I mean I fully expected you to faint.”

“Same” He agrees finally settling down on the chair and pulling it closer to the side of your bed. “How bad is it now?”

“Well it’s not good.” You wince in pain. you were walking around your room waiting for your water to break and it just wasn’t happening.

“Anything?” Jungkook’s dad pops his head in the room, “That child is as stubborn as both of you.”

“Is she still walking?” you hear your mothers voice at the other side of the door before you see both of your mothers push their way into the room while carrying a cup of tea. “We’ve got the tea!” they say as they hand it over to you.

Jungkook quickly takes it form you and sniffs it, “are you sure this is safe?” His mother hits his arm and tsks at him

“Mothers know best.” she take the tea away from him and places it back into your hands, “Family secret.”

You drink it without any hesitation. “I’m all for the herbal life -” you start joking with jungkook until you feel, hear, and see liquid exiting your body and onto the hospital floor.

“I really didn’t expect that to work” Jungkook scoffs while getting over to call a nurse. your parents are quickly escorted to the waiting room as you begin to get ready to give birth.

“It’s you and me, kid” Jungkook’s nods, holding your hand between both of his. He becomes your anchor as you wince, moan, cry, and sweat out the pain of having to give birth. The only thing that slips his lips are small I love you’s when they’re audible, never flinching or taking his eyes off of you.

When you hear the first cry you go limp from exhaustion and try to hold back tears of pain and happiness and relief, but you don’t last long as jungkook kisses you strongly before he goes to look at the nurses cleaning his kid. He doesn’t want to hold him, since he knows you’ll pout if you don’t get to do it first, so he follows behind the nurse as she hands him over to you.

“Hey there handsome” you smile down at your kids, whose refusing to stop crying. “Oh wow this is the worst first date I’ve been on.” after countless tactics to make him stop crying, you hand him to an impatient jungkook.

“If you make him stop crying I’ll love you forever and I will never forgive you for this betrayal - that goes to the both of you”

Jungkook hold him closer to his face and starts to sing a little and that about does it for this own child to stop crying.

“I was born only for the best” he passes your child over to you once it’s completely calm “you and me and little-us here”

__________________________________________________

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[my-meant-to-find-blog]

Peter Parker - One Shot “The Truth”

REQUEST - What about a Peter Parker image, where the reader has a secret and Peter tries to find out what it is, because he likes her and wants to become closer friends. The secret is that she lives in a poor block with lots of criminals, because her parents are poor. Idk just that he finds out and tells her that he doesn't care if she has money or not, because she is still the same person. Angst and fluff pls 😙 (ANON) 

 A/N - Hello beautifulsssssss! I am so sorry this took so long to come out. I won't lie, I’m not 100% happy with it, but I couldn't figure out another way to write it, and it is fluffy and angsty I guess! If you could give me constructive criticism that would be great! Oh and remember, REQUESTS ARE OPENNNNNNNNN! I love you all!

 (F/M) Mentions - Briefly drugs, and a light stabbing.

WORDS - 2059

You pulled at the too short sleeves of the sweatshirt that was just about keeping you warm enough on your walk to school. Keeping your head down you didn’t see the running geek behind you trying to catch up. When the hand grabbed your elbow you froze, used to drunk idiots in your apartment block trying to make passes at you, so seeing the warm gleeful smile of Peter Parker looking down at you felt like a huge relief.

 “Y/N! You live the other side of school? What are you doing this route?” The goofy smile never left his face as the two of you started walking in the direction of the school. But the one that had grown seeing him soon slipped off your face, he’d caught you.

 “Oh-oh-oh you know, stayed at my cousin's last night, he lives this way.” You internally cursed, you knew Peter knew you had no other family in the city, the confusion that crossed his face reflected that notion, but he didn’t press on. Instead, his fingers looped with yours, causing a warm blush to creep across your face as he dragged you into the local cafe to grab some coffee before school like you knew he had started to recently. The emptiness of your pockets felt so heavy as you had to make up some lie about not being thirsty as he ordered his drink, the barista turning to you. Peter only frowned more, as he knew your love of coffee, from all the cups you drank during decathlon training when Mr Harrington offered it from his office.

When the two of you started on your way to school again, you tried to keep your fingers curled up in the sweatshirt, to stay warm, but they kept slipping out, it being too physically short. Without saying anything, Peter passes you his coffee, saying he didn’t want it anymore, watching carefully as you silently let out a sigh of relief as the warmth of the cup hit your fingertips. Without realising it, he found himself watching you closely for the rest of the walk as you sipped silently, the coffee hampering the hunger pains just enough. Peter could see something wasn’t right, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it, but first, he needed to get closer to you.

 “Y/N, I was wondering if we could catch a movie sometime?” Peter found himself stuttering out, blushing immediately as he realised what he had said, the romantic nature of it, but the excitement that filled him instantly at the thought, made him grin. He’d like a date with you.

 “I-I-I can’t Peter.” You whispered, your voice cracking with sadness. Your huge crush on Peter was getting to the painful stage now, but you knew he would leave you the second he found out you were living a lie. He would never speak to you again, and that would mean Ned and MJ too, and you would be left all alone again.

 “Oh, yeah that’s okay, maybe another time.” The small sad smile that flashed across his face didn’t go unnoticed by you as you went back to sipping his coffee, trying not scream out how much you wanted to date him. The rest of the walk to school was silent, but it was no longer comfortable between you, Peter trying to get you to look at him, your eyes glued to the pavement in front of you. The second you walked into school, you slipped away into the crowds, leaving a sad Peter Parker to go find Ned before his first class.

 The lunch bell signalled it was time for you to hide in the library, where no one would question you not eating anything more than the free fruit that was available one per student every morning, and drinking from the reusable water bottle you carried with you everywhere. You stuck your nose into the book deeper, ignoring the growls of your stomach as you tried to read. The bag of Dorito’s that fell on the pages made you squeak in surprise, looking up to see MJs retreating figure leaving the library, never once looking back at you. It had become a regular occurrence for her to leave you little snacks. Neither of you ever acknowledged it, but somehow she knew, but she never pressed it, for which you were thankful. You ripped into the bag and all but sucked them up, there has been less than normal food in the fridge, that you had packed for your mum's lunch, knowing how stressed she’d been recently.

 Decathlon wasn’t on this afternoon, so you headed out of school ready to take your long walk home. Walking in the opposite direction of your home for 20 minutes every day really tired you out, but you couldn’t face the truth, not as you walked past everyone with the latest Stark phone, or the expensive makeup palettes girls held touching up their make-up, or even the Starbucks they frequently walked around with. There was no way you could ever afford it, but you needed to keep up a level of pretending, so saying you lived in the nice part of the city, was enough to keep people off your back. So, you pulled your sleeves down once again, the temperature had dropped more, as you started your 1hr round trip, dreaming of Peter Parker in your head as you walked, not really paying attention to your surroundings. Never once seeing a red and blue figure fly over ahead, watching you curiously walk home.

 Peter knew he was spying, using Spiderman for his own personal reasons, a morally wrong thing to do. But he was so drawn to you, he couldn’t help himself. So when you started walking down a dark alley and turning back on yourself, a few blocks later, his curiosity peaked. You walked all the way back past the school, albeit a few blocks over, and started towards the end of the city, few students of the school lived. The further you walked, the more the hairs on the back of Peters' neck stood on end, he knew it was dangerous around here. Tony and May regularly told him to not patrol these streets, so seeing you walk father down them, caused his heart to sink. He didn’t have to have enhanced hearing to hear the chattering of your teeth, the long walk in the winter freezing you to the core. He shook his head softly, about to turn around, to give you the privacy of your home, the overwhelming guilt of what he was doing became too much when he heard your scream.

 Looking back down at the streets below, your body had disappeared as he heard your screams again, when he found you in an alleyway, being cornered by 3 men twice your size. If Peter had seen the knife one of them was holding, he might have called Tony for back up, but not seeing it, only the terror that struck your face, he soon swung into action, webbing two of them up before they could touch you.

 “Y/N RUN!” Without realising it he screamed your name, in his Spiderman suit, the confusion of why Spiderman knew your name, freezing you before you had a chance to run, distracting Peter enough, he didn’t see the man running up behind him, stabbing him in the thigh before running off.

 Watching Spiderman fall to his feet in front of you, was a sight you would never erase from your head, as you ran to support him, the confusion of him knowing your name fleeing from your thoughts. Without thinking you pulled off your thin sweatshirt, leaving you in ae eve thinner shirt, tying the sweatshirt around his thigh to help slow the bleeding.

 “M-my apartment is in that building, i-i-t’ll be warmer to wait there, for an ambulance.” You didn’t want to also admit you didn’t have a phone to this superhero, in your arms, that you’d have to go home to be able to call help for him. You watched the red-masked man briefly nod at you, as you helped him up all his weight leaning on you as you walked him into the building. You were so caught up in attending to your hero, you didn’t see the masked man take in the drug needles across the stairs as you walked up, the torn wallpaper and gunshots in the wall, as you fumbled for your keys to your apartment, the only clean door in the building.

 Peter could barely breathe, and not from the searing pain in his leg. His advanced healing was already fixing the wound that was barely seeping now. No, he couldn’t breathe as he saw the circumstances of which you lived, the barely furnished apartment, was somehow colder than outside, the numerous blankets around the tiny room attesting to the fact this was common. Peter looked up at you behind his mask you gently helped him down onto the sofa, rushing to the small Nokia phone on the corner.

 “Don’t call an ambulance!” He barely got out before you pressed dial on the phone, your terrified face whipping to look at him as if he was crazy.

 “You need help, Sir, you saved my life and got hurt!” You could feel yourself shaking, not only from the cold now, but the adrenaline that was almost pushing you into a state of shock. You watched your hero move his hand to his mask and go to pull it off, but you found yourself stopping him.

 “Don’t feel like you need to show me your face, you keep your identity secret on purpose, I’m not worth knowing your secret.” You whispered gently sitting beside him going to push the mask back down his face, but his hands were stronger and you were soon looking into familiar eyes.

 “PETER?!?!” Clamping your hand over your mouth you shot up in surprise, guilty-looking eyes looking up to meet you shocked ones.

 “Y/N, love, I can explain.”

 “T-that’s how you knew my name…” You were violently shaking now, about to go into shock, before Peter pulled you into his arms wrapping the closest blanket around the both of you as he softly told you the story of how he became Spiderman, rubbing his hand on your back soothingly, his melodic voice and touch gently calming you back down.

