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sc0tters · 9 months

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The Last Hello | Mat Barzal

summary: it’s been two months since you last saw Mat. but what happens when you are both in important roles in the event and Mat had been doing som personal evaluating.

request: yes/no

warnings: sad Mat, no real ending, slight use of strong language

word count:3.1k

authors note/ ending went to crap as I am tried so pls excuse any typos cause this wasn’t beta read. This is sort of a part two for The Last Goodbye, but I won’t make a series as this is the last part. both parts came be read separately but they make more sense in the way suggested (pt 1 then pt2). To the person who wanted Wedding Mat I didn’t know if you had a preference for whether or not he was the groom. So if I’ve gotten it majorly wrong just let me know and I’ll write you a new piece!

pt 1

You wondered if you would have been seen as a bitch if you didn’t show up.

Sure you were the maid of honour, and sure you had said you could survive seeing Mat for a whole week again but that didn’t mean that you thought you could actually do it.

You hadn’t seen Mat in over two months after timing the pick-up of your stuff in his apartment whilst he was in New Jersey you were physically officially gone. It was the worst reality check that Mat could have ever come home to, the first sign was when your hat wasn’t on its hook by the door anymore and it only went down hill from there. The Canadian had contemplated all of the different ways to talk to you, he had called all of your friends and the ones who did pick up said you needed space. He even sat at your favourite coffee shop every morning for a week until one of the baristas who had seen the two of you in there plenty of times eventually told him that you started getting your coffees delivered to work and that’s why you hadn’t been in there.

It had been the hardest two and a half months of your life. When the islanders were knocked out of the cup you wanted to call him, when you saw a cat that reminded you of Marley. The ginger cat you snuck into your dorm and then had to give to Mat when your RA found out about him. That led to three happy years where you were proud cat parents before Marley got sick causing you two to have to put him to sleep, leading to a week of near none stop tears from you both. When you saw a couple at your favourite table at the local Korean BBQ place you wanted to tell him as it was an ongoing joke between the two of you. But your brain always told your heart to forget about it as there was no chance you were going to do that to yourself. Sure you regretted breaking up with him after you had some time to think about it, but you really never thought that he’d ever take you back. And besides with how things ended you knew that you missed the old Mat, not the current one who value love in the way that you did. Staying in New York was tough on your heart so you opted to moving further into the city where you were now in Rangers territory. Your one bedroom apartment was above this nice old lady who had three cats who all seemed to adore you. Felix the grey tabby cat made daily trips up the stairs to come say hello to you where he got his daily dose of cuddles from you. The best part about Margret though was that she knew nothing about hockey so you turned into an open good about your breakup with Mat.

It was refreshing being able to just vent to a totally outside party about it all “know you remember that if he gives you any shit you punch him okay,” Margaret’s words drew a laugh from your lips.

You loved how blunt she was “and then I’ll give him a second one and say it’s from you,” you nodded as you pulled her into a hug “thank you,” not only had she taken you to the airport but she had also convinced you to go to the wedding. Her words called you out for being a bad friend at the fact that you even considered not going just because of a boy. Whilst Mat was a little bit more than just some boy to you, you understood what she meant and were quick to book your flight to Kelowna just after that.

Sure you were disappointed that you weren’t going to make it to the bridal shower but you were swamped at work and Lenasia was just grateful that you could come to the wedding.

You and Mat had been asked to be the maid of honour and best man respectively as your friendship with the couple had gone on for years. It came as a shock when you announce that you and Mat had broken up but when both she and Ethan had confirmed with both of you that you were comfortable being around the other during the big day, wedding plans were quick to continue on.

After the long flight you thanked your taxi driver as you got out of the car “just when I thought you wouldn’t show up.” Ethan joked as he had seen your taxi pull into the street a minute ago from the kitchen window.

You let out a playful scoff “miss my Gracie Bear too much for that.” You pretty much stepped into the role of playful aunt whenever you saw his daughter. It was aided by the fact that she seemed to adore you “she’s just woken up from a nap,” he explained as he pulled you into a hug.

It felt weird for him as he had never heard your side of the break up from you. Sure Lenasia had relaid information onto him after you called her in tears one night, so he knew that you were just as broken as Mat was but it was tough not being able to say anything to either one of you about the other. The soon to be married couple wanted to meddle but they knew that it was best if they kept their noses out of it all “you better not be hiding my maid of honour E!” Lenasia called out causing you to giggle “where’s my beautiful bride?” You asked as you made your way into the cabin.

Your relationship with the girl has blossomed over the fact that your boyfriends played on the same team, when they went separate ways you still remained in touch never letting your friendship burn out.

Mat thought he was dreaming when he saw you walk in, the way you hugged Lenasia placing a kiss on her cheek before you picked up Gracie and proceeded to smother her in kisses eliciting a high pitched giggle from the baby. You looked good, there was no doubt about it. You had cut your hair and had even gotten those highlights that you had been contemplating on for like four years.

When the Canadian locked eyes with you everyone seemed to notice it. Even Gracie did as she made a little noise of complaint that she wasn’t your center of attention. Not wanting to be weird you let your face form a soft smile “why don’t I show you to your room,” Lenasia offered as she motioned to you to follow her.

Ethan watched as the three of you left as you still had Gracie in your arms “you okay bro?” He asked as he tapped Mats arm. That was the weirdest thing he had like ever seen the boy so “yeah,” the Islanders player nodded as he thought he was going to throw up. The idea of seeing you again was something that he once looked forward to, still desperate to get back with you Mat hadn’t accepted the fact that you two had broken up. Actually seeing you felt like a whole different territory.

A wave of nerves came over you as you guys walked past more bedrooms “since my cousin decided to come you have two options, there is a bed in Gracie’s room or-” Lenasia sent you an apologetic look as she felt bad for the situation you had been put into “it looks like we’re roomies.” You had cut her off because you knew the second option involved Mat, she hadn’t given any signs to indicate that matter but somehow in your heart you knew that he was apart of the unsaid statement.

You looked down to the clothes you were wearing and realised that you were in need of a change “I’ll let you take her whilst I go freshen up?” You asked as you held Gracie out for her mother to grab.

The first real moment of silence you got came and hit you like a truck. With the amount of unknown girls that were there you were glad that none of them were Mats date. Sure it didn’t mean that he was single, but it meant you didn’t have to watch him get all cozy with another girl.

Your body practically collapsed onto the bed as you were in need of a nap. The eight hour plane ride was finally catching up to you. But just as you were about to doze off into a peaceful slumber you heard that ever so familiar laugh “you look like you’ve just died,” Mat pointed out as he leaned against the frame of your door.

You rolled onto your side to look at him “been a long day,” you confessed as you had been up since five in the morning due to nerves.

What surprised you the most was the way Mat walked into the room and sat in the little arm chair that faced your bed. He wanted to talk but the words were not things that he could find “how were the parties?” You asked as you propped your head up by your hands.

It actually hurt Mat that you hadn’t asked him about himself and he meant that in the least conceited way possible. Maybe it was the fault of his brain or his heart but he truly thought that you could have at least asked how he was “they both went down successfully.” He nodded as he rubbed his chin feeling the stubble that was being to grow through.

You always loved it when Mat had a beard, it was a tradition at one point that if the Islanders made it into the playoffs that he’d let his beard grow for the duration of the teams time in the playoffs.

It might have sounded absurd but the action from the boy made your thighs clench “thanks for picking up my slack when I was gone.” You yawned as you smiled at him.

The Canadian watched as you rested your head on the soft padding that was your duvet “I’ll let you get some sleep,” his voice was soft as he pulled your blanket over you.

The way you mumbled a small thank you before you shut your eyes warmed Mats heart “I love you,” he whispered making sure that you were all tucked in before he left you.

So what he didn’t hear was how you said the same words back just as he walked out of your bedroom letting your sleep consume you.

Your love for Gracie was seriously being question by the way she continued to babble whilst the two of you were meant to be asleep “Gracie Bear please so me a real one and just go to sleep,” you pleaded as you knew that you were going to have to be awake early tomorrow for the long and hectic day that stood ahead.

When your requests went ignored you let out a sigh running your fingers through your hair. You really didn’t want to have to do it but if you wanted any chance of a solid night of sleep then you clearly had no choice.

So you muttered things to yourself as you grabbed your phone charger before you left your room making sure to kiss Gracie’s head on your way out. The way to Mats room was short, Lenasia had shown you where it was just in case you needed it. The thing that took the most time was mustering up the courage to actually knock on that door, it took three soft knocks on the door before Mat shuffled out of bed and opened the door.

Due to the height difference you were met with his chest “what’s up?” He asked as he let out a yawn surprised to see you there.

You rocked on the balls of your feet “can I sleep in here tonight?” You cocked your head hoping he’d say yes “Gracie won’t stop talking.” You added as you rubbed your eyes.

The boy laughed “sure,” he nodded as he motioned to you to come in.

The sight of his room made your heart feel at ease. The two single beds had the left one untouched and the right was where he clearly slept. He never used to have a side of the bed where he slept but when he learnt that you took the left side his only option was to become a right side sleeper.

You sat on what was now your bed as you just stared at the roof. It wasn’t often that you experienced being left speechless given that you were talkative by nature “I’m sorry,” Mat blurted out causing you to lift your head as you looked at him.

When he saw that you were confused he had to continue “for everything I did.” He shoved his hands into his sweatpants as he sat on his own bed.

All you could do was nod “you didn’t so anything wrong Mat.” You sighed as it was the truth. If he had yelled at you or cheated on you it would have made the end of your relationship not feel as forced.

Mat had spent the last few months reflecting “I’m sorry for what I didn’t do then,” he knew that it probably sounded better as your main reason what you had shared for breaking up was the fact that he no longer showed you love.

A smile formed on your lips “thank you,” was all that you could get out as you fiddled with the necklace around your neck.

You felt bare without your M necklace so once you gave it back to him you were quick to get a replacement chain as you needed something on your neck “we should probably go to sleep,” the hockey player announced as he looked at the digital alarm clock that sat on the table between you.

Mat simply hoped that the silence in the dark would give him more time to wrack his brain for things to say to you. Somehow he had all the time in the world whilst having none of the words.

A sigh fell from your lips “goodnight Mat,” you mumbled as you rolled over to let the sleep consume you.

Surprisingly the wedding was going really well. The ceremony was beautiful, you walked out to see Mat and swore you were going to cry but you kept it in because you knew that you’d wind up crying later.

Which was totally true, your tears struck in the middle of the couples speeches. Thankfully for you though you were sat next to Mat after two of the bridesmaids that were sat on either side of you wanted to sit next to each other. The Canadian noticed the sniffle you had as the tears welled up in your eyes, he was quick to lock his hand with yours “you okay?” He murmured into your ear as he shot you a concerned look.

You nodded as you raised your fingers to your face making sure to catch the tears that fell before they ruined your makeup “yeah,” you sighed “that was just really cute.” your confession caused him to chuckle. It hurt you both though because deep down inside as you listened to Ethan make his undying love speech to Lenasia, you both thought about Mat being in his shoes and you being in Lenasias. Your wedding although as hypothetical as it was, it was still something that both of you had thought out in depth having conversations and everything. The type of venue all the way down to the cake had been decided on. Mat would never intend on telling you this but he’s even had your engagement ring ready to go for the last ten months.

He was meant to propose on your big Valentine’s Day bash but with his injury that trip got canceled and so did your proposal.

The air between you two felt dense as people began to separate as they made their ways to the dance floor.

You decided to stay back was you had Gracie on your lap and as a result Mat stayed with you.

It wasn’t something that you expected him to do but nevertheless you appreciated it “she likes your bracelet,” the Canadian pointed out as he smiled.

Gracie made a string of noises before she looked up at the girl “she likes the fact that it’s shiny,” you explained shaking your head as you made funny faces at the girl.

Mat always knew that you were going to be a great mother “always thought you’d be like that to our kids.” He let his filter disappear as it caused your eyes to go wide “our?” You repeated as you hoped you had done so indeed.

You smiled as he nodded “we’d have a girl and a boy.” You had both agreed that you would have a minimum of two children as you both grew up with siblings and felt like if you were to have a child that they should do the same.

This rush of the feeling of content waved through your body “I want you to ask me again.” After only getting two hours of sleep due to the fact that he had been racking his brain for what to say, he had finally come up with the perfect answer.

Despite the not contact for two months, you knew exactly what he was talking about. “Do you love me?” You asked as you took a deep breath.

Whilst you knew that his answer was more than likely yes or else he wouldn’t have told you to ask him, you still felt like his answer might have been like his previous one.

Mat turned his chair so that he could face you “I love you so much that you’re the first thing that I want to see when I wake up and the last thing I want to think of when I go to sleep.” Your heart practically melted at the confession “you are my life, my happy and my world all in one, so I’m sorry I made you feel less than.” Usually be would have stopped with the first co session. Doing things like the second one were meant to be for massive moments.

And a massive moment is what this was.

Your Mat was officially back.

#mat barzal x reader #nhl imagine #nhl oneshot #hockey imagine #hockey imagines #imagines #oneshots #mat barzal #mat barzal imagine #amber writes fics

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onekindredspirit · 11 months

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The Dickensian Bookshop

Each time I pass through this small town I try to spend some time at the Dickensian Bookshop, one of my favourite second hand booksellers.

As I approached the store I saw an old man (not the guy in my photo) clinging to a Give Way sign across the street.

I browsed the shop window display and didn’t need to look to know that he would be closing in on me. I’m a magnet for the unusual.

When I did look up he was a metre away and intense with energy. I looked into him but I didn’t sense any malice, at least not for me.

“I’m looking for HOODS!” he said. He pronounced the word hoods with considerably more emphasis than the rest of the sentence, and that was interesting.

In this once English colony, the word hood is easily recognised as a variant of hoodlum. It’s just that we stopped using the words hood and hoodlum a long time ago.

Anyway, I’ve found from my experience with interesting people that mirroring is comforting for them.

“HOODS?” I yelled back at him.

“Yes, HOODS! I’m looking to rough me up some HOODS!”

“Rough me up” of course means to hit and otherwise treat roughly, people in need of ill treatment. In this context, HOODS.

“Well I’m sure you’ll find plenty of HOODS in this town.” I said.

I could see that this was new information for him and also, that I was probably the most agreeable person he’d met recently.

He considered things for a moment, his clenched fists churning in a low ready position, as if remembering what it was like to be a boxer from a long time ago, and then suddenly, he went blank.

With the right equipment I could probably have shown you the exact place in his brain where a tangle of malignant protein was blocking the vital connection to the spot where he had saved those memories of his youth as a boxing man.

Instead, I took his cerebral misfire as an opportunity to gracefully slip into the bookstore and I closed the door deliberately behind me. I didn’t want to discover, upon his reanimation, that I now looked like a hoodlum to him.

“He’s looking for hoods.” I said to the lovely person behind the little desk by the door.

“Oh dear. I saw him hanging onto a sign over there.” and they motioned vaguely with their head. “I hope he’s okay.”

“Yes, I think he has dementia. He’s quite hunched and kind of shuffles when he walks but it doesn’t feel too bad yet. I mean, I don’t think he’s lost or anything and ... I didn’t sense any fear in him.”

I spent 20 minutes in this wonderful bookstore, in the midst of this wonderful life and grateful that it was not yet my turn to cling to signs.

I bought a biography of Patrick Leigh Fermor, a book of photographs by the painter Alphonse Mucha and the graphic novel/anthology American Splendor - The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar.

Of course, none of this ends well for us. I watched one of my best friends die in mortal fear. My father suffered panic attacks as his end drew near. I hope to be brave, I hope to laugh in the face of death and, if given the opportunity, I hope also to cling to many signs, in particular, those that instruct me to Give Way and to Yield.

- One Kindred Spirit

Silver Print

#silver gelatin #original photography #original words #film photography #secondhand bookshops #darkroom #photographers on tumblr #original writing #monochrome #black and white

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omegaremix · 2 months

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Rough Trade, 2021.

The pandemic has been a hellacious dice roll. Since last spring, all of our favorite businesses, diners, take-outs, arcades, specialty shops, record-stores, and venues had all shuttered with no telling other than the governor’s word when they’d re-open - if they’d re-open. I’ve been fortunate to see that all of my -stores on the island have survived with few hiccups. The last time I shopped at one? Summer of 2018 at Mineola’s Mr. Cheapo’s which capped off what was an unprecedented post-surgery record-store victory tour. It was so vitalizing that I promised myself I’d do it again.

For the record, I almost never done any city music shopping, save for when I purchased Sonic Youth’s Sister, Skinny Puppy’s Rabies, and Ministry’s Just Another Fix during a post-senior year city excursion. For one New Year’s Day at Times Square, my friends and I visit another record store and I passed up a chance to buy Anal Cunt’s Morbid Florist. Since then, it was nothing but mail-orders and island stores until now. I always owed it to myself to visit Rough Trade, New York City’s greatest record store for the longest time. Anxiety, scheduling, poor timing, and other personal insecurities kept me from going. New York State’s various business-closing mandates didn’t help either and I know the pandemic era has not been nice to anyone at all. Even my aunt Laura warned me not to take the train. At least, not yet.

And then a wake-up call: they’re closing down their Williamsburg store to re-locate to as-yet undisclosed digs. They announced their target date: March 21st, the final day before shutting their doors until this summer. So when a record store advertises 25% off CD’s, books, and other merchandise to say good-bye, you fucking go. I had bad luck being scheduled off of work on Mondays and Tuesdays, the two days they were closed during the week. Enough was enough. I spoke up and I finally won a Wednesday off at a price of working six-straight opening-and-closing shifts. Now, it’s on. This visit to Rough Trade is the prologue of my second-ever Record Store Victory Tour, which I’m still waiting to bank to make happen.

With a pending return to New York City / Brooklyn in the springtime, so did reminders of a certain someone from Brooklyn whose eclectic music and cultural tastes aligned with mine and a little more; someone I had a distinct connection with. She was on my mind intensely as it’s springtime in the boroughs. I had cut all ties with her not long ago because she slit me deeply and it’s a shame. It’s that time and place that holds her significance, and later visits made me wish I still had someone of her calibre to come join me.

The luxuries of living near the Long Island Expressway / Rt. 495 meant no time wasted getting there. Fifty minutes later with little traffic and only eight blocks remaining, I’m here. Driving through any part of New York City is signing your death wish, whether it’s rolling down the asphalt pothole fields of Junction Ave., or the start-and-stop traffic of 3rd Ave. during rush hour. This time it was the expressway, and driving over the new Kościuszko Bridge which I never seen before. No question that its presence would forever mark this perfect March day. Jumping off the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway / Rt. 278 and driving down the narrow 8th St. was not a harrowing experience as long as you slow it. I park it near Marsha P. Johnson State Park, and walk two blocks southeast to finally scratch Rough Trade off my bucket list. I had up until 7PM with a $160.00 head-start burning in my pocket since Christmas 2019. No time to waste…and go.

I walk in and I feel it. I look around, and right away I could tell we don’t have this on Long Island. Rough Trade was the kicker: everything I couldn’t find in other stores I found here. You wouldn’t find Garcia Peoples, Horse Lords, or Sweeping Promises in any too-kind indie store or mall that would rather worship The Beatles, Phish, Jimi Hendrix, "The Dead", "Floyd" or “Zep” as you call them, you fucking Bruce Villanch-Mason Reese cross-breeds. Think Pitchfork, Alt Citizen, Gold Flake Paint, Brooklyn Vegan, and Post Trash. Not to say I never found gold at my local stores, but Rough Trade had that special something-else because us islanders don’t have the same vibe the city stores does. Oh, much better. Even I hoped to see specific titles because this location was city-centric, and at times my wishes almost came true.

First up: the cassettes section. A small selection ensures that I’d already have four in my hand in the first three minutes digging. You sure wouldn’t find Birthing Hips’ Urge To Merge anywhere else but here, right? Clipping’s Visions Of Bodies Being Burned? Nope. What a relief to find Hesitation Wounds’ Chicanery as I blast half of those songs at the gym. To my amazement: finding Kedr Livanskiy’s Ariadne. Too bad it wasn’t the disc version because that would’ve also had January Sun, one of my favorite releases of the Tens, but at least I have her now.

