#TJ Paradise

[hudgenssource]

vanessahudgens: Such an incredible launch for pineapple @caliwater with my bestie and partner @olivertrevena 🍍 thank you @thegeorgian for hosting us and all of my amazing friends that turned up to support 💛💛

#Vanessa Hudgens #Monique Coleman #Olesya Rulin #Bobby Newberry #TJ Paradise #Cali Water #Instagram #Gallery #Kaleo #Oliver Trevena

[hyland-er]

Sarah via Bobby Newberry’s Instagram Stories

#Sarah Hyland #Bobby Newberry #TJ Paradise #instagram #instagram story #gallery

[tisdale-mermaid]

#ashley tisdale #instagram story #tj paradise #May 7

[mechaknight-98]

Gathering act III: Titans’ nest

I stood before a stone-faced Yujin.

"Tj. I uh" she stammered."

"Can I ask one question... make it 2?" I ask

"Yeah?" Yujin says

"Does he treat you right, and does he treat the other girls right?" I ask

"Yes. He is an absolute gentleman." Yujin answers

I smile at Yujin before responding, "Well, then I have no other questions."

Yujin smiles then asks, "Well I have some questions. Why have you been avoiding me?" she says as she gets closer to me

I squint and reply, "The only day I avoided you was yesterday."

"So you admit it?" Yujin corners me and raises her question

"To yesterday no...wait that was three weeks ago now, and yes 100%! I admit to it, but I didn't know how to talk about this ( I gesture to the space around us), but that was the only day I was actively avoiding you. the rest has been weird happenstance." I say as I pace the office. escaping the corner she had put me in.

Yujin pouts and challenges, "Why we are adults we should be able to talk to each other maturely?"

"Yes, but I don't respond like an adult when I am feeling intense emotions. If I am being honest I don't think many people can, so I waited until I was in a "better place"" I explained

"So you're in a better spot now?" Yujin asked

"No but given the circumstances. I could be better but I will take what I can get, and right now I'm feeling good." I replied

Yujin began to laugh and said, "You know you think yourself Sultai but the more I see of your heart the more I see Abzan."

"Is that meant as an insult," I asked confused.

"No that's meant as a compliment, and I hope you keep that, and your blue flexibility," Yujin said before leaving. when the door closed Astrid breathed relieved

"I thought you were going to throw yourself out of the window," Astrid said.

"LOL," I responded.

Several days later Connor, Sakura, Dexter, Eunbi, Dami, Chaewon, Yujin, and her boyfriend (named AJay) were about to start a new commander game. They decided to do a two-headed dragon to stop the game from dragging.

Eunbi and Dexter were in the play. Dexter was doing a challenge with Connor and me where we chose a color combination we liked but were too scared to venture into. I was doing Abzan, Hence the Frodo, and Sam deck. Connor was trying Grixis, and Dex was doing Naya. Their commanders today are "Zevlor, Elturel Exile" (Connor), and "Pantlaza, Sun-Favored" (Dexter) Dexter starts with a Temple garden followed by a Kinjalli's Caller while Eunbi plays Command tower and an ornithopter. They pass to Yujin and Ajay. Yujin plays a Blood crypt untapped and loses two life, while Ajay plays a Savai Triome, and passes to Chaewon and Dami. Chaewon is excited to play the revamped Tuvasa deck I helped her with and plays Forest Sol ring and sol talisman. while Dami is more measured in playing Plains and an Esper Sentinel. this leaves Connor and Sakura. Sakura plays a Breeding Pool and Birds of Paradise, while Connor plays Swamp's dark ritual into a necropotence. he exiles three to get back to hand size and loses three lives.

"We have a threat now," Chaewon says excitedly.

"What, no this is just a value necropotence and not meant to get me ahead... Oh my god, I sound like Theo." Connor says which causes everyone present to laugh except Yujin who teased Connor, as she was usually paired with me.

"See it's not so fun is it when the shoe is on the other foot right." Yujin exclaimed

"Oh please it's completely TJ's fault he plays a high density of good cards," Dexter says.

"Yeah but how often did he win?" Yujin asked

"Well, when he was partnered with you he never lost, actually when he has played with anyone they don't lose. Huh weird."

"Well yeah, he is an excellent support player in that everything he does draws hate while his partner secures value off of it." Chaewon explained "Or he just overpowers everyone super fast." She added.

"Yeah." Yujin said confused, "Wait Unnie how did you know that?"

"Oh, the first game we all played together before he met you I was his partner. He also helped me with this deck as well."

"Really?" Yujin asked

"Yeah," Chaewon said. Sensing Ajay's discomfort Yujin changed the subject to the Mega Mixer.

"Oh that's going to be fun we are going to San Diego for it," Eunbi said excitedly.

“Wait isn’t that where Civy lives?” Chaewon asked

“Yeah we should totally call him up” Sakura says jovially

“Yeah since Astrid took him off of security.” Chaewon affirms.

“Wait who is Civy?” Yujin asks

“Oh he’s a psionic like dex and Connor and friend of ours we met a while ago.” Yunjin explained

“Why have we never heard or seen him?” Yujin asks

“He kinda keeps to himself and tries to fly under the radar.” Yunjin explained, “but don’t worry he’s cool. He plays mtg too. Although he plays a lot of different colors. He’s kinda our flex player wedge wise.” Yunjin adds

Dami nodded and said, "he’s also exceptionally helpful at deck building when he’s not teasing you, but yeah, I looked up the hotel we are staying in and it looks nice."

"I know right?" Sakura said, "Yeah Aren't you going Ajay?" she added

Ajay nodded. "Yeah, our Companies think it would be good to show us together."

the room went silent as that was mentioned. the game proceeded in a much less enthused manner after. The game ended with Eunbi and Dexter winning because of a lucky Maskwood nexus off a chaos warp by Connor that Dexter played an Apex devastator off of. which you could imagine what he got when he in response to the 5 cascade triggers cascade triggers cast Congregation at dawn. After the game Dami, Ajay, and Eunbi all had to leave. So that left the two LE Serrafim members Dexter, Connor, and Yujin. They all sat around discussing deck builds moving forward.

"All I know is I am never running Chaos Warp ever again," Connor said.

"Yeah that was bad for you, but you couldn't have known I had Apex devastator in hand." Dexter Consoled

"I should have figured when you tutored for it though and cast it. I should have countered the congregation at dawn though for sure." Connor lamented

"Yeah that was the more problematic card and what allowed me to win," Dexter affirmed

"Yeah," Yujin agreed.

"Hey, why couldn't you get a hold of TJ for our game?" Chaewon asked

"He was busy with Mixer stuff and had a date as well," Dexter answered

"Oh right. do we know the girl or guy?" Sakura asked

"No, he's been quite tight-lipped about the whole thing," Chaewon said

"Wait Why? TJ is usually super open about this kind of stuff?" Yujin asked

"I think it has something to do with seeing how the last one went and the hate it brought Yujin and him. Did you know he's still getting death threats from that?" Dexter said

"Wait he got Death threats?" Yujin and Chaewon asked worriedly.

"Yeah he didn't want either of you to worry though but he got a lot of them most of them stating something along the lines of "How dare you defile my goddess with your impurities" or just the classic I'll kill you" Connor explained.

"Wow. How Noble." Sakura said.

"So is his new main squeeze an idol?" Dexter asked

"Not a clue" Connor responds.

I sat next to Mina at the beach back in Cali. She looked gorgeous as always. She leaned in closer and grabbed my hand. she was always so touchy-feely, but I loved it. Honest. Today I just had a lot on my mind, Something about the Mixer seemed off. I mean we hadn't even met the sponsor yet, but honestly and I guess sadly that wasn't what was bothering me.

"Hey, you've been quiet. What's up?" Mina asked

"uh, it's nothing," I replied

"Jio we have been together for a month now. I know you clench your jaw and bite the side of your cheek when you're stressed about something. So please just tell. me." Mina questioned

"I played a couple of games before our date today at my LGS and I keep getting these weird vibes," I answer.

"How so?" Mina asks

I shrug and say "Well you know Galadriel light of Valinor. She does a lot and so I play her higher power, and I keep getting into these situations where I am winning with her consistently but people keep saying it's a fluke. So I am weird with the deck."