 “So how did you find me?” Your eyes flickered around your flat, an overwhelming sense of panic now hitting you once again as you realised he knew where you lived.

 “I-I followed you. Please Y/N know I didn’t mean it creepily. But something was just telling me that something wasn’t right, and I was worried and I just started following you…I understand if you hate me. But why did you lie Y/N? I thought you lived near Ned and Flash? Why didn’t you tell us you lived here?” You looked up expecting to see the disgust in his eyes, why wouldn’t he be disgusted when he saw how you lived? But all you saw when you looked up was warmth and kindness, and a slight note of sadness, as he took in your thin cheekbones as if for the first time with a new light.

 “I didn’t want you to hate me.” You couldn’t stop your voice from breaking as a few tears rolled down your cheeks as you explained how you had gotten into Midtown on scholarship, and how your Mum worked 3 jobs to try and look after the two of you, but it was barely enough. “I understand you want to go now, I won’t stop you.” You said heartbroken as you stood up expecting Peter to dart out of the door, but the soft hand pulling you back down shocked you, but when soft lips pressed yours, you were literally thrown you off your feet with surprise.  

 When Peter finally pulled away for air, he grinned at the blush that spread across your cheeks. ‘I could never hate you, your home doesn’t determine who you are. All I see is a fearless, beautiful lady who is the smartest person I have ever met. Just don’t tell MJ.” He winks at you before pulling you in for a kiss after kiss after kiss.

 Maybe you could get used to this.

[dingdongsnogbox]

Bedtime Stories

Chapter: 2/?

Rating: M

Word Count: 1891

Description: When the Doctor shows up at Clara’s flat one Wednesday afternoon, he’s surprised to find the place empty. Deciding to wait for her to return home, he takes it upon himself to occupy his time by routing through her things. What happens when he stumbles upon a racy book stashed underneath Clara’s pillow?

Author’s Note: So apparently I wrote most of this a year ago and only just found it lying around on my computer... 20 minutes later and I’ve finished it off and now it’s here for anyone who’s still interested in reading this story. I think the award for the longest time taken to update a fanfic ever definitely goes to me...

The Doctor strides up to the TARDIS console purposefully and promptly pulls down on the leaver to send the ship into flight. He doesn’t go far; just takes her to drift in the vortex. Sort of like the equivalent of storming out of one’s own home, only to find one has nowhere to go and winding up hovering about outside uselessly. The Doctor has never been particularly good at storming off and thinks he’s done well to even dematerialise the TARDIS out of Clara’s flat.

“Well, I think I’ve certainly surpassed myself in terms of downright stupid ideas today, hey old girl?” He gazes up at the ceiling of the console room as he finally acknowledges the sheer idiocy of the situation he’s landed himself in. In response, he feels something distinctly resembling amusement tickle the edges of his mind from his ship. The Doctor rolls his eyes. “I should have known you’d be on her side. You women are always ganging up on me.” He remarks as he spins away from the console.

Now all he has to do is solve this mess he’s gotten himself into. There is of course the option of taking a quick trip into the distant future, finding an erotic novel and passing it off as something he’d written himself, but somehow the Doctor can’t quite bring himself to deceive Clara in such a way. Besides, anything written by a human is bound to be pure drivel anyway.

With a resigned sigh, he ponders his options and decides that to write a book, one must first conduct an extensive amount of research. Thankfully, research is an area he is particularly skilled in. Unthankfully, he does not fancy conducting extensive research into this particular area. No, that definitely won’t do. He’ll have to make do with researching existing books within the genre and go from there. He briefly ponders the thought of paying a visit to the library onboard the TARDIS, but dismisses the idea as quickly as it comes. Whilst there’s undoubtedly some literature with a hint of an erotic nature lying around in there, the Doctor likes to consider himself above keeping a collection of such books.

First stop: the nearest bookshop. Well… strictly speaking that could be any bookshop really what with the whole ship that travels anywhere in time and space thing and all, but some locations are easier to land accurately in than others. 21st century London is always an easy one and there’s bound to be no end of bookshops stocking inappropriate novels there. London bookshop it is.

When they land, the Doctor sticks his head out of the TARDIS doors to examine his surroundings. A dank alleyway greets him, and he promptly exits the ship to take a closer look at the street sign in order to remember where exactly he’s parked. It wouldn’t be the first time he forgot where he’d parked the TARDIS, and the idea of wandering around looking for the ship whilst carrying a collection of erotic fiction is far from an appealing one.

Once satisfied that he’s aware of where they are, he leaves the alleyway and strolls out onto a relatively busy street. Conveniently, almost directly opposite the alleyway sits a large, yet somewhat rundown bookshop. Perfect. With a smile, the Doctor makes a mental note to congratulate himself on his excellent piloting skills later.

The inside of the shop is brimming with wall-to-wall books of every genre. Each section is vaguely categorised by a faded sign above the shelves and the Doctor makes a beeline for the one which reads ‘romance’. There, he begins to scan the shelves, skimming the title of each book with a frown of concentration. Unfortunately, the titles seem to give him little clues as to the actual contents of the books. The Doctor is about to resign himself to taking out each one and reading the blurb in the hope of finding those which might be on the more er… exotic side when he catches sight of a sign which reads ‘erotica’ off towards the right. Bingo.

He doesn’t bother to read the titles of the books, simply starts to drag them off of the shelves one by one until half of the section is empty and he can no longer see where he’s walking from behind a precarious tower of inappropriate literature.

Miraculously, he manages to find his way to the checkout desk without falling over anything or bumping into anyone and promptly sets the pile of books down in front of him with a soft thud. The woman behind the counter eyes the collection with a raised eyebrow and slightly widened eyes, clearly alarmed by his choice of purchases.

“You want to buy all of these?” The young woman asks, voice laced with mild disbelief. The Doctor stares at her as though she possesses all of the brain capacity of a turnip. “Well I didn’t carry them all over here just for fun.” He answers dryly and the woman, clearly taken aback by the bluntness of his response, simply ducks her head and begins to scan and bag up the books. The Doctor frowns slightly and wonders if this has something to do with that being nice thing Clara is always babbling on about…

He’s in the middle of pondering over whether he ought to try to engage the woman in further conversation when she interrupts him to state how much his purchase totals to and he hands her over a wad of money without another word. He isn’t often in the habit of keeping money on his person, but he keeps an amount stashed away onboard the TARDIS for emergencies. Buying a bookshop’s entire collection of erotic literature is clearly one such an emergency. The woman behind the counter accepts the cash with some muttered thanks and the Doctor begins to gather up the numerous carrier bags of books that are now sat gathered on the counter in front of him. It’s a struggle but, somehow, he manages to hold all of them at once and hurries rapidly out the shop door and back towards the TARDIS.

Once inside the ship, he practically begs her to move the library as close as physically possible to the console room so that he doesn’t wind up hauling his ridiculous collection of carrier bags along miles and miles of corridors. The TARDIS, for a change, decides to be generous and he finds the door to the library off to the right, a couple of doors down from the console room.

Off to the left-hand side of the extensive room is a large wooden desk, and it’s here that the Doctor empties out the entire contents of his carrier bags in an unceremonious heap. There. Now all that’s left to do is go through the pile and try to figure out what on Earth he’s actually going to write about…

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

Two hours in and after reading the words ‘engorged member’ for what feels like the millionth time, the Doctor tosses yet another book over his shoulder into the growing pile of discarded novels behind him. “Humans. You’d think with all of the canoodling they get up to that they’d actually be capable of writing about it, but apparently, that’s too much to ask of a bunch of pudding-brains.” He remarks to himself with an exaggerated sigh.

The Doctor thinks to himself that if he has to read one more poorly written description of ham-fisted foreplay then he might actually select the largest of the novels in the pile and proceed to beat himself over the head with it. It rapidly becomes too much to bear and the Doctor swiftly pushes himself up from the desk.

“Well, you know what they say old girl. If you want something done properly, ask a Time Lord to do it for you.” He speaks to his ship with a grin and feels what seems distinctly like an eye roll in response. One of these days, somebody around here will actually appreciate his wit.

Deciding that it’s about time he starts attempting to write this dreadful book, the Doctor seeks out another desk free from pornographic clutter and seats himself at it with a stack of paper and a pen. He could have done the human thing and used a computer, but he’s a little old fashioned and finds that his superior writing speed hardly makes it an inconvenience to write the whole thing out by hand.

His pen moves to form the cursive lettering that reads ‘Chapter One’ at the top of the first sheet of paper, and then begins detailing the beginnings of his story about an enigmatic, scarily handsome Rockstar from outer space who happens upon a petite, bossy young woman who knows exactly how to put him in his place…

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

He’s been writing for some time, when the Doctor hits a mental block and freezes with pen on paper. Despite bragging to Clara about his extensive knowledge in the area, it has actually been a while since he last engaged in… relations with anyone and he finds himself stuck as to the correct response one might give to the situation his story is currently depicting. Frowning to himself, he tries to conjure up the words to describe the reaction he’s looking for and repeatedly comes up short. Blast.

Then an idea pops into his head and he’s jumping out of his seat and running out of the library before the rational part of his brain can catch up and explain to him exactly why said idea is one of the less intelligent ones he’s had.

Back in the console room, the Doctor plugs in the coordinates for Clara’s flat and sends the TARDIS into flight. Moments later, the ship has materialised back in her bedroom and the Doctor is striding out through the doors.

“Clara?” He calls out, his Scottish accent thick as he annunciates her name.

On cue, she appears from the living room with what appears to be a smug grin on her face. “Given up already, have you?” She teases with her arms folded across her chest.

“Not exactly.” He responds, eyeing her calculatingly.

“Well then, where is this master-,” her words die in her throat to be replaced with a sharp intake of air as the Doctor closes the distance between them, winding his arms around her waist and bringing his lips down to suck hard at the soft skin of her throat.

“Doctor-,” Clara manages to squeak out, the word tinged with a mixture of shock and a hint of arousal. In fact, the Doctor feels her go slightly weak in his arms and tilt her head back ever so slightly in encouragement, before she seems to catch herself and places her hands forcefully against his chest.

“What the hell are you doing?!” She exclaims, eyes wide in alarm.

Now, with his gaze on her face, the Doctor takes the time to note the pink flush that has crept over her face and neck and the way her breathing rate has substantially increased. He flashes her what can almost be described as a cheeky smirk and answers: “research, Clara.” And with that, he turns on his heel and walks straight back into the TARDIS, dematerialising and leaving a flabbergasted Clara Oswald in his wake.

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Monday 8 July 1839

2 40/..