Next up, the used vinyl section; a small tidy amount of it that’s reasonably priced mixed with rock, pop, jazz, blues, reggae, and Latin jazz. On the overheads played various selections of Nancy Sinatra (“These Boots Are Made for Walking”) and with Lee Hazelwood (“Sand”) as I looked for more wins there. Don Patterson’s Movin’ Up!, a summer memory, was finally scratched off the list. Marcio Montarroyos’ Magic Moment was something I wasn’t expecting to find. It featured “Pedro Bonita”, a springtime memory of walking through Central Park, so I took it. The expedition got better when I acquired Dual Action’s “Babe Beer Car Bar” compilation on clear red vinyl (!). That’s one of two Hospital Productions’ releases I took home with me.

On to their 7” section where it started to sting. A good number of these platters were priced at an average of $7.00 and up, even higher. I would’ve loved to take Martin Rev’s “Gutter Rock” home but at $17.00 for only two songs? No dice. Same with the Idles / Heavy Lungs split. But I got my hands on Gong Gong Gong’s “Siren” b/w “Something’s Happening”, another small victory and one of two I found of Wharf Cat Records. At least there’s some Raincoats and Pylon up for grabs, and if anyone wants Brandy’s “Clown Pain” b/w “Rent Quest”, it’s still there. The only normal piece I took home with me was a promotional copy of Maria Muldaur’s “Midnight At The Oasis”. Just the single because it’s all I ever need of hers.

Rough Trade had plenty of new vinyl with many titles going for $25.00-$30.00 each. That was the only section I stayed away from, personally. I wasn’t so much into The Body yet that I didn’t pick up I’ve Seen All I Needed To See, for example, or the many PJ Harvey records they had on display. But some good titles in my eyes were found such as Wharf Cat Records’ ACLU Benefit Compilation. To my surprise: Alan Parker & Madeline Bell’s The Voice of Soul from Themes International. It’s the very first time I’d ever seen a [TV / film / radio] library record; the stuff hip-hop producers look for.

But as mentioned before, all discs were 25% off. Aside from the Christmas money by my generous aunt and uncle from the Brooklyn-youth era, the discounted discs would at least cushion the blow to my wallet.

I started with the used hip-hop section. I immediately grabbed Madvilliany which was the soundtrack to my most vital days at Stony Brook. More Madlib to be had when I grabbed Bandana and Pinata with new favorite Freddie Gibbs. Then, how about two legends with Slick Rick’s The Great Adventures Of… and Eric B & Rakim’s Paid In Full? Saw a copy of A Tribe Called Quest’s We Got It From Here… and that was a must-grab. I found Death Grips’ The Money Store (featured on the very first Omega WUSB show) and I had to have it. The only time I saw Death Grips up for the taking was when West Sayville’s Vinyl Paradise (r.i.p.) stocked several of their titles but gave them up because I felt I spent too much. It’s a start. My final jazz acquisitions were two from Herbie Hancock: Headhunters and The Best Of…. I had a opportunity to grab Headhunters at West Babylon’s Looney Tunes and also Sunlight at Amityville’s High Fidelity but wasn’t too keen on Hancock back then. On a separate note: Lee Moses’ Time And Place caught my eye. It’s one you see everywhere posted on obscure samplist groups and forums. That’s when I realized the mood of the overheads changed from Sinatra / Hazelwood to children’s educational TV theme songs; going from Sesame Street to Reading Rainbow. That was a cringe moment and the staff felt it, too. So they switched it up to something better: Hailu Mergia. Speaking of Awesome Tapes From Africa, I paused to pull the trigger on Nahawa Doumbia. The music is from 1980, but I couldn’t make the judgment here not knowing her music beforehand.

I continued searching through the used disc section, and these next finds I felt not only defined this store but the entire experience as well. I kept going and spotted titles I didn’t expect. Know of Council Estate Electronics? You wouldn’t if you also didn’t know Mr. Godflesh himself (Justin Broadrick). Since I did, Arktika was in the bank. Profligate’s Somewhere Else, the final of two Wharf Cat finds, was nice to see. Then, I see Boy Harsher’s Lesser Man (Extended) in the corner of my eye and immediately I snatched it up. (I noticed that of three copies, two were priced at $21.99 and one for $13.99. Why would I not want the $13.99 copy?) I was happy to get Silent Servant’s Shadows Of Death And Desire but wished it was Negative Fascination instead. But any Silent Servant is better than nothing, and beggars can’t be choosers.

As I was still reeling from the Boy Harsher grab: two from Pharmakon (Bestial Burden and Devour) and two from Uniform (The Long Walk and Shame) all in the same gasp. I almost went into cardiac arrest and died from seeing them in stock. Would Rough Trade’s staffers cut from labeling their stock to find me lying on the floor and call for an ambulance to Maimonides Hospital is up for debate. One final round in searching still continued in the used disc section. Zola Jesus had her own divider and saw what they offered. Okovi featuring “Veka” was in my possession and that’s five Sacred Bones titles I’d purchased. In fact, I attempted to order from them online a few months ago but money issues made it a bad idea. Those five made up half of that order. Rough Trade’s shelves were littered with -Bones stuff and they're both from Brooklyn, so they’re really riding that golden stallion out towards the sunset, are they?

Other wild cards I knew enough to buy started with Mr. Elevator’s Goodbye Blue Sky, a personal favorite from last year’s pandemic blues. Here’s two titles rather to be found in city stores and not on the island: Lithics’ Tower Of Age and Deeper’s 2018 self-titled album (the latter for $1.75). Idles’ Joy As An Act Of Resistance was plentiful and a lauded release, so I found a copy that included a bonus disc of their live performance at the store. And as a general rule, you can’t pick up Idles without also getting the conflicting Sleaford Mods’ 2018 e.p. Plus, I loved Tame Impala’s Currents, so I got it to spite everyone who thought their psych-rock era was better.

More? Sure. Soundgarden’s expanded Ultramega OK (including the same-titled e.p.) was in my hands. During the new-vinyl round I was thrilled to find some Akitsa records but passed them up, so I got some black metal diet with Darkthrone’s A Blaze In The Northern Sky. Finally (or so I thought), I nabbed the Electric Dress album from Merzbow, Carlos Giffoni, and Jim O’ Rourke also for $1.50. Peak hipster era. I thought to myself that I may have gotten it with my previous RRRecords mail-orders, but thankfully I was wrong. As I thumbed through that side of the bins, there it was staring at me, literally: Tops’ I Feel Alive. Jane Penny’s green-eyed look of disbelief on her face was looking at me because I passed up on the cassette, and now she’s waited for me again at the disc bins. “I Feel Alive” was a great pandemic-blues tune for me, but I didn’t know them enough to go for it. Our apologies, Jane.

Rough Trade had a few other sections as well. “Cheap Thrills!” their shelves said. That was their lower-priced new vinyl section mixed in with other used vinyl singles. One quick peek and I found Long Island white-label heroes Q-Ball & Curt Cazal. It wasn’t “Makin’ Moves”, but I wish it was. To my right is their rarities box. That’s where the big money copies are. It was where I saw a copy of Albert King’s Born Under A Bad Sign for a painful $110.00. Another copy found in-store cuts the pain away by another $50.00 less. Also on that side of their store, you’d find their bar / cafe disused indefinitely. Their live space has been cordoned off and so has most of their listening rooms. What wasn’t lost, however, was another flight of steel steps leading up to their book section; the shelves spread evenly of well-categorized books about music history, art, New York City, gender / sexuality, The 33 1/3 Series, and no shortage of copies of Cosey Fanni Tutti’s Art, Sex, Music or Kim Gordon’s No Icon to go around. The most ironic thing printed on paper? Kara Simsek’s So You Think You’re a Hipster?; of course of all places in a Williamsburg / Bushwick record store. En route upstairs are where the box sets and staff picks are. With two weeks to go, get those licks in at their operational photo booth and then see the pics- posted of how much fun the best of Brooklyn are having...assuming they’re not dying inside by rising rent prices).

By then, I was spent. I felt like there was nothing else to comb over. So I packed it in and gave my stack to purple-haired Janie, dressed in a pink long-sleeve and purple felt pants. As she counted everything up, I had second thoughts. I knew it was now or never, so I decided to give two titles I originally passed up a second chance. I ran to grab J Dilla’s Donuts and Discharge’s Protest And Survive: The Anthology. And that was that. She said I qualified for a free tote. (Are you offering a credit check for a bank loan, too?) and dashed one more time for a shirt. That was also 25%, too. I wasn’t leaving here without a fucking t-shirt.

She thanked me for my purchase, and I thanked her for her kindness. I left Rough Trade feeling -$417.00 happier. That’s what music-shopping therapy does to you. This venture had made me forget all of the recent depressing ills and anxious troubles I’ve had because it’s self-maintenance, healing, and power unto yourself. The return to Brooklyn was a much-needed reprieve outside of the daily toxicity experienced on the island that offers nothing that I really want that the city has. That, my friends and allies, is what you call happiness. New people, new experiences, opportunities, and fun. That’s what brings me it. I never felt it in such a long time.

Not since last March was when I set foot in Central Park and immediately turned back because sundown approached. Two weeks later, most of the world shut down flat and I didn’t return until now. I wasn’t the only one affected by cautionary stay-at-home mandates and city-wide closures, but things are much better now than last year when people died everywhere left and right. People and businesses are slowly out and open again with more information, confidence, and vigilance to live their lives and keep the damage to a minimum. The time was right to take precautionaries, to breathe again, and get back into it. I know I’ll get back into Rough Trade when they re-open, likely as my city go-to for everything I practiced and preached on Omega WUSB. They were on a whole new level, a level I wished other island stores would follow. It might arguably top my final visit at Tower Records before their closure.

I drive home through the tight Brooklyn streets and start the nerve-wrenching path home starting at the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The movement panned to a cripple getting on Rt. 278, but seeing the colors change on the Kościuszko Bridge showed its’ new second life at night; a sight to behold. A chilly, mid-Forties coldness dominated the ride home as I said ‘goodbye’ to the New York City skyline of clear pitch-black skies and ‘hello’ to the wide-open L.I.E. roads.

I finally arrive home with the trace of lucky green transparent on my fresh cotton threads; the new notes that'll define the next couple of years. I unpack my goods and let everyone know how my day was as I wait for the flattery from my friends and allies at WUSB. Spring is finally here. It’s a chance for renewal. The vaccines are coming and so’s the money. I’m here to win it all. Place your bets.

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib: Pinata

Uniform: The Long Walk

Herbie Hancock: Headhunters

Slick Rick: The Great Adventures Of…

Idles: Joy As An Act Of Resistance / Live at Rough Trade

Sleaford Mods: self-titled e.p.

Death Grips: The Money Store

Discharge: Protest And Survive: The Anthology

Silent Servant: Shadows Of Death And Desire

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib: Bandana

Eric B & Rakim: Paid In Full

Pharmakon: Bestial Burden

Boy Harsher: Lesser Man

Lithics: Tower Of Age

Uniform: Shame

Soundgarden: Ultramega OK

Profligate: Somewhere Else

Madvillain: Madvillainy

Herbie Hancock: The Best Of…

Mr. Elevator: Goodbye Blue Sky

Zola Jesus: Okovi

Deeper: self-titled

Tame Impala: Currents

Lee Moses: Time And Place

Darkthrone: A Blaze In The Northern Sky

Council Estate Electronics: Arktika

A Tribe Called Quest: We Got It From Here…Thank You For Your Service

Pharmakon: Devour

Merzbow & Carlos Giffoni & Jim O’Rourke: Electric Dress

Hesitation Wounds: Chicanery (CS)

Kedr Livanskiy: Ariadne (CS)

clipping.: Visions Of Bodies Being Burned (CS)

J Dilla: Donuts (CS)

Birthing Hips: Urge To Merge (CS)

Marcio Montarroyos: Magic Moment (LP)

Don Patterson: Movin’ Up! (LP”)

Dual Action: Babe Beer Bar Car (double LP)

Gong Gong Gong: “Siren b/w “Something’s Happening” (7”)

Maria Muldaur: “Midnight At The Oasis” (7”)

Q-Ball & Curt Cazal: “Repertoire” (12”)

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noahhawthorneauthor · 1 year

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MM Modern Fantasy, Found Family, Immortal x Man, Grumpy x Sunshine, Guy Witches, a Magical Coffee Shop and Second Chances

“Then I will love you with everything I have, right here, right now, and I will be here when you return.” Arlo promises, like it’s a given. I close my eyes, and he shakes me again until I open them. “I will not forget you again. I promise.”

“You can’t promise that,” I cry, staring deep into twin pools of simmering gold. “You’ve forgotten me once. Everyone does. It’s … a side effect. It’s something I’ve been fine with until I met you.”

He smiles, wet and breaking and brilliant. “I’m pretty great, aren’t I?”

Arlo Rook has decided it’s time to move out of Garren Castle, home for orphans of all races, magical or not, at 100 years old.

It’s not the first time he’s left home, but after a setback that landed the Hedge Witch in the hospital a year ago, he ended up right back at square one. But now he’s ready to strike out on his own, despite his friend’s worries that he’s not ready for the ‘real world.’

Then, he crashes into a mess of copper curls and bright eyes, sending apothecary goods and his life into a chaotic mess. Thatch is a mysterious and incredibly wealthy benefactor of Levena, only spoken of but never seen. He requests a night of Arlo’s company and a tour of the city, which Arlo immediately declines.

But that’s not the last time they see each other, and it certainly wasn’t the first. Arlo doesn’t remember him, no one remembers Thatch after he visits, but Thatch never forgot the Witch with a familiar soulmark on his face.

Thatch Phantom is an immortal, the last of his kind and perpetually bored. When he’s not closing inter-dimensional rifts and corralling demons, he’s visiting his favorite city of all, Levena. Centuries ago, when life was particularly dull, he set up a scavenger hunt for a starving village, providing them with a year’s worth of supplies.

He anonymously returned year after year, upping the ante and providing less practical things, as the village had become a city and was wealthy beyond belief. Festivals were thrown in his honor, and have continued every year since. Hundreds of years later, The Game is still put on by the fabled ‘Scarlet Illusionist’, but no one has figured out who blesses them with the puzzles.

Once again, Thatch is listless and has decided to throw a wild card into this year’s Game. Whoever discovers him will win one wish of their choice, no restrictions. Aside from the obvious, such as no falling in love, murder or resurrection.

What he didn’t anticipate was crashing into the one person whose soul mark flares like a beacon when Thatch is around, teasing the immortal with the one thing he wants most.

Someone to call home.

What follows is a wild chain of events filled with magical coffee shops, villains with vendettas against cheese makers, moving tattoos, grand puzzles, and second chances at love, and life.

Phantom and Rook is out in the world today! Thank you to everyone involved in getting this off the ground, I'm beyond happy with how it came out and glad to have a rest for a little while. The audio book by Kirt Graves is in the works and will be out later in the month. Any and all shares are greatly appreciated, and if you've read the book don't forget to leave a review!

Cover by @crossroadart-seabear

Goodreads

Amazon

Signed Copies

Playlist

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lilredghost · 1 year

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Tag Game To Better Know You

Send this to people you’d like to know better!

Tagged by @bladling (hi!!!)

What book are you currently reading? Idk I’ve had The Fellowship of the Ring on my bedside table for like months now. But I haven’t had time to read it?? Clown emoji.... SW has taken over my life so it’ll have to wait

What’s your favorite movie you saw in theaters this year? I’m preeetty sure I didn’t go to any movies this year. My cousins all went to see the black panther movie together but I was busy OTL

What do you usually wear? Sweaters or crewnecks with jeans, but I need to buy more plaid and flannels again. I used to dress like a butch but my old clothes either don’t fit or have holes. I’ve been avoiding getting new ones bc I hate shopping, lol

How tall are you? 5’6”, but my driver’s license says 5’7” for some reason

What’s your Star Sign? Do you share a birthday with a celebrity or a historical event? Immm gonna be honest, if blade didn’t answer “capricorn” I wouldn’t even know what you meant by star sign. I’m a sagittarius or however u spell it. I’m not even gonna bother googling the second question

Do you go by your name or a nick-name? I hate my name but I do go by it irl. On here I like to stick to some variation on my username

Did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child? Do you want the funny version or the sad version of this story? I honestly never thought I’d be anything, so in grade school I just put something random and different everytime someone/something asked. I'm a grad student rn

Are you in a relationship? If not, who is your crush if you have one? Nooope, I’m extremely single (and ready to mingle?)

What’s something you’re good at vs. something you’re bad at? I’m good at crafts! I’ve got a decent amount of experience with needlework and I’ve been thinking I want to branch out into something that’s more functional (like crocheting or sewing) compared to purely artistic.

I’m bad at reaching out of my comfort zone. I feel like life is already hard enough in the day-to-day, so finding the motivation to do something new and different is hard. I need a friend who will drag me out :(

Dogs or cats? Either one, they’re cute in different ways!

If you draw/write or create in any way, what’s your favorite picture/line/etc from something you created this year? Probably this bit from Take Care of Me, Please? These fics make me feel extremely seen, and I can’t wait to get back to them when I have a chance

But it seems too easy. Anakin is… Anakin is the brightest star in his life. He smiles and laughs and shines with such charisma—such gravity—that he must surely be at the center of everyone’s solar systems, not just Obi-Wan’s. What could Obi-Wan have possibly done, to deserve such devotion?

What’s something you would like to create content for? Well blade is right, “content” is kind of a shitty word. We are inspired and driven to make art. We’re sharing pieces of ourselves; in this essay I will... Anyway the answer to this is obvious: Star Wars

What’s something you’re currently obsessed with? Star Wars again! I normally fandom hop a decent amount but ever since I found SW, something has sort of settled in me. I hope it never goes away <3

What’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year? Man I joined a westmarches campaign and it was very disappointing compared to a regular dnd campaign. I understand the draw of the structure, but it's just not as much fun

What’s a hidden talent of yours? Idk if you’d call it a “talent” but I really like to sing. When I get my own place, I’m never going to shut up <3

Are you religious? Kind of? My cultural roots are very deep and my religion is all tied up in that. But my health is bad, I regularly get fierce pains, and I’ve been depressed for like ten years now. Not to say that you CAN’T have faith coexisting with all those things, but I’m just exhausted. It’s not for me. (Or at least, it’s not for the me that exists right now. I suppose that could change in the future)

What’s something you wish to have at this moment? Ummmm, an ask in my inbox? Jk jk

I know this is a long one so don't feel obligated or anything but I'm tagging @leafchan15 @tennessoui @kyberkenobi

#as always feel free to tell me not to keep tagging u in things #tag game #red speaks

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asher-mccarthy · 1 year

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Costume Hunting || Alex & Asher

Tagging: @asher-mccarthy, @alex-abrams

When: Saturday October 22nd

Where: Newcastle

Warnings: It got very long

Notes: Alex and Asher go searching for a Halloween costume and get to know each other

Asher breathed a sigh of relief as he walked out of hospital. It had been a long and incredibly busy shift but now he was able to relax. He was also excited to hang out with Alex again. It was a quick walk to the coffee shop and Asher couldn’t believe his luck when he walked in to find an empty table. One of the workers walked past him and asked him if he wanted his usual coffee. With a smile, Asher nodded and settled back into his chair. He didn’t want to seem too eager for Alex to walk through the door, even if he really was. After helping Alex with his costume a while back, Asher had been really keen to spend more time around him and getting to know him.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief as he walked into the coffee shop. He was glad to have found the right place. He smiled and approached the counter to order his coffee. The smile grew even bigger when he spotted Asher at a table waiting on him. Once he got his coffee and paid for both coffees, he made his way over to Asher. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." He smiled at the other, excited for the Halloween activity and the chance to get to know the other man more.

Asher smiled as he saw Alex enter the shop. Once Alex sat down opposite him, Asher’s smile morphed into a huge grin. “No, not at all. I was running late myself.” A small yawn escaped Asher’s lips which was quickly replaced by a smile again. “How’s your writing coming along? Have you heard anymore about whether your book will come out in time for Halloween? How’s the costume going?” Asher paused for a second. “I’m sorry. That was a lot of questions at once. Let me start again. How’s your writing coming along?”

Alex was relieved to hear that Asher hadn't waited very long. A smile rested on his face, even through all the questions. He chuckled before taking a sip of his coffee. "It's quite alright. My writing is going good. And the book is set to release on Halloween, which is really exciting."

Asher took a sip of his coffee as he listened to Alex. “That’s great! What are you working on at the moment?” He couldn’t stop himself from asking question after question. He really just wanted to get to know Alex more. “Halloween?! Well, I know what I’ll be doing on Halloween then. I’ll be lining up to get a copy so you can sign it for me!”