"Well, why don't you revamp your sultai deck?" Mina asks

"Honestly I probably should. that would probably have fewer problems but also playing at Higher Power has been super discouraging. it's like I feel like I am making all these strides but Everyone looks at me like I am garbage and I just don't know what to do. I love the game but the community makes me feel super wonky about it half the time." I respond

"Well, Why do you care about what other people say so much?" Mina asks

"I guess it's the social aspect, both ends of the spectrum believe in shaming to ensure their "rules are met." I just like playing weird and powerful cards, but others I guess do not like seeing them." I figured

"You certainly do like playing weird cards but that has been helpful for me to tune my decks because I definitely wouldn't have found Savage ventmaw and its combo without you," Mina affirmed. "I mean bootlegger's stash in a Frodo and Sam deck wild, but it works for you. So I think you should carve out your space, and not be "shamed" into playing like everyone else. you have a voice." Mina added

"Yeah, you're right. Mina." I affirm

Mina smiles and beams, "Yes I am. Now kiss me." I do as she asks, and after a few more hours of sunbathing Mina gets a call for her schedule. so I space-sift her back to her apartment. I accidentally scare Dahyun.

"I'll never get used to that," she says still startled.

"Sorry, Dahyun just didn't want your Unnie to be late."

"Thank you," Dahyun said sarcastically. I shrugged as I left. I didn't use the front door I just space sifted to the next thing I had to do. which was to meet up with Connor and Dexter and then pick up Mina again. Surprisingly Ajay and Emma were with them in the apartment.

"Hey Theo," they all said

"Wait so this is Theo?" Ajay said

"Yep, who's asking?" I replied

"I am Ajay Yujin's boyfriend." He said he was tall a couple of inches/ centimeters shorter than I but negligibly so.

"Okay cool," I responded

"That's it?" Ajay asked with slight disappointment

"Do you want a medal?" I ask

"I'd thought you'd be more reactive." He responded

"I am sorry but I have way too much on my plate to care," I responded

"Oh someone is snippy." Emma teased

"Yeah well the date I was on is paused until she is done with her schedule that she wasn't supposed to have, and as a result, I am here," I answered slightly annoyed

"Well sorry we interrupted you and..." Emma started the trailed off hoping I'd finish the statement for her

"Oh nice try but I am not revealing that," I say

"Why?" Ajay asks worried

"Scared she'll get stolen?" Erin teases

"Yes, but also no because I love her so much. Also, Also...she likes her privacy so I will not be putting her in a bad spot just to brag." I reply

"That's more maturity than I thought you were capable of." Erin said, then she looked at me, "Oh my god she doesn't exist." Erin added

I groan before looking at my phone to see a text from my lovely "non-existent girlfriend" She was at a photo shoot and the text said, "I will be ready in 45 minutes." I sent a thumbs up back and a "I'll be there in 50 minutes."

"So what was it you all needed help with you only really call me when ya'll need my help."

"Well we have this friend who we've been playing against she is a bant player she has a Shanna Purifying blade deck, that she keeps beating us with. You play Bant so we wanted your help." Connor asked.

I shrugged. "Sorry, I have no experience with Shanna." I knew who they were talking about but again because I knew who they were talking about I wasn't going to help them trample her fun. So I decided to tell the truth that "I" had no experience with the deck.

"Who did we know that plays a Shanna deck?" I ask feigning ignorance

"Oh, she is someone out here we play with when we aren't playing with you," Connor says

"Oh, you're having games without me. how scandalous." I tease

"You're enjoying this?" Erin asks

"Yeah, a little bit. I am glad I am not the only one giving y'all trouble." I got up and began pacing the apartment.

"Wait why aren't you asking who it is? You're a Bant Player." Connor noticed.

"No, I am and always will be a Sultai player first and foremost. Mostly with a Green lean." I correct. "Regardless I hope you figure out whatever you need to beat her," I say casually. after that, I got up and was about to say something when the wind held a faint chill. It was familiar, and before I knew it I was back in a familiar place.

"Hello, Son," Izanami said.

I turned from the way I was facing and said, "Hey Mom. What's up?"

"I don't want you to worry but something is coming for you," Izanami said

"What is it?" I ask

"Remember when I told you that when you drink from the Yomi pool you'd always have a foot in the beyond and one in the known?"

"Yes," I groan.

"Well, your actions and pursuit of balance have garnered the attention of beings more ancient than I," Izanami said

"Like what," I ask skeptically

"I think it's better if you see for yourself," Izanami said before whisking me away to another space.

My eyes opened to be surrounded by more darkness, and from that darkness, two eyes sprang out. Followed by significantly more ( I counted 18). the eyes glowed a similar color to mine when I used my Psionic powers. the eyes flickered brighter. I took a step and felt the floor beneath me sink...no give the floor had a formlessness to it that seemed to be accommodating to the beast. or maybe this was all my mind could process at the moment.

"you are an interesting young one. Raised in the Drought of growth, trained by Wisdom's shadow, and favored by Death unending. A contradiction to most. Yet you persist. Why." The beast asked

"because I have no other choice," I responded

The eyes laugh as they eyes close I gain a peer into the rest of the beast. it is immense. it seemed to be a creature with antlers but I saw numerous figures and faces including but not limited to; an anaconda, a bison, a crocodile, an elephant, a kangaroo, a shark, a turtle, and a Brachisaurus. it was hard to tell what all the faces and body pieces were exactly as it covered itself in shadow, and the little light its eyes gave made something visible. The other notable feature was the coral that seemed to align its spine

"The fight for ultimate survival is always an interesting plight you humans cling to." The creature said "It makes your tales so much more intriguing especially those of you that rise beyond what we believe you to be capable of, but alas there is an interloper in your mist. She bares a face you may recognize. she has abandoned her post as a watcher like me, and so I must intervene, but I need an arbiter as I can not intervene directly less I abandon my role and fall to similar ranks as her. So I reach out to the one bearing my will." The creature explains

"That was cryptic and confusing," I reply

"Oh sorry, I forget humans' minds are often feeble." The beast responds

"It's not that you didn't say anything clearly. I get you want me to do something what is it?" I ask

"I am a species that exists beyond the stars, and I am in pursuit of another of my kind who has abandoned her post. She has taken up the role of instigator. She has chosen to guide humans as opposed to the rest of my species who merely watch." The creature said

"Why me though?" I asked

"Because you understand my will, and desires for the world." The beast said

"But wouldn't this be interloping?" I ask the beast.

"No, it is a restoration."

"Okay," I say The beast's tone was interesting and could be best described as one voice scattered among many mouths. so there was always this weird echo. "So what do I get out of this ?" I ask

"I should have figured your ravenous nature would take precedence." The beast laughs

"I'd like your help with that?" I ask

"Oh, really why?" the beast questions confused

"I know my hunger is self-destructive. it drives me to want it all, but never know what "it" even is. It has led me to pursue more power than I would ever need, and yet I crave more. It has alienated me from loved ones because I am in a constant of wanting something from them whether that hunger is validation from people who will never give me it, or solace that they would rather die than relent. I want this feeling of discomfort that has pushed me to consume and I want it gone. I want contentment. I want that feeling of Hunger that ravenous desire to be used for something other than wanton destruction I want it to be constructive or at least the path to it. If you can't get rid of it." I say

"But why? Your hunger is constructive. From what I have seen hunger is a tool to destroy the imperfect present by consuming it bit by bit and making tomorrow better. Look at all of those you have helped by eating away at the dead and decaying." The beast said

As the creature spoke images flashed into my mind of how my desires have helped others.

"So the way I see it, you are where you want to be, and I think you could be doing more. So my trade for you is simple. I will make you more ravenous and your strength will become equal to your rate of esurience. for each meal you complete you will grow in proportion to that meal so you may never be content nor satiated." The beast said.

"That is not helpful at all but I'll make it work I guess. So what am I up against?" I say

"You will know." the beast said cryptically. and a haze of teal surrounded me.

"One last question. What are you what is your name?" I ask

"I have had many names but the one I prefer is Wendigo." The beast says

I blink several times, then reply "Um you know what that means or is right?"

"Yes I am aware of how humans perceive me, but I would like to ask one thing. When you are chasing your appetites do you lack vision, do you lack purpose?" The beast replies

"No, I suppose not, but there is always that emptiness after I indulge," I answer blankly, as I do I sit down in the shapeless and formless void

"and so how do you remedy that?" The beast asks

"By finding a new appetite, but what good is that if I am always chasing?" I answer dejected

"it's simple. those who always chase have a goal. it's those who chase mindlessly and not out of a need that has twisted my visage and image. Consider this human if I was truly such a terrible beast why haven't I consumed you whole and made you my vessel? Why go through the process of partnering with you?" The beast asks

"It makes hunting your next target easier. " I guess

"Yes, and why make my Chase harder fighting you when I can grant you the strength to accomplish what those others could not?" The beast asks

I scratched my head taken aback by that. "Growth and Hunger are always tied and when you separate them madness ensues." I realized something about the beast and as I did the world shifted.