10 ¾

fine morning F72 ½° at 2 ½ am glad to be up – the room so hot, and the sheets so washed à la lessive (.:. damp and queer feeling – stuck to me) got up at midnight for my cloaks one to sleep on and the other to sleep in – then fancied someone rapped and up again about near 2 – could not sleep – nothing comfortable – off at 3 55/.. – high chaussée en avenue de peupliers – Road way 12 to 15ft. wide? very good road and whole breadth between the rows of poplars about 7 yards or not so much? – all along neat farmstead and kitchen gardens – all polder – and a large canal for some distance near (right) and several wind mills – all the farm houses after one model – Everywhere Dutch barns, but the roofs of them straw-thatched – at Lexmonde [Lexmond] at 5 18/.. – nice neat little town – all the Dutch towns great or small neat and good that is substantial and in good order and clean, of course – explanation hereabout the postes, Gross saying they did not go by postes here – nonsense – only I have no Dutch livre de poste, and my carte Routière from Calais and that also from Antwerp incorrect – each of the 2 stages from Gorcum to Utrecht = 2 ¼ postes – 1 horse 20 stivers = 1 florin per poste, and the barriers 9 stivers each and bridges vary – pay the postillion as one horse – at 6 6/.. nice little town of Vianen gated at each end – (got out my carte de Pays Bas yesterday afternoon or we should have gone on knowing nothing) – at 6 11/.. embark on the Leek river good or better than the Thames just above London – over in 10 minutes pulled by 2 men hauling at a rope lying across the river – at Hetwaal [Tull en Het Wall] at 6 26/.. also a nice little gated town, with draw bridge over its canal en sortant, just after passing tho’ the gate, and at 6 41/.. another little town and bridge over canal, and almost immediately the spire of Utrecht cathedral in sight – having crossed the canal (at this last nice little town) drive alongside it along a fine avenue and excellent road as all today, to Utrecht – very pretty as we near the town – the buildings and houses along the opposite side the canal very picturesque and pretty, and good – as if a ship-building wharf – alight at the chateau d’Anvers hotel at 7 21/.. – breakfast café au lait and bread (rolls) and cold butter (and cheese and boeuf fumé not touched) and strawberries price 38 stivers = 1/90 and gave the waiter a civil little French man ./50 – Had up the master of the hotel – his cart de route taken from the French livre de poste! 8 hours or 8 ½ hours will take us to Deventer chez Bekker who will tell us Inn forwards – had just written so far at 9 – good comfortable Inn here – wish we had come on yesterday instead of stewing at Gorcum – but the heat is coming on here now; and we shall have another hot day – cooler in the carriage than in the house – inking over accounts till off at 9 50/.. – Utrecht much improved since 1832  – a large, good handsome town, environs studded with gentlemen houses – at 11 ½ pretty (gentle) descent upon Amersfoort  in fine wooded country and no water in sight – unlike Holland – handsome tall spire of church in the style of that at Utrecht – excellent road, thro’ avenue of fine poplars or high thick alder hedges, or beech or oak forest, chiefly the latter – at Amersfoort at 11 40/.. pretty town – ramparts turned into pretty laid out gardens and promenades as at Utrecht – at 1 26/.. the very pretty house at Appeldoorn [Apeldoorn] – very pretty house and garden, and pretty picturesque little village – got out for 10 minutes and walked in the garden and peeped into the farm buildings – the pigsties undercover (at the sides of large barns) the poor pigs hot and dirty – would be better with more air – En route again at 1 50/.. – a few drops of light rain then and just before but at 2 20/.. rain set in probably for the rest of the day? at 2 54/.. in heavy shower stop to bait at neat brick house Nieuw milligen – great part of our road today lies thro’ beech forest – at 4 5/.. (right) whitewashed Lodges and white gates to the Kings’ summer palace of Loo  and 2 or 3 minutes afterwards nice pretty straggling village of Appeldoorn [Apeldoorn] and poste at 4 10/.. – very pretty in front of the poste sort of large village green ornée – Gross thought the off hind wheel very hot, and put some oil to it – nonsense? I could feel no heat – does he understand carriages? the country much improved since Utrecht – could not have thought such a flat country could be so pretty – the flower gardens and summer houses so gay! –

SH:7/ML/E/23/0079

at 5 50/.. alight chez Beking Bekker at Deventer as recommended at Antwerp – the landlord not at home – ordered dinner in an hour and A- and I went out at 6 5/.. to the great church cathedral – large naturally good church but strangely filled up with pews below instead of galleries above, many pews and many chairs – whitewashed – crypt lately used as charnel house but now under process of clearing out – something in the style of the crypt at York – gave the woman 5 stivers, and she shewed us to the famous gingerbread shop – bought a loaf of the best for 3fl. – then sauntered about – the shops have all plain common windows and make the least possible shew – the town house old and picturesque looking came in at 7 20/.. – dinner not ready – wrote out so far of today till now 8 and dinner and sat over it till now 9 40/.. – fine day till the rain about 2pm  fine before we reached Deventer and fine evening

[mag68dom]

Vomit The Collateral

Many times we observe the piercing of the individual nearest to us in terms of some non but at the same a connecting procedure. For example we took to a close captured ceremony where some Jews looked to be a sign of a first secure response. We found the Jews to be both captured while conveying a individual message. The message reads why is it you come to us on the account of yourself verse him do you not know he is a friend of ours beyond means. And the first time we were approach for such conveying message we found you not in our sight to share in such self marvel. Now you have taken twice as much not yours to here some sort of response of a friend without.

Now in this example the individual intent was for ones guidance to be met by some ideas of men to a degree upon some travels in light years. Woe to the road that continues to construct the wrong exit with no number two light to point in the immediate direction. No these where supposed to end up connected but at the same time season for some passing on while living on in shame. And of course in such shame many were found gone at the stroke of this pen in which again sign some of the world biggest checks in route to where everyone thought to want the same for themselves.

In another example those who were friends that grew older and wanted to know more about this friend who in a betook network meeting as to why you seem to avoid your stern choice. We heard that eyes of those who stayed on after in such signing seal of the meeting where plucked out. And by the same watch the falling by choice did see why beyond mean a friend like that was granted a conveying power to pass on another message. But the message was a trial if any attempt to read such illustration. Network intent had no answer but that of what lurks in their own mind. But they could only produce a magic in which was at the value of the eye instead of an eyewitness. If this were able to cross examine what lurks in the mind of the traveler they'd be again challenge by another individual piercing and then seek for some sort of exhibit or founded proof. Which brings us back to the Jews who stood waiting for what they believe would only arrive in loud manner in which the exhibit gives ground for a lower nature ruling. But like the Jews this stood waiting to give the right answer. But it was this piece of vomit sitting opposite of the message and each time the signing with this pen was appointed a screening about the same length of a news bulletin would erase such a loud messenger by way of it's condition to proceed.

And the friends of the friend began to put the leave of one wealth together with the wealth reinstated. Now let us examine the connection between the time of the Composition and those driven by means of the eraser. And allow us to examine such form of time in which these connection must be updated. If the Jews stood by and watch the lead of teach fall in it's lead for failure due to classification then which aim is the driver attempting to headline with pens who account could answer any questions about lack in a certain form of classification. Was the Jews now stuck between a rock and a hard place. Was not at the blink of an eye or some light years ago these where pushed out exclusively. How could such eye witness say we saw but heald back. Or we continue to see still with enough time to advance but heald on.

And what about your friend he who stood and watch ready to give the right answer but was bar to give such answer ahead of time even if time was something in the network meeting was of importance for this form of deeds underway. The aim of the degree and the license both wanted the same thing which was (GET). But upon getting all this in order classification was a bar its self the sort by greed and became greedier again ending up being pierce by a elements we have yet brought up on some chargers for some fees mismanaged.

Or by going over "such" to the point or even better at "point blink." It would bring out the feeling of put all such feelings up and give further illustration of the piercing fact. Like the fact that a feeling could be on demand at two drastic clicks. The immature shoot you dead and the mix feelings it's heald to. And to put one up for (show) for the feel satisfaction of the other, is the immature illustration that's express finally after "such" or much time. I begin with "or" as if to say go ask friend the same as or you'll just be without. But in these network meeting what is pushed out for a immediate response I (get) "we had no intention on including you by means you or whoever you honors."

I had not plan on any minute I could not return the sudden grief. I myself saw steps then thought later on over coming such feelings my friend. Or a simple look away for a minute and lose interaction of wasn't it a second ago. So on a larger of what I had to observe feeling pushed out from visiting I should be doing. And not ticketing every black or white ringing a second ring after evaluating the first thought that made not future sense to grieve upon.

Now that a meeting or two even after I took to this Prime Minister and said I see at least 20 dead non speaking or inactive souls laying sleep in your body. are you attempting the impossible while these remain sleep. The Prime Minister smile because he thought I was going to lean towards the participating conrad's at arm's length being torches in broad daylight. No it was the dead within him I warned either you wake up or I'll immediately will. This was different from a certain jealousy or a certain attempting to destroy ones character. I continue to say your body is wrapped up in a ownership I agree not. Who will be first to execute the one or two live souls who are on repeat in upsetting the mind. Do these not know I am one to kill life dead and look at the same life by illustrating the same scenario over and over again until the life dead remains as such eternal fire. Do not the Jews know about such strong hold in Moscow where when we too will reattach with the lot of devil's in a rush to a matter known to none or where. Do not the lot of those who reattach by way of a time out that I will throw all types of wrapping upon the body linking the world to scream my name in error. But these are the same networks we visit and pushed out some sort of sickbed for fear of what I had overcame not years or many souls ago. No but just a minute up to the minute. And up to the minute it reads we the dead are present on the account we will find treasure hidden in such casting. And if we the dead are found and is brought up before what we hate the most we are then sent back to a conscious where the approach will only appease our conscious. And that they were found dead only in a prophecy where again the Prime Minister stood I'll in such smile thinking the lot of such ranking power had means over the heads of a friend of ours. The conrad's became owners only for a short minute and those who cut out a piece of the past we provided a providence a manner in which the time come I will say this is mines and only I know which time 20 to 2 I am to wake up in souls strength to express such ownership in full. But you remain inactive birthing the extension or extended generation. But if I find you live within by way of a screen we all very well know indeed I will strip the land like one who ass bet in a dice game. Now go your way as I go about mines and wait like one who watches for treasure bring comfort to themselves.

[floresgavriil-blog]

Singapore today is known as one of the best cities in the world to stopover en route to wherever you are going on your journey. Singapore Changi Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports, and the largest in Southeast Asia, as well as being rated the best airport in the world seven times in a row. With all the accolades it’s only a matter of time until you head over to the region and find yourself on a Singapore stopover and need some things to do.