"Right now, I'm taking a little bit of a break, but I'll be putting together a book of short stories." Alex smiled and then took another sip of his coffee. "That's awesome. If you bring it to me, I'll be sure to sign it for you."

“A break is a good thing though. It’s nice to give yourself some time to relax.” Asher grinned. “Of course I will! I’ve never had a signed copy of a book before and now I have a friend who is an author so of course I’ll be bringing it to you.” "That's what I'm thinking. I haven't had a break in a good while and I'm sure it will do me some good." Alex nodded. "Well now I look forward to it."

Asher smiled. “Everyone deserves a break once in a while so enjoy it and just breathe.” Taking a sip of his coffee, Asher leant back in his chair slightly. “So I’ve been thinking about what costume I could possibly wear for Halloween. I’m wondering if I could pull off a superhero?”

Alex took a sip and nodded. Asher was right. He'll do his best to rest and breathe while on his break. He listened intently and hummed. "With your body type, you could definitely pull off Spiderman."

Asher went to take another sip of his coffee when Alex spoke again and he paused for a moment. Had Alex just complimented him? A small blush covered his cheeks as he smiled. "I do like Spiderman. I like that he is just a kid that got stuck with superpowers and is trying to survive."

"Spiderman is pretty cool." Alex nodded and took a sip of his coffee. He smiled, taking in the small blush.

Asher nodded. “Alright, so Spiderman is an option. Do you have any other ideas? I refuse to wear anything medical related because I wear a doctor’s coat enough as it is!” He laughed, sipping his coffee again.

Alex thought for a moment. He could understand not wanting to wear anything that could be related to his job. "Let's see.. vampire, werewolf, zombie, and ghost are the ones that come to my mind right.away." He hummed, sipping at his coffee as he tried to think of more options off the top of his head.

Asher smiled. “Well a ghost would be easy because I could just find an old sheet and cut some holes in it. I feel like I should try and be a little more creative than that. A vampire would be cool but then it’s like do I go old school like Dracula or more like a new school type who look pretty much like everyone else except they have fangs.” Asher paused while he took a large gulp of his coffee. It was really hitting the spot this morning. “A zombie would be quite cool too.” "Both of those facts would be very true. And it just depends what you want to go as for what kind of shopping we need to do. Of course, we can browse the costume shops and see what all options there are. Or we can choose one and go shopping for it." Alex then sipped his coffee, letting out a little "ah" as the coffee warmed him up. The warm cup of coffee was always a favorite thing on days like these. "A zombie would be a trip for the makeup, then everything else we can get from the thrift store and damage it."

“See, that’s what I don’t know. Although, now we’ve been talking about zombies, I think it would be quite cool to go as a zombie. Somebody would have to help me with the makeup though because I have surprisingly terrible hand-eye coordination.” Asher smiled at the small sound Alex made. He definitely understood how great a hot cup of coffee could be. “Do you need anything for your costume now or have you got everything?” Downing the last of his coffee, Asher relaxed back into the chair with his hands behind his head. "I'm pretty good with makeup. I'm not as good as a professional makeup artist, but I'd get the job done." Alex said before finishing the last of his coffee. In his mind, he debated ordering another for the road. "I've just got to get an outfit to wear underneath. Or some clothes to distress if I decide to go as a werewolf." He explained, still at a loss of what to go as himself.

“Well that sounds way better than anything I could ever do so would you please, please do my zombie makeup for me?” Asher offered Alex a smile before jumping up and ordering them the same coffees again but to-go. Sitting back down, he listened as Alex explained his thoughts. “I ordered us coffees to go but if you don’t want yours, I’ll happily drink it. I haven’t slept in about 24 hours. But a werewolf would be cool too! Honestly I’ll be no help deciding because I can’t even decide for myself.” Alex didn't have time to get an answer out before Asher was up at the counter getting coffees. When he came back, he smiled. "I think I'll have my coffee. I haven't slept well the past few days." He admitted. "I can do your zombie makeup for you, or if you want to do a werewolf, I can help with that, too. Ita hard to decide. Everything is so much fun."

“I’d say you should get more sleep but I also don’t get enough sleep and I feel like I should practice what I preach so yeah.” Asher shook his head and sighed slightly. “At this rate I’m going to be a mix of about ten different types of costumes and look like something out of a horror movie. Wait, that could work! No, I need to just pick one. I’m sticking with zombie!”

"You really should get more sleep, though." Alex smiled and then chuckled. "That would be one heck of a costume to throw together." He took his coffee and took a sip. "Zombie it is."

“I would if they stopped putting me night shift. I have so much trouble sleeping during the day.” Asher mirrored Alex’s smile. “Wouldn’t it? Maybe next year!” He laughed. “Alright, well I suppose we need to go and find some old clothes to rip up for my costume. Maybe we’ll find some inspiration for your choice while we’re looking.”

"Ah, that will do it. I have trouble trying to sleep during the day after I pull an all nighter." He nodded in understanding. "Yeah, maybe!" The smile was back on his face again. "That sounds like a plan. And maybe we will."

“You think after the amount of time I’ve been doing night shifts that I’d be used to it by now but unfortunately not.” Asher smiled before climbing to his feet and grabbing his coffee. He gave a quick wave to the workers behind the counter before turning his attention back to Alex. “I don’t know this area all that well but I figure if we walk long enough we’ll find somewhere we need to go.” Alex stood and nodded. "Sometimes, a body never gets used to it." He also waved to the workers behind the counter to be polite, and because they seemed nice. "That sounds like a plan. Walks are good for the body and soul anyway."

“I suppose I’m forever doomed to just not getting enough sleep and running on coffee and fumes.” Asher laughed as they walked towards the door. He got there first and held it open for Alex before walking out behind him. “They are really good for you. I don’t really do enough of them myself.” He took a sip of his coffee as they walked. “This might seem like an odd question but I’ve always been curious. What’s it like having Auggie as a brother? He actually terrifies me but I can’t imagine it’s the same for you.”

"That's how I run, so welcome to the club." Alex laughed as he exited the coffee shop. "I take lots of walks in the woods by my place. You should join me sometime. It's really peaceful." He offered as they walked before taking a sip of coffee. "It's fun, actually. Auggie and I have lots of fun together."

“Glad to know I’m not the only one.” He replied with a grin. “You know what? I think I might. Sometimes I have this problem when I have a lot of thoughts just running around inside my head and a walk would probably help that.” Asher didn’t say it out loud but something about Alex just made him feel comfortable and safe so all the more reason to keep him around. “Really? When I think of Auggie, I can’t say fun is a word that comes to mind.”

Alex grinned as he took another sip of his coffee. "A walk definitely helps with that and so does writing in a journal. Journaling helps me get creative ideas and non creative stuff out." He was happy to be around Asher. Something about the other just made him feel welcome. "Maybe it's because I'm his brother, but yeah."

Asher nodded and sipped his coffee. “I don’t think I’ve ever written anything down that wasn’t medical related so that would be interesting to see what I’d write.” He could see why journaling would work though. It would be a good way to organise his never ending thoughts. “No, I get that. Having Levi as a brother is interesting to say the least but he’ll always be my baby brother and I don’t really see him as the ‘famous superstar’ that everyone else does.”

"Journaling is interesting for sure. Sometimes I write down thoughts that surprise me. When I journal. I usually put pent to paper and just let my stream of consciousness flow onto the paper. It's funny how disconnected each paragraph can be from each other. And the best thing about journaling is that there’s not right or wrong way to do it. Some people are super organised and others just fill up notebooks in chaotic fashion and it’s all valid." Alex grinned, thinking on his journaling experience as they walked. "I get that. I see Auggie as my big brother and not the tough scary guy other people see him as."

Asher listened to Alex as they walked. He hadn’t ever thought about anything like journaling before but it seemed to be worth a try. “That makes sense. I can’t imagine anything I write will make any lick of sense but it could be worth a go.” A small laugh escaped Asher’s lips. “I bet it was good though if you ever had any kids bully you because I can’t imagine anybody would want to bully Auggie’s younger brother.”

"It's all good if it doesn't make sense. Half the time I look back at my journals and realize they make no sense." He laughed along with Asher. "I still had bullies. They'd usually do the bullying when Auggie wasn't around, though."

“Imagine if you wrote a book with everything you wrote in your journals. Maybe it could be the next bestseller!” Asher sipped his coffee and hummed softly. “Ah. I don’t know why anybody would want you bully you though. You’re so nice, caring, funny and a damn good writer! Maybe those kids were just jealous.”

"Maybe. I'm not so sure about some things, but definitely other things would make for good writing material. Probably my dreams would make for a best seller." He took a gentle sip of his coffee as they walked. "Well, kids can be cruel, and I was the nerdy kid who wrote in his notebook all day and had very little interest in what was popular. But maybe they were jealous. Thank you for the compliments. "

“Isn’t that how Harry Potter was written? Based on a dream or something? Look how that worked out!” Asher nodded. “Kids are so cruel. But you and I would have been friends because I was the nerdy kid always studying and we both know that’s not the popular thing to do in school, especially high school.” Asher paused for a moment and smiled. “Of course. I feel like the world would be a better place if people just complimented each other a bit more.”

"I'm not sure but that sounds like it makes sense." Alex grinned. "It would have been fun to have a friend like you in school. We could have had study parties. My mom would have loved that." His smile grew. "I think so too."

“I would have had someone to help quiz me before exams besides my parents. I feel like they got sick of doing that pretty quickly. The idea of study parties sounds like heaven though and I know that makes me sound so nerdy.” Something about Alex’s smile was making Asher feel warm inside. “But unfortunately the world isn’t that great of a place. I guess it’s still worth a try though.” He shrugged.

"Hey, I'm nerdy, too. I would've had a blast during those. That, too. I'm sure my parents were tired of quizzing me, too." Alex sighed and nodded. "It is still worth the try."

"That's true. I guess I'm just not used to meeting many other nerdy people. Most people just think it's really weird to like studying and learning." Asher shrugged again and looked around, noticing they had made it a street full of businesses. "Okay, it looks like we found a central area. What were we looking for again?"

"It's not weird at all. Everybody learns something new at least one new thing in their lifetime. Might as well enjoy the learning process." Alex shrugged. He looked around at the businesses and hummed. "If we're looking for clothes to distress, I think it would be wise to visit a charity shop, so we're not buying new clothes and ruining them."

"I think a lot of people just like to pretend they aren't learning anything new. Or just fight it as much as possible." Asher nodded and looked around at the business names. He spotted one that looked like it was some sort of charity shop. "How about that one over there?" He asked, pointing towards the business.

"I think so, too." He nodded and looked over toward the business that looked like a charity shop before heading in that direction. "That looks like a good place to start!"

“Fantastic!” He followed Alex over to the shop and headed inside. Looking around, there seemed to be a lot of different types of clothes. “I think this will work! Now, what would a zombie normally wear?” Alex looked around the inside of the shop, happily humming as his eyes scanned the different types of clothes. "They wear what a normal human would wear, only the clothes should be tattered. I'd say pick out something that you don't mind tearing up a bit."

Asher nodded in agreement at Alex’s words and looked around at the clothes again. “I should probably get something weather appropriate too because I don’t want to get cold.” He spotted some men’s clothes and headed towards them. “I have absolutely no sense of style so please tell me if the clothes I grab actually match.”

"That's a good idea." Alex said as he headed toward the men's clothes. "I'm not much better as far as style, but I will try my best." He chuckled before looking through the clothes.

“Oh come on. You look way more stylish than me.” Asher grinned as he searched through the clothes. “How easy do you think it would be to tear up jeans?”

"Honestly. I just pick out whatever suits my fancy when I go shopping for clothes. Bonus points if it's comfy." Alex grinned then thought for a moment. "They shouldn't be too hard to tear up, to be honest."

“Comfy clothes are the best. You just make them look super stylish too.” Asher pulled out a pair of jeans in his size from the rack. “If that’s the case, jeans are usually pretty easy to pair with anything really.”

"I try my best." Alex looked over the pair of jeans then nodded. "You're absolutely right. Jeans pair with just about anything."

Asher grinned and turned back to the rack again. “Have you had any more thought about if you want to go as a werewolf or look for something to go under your other costume?”

"I'm still on the fence. My werewolf is done except for clothes, but I still have some more more work to do on the mech suit." He hummed as he rummaged through the rack. "I'm leaning more toward werewolf and saving the other for a comic con."

Asher hummed in agreement. “Well I think both of them would be great options.” He pulled a shirt out of the rack to have a proper look and frowned before putting it back. “Oh, do you go to comic cons? That’s so cool! I was always meaning to go to one but I always forget when they’re on and then I end up having to work. You’ll have to send me photos when you go with the finished suit because I want to see it!”

Alex nodded. Both costumes were definitely great options, but this close to Halloween, he wanted to go with what was closest to being done. "I go to them a lot. If you want, I can send you a reminder for one and we can go together." He grinned as he pulled out a pair of pants in his size off the rack, giving the pants a proper look. "I'll be sure to."

“Wait, really? That would be so fun! I actually read comic books whenever I can get my hands on them so it would be so cool to actually be around a lot of people who are as nerdy as me. Or us, actually.” Asher pulled another shirt off the rack. It was an old band shirt and it honestly looked perfect. “How about this?” He asked, showing it to Alex.

"Yes, really. It would be fun to go with someone else instead of going alone." He settled on the pair of pants before looking the shirt Asher picked out. "That looks perfect."

“Well you’ll have to help me find another costume for that too then!” Asher grinned and added the shirt to the jeans hanging over his arm. “How are you going? Finding what you need?”

"I'd be happy to." Alex said as he looked up. "Just finding a shirt. You think it'd look okay if I tore up a long sleeve flannel with a t shirt underneath or do you think it would be too warm?"

“Thanks!” Asher smiled. “No, I think that would be perfect. Besides, if it gets too warm, just take the flannel off and just wear the shirt.”

"Anytime!" Alex then took a long sleeved flannel off the rack and looked at it with the pants. "You're right. I think I might have found the perfect one."

Asher looked at the combo Alex was holding and nodded. “I agree, that looks great! I can’t believe we found what we were looking for so easily!”

"I can't believe we did, either. I was worried we wouldn't find anything this easily." Alex draped the combo over his arm once he found a matching shirt to go under the flannel. "Now, we're about to go makeup shopping. There has to be a Halloween or costume shop nearby that sells the makeup I'm looking for."

“Me too.” He headed to the counter to pay for the clothes. “Let me get yours too. It’s the least I can do for all the help you have given me.” Asher started counting money out onto the counter. “I’m sure there is. I’m going to let you take charge on that because I honestly have no idea what to look for.”

"If you insist." Alex said as he headed to his counter and added his clothes to Asher's so that the clerk could check them out. "Alright." He then asked the clerk if there were any Halloween or costume shops in the area. After getting his answer, he thanked the clerk with a smile.

Asher smiled at the clerk as he handed over the money and thanked them. Picking up the bag of clothes, Asher turned back to Alex. “Alright, so what type of makeup are we going to be looking for?”

"Well, it depends. How zombie like do you want to be? Because I can get basic theater or costume makeup to make you look like one of the walking dead. But if you want, I can grab some fake blood and stuff to amp it up a bit. It really just depends on how you're feeling about it." He explained as he left the shop.

“Look, if we’re going to do this, let’s do it properly and go all out. Knowing my luck I’ll be working the next ten years on Halloween so I’m taking advantage of this year.” Asher grinned in excitement. “I’m honestly so excited for Halloween now!”

"Alright! Bloody zombie it is. I'm really excited about this." Alex smiled, knowing he wasn't the best at make up, but between the makeup and getting the clothes torn up and splattered, he'd do his best. "Welcome to the excited for Halloween club." He cheered, looking around as he walked until he found the costume shop.

“Me too! I can’t wait to see everyone’s costumes.” Asher knew his costume was going to look great no matter what because fake blood made everything look great. “Did I hear that you were hosting a Halloween party?”

"Me either! Thats one of the best parts about Halloween. I love seeing what people come up with." Alex smiled as they walked into the shop. "Yes. I'm throwing a Halloween Party."

“I think I’m going to convince someone to do a bet with me about how many people come as a sexy version of something because that seems to be most people’s go-to.” Asher glanced around the shop in awe. There were so many costumes! “That’s good because I need somewhere to wear this amazing costume we’re going to put together and I’d rather not be that weird adult that does trick or treating without any children.”

"That really is. It's kind of funny to see what kind of sexy things people can think of." Alex chuckled as he looked around the shop. This place should have what he needs to finish both costumes. "I'm not sure how many people will come since it's all last minute but even if there's just two people I'll have a lot of fun."

“I’ve seen some strange versions come into the hospital before after drunkenly hurting themselves. I once saw a ‘sexy scary snowman’. That was weird.” Asher saw a section that looked like it had paint and makeup so he pointed it out to Alex. “I’m sure word will get around. Gradian people always seem to gravitate to a party. Besides, it’s never about the quantity but about the quality of people.”

"Sexy scary snowman? That sounds weird." He looked in the direction that Asher was pointing and headed to that section to see what kind of makeup the shop had for them. "I've never thrown a party before. And you're right. It is about quality over quantity." Alex grabbed a few different types of fake blood before looking closer at the make up.

“It was super weird. It wasn’t frighteningly scary, just weird scary. And there was way too much uncovered skin.” Asher shuddered at the memory of it. He looked at all of the different colour and types of makeup. “I’m sure it’ll be great. Just have lots of snacks and drinks and music. That’s what most people are looking for.”

"Ah." Alex scanned over the makeup, finding just what he needed to make bother the werewolf and the zombie stand out. That he was happy about. "I plan on it. And I've had music covered since September."

Asher picked up a bright yellow nail polish. “Since September? Well, it sounds like it’ll be a great party then.” He looked over at Alex and smiled. “Wait, what type of music do you have for a Halloween party? Do you just play Monster Mash over and over again?” "I have a Halloween playlist." Alex said as he looked over a black nail polish. "It's anything from Monster Mash to horror movie soundtracks to creepy songs." He added the nail polish to the makeup pile. "There's even one or two of those old Freddy Kruger rap songs on there just for fun."

“That’s actually super cool! Although I have a Christmas playlist so that does actually make a lot of sense.” Asher laughed as he put the nail polish back. “I’m not sure I want to know but what is a Freddy Kruger rap song?”

Alex chuckled. "Back during the 80s when Freddy Kruger was really popular, they had the actor that plays him rap as Freddy on a song or two."

Asher let out a small ‘ah’ and grinned. “Of course. That makes sense.” He looked over at the makeup in front of them again. “Do you think they have everything here that we need?”

"They're silly but it's kind of fun." Alex shrugged before looking back over the makeup and grabbing a couple more things just in case. "I think so."

“I’m sure they are. I can’t wait to hear them.” Asher gave Alex a smile as they made their way to the counter to pay. “I just have to say, our costumes are going to be epic!”

"I think they'll be epic, too. I'll definitely try my best to make the make up look great." He said as he paid for the makeup and fake blood. Alex thanked the clerk after and headed for the door.

“I’m sure the make up will be great too! I have no doubt.” Asher followed Alex outside. “Well, I suppose our costume shopping trip is officially over.”

"Thanks. I'll definitely be sure it looks the beat I can get it." He looked over to Asher and nodded. "I suppose so. Unless you wanted to do anything else."

Asher smiled at Alex. “I trust you.” He tried not to look too outwardly disappointed that their shopping trip was done. “Um, I mean, I’ll never say no to food.”

Alex smiled and nodded. He would definitely do his best. It was go to hear that Asher trusted him. "Food sounds good, honestly."

A huge grin formed on Asher’s face. “Food it is, then! I know of a pretty great place around here that I have lunch at sometimes. Want to give it a try?”

"Of course!" Alex's smile grew wider. He was glad talkative the trip didn't have to end so soon. "Sounds like a great plan."

“Great!” Asher turned towards the direction of the cafe and started walking there. “For once, I actually don’t have anything to say. I was trying to think of a ‘get to know you question’ to ask but my mind is blank.”

Alex followed him in the direction of the cafe. "It's okay for your mind to be blank. Sometimes minds have plans different than our own."

Asher laughed. “You know what though, my mind is never blank. Literally ever. This is so strange for me.”

"Maybe I'm having an effect on you." Alex teased before laughing a little. "Mine is rarely ever blank, too."

“You quite possibly could be,” Asher replied with a smile and a small blush. “I do envy the people who have a blank mind and can just relax.” "I do, too. I wonder if it's a talent people have, or that they're just lucky." He shrugged with a small smile as they walked. "Though, I do sometimes like the ideas I have."