"Wake up TJ. Wake up." I heard voices around me say as I opened. I sat up and the first thing besides a profound desire to play some commander and kiss Mina was an intense hunger and pain. I got up and looked around for anything to eat. the pain was so intense that I actually couldn't hear anything anyone was saying to me. I took out my phone.

"Is there anything to eat near here that's like high in calories?" I ask my friends as I look on my phone for food places.

"Um yeah but we need to talk(they say more words but my brain stopped reporting them to my consciousness)..."

"Where ooh steak house that should work," I say salivating excessively like I am going to vomit. it was weirdly soothing. While I was getting a reservation I got a call from Mina

#kpop fanfic #fanfic #edh #mtg commander #twice mina #twice fanfic #ive fanfic #ive yujin #le sserafim yunjin

[inanimatetffantasies]

It was just my birthday. I was hoping to get a late gift and to spend some time on the feet of a sexy athlete. Think you can help with that?

Hey bizzy! I only saw that now but I will make it worth the wait. As soon as I read the request from bizz, I focus and snap my fingers. Bizz seems to disappear into thin air in front of me. I casually sit down with a satisfied grin, saying "Happy belated Birthday, Bizz"

Bizz feels disoriented but quickly realised he was in a completely different environment. Then, he realized he could not move. He wondered what was going on. What did Corey do to him?

It's thoughts were broken by a rhythmic stomping sound. As it got closer, he saw the face of a god looking down at him. The face of TJ Watt.smilung down.

The beefy athlete saw a fresh pair of shoes and a card laying on the cold concrete floor of his gym. He picked up the card and read it. "A gift from a special friend, enjoy him - C" "Him?" Watt grumbled to himself. Who referred to a pair of shoes as a him? Oh well. Watt shrugged and used his massive strong hands to grab the footwear and try the pair on.

The shoes that used to be bizz braced themselves as they saw a colossal meaty foot enter them. The feet filled both of the shoes to the limit. The mighty toes tapping the insole as the heavy heels pressed down on the memory foam material that now made up Bizz's face. Bizz was overloaded with sensations. The taste of the salty salt that his insole face absorbed greedily, the crushing weight of Watts entire being upon him, the woody, cheesy aroma of the gods musk surrounding his entire shoe body. To say it was an incredible experience would be an understatement.

JJ sat down on a bench, relieving some of the pressure, and smiled after testing his new gear.

After a quick break, Watt got up and started training for physical conditioning and cardio.

A workout was the perfect opportunity to break in his new pair. He ran and jogged and stomped and walked and strolled throughout his routine. He worked up a sweat as he crushed his soles against his Bizz Brand shoes mercilessly. The shoes were in an overload of raw ecstasy, and bring turned on by the godly feet that used him as just the objects he now was.

Bizz's mind was shattered by just one workout with his owner. His mind wanted, craved, and needed Watts feet. The raw sexual feeling along with the humiliation and pleasure was all his mind knew.

Watt always kept that pair of shoes, his favourite and muskiest pair. He wore them often, completely ignorant that he and his glorious feet was providing a kinky paradise to the broken soul trapped with his favourite pair of footwear...

#inanimate tf #inanimate transformation #shoe tf

[valpoupdates]

RESIDENT OF THE MONTH : FEBRUARY 2024 .

Congratulations to our February 2024 Resident of the Month recipient, Leon Amos ! One resident rockstar brings as much laughter as he does trouble to the Valpo region. Leon is the kind of person who is never short on friends, and always has a door open to the firneds or friendly faces who are looking for a good time. Happy that you've chosen the Valpo region to search for your own paradise, Leon ! / ( @hecticlife )

OOC NOTE:

TJ !!!! You've been such a delight from the day you joined and the admins wanted to make sure you were aware of it ! From the day you joined you hit the ground running with plotting messages, starters, replies, and you haven't stopped since ! When we talk about our welcoming and inclusive our members are this is exactly what we mean. Thanks for being with us and we hope you're having a great time !

#valporotm #THIS WAS MEANT TO BE POSTED 3 DAYS AGO #SORRY GOT SO BUSY #BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO BE HERE NONETHELESS #!

[w-tsugua]

9 people you’d like to know better

Tagged by @winnie-the-monster so sweet! My inbox is open :)

Three Ships:

1. Polin (duh)-Bridgerton

2. Nick & Charlie ( I refuse to refer to them as Narlie)-Heartstopper

3. Jane & August-One Last Stop (such a story there)

First ever ship:

The first one I can remember is Dean and Castiel from Supernatural

Last song: Paradise by Anderson Rocio

Last Film: Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Currently reading: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Currently watching: (mostly rewatching because my anxiety won’t allow new stimuli at the moment) Lucifer, Heartstopper, Fleabag, Steven Universe, Adventure Time.

Currently consuming: Peanut M&Ms

Currently craving: An indica chocolate bar

Tagging: @nevermorered @lillywhitefield @castlefied @pensbridgrton @fabesrutter @flamedork @jeffreyfrancoeur @ktbeets

#tag game #i was tagged #respond or don’t #entirely your choice #it just seemed fun :) #I know it said 9 but I like even numbers

[thelonecalzone]

At long last, here is the official reading list for There'll Be Some Changes Made, and a few recommendations from some of the readers! It's long, so hopefully there's a little something for everyone.

Thank you again to the wonderful readers, both for your encouragement, and for helping me compile this list <3

Recommendations (Named Throughout TBSCM)

The Pearl - John Steinbeck The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune The Great Alone - Kristin Hannah The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde Upon the Blue Couch - Laurie Kolp In the Dream House - Carmen Maria Machado The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith Paradise Rot - Jenny Hval Tipping the Velvet - Sarah Waters Fingersmith - Sarah Waters Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit - Jeanette Winterson Rubyfruit Jungle - Rita Mae Brown Under the Udala Trees - Chinelo Okparanta In at the Deep End - Kate Davies Some Girls Do - Jennifer Dugan This is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid Lavender House - Lev AC Rosen My Brilliant Friend - Elena Ferrante Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe - Fannie Flagg Straight Jacket Winter - Esther DuQuette and Gilles Poulin-Denis

Source Books (Referenced, but not named)

The Odyssey - Homer The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman The Glass Menagerie - Tennessee Williams Hamlet - William Shakespeare The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald Come Along with Me - Shirley Jackson (unfinished novel) We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson A Certain Hunger - Chelsea G. Summers The Poison Garden - AJ Banner

Honorable Mentions:

The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson Different Class - Joanne Harris The Lost Girls of Ireland (Book 1) - Susanne O’Leary The Girl Next Door - Jack Ketchum The Broken Girls - Simone St. James Dear Fahrenheit 451 - Annie Spence The Canterville Ghost - Oscar Wilde One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston Ash - Malinda Lo Everything Leads to You - Nina LaCour Camp Slaughter - Sergio Gomez The Silence of the Girls - Pat Barker The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka A Slow Fire Burning - Paula Hawkins The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory The Miseducation of Cameron Post - Emily M. Danforth Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

Banished (Under the Coffee Table) Books - DO NOT READ:

Ulysses - James Joyce Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara The Hunting Party - Lucy Foley My Sister’s Keeper - Jodi Picoult The Book Thief - Markus Zusak In the Darkroom - Susan Faludi Marley & Me - John Grogan

Recs from Fellow Readers

Things We Lost in the Fire - Marina Enriquez Her Body and Other Parties - Carmen Maria Machado The Well of Loneliness - Radclyffe Hall Stone Butch Blues - Leslie Feinberg Mouthful of Birds - Samantha Schweblin  The Safety of Objects - A.M. Homes Crush - Richard Siken The Taming of the Shrew - Shakespeare I’ve Got a Time Bomb - Sybil Lamb The Thing Around Your Neck - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Last Night at the Telegraph Club - Malinda Lo Sadie - Courtney Summers The Messy Lives of Book People - Phaedra Patrick The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires - Grady Hendrix The Final Girl Support Group - Grady Hendrix The Lying Lives of Adults - Elena Ferrante They Were Here Before Us - Eric LaRocca The Patience Stone - Atiq Rahimi Agamemnon - Aeschylus Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead - Tom Stoppard Cat's Eye - Margaret Atwood Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz's poetry - (start with "You Foolish Men") The poems of Sappho - (“Anactoria”, the book of fragments, and “Goatherd” specifically)

#kcfh #kevin can fuck himself #kcfh fanfic #there'll be some changes made #tbscm #pattison #allison x patty #reading list

[amielot]

Oh! I got tagged. Thank you, @teejaystumbles :) and @delta-pavonis as well because they did a blanket statement of, “if you see this post, you are now tagged” XD

Rules: Tag 10 (or less) people you want to get to know better

relationship status: single, I’m sooooo busy. But a relationship might be nice to have in the future someday.

favourite colour: Love me a pastel purple!

song stuck in my head: The “Big Jaws” song from “You are Umasou”

three favourite foods:  OOF This is tough, there’s… so many good foods.