Stopovers for some can be boring if you find yourself stuck on the floor of a terminal trying to connect to WiFi or craving a hot shower and a meal. Stopping over in Singapore has never looked so good especially when there are exceptions to Visa’s required to enter the country.

For most nationalities, all you need to enter is a passport with six or more months remaining, money that will last your stay, and a confirmed ticket to your next destination.

Singapore layovers for up to 30 days are Visa-free but be sure to check with your government website prior to entering Singapore as passports from country to country have different rules and regulations.

Things to do on a 24 hour Singapore Stopover

1. Eat Chilli Crab

Singapore’s famous chilli crab

If you only have 24 hours in Singapore you need to at least try the food! Without a doubt, Singaporean is my favorite food while traveling in Asia. There are a lot of meals to choose from but one stands out from the rest and that’s Singapore Chilli Crab.

Eating a crab can be one of the messiest things you can do food related so be prepared to make a mess. However the dribbling tomato, chilli and basil sauce down your shirt is so worth it.

Singapore Chilli Crab in most places is very expensive but for a cheaper meal of the exact same quality, head to Chinatown where most restaurants and vendors will serve you up a freshly cooked crab for around 20 Singapore Dollars (SGD or S$). Expect to pay S$100 plus in Boat Quay or downtown Singapore.

2. Explore Chinatown

After finishing a delicious chilli crab, keep exploring Chinatown as there are plenty of things to do in Singapore here. The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple tops the list and hence the name, this temple is said to hold one of the Buddha’s teeth in this massive, architectural masterpiece rising to five stories high.

Chinatown also has the cheapest food and drink anywhere in Singapore so if you are keen on local cuisine, Chinatown is your best bet.

Pretty much every street within Chinatown has some sort of restaurant, cafe or street vendor selling delicious local cuisines such as chilli crab, papaya salads, or Singapore’s famous runny egg and toast.

Getting to know Singapore’s past can be done by visiting Chinatown. Baba House is a museum in Singapore and shows just what the life of the Peranakan culture used to be and what it is still like.

The Peranakan people are descendants or were related to families with an immigrant who then went on to marry a local Malayan. The Peranakan culture is unique as the local Malaya women would create a whole new set of traditions.

3. Walk around Mount Faber Park & Southern Ridges

Exploring a jungle in Singapore’s city center

Mount Faber Park & Southern Ridges would have to be one of the most chilled out places in Singapore. It has the most beautiful natural corridors complete with tropical rainforests, monkeys and exceptional views of Sentosa Island and the distant Singapore skyline.

The whole Southern Ridges area from Mount Faber Park to Kent Ridge Park are not often busy places so expect to have the gardens to yourself. My favorite thing to do is find a giant fan-palm to sit under and chill out Singapore style.

Singapore is known for some very unique bridges including that of Henderson Waves, a bridge-shaped into a wooden wave which connects Mount Faber Park to neighboring Telok Blangah Hill Park.

Before development and the tourism boom began in Singapore, places like Kent Ridge and Mount Faber were culturally rich with kampong (traditional houses) and a life relatively untouched until the turning of the tide.

4. Cycle Pulau Ubin Island

Plenty of bikes to choose from on Pulau Ubin Island

Pulau Ubin Island is my number one must do while in Singapore. Singapore isn’t a big country but getting to Pulau Ubin can be a bit of a mission especially if you are based in the downtown Quays area.

I chose to take the bus all the way across Singapore and alight at Changi Village (not Changi Airport) the bus/ train section takes around one hour.

From Changi Village, you’ll need to walk to the coast and through an undercover food market which is ideal to fuel up on food before boarding a bum-boat to Pulau Ubin Island at Changi Point Terminal.

A ticket one-way costs under S$3 which can be bought when on the boat or at the boat dock. The boat ride takes around 10 to 15 minutes each way and is quite scenic as Pulau Ubin Island sits in the Strait of Johor.

Pulau Ubin Island is a step back in time and reflects what Singapore used to look like, long before industrial development. Today, Pulau Ubin might seem a bit ‘touristy’ with bike hire stalls flocking the main street but there is more to the island that definitely needs to be put on your list of things to do in Singapore.

Hiring a bicycle on Pulau Ubin Island

To best see the island you’ll need to hire a bicycle which will cost anywhere between S$10 and S$20. Don’t be coaxed into paying more as a large proportion of the bicycles breaks cease to work. I was told that it’s best to ride anti-clockwise around the island.

As you cycle from one end of the island to the other, there are remnants of old Singapore with kampongs scattered around. A kampong is a hut generally built on stilts to avoid water rising in the monsoon season and allow air to ventilate the hut when humidity skyrockets.

Along with the kampongs, the island is known for its variety of wildlife especially monkeys and exotic bird species fluttering throughout the thick rainforest.

How Singapore used to be.

At the eastern end of the island, the Chek Jawa Wetlands is worth paying a visit for bird sightings and one of the highest points on the island for rather good views of Pulau Ubin Island.

Getting back to the mainland of Singapore is easy; just return your bike where you hired it from and head for the one and only dock adjacent to the main street to board a bum-boat.

5. Explore Gardens by the Bay at Night

One of the very best things you can do on a Singapore stopover is visit Gardens By the Bay. Most cities at night are spectacular if you know where to go, and Singapore is no different. Many people are mesmerized by bright lights and tall buildings, but in Singapore, it’s also easy to be impressed by the Gardens by the Bay.

Gardens by the Bay are a year-round destination and the top thing to see and photograph in Singapore. They are accessible during the day, but nighttime is when they really come alive.

The architects of Gardens by the Bay named a series of skeleton looking trees called ‘SuperTrees.’ Each unique tree is sculpted from metal and covered from roots to the canopy with lights that change color every few minutes.

To get exceptional views of the SuperTrees, there are a few spots to check out such as the Singapore Flyer, an extremely large Ferris wheel. The Singapore Flyer goes so high those not only are the SuperTrees down below easy to see, lights from Indonesia and Malaysia become visible which is seriously mind-blowing!

6. Take in the Views from Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Sands is one of, if not the most architecturally stunning and weird hotels on earth.

Marina Bay Sands has to be seen to be believed and it’s not hard to see in Singapore. From the ground, take a walk from Fullerton Road past the iconic Merlion along the edges Marina Bay.

The best time to do so is during the night as the hotel shows off an incredible display of dazzling lights and lasers along with water fountains that appear miraculously out of Marina Bay in a breathtaking display of choreography.

At the top of Marina Bay Sands, there is an infinity pool that gives the impression of being one with the city skyline but don’t look down, it’s seriously high up.

The only way you can access the infinity pool is by being a guest of the hotel. If you are not one of the lucky bunch that gets to stay at the Marina Bay Sands there is another section which you can access, delivering views of Marina Bay, The Singapore Flyer, SuperTrees and the Singapore skyline. The best time to go onto the viewing deck is at night.

Inside the Cloud Forest

  7. Chill out in Sentosa

Henderson Waves bridge

Sentosa Island is very much unlike the rest of Singapore and the complete opposite of Pulau Ubin Island. Sentosa is designed to be a little piece of paradise amongst the vibrant city of Singapore, a place close to downtown that is accessible for locals and international visitors.

Sentosa Island is the tourism hotspot in Singapore with everything from a world-class golf course, Universal Studios, tropically styled beach to massive shopping centers.

Sentosa Island is more of a playground for fine dining, drinking, and just having a whole lot of fun and there is something for everyone.

It may be hard to find a piece of the old Singapore on the island but a few remaining locations will ensure you don’t become completely overwhelmed by towering roller coasters and wave pools.

The Malaysian Street Food Hawker Centre will give you traditional Singaporean dishes as well as a mix of Malaysian goodness.

If Sentosa becomes a bit much, take the cable car to Mount Faber Park on a scenic 10 to 15-minute ride. One way costs under S$10 Singapore dollars.

8. Little India and Kampong Glam

Singapore’s SuperTrees were made to signify the multicultural nation that the country holds so dearly and Little India is a reflection of just how everyone gets along with one another despite cultural differences.

As the name suggests, Little India is one of Singapore’s most colorful suburbs for all things food, people and culture along with a series of vibrantly painted houses. Little India is a piece of traditional India tucked away from the futuristic feels of Singapore.

It’s here that you can expect the people, food, and culture of this place to thrive and be everything India is with marigold’s sold in excessive amounts to fragrant wafts from nearby wholesale markets.

The Tekka Centre Wet Market is where you will find a constant bartering and trading of fresh goods, spices and things you would ever imagine. Tekka Centre is certain to be a rush and you won’t necessarily find a cooked meal here instead walk or cycle to Dunlop Street for a guaranteed meal full of chilies and spice!

Kampong Glam is a hotspot for multiculturalism where everything seems to be happening right before your eyes. Kampong Glam is a short but humid walk across Rochor Canal and you hit Kampong Glam once you see the magnificent Sultan Mosque, dating back to the early 1900s.

Before you leave Kampong Glam, Kuan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple is a must see where pilgrims of Hindu faith ascend to be shrouded by the intense aromatic smells of incense all while aiming to get a rub of the bronzed Buddha’s belly.

9. Explore Boat Quay and Clarke Quay

Singapore has three quay spots to visit along the Singapore River with Boat Quay and Clarke Quay being the two must-sees. Boat Quay is the closest to Marina Bay with Clarke Quay a few minutes’ walk west of Boat Quay.

During my stay in Singapore, I chose to stay in Boat Quay given its close vicinity to pretty much everything in Singapore and it was a good choice. At Boat Quay, you’ll find many riverside restaurants, ferry terminals, and bars where the beer and Singapore Sling’s are anything but cheap.

From Boat Quay, everything is walking distance or if you prefer to catch a train, head to Clarke Quay Metro for access to Sentosa Island, Changi Island or Marina Bay.

Clarke Quay is a bit outdated with its 80’s style hotels and outdoor spaces but Clarke Quay is all about food and nightlife. Clarke Quay is a great place to relax but the nights often get busy so look at heading to Chinatown for a chance at getting a seat for dinner and drinks.

10. Fort Canning Park

Fort Canning Park and Raffles Terrace

Within walking distance from Clarke and Boat Quay’s, Fort Canning Park is a tropical haven for everything natural so expect to find ancient trees, giant fan-palms and vines reaching to the sky.