“If they’re lucky, then I wonder where all of my luck went.” Asher laughed as he pushed open the door of the cafe. “I have to agree, you do have some great ideas.”

"So do I." Alex laughed as he followed Asher into the cafe. "Sometimes I do. Especially the ideas for stories."

Asher found them a table and grabbed a few menus before sitting down. He handed a menu to Alex. “Well, you probably wouldn’t be able to make a living as a writer if you just had a whole bunch of bad ideas. But you’re smart and you have a great imagination so you’re fine.”

Alex took a menu as he sat down. "Yeah, I suppose that's true. I do like my imagination. I say that's likely my best quality."

“You have plenty of great qualities, Alex.” Asher gave Alex a smile before glancing down at the menu. “Hmm, I don’t know what I feel like.”

"Thank you, and so do you." Alex glanced down at the menu and hummed. There were so many things to choose from. "I feel that. I'll definitely need a few minutes to decide."

“Thank you. I really appreciate you saying that.” Asher wasn’t about to say it out loud, but he was heavily insecure about himself. “Take as long as you need. I’m not in a rush to go home and stare at my ceiling until I pass out.” He laughed as his eyes skimmed the menu. “How many coffees is too many do you think?” "Anytime." Alex loved to compliment people and see the good in them. "I feel that one. Hmmm, I don't know." He laughed a little before looking back down at the menu.

“I think I’m going to order another coffee. I feel like as a doctor I should know better than that but I’m off for the next few days so I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Asher grinned. “I have a real craving for a burger, I reckon.”

"Another coffee sounds great. I think I'll order another one, too. You're right. You should be fine." Alex matched his grin. "Hmmm. I always say when in doubt try the chicken tenders but I'm feeling something else. Maybe I'll go with the soup and salad."

“It’s not like I was going to sleep much today anyway so it really won’t matter much. And hey, if coffee is what ends up killing me, I really won’t be mad about it.” Asher looked at the menu again. “Now you’ve said it, chicken tenders sound so good. It’s never good for me to go out to eat when I’m really hungry.” "That's how I feel about coffee, too. And I feel ya. I might just stay up and watch movies today." He looked back down at the menu. "It's not good for me to do that, either. Maybe I should have gotten that pastry I was looking at at the coffee shop." He laughed.

“That sounds like a great way to spend the day. I’m assuming scary movies?” Asher let out a small sigh when Alex mentioned the pastry. “Okay, if you keep mentioning different types of food, I’m going to end up ordering one of everything!”

"Some scary, some not so scary." Alex smiled. He had a good variety on his list this year. "So am I." He chuckled before looking back down at the menu and trying to figure out what to eat.

“Oh really? What’s on the watch list then?” He asked, his attention finally turning back to the menu. There was so much to choose from. “Right, I’m going with my first choice of a burger. It’s settled.”

"Classic Universal and Hammer horror films, Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, modern horror films, and suspense films." Alex explained with a smile. "That sounds good. And I think I'll go with my safe bet."

“I always forget about The Nightmare Before Christmas. I forget that it’s actually a Halloween movie and not a Christmas movie.” Asher laughed as he signalled for the waiter and placed his order.

"I honestly count it as both a Halloween and a Christmas movie." Alex laughed. After Asher placed his order, he placed his own with a smile.

“I suppose that’s true. I already have enough Christmas movies that I love watching every year though without adding more to the list.” Asher grinned. “But I won’t start watching them until at least November.”

"Is Die Hard on the list? Or do you not consider it a Christmas movie. Some people do and some people don’t." Alex asked very curiously. "That's coming up very soon."

“I don’t consider it a Christmas movie. My criteria for a Christmas movie is that it must actually contain a Christmas related storyline and not just be set at Christmas time.” Asher nodded. “I know, I’ve already started planning what order I’m going to watch the movies in.”

"That's a fair criteria." Alex nodded. "That's great. To be honest, with my Halloween list, I kind of left it up to a random number generator to determine the order."

“I thought so.” Asher smiled. “That’s also a cool idea. I kind of just watch the movies in the same order every year. It’s almost like a comfort knowing what’s coming next.”

"There's nothing wrong with watching them in the same order every year." Alex smiled. "To be honest, I only mixed it up this year to see if I can spot something new in my rewatches."

“Did you spot anything new in your rewatches?” Asher asked, smiling at the waiter as his coffee arrived. “It’s always fun to find little mistakes and Easter eggs even after watching the movie many times before.”

"I have so far. It's always fun to look for new things." Alex smiled as he answered, then smiled and thanked the waiter as his soda arrived.

“That’s great!” Asher took a sip of his coffee and smiled. “So, I have now finally managed to think of some get to know you questions, so I figure now’s a good time to ask them. Okay, first question. What’s your favourite colour?”

He took a sip of his soda as he thought for a moment. "I quite like grey. It's just a color that can go with anything and it gives me a calm, relaxed feeling. What's yours?"

Asher nodded. “Grey is quite nice. I like green. But not all green. Like the more emerald type of green. There’s just something about that colour that really makes me happy.” He paused to take another sip of coffee. “Okay, next question. Are you a dog or cat person?”

"Green is a good color, too. That's my second favorite colour, like the forest green." He nodded then paused to take another sip of his soda. "Actually, I'm both. I've never met a cat or dog that I didn't like."

“That’s actually a great answer. Most people are either heavily for one or the other. I don’t mind cats but I do have a weak spot for dogs. Especially my dog.” Asher smiled at the thought of Buddy waiting at home for him.

"I can understand why someone would be heavily for one or the other. Dogs are great, honestly." Alex said, thinking himself about whether to get a dog or a cat.

“The only cat I really know is Hunter’s cat and that thing is terrifying so that’s not a great positive for cats.” Asher laughed. “What is your favourite season?”

"Ah. That's understandable. Most cats are pretty chill, though. I'm looking into getting a cat or dog myself." He explained. "Autumn. The weather is just right for me and my favorite holiday is Halloween."

“Oh yeah? What are you leaning towards?” Asher nodded. “Autumn is nice. Funnily enough even though my favourite holiday is Christmas, I hate the cold. I’m more of a summer guy.”

"I'm stuck between the two, honestly." Alex shrugged. "That's interesting. I can understand hating the cold. I'm not a big fan of it myself.”

“Maybe get one of each? Then you don’t have to choose.” Asher took a sip. “I honestly can’t handle being cold at all. I just hide under my blankets whenever I don’t have to leave my house.” "That is tempting, and I certainly have the room. I've just got to make sure that the cat I get would be okay with dogs and vice versa." Alex shrugged. He's been putting a lot of thought into owning a pet. "Blanket nests are great for when you don't have to leave the house."

“Yes that would be important. But if you have the room, it might be worth thinking about.” Asher knew a pet took a lot of money and time to take care of but it was so worth it. “I wish I could just wrap myself in blankets at the hospital too but it might make it a bit difficult to do my work.”

"A dog would be a good companion on my walks, to be certain. A cat, well, is a cat." He chuckled little before taking a sip of his coffee. "I can see where that would make things difficult."

“Dogs love walks. My dog especially loves walks and he doesn’t like it when I work for too long because he doesn’t get a walk. Cats seen to be very independent.” Sipping his coffee, Asher nodded. “Just a little bit. Maybe I should get one of those blanket poncho things and wear it under my doctor’s coat.”

"That's one reason for a dog, and cats being independent would be a pro for a cat. Just in case I start writing for too long. Then again I've seen videos of cats sitting on laptops." He sipped his soda. "That's a good idea. I wonder if you'd be allowed that."

“That is actually a big pro for cats too. They might be independent but they also want a lot of attention. It’s a tough choice.” Asher laughed. “No I wouldn’t be able to get away with that but the thought of it is nice.”

"That's true. It is a tough choice. That's why I've been thinking about this for a long time." He laughed. "Boo. It is a nice thought. What do they think about people bringing you things like hot chocolate?"

“I still vote that you get both. I can happily pet sit if you need to write and they’re being a distraction.” Asher grinned. “Are you offering?” He asked with a laugh. “But they don’t mind so much. Especially on night shift when it’s quiet.” "That actually sounds like a good plan." Alex grinned. "I'm definitely offering to bring hot chocolate. That's good that they don't mind."

“Sounds like it’s settled then.” Asher smiled and looked up at the waiter as their food arrived. He thanked the waiter. “Are you trying to win me over, Alex Abrams? Because it’s working!”

"All I have to do is visit a breeder or shelter now. I'm leaning toward a shelter. There are so many animals that need a home." Alex explained. He thanked the waiter as well. "I might be." He chuckled.

“That’s a great idea. I actually got Buddy at a shelter when he was a puppy. I’ll always recommend people to go a shelter.” Asher picked up his burger and took a bite. Of course it tasted amazing. “Well, it is definitely working if you are.” He grinned.

"Adorable and I'm glad Buddy is happy to have his forever home." Alex picked up a chicken tender and took a bite. It was definitely good. "Good. I'm glad."

“I hope he is happy. The amount of money it costs to feed his bottomless pit of a stomach!” Taking another bite of his burger, Asher nodded. “I will also take a coffee if you’re ever offering to bring me things at work.” He grinned.

Alex chuckled before taking another bite of his chicken strip. "Coffee and hot chocolate. Got it."

"How's your chicken strips? They look good." Asher put his burger down to take a sip of his coffee and stretched. He sometimes forgot how much night shift took a toll on his body. "Okay, here's another question. What five famous people, dead or alive, would you choose to have dinner with?"

"My chicken strips are fantastic. Thank you for suggesting this cafe." He took a break from his chicken strip to sip at his soda. "Five famous people? Hmm.. Edgar Allan Poe, Peter Capaldi, William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, and Leonard Nimoy."

"Not a problem. I've eaten pretty well everywhere both here and in Gradian so I'm always happy to suggest great food places." Asher sipped his coffee again as he listened. "That is a great list. I mean, one of the Doctors and people from Star Trek? That's a good bunch of people."

"I'll be sure to ask you more often when I need a new food place." He sipped at his soda. "And a writer said to have been the father of the modern detective story, know n for his mastery of suspense. What can I say, I'm a huge nerd."

"I'll be happy to help." Asher picked up his burger again and took another bite as he listened. "Ah, of course. The name sounded familiar but I couldn't place him. But hey, remember, nerds are cool."

"Awesome." He hummed a moment before finishing his chicken finger and moving onto the next. "That's true. Nerds are pretty cool."

Asher stopped talking for a while to eat more of his burger. The silence wasn't uncomfortable though which was nice. "Nerds are super cool. If only everyone else felt the same way."

While Asher was eating more of his burger, Alex ate more of his food, stopping every now and again to take sips of his soda. He was glad it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. "I wish everyone else felt the same, but if everyone liked the same things the world would be a bit boring."

As Asher finished off his burger, he let out a content sigh and relaxed back in his chair. "That's true. But maybe there would be less wars and fighting if everyone liked the same things. Or at least, if they tolerated more things." Alex relaxed as he finished his food, feeling nice and full. "Tolerance would be a nice thing to have more of in the world. I think that would cause less wars and fighting."

Asher downed the last of his coffee. “But that would be too easy, obviously. I suppose we just have to try and be as tolerant as we can and hope others do the same.”

"You're absolutely right." Alex nodded before finishing the rest of his soda. "I try to be as tolerant of others as I want them to be of me."

"Then we're doing our part to help out the world." Asher smiled. "The food was so good. I think it actually filled me up enough that I might actually be able to finally have a nap."

"We so are." Alex nodded. "Same here. I think I might actually feel a nap creeping up on me."

"Perhaps we should call it a day then. As much as I'd love to keep hanging out, I don't know how fun I'll be if I pass out on the street."

"You're right. I wouldn't be too much fun passed out in the street either." Alex laughed a little. "I had fun. Let's do it again some time."

“I worry what people would do to us if we were just passed out on the street.” Asher chuckled. “Definitely. You’re great company and I know it would be great fun hanging out again.”

"Me too, admittedly." Alex laughed and paid the bill as soon as it came. "You're great company, too. It definitely would be."

Asher smiled as Alex paid the bill and thanked him. “Maybe I’ll take you up on your offer on a walk in the woods near your place.”

"That would be awesome. I'll be happy to take a walk with you." Alex smiled and stretched out before getting up.

“Good. So would I.” Asher mirrored Alex’s smile and got up. “At least it’s not too far back to the hospital to get my car. The coffee place is on the way so if you’re parked near there, it’ll be fine.” "I'm actually parked at the coffee place." Alex smiled. "That sounds like a good walk."

“Alright, let’s get our healthy on with another walk then.” Asher laughed, heading to the door and holding it open for Alex.

Alex followed Asher and went out the door, into the cool air. "Work off all the calories we just had." He chuckled.

Asher shivered a little as they stepped outside. He’d forgotten it was getting colder and colder. “Don’t remind me. That burger was so worth the calories though.”

"So were those chicken tenders. The chicken tenders were probably the best I've had in a while." He said as they walked.

“Really? That’s great! I don’t think I’ve had a bad meal there yet.” Asher smiled as they walked. “Okay, so, do you want me to come around a bit before the party so we can get our costumes sorted? I feel like we won’t have a chance once people arrive.”

"I'll have to remember that cafe so I can stop the next time I'm here." Alex mirrored his smile as he put his hands in his pockets. "That sounds like a good idea. Want to say around two hours before? That way I have time to do your makeup and not have to rush it."

“If you ever forget it, just give me a call and I’ll remind you where it is.” Asher nodded as they rounded a corner. The coffee shop from earlier was at the end of the road. “Sure, sounds great to me. I don’t have any plans so anytime works for me. I can also give you a hand setting up, if you don’t already have extra pairs of hands?”

"That sounds great." Alex peered down the street as he walked and saw the coffee shop and his car. "Awesome. That sounds great. I already have decorations up. I think what I'll need help with most is getting the snacks and drinks laid out."

Asher grinned. “Of course you do. But I can help with laying out snacks and drinks. I can’t promise I won’t eat some of the snacks while laying them out though.” He laughed and started to slow his pace as they got close to Alex’s car and the coffee shop.

Alex laughed. "Don't worry. I'll probably end up eating some of the snacks as well. And I'll probably tase ingredients as I'm making them. I have a habit of that." He matched Asher's slower pace.

“Well you can’t know if the ingredients are going to taste good without trying them first.” Asher replied with a grin. He slowed his pace to a stop as they reached the car. “Well, thank you for keeping me company today and helping me decide what to wear. This was way more fun than going home to try and sleep.”

"That's true." Alex chuckled as he stopped and unlocked his car. He opened the door. "You're welcome. Thank you for keeping me company as well. This was more fun that just sitting home and watching movies."

“Watching movies can be quite fun though but it is usually more fun with other people.” Asher smiled. “Alright, well, I guess I’ll see you on Halloween then.”

"That's true. Maybe I should invite people over more often when I'm watching movies." He smiled. "Sounds like a plan. See you on Halloween." Alex replied as he got into his car.

“Maybe you should.” Asher smiled and gave Alex a nod as he climbed into his car. He waved as Alex left and started to make the trek back to the hospital. He really couldn’t wait until Halloween.

#c:alex #para: costume hunting

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hmsex2023-rorys3965039 · 6 months

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HMsEx Blog Entry 12 (week 13-14)

Colour Grading Feedback

Considering how I should compose my 4 liminal spaces in relation to the colour of the light they have. All except amber light carpark primarily have white light, I’ve then given a subtle blue tint to their highlights making it look colder and more urban. The issue is I find the correction and gradeless amber light carpark actually looks better without grading to be consistent with other three spaces. Nonetheless, I’ve graded it for testing purposes. Let’s look at the feedback from random viewers.

Original order:

Museum Sign Carpark, Empty Street shops 1, Amber light carpark, Empty Street shops 2.

Colour based linear order:

Amber light carpark, Museum Sign Carpark, Empty Street shops 1, Empty Street shops 2.

Amber Colour Changed to be consistent with the coldness of other 3:

Amber light carpark vs Amber light carpark

RESULTS

I interviewed Jo and she didn’t really speak much on the questions above regarding colour grade consistency, she was primarily concerned with my glitch-in rotoscopes position in each of the four clips. She said the current order doesn’t make much sense and I should order them so that I start close and in the last clip I’m the furthest away.

Nik said he prefers my most open carpark shot without the colour grade while Darrin says the opposite, I too prefer it without the grade so I’m glad I wasn’t alone in that. Thus, I’ve decided to disable the colour grade for now.

I’ve encountered massive workflow issues ever since Creative cloud on my laptop automatically updated my Pr and Ae to the 2024 versions. My adobe dynamic links which allow me to import my rotoscoping compositions from after effects into my premiere pro timeline that sync as I edit them in affect effects, were disconnected and I haven’t been able to reconnect them.

This problem is made even more inconvenient as the RMIT computers’ adobe apps haven’t been updated to 2024 so that means that my project files couldn’t be opened on them.

SOLUTION FOUND: quite simple I just save the project file as a v23.x project file and then I can open it and edit it on RMIT desktops.

Creative Practice Research

I’ve been attending a lot of the exhibitions from Ben’s Curation studio; I’ve enjoyed them all but the most impressive one I saw was by my friends Minnie and Adrian, BodyMorphosis (https://minnie427.github.io/curating/). Minnie’s area was specific emotions that people can’t usually define or articulate but do in fact have names. Considering my great endeavour of breaking down this feeling I’m calling Liminal Exhilaration and exploring the under-attribution of the word exhilaration itself, I found her research really relieving to see because a lot of people see my work and as soon as they hear me say exhilaration they say “nah no way”, it felt nice to see someone else interested in having a broader understanding of the countless emotions we feel.

Minnie referenced a book by author John Koenig called The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows which looks at countless very specific feelings that you get from particular scenarios.

Progress update: I think I've spent 6 hours a day in this computer lab for the past 5 days. I'm amazed that it takes this long to rotoscope, and Im not dilly dallying either I'm focused and yet it takes this long. Luckily I'm at the 1:10 mark now, only 20 seconds left to edit! :)

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anitabyars · 9 months

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NEW RELEASE!

Camden (Pittsburgh Titans, Book #8)

Sawyer Bennett

Release Date: August 1, 2023

Synopsis:

Camden Poe is the last of The Lucky Three, the surviving Pittsburgh Titans who weren’t on the team plane the night it went down. By all outward appearances, he’s adjusted to post-crash life well but inside he’s wrestling with the guilt of living.

The catastrophe that killed the Pittsburgh Titans changed my entire world. My teammates were more than my friends—they were my brothers. I mourned their loss with the rest of the nation but then I did as I’ve been taught… I moved on. I focused on returning to the ice with the newly rebuilt team and put the tragedy behind me. Considering the circumstances, I adjusted well. Or so I thought. Now I’m plagued by nightmares of the crash and my play has suffered as a result. Facing the possibility of losing my place on the team, I need to pull myself together and fast.

My buddy and linemate, Mitch Brandt died in the crash, leaving his wife Danica and son Travis behind to pick up the pieces of their shattered family. After reconnecting with Danica at a support group meeting, I find myself inexplicably drawn to helping her and her son move forward. What starts as two friends finding solace in one another following a tragedy becomes something more, leaving us both wondering if we deserve this chance.

I feel as if I’m walking a precarious line between a man falling for an incredible woman and a man moving in on his dead friend’s wife. But one thing is crystal clear—I’ve found a peace with Danica that I wasn’t sure I’d ever have again. Now I need to find the confidence within myself to push past the insecurities and make sure she knows how important she is to me because if I don’t, I’ll lose the one thing that makes me truly complete.

Get Camden in digital, signed paperback and audio (narrated by Aaron Shedlock & Savannah Peachwood) direct from Sawyer: SHOP the Sawyer Bennett Bookstore

Download Camden at the following retailers:

About the Author:

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.

A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.

If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).

Connect with Sawyer:

My Review

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is book eight of the Pittsburgh Titans Series and I have been waiting for Camden’s story and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. Full of heartwarming and heartbreaking moments, that are emotional, tender, aspiring and romantic, as this friends to lovers trope brings a second chance of love to a widow and her son. A beautiful story that brings all the feels and emotions that held me captive until the end.

Camden Poe is one of the lucky three players, who weren’t on the fateful flight the night of the tragic crash, that took the entire team’s lives. Although he thought he had grieved and mourned, and accepted that he was granted grace while others were not, as the first anniversary of the Pittsburgh Titans’ plane crash gets closer, he is plagued with more nightmares and they’ve gotten worse. With his job on the line his coach gives him an ultimatum. He must attend the next

support group for all the loved ones and friends left behind, which is now more of a social network where they meet every Sunday afternoon and talk. And that is where he sees her again.