Google “silver pallet grand marnier apricot stuffing“ replace grand marnier with 1 & 1/2 cup (355 ml) orange triple-sec and a few TBS (30 ml) concentrated orange juice, it’s cheaper and changes very little. giblets are not required.  (praying I did the metric conversions right)

yellowtail sushi with a’lil green onion on top,

Rhubarb crumble.

last song I listened to: “Raft” by Yan Vann der Cruyssen

dream trip: I would love to travel through Ireland or Germany at some point. It’s something i’ve been meaning to do for awhile. recommendations are welcome!

last thing(s) i googled: “that bird of paradise that does the funny dance”

Tagging: I don't know who has been tagged already, so feel free to participate or not as you please! Absolutely no pressure 👍 @tharkuun, @formlessvoidbeast, @approxtwelveangrybees, @silver-dream89, @monstravat, @fishfingersandscarves, @moorishflower, @tj-dragonblade, @fulcrvm, @banancrumbs and anyone else who wants to!!

[bachaboska]

Explore my bookshelf!

Tagged by @meadowlarkx 😘

An estimate of how many physical books I own: I have no idea and I will not count them so lets say 250.

Favorite author: I would say Jamie O'Neill but I also really enjoy books from Sarah Monette (Katherine Addison), Marlon James, Michael Nava, Colm Tóibín, Elizabeth Bear.

A popular book I've never read and never intend to read: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (when I want to suffer I just think about my financial situation - I don't need a book for that) and My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh.

A popular book I thought was just meh: Everything I've read so far by TJ Klune, Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse.

Longest book I own: To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara or the compiled editions of all of the Trilogy books by Henryk Sienkiewicz.

Longest series I own all the books to: I can't really afford buying books for longer series - sometimes I get one of them from the used bookstore and then borrow the rest from the library or my friends. My bookshelves look like a battlefield - random tomes of different series scattered all over the place.

Prettiest book I own: I recently got Radical Love by Neil Blackmore and I think looks pretty good.

A book or series I wish more people knew about: At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill (I need to reread this book), The Bone Key by Sarah Monette, Tall Bones by Anna Bailey, and Bel Dame Apocrypha series by Kameron Hurley.

Book I'm reading now: Seep by Chana Porter. It's really interesting so far.

Book that's been on my TBR list for a while but I still haven't got around to it: I really need to get to Pilcrow by Adam Mars-Jones.

Do you have any books in a language other than English: In Polish.

Paperback, hardcover, or ebook? Depends on what I'm in the mood for.

Tagging @stellasapiente - tell me about your books Alice!

#my stuff #thank you for tagging me Chela!

[selkies-world]

My To-Read list for 2024

(A work in progress)

[Please reblog / comment / message / etc., with more recommendations]

The Night Manager (John le Carŕe)

The Little Drummer Girl (John le Carŕe)

The Exorcist (William Peter Blatty)

The House of Silk (Anthony Horowitz)

An Enchanted Evening (Anton duBeke)

The Illiad (Homer) (Peter Green version)

The Odyssey (Homer) (Peter Green version)

The Agony and The Ectasy (Irving Stone)

Prophet (Sin Blanché & Helen Macdonald)

American Gods (Neil Gaimen)

Paradise Lost (John Milton)

The Lives of Puppets (TJ Klune)

It (Stephen King)

American Gods (Neil Gaimen)

If you'd like to send in recommendations for this list based on things I haven't read, be my guest. If you'd like to base your recommendation on a list of books I know & love, continue reading below the cut.

Thank you!

Favourite books of all time

[In no particular order]

The Tarot Sequence (K.D. Edwards)

The Starless Sea (Erin Morgenstern)

The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern)

The Captive Prince trilogy (C.S. Pacat)

All For The Game trilogy (Nora Sakavic) [outgrown, but will always love]

The House in the Cerulean Sea (TJ Klune)

Under the whispering door (TJ Klune)

The Divine Comedy (Dante Alighieri)

The Raven Cycle (Maggie Stiefvator) [outgrown, but will always love]

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness (Michelle Paver) [outgrown, but will always love]

The song of Achilles (Madeline Miller)

Other areas of interest for recommendations include (but are not limited to):

Bones and All (Camille DeAngelis)

Anything by Edgar Allen Poe

Dark fantasy

Religion

Myths

Queer Platonic Relationships

Queer romance

Sympathy for the monsters

Icarus

Adventure

Suspense

Horror

Classics

Graphic novels (currently loving The Sandman, by Neil Gaimen)

Alternate history

History interwoven with fantasy

Creatures

My only request is: no YA / teen protagonists, please!

#book recommendations #fantasy books #classics #classic literature

[hudgenssource]

bobbynewberry: The best night ever…. 🪩👽🫠 @beyonce you are EVERYTHING. My heart is so full. We danced and lived our lives all night. I will never forget this moment. Wow just wowwwww. I’m still fully gagged.

#Vanessa Hudgens #Bobby Newberry #Alexandra Shipp #TJ Paradise #Instagram #Gallery

[wild-karrde]

One Step at a Time - Part 5

Master List | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

A/N: As always, thank you to my absolutely wonderful beta-reader @teletraan-meets-jarvis for giving this chapter a read for me (and for being a perpetually willing person to bounce ideas off of. I APPRECIATE YOU, TJ!)

Chapter Rating: T

Warnings: language, canon-typical violence

Word Count: 6.2k words

Sorgan was not at all the green, sunny paradise from Chuckles’s dream. At least not initially.

“ARNI! MAKE SURE NITA’S STRAPPED IN AND THEN GET YOUR CHEEKS IN THIS SEAT!” Chuckles shouted as his knuckles turned white around the freighter’s steering yoke. The ship rocked in Sorgan’s stormy atmosphere, the winds seemingly buffeting the ship from every angle. Chuck swore under his breath as his eyes flicked over to the guidance display, trying to find a more favorable place to bring the ship down through the storm. Lightning flashed outside the port window, and he felt himself flinch involuntarily at the instantaneous crack of thunder that followed. His clenched teeth creaked and his hands clenched the controls slightly tighter as Arni practically dove into the co-pilot seat next to him, yanking the flight harness over their shoulders. Nita squealed as another massive bolt of lightning ripped across the column of clouds in front of them. 

“What do we do when we’re scared honey?” Chuckles asked over his shoulder. “You got my bucket?” 

“Yeah.” Nita’s voice quaked, but Chuckles tossed a quick glance backwards and smirked as Nita’s honey gold eyes disappeared under his helmet. Her voice continued to shake as she began to sing. 

“I’ve been to many moons and all the stars in the sky…”

Chuck grinned at the familiar song. I really need to teach her some more songs. Bet Arni knows a few. The kid’s a walking archive. 

Arni swallowed hard, and he felt them look at him for direction. “See if you can find us a hole in this storm to drop in and a flat place to land,” he instructed under his breath. “A clearing or forest edge would be preferable so we can maybe shield the ship under a tree or something.” 

The young Twi’lek nodded, swiveling the guidance display to face them before furrowing their eyebrows in concentration. “Looks like the clouds thin out about thirty degrees east of your current heading.” 

“Swinging thirty east,” Chuck confirmed, tilting the steering column. “Dropping to 2000 meters altitude.” 

“There’s a clearing three klicks north. Should be able to land there.” 

Chuck nodded, easing the ship lower. Rain began to slap loudly against the hull of the ship as he dropped below the cloud cover, and the wind picked up, rocking the ship back and forth even more violently. The emerald tree tops of Sorgan’s forests seemed to reach up through the mist and fog like spindly fingers as Chuckles continued to ease the ship down, his eyes scanning for the gap in the trees Arni had mentioned.

“You sure it was three klicks, kid? I feel like we should see it by now.”