Fort Canning Park has a darker side despite its sheer beauty. During World War II, Singapore was seen as a strategic place to obtain and the defense of Singapore was crucial. Scattered throughout the park are cannons and other weapons used during these dark days.

Getting around Fort Canning Park is simple, with a few concrete paths zig-zagging throughout the lush space. At the northern end of the park is Singapore’s National Museum.

11. Visit the Asian Civilisation Museum

If you are near Clarke or Boat Quay, cross one of the bridges over the Singapore River to the Asian Civilisation Museum for insight not only into Singapore’s heritage, the museum offers vast collections of Asian artifacts from present times to thousands of years ago.

12. Explore Changi

Getting to Pulau Ubin is easy from Changi Village

Not all Singapore stopovers are lengthy so why not go for something super close to the international airport? Changi or Changi Village is an industrial suburb of Singapore which hugs a section of coast along the Strait of Johor.

Changi Village is nothing like downtown Singapore. Instead, you will find easier access to Pulau Ubin Island and a food center or “hawker” which serves some top quality Hainanese duck and rice.

Right near Changi International is the Changi Prison Museum and Chapel dedicated to telling the story of those fighting during WWII and how the prisoners of war survived the hardship.

13. Venture Around Changi Airport

Not all stopovers in Singapore are lengthy and many times you may not be able to leave the airport. The good news is that Singapore Changi International Airport happens to be the best airport in the world so don’t worry, you will get a taste of Singapore without ever having left the terminal!

Changi International is ridiculously big so the chances of seeing everything will be near impossible. A recent new addition to the airport’s interior includes a waterfall that cascades from the roof while lush gardens reach high to the ceiling of the glass roof.

Over the past couple of years, I have ventured to quite a few international airports and not being able to leave them and experience what lay outside of its doors really gets me down. To get over this I allocate S$20 of cash into the local currency so I can spend it on the food of the local cuisine. This way I will be able to get a taste of what the country would be like and gives me the motivation to start planning future trips to that destination. See more long haul flight tips here!

14. Enjoy Singapore’s Best Eats

Secretly, I am a big foodie and sampling local cuisines (in large proportions) is my hidden talent. Singaporean food tops the list for me anywhere in Asia despite it being one of the most expensive countries to get a meal. Howver a meal in Singapore can be as expensive or cheap as you want it to be. It’s definitely possible to spend less than S$5 if you know the right spot.

The most expensive places to get a meal in Singapore are downtown Singapore, Sentosa Island, Mount Faber, Clarke and Boat Quays and Marina Bay Sands so expect to pay over S$20 for a starter meal and upwards of S$30 for a main course.

Chinatown, Little India, Changi Village, Pulau Ubin Island and Kampong Glam are your best bets for street food like Hainanese duck and chilli crab.

You have probably heard of the famous Singapore Sling, a cocktail invented at the Raffles Hotel. The Singapore Sling is a mix of liqueurs and spirits that taste a bit like cough medicine; unfortunately you won’t find many places that sell this cocktail cheaply apart from corner stores.

Anywhere in Singapore, expect to pay S$20 or more for the Singapore Sling otherwise a corner store is more reasonably priced at S$7 (it comes in a bottle).

Scattered throughout Singapore are places called ‘Hawker centers’ that are renowned for serving top quality street food for a very cheap price. That’s where the above two photos were taken.

Food ranges from Indian, Malaysian, and Singaporean to Thai, generally open all day long. The best Hawker Centers are located in Changi Village near the ferry terminal and at the entrance to Sentosa Island near the cable cars.

15. Relax at Telunas Resort

Telunas Private Resort isn’t really an option for those with only 24 hours in Singapore, but rather for those on a long layover in Singapore. Natasha and Cameron had a six-day layover in Singapore and chose to spend for of those at Telunas, an exclusive beach resort that is a two-hour boat ride away from Singapore – technically in Indonesia.

Telunas is a true island eco getaway where those can come and relax away from the city staying in beautiful overwater bungalows. At Telunas Private Island there is no WiFi anywhere on the property and no 3G signal. So come with a good book in hand and get ready to relax! It’s hard to paint the true picture in just this paragraph, so you can read the full review and see the video here!

Timing your Singapore stopover

With Singapore being a small country with efficient modes of transport you’ll be able to get from the airport to Marina Bay in 20 to 30 minutes via taxi. Uber and taxis are an affordable way to get around, but the metro and buses are also fantastic.

Here are my personal things to do in Singapore recommendations if you have 24 hours or less.

Three full hours in Singapore city (six hours of layover time):

Marina Bay Sands

Chinatown

Tooth Relic Temple

Six full hours in Singapore (nine hours of layover time):

Marina Bay Sands

Gardens By the Bay

Chinatown

Little India

10 full hours in Singapore (12 hours of layover time):

Pulau Ubin Island

Changi Village

Mount Faber Park

Boat Quay

Gardens By the Bay

24 hours in Singapore

You could viably fit everything on this list in if you hustle your way around the city and try to fit as much in as you can, but that can be exhausting, so consider what interests you the most before doing that. We find that hitting less places for a longer amount of time keeps us happier than running ourselves ragged around a destination.

When is the Best time to Travel to Singapore?

Singapore’s has two kinds of weather; very humid or monsoonal rains.

Mornings in Singapore are the best before the sun rises and the humidity skyrockets. Any time after that, air conditioning will be your best friend. If you’re ever feeling hot just duck into one of the many shopping malls.

Anywhere from midday onwards, storms form and bring torrential rain to the city and generally will cool everything right down. One minute it can be clear blue sky, the heavens will have opened.

Luggage Storage for your Singapore layover

It is possible to leave your luggage in storage while you go enjoy the city. this is much more enjoyable than lugging it around with you if you don’t have a hotel for the night. 

All terminals in Singapore Changi airport have baggage storage 24 hours a day. Prices range from S$5-S$20, see all the details here.

Getting Around Singapore on your layover

Getting into the city is very straightforward once exiting Changi International.

Taxis are frequently available 24 hours of the day outside of the international terminal so getting a ride is always simple task. Expect to pay upwards of S$20 to Clarke or Boat Quay.

Trains frequently depart the international terminal and head everywhere around Singapore. Trains are much cheaper than taxis and are clean, safe, and efficient. Look for signs leading to METRO.

Once you are out of the airport, getting around is very easy with bicycles readily available but expect to be lathered in sweat after a ride, humidity often soars above 80% all day, every day.

METRO stations are everywhere in Singapore meaning you can get wherever you need without spending too much money. If you plan on using buses and trains, purchase an EZ link card which will enable you to use the card on both buses and trains with ease.

THANKS FOR READING!

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About the Author

Calumn Hockey

G’day! My name is Calumn Hockey and I am a keen adventurer, traveler, and photographer from Bowraville, Australia. I have a huge passion for the mountains of the Himalaya in Nepal to the Southern Alps of New Zealand while being one who loves to become immersed in local culture. Over the past few years, I have been fortunate enough to travel to some pretty epic locations such as Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Nepal, and South East Asia. I might not have a high tally of countries under my belt but there is nothing better than exploring somewhere you love in depth and becoming connected with the sights and sounds. Keen to follow my adventures? Follow me on @CalumnHockey

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The post 15 Things to do on a 24 Hour Singapore Stopover appeared first on The World Pursuit.

[rhettsooo]

Friday, January 13th to Saturday January 14th, 2017- Gili Air, Mt. Bromo, Yogyakarta