Danica Brandt lost her husband Mitch when that plane went down. In the last year she and her son (9yo)Travis have struggled to put their loss behind them. She stayed in Pittsburgh and continues to go to the Sunday support get-togethers that have helped her immensely, since Brienne Norcross the owner of the Pittsburgh Titans started them.

After struggling with finances after the tragedy, she was thrilled as well as apprehensive, when she was selected to run a new charity Brienne created and named after her brother called the Adam Norcross Charitable Foundation. She will be the face of this new global foundation that is for dependents, professional athletes and support staff, who have either died or become incapacitated and can’t play anymore. And it’s for all sports not just hockey.

When Camden runs into Danica at the get-together he offers to come and help her son with some hockey tips, but he also eagerly accepts her invitation to help her with an upcoming sponsor event for the charity.

Danica is so busy trying to give Travis a good life and work a new career, dating and relationships are far down on her list of priorities. Until on Camden’s 26th birthday, Danica goes to the celebration and when he walks her to her car they almost kiss.

These two struggle with their growing feelings for one another but their chemistry is sizzling. Omg! All the butterflies, giddiness… the excitement of being near each other will have you squirming in your seat. But what will Camden do when he starts to feel guilty? What will his teammates think? You will have to read to find out all the juicy details. Loved these three together!

I received an early copy and this is my honest review.

#sawyer bennett #camden #newrelease #Pittsburg titans series #hockeyromance

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kellysbookblog · 1 year

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Cannon: A Pittsburgh Titans Novel Sawyer Bennett Release Date: February 28, 2023

My GR Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5350876676?book_show_action=false

My Amazon Review: https://www.amazon.com/review/RCH3QGGOBS9KA/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Synopsis:

Cannon West left his hockey playing days behind to care for his dying wife but has since found success on the other side of the bench. Now, as the youngest head coach in league history, he’s hoping to lead the Pittsburgh Titans to a winning season. The last thing he’s looking for is a relationship, but life sometimes takes us in another direction.

The Pittsburgh Titans are still working to move on from the tragic plane crash that forever changed the landscape of their organization. Having lost my wife, I know all about grief and the guilt of survival which makes me uniquely equipped to take this team to the next level. From the very first time I stepped inside the Titans’ arena, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be.

New to town, I’m still establishing my routine, but I have the most important aspect under control—the coffee shop where I stop on my way to the arena every morning. A strong cup of java and the gorgeous manager who I can’t help but chat up is quickly becoming my favorite way to start the day. But no matter how much I enjoy the blush that stains Ava Cavanaugh’s cheeks with my admittedly awkward attempt at flirting, I know it will never be more than brazen banter with a new friend. My job consumes almost all my time, and I know firsthand what that level of commitment can do to a relationship.

That doesn’t mean I’m not open to some fun. My career comes first, but Ava understands my boundaries. The only problem is that once I give into her temptation, the rules I set for myself become blurred, and my mixed signals hurt Ava—the one thing I promised I wouldn’t do. I’ve put myself in what seems to be an untenable situation, but I’ve faced those before. Now I need to find the strength to move past my fears, or risk losing my second chance at love with the woman who has stolen my heart.

All books in the Pittsburgh Titans series can be read as standalones. See the entire series here: https://sawyerbennett.com/bookstore/the-pittsburgh-titans-series/

Download Cannon: A Pittsburgh Titans Novel Amazon: https://amzn.to/3jIoTiV Nook: https://bit.ly/3xvyLER Apple: https://apple.co/3uHwGnB Google: https://bit.ly/3Ef1O0U Kobo: https://bit.ly/3JEJNdq Print: https://amzn.to/3mB5h1U

Audible (narrated by Stephen Dexter and Mackenzie Cartwright): http://bit.ly/3me3jYl

Buy the digital and signed paperback direct from Sawyer Bennett: https://bit.ly/STORE_Cannon ** Digital files will be delivered via BookFunnel and sent to the device of your choosing **

About the Author:

If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).

Connect with Sawyer:

Facebook: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_FB Reader group: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_NEP

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Website: www.sawyerbennett.com

Newsletter:

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Goodreads:

http://bit.ly/Sawyer_GR

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pred1059 · 1 year

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Just A Chance Chapter Sixteen

<- Previous Chapter | Current Chapter | Next Chapter ->

Journal: Day Five

Today was...busy.

Seeing someone fall to darkness in the Deep Jungle, even if it was a memory…

Could I have changed it?

I know...Nobodies don’t have hearts. But just the idea of one of my friends falling to darkness...

But...even all that was nothing compared to tonight.

Learning about Axel and Zexion’s past. Going into memories. Some powerful heartless called Ansem coming back.

And Naminé wants to learn how to use a keyblade.

She wants to help.

It’s a lot...but I think I can handle this, if I’ve got my friends by my side. Axel and Zexion have been supporting me so far. And I’m sure Naminé will be great at using a keyblade. They’re helping me, so I’ll do what I can to help them too.

Once again, Roxas walked the recreated streets of Traverse Town. The first time he was too rattled to really see the town beyond the heartless he had to fight. But now as he looked around, the world seemed comfortable despite the dark. Despite the everlasting night, the lamplight illuminated shops and homes. Signs, colored glass, even a small bit of grass gave the town some otherwise needed color.

What else had he missed in those other worlds while focusing on his training?

“So Roxas, got any ideas of how you’re going to do this without your keyblade?”

Axel’s question got his mind off track. He needed something to defend himself. Even if it was a little simple. A stack of wood in an alley caught his eye. Jogging over, he began to rummage through the loose planks, setting aside most of the larger pieces. Finally, he found what he was looking for. “Got it!” Grabbing it, Roxas turned back to Naminé, Axel, and Zexion with a hefty enough piece of wood that he brandished with a grin.

Axel stared for a moment before shaking his head. “Roxas, that’s a stick. If you’re going to improvise, you probably shouldn’t pick up something that I can turn to kindling in a split second.”

Naminé looked down at the keyblade, then looked back to Roxas with a small smile. “Sora was able to use a wooden sword to cast magic. I’m sure Roxas can do it too.”

“I agree. Even the most simple object can act as a focus.” Zexion continued by holding up his lexicon. “When I first started my magical training, I started with a simple book with hardly any enchantments.”

“Alright already. I get the picture.” Axel shrugged with a grin before rubbing his hands together. “So. I’m pretty sure we need some targets for Naminé to practice with.” He glanced up to the rooftop, grinned, and summoned chakrams to his hands in a flash of flame. “I think these’ll do the trick.” He tossed a fiery disc up to a loose tile on the roof, where a group of shadows scampered down to the street. “We’ll let you and Roxas handle the mission from here. Seeing as how this is mostly Roxas’ lesson.”

The heartless slithered across the floor towards her before reforming into physical bodies. Gripping the keyblade tight, she brought down the weapon on the heartless directly in front of her and knocked it back. Two more shadows leapt at her and she began to flail, swinging the sword from side to side to keep the darkness at bay.

Roxas winced as he saw Naminé begin to panic, but then his eyes widened as he saw a stray shadow start to slither behind her. It began to take form and crouched, ready to pounce. “No you don’t!” He hissed under his breath and held his stick forward, casting a bolt of fire to knock the heartless away.

Naminé glanced backwards to where the lone heartless once stood, seeing Roxas’ fireball soar past her. The distraction gave one of the heartless an opportunity to swipe at her. She yelped at the pain, stepping back. Roxas began to take a step forward, ready to intervene. However, as she got some space, she raised her keyblade and stammered out “F-Freeze!” Aiming the keyblade forward, she shot at the shadows before her again and again. Each iceball knocking down a heartless before another shot caused it to evaporate until she had managed to take down the pack.

With the last shadow gone, Roxas jogged over to Naminé who was gasping for breath. Looking at him, she gingerly nodded. “Sorry, it’s my first time...fighting back against someone trying to hurt me. I...I panicked.”

Zexion rubbed his chin in thought. “Or your self preservation instincts kicked into overdrive in this first encounter.”

Axel scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, it’s...different fighting for real. Catch your breath for a minute.”

Naminé looked down at her keyblade as her breathing slowed. “It feels...heavy now.” She looked back up at Roxas, confused. “When you first gave it to me it was light as a feather.”

He nodded, as looked down to Naminé’s slightly looser grip. “Yeah. That’s how it usually feels when I’m using it too.”

Her shoulders sank a little as she tried to hold the weapon in front of her. “I’m doing my best to follow how you and Sora fight. Just...swinging as hard as I can.”

Roxas’ train of thought completely derailed at that.

Just swinging?

He knew that he usually did a lot of the same work with fighting for all of his missions. But putting it like that?

Not to mention, Sora did a lot more than ‘just swinging’ when they fought.

Zexion raised an eyebrow, while Axel snorted in amusement. “I think putting it like that is underselling what Roxas does, don’t you think?”

Naminé shook her head. “I just started so it’s all I can do. I can’t do some of the special moves like he can yet.”

And that’s when he realized what exactly she was talking about. “Maybe it’s not my moves you need.” He put a hand to his chest as he looked Naminé in the eyes. “When I use the keyblade, it’s like fighting with everything I am.”

“You’d probably say fighting with all of your heart if we weren’t...you know.”

“That’s not the point,” Roxas dismissed Axel’s off handed observation before reaching out to her. “I don’t think just copying Sora or Me is going to help. I think...you need to fight the way that’s right for you.”

Naminé listened to his words and looked down at the keyblade still in her grip. Her eyebrows furrowing as she murmured, “What’s right for me?” Then she took her left hand off the keyblade and simply held it in her right. As she did, her posture seemed a bit less hunched with trying to keep the weapon off the ground. Turning to Axel and Zexion she asked, “Let me try again.”

“By all means.” Axel gestured to the door leading to the next area. She and Roxas moved ahead to the plaza, where soldiers and shadows perked up at the creaking door.

Seeing the keyblade in Naminé’s hands, the soldiers began to amble over towards her. Aiming with her keyblade once again she cast a bolt of ice this time. Each shot thinned the heartless coming closer. That left the shadows that slithered closer on the floor, though this time she had her eye on them. As they began to rise, she only slashed at them once before stepping away to cast a fireball at them.

Roxas watched the way she fought now and relaxed, just a bit. He still needed to keep an eye on any heartless that might try to attack him, but he had a feeling Naminé would be fine now that she found a rhythm. She wasn’t trying to jump straight in the middle of a fight, but instead controlled it. Using magic to keep heartless at bay while she moved and striked when she could.

It was almost like she was dancing.

Naminé’s initial fear when her training started had ebbed away. Physical harm wasn’t unknown to her, Larxene and Marluxia had seen to that. And the Keyblade had a strength she could hardly deny. But danger was always different up close, and fighting face to face hardly helped her nerves.

But with magic, she didn’t need to fight for long up close. Just long enough to get some distance, or recharge her magic. Making her way through memories of Traverse Town’s heartless helped her focus. She began to see that she could fight the heartless, they weren’t insurmountable to her. By the time she reached the fountain in the third district, she was ready for the large body that appeared, flocked by air soldiers. She glanced back to Roxas, who offered a nod and a supportive smile.

As the flying heartless swooped towards the two of them she stepped to the side, while Roxas rolled away. A swing of her keyblade got one of them in the wing opening it up to a fireball in the back. While Roxas couldn’t quite slice through the air soldier clawing at him as usual, he could still use the stick to knock away its claws before blasting it in the face with Ice. She glanced over to the large body, who’d become hopping mad seeing it’s backup fall.

She knew what was coming, and felt the keyblade’s power help her jump up higher than she would have, Roxas following suit. It was quick enough to avoid the shockwave that the heartless sent out as it crashed to the ground. The remaining two air soldiers had gotten up and began circling around the two of them. As the large body charged forward, she began to move and evade the heartless’ surprisingly fast approach. As it stumbled in the charge she saw her chance.

With a swipe, she struck the large heartless’ exposed back before peppering it with fireballs. Under the barrage the heartless expired, but as it did the two air soldiers both began to dive towards Roxas. Though he managed to avoid one, the other scored a decent hit on his exposed back. Hissing, he turned to the heartless that had landed a hit and shouted, “Freeze!” In a flash, the snowball struck down the heartless. While the other air soldier reared up for another go, Naminé decided to take a chance, given how it was distracted.

Leaping up, she sliced away at the lone heartless, each hit with the keyblade knocking it down towards the ground. Hitting the pavement, the creature expired and released its heart. Or the heart it would have had if this was not a memory. She rushed over to Roxas as he looked at his scratched arm. He waved meagerly with his good hand. “I’m alright.” She frowned, not quite convinced that he was in the best shape. His facade fell slightly as he looked to his injuries, but then he realized, “Um..this might be a good chance for you to practice healing magic?”

Naminé relaxed at the suggestion. “Of course. Heal.” Pointing the keyblade towards him, a green light and vines flashed for a moment between the two of them. After that, any sign that Roxas was even hurt was gone as he rolled his shoulder.

Axel came up behind the two of them clapping. “Not bad at all, Naminé! Keep this up and we might be picking out a cloak your size!”

“Wait, what?” Naminé faltered as Axel’s statement just killed any sense of accomplishment that she might have had.

Zexion raised an eyebrow at the hesitation. “You seem surprised. Surely you understand that mastering the power of the keyblade would grant you a place in our Organization.”

“It’s...just a bit much for me to wrap my head around.” A few days ago, Larxene was telling her how there was only one way her story could end. As a pawn pulling the strings of a puppet. For them to just...turn around and offer her a position like this based on power. It just...wasn’t right.

And out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Roxas wasn’t quite in the celebratory mood either.

Did...did he understand what she believed? That there was more to living than just honoring power?

“Are you truly so eager to reward such meager strength?”

At the unfamiliar voice everyone was startled. Axel ran up besides Roxas and Naminé, summoning his weapons. Zexion scanned the area before pointing up, “There!”

Looking up, Naminé paled as she saw the white haired boy sitting on the ledge. Roxas was bewildered. “Wha...Riku?!”

Axel seemed surprised. “You know about Riku?”

Roxas sputtered, “I’ll...explain later!” Though right now, Naminé knew that explaining what was happening after Roxas’ missions was the least of their worries.

‘Riku’ stepped off the ledge, but instead of falling floated. Darkness shrouded him as he spoke in a warped voice, “This vessel once used that name. But it is now meaningless.”

Axel wasted no time summoning his weapons, snarling, “Hey Ansem, haven’t you heard? The heartless are finished!”

“The door to darkness is sealed, you cannot command the heartless horde as it once was.” Placing a hand to his tome, Zexion called forth a lighting bolt at the gathering dark. The flash of light momentarily dispelled the shadow.

But still an echoing voice spoke, “As long as there are hearts, darkness will lurk in them.” The four of them glanced around to try and find the boy as he continued, “And where there is darkness, there are the heartless.”

From the fountain, darkness began to bubble from the water. It soon overflowed a shadowy tar into the courtyard. The four of them backed away, and Naminé looked down at her keyblade and over to Axel and Zexion. “I...I think I need to switch with Roxas!”

Axel nodded as flame gathered around his chakrams. “Right, there’s jumping into the deep end as a learning experience and then there’s this!” He blasted a gout of flame into the creeping dark, but it did little to slow the advance.

“Right now we need someone experienced to stand against whatever Ansem is conjuring.” Zexion turned and scowled as shadow obscured the doors leading out. “Especially since we have no exit at the moment.”

She looked to Roxas and held the keyblade out to him. Looking back at her, he laid his hand over hers on the grip and gave a small squeeze. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of this.” Shifting his hand down to hold onto the weapon, Roxas held out the stick in his other hand. Naminé took it with little complaint. Without the keyblade she could only cast meagre magic, but right now they needed all the help they could get.

“Do you think that you can truly find power in facing these memories? These pale imitations and conjurings of what was?” Ansem as Riku rose from the shadow and raised a hand holding a black flame. “Allow me show you true darkness!” And then he plunged it into the dark pooling around the four of them.

Roxas saw four broadswords rise from the shadows Ansem had summoned, each of them about the size of Axel. Floating in the air, darkness from the floor rose into muscular bodies that grabbed the blades as Ansem vanished into shadows. They were a far cry from the ambling imps or other larger heartless that seemed easy enough to manage.

It didn’t matter, Roxas would fight them all the same.

“Invisibles,” Axel scowled as flames gathered on the edges of his weapons, “Guess he’s not cutting us any breaks!” Twisting around he sent both of his blades flying outward in a circle towards the heartless. While one flinched as the burning chakrams hit it for a moment, he soon joined his companions in blocking the blows with their swords. Roxas leapt up to one of the blocking heartless and began to slash away at it, causing it to drop its guard. As the invisible turned to him, Axel flung flaming discs into its back, causing it to expire. Zexion and Naminé cast spell after spell towards one of the heartless, forcing it to block with it’s blade.

Then the other two invisibles slammed their blades into the ground and vanished. A second later, rings of flame surrounded Naminé and Zexion. Roxas stopped attacking as he saw them in danger, he cried out “Move!”

Naminé tried to jump away from the dark fire that surrounded her, but it only followed her movement. She cried out, “They aren’t going away!”

“Wait for the right moment!” Zexion called out, getting some distance between him and Naminé. Roxas took a step towards them, but was forced to stop as the invisible’s broadsword swung in front of him. Only a moment of surprise kept him out of its path. A second later it swung again, and Roxas was forced to block the next attack. Axel’s flaming chakram in its side only seemed to make the heartless angrier. Roxas tried to keep up with the assault, and could barely see what was happening behind the heartless out of the corner of his eye.

“Now!” Zexion cried out, and Roxas saw him and Naminé dive away from shadowy bursts of fire. They both seemed singed, but otherwise fine.

“Is that it?” And then Roxas heard Ansem’s voice behind him.“Is that all an imitation of the keybearer can do?”

Roxas slammed his keyblade into the invisible, finally causing it to fade away. The spun towards the voice, holding his keyblade overhead. Only for it to clash against a dark blade in a reappeared Ansem’s hand. Roxas growled as he tried to break the block, “I...am nothing...like Sora!”

Ansem only chuckled as he pushed Roxas back with ease. “Such ferocity,” Ansem shoved Roxas away and swung at him as he dodged away. “If you truly have no heart, then where does such savagery come from?”

“What are you talking about?!” Roxas shouted as he gripped the keyblade a little tighter. He saw that by now the two other invisibles had reformed. One had begun to strike at Axel, broadsword ringing against the chakrams deflecting each blow. Zexion and Naminé were able to keep the other at bay with a barrage of ice and lightning that it could barely weather. But the dark around them continued to grow, and Roxas just knew Ansem could call on far worse heartless.

Ansem smirked as a dark flame gathered in his hand. “A hollow shell has nothing but the void inside.” He cast the dark fireball towards Roxas, who cast another fireball to catch it. But the dark fireball split apart around Roxas’ magic and arced to hit him in the chest, knocking him back. “And darkness can fill that emptiness so easily.”

Roxas grimaced as he got to his feet. There was so much he wanted to say about how Ansem was wrong. He saw how pain echoed in so many nobodies that he knew. And kindness too from Axle, Zexion, and of course Naminé, something more than simple courtesy. But everything he had been taught said that was an illusion, what’s worse, he had no real way to prove it wrong.

And yet...Roxas did feel something building inside as he fought. Something that the fire he cast had brought to the surface.

A Burning Frenzy within.

“WE...AREN’T...NOTHING!” He shouted as embers floated off his body. Once again, Ansem approached Roxas with a slash. But this time, when Roxas’ keyblade parried the attack it forced Ansem back. Roxas continued on attacking, each slash sending a bolt of flame on the leader of the heartless until finally a ring of fire burst forth from Roxas. The attack caused Ansem to step back staggered, darkness covering his whole being. He wasn’t going to let this chance slip away. He rose into the air, keyblade wound back calling out, “This is it!”

Only for a dark specter to spring forth from the mass of darkness, grabbing Roxas from the air with both hands. It was a colossal heartless, with a grip that held him in place no matter how he struggled. “ROXAS!” Three voices cried out as they saw him try and escape.

The darkness grew and became a man with silver hair in a black trenchcoat. Roxas couldn’t hide his shock at seeing him. The heartless was a spitting image of Xemnas as it studied him with amusement. “Well done. I’ll even go as far as to say I underestimated you.” The guardian’s grip tightened around Roxas and he cried out. “But you don’t know what real power is.”