Arni squinted at the nav display a little harder, punching a few buttons. “Yeah, should be dead ahead, about a quarter click I think.” They glanced over the top of the display, their eyes scanning the ground below before they extended a long, thin blue arm and pointed. “Maybe in that gap where it’s just fog and no treetops are poking through.” 

Chuckles followed the line their finger indicated, spotting the gap in the treetops. “Alright, bringing her down. We’ll try to park under the far edge under the trees there.” The ship dropped down into the fog with a low rumble. Suddenly, there was a sickening metallic squeal and the entire freighter began to roll to the right. Branches ripped through the gloom, slamming into the front viewport. Nita screamed and Chuck swore, a sweat breaking out across his palms as he tried to keep the freighter upright. 

“ARNI, WHAT HAPPENED? I THOUGHT THIS WAS A CLEARING?”

The young Twi’lek’s eyes were wide, frantically flicking across the display. “I… I… I was-”

“HANG ON!” Chuck braced his heels against the floor as he pulled back on the steering mechanism, trying to regain some altitude. The ship’s engine roared, but on the starboard side, the normal roar was quieter, interrupted by a loud, irregular whirring and clattering. Tree limbs slammed against the transparisteel, leaves smearing across the wet surface and sticking. “We’re losing altitude and starboard engine’s out. We need to set her down. Now. Everyone brace!” Chuckles shouted. Arni’s eyes grew impossibly wider. 

“I’m sorry,” they whispered. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” 

Chuck’s eyes were focused on the altimeter. “100 meters… 50… 20… Here we go.” 

Kamino’s waves raced up towards his trainer as the ship plummeted downwards in an uncontrolled spin. His hands fumbled for the eject cable. He pulled. Something was wrong. He pulled again. The eject sequence started. But his cockpit viewport didn’t budge. The ejection charges under his seat ignited. His canopy was just beginning to open. His helmet wasn’t on all the way yet… 

The ship crashed into the ground, bouncing once and then skidding into a line of tree trunks. It rocked against the timber before slamming back down and coming to rest in the mud. Chuck tried to steady his breathing, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply before releasing the controls and the memory that had come rushing to the front of his mind. His fingers inadvertently drifted to touch the scar that tore across his cheek from one corner of his mouth. He exhaled sharply.   

Not your best landing. But definitely not your worst.  

Nita whimpered quietly. Chuckles’s eyes snapped back open. He ripped off his flight harness, turning to Arni and gripping their shoulders. Their cheeks were tear stained as Chuckles’s eyes roved over them, hands cupping their face and turning their head back and forth, inspecting them. “Are you hurt?” he asked quietly. 

“I’m sorry,” they repeated.

“Arni. Are you hurt?” 

Arni swallowed hard, shaking their head. “I don’t think so,” they rasped. 

“Wait here for a second.” Chuckles scrambled across the floor on unsteady legs to where Nita was strapped into her jumpseat. He knelt in front of her, carefully removing his helmet from her head and then the flight harness. Her silver hair was mussed and her lip was trembling. Her golden eyes were wide with fear. Chuckles looked her over carefully as well. 

No blood. There’s that at least.

“Are you more hurt or more scared, honey?” he asked quietly. 

A tear slid from Nita’s eye, tracing down her cheek. Chuckles cupped her face, brushing it away with his thumb. “Nita. Are you hurt? I need to know.”

She took a deep shuddering breath, her eyes darting over his shoulder to where Arni sat watching them with a look of horror on their face. “More scared,” she said, but Chuck didn’t miss the way she cradled her left arm to her chest slightly. Her eyes met his, almost pleading, and he understood. 

“Arni, can you see if you can get the hatch open?” he called over his shoulder.

“Is she-”

“She’s alright. Just a bit shook up. See what you can do about the hatch.”

Arni hesitated, watching them carefully for another moment before standing from their seat and limping towards the ship’s main door. 

“Your ankle-” Chuck started.

“It’s fine,” Arni cut him off. They punched the buttons to open the hatch, and the door shrieked in protest but slid upward. “Ramp’s not working though,” they murmured.

Chuckles watched them for a moment, but the look on their face made it clear pressing them about the ankle was the wrong move. He sighed. “Take the tool kit and see if you can find the problem.”

“Yes sir,” Arni said quietly. Chuckles knew they didn’t mean it maliciously, but the words cut him anyway. Before he could think of a response, the young Twi’lek had dragged the tool kit out the hatch and dropped down out of view. 

Chuckles sighed again. One step at a time. 

He turned back to Nita. “Alright, let me see your arm, honey.” 

“I didn’t want them to know,” Nita said softly. “They think it’s their fault.” 

“It wasn’t,” Chuckles said gently. “We’ll get them fixed up next. But right now, I need you to tell me how you got hurt.” He reached for her hand, and she flinched when he took her arm and carefully rolled up her sleeve. The little Pantoran sucked in a sharp breath as another tear leaked from her eye. 

“When the ship rolled over, I fell on it hard,” she said, her voice shaking. 

Chuckles cautiously ran his hands over her forearm, gently feeling for anything out of place and watching her reactions. Nita didn’t wince again until he got to her wrist, squeezing her eyes shut when he flexed the joint slightly.

“Can you make a fist for me?” he asked. Nita did her best, but it was clear the effort was hurting her. “Can you wave your hand up or down at all or rotate it?” Chuckles requested. The little Pantoran screwed up her face and tried, but whimpered when her wrist was moved at all. He rested his hand on her shoulder. “Alright, that’s ok. You don’t have to do any more.”

“Is it broken?” she asked fearfully. 

“It might be. We’ll keep an eye on it. Lucky for you, I’ve broken enough bones in my time to know how to splint a wrist,” he joked, standing and going to retrieve the medkit. “I was the main reason our twin medics got their names.” He clicked open the medkit and began digging around for the materials he needed. 

“What were their names?” Nita asked, wiping her nose. 

“Sticks and Stones,” Chuckles replied, grinning. “Because-”

“Sticks and stones may break your bones?” 

“Yeah. Exactly that.”

“But they were medics? They shouldn’t be breaking bones.”

Chuckles giggled lightly as he set out a bandage. “I was pretty reckless in my training days. The rest of my squad was too, but I was definitely the worst, always coming in with broken fingers or toes. Nothing too serious. A broken nose once, and a busted collar bone on one really bad fall. They got so sick of seeing me that they threatened to give me a real break if I didn’t stop being such a jack-... such an idiot.” He placed the splint against her wrist and she inhaled sharply. “I know, I know. I’m sorry. Just a sec.” Gingerly, Chuckles began wrapping the bandage around her arm. 

“What are they like?” Nita asked, digging her teeth into her lower lip while Chuckles wrapped. 

“Sticks is a bit of a stick in the mud, pun intended. He was always the most annoyed with me, scolding me and muttering while he fixed me up. Stones was…” His eyes flicked to the magenta star halfway down the back of his helmet as he remembered painting it. “He was brave. A bit reckless, like me. Always had the best jokes though. And a stash of candy hidden in the medbay. He and Sticks would bicker all the time, but they were best friends, even if they were very different. Stones was always the first one to run in and look for those that needed his help.” 

“Is he one of your stars?” she asked. Chuckles’s eyes met hers. “Arni told me what they mean,” she said quietly. With her uninjured hand, she reached over, brushing her palm across the scuffed symbols painted on plastoid. “That’s a lot of stars.”

“It is. And they all burned brightly.” A lump unexpectedly rose in his throat.

“What happened to Stones?” Nita asked. 

“He and Sticks were deployed with our wing one mission. Normally they hung back at Coruscant, but not that time. Guess it was supposed to be a large campaign, so they figured having more medics on hand would be a good idea. We were sent out in our fighters while they stayed behind on our Venator to prepare for incoming wounded from the ground assault. Unfortunately, while the fighters were deployed, the Separatists attacked the fleet. They were almost defenseless until we could turn around and hustle back. Our Venator was hit pretty badly. Sticks was in the medbay, but Stones was going out to find wounded throughout the ship. There was one hallway going up in flames, and he was helping move wounded out of it. The hull had been weakened in the attack already, and unbeknownst to the troopers, a gas line had been hit. The gas was leaking into the hallway and finally floated to where the flames were, and that was all it took. The explosion breached the hull, and about a dozen of my brothers were killed instantly. The airlock was able to seal and keep the whole ship from going up, but Stones had just gone back in for more wounded a few seconds before the explosion happened.” Chuckles’s eyes burned, and he huffed out a laugh. “The supporting officer had told him it wasn’t safe, but he was stubborn. Apparently told the admiral if it wasn’t safe for him, then it was even less safe for his brothers that were hurt. He really gave him what for with a few choice words before ignoring orders and going back in. And that was that.” Chuck’s voice trailed off as he got lost in the memory. 