It's on this day I say good bye to the enchanting Gili Air and begin to squeeze in more of Indonesia - or at least as much as possible in my remaining 6 days of travel. Next stop is East Java where Mt Bromo is, the next mountain I want to conquer... but first I have to figure out how I'm doing that...  with a twist: while I'm literally traveling there. What I mean by this is; I have no concrete plans on how I'm going to get to Bromo, but the goal is to do it on this night, to technically see sunrise. All I have sorted so far is the ferry off Gili Air and a bus on the other side to take me to Lombok International Airport, where I've seen online many flights departing that work in my favour, so I'm taking my odds and going in just a little blind. The ferry was the easy part: a short 20 minutes on a 20 person fishing-like boat. Nothing like the 'fast boat' we took to the island-- in fact the exact opposite. In the harbour on the other side, it was a slight panic as locals greeted the boat asking arriving passengers if they needed transport, which was me, but I had transport pre-arranged as part of  shuttle bus, so I struggled for a couple minutes cutting through the noise to hear what was relevant for me and found MY guy pretty easily. An older couple, maybe 50 years old and German, were also on a similar trajectory. They ended up with MY guy too, but their struggle was laughable and entertaining to watch. He (of the couple) had a face that was permanently grumpy (imagine grumpy cat, but on a man) and the woman would always look to him for guidance or direction, but he hadn't a clue. His grumpy face would sometimes gain an injection of confusion or difficulty as he tried to manage their huge piece of luggage off this little fishing boat and on to the beach and then finding THE guy he needed. I think I got such entertainment from this couple because they seemed like the 'all-inclusive resorts' type; you know the type that wants everything done for them and wants to just relax without stress. Thus, they weren't ready for the spice to life island life brings ;) We (myself and this German? couple) wound up with the same GUY, who directed his friends(?) to grab their luggage - since they were struggling - and we all went to a horse-drawn carriage that we maxed out with us four bodies (our GUY, this couple, and myself) and our luggage. It was pretty funny. Especially when the couple didn't want to tip the dude carrying their luggage for him. Shame on him. So we're all in this carriage for about 20 minutes as we trust that this GUY is legit and actually taking us to our bus...which he did :) We waited for the bus for an hour, which was great because I could get some breaky and find some WiFi to figure out how I'm getting to Bromo. I found some tours that included airport pick up, hotel, trek up Bromo, and drop off where ever I wanted, so sent maybe 6 email inquiries hoping that one of them would reply by the next time I reach WiFi, and not to mention could pick me up in like 10 hours at this point. The bus to the airport was long. Very long. I tried to relax, but the windy roads quintupled with the crazy driving wouldn't allow. Did I mention that drivers pass other drivers at any moment. Regardless of lines, corners, oncoming traffic, etc, they'll give warming with a tap on the horn and somehow pull it off. At the airport I found the ticket office for LionAir, the cheaper of the airlines I uncovered earlier, and bought a ticket with a sigh of relief. Now to figure out what's happening on the other side of this flight. I found WiFi and welcomed two replies in my inbox, so now it was a race between them to see who I can confirm first....and with two hours to spare before my flight departed, I confirmed a driver to pick me up and the whole nine yards. WOO WOO Yes the price was a little more than what I would've liked, but I got exactly what I wanted and nothing more or less-- my itinerary was perfect. Since I had some stress free time before my flight, I started thinking about the other side of Bromo, so what the fuck I was going to do tomorrow after the sunrise trek and essentially where I was going to be dropped off. I knew I wanted to go to Yogyakarta in Central Java next, but hadn't a clue how I was going to get there, so I did some digging and found a train! At a fraction of the cost of a plane, but about 5 times as long, the train schedule lined up perfectly; I couldn't have planned it better. So in full, the day would look like this; 1) Ferry from Gili Air to Lombok 2) Shuttle bus from the harbour to the airport 3) Plane to Surabaya airport in East Java 4) Driver from Surabaya to Mt. Bromo 5) Driver from Mt. Bromo back to Surabaya 6) Train from Surabaya to Yogyakarta ^^fun note: this all happens within about 36 hours of each other. Crazy right! After the dull plane ride and the crazy drive from the airport in the rain and traffic to Bromo, I checked into my hotel at about midnight, so I'm now into the next day and have ~4 hours until we leave for sunrise over Mt Bromo. With nothing more than a nap, my driver and I left for a 20min drive to base camp for going up. It was dark. Wet. And cold. Like Canada cold, but luckily I knew what I was doing and bundled up with my touque and gloves and lots of layers. My driver dropped me at the trail and gave me some loose directions. Although it was just me - technically, there dozens of others trying to catch the sunrise from the top too, so I followed the path while keeping an awareness of what the other groups were doing to not go anywhere I wasn't suppose to. The first 30 min of walking up a gradual hill of gravel road was easy and spat out at the first of two view points. This particular one wasn't anything special - besides it being pitch black; you would just see the town below and the crater around the volcano. Oh yeah, Mt. Bromo is an active valcano. So I kept on keeping on up the next bit of the climb. It turned to steps, kind of, for another 45min or so to the top. But it wasn't really the top, it was a peak called Seruni Point. Yes, you could keep going up, but it would have been some serious bushwacking and very vertical. It was here that I chilled and watched sunrise. I found a good spot and struck conversation with this group of kids that had rode their motorbikes over night for 6 hours in the rain to catch the sunrise...crazy kids! I told them I/we are the same: going to crazy distances/lengths to catch the sunrise. The sun itself created a nice glow on the town below and the crater beside us. Although it was stuck behind the rain clouds for a bit, it showed its face and provided some good photo opps. I revealed in its glory, once again being reminded on a) how fucking fortunate I am to be enjoying this moment and b) how the fuck did I pull this off -- hahaha Now the sunrise wasn't the most exciting I had seen on the trip, it was the most illuminating, meaning now that it was light out, I truly got perspective: Although I thought I was going up Mt. Bromo, I had climbed Mount Penanjakan and gotten to Seruni Point, which is the mountain next to Bromo. The sun rose over Bromo and it's crater and the village of Cemoro Lawang below. The crater I was looking out to actually housed my hotel, among other buildings of the village. (An appreciation I didn't have until now and then to be reaffirmed by Dad via text later). If I wanted to check out Bromo, it would require a few more hours to not only descend Mt. Penanjakan and drive back to the village, but a walk across the Sea of Sand and only then be able to elevate myself on Mt. Bromo, physically. Now as much as I wanted to do all of this, it was beginning to rain like a mutha fucker (and if I've learned anything on the trip, it's that when it rains, it pours) and as ready as I was for rain - umbrella, jacket, boots, etc - I wasn't feeling it. And in actual fact, I was feeling like I had done what I came for: to see the sunrise and Mt. Bromo. *Looking back as I write this and read more about Bromo after the fact, I kinda wish I wasn't a big baby and just did it. But, now I have a reason to bring go back, but with company this time* Anywho, the sunrise ended and I have to check out of this hotel, but first it's time for breakfast and figuring out this train situation... Nowhere online would let me book a train ticket and no blog or equivalent was helpful, so I asked real people: first my driver, who had no clue, then the hotel desk, which also had no clue, but he asked his friend who said you can get them at the Indomaret (Seven Eleven of Indonesia). "OK, so the Indomaret eh, I can roll with that", I was thinking, so got my driver to make the stop en route to the train station. At the first Indomaret, there system was down, so couldn't help. The second Indomaret taught us that you can't buy train tickets on the day of departure unless you're at the station. Oooooooo kaaaaay, I guess I'm taking a leap and getting dropped off at the station hoping there's a ticket for me-- which there was! WOO WOO! Once I grabbed my ticket, I found a snack at Dunkin Donuts - which is super popular in Indonesia, alongside KFC - in case you were wondering - and hijacked their WiFi to find accomodation after this train in Yogyakarta. I found this quaint homestay 25min walk from the train station, in a relatively central neighbourhood at a great rate. Boom! I now had somewhere to sleep for the next few days, phew. The train was fun and really long. Like 7 hours long. But it was fun. There were lots of kids who took a fancy to me and I sat across from a young couple and their newborn, whom spoke English well enough for continued conversation. It gave me time to read and have a breath. Arriving in Yogyakarta at about 9pm in a slight drizzle of rain, I took to the streets on foot to get a sense of the city, the neighbourhood, and the people before calling it a night. My homestay turned out to be in an even-better-than-expected neighbourhood close to little street venders, big clothing stores, food, ATMs, etc, all the while being out of sight and very quiet. Although this place cost a few bucks more a night than a hostel, I had my own room, which was heavenly for a change. (I hadn't had my own room since Vietnam). And with that, I could sleep with ease! Especially since I'd never been more tired on this trip than now and felt like sleeping for an entire day! So I did! After leaving Gili Air 40 hours ago at this point which included 1 ferry, 1 plane, 1 train, two longs drives, a mountain, and shit ton of walking, I called it a night. BOOM! Another great series of adventure, wonder, and suspense :)

[ecotone99]

(RF) New Short

Hi all. It's been a couple of years since I wrote anything new, and would really appreciate any thoughts or feedback about this. It's just the start of something, not entirely sure where it's going yet but I've recently started micro-dosing and this kind of just flowed out of me! Thanks!

A Morning in Hemel Hampstead.

“My water just broke”.

Billy let out a soft gasp. He was stranded 20 miles away in Hemel Hampstead, about to walk into an important meeting with the legal counsel of a large pharmaceutical firm and hadn’t expected to hear about breaking waters when he answered his ex-girlfriend Laura's call.

“But you’re only 7 months, aren’t you? Isn’t that a bit, you know, early?”

There was a word for giving birth early. Billy couldn’t think of it. He had a decent enough vocabulary; he just often forgot the specific word for a particular situation. It was one of the things Laura disliked about him, his inability to accurately communicate his feelings without resorting to grunting or downplaying events by using the incorrect term and making them seem unimportant. It wasn’t necessarily his fault, but it was a source of constant irritation.

“Yes Billy, it is a bit early, is this an inconvenient time for you?”

Laura was passive-aggressive. It came from childhood, her mother could never discipline her in a conventional way, she would usually just apply a barbed comment or sarcastic aside even if her children didn’t have the capacity to understand what she was trying to say. It was this niggling, nagging behaviour that would eventually lead Billy to snap, and put in motion the demise of the relationship.

“Where are you? I’m probably an hour away from wherever you are, I’ll get a cab back to the station now.”

“Billy I’m scared.”

​

A Good Start.

Billy and Laura met at a folk music festival out west. Having shared acquaintances, they’d ended up in neighbouring tents and had quickly established a flirty harmony. The drugs flowed pretty freely in those days, long before the relentless grind of adulthood took hold and reduced them to squabbling over washing up and late nights in the office. The first 6 months were blissful, living separately in their own flats on opposite sides of London, they’d spend evenings watching bands in dingy, dirty pubs or collapsed on sofas in a fragrant cannabis fug. They rarely argued, made love every time they saw each other and never, ever discussed the future. At 24 years old, with a strong bone structure, who needed the future.

Billy didn’t really have a career, more just a string of meaningless restaurant jobs that kept him in sandwiches and weed. Laura, on the other hand, was really starting to make waves in the marketing department of the software company that employed her. Social media had revolutionised how companies spoke to their customers and Laura had a good handle on it. She has a quirky online presence and a knack for getting a message across in 144 characters that was both witty and informative.

Billy gave up his squalid Bethnal Green bedroom after a year or so, packed up his minimal belongings in a large backpack and moved into Laura’s feminine, clean 2 Bedroom apartment in Shepherds Bush. It was a natural progression, he spent most of his time there anyway because the walls in his place were starting to get damp. The less time he spent there, the less he’d have to clean. By that logic, if he didn’t live there at all he’d never have to clean again. Laura was a nurturer, and she nurtured Billy. She saw his potential, knew he was more intelligent than he gave himself credit for, and pushed him to find a more suitable job for a man of his age.

Laura bought Billy a new suit to interview in. It was the nicest thing he’d ever owned, a well-tailored Dark Grey two-piece with purple lining. He felt like an executive, it gave him a sense of importance and clout they’d he’d never felt before. It was liberating, and he was incredibly grateful to Laura. It didn’t stop him failing at his first 3 interviews, his smart appearance not masking his thorough ineptitude when it came to him speaking about himself or talking up his strengths, of which he had a few. Laura remained patient with him throughout, supporting him both emotionally and financially, picking him up when he came home despondent at another rejection. Laura was patient, empathetic, and loved him so purely that it was the easiest thing in the world to lift his spirits.

In the summer, after a number of false starts, Billy finally got full-time employment as a sales rep for a company that licensed new medications from the US and sold them at an exorbitant profit. Ethically, it didn’t really sit well with either of them or their liberal mindsets, but the money was decent, and it felt very much like a victory. They celebrated in the pub surrounded by friends. Laura spoke of her pride. Billy drank too much tequila and finished the night by vomiting into a bin on Fulham high street.

Neither Billy nor Laura anticipated how quickly Billy would adapt to company life, or how completely it would alter their peaceful dynamic.

​

A Cab Journey.

The train was the fastest route back to Hammersmith hospital, but Billy was still stuck in no man’s land between a Hemel industrial park and the station. The local taxi firm had a terrible reputation, and Billy was exactly the type of person to let someone else’s opinion influence his experience.

“Is this the quickest way to the station mate? This isn’t the way I got here?”

Billy was in a state of anxiety, as you would expect from a man who has just heard his child has decided to make an expeditious entry into the world.

“Roadworks on the St Albans road, we’ll be stuck there for ages if we go that way.”

“Isn’t that the way I got here in the first place?”

“I didn’t drive you pal, how am I supposed to know?”