“Leave him alone!” Naminé’s voice cried out as she cast blizzard at Ansem’s back.

A spell that Ansem barely even registered, much to her horror, instead he closed his eyes and smiled. “For now, I will allow you to live.” The guardian heartless dropped Roxas to the ground, and darkness surrounded Ansem once again. “So you may understand the truth.” And when the shadows vanished, he was gone.

Roxas propped himself up on his hands, realizing that with Ansem having left the sounds of fighting had ceased. He looked over to his friends, a bit scraped and burned, but still alright. Naminé jogged over to him and cast a much needed healing spell. Roxas gave an appreciative nod as he got to his feet. “Is...everyone okay?”

“Yeah, your little trick kicked in at the right time. Distracted the invisibles long enough for us to clean them out.” Axel groaned as he dusted off his cloak. Stretching out his back, he began to make his way to the door. “Let’s get back to our home floor, heal up, and figure out where we go from here?”

Zexion smiled with relief as he followed Axel. “That sounds wonderful.”

Roxas nodded, catching his breath. “Yeah. sounds great. Anything we’re forgetting?” He looked around at the group, but at seeing Naminé’s nervous expression he paused. Did...something happen?

“I...still can’t call on a keyblade.”

Oh. His gut sank at her confession, and Zexion and Axel winced as well.She held the stick limply as she shook her head. “I understand the power but...something’s missing.”

Roxas walked over to her and gently put a hand to Naminé’s shoulder. “We’ll...figure out a plan after dinner.”

There had to be something they could come up with.

#my fanfiction #KH Fanfiction #Kingdom Hearts #fanfiction #fanfic #what if #Just A Chance #roxas #namine #roxas/namine #roxas x namine #rokunami #axel #kh axel #zexion #kh zexion

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sj-ficrecs · 3 years

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fic rec 11!

just a random collection of what I’ve read and enjoyed lately. as usual, no specific order.

This is purely a fic rec blog, always reblogging fics I enjoy. usually Bucky x reader, sometimes Steve x reader, Chris Beck x reader, etc. So check out more I’ve reblogged on this page. :) See my past fic recs below:

PREVIOUS FIC RECS HERE! // Q & A

(divider by @bwbatta)

Bucky x reader:

Flashing Lights by @pellucid-constellations Paramedic!Bucky x reader

“Bucky’s worst fears come true when he’s called to a scene. If he’s the one with the dangerous job, then why is it your life that’s hanging in the balance?”

Operation: Freefall by @constantwriter85 Bucky x reader

“When Bucky fell from the train in 1945, he didn’t just leave behind his family and friends. He left behind the girl he was going to marry, a girl he never stopped loving. Decades later, Bucky continued to search for her, only to find out that she had disappeared without a trace in 1955. But when Steve hands over the shield to Sam Wilson, he also has something for his childhood friend—a redacted S.H.I.E.L.D. file code-named Operation: Freefall, a file with more questions than answers. With Sam’s help and a handful of Pym Particles, the file sends Bucky on a trip to the past, trying to solve the mystery and save the woman he still loves.”

Recovery by @wicked-mind Biker!Bucky x reader

“After going through rehab and recovering, you move back to town to live with your mother as you sort out what to do with your life, but your mom has other plans that include hooking you up with a hot biker by the name of James ‘Bucky’ Barnes”

Teacher’s Favorite + Sharing My Sweetheart by @suitk0via Single dad!Bucky x teacher!reader

“You are first grade teacher and Bucky is a single dad who wants to be involved with everything his little girl - Elaine - does. He’s the dad all the parent’s and faculty drool over. You quickly become Elaine’s favorite teacher and Bucky’s just gotta meet you.”

Uninvited by @mymoonagedaydream modern!Bucky x reader

Reader is a close friend of Sam’s. Sam and Bucky are roommates, so reader spends a lot of time with them. Bucky becomes colder towards reader and they ask Sam about it - finding out Bucky, who is taken, is falling out of love w/ his gf because he has a crush on reader.

You Know Me Too Well by @nexusnyx Tattoo Artist!Bucky x reader

“there is a thin line between pain and pleasure. that line is real and palpable, except for the times when you sit in bucky barnes’ table and feel his hands holding your skin. his job demands him to hurt you, but the only problem is that you enjoy it. a lot.”

The Slip Up by @justkending dad!Bucky x reader

“After a last hurrah to graduating college with a future to be a family practitioner, a little slip up happens… Seven years down the road, just when things just now seem to be going smoothly, Y/N approaches that slip up from all those years ago. She’s not looking for anything right now. She is just where she wants to be in life. It seems the universe has a different idea though. One called James Barnes.”

Invisible String series by @dirty-holy-things Bucky x reader

“You were fairly certain that landing a date through court-ordered therapy was some sort of HIPAA violation, if not just an ethical one, but you couldn’t help but be intrigued by the mysterious storm cloud of a man who you shared the waiting room with every Thursday.”

Sacrifice by @wkemeup Bucky x reader

“In the midst of an attack, you’re dosed with an unknown chemical and your healing ability becomes compromised.”

Purgatory by @wkemeup Bucky x reader

“While on a mission, Bucky becomes dissociated into the Winter Soldier. But instead of becoming a threat, his instinct is to protect.”

Behind the Storm by @wkemeup Bucky x reader

“On a mission, you’re hit with a spell that takes away your ability to see. Bucky does what he can to make you feel safe.”

We Were Screaming in Color by @samwlscns Bucky x reader, soulmate au

“james buchanan barnes was your soulmate and you were his. despite everything the world threw your way, bucky always kept his promise to make his way back home to you. even if that meant having to lose him more than once.”

Bulova by @babycap Bucky x reader

“In the five years between the two snaps that changed it all, life had moved on, as life is want to do. In the aftermath of that final battle, you discover that time waited for no one (least of all you), and those you loved marched forward into it without you. Sam suggests you volunteer at the local retirement community to keep you busy, keep your mind from lingering on what—and who—you lost. In giving back, you find that time can be just as generous as it is cruel. A non-canon compliant, friends-to-lovers fic.”

And They’re Roommates by @golden-barnes Modern bartender/roommate!Bucky x reader, New Girl au

“Your boyfriend cheats on you, and now you have nowhere to go. So when you found an ad for a shared loft, you didn’t hesitate to say yes. Come to the realization that you will be sharing it with four guys. Four guys, one of them who is extremely hot and zero brain cells between any of them. What else could you ask for?”

Keep Me Cool by @chouettedubois Bucky x reader

“You and Bucky are on your third undercover mission acting as a couple. Things go awry when you fall ill. Cue caretaker!Bucky to the rescue.”

Love in the Workplace by @cxddlyash Gardener!Bucky x Receptionist!reader

Working at the same hotel, a new gardener is recently hired.

“Your breath hitches in your throat at the sight of the new gardener.

“What is it?” Sarah asks you and you clear your throat before tearing your gaze from the man.

“Uh, nothing. I finally see the gardener that the hotel hired,” you mention while walking closer to the place.”

Dad Biker!Bucky being adorable with his kids blurb by @angrythingstarlight dad biker!Bucky x reader

dad biker Bucky and his kids making pancakes and breakfast for mom :)

Tap by @houseravenclaws Bucky x reader

“bucky never talked much. he fell in love anyway.”

Teach Me How to Love by @thefalconthatcriedwolf Godfather/single dad!Bucky x teacher!reader

“Natasha leaves behind her precious daughter, Yelena, and with her dying breath asks Bucky to look after her. You happen to have Yelena in your class this school year.”

To Build a Home by @buckyjamess-archive @buckyjamess Mechanic/single dad!Bucky x single mom!reader

“a mechanic and a nurse walk into a schoolyard..both new in the single parent life, chaos arises when the two come together but they wouldn’t have it any other way.”

A Good Kind of Fire by @dolcezzasfantasy Modern!Bucky x reader

“Character A runs a flower shop downtown. Character B is terribly allergic to flowers.”

If I Could Fly by @ceeellewrites actor!Bucky x actress!reader, social media au

“Bucky Barnes is an actor with a small (just a tiny) celebrity crush on Y/N L/N, one of the industry’s well-known actress. Well, it’s just a celebrity crush, what could go wrong?”

The Rumour by @sidepartskinnyjeans Bucky x reader

“after a, mostly, chance meeting with Sergeant Barnes starts a rumour around the compound that soon gets out of hand.”

See the World the Way You Do by @vanderlustwords Bucky x reader, soulmate au

“You start to see colour when you meet your soulmate. Bucky thinks that soulmates are a one of a kind thing—you get one and that’s it. His world used to be colourful once and then he lost that. He’s resigned to see black and white for the rest of his life…until flashes of colours would appear from the corner of his eye. And it seemed to happen more and more as Bucky spends time with you.”

Crawl Home to Her by @nexusnyx Bucky x reader

“when bucky finaly returns from his mission, he finds you sleeping in his sofa and the apartment much different than when he left. much prettier, with a touch of home. apparently, while he was away you took his advice to “do what you want with the place, doll” seriously - or as a distraction - and now he got to come home to this.bucky’s heart takes a leap and he stands there for a second, frozen in his spot.”

Signed by the Author by @wintersfilm Bucky x reader

“on a mission to improve his conversations with sam, bucky wanders brooklyn and into a bookstore where he finds his new favourite book and the most adorable bookseller he has ever laid eyes on.”

Seasons of Love by @constantwriter85 Army vet!Bucky x reader, modern au

“Bucky gets a service dog, but Winter’s only got eyes for the dog across the park…and her owner.”

One Single Thread of Gold (Tied Me to You) by @pietrotica Bucky x reader, soulmate au

“on your sixteenth birthday, the first words your soulmate will speak to you appear on your wrist. in a world where it’s quite common to get a simple ’hi what can i get you’ or common phrases, you’ve managed to get their name. that doesn’t make it easier to find him.”

Sunday is a Family Day by @lazyangeltreemoney Bodyguard!Bucky x rockstar!reader

“You’re stubborn, annoying and hot as hell which seems to be an awful combo to mix with Bucky Barnes. However one day he realises he got you all wrong and now there’s a little kid in the mix that needs both of your help.”

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ecoamerica · 25 days

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youtube

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

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crystalcow · 3 years

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𝑆𝑎𝑝𝑛𝑎𝑝𝑠 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑//𝑆𝑎𝑝𝑛𝑎𝑝 𝑝𝑡 4

Masterlist // child reader ML //

Sapnap x reader !p !child reader

Pronouns used: none specified!

Warnings: swearing, mentions of death, casinos

➳➳➳➳➳┄┄※┄┄➳➳➳➳➳

𝐊𝐢𝐧𝗼𝐤𝗼 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝗼𝐰??

Quackity was telling you all of his plans

He rambled on for hours of his ideas for casinos and how he was going to marry Karl and sapnap

It sounded great

He had his whole plan set up! He even had Sam helping him with the building

But then he left

Just like everyone else

But that was fine! You were just with sapnap

Before Karl came running over rambling on about needed to move his library

He had a library?

“[Redacted] you need to stay close, please”

You looked at him weirdly

Who the fuck was [redacted]

“Karl my names Y/n you idiot” “flame..” “sorry”

He didn’t even notice it and then you had to spend the next couple days hauling over 100 books

“Oo hey what are these! The covers look really weird”

You had found his time travel books

Woops

That man raced over and in the kindest way possible, snatched it from your hands

“Don’t touch those, they are my special books”

You just shrugged and let him be, he freaks you out enough

So you all traveled to this area in the spruce forest and built a really ugly mushroom hut

But hey it’s fine! Foolish thankfully came around later that day and made everything better

So you stuck around

Maybe you needed this, this new start

Oh but prime knows that wouldnt last long

Karl started forgetting

At first it was simple things as just forgetting where he was or little stumbles with names

But eventually he was going away longer and longer

He started calling you by these strange names, some that sound Victorian and western and others that are unlike you

One day he didn’t call you by your name at all

You were hanging around the Sakura trees and the big yin Yang pond waiting for sapnap to come back with George

Then you saw Karl exit the library, running up to him for a hug

It’s been two months since you’ve seen him

You fucking hated it but you couldn’t help but consider him another parental figure

He loved it

But he just stood there as you wrapped your arms around him

Expecting the usual “[reda]- Y/n, I’ve missed you so much my sweet flame!”

But there was nothing just a sad one sided hug

“Hello? I’m sorry but do I know you?”

You were ready to cry

“I’m sorry, I uh must’ve mistaken you for the wrong person” “No that’s fine! Hugs are nice?”

So you left and ran into the library

Scouring throughout all of the books until you found them

The same 8 books you shrugged away

You read through all of them along with Karl’s other journals

You didn’t like going through his stuff especially, a whole invasion of privacy

The more you read the worse it got

What were you gonna tell Sapnap?

Who the hell is James, and [redacted]?

And why couldn’t he stop

It’s no use anymore

You were simply just forgotten

𝐋𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐬

The closer you got to the large building, the sicker you got

Kinoko Kingdom was supposed to be your free pass

But somehow you always end up here

You called for Sam on the comms waiting for the beep

The inside looked great to say the least

“What are your past relationships with the prisoner?” “No answer.”

“Where are you currently resided?” “No answer”

“Do you believe the prisoner deserves his sentence?” “Maybe”

You put all your shit in the locker and followed him through all the safety checks

“I’m glad you didn’t bring anything with you”

You stood on the platform heart racing as the lava went down

It was like a ticking time bomb

The small squeaks and scratches of the hovering bridge

He just stared at you

That sick stupid mask was broken by tommy that day in the black stone room

So you had to look into his face

Lets just say he looks good in Orange

“Barrier up or down?” “Down”

He backed up into the corner as you stepped in

Smiling

Once the lava cascaded down your smile turned into a sick frown

“Hello” is that all he had to fucking say?

“Screw you. Fuck you. Damn you”

He just looked you a small chuckle escaping from his lips

“Those all mean the same thing.” “Well I’ve been living in cinnamon town for the past couple months, and I’m ready to fucking burn some buns”

Yeah he just laughed

“I’ve missed you Hot shot”

“You ruined our damn life!”

Someone went quiet

“If you didn’t have to have a petty little war, or criminalize children we could’ve been fine! It could’ve just been you, dad, me, and George.”

You were pissed, everyone just kept leaving you.

Tommy and Tubbo, Quackity, Karl, Dream, and hell even Wilbur

“You come and visit me, after not having seen me for months and you just yell? Not a hello or ‘how are you dream?’ ‘How’s prison dream’ ‘how can I help you get out of this damn place’ “

You just sat down ready to just walk out into the lava

“I’ve been stuck here for months! None of you even cared enough to visit me, hell even Tommy came around.”

You might have felt a little bad after leaving him

The prison was cold even tho lava was flowing right there

“Why would you leave the discs alone..” “Because I had to end it.”

What were you doing here

What were you planning on saying?

“So, what do you do in prison”

“I have a clock.”

You got up to go look at the pretty clock

Then threw it at his face

“Ow” “deal with it bitch”

The longer you stayed the worse the feeling in your stomach got

so you buzzed for Sam waving goodbye

“Wait.. Do they miss me?” “Can’t say, but I think this may be for the best.”

He wanted his best friends

But he just got the annoying teenager

Oh but that wouldn’t be the last

𝐋𝐚𝐬 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐬

You got a letter in the mail one day

Who the hell uses letters??

You were shocked to see the address and the small post card

“Come around some time”-Quackity

Ans on the back it had the cords

Oh well what did you have to loose? Sapnap was focused on Karl

and well Karl didn’t even know you

So you set off

It took you a couple hours travel by horse to get to the desert area

The large sign blaring in the red text

You gotta admit the place looked beautiful

There was a giant dick and different shops

You were shocked to see this random un human like guy

“Hello, I am Charlie a totally human guy!”

Yeah totally not slime

“I’m uh, Y/n?” He reached out for a handshake sort of thing

“Dap me up!” “Another time Charlie”

Maybe when you had hand sanitizer

“Ohh so your Y/n! Mister Quackity talks about you all the time, come on in!”

You were skeptical but followed anyways

Stopping in your tracks when you saw Fundy

“Furry?” “Fire shit?”

You went over to give him a side hug, ruffling his fur

“What the hell are you doing here ginger boy!�� “Oh you know, just escaping nightmares”

You were confused then just let him be

You walked to the entry way of the place

A beautiful pond with flowers and an arch

“Did what the place where Mr. Quackity was going to propose!”

Going to?

You shrugged it off following inside

You hated to admit it, but you were excited to see him

Yeah you really needed a parental figure in your life at the moment

So when you saw him, he immediately pick you up in a hug

You didn’t fail to notice his change in appearance

That beanie stayed the same tho

Thank god

“Hey hey! Let me show you around the place, we can also go for lunch and talk.”

The casino looked great to say the least

Loud music booming from the speakers, along with the live jazz band on the side

Slot machines were going off every minute

“Have a chip, something to remember this by”

He handed you a red poker chip

It was a cool one tho, in the middle has a blocky sort of smile

Creepy and dopey.. sick!

So you put it around a spare silver chain

“So how have you been kid? ‘Ts been a while hasn’t it.” “Could be better..”

You both walked around the city in silence, offering to go in the super model shop

“No” “why not” “keep walking”

On your way to lunch you had to squint at what you were seeing

“Oh my goodness you’re still alive?!” “You’re alive!?”

You and revivebur just stared at one another

“Yeah he came back after I died!” “you what now-“

You just stared at Tommy and back to Wilbur

Oh god those shrooms were messing with your head

You should’ve gotten out of there a while ago

Quackity came over placing his hands on your shoulders

“Do I have to execute you both? Get off my damn property”

“Sorry Q. Say, Y/n wanna join Lmanburg 2.0?”

You back away holding your hands up

“I denied that offer once, and I’ll do it again. Fucking zombie freaks”

You obviously muttered the last part

Why the fuck did dream revive those two shits??

When did Tommy even die??

Your visit here has just gotten weirder and weirder

𝐌𝗼𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬

Quackity got you away from the brits as quick as he could

So he brought you over to his office

“So kid, how’s your dad..”

Ah you expected this question

“How the fuck am I supposed to know. He’s living his life, Karl’s time traveling! Oh yeah did I mention he doesn’t even remember me.”

He looked at you with wide eyes

“So I’m not the only one they forgot..”

You slammed you hands on the fable dramatizing the situation

“How would you feel about moving here? I mean you could work for me in the casino!”

You thought about it for a second

You have two options

1. Live in shroom town with bubbles

2. Move to las Nevada’s with Quackity

You were sure Sapnap wouldn’t mind

I mean would he even care?

He hasn’t for the past couple months!

“You feel abandoned there, over here there are hundreds of people. You’ll have the time of your life”

You thought about it for a sec

“Alright hand me a contract”

So you signed

Making deals with the devil huh

Little did you know it would cost you your life

Devils little soul

➳➳➳➳➳┄┄※┄┄➳➳➳➳➳

and this is the finale! I will take requests for sapnaps child, and I’ll do some shit with Quackity and the casino and go in more depth if wanted!

As always request and ask anything! And ask if you want to be on a taglist (child reader or general)

For those on the taglist I don’t know if you wanted to be tagged for all child reader shit or just dreams child.. so please tell me :)

@creatorofstars @georgenctfound @samistheidiot @smolbox-png @ghostlysenses @stellarinstigator @bobaducky

#sapnaps child #sapnap x reader #sapnap #sapnap x y/n #karl jacobs x y/n #karl jacobs x reader #quackity x reader #quackity x you #dsmp #mcyt #mcyt x reader #dream smp x reader #wilbur soot #tommy innit #kinoko kingdom #dream smp prison #las navadas #child reader

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dubreggae · 2 years

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One of history’s best music lists -- better than Pitchfork’s, Rolling Stone’s, or Elvis Costello’s -- was made by a teenager named Snoopy in the summer of 1977. In the London music newspaper Black Echoes, he published his 125 favorite albums from the golden age of dub reggae. Forty-four years later, thanks to a lucky break, I found him.

Snoopy, born Paul Nagle, is a hero three times over. First, he vividly chronicled under-documented and mysterious music, producing the closest thing I know to a kind of Leonard Maltin Guide to the history of dub. Second, when I reached out, he was willing to respond to a stranger: "Hi,” he said. “My friend told me you were interested in getting in contact with me.” The third reason is that he answered my series of questions about his life, the list, and its beautiful music with the same kind of warmth and expertise that makes his writing so valuable.