The way Sticks was standing in the hangar when we got back. We all knew.

“Stones was very brave,” Nita stated after a few moments. 

“Yup.” Chuckles’s voice cracked. “He was.” 

“Like you.” 

“Probably braver.” 

“You saved us when you didn’t have to.” 

Chuck paused, looking up at her. “Of course I did. There was no way I was going to leave you.” He finished wrapping her bandage. “I was trained to help people, to keep them safe at any cost, just like Stones. You and Arni needed help, so in that moment, there was never a doubt in my mind about what was going to happen next. We were all getting out together or we weren’t getting out at all.” He gently squeezed her fingertips. “Not too tight?” 

She shook her head. “No. It’s fine.” Nita raised her head and sniffled. “You should go find Arni.” 

Chuckles pushed himself to his feet. “Will you be alright in here?” 

Nita nodded. 

“Alright. I’ll be right back. Maybe take a look around and see if anything else looks too broken.” 

She nodded again, hopping out of her seat and carefully picking her way towards the back of the ship. Probably to grab some snacks first, Chuck thought as he picked up the medkit and headed for the hatch. 

The rain was still falling in heavy curtains outside, and the sound of droplets hitting the leaves in the trees overhead filled the air along with an inescapable damp chill. Chuck leaned against the hull for a moment, his eyes scanning the outside, searching for any sign of the young blue Twi’lek. 

“Arni!?” he called. 

No footprints in the mud. Where the kriff is that kid?

A shuffling sound underneath him caught his attention, and he noted a pair of muddy boots poking out from underneath the ship. Hopping out of the hatch, he crouched down and peered underneath. Arni had propped themself up against one of the tree roots the ship was balanced on and was working at a panel they’d pried open on the underside. They didn’t look at Chuck as he squatted down and shuffled under the ship next to them, dragging the medkit behind him. He noted Arni had their left leg propped up on part of the root and wasn’t really moving it. 

“You gonna let me work on that ankle?” he asked softly. 

“S’fine,” Arni muttered. 

“I saw you favoring it.”

“I said it’s fine.” 

Chuckles’s mouth dropped open a little bit at the frustrated tone in the youngling’s voice. The kid’s never had an attitude before. He watched Arni for a few more seconds, their brow furrowed and their tongue poking out as they worked at some component in the panel. Suddenly, a shower of sparks shot out, and the Twi’lek yelped, stuffing burned fingers into their mouth, but not before swearing loudly. 

“Dank FARRIK!” 

Chuck remained silent despite his shock at the curse. Arni’s eyes flicked up to him as they slipped their fingers out of their mouth to examine the burns on their fingertips before they heaved a frustrated sigh, leaning forward and hiding their face in their hands gingerly. Chuck carefully shuffled forward with the medkit before plopping in the mud next to Arni, his back resting against the tree root. Without a word, he reached over, taking Arni’s thin hand in his and turning it over. There was a cut on their index finger and a few bubbling blisters already beginning to rise on the pads of that finger and their middle one. Chuckles popped open the medkit and rooted around for bacta before carefully applying some to the burns, rubbing gently at the damaged skin. Arni was quiet, their head still hanging as Chuckles worked, bandaging the fingers gently before reaching over to their other hand and beginning the process over. 

“You know, it’s alright to make mistakes,” Chuckles said quietly after he’d applied bacta again. “We all do it. Me especially. It’s not the end of the galaxy.” 

Arni huffed. “I wrecked the ship.” 

“Actually, I wrecked the ship seeing as I was the pilot.” The burns weren’t as bad on this hand, so Chuck used only a little bacta before beginning to bandage. “You know what happened?” 

Arni nodded. “I had the scale off. I zoomed in on the display and I didn’t realize it had adjusted the scale as well. So it wasn’t measuring in klicks anymore. We missed the site I’d picked by half a klick.” 

Chuck glanced at them, smoothing the edge of the bandage down. “You learned something then about how the nav display works.” 

Arni swallowed hard before nodding again. 

“And are you going to make the same mistake again?”

“No, sir.” 

Chuckles sighed, releasing Arni’s hand and leaning over to nudge his shoulder against the youngling’s. “You know, I don’t like being called that.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be sorry. You didn’t know. But I’m not your commanding officer, Arni. I’m not going to reprimand you. You’re a kid. You made a mistake, and all things considered, not a huge one. We’re all ok, the ship is fixable, and we’re where we wanted to be.” 

“I hurt Nita.” 

“Nita fell over on her arm and hurt it. If anything, I need to teach her how to not brace with her arms when she falls hard or else that won’t be her last broken wrist,” he joked. His mirth did little to quell Arni’s anxiety, their shoulders slouching more as they studied their newly bandaged fingers, flexing them experimentally. Chuckles huffed, leaning against Arni’s shoulder again. 

“I know I’m not who you thought you’d be stuck with, but I wasn’t kidding when we picked out that name. We’re a family now. And families take care of one another, even when they mess up. So, will you let me take care of that ankle while you take care of the ship?” 

Arni’s mouth twitched contemplatively for a few seconds before they finally relented, giving Chuckles a small nod. Chuck patted them on the shoulder before turning and wriggling down to where Arni had their ankle propped up. Carefully, he pulled it into his lap, ignoring the smear of mud it left on his pants. Arni didn’t make a sound, but he noted them digging their teeth into their lower lip as he slowly removed the boot they wore. 

“You put weight on it, so I don’t think it’s broken, but we’ll do our best to keep you off it for a bit to give it time to rest.” He took another bandage out of the medkit and began wrapping the ankle tight enough to keep it from flexing too easily. Arni worked in the panel, trying to keep their leg still. 

“You having any luck?” Chuckles asked after a few moments. 

“Not really. I think we may have damaged the main ramp circuit when we impacted. Cracked a few components. I can fix it. Just need the right parts.” 

Chuck gently slipped their boot back on, carefully refastening it. “Well, get me a list of what you need, and I’ll see if I can track it down.” He helped Arni out from under the ship, slipping an arm around their torso to help take some of the weight off their foot. The two of them tilted their heads up in the rain to look at what was left of the starboard engine. Arni sucked air in through their teeth and Chuckles resisted the urge to swear at the sight of the mangled engine that was nestled in the limbs of the tree next to them. It wasn’t on fire anymore, but smoke was still trickling from its scorched housing. 

“Well, good thing we’d planned on staying here for a while,” Chuckles observed. “But we can fix that.” 

One step at a time. 

—

The rain abated by early afternoon the following day, giving way to a moderate humidity accompanied by a cool breeze. Chuckles and the two younglings had managed to get the inside of the ship cleaned up from where items had come crashing loose during their landing. With Arni’s help, Chuck had identified a small settlement near them, and as soon as the rain stopped and the sky cleared, he pulled a covering over the lower half of his face along with a tinted pair of goggles and a hooded cloak and trudged into the town, leaving Arni and Nita behind to watch the ship. 

Arni had protested at first. “You can’t go alone. We’ve got to look out for each other.”

“And you will. You’ll look out for Nita here on the ship.”

“But-”

“Kid, you can barely walk. There’s not exactly a paved street out there waiting for you. Stay here, rest your ankle, and watch the little one.”

Arni’s face fell, and Chuckles rested his hands on their shoulders. “Hey,” he said softly. “This isn’t punishment. I don’t know what I’m going to find there, and I’d rather the two of you stay here in case things go bad or in case it’s dangerous.” 

“But what about you?” 

“I’ve got a blaster. I’ll be alright. You two just keep working on the ship, and I’ll be back in a few hours, alright?” 

Arni didn’t appear pleased, but hadn’t argued it further. 

Now, as Chuckles picked his way through the mud, he was progressively more glad he’d left the two of them behind. 

I’d have been carrying Nita by now. Her little feet would have slipped all over the place, and I’m barely able to keep my balance as is. Arni would have had an awful time with that ankle. 

His eyes flicked up to where the sun was starting to descend towards the horizon. 

Still. Better get a move on. 

A few klicks later, he heaved a sigh of relief when he finally saw a telltale plume of smoke coming from a small group of what appeared to be wooden, dome-shaped buildings. Following his nose, he picked out the one that appeared to be the common house and stepped inside. 