Billy wasn’t a violent person, but as he watched the little red numbers increase on the counter in front of him, and the time tick over, he felt his heart beating faster and started playing out a fierce argument in his head.

“Just hurry up please.”

Billy picked up his phone. Laura was still the top of his list of favourite numbers, despite the fact they had been separated for nearly 6 months and had barely been on speaking terms.

“My train goes in fifteen minutes, I’m in a taxi now and if this driver stops being a clown, I should make it.”

“Ok. Come straight to the pregnancy unit. Mum will be here by the time you get here.”

Anne had never cared much for Billy. The feeling was mutual. He thought she was controlling, she thought he was lazy. They were both right.

“Can you tell her to behave herself.”

“You behave yourself Billy.”

Billy had no intention of starting an argument but would rarely back down if one was forced upon him.

The taxi trundled along, stopping at every red light as if the gods had pre-determined them to change from green as they approached, halting his progress and infuriating him further.

“Are we nearly there?”

The driver, having heard Billy’s earlier comment about him being a clown, decided against responding and continued to face forward.

“Excuse me, I’m talking to you.”

The driver pulled over to the side of the road.

“Twenty quid and you can piss off out of my car.”

“What? I don’t know where I am. Take me to the station.”

The doors were locked. The driver was a broad man, with a substantial neck. In a combat situation, Billy was unlikely to prevail.

The driver repeated his previous demand. Billy, all the while panicking about making the train in time, refused to be cowed.

“I’ll pay you when you drop me off at my destination. Are you stupid?”

The driver, having been university educated, didn’t take kindly to being called stupid, and reverted to the type his large frame signified. He unlocked the doors, climbed out of his seat and pulled Billy out of the back by the scruff of his neck. A brief grapple ensued, and Billy felt the sharp end of the driver's elbow in his eye socket. On his knees, with his left hand clutching his face, Billy looked up as the taxi sputtered back off down the road, taking with it any hope of him making the 11 o’clock from Hemel.

“Laura I’m a bit delayed…”

submitted by /u/lamalamalam [link] [comments] via Blogger https://ift.tt/2uTAl5M

[entergamingxp]

DualShockers’ Favorite Games of 2019 — Michael’s Top 10

December 31, 2019 2:00 PM EST

2019 was filled with a ton of great games. Here are 10 of my favorites, one that I’ll continue to play, and one that I’ll never play again.

As 2019 comes to a close, DualShockers and our staff are reflecting on this year’s batch of games and what were their personal highlights within the last year. Unlike the official Game of the Year 2019 awards for DualShockers, there are little-to-no-rules on our individual Top 10 posts. For instance, any game — not just 2019 releases — can be considered.

Since I started working for DualShockers in 2017, one of my favorite parts of being part of this staff is deliberating on what my top 10 games of the year are. It’s a moment where I can actually celebrate video games rather than criticize them. 2019 is no different, but I would be lying if I said this was the easiest list I’ve created. In fact, it is the exact opposite.

Curating this list has been a struggle. Not because there was a lack of great games in 2019; there were so many I felt strongly about. The list you see below is my 4th revision, and I think I got it right this time. But before we go over this list, I want to get a couple of things off my chest.

2019 has been such a learning experience for me, both in positive and negative ways. My taste in games has changed dramatically, and I found a video game I truly loathe. Like, if someone mentions its name, I go on a 20-minute rant about why this game is bad. And I will now discuss these two topics with you now.

The Siegeman Cometh

I just want to take a brief moment to talk about Rainbow Six Siege. Initially, I had this game at the number 10 spot, but decided to dedicate a short section of its own. On my top 10 list from 2018, I put Ubisoft’s tactical shooter in that last number 10 spot. Although it came out in 2015, it was a game I started playing that year, and it has since become my personal “video game comfort food.”

Not only is it a brilliant shooter that is mechanically sound, and rather different than the rest of the shooters out there, it really changed the way that I play video games. This might be a whole other topic entirely, but playing the 100+ hour long RPG or whatever genre is just not for me anymore. They aren’t bad games, and there may be some long experiences on my list this year, but I put a lot of value in how I spend my time now. Rainbow Six Siege respects my time with its rewarding gameplay. I can play a match or two and feel satisfied, and then spend the rest of my day with my wife and my dog.

Now that I am actually looking at my list, that is sort of the theme here with my top 10. With a couple of exceptions, all of my favorite games of 2019 can be taken in bite-sized chunks but still be an absolute delight to play. Rainbow Six Siege taught me to respect my time, and the games that will be listed below are indicative of that notion.

YIIK: A Postmodern Piece of Garbage

Speaking of respecting my time, let me tell you about how my 2019 video game experience began. Back in January, I played an indie game called YIIK: A Postmodern RPG. I reviewed this game, which you can check out here. Playing this game was the antithesis of time well spent, as it is probably my least favorite thing I have ever experienced in digital media in my entire life.

Now, you may be staring at your computer monitor or laptop reading this saying, “this man is being hyperbolic to reel us in. It’s a trap!” I assure you, this is no hyperbolic notion. I think I hate this game. There are some good things I can say about it. Its music is pretty great. The gameplay is fine. I can maybe see why someone likes the look of its minimalist art direction. But none of that really saves the atrocity that is YIIK: A Postmodern RPG.

The moment that has stuck with me and made me realize why I cannot stand this game happens a bit later, when you have much of your party with you. You go to a mall, and there is a mysterious van you have to try to access, but you need a key. Alex, the main protagonist, asks if anyone can pick a lock. He doesn’t point to anyone, just asks generally.

Claudio, one of two black characters in your party, randomly says this:

“Wouldn’t it be hilarious if I could? Like, out of this ragtag band of misfit friends, the black guy could pick the lock. And don’t pretend you didn’t think it! So, to answer your racist ass question, I cannot pick a lock! Well, at least not a car lock. I went through a Sherlock Holmes phase and learned to pick basic locks.”

YIIK: A Postmodern RPG has moments like this where it’s as if some woke 14-year old teen decided to write about racism for Twitter likes. It doesn’t just stumble on these sensitive topics, which include racism and depression, but falls on its face creating a crater deeper than the largest crater on our moon. It is so terrible to the point when someone mentions this game’s name, even in jest, I go on this rant about how out of touch this game’s message is.

So, why am I even talking about this game? Well, for the same reason I mentioned Rainbow Six Siege. Ubisoft’s shooter taught me to respect my time, and make every session with a game as satisfying as possible. YIIK: A Postmodern RPG taught me that but in a completely different and unexpected way. In a way, it is important to me in its own unique and terrible way.

Okay. Here is the actual Top 10 list now.

10. Slay the Spire

As of this writing, I only started playing this yesterday. Going down the list of games the staff at DualShockers compiled for our Game of the Year deliberations, this one stood out for some reason. Maybe it’s the name, or how positively some of the staff was when talking about it; whatever it was, it convinced me to use my Xbox Game Pass subscription and try out Slay the Spire, and I absolutely love it.

Maybe I’m jumping the gun here by saying this is one of my favorite games of the year. I’ve only probably put an hour in with two runs — I unlocked the three playable characters — but it left me wanting to play much more. Mixing turn-based action with a card game, Slay the Spire is an incredibly satisfying experience, especially if you manage to craft a deck that actually works as intended.

Slay the Spire just has so much variety and possibility. With the three unique characters, the seemingly endless possibilities with building your deck, and constant surprises as you climb to defeat the spire’s main boss, there has yet to be a dull moment. Again, I may be suffering from some recency bias, but Mega Crit Games’ interesting amalgamation of the strategy and card game genres.

9. Death Stranding

Despite my own beliefs, Hideo Kojima actually released Death Stranding in 2019. I swore this thing wouldn’t be out until 2024, but here we are. Kojima’s latest certainly is a divisive game, isn’t it? Understandably so: there are some wild design decisions that, in some cases, works to its benefit. But there are other times you’ll just stare at your TV screen just saying, “why?”

Death Stranding makes a great first impression, as you are introduced to Norman Reedus’ character Sam Porter Bridges, a “porter” (a.k.a. delivery man) who eventually works for his mother’s company, Bridges. Yes, it’s pretty on the nose. From its use of Low Roar’s music to its intriguing story and visuals, it presents itself very well in those beginning hours. And then Chapter 3 begins.

My biggest problem with Death Stranding is pacing. Chapter 3 is such a slog with one of the least interesting narrative threads in the game. Fragile’s tale would have been told more effectively if it did not take up a third of a 45-60 hour game. With its constant backtracking paired with its clunky gameplay, it truly tested my patience.

Now let’s fast forward a bit to Chapter 5, the absolute worst portion of Death Stranding. Testing my mettle once again, the Mama focused chapter has the most laborious backtracking delivery routes within Sam’s adventure. This is where I almost quit. It was just filled with an overwhelming amount of tedium, having to trek up a mountain through 12 inches of snow. Add a terrible stealth section, and you maybe have one of the worst moments in a video game in 2019. But despite that garbage Chapter, I persevered.

With all this negative criticism, how did this game make it on to my top 10 video game list for 2019? Because I stuck around after Chapter 5. After you finish Mama’s arc, Death Stranding gets so much better. The story actually begins to unfold, with much of the quality bits of Kojima’s tale finally emerging. You also get to witness two of the best video game performances of all time. Tommie Earl Jenkins’ Die-Hardman and Mads Mikkelsen’s Cliff Unger put on amazing performances in those last two hours, making every slog through those snowy mountains worth it.

It is such a hard sell to tell someone who might be falling off Death Stranding to keep playing until the end. In fact, I wouldn’t. Please, play the games you want to play and enjoy. But by the end of Death Stranding, you’ll be happy you finished it.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Death Stranding.

8. Void Bastards

This is another game I found while browsing the ever growing list of games available via Xbox Game Pass. Void Bastards by Blue Manchu is a roguelike inspired by the immersive sim genre. It isn’t a full immersive sim, but it scratches that surface. I mean, it makes sense as it was made by former BioShock and System Shock 2 developers, two of the most influential immersive sims of all time.

Is Void Bastards on that same level? Not really. But it’s one of the most fun and goofy video game experiences I’ve had all year. You are legitimately exploring derelict spaceships and fighting weird creatures with a staple gun. Thanks to the randomly generated ship layouts, different client traits, and comic book-inspired graphics, Void Bastards continues to be such a joy.

7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

So, I had quite a lot to say about Activision and Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare in my review, and I still stand by those statements. I do think the campaign is lacking. With all the messaging prior to release insinuating it would show the gritty reality of war, I thought maybe this will be something different. It wasn’t. There were some good moments and decent design deviations from prior installments, but it was a fairly standard Call of Duty campaign.