His memories of late-70s reggae record shops, radio stations, zines and newspapers, and the adventures, fights, and relationships that came along with them, make for one of the best accounts I’ve ever heard of the dub reggae scene, especially the version that migrated from Jamaica to England at the height of King Tubby, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Dub Specialist, the Revolutionaries, the Aggrovators, Augustus Pablo, Yabby You, Joe Gibbs, Keith Hudson, Sonia Pottinger, 4th Street Orchestra, Lloyd Coxsone, Rupie Edwards, Derrick Harriott, Skin, Flesh & Bones, Tommy McCook, and Duke Reid. Inspired by Snoopy’s list, I made a compilation of about 81 hours of dub, which you can listen to right here. Here’s what he told me: Who’s Snoopy? Paul Nagle is the name I was born with. I was born in Islington, London, in April 1959, and moved with my family to the new town of Basildon, in Essex, in 1964. In 1969, when I was ten, a friend of mine’s sister recommended and lent me a book of American cartoon strips called For the Love of Peanuts. I immediately fell in love with the Peanuts gang, in particular Charlie Brown’s dog. A few years later, I became penpals with a girl from my old school called Marianne. She was in her sister’s band, had a stage name, and used to sign off her letters to me using it. I was quite jealous, so I adopted Snoopy as my pseudonym. When I was sixteen, I wrote a letter to a weekly rock paper called New Musical Express congratulating them on their recent coverage of reggae, which i was fanatical about at the time. I didn’t want to use my own name, so i signed the letter Snoopy.

It was printed as their letter of the week on their Gasbag page. There was a note at the end of my letter which asked that I contact the features editor, whose name was Neil Spencer. I did so and he invited me to start writing about reggae for them on a freelance basis. Snoopy became my nom de plume, and the nickname has stuck with me for the rest of my life. Most people, apart from my family, know me as Snoopy. Of course, people often get the name wrong: I have been called Spooky, Snotty, Snooty, Snooky, Sleepy, Noddy and countless other derivatives.

How did you learn about dub reggae? My generous dad gave me his copy of Rockers Meet King Tubby in a Firehouse. I was nuts about records and music from a very early age. My parents had a great record collection and I could place 45s and 78s in their generic company sleeves before I could even read. By the time I was four years old I was obsessed with playing singles. In fact, the oldest living example of my handwriting, actually a scribble, is on a Tony Bennett single my dad bought in 1963 – it was also my first experience of entering a shop that sold records. My mum came from a large family and my parents and aunts and uncles were always throwing parties. My cousins had amazing records, too, and had quite eclectic tastes. So apart from the usual pop stuff, I was also hearing jazz and soul and folk and funk and reggae and country. My first musical obsession, apart from the Beatles, of course, was the Tamla Motown record label. I adored The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Miracles. All of them!

I was introduced to reggae by my cousin Steve around 1968. His influence on my musical directions was massive. He was an avid soul collector, too. In 1973, we moved back to London, and during the following year I got the reggae bug. I was still at school. I was spending all of my pocket money on records. I used to frequent chapel market, just around the corner from where I was born, and listen to the reggae records, because, of course, it wasn’t getting any airplay on the radio. That changed, in 1975, with the introduction of a Saturday night show called TV on Reggae, which was on a relatively new London-based station called capital. The DJ was Tommy Vance, who wasn’t a reggae buff but a good DJ. He’d have various reggae sidekicks who knew their stuff visit the show. I used to always record the show on cassette tape – and one week there was a whole hour dedicated towards dub. This one show completely blew my mind. I had heard and owned b-side dubs and versions, but it was the first time I’d heard tracks taken from dub albums. I didn’t have a clue what most of the records were, because it was an uninterrupted session. No information was given about the chosen tracks, but it made things all the more exciting trying to find out what they all were over the next few years.

What was Black Echoes, and how did you end up publishing the list? In January 1976, a new weekly Black music newspaper was published in the UK, which featured soul, reggae, jazz and blues. I was 16 and had recently started my first job, an office junior for the institute of accounting in Bedford Square in London’s West End. A ten minute walk led to a reggae record shop in Hanway Street, the first ever in that part of London. It was called Daddy Kool. This became my lunchtime hangout, and even after work and on Saturdays. I would spend nearly all my wages on records. A few doors away was a soul record shop called Contempo that I also frequented. Dave Hendley worked in there, who went on to write the reggae column for Blues & Soul magazine and take some of the greatest photographs ever of reggae artists. Steve Barrow was my go-to at Daddy Kool for tracking me down tunes. He wrote the reggae singles reviews for Black Echoes.

When I did a couple of record reviews for New Musical Express, I was introduced to Penny Reel, whose writing on reggae I had come across in the reggae fanzine Pressure Drop. He introduced me to Black Echoes’ editor, Peter Harvey, who asked if I wanted to write for the paper. I was sixteen at the time and so I was up for it, even though I had no journalistic experience. I started to do album reviews and eventually did news stories and articles, live gig reviews, interviews and took over reviewing the reggae singles when Steve Barrow left. I quickly became a fixture at Black Echoes and was the baby of the family. My ambition was to write a few articles on one of my favourite genres of music, and it the first time there had been any kind of substantial listing released worldwide of dub albums. Did you have help? The content of the list was mainly researched and compiled by myself, but Penny Reel and others also helped with information about albums. Of course, in those days, there were no computers. It was a lot of legwork, traipsing around London to specialist record shops and record stalls in markets and trying to find those elusive dub albums. At that time, not many were being released in the UK, so it was mainly expensive Jamaican imports that I tried to track down, to listen to -- even if not to buy. A lot of the research was really about rummaging about in specialist record shops, junk shops, mail-order lists, record company advertisements, record reviews and my own record collection and those of other fans. Gradually the list of albums grew bigger and it seemed to come together, though it was often difficult to verify things. Of course, it didn’t help that I was on a deadline for publication. There were a few errors made as a consequence, but not that many.

Can you describe what makes dub so magical? For me, it's the mix of the improvisation of jazz, folk music's local tradition, and gospel's holiness. But it's hard to describe, isn't it? I think what initially fascinated me the most about dub was its fluidity and immediacy. Dub mixes are one-off attempts at recreating something new out of something previously recorded.

There is definitely something akin to jazz about dub, I suppose because mixing has that improvised feel to it, things can go either very right or very wrong. The unexpected twists and turns a dub track can take is very much like the unimaginable flights of fancy taken by Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Jimmy Smith or even Jon Hendricks. I think the other-worldliness of dub is what makes it really magical. So many of the sounds are unlike any you’ve ever heard, at least in those early days of dub. there is also an affinity with disco which I was also heavily into during the late 70s, when producers and engineers like Shep Pettibone, Walter Gibbons, Larry Levan and the incredible Tom Moulton were laying down the foundations of dance music and experimenting with mixing in a new and vibrant way.

The heavyweight combustion between the sound of the crashing drums and the booming bass was also something that particularly appealed, and the use of echoed-vocals has always been something that has really made me sit up and listen.

I loved that Bunny Lee flying-cymbal sound. The crisp channel one rockers sound was something that as a young person I found really exciting. Lee Perry’s more technically experimental sound was perfect for dub and Augustus Pablo’s mellow, more mystical sound was so brilliant. There was some magical dub in the years after 1977. Do you have favorites? A few spring to mind. I loved Gussie’s Black Foundation Dub, Dennis Brown’s Umoja Dub, Gregory Isaacs’ Slum in Dub, Linval Thompson’s Negrea Love Dub. Nuh Skin Up Dub had some good tracks. Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires -- great title, great LP! I also should mention Captain Ganja & the Space Patrol. I came up with the concept and titles for Venture Records. My old school friend Marianne and her husband Steve designed the cover. They also did High Risk Dub and Lovers Dub. There have been some really great compilations as well: Termination Dub, Dub Gone Crazy, Dub Like Dirt, in fact all of those Blood and Fire dub comps are wicked. My old friend Steve Barrow on the case. Do you have any regrets about the list? Things that should have been on or off? I was only 18 at the time. What I got together, considering I’d never researched anything before, was pretty good for the time. I purposefully included albums which weren’t strictly dub albums, for example, instrumental albums and albums with both vocal and dub tracks. I think I did that because those radio dub specials also featured vocal tracks, it’s not something I would do now. However, if you excluded vocal tracks, then that would wipe super ape, which has killer dubs and vocals.

It would have been nice to include release dates on the list, but at that time there was pretty much no way of knowing what first appeared when. This is mainly because Jamaican record companies rarely put the year of release on a record. Even now, a site like Discogs is filled with errors on its inclusion of Jamaican dub albums, where contributors are just having a stab in the dark.

I would definitely have African Dub Chapter Three in the Top 10. It was listed 115 in the list! At the time, hardly anybody had heard it, and shops in the UK certainly couldn’t get hold of it. It didn’t enter the black echoes UK reggae LPs chart as an import until October 1977, nearly three months after I’d compiled the list, when sufficient copies started entering the country. Within four weeks, it was the no. 1 album, and remained on the charts as a Jamaican import for an amazing 35 weeks. The opening track chapter three was a sound-system steppers tune favourite that has lit reggae dance floors pretty much ever since.

With regards to my original top 20, I think it’s pretty good. I still love most of those albums. their order I would maybe juggle around, I think either King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown or King Tubby Meets the Aggrovators at Dub Station, or even Pick a Dub would deserve to be at the top spot. Later I realized dub station was a UK issue of the Jamaican release Creation of Dub with different titles, the latter appearing at 41 on the list. That turned out to be a bit of an issue. It was impossible to know whether a UK release was a new one or a Jamaican one under a different title, for example Ja-gan was also known as Morris on Dub.

Who are the producers you return to over and over? For me, it's Scratch, King Tubby, the Dub Specialist series -- and, post-1977, the wonderful Scientist. I am still a huge fan of Bunny Lee’s productions. He was ridiculously prolific, of course, but I rather liked that. In 1975, he must have issued around 40 singles by Johnny Clarke alone. I loved that 1974-76 period of his music.

I can always return quite happily to listen to Lee Perry productions as well. He was always so inventive and creative and groundbreaking, really. He most definitely was a true artist in the artistic sense of the word, pushing music beyond its boundaries to create sounds that were truly unusual and magnificent. An innovator. I first heard Blackboard Jungle round Steve Barrow’s place in 1976, and it blew me away. Revolution Dub is still a classic for me. I love that it features snippets from a popular British TV comedy of the time, Doctor on the Go. The dub of Jimmy Riley’s version of Bobby Womack’s Woman’s Gotta Have It is exceptional, too.

I think Niney the Observer is an often overlooked producer. Dubbing with the Observer and Sledge Hammer Dub remain real favourites of mine. What has the response to your list been like over the years? After 1977, the list was pretty much forgotten, and things remained that way for decades. I was proud of it at the time, but never considered it to be anything more than an opportunity for me to compile and rate the dub music I loved. I certainly never thought of it, or looked at it. It never occurred to me that anyone would read it ever again.

The advent of the world wide web changed all that. I think it was during the early 2000s when I first became aware that scans of the list were starting to appear. Frankly, I was astonished. The websites that featured it were mainly music forums and reggae sites. Obviously the list came in for some criticism regarding the positioning of some of the records. African Dub Chapter Three was a particular bone of contention, with detractors saying I didn’t know what the hell I was talking about, as I had it so far down the list. And no one agreed with my choice of King Tubby Meets the Upsetter at the Grass Roots of Dub as the no. 1 album. But it was the first dub album I bought when I was 16, and so it meant something special to me. Hindsight is a tremendous but dangerous thing.

But the positivity about the list far outweighed the negativity. Lots of people have expressed their pleasure in reading it, so I am well chuffed about that. Sly Dunbar put the list on his Facebook page fairly recently. He played on a lot of those albums! it has also been a joy to discover and read other people’s dub lists, and I thoroughly enjoyed Martin ‘Sky Juice’ Blomqvist’s recent book 100 Days of Dub. He’s so knowledgeable and his enthusiasm is infectious. I've been able to find almost all of the records, but there are some entries that confuse me: King Tubby's Vengeance, Prophets Bootleg Dub, ABC Dub, Sir Collins in Session, Ja Man in Dub, and Aquarius Dub 2. You’re right, Aquarius Dub 2 doesn’t seem to exist. it could be that it was planned and shelved, as a few on the list might have been forthcoming releases that were never issued in the end. And there were quite a few Vivian Jackson albums about at the time with similar titles, which could be confusing. What have you been doing these last few decades? I’m always dabbling one way or another. Whilst working for reggae record companies back in the 70s I got involved with singing and made a few recordings. I became lifelong friends with British lovers rock group Natural Mystic, so have sung and arranged backing vocals on quite a few of their records down the decades. For the past 25 years or so I have been working with young people on films, concerts, recordings, dance projects, self-development and community productions. My writing necessarily diverged into creating scripts and composing lyrics. And for many years I have been researching and compiling a book I’m calling Celebrate Good Times: 20th Century Soul, Reggae and Dance Music, which analyses 24 years of charts. It is a real labour of love: there are over 5000! I’ve also been writing a novel these past couple of years, which I’m finding challenging but quite rewarding.

Could you pick one single song, the greatest dub of all time? It is a fight between two records: King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown by Augustus Pablo and the flipside of I Admire You by Larry Marshall, King Tubby’s immense Watergate Rock. Either would be contenders for the greatest dub of all time. I love them equally. On my millionth read of the list I noticed this: “Snoopy has decided to extend his survey of dub into a six part series.” The whole series was entitled The Story of Dub. the people at Black Echoes were pretty amazing. They really encouraged and indulged me. The first part was published in July 1977, and was written in collaboration with my mentor, Penny Reel. He was pivotal in developing my writing and expanding my general viewing of life itself. We wrote The Roots of Dub together, and it was his influence and incredible writing that made that opening salvo so special. The list came next: Rubbin’ the Dub. The third part, More Rubbin’ the Dub, focussed on dub versions on 45. Dub Fix 50 included imports, basically just favourites of mine from my own record collection. I also invited other writers such as Chris Lane, a true pioneer in writing about reggae, Hendley, who also provided me with great photos, and Penny posing as Scotty Bennett, to submit a list of their top three dub 45s and single favourite dub album. In part four, The Routes of Dub, I wrote about 12-inch singles and provided readers with an opportunity to commission their own mixes for dub plates from Silver Camel, who remixed records; Step Forward Youth was all about young sound systems. And in mid-August was Dub Conclusion/Confusion, the end to the series. The whole thing was fun to write. But the list was my favourite part, as I love a list.

-Max Abelson

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a-simple-gaywitch · 3 years

Text

Ohana

Spencer Reid x Reader

Summary: Spencer’s in love with his new neighbor- and her son that’s just like him

Word Count: 3234

Warnings: Typical CM stuff (Amplification specifically), Single Parent!Reader, slight angst

“Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind, or forgotten.” -Lilo and Stitch

Spencer remembered the day you moved in. He remembered you lugging boxes up five flights of stairs by yourself. When he saw you struggling with a heavy box, trying to find your key, he decided to be bold and help.

“You look like you could use some assistance,” he said. “I’m, uh, I’m Dr. Spencer Reid, I live right across the hall.”

“Dr. (Y/N) (L/N),” you said.

“Here, let me hold the box for you.”

“Careful, it’s heavy,” you said, shifting it into his arms.

Spencer was jostled for a moment from the weight of the box, which was labeled (Y/N)’s Books. “So, MD or PhD?” he asked you as you searched for the right key.

“PhD, I’m too squeamish to be in the medical field,” you said with a laugh. It was the most beautiful sound Spencer had ever heard. “What about you?”

“What? Oh,” Spencer shook his head, focusing back on the conversation. “PhDs.”

You stopped sorting through your keys and turned to face Spencer. “Plural? Holy shit, are you a genius or something?”

Spencer let out a small laugh before saying, “Yeah, technically. But I don’t think intelligence can be accurately quantified.”

You finally found the right key and sighed as you heard the lock click. “Um, you can set the box with the others by the bookshelf.”

Spencer turned to see a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, much like his own, with boxes upon boxes of books in front of it. Some were labeled Academics, some had the same label as the one he was currently holding, and some had Oliver’s Books scrawled across the top.

“So, uh, where are you moving from?” he asked you, following the maze of boxes to your kitchen.

You offered him a bottle of water. “Erie, Pennsylvania. I got a job at Georgetown as an Associate Professor in the history department.”

“Oh, I guest lecture there every once in a while. In the criminology department. Uh, what’s your concentration?” Spencer took a sip from the water bottle.

“Medieval and Renaissance history,” you said. “I get to teach fun classes like Medieval Weaponry and Warfare.”

“Well, maybe I can sit in on that class someday.”

You smiled at him and that was when Spencer knew, you’d worked your way into his heart and you were never leaving.

Spencer remembered the first time he met Oliver. It was 53 hours, 27 minutes, and 15 seconds since the day he met you. He was coming home from an exhausting case when he saw you trying to balance paper shopping bags in your arms while opening your door. A small boy, no older than 6, stood behind you with oversized headphones and a mobile gaming system. He had a huge backpack on his shoulders.

“Ollie, take the keys. Ollie. Oliver.”

“You need some help?” Spencer asked, setting his go-bag in front of his door.

“Spencer, hi! Um, some help would be great.” Spencer took the bags from your arms so you could open the door. “Oh, uh, this is Oliver, my son.”

“Your-your son?” Spencer asked. If you had a son, it was likely you had a partner.

“Yep, he’s my boy.” You tapped his shoulder and gestured for him to say hi. The boy gave a small wave before going back to his game.

Spencer cleared his throat. “So, uh, where’s-where’s his father?”

“California. At least, that’s where he went when he left us.” Your hand was resting on top of your son’s head. He looked just like you. “Here, can you just set the bags on the counter?” you asked after opening the door. Oliver started down the hallway when you grabbed the loop of his backpack. “Not so fast. You know the rules. Homework first, then you can play your game again.”

Oliver groaned and handed you his game. You set it on the counter next to the bags of groceries.

“So, you’re raising him alone?” Spencer asked you.

You nodded and started unpacking the bags. “Yeah. You know, it’s been hard, but I can’t imagine life without my Ollie. He’s my heart and soul.”

Spencer and you became friends quite quickly. He told you about his job as a profiler, and you told him about working at the university. He would come over after cases and watch movies with you and Oliver. He’d help you put groceries away and he’d help you with simple tasks.

He also picked up on Oliver’s eccentricities. He reminded Spencer of his younger self. He didn’t talk much about kids at school and he breezed through schoolwork. His interests seemed heightened beyond what could be considered normal for a kid his age. One day, Spencer decided to ask about it as inconspicuously as he could.

The two of you were playing a game of chess when he brought it up.

“So, Oliver seems to be doing pretty well in school. What grade did you say he was in, second?”

“Yeah, the school bumped him up a grade. They wanted me to move him up to fourth, but I know how important it is to have friends your own age. And he already struggles to make friends.”

“He does? Why?”

You sighed, moving your knight. “Check. He was diagnosed as autistic when he was three. He doesn’t quite get social cues so it’s hard for him.”

Spencer moved his bishop and took your knight. “I’m sure his dad leaving didn’t help.”

“Well, he, uh, he never actually met his dad. Leo left me when I was four months pregnant.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

You waved him off. “It’s fine. It was almost seven years ago. I moved on, and I learned to balance motherhood with college. I completed my undergrad when he was only a few months old and I worked on graduate school when he was a high-energy toddler. It just proved to me that I can do anything. Checkmate.”

Spencer was enjoying a rare day off on a Tuesday when his phone started ringing. He groaned, thinking it was Hotch with an urgent case. But when he saw your name on the caller ID, his face lit up.

“(Y/N), hey!” he said. “What’s going on?”

“Ollie’s school just called me. He’s sick but I have classes and meetings all day so I can’t go get him and-”

“Are you asking if I can go get him?” Spencer said, cutting off your rambling.

“Yes! Could you, please? I’d be so so grateful.”

Spencer smiled, grabbing the spare key you gave him. “Of course.”

“Oh, thank you so much. There’s a spare car seat in the coat closet. I’ll call the school and let them know you’ll be picking him up. Thank you so much, Spencer.”

When Spencer got to the school, he was fidgety. He’d never spent time alone with your son before. And he wasn’t even sure if the kid liked him.

He walked into the front office and said, “Hi, my name is Spencer Reid, I’m here to pick up Oliver (L/N)?”

“Oh, (Y/N) said you were coming to get him. If I could just see your ID?” the receptionist asked. Spencer nodded and pulled out his driver’s license. “Great, if you could just sign Oliver out on the clipboard here, you’ll be good to go.”