The day’s dwindling sunlight trickled in between the slats on the wall. He could see water dripping onto a few tables from where the rain had leaked through the cracks, pooling in certain places on the floor. There were a few patrons milling around: two humans huddled at one table, a Rodian and a Weequay playing some dice game at another, and a suspicious looking Klatooinian nursing a mostly empty bottle of spotchka in the corner, his eyes darting around but not really focusing on anything thanks to his alcohol-induced haze. Chuckles’s eyes settled on a woman running a rag over one of the tables, sweeping bowls into a stack to be carried off and cleaned. She wore a dark maroon tunic and grey trousers with a filthy apron covering her front. Her hair was a deep shade of black with the first few streaks of grey beginning to extend from her temples and one from her forehead, streaking back into a messy bun on the back of her head. A scar split her lower lip with a few more peppering her forearms. Her hands and forearms were strong, clearly used to a hard day’s labor. Everything about her presence gave Chuckles the impression she was the one in charge inside of this building. 

Here goes nothing. 

“‘Scuse me,” he said. 

The woman’s sharp amethyst eyes snapped up to look at him, raking over him quickly before settling on what little she could see of his face, seemingly piercing through the tinted goggles to peer into his soul. 

“What can I get you, hon?” The question was worded politely, but it felt more like a demand.

“I’m hoping for a job.”

“We’ve got bone broth and spotchka, my friend. Gonna have to settle for one of those I’m afraid.” 

Chuck tried to hide his disappointment. “Know of anywhere else that might be hiring around here?”

The woman scowled at him. “What makes you think this is the place to find employment?” 

“Looking for a place to settle with my kids. Sorgan seemed like a good place to do it.” 

She huffed a mirthless laugh. “Whoever told you that must not like you very much.” The stack of bowls she was carrying began to teeter precariously, but before they could fall, she rocked them back against her shoulder with practiced ease. She blew a wisp of greying hair out of her face. “Sorry.” 

Chuckles followed her over to the next table where she began her routine again. He stacked the glasses there before she could reach for them, cradling them against his chest while she glared. “Please.”

“Do I look like I make enough to pay you anything?” she said, clearly becoming irritated. “Look around you. This is about as full as it always is.”

“I’ll work for food then. For me and my kids. You don’t have to pay me. Just keep us fed. I know bone broth doesn’t cost that much to make.”

She reached for the glasses, but he pulled away, and she rolled her eyes in response before turning on her heel and trekking back behind the main counter. “If I fed every asshole that came in here with a sad story, I’d be running a soup kitchen, friend.” 

“Thought you said not many came through here,” he countered. She narrowed her eyes and was clearly about to tell him off when a loud slam on the wooden countertop interrupted them. Chuck looked to his left to see the Klatooinian ignoring him, choosing instead to glare at the woman. 

“You shortin’ me on spotchka again, Ry?” 

The woman gave him a tight smile. “As I’ve told you before, Broog, you get the same size bottle as everyone else.” Chuck could see she was doing her best to be cordial, but her fingers had started to drum nervously on the countertop. He makes her uneasy. He eyed the blaster at the Broog’s hip. 

The Klatooinian snarled. “Even if that were true, I should get more than the standard bottle. ‘Specially with everything going on right now. I’d hate to have to tell my clan this place isn’t welcoming.” 

Ry’s eye twitched, but she scoffed defiantly. “You really threatening the person that feeds you every day and makes sure you leave here drunk every night?” 

“Someone else could do it just as easy as you,” Broog slurred, and Chuck wrinkled his nose at the stench of his breath. “Sounds like buddy here wants a job. Maybe he could run this place better.” He went to rest his hand on Chuckles shoulder, but before his palm could settle, Chuck gripped his wrist, twisting it violently and almost certainly breaking it before he slammed the Klatooinian’s face down onto the wooden counter. It was as if all of the tension, frustration, and anger that he’d been carrying within him and pushing down for the last few rotations exploded in that instant, and a surge of satisfaction ripped through him as he felt the Klatooinian’s wrist fracture in his grip, almost as if for an instant, the galaxy was a little more balanced. 

The entire common house went silent. Ry took half a step back. 

Chuckles leaned down, speaking quietly in the Klatooinian’s ear. “It’s rude to threaten people, buddy. Especially nice ladies like this one here. Now, when I let you up, you’re gonna pay your tab, tip handsomely, and then get out of here. Understand?” 

Broog snarled. “I’ll beat your ass once you let me up, that’s what I’ll do. And then I’ll take what I want from this bitch before I see her place burned to the ground.”

“I don’t think so.”

Chuck dug his thumb into the Klatooinian’s wrist until he felt the bones crack and give further. Broog whimpered. 

He sighed in disappointment at his pinned quarry before rasping directly into Broog’s ear once more.

“Apologize.” 

Broog’s beady eyes darted up to where Ry was standing, having recovered, her hip cocked and her arms crossed in front of her. “‘M sorry. Now call your man off.”

“Louder.”

“ALRIGHT. I’M SORRY RY.”

“And will you be back?”

“NO. KARKING HELLS. NO.”

“Good boy.” Chuckles released him, patting him on the shoulder as he yanked the Klatooinian’s blaster from its holster at his hip. “I’ll be keeping this. Now, pay the lady. Don’t forget, leave her a good tip.” Broog yanked out as many credits as he could fit in a single hand, tossing them on the counter before he stormed out, snarling under his breath. 

Chuckles jerked his chin at the stack of credits on the counter. “That enough?”

Ry’s eyes flicked to them. “Not really. He owed me for about three more months of meals, but I suppose it’s better than nothing. Especially if he doesn’t come back.” She smirked, blowing the grey strands of hair back out of her face again. Her teeth dug into her lip as though she was thinking for a moment before she leaned over and swept the credits into an apron pocket. Straightening, she stacked the bowls in her arms once more, swiping at the stack of glasses Chuckles had set down. “We start cooking just after dawn for the mid day meal. Don’t be late…” 

“Chuck.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Really? That’s your name.”

“‘S the one I got.”

She shrugged. “Alright. Just after dawn. Don’t be late, Chuck.” 

He smiled under his face covering. “Yes ma’am.” 

—

Chuckles was back early the next morning, reaching the common house just as the sun crested the horizon. Most of the mud from the rain had dried, but there were still several large puddles in need of side-stepping as he carefully picked his way to the building’s entrance. He sported the last clean shirt he could find on the ship, rolling the sleeves up over his forearms and slipping on a vest to keep his commlink in. Arni had managed to rig up a rudimentary device that would allow them to at least message each other throughout the day, and Chuck had promised to buy them actual commlinks when he could find someone that was selling them. 

For now, it’s better than nothing.

He still had his face covered, wearing the dark goggles and a cloth mask over his nose and chin. When he stepped inside the common house, the place was empty with the exception of Ry, who was leaning her elbows on the counter, scrolling through a datapad. Her eyes flicked up to him as he stepped through the door, appraising him once more before raising an eyebrow. 

“You always keep your face covered?”

He shrugged casually. “Had a bad accident a few years ago. Got some scarring. Figured you wouldn’t want to scare your customers.” 

“Yeah because nothing says hospitality like a guy with his face totally hidden.” 

“You could always just put me on manual labor tasks in back.”

“Careful what you wish for, Chuck.”

There was a rustling behind Ry, and a female Togruta stepped out from where Chuck assumed the kitchens were. She had pale purple skin peppered with light scars and a white diamond and stripe pattern that framed her turquoise eyes. Her lekku were a similar shade of turquoise and striped with white, wrapping over the shoulder of the grey tunic she wore and dangling down her back. She didn’t speak, instead raising her hands and making rapid signs to Ry. Ry cast a nervous glance over her shoulder at Chuck before signing back, and only then did the Togruta appear to notice him. She gave him a shy smile, and he waved. 

“Hi.”

She didn’t answer him, instead refocusing on Ry, continuing to rapidly sign at her. They carried on a wordless conversation for a few moments before the Togruta huffed a sigh, taking Ry’s hands and giving them a squeeze, her thumbs grazing over the woman’s knuckles. She gave Ry a final fond look before her eyes darted to Chuckles one more time as she came around the counter and stepped past him and out the door. Ry watched her go before staring Chuckles down. 

“Who was that?” he asked innocently.

“Our cook.” 

“Seems like you two have a… special working relationship.” 

Ry glared at him. “I don’t talk about my personal life with my employees.” 

“You know I have kids.”

“I know you say you have kids. For all I know, you could be lying through your teeth. Assuming you have teeth since I can’t really tell with the whole face getup.” 