What has reeled me in since that review is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare‘s multiplayer. I really only play Team Deathmatch and Domination, but I’ve had a blast with its slightly reworked gunplay. I do still have some problems with some of the maps and spawning. Specifically, St. Petrograd, Euphrates Bridge and Ramazza are such a dread to play in. But generally, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare‘s multiplayer is the best the game has been since Advanced Warfare. Obviously, that is a personal opinion; please leave your “hOw cOUld yoU tHiNk CoD:AW iS gooD, bOotZ oN gRounD FTW!!!! #USUCK” comments below.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

6. Astral Chain

To be quite frank, I thought the Nintendo Switch’s slate of games in 2019 was weak, at least in comparison to the last two years. On a personal level, nothing really spoke to me. And the things that did, like Super Mario Maker 2, didn’t leave a lasting impression. Not that games like Luigi’s Mansion 3 or Fire Emblem: Three Houses are bad games; they just aren’t my jam. Despite that, one game that really stood out from the Switch’s exclusive lineup in 2019 is Platinum’s Astral Chain.

In some ways, I can see why someone wouldn’t like Astral Chain. There is definitely some clunkiness to its controls, as you have to simultaneously control the protagonist and a Legion, a living weapon that looks like something out of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Compared to other games by Platinum, like Bayonetta and Nier: Automata, the flow of combat isn’t as fluid.

However, if you can get past that clunkiness, you will find a very rewarding and synergistic combat system that is really a joy to experiment with. Once you’ve unlocked every Legion and weapon, there are so many combinations to choose from depending on what you are up against. You can upgrade your Legions with certain buffs or with its skill tree, which I found actually changed how I played the game. It really is an engaging combat system if you can get past that initial clunky hurdle.

Astral Chain also has a fairly compelling story that, at the very least, will draw you in from beginning to end. It’s not the Switch’s The Last of Us, but it’s a fun ride filled with satisfying, albeit predictable, outcomes. The Howard twins have a pretty wild adventure, and it’s one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Astral Chain.

5. Samurai Shodown

At PAX East 2019 I played Samurai Shodown for the first time, and I instantly saw its draw. It is such an approachable fighter, but has incredible amounts of depth. I feel like this description is apt for a lot of popular fighting games, but I think it is especially appropriate for SNK’s latest. Its slower pace, lack of crazy combos (i.e. Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct), and simple button inputs make Samurai Shodown so easy to pick up. But knowing when to strike, reading your opponent, and timing those super special moves is when things get a bit more advanced.

While my time with Samurai Shodown has dwindled since it launched earlier this year, it is a standout fighting game that is wholly unique. It is truly unlike anything else in the genre, especially in the competitive scene; it brings some variety to the typical lineup we come to expect. Sure, it may not be as hype as Tekken 7, but you better believe your heart will be racing after every round in Samurai Shodown.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Samurai Shodown.

4. NHL 20

Every year, I latch onto one sports game. In recent years, it has been one of the many entries from the MLB The Show and WWE 2K franchises. But since I didn’t get The Show this year, and WWE 2K20 was kind of a disaster, it was NHL 20 that took up much of my gaming time in 2019. I should preface by saying that I played this game when I felt my gaming time was limited. Turns out, I always felt like my gaming time was limited. I’ve played hours of EA’s hockey simulator, and it never felt like wasted time.

NHL 20 doesn’t do anything too out of the ordinary. After all, professional hockey has been and always will be professional hockey. But it was a solid version of that professional hockey experience filled with great features that go slightly beyond the traditional three-period matchup, namely with its additions to its CHEL suite of modes. Yes, I did play the battle royale inspired Ones Eliminator, and a whole lot of it too.

It also just feels like the best iteration in terms of gameplay. It hardly deviates from previous entries, but its moment-to-moment gameplay just feels more fluid, which is all I can really ask for. Also, my dreams can become a reality by bringing my poor Red Wings to the Stanley Cup Finals, because that is certainly not happening this year.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for NHL 20.

3. Devil May Cry 5

I don’t have much to say about Devil May Cry 5, except Dante impersonating Michael Jackson may be the best moment in gaming in 2019…

On a real level, Devil May Cry 5 has such diverse combat between the three playable characters, Nero, V, and Dante. Every character is unique, with their own moveset, movement, and metal jam to kill demons to. Imagine murdering demons while riding a motorcycle to the sweet sounds of deathcore. That is Devil May Cry 5, and it’s awesome.

It is also a testament to the RE Engine. While it was initially created for Resident Evil VII: biohazard, it has been implemented in other Capcom projects, including Devil May Cry 5. It’s a great indicator that this engine can do more than produce beautifully rendered dark and dingy zombie houses, and weird hillbilly freaks. It can handle all the wild combat you expect from an action game with hardly any hitches.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Devil May Cry 5.

2. Judgment

Oh, what a brilliant adventure that Ryu Ga Gotaku Studio has created. Every single piece of content in Judgment is why I play video games. There are so few games that really grab my attention the way Takayuki Yagami’s wild ride did. And I mean that generally, not just in 2019. What I’m saying is Judgment is one of the best games of the generation, and everyone should play it.

There is just so much to do in Judgment‘s Kamurocho and every piece of it is worth experiencing. You can go to one part of the map and play Virtua Fighter 5, and then go to another part and stop a group of perverts from ruining someone’s life. It is just varying degrees of ridiculous, with each activity being different from the rest. Yet, it manages to stay true to itself. Everything fits into Judgment‘s wild mold of Kamurocho.

Of course, there is a main story that maintains the goofiness the majority of Judgment upholds, all while telling a genuinely intriguing crime thriller narrative. I was so enthralled with Yagami’s personal story of defeat and his uphill battle to redeem himself to no one but himself. Alongside the whole serial murder plot, and some of the later portions of the story, I was captivated from the very first minute, and could not put the controller down.

To close this off, I want to show you a scene that brings me so much joy. When I am in a bad place, I just watch this scene, and I know everything will be okay. If you know anything of my interests, I think you can guess which scene this is. Yes, it is Yagami kicking ass while pulling off gnarly tricks on a skateboard. He does a kickflip while kicking a dude in the face.

HE DOES A FREAKING KICKFLIP WHILE KICKING A DUDE IN THE FACE!

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Judgment.

1. Mortal Kombat 11

When I initially made this list, I was sure Judgment was going to be my number one. It has everything I want in a video game. A good story, great writing, a private detective kicking a dude in a face while doing a kickflip on a skateboard. But no game has taken over my life like Mortal Kombat 11 did in 2019.

I’ve been a fighting game fan since I played Street Fighter 2 for SNES. But I was never a proficient fighting game player. Sure, I could do some work as Green Lantern in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe or as Donatello in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters, but I was never actually good. I just kind of pressed buttons and hoped things would work out.

That ended with Killer Instinct for Xbox One, when I actually decided to learn a character (in this case, Thunder) and try to actually play competitively. I wouldn’t say I was amazing, but I could pull off some gross combos if I was able to get that first hit in. Then Tekken 7 released in 2017 (which was also my number one game for that year), cementing the fighting game genre as my official personal favorite. Again, I was better than average with Hwoarang, but I wasn’t great. But that didn’t stop me from learning.

In a way, that beginning step of learning a fighting game’s mechanics and picking a “main” is something I look forward to. You bet when Granblue Fantasy: Versus and Guilty Gear: Strive release next year, I’ll be doing exactly that. Finding a character that perfectly flows with your play style is one of the most satisfying feelings you can ever have while playing a game, and fighting games are filled with those moments. Heck, even challenging yourself and trying to be proficient with a character that doesn’t flow with your playstyle is equally rewarding.

Which brings me to Mortal Kombat 11, a tour de force in the fighting game genre. Like any opinion on the internet, it’s subjective. I could see why someone would think Tekken 7, Street Fighter V, Samurai Shodown, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, or any of the numerous fighting games out there is the best. But it is Mortal Kombat 11 that gets that title for me. I absolutely love this game.

It goes back to that idea of finding a character that suits your playstyle. In Mortal Kombat 11, Kabal is that character for me. But unlike Donatello, Thunder, and Green Lantern, the former Black Dragon member’s moveset just instantly clicked with me. Sure, I learned a few combos, but everything about the character just made sense to me. I haven’t felt that sort of connection to a game since the very first Rock Band came out, and I was able to play drums. But that was just because I play drums, so naturally, it was easy to familiarize myself with Rock Band drums.

That isn’t to say I didn’t get wrecked online. I have certainly been destroyed by better people, and I don’t believe I can go to a competition and do well. But this is the first time I thought that I was genuinely good at a fighting game; not just scraping by with a few combos. I actually understand the rules of this game, and I know how to use them to my advantage. It just depends if the other person knows those rules better than I do.

I guess the best way I can wrap this up is with a brief story of when I played a ranked match at DualShockers Managing Editor Logan Moore’s apartment. As usual, I played as Kabal and was fighting against either a Noob Saibot or Liu Kang player. Honestly, I don’t remember. All I remember is the character opposite of me was annoying as hell.

On the third and final match, I tilted a man into losing, and it was one of the greatest gaming moments of my life. Why? 1) I tilted a grown man. 2) I definitely should not have one that match. 3) Logan and I were howling at the TV because the match was so ridiculously close. There was so much excitement, anxiety, and happiness in just that one moment, and I can’t think of any other video game that has provoked such a response from me in 2019.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Mortal Kombat 11.

Check out the rest of the DualShockers staff Top 10 lists and our official Game of the Year Awards:

December 23: DualShockers Game of the Year Awards 2019 December 25: Lou Contaldi, Editor-in-Chief // Logan Moore, Managing Editor December 26: Tomas Franzese, News Editor // Ryan Meitzler, Features Editor  December 27: Mike Long, Community Manager // Scott White, Staff Writer December 28: Chris Compendio, Contributor // Mario Rivera, Video Manager // Kris Cornelisse, Staff Writer December 29: Scott Meaney, Community Director // Allisa James, Senior Staff Writer // Ben Bayliss, Senior Staff Writer December 30: Cameron Hawkins, Staff Writer // David Gill, Senior Staff Writer // Portia Lightfoot, Contributor December 31: Iyane Agossah, Senior Staff Writer // Michael Ruiz, Senior Staff Writer // Rachael Fiddis, Contributor January 1: Ricky Frech, Senior Staff Writer // Tanner Pierce, Staff Writer

December 31, 2019 2:00 PM EST

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