Spencer scribbled his signature on the clipboard and the receptionist got up to get Oliver from the back office. Oliver followed the receptionist, his backpack on his shoulders and a paper bag clutched in his hands. His face was pale and he was swaying slightly.

“Hey, Ollie,” Spencer said.

“Hi, Spencer. Where’s my mom?”

“She got stuck at work, buddy. You’re gonna stay with me until she comes home, okay?”

Oliver nodded. “Okay.” He followed Spencer out of the school and climbed in the back of his car.

“Do you want me to put the window down?” Spencer offered, looking back at the boy in the mirror. When Oliver nodded, Spencer put his window down and pulled out of the parking lot.

After pulling into the parking garage, Spencer looked in the mirror again. Oliver was fast asleep, his head slumped against the door. Rather than waking the boy, Spencer unbuckled him and scooped him up in his arms.

Oliver wrapped his little, sweaty arms around Spencer’s neck as he was carried inside. Maybe it was instinct, maybe it was how much he cared for the boy, but Spencer pressed a small kiss to the side of his head. Spencer dug your spare key out of his pocket and unlocked the door, setting Ollie down on the couch.

After covering him with a blanket, Spencer dug around in your kitchen for some ginger ale and crackers. After setting them on the coffee table, he heard a small voice say, “Why are you being so nice to me?”

Spencer noticed Oliver watching him from the couch. He sat on the edge of the coffee table, handing Oliver the soda with a red bendy straw. “What do you mean, bud?”

“I know you like-like my mom. But you’re nice to me even when she’s not here. Matt didn’t do that. He called me names when Mom wasn’t around. He said I was weird.”

Spencer knew Matt was your ex from your time working at the Erie campus of Penn State. He was the first person you’d been with since Oliver’s father. And hearing how he treated Oliver didn’t sit right with Spencer.

Spencer sighed and looked at Oliver. “I’m nice to you because I like you, too. And I was a lot like you when I was your age.”

“You were?” Oliver handed the cup back to Spencer to set back on the table.

Spencer nodded. “People still think I’m weird. But being weird is good. How boring would the world be if everyone was normal?”

Oliver smiled. “It would be pretty boring,” he said.

“Get some rest, okay? It’ll help you feel better.”

You finally managed to sneak out of work and get home. When you opened the door, you saw Spencer sitting in the chair across from your sleeping son, reading a book.

“Hey,” he said in a voice just above a whisper.

“Hey. How is he?”

“He has a low-grade fever and he hasn’t been able to keep anything in his stomach. I’ve been having him nibble on some crackers but even that doesn’t stay down.”

“Oh, my poor boy. Thank you for staying with him.”

“Of course. You know I’d do anything for you, for both of you.”

The team got back from a particularly rough case dealing with kids. Hotch gave them the weekend off to recuperate.

“Anyone want to go grab a drink?” Derek offered to the group.

“Or five?” Emily added.

“What do you say, kid? You in?” Derek asked Spencer as the younger man packed up his bag.

“Oh, no, sorry. I, uh, I have plans,” he said with a smile before slipping out of the office. The team watched him hurry out of the building before sharing glances with each other.

“Spence has a girlfriend,” JJ realized.

“Pretty boy has a girlfriend?”

“Think about it. When does Spencer ever have plans? And when was the last time he didn’t stay to do paperwork when we were given the time off?”

“And he upgraded his phone out of nowhere,” Emily chimed in. “He went from one that had only the bare essentials to a smartphone he texts on all the time.”

“We need to find out who this girl is,” Morgan decided.

Spencer had been keeping you a secret from the team on purpose. Not because he was ashamed of you, or embarrassed, but because he knew the team saw him as the baby and they would be invasive if they ever found out. He didn’t want them to scare you away, he loved you too much to lose you. Though, he hadn’t said it out loud yet.

You and Spencer were walking down the street, Oliver asleep on Spencer’s back, snoring against his shoulder, his arms wrapped around Spencer’s neck.

“You have no idea how excited he is for you to see his science fair project,” you said. “It was all he could talk about all week.”

Spencer smiled and adjusted the boy on his back. “I think I’m just as excited to see his project, especially since he wouldn’t let me know anything about it.”

You reached the apartment complex and you dug your keys out of your bag. “Are you sure you can carry him up the stairs? I can wake him if you want me to.”

“No, it’s fine. I got him,” Spencer whispered, moving so that Oliver was clinging to his front rather than his back. He followed you up the stairs to your apartment. When you unlocked the door, he went straight to Oliver’s room and put the tired boy in his bed. He kissed Ollie’s forehead before flicking on his nightlight and leaving the room.

“Oh, hey,” you said when Spencer came out of the room, “Is he still out?”

“Yeah. I think we might have put him in a coma.”

You laughed and kissed Spencer’s cheek. “Go get some sleep. I know you’re tired, too.”

“I’m not-”

“Spence, you nearly fell asleep at the movies tonight. Go.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll go. But not without a kiss goodnight.”

You gave Spencer a kiss before shooing him across the hall. When Spencer unlocked his door and flicked on the light, he saw his team sitting in his living room.

“What the hell? What are you doing here? JJ, I gave you a key for emergencies!”

“This is an emergency!” Penelope said. “You have a girlfriend and you didn’t tell us!”

“Kid, please tell me she’s a single mother and you haven’t been keeping a family a secret from us for years,” said Morgan.

Spencer was still annoyed his friends broke into his apartment, but he couldn’t resist talking about you, especially when they’d already seen you. “Her name’s (Y/N), she moved in about a year ago with her son, Oliver. We’ve been dating for three months.”

“Spence, why didn’t you tell us?” JJ asked.

Spencer looked down at his shoes, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “I didn’t want you scaring her off. I love her. I love both of them. And you guys can be intimidating.”

“Spencer’s coming to the science fair tonight, right?” Oliver asked you as you got him ready for school.

“That’s what he said,” you told him. “And you know Spencer likes to keep his promises.”

“I can’t wait to show him my mold project!”

“Okay, kiddo, we have to go. We don’t want to be late, do we?”

Meanwhile, Spencer was in the conference room at work, worrying about the latest case they’ve been presented. Someone was releasing a new strain of anthrax in public places around the DC area.

But under his stress over the case, he was worrying about you and Ollie. Maybe that’s why he worked so much harder on this one.

He and Morgan were sent to the suspect’s house, and Spencer entered first. Looking around, he noticed his mistake. When Morgan made his way to the door, he slammed and locked the door.

“Reid, what’s going on?”

“I’m sorry.”

Spencer was infected. He knew there was a large chance he would die, but he couldn’t stop working. He needed to find the antidote. HIs breathing was getting heavier and he felt sweat dripping down his face. He pulled out his phone and dialed.

“Hey, Garcia?”

“Reid! Oh, my god, Derek told me what happened. How are you feeling? Are you okay?”

“That’s not important right now,” he said. “Um, can you- can you record a message for me? It’s for (Y/N) and Ollie.”

“Oh, uh, of course.” He heard her typing. “Okay. Go ahead.”

Spencer cleared the lump in his throat. “Uh, hi, (Y/N), it’s Spencer. Um, I-I wanted to let you know that, uh, I love you and…” he paused, taking a breath and blinking tears from his eyes, “and I’m so happy you let me into your life, into your family. And I want Ollie to know I love him, too. You- both of you- you’re my family.”

After that, things happened too fast. Spencer was being pulled out of the house and hosed down before being ushered to the waiting ambulance. He fell out of consciousness on the ride to the hospital.

When he woke up in a hospital bed, Morgan was sitting by his side.

“Are you eating Jell-O?” he asked, his voice cracking from being dry.

Morgan lit up with a smile. “Welcome back, kid.”

“Is there anymore Jell-O?”

Morgan chuckled. “You know, there’s some people here waiting for you.”

“What?”

Before Morgan could explain, you and Oliver burst into the room.

“Oh, my god, Spence!” You ran over and hugged him the best you could with the various medical equipment attached to him. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again,” you scolded.

Oliver climbed onto the bed and curled up next to Spencer. “Yeah, don’t do that again,” he said. “How can I take you to Donuts with Dad if you’re dead?” He looked up at Spencer with his big doe-eyes and Spencer felt his heart break a little bit.

“You-you want me to go to Donuts with Dad with you? Even though I missed your science fair?”

Ollie nodded. “I don’t care that you missed my science fair. I just care that you’re still here.” He looked up and Spencer and wrapped his arms around his torso. “I love you, Spencer.” He gave Spencer a light squeeze.

Spencer smiled and ruffled his hair. “I love you too, Ollie.” He looked up at you. “And I love you, (Y/N).”

You smiled and gave Spencer a soft kiss.

“Ewww!” Ollie squealed, making you both laugh.

Spencer proposed to you about a year later. You’d both decided you didn’t want a huge wedding, just family and close friends. Rossi gave his backyard for you to use for the ceremony. It was simple and small, but it was special and wonderful. Spencer had flown Diana out, and you’d flown your parents out.

After the ceremony, Spencer announced that the both of you had a surprise for Ollie. He went inside Rossi’s house and returned with a manila envelope. He cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, in this envelope, I hold the most important document I have ever signed.” He opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. He cleared his throat. “This certificate certifies that Oliver B. (L/N) is the adopted child of Spencer W. Reid,” he read.

Oliver’s jaw dropped. “What? You’re- what?”

“Remember all those Saturdays Penelope watched you while Spencer and I went out? This is what we were doing,” you told him.

Oliver ran over to you and Spencer and wrapped you in hugs. The rest of Spencer’s team and your parents joined in. In just two years, your family had gone from just you and your son to more people than you knew what to do with. And that was more than okay with you.

“They may not have my eyes, they may not have my smile, but they have all my heart.” -Anonymous

#spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #criminal minds #x reader #em's fics

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tarosin · 3 years

Text

The great adventures of y/n, Tommy, Jack and Tubbo

Requested:yes/no

Pairing: Platonic jack/tommy/tubbo/reader

Summary: another day another adventure

Content warning: cursing / I didn't proof read

An: reader has bright unnatural hair I wrote a lot, I can't figure out how to add read more on mobile I'm sorry

The music you were currently listening to was interrupted by the discord group notifying you that you have a new message.

Tommy: Y/N HOW BUSY ARE YOU TUBBO HAS COME TO VISIT AND JACK IS HERE

y/n: I mean I've currently got hair dye on but it’s being washed off and dried in around 20 minutes, why?

y/n: WAIT TUBBO?!?!

tubbo: oh yeah I forgot to tell you

y/n: how did you forget you know what nevermind, I’m glad you’re here :]

jack: we should be here in an hour so you have plenty of time to get ready

tubbo: what colour dye y/n

y/n: you’ll see soon enough as apparently, you’re all showing up at my house

Tommy: I suggest you wear comfortable shoes

y/n: I am terrified

Tommy: you have nothing to fear... for now

•••

luckily it had only taken you just over 40 minutes to get ready giving you roughly 20 minutes to prepare for the adventure ahead. or so you thought, as soon as you sat down ready to check your phone the sound of Tommy and tubbo laughing could be heard from your room, jack sent a message “hey we got here extremely early I’m sorry there’s no rush the others have been distracted by dreams music :)”

grabbing a backpack from next to your bed you had quickly chucked your phone and purse into the bag unsure as to what you’re going to need today.

•••

as soon as you opened the door you were met with an ecstatic tubbo who instantly pulled you into a hug unable to contain their excitement of seeing their friend

“I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN AGES YOUVE CHANGED SO MUCH LOOK AT YOUR HAIR”

“I look exactly the same”

“Now I’m no genius y/n but last time we spoke you didn’t have unnatural hair”

you paused for a moment as tubbo had a point the last time you and tubbo were on face time your hair was classed as a natural colour however today as a fuck you to your school which didn’t allow unnatural hair you decided to dye it your favourite colour.

“you raise a fair point now if you don’t mind releasing me from your grasp I have to lock the door so no one gets in”

•••

“Tommy unlock the door let tubbo and y/n in”

“Y/N YOU'RE HERE- HOLY SHIT YOUR HAIR! JACK ARE YOU SEEING THIS”

“Hello to you too Tommy”

“well if we weren’t going to get noticed at the shopping centre earlier y/ns bright fucking hair will definitely cause people to notice us”

“oh I’m sorry I didn’t expect to be going shopping with a bunch of Minecraft streamers today”

“don’t you stream Minecraft?”

“This isn’t about me jack”

the trip to the shops was surprisingly relaxing y/n sat at the front listening to jack sing along to songs playing on the radio, however, it was clear the boys had something they weren’t telling y/n which became evident through Tommy and tubbo bickering in the back of the car about who was going to tell them. it was a relatively short journey due to the fact you lived close to the city centre

•••

“let’s go shopping boys” Tommy practically yelled to everyone, tubbo held his phone in your direction then looked towards you, nodding at him you grabbed his phone and began recording

“I'm vlogging”

Tommy walked over “YEAHHHHH”

walking past cex you had to put up with Tommy making sex jokes until you made it to game, you stood holding back your laugh as you filmed Tommy and tubbo fighting about who’s paying whilst jack went off to buy a Minecraft squishy and mug despite everyone’s arguments against it. soon enough fans came over asking for photos with you all once the group of fans left jack took over recording for tubbo whilst you went off to quickly buy some games that you could play on stream.

•••

“want a wig bro? jack!”

the four of you walked into the shop, you couldn’t help but stand in awe looking at all the bright colours already questioning what colour to dye your hair next the sound of Tommy and jack being amazed pulled you out of your thoughts

“Gogy goggles, I’m actually buying them”

“i wan’t a pair”

“no, you’re getting a wig jack”

“I don’t want a wig I want George”

“y/n has bright hair and they’re not complaining”

“what do you have against people with colourful hair jack hmm?”

•••

“I'm not happy”

“you look lovely jack”

“we’re getting so many looks”

tubbo stopped everyone to ‘fix’ jacks wig which resulted in everyone laughing once you had finally stopped laughing you noticed tubbo had walked off and you were convinced jack had randomly decided to record strangers until you saw tubbo going up and down escalators

“oh there he goes again”

“pov you’re thinking about bees”

“where to next boys?”

Tommy pointed towards the lift

“Is this a lift for us”

Tommy noticed the safety sign and automatically made comments about it

“keeping us all safe is what I would say if I wasn’t carrying a knife”

“oh same Tommy”

“look you can see me”

taking that as an invitation to join the vlog you stood behind tubbo and pointed at the sign again and looked at Tommy and jack

“keeping us all safe is what I would say if we weren’t about to do this-“

the three of you went to jump up and down

“NO”

the four of you quietly left the lift however you were convinced that the public heard Tommy comment on having a knife and you threatening to jump as once the lift opened everyone was staring at you but it could also be due to the fact you had brightly coloured hair and somehow convinced jack to keep the wig on, you all spent a long time trying to convince Tommy to get a new outfit, eventually you went into another shop a certain keyboard caught your eye

“I’ve found my home, ill stay here at the gamer bunker”

you decided now was the perfect time to sneak off to buy the keyboard that had caught your eye, once tubbo noticed it was too late you stood holding the bag with your purchase leaving you stood in the middle of the shop defending your purchase to him claiming that it was a business expense and not just because you thought it looked cool.

“you told me you wanted to save your money”

“it lights up tubbo and it fits the vibe of my room”

Tommy placed his arm on your head treating you as an armrest as you were shorter than him and he knew it annoyed you

“they have a point tubbo it lights up”

once the recording ended you made your way back to the car

“say y/n you wouldn’t mind if me Tommy and jack stayed the night as tomorrow we were thinking-“

“sure thing”

“YESSSSSS”

•••

the next day you were woken up at 9 am by Tommy stood at the foot of your bed

“hi y/n”

“WHAT THE FUCK- oh hi Tommy Jesus christ do you know how horrifying that was to wake up to”

“Sorry bout that but if I didn’t wake you up now you’d only wake up in the afternoon and we need to go soon I’ll leave you to get ready”

you noticed a note was next to a jumper on the floor ‘hi, thanks for letting us stay the night I really liked your hoodie so I decided to wear it today here’s mine in exchange- Tubbo :D’

normally you’d be concerned that someone stole your hoodie as you live with your parents however today was an exception once you were all ready you set off jack pulled into a McDonald's drive-through so you could all get breakfast

“nice hoodie y/n”

“Thanks, someone took mine and decided to make a trade”

“you’re welcome”

the journey was quiet again you sat next to tubbo in the back Tommy sat at the front screaming at jack and trying to distract him and people around you decided to took a picture with tubbo who now had his arm wrapped around you as it was rather cold in the car and posted it to Twitter ‘@ ranboosaysstuff wish you were here :D’ less than a minute later you received 2 notifications ‘ranboosaysstuff replied to your tweet: same’ ‘ ranboosaysstuff has tweeted: *the spongebob gif*’

•••

soon enough you all arrived at mint golf to say you we’re excited would be an understatement

“can I get the shortest club you have”

you stood hiding your face in the jumper tubbo left you whilst you laughed a few minutes later you received a call from ranboo the others said they’d sort everything for you whilst you answered

“what’s up tall one”

“stay safe okay”

“ranboo it’s mini-golf I’m not fighting criminals”

“yes but I know how clumsy you are”

“first of all rude second of all fuck you third of all jealousy isn’t a good look on you” you managed to say through laughter

“jokes aside please come to the UK boo”

“oh sure I’ll go book a plane ticket now” *ranboo ended the call*

ranboo made jokes like that before however this time sounded a lot more serious and you had no idea why he called you so you made a mental note to call him again later. once with friends again you were met with Tommy telling the worker all about you all

“yeah we’re big on the influencing”

“What on earth did I walk in on”

“no time to explain let’s go golf”

you were handed a club and a ball and were dragged away by jack

•••

tubbo joked about getting a hole on one as soon as it was his go, you bet £10 with jack he wouldn't

“hand over the money y/n”

you looked at Tommy who was now recording you handing jack the money “so today we have learnt to not underestimate your friends and that gambling is bad. you lose your money to a tall bald guy”

to put it politely you and Tommy found out that mini golf is not your calling in life

“ill stick to streaming“

“you’re both losing by the way”

“yeah well- why and how does tubbo have soup”

tubbo stood cradling the soup as though it was a child

“Some things I can’t explain to you”

you stood tilting your head to the side questioning where the hell he got soup from

“eh”

“soups like a small child I take care of it as if it was my own”

you couldn’t contain your laughter at this point the confused faces of your friends alongside tubbos happiness of soup sent you over the edge so you decided to just sit down before you fall as your knees were already weak from laughing too much

“where did you get the soup from”

“I manifested it”

•••

after a few solid minutes of arguing over soup you and Tommy dropping the phone you all continued with bowling.

“tubbo get out of the way of my dream ball”

you stood recording jack cheering him on tubbo had different plans and kicked the ball away resulting in jack giving up and copying what you had been doing most of the rounds, after missing the hole 3 times each go, picking up the ball and placing it in the hole however again he missed

“you can’t be serious”

“golf isn’t for everyone big man”

Tommy took the phone from you to record “pov you’re me golfing”

•••

“how do we get across there”

“probably the bridge”

Tommy pulled to rope moving the bridge across the gap

“Why thank you, Tommy, wouldn’t have been able to do it without you”

you laughed

“you're extremely welcome y/n it was extremely easy because I’m a big muscly man”

golf was finally going well till you hit the ball a bit too hard causing it to go over the fence tubbo was able to get the ball back

“I’ve been watching a lot of doctor shows” you stood amazed at how far you made the ball go

“see the issue is its mini golf. if this was regular golf I'd have got a hole in one I'm telling you”

•••

“I'm never being in your vlog again”

jack looked at you and tubbo who was now laughing at you pretending to worship the can of soup in the hole

“Tommy please come back”

the rest of the game was chaos, you kept missing the hole then claiming to rage quit golf tubbo and Tommy kept making jokes jack left his drink somewhere then had to go back and find it, no one had been paying attention to you which allowed you to take the score sheet and make it so you had won the game eventually he game was over you had declared yourself the champion of golf despite the fact everyone was better than you including Tommy

•••

the journey back was chaos you called ranboo who claimed he only called you to plan a video/stream with you however it was clear that wasn’t the reason tubbo whispered to you so no one could hear

“I think he wants to be here with us I think he’s jealous”

you laughed and nodded

“of course”

eventually, you all made it back to yours, ranboo said goodbye to everyone then ended the call now it was time for you to say your goodbyes. since your love language was physical touch you hugged everyone. As you walked into your house Tommy yelled “Y/N HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PLANES”

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