“I’ll just have to bring them with me someday so you know I’m not lying.” 

Ry tossed a rag at him. “Get to wiping the tables.” He gave her a mock salute before heading over to the first one, carefully sweeping any dust or leftover crumbs away. Ry resumed reading whatever she was looking at on her datapad, occasionally tapping away at the keys. 

“How old are your kids?” she asked after a few moments. 

Kriff.

“Uh… thirteen. And five. I think.” He made a mental note to actually ask them at some point. 

Her eyebrow raised. “Not off to a strong start on convincing me you actually have kids.”

“They’re adopted.”

“Uh huh.” 

The silence settled for another few moments before Chuckles felt emboldened enough to ask a question. 

“What’s the cook’s name?”

“Why, you going to ask her out to dinner?”

“Not when she’s clearly spoken for.”

Ry glared at him over the top of her datapad. “Oksann.”

“Where did you learn to sign like that?” he followed up. 

“Nope, you don’t get to ask two. That’s not how this works.”

“I’m surprised it’s working at all, what with your sunny disposition.” She glowered at him, but said nothing. “Fine. What’s your next question?”

She leaned forward on her elbows. “What happened to your face?”

He sighed. At least this isn’t a lie. “Ship crash. Was learning to fly, stalled it out, something went wrong with the eject. I wound up slamming into the canopy with my helmet halfway on. There was metal and transparisteel everywhere, and unsurprisingly, I got sliced up. Wasn’t pretty.”

“Apparently still isn’t.”

“You could say that.” He could smell the first wafts of the bone broth beginning to drift from the back where Oksann had emerged from. His mouth watered and his stomach grumbled loud enough for Ry to glance up from her datapad again. 

“You didn’t eat today?” 

“That’s another question.” She rolled her eyes at him before disappearing into the back, emerging a few moments later with a steaming bowl. “Here. Eat. I need you on your feet for the whole day.” He just stood there staring for a moment, his fingers flexing nervously. Ry could clearly sense his nerves, although she certainly hadn’t identified the source. “It’s not charity. Consider it an advance. Or quality control. Whatever.” He stepped towards the counter hesitantly, and she set the bowl in front of him. 

“Could you…” he paused. 

She gave him a confused look before it appeared to dawn on her. “Really? I can’t see you while you’re eating?”

“I… I’m not accustomed to people seeing my face. Not yet.”

She sighed. “Alright. But for the record, I promise you I’ve seen worse.” She turned, resting her back against the counter. Chuckles took the opportunity to read her datapad over her shoulder. Inventory. A message from Oksann. News updates. Nothing too concerning. He pulled the mask down, blowing cautiously on the first spoonful of broth before bringing it to his lips. 

It was the best soup he’d ever had, and he couldn’t keep an audible satisfied sound from slipping from him. 

“I see why you keep Oksann around,” he teased. “By the way, is ‘Ry’ short for anything?” 

She sighed. “Ryena. But no one calls me that anymore. It’s just Ry.”

“Got it.” 

Chuckles finished his bone broth as quickly as he could, eventually picking up the bowl and tipping it back to empty every last bit into his mouth before placing the bowl back on the counter with a clatter. 

“Thank you,” he said after pulling the covering back up over his face. 

Ry turned, taking the bowl and giving him a smirk. “Well, at least I know you have teeth now. I could hear you chewing.” 

Under the mask, he grinned. “If you say so.”

Tag List: @seriowan @partoftheeternalsoul @rosmariner @misogirl828 @ellichonkasaurusrex @zoeykallus @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @gjrain20-starwars @moonstrider9904

#karrde writes #fanfiction #fan fic #star wars #the clone wars #tcw #one step at a time #osaat #OC Chuckles #Chuckles #OC Arni #Arni #OC Nita #Nita #Chuckles Ayyshu #Arni Ayyshu #Nita Ayyshu #Clone OC #Jedi OC #Pantoran OC #Twilek OC #found family #fluff #angst

[indiaalphawhiskey]

“Am I the only one who wants to score a reboot to an aughts dramatic teen series a la The OC to this entire album?”

I need this!! Headline is the perfect sound for a performance at The Bait Shop. So is silver tongues, and they’d take someone who doesn’t know the songs but they’re just bouncing around like a puppy having a great time because the vibes are perfect (I’m picturing Luke at the Rooney show)

Also, along the same lines we have One Tree Hill. Saturdays being performed at Tric whilst a montage of the everyone making life changing decisions plays over the top of it. Cutting back to the band playing during the build up followed by some archive footage of a basketball game at the river court as Lucas stands there reminiscing about the good times, before leaving Tree Hill for good at the end.

It has the perfect 2000s indie sound that came with those shows and I love it!

Yessss! It’s exactly this vibe!

She is Beauty We are World Class is definitely the score to a famous party scene gone wrong (think Marissa finding out about her parents’ divorce in TJ), where it’s upbeat but also hazy in that perfect teen I-drank-a-little-too-much way.

And then you have something soft, sweet and intimate like All This Time as the song when unrequited love is finally (actually) requited (Seth and Summer’s first slow dance — the new Wonderwall).

Common People is, of course, the perfect score to a really emotional moment of someone reminiscing about all the good and bad times just before they make a super big decision to leave (Ryan, end of season one?) and then a fantastic prom/graduation montage to The Greatest because… c’mon? How could we not?

That’s the Way Love Goes as our fade out. Lucky Again as the perfect “saw you for the first time since we broke up before summer” entrance song.

Bonus: Paradise as Seth’s sailing away song.

Twist: this has everything you would expect of the quintessential millennial coming of age drama but all the classic power couples are queer from the word jump.

#iaw ask #iaw anonymous #FITF #FITF the AU

[iantimony]

tuedaypostin

short one this time gang...supplemented by photos tho

listening: shosty no. 5 and this one choral piece that tickles my brain

reading: nothing fun ... more quantum notes ... had a homework due this past friday that i was working on down to the wire because it ended up being way more computationally intensive than id planned ... it was two problems and inching up on 20 pages of math lol

watching: last night tuned in for a bit of a stream for the game paradise killer and let me tell you, it reminds me soooo much of something austin friendsatthetable walker would come up with? the main character is named lady love dies. cmon.

making: made some valentines for friends! no pics yet because they haven't been mailed yet lol, unfortunately the only ones that made it to friends before valentines day are the ones that i ordered lil things off of etsy for. oops. so the homemade stuff isn't going out til this weekend probably. valentines is fake so who cares really

misc: got to see COWS this weekend!!! i spent a stupid amount of money on a haircut on saturday down in the closest city (so an hour away) because i was desperate for someone who knew how to cut curly hair and unfortunately i was not disappointed so i will probably continue to pay stupid money for haircuts. roommate came and did work in sbux while i was haircut, we got daves hot chicken for lunch (very tasty), walked around, went to TJs for groceries, and then hit this organic dairy farm because they wanted to get choccy milk for their partner! unfortunately they didnt have the chocolate milk but we did get cottage cheese, soft cheese, uhh Misc dairy basically. yum. and we got to SEE THE COWS. they're so shape.

got to dogsit my neighbor's anxiety-beset beast this weekend too. baby.

finally i hung out with friends for the superb owl! i do not care abt the sportball but it was nice to vibe. also the halftime show made me crack up ngl

idk how to get the video to embed but here's a 2 second clip of the best part. michelin-men ass outfits

#tuesdayposting

[henrikvanderswoon]

emily griffin, charlena purcelll, and grigor karakinos?

emily griffin: if you owned a store, what would it sell?

goodness, so many things. sweatshirts, hats, jewelry, teas, coffees, mugs, kettles, trinkets, tarot and oracle decks, healing crystals/gemstones, salt lamps, glassware, socks, books (with a giant lgbt section), nancy drew merchandise, fake plants, fidget toys, clocks, wall art, stationary, art supplies... my store would basically be my paradise

charleena purcell: what was the last book you read?

i recently re-read "f**k it: do what you love" by john c. parkin! it's one of my favorite life advice books ive ever purchased. i also just bought "the house in the cerulean sea" by tj klune this morning on my kindle and i am very excited to read it!

grigor karakinos: if you had to make up a fake identity for yourself, what first and last name would you pick and why?

loren mitchel. why? because its just close enough to my real first and middle names so as to make people think, "there's no way she'd make it so close," and assume it's not me. plus it has a nice sound to it, and ive use the name before in a few games where you get to pick your characters name 😅

#about me #asks #clue crew #thank you!!