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legolasghosty · 4 months

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kiss out of spite for willex plz and thank you (if this isn't too late I'm so behind lol)

You are absolutely not too late!!! I'm just very behind, lol! Hope you enjoy!

"Hey Hotdog," Willie says as he slides onto the bench beside his boyfriend, his board under his arm.

"Hi," Alex responds, that familiar smile crossing his face as he leans in to peck them gently on the mouth in greeting. "How was the ride over?"

"Great, all the dogs are out!" Willie answers. One of the things that makes this cafe one of his and Alex's date spots is that it's not too far to walk (or skate) to from either of their apartments. And the warm, spring weather makes it an easy place to meet up.

Alex laughs. "Oh I know, Reggie hasn't stopped texting the guys and I pictures all day."

Willie claps a hand to his chest in mock offense. "And he hasn't sent any to me?! I thought we were friends."

"Nope, you've been spared the spam of puppy pictures, he definitely likes you more than me," Alex argues lightly.

"What, you don't appreciate him sharing the cuteness of his day with you?" Willie teases.

The barista calls out Alex's name before the drummer can reply. Alex holds up a finger, as if to say Hold that thought, then rises and heads for the counter. Willie glances towards the menu board. Right, cafe, he should probably get something. They wonder if that new chocolate thing comes in decaf.

"Okay, I got one of the berry lemonades and one of this dutch chocolate mocha," Alex says, placing a tall glass and a large mug on the table. "Which do you want?"

Willie feels their face warming as they realize that Alex ordered drinks for both of them. "Um, I'm good with either," he says, trying to translate the way his heart skips a beat into a smile Alex can read. "Thank you."

Alex groans playfully. "Look, we both know I can't make decisions, so pick a drink, Covington." He sits down on the bench beside Willie and nudges both drinks in their direction.

Willie hesitates, glancing back and forth between the cups. "This is decaf, right?" he asks after a second, tapping the rim of the mug.

"Yep, can't have you going hyper or me throwing up," Alex confirms.

"I'll try that one then," Willie decides, wrapping both hands around the hot ceramic and lifting it.

"Perfect," Alex declares, taking a sip of the lemonade. "You'll have to tell me if it's good though, looked interesting."

"Will do." Willie takes a sip of the beverage, recoiling slightly when it burns their tongue. "Thank you," they repeat.

"Of course," Alex says, though the pink in his cheeks betrays his casual tone. "Gotta keep my partner well hydr-" He cuts himself off, probably realizing that drinking coffee is the opposite of hydrating. "Happy to," he finishes after a second.

Willie lets it go, since Alex already seems embarrassed. "So about all those dog pictures Reggie sent you," they hint instead, raising an eyebrow.

Alex chuckles, seeming glad for the change of topic. "What, you want to see them that bad?" he questions, incredulous. "There's a lot of them."

"Gimme!" Willie declares, reaching for the pocket of Alex's pink hoodie, where his phone usually resides.

"Okay okay okay," Alex giggles, holding up one hand in surrender while grabbing the device with the other.

He unlocks it and leans closer so Willie can see the screen. Feeling brave, Willie wraps an arm around his waist to guide him even closer. Alex's ears are turning pink, but he carefully slips his own arm around Willie's shoulders.

"So..." Alex hums, scrolling back through the Sunset Curve group chat on his phone, past dozens of pictures and messages. "Yeah all of this is from today," he continues, still scrolling. "But here's the first one I think."

Willie coos at the blurry picture of a couple of golden labs wrestling near a playground. Next is a spaniel on a walk with their human. Then a dog walker being nearly dragged across the sidewalk by four dogs of various sizes. Willie laughs at that one.

Alex scrolls down to the next one, but someone loudly clearing their throat pulls both of their attention away from the screen. On the other side of their table stands a tall, white man in jeans and a flannel shirt. He also has a very deep frown on his face.

"Hey, what's up?" Willie asks cautiously. He feels Alex's arm tense around his shoulders.

"What's 'up'," the guy snaps, putting air quotes around the second word, "is that you two are being all rowdy over here and bothering my family."

The guy has a slight southern accent, but the look on his face is anything but hospitable. Willie glances across the cafe to see a woman and three kids, probably all under the age of 10, a few tables away. The kids are making more noise than he and Alex were though.

"Sorry," Alex says quickly. "We weren't trying to, we'll be quieter."

The guy doesn't seem satisfied by that, which doesn't surprise Willie. They're pretty sure they know what this is actually about.

"You'd better get real quiet," the man says, taking a step closer. "I don't need you people exposing my kids to all your unnatural tenancies."

Willie feels Alex shrinking into their side and resists the urge to punch this guy in the face. Sure, they're both well aware that jerk homophobes are everywhere. But right now? Really? Alex is barely back from having to spend a weekend with his homophobic parents for a family reunion. Can't this jerk just mind his own business?

"With all due respect," Willie responds, his tone icy, "I think your kids aren't going to be eternally traumatized by me and my boyfriend being on a date while they're drinking hot chocolate in the same cafe. Please leave us alone."

"You people got some nerve," the man growls, one fist clenching.

Willie slides the hand that isn't on Alex's waist into his pocket, reaching for his pepper spray.

"Sure, we have guts," Alex cuts in, startling both the man and Willie. "But not because we're doing anything wrong. We're brave for still being out here when people like you are here too. People who want us dead just because we're queer."

Willie feels a rush of pride for his boyfriend in his chest. They know just how much Alex has had to fight against the homophobia drilled into him from an early age. They know all about how much pain it causes him when his parents continue to pretend that he isn't gay. They know how terrifying these situations are for the both of them. And Alex is standing up for them anyways.

"Yeah, and we're not going anywhere," Willie adds, feeling Alex's trembling. "It's not like being gay is anything new. It's just a part of humanity, whether you like it or not. So you might as well give up and leave us alone, because your big man act is just pathetic." He channels every bit of his dad into that last sentence. "Now either leave us be or we'll call the cops."

The guy splutters for a minute, then storms off. Alex just stares after him for a long moment, then turns to Willie with a nervous smile.

"You okay?" the drummer asks, brushing a strand of hair away from their face.

"Yeah, you?" Willie responds, catching Alex's hand with their own.

Alex nods. "I think so. I just wasn't really expecting that I guess."

"Me either," Willie says, taking in a deep breath.

He glances back over at the man's table to see him snapping at his kids to finish their drinks so they can leave. They can't help the smirk that pulls at their lips. The two of them did that. They stood up to that jerk and drove him off. Together.

"You did great," he tells Alex, squeezing his hand.

"Right back at you," Alex chuckles, his smile growing a bit. The drummer steals a look over at the other table as well. "Geez, sucks to be that guy's kids," he comments.

"Yeah," Willie agrees sadly. "Maybe he'll get better?"

Alex just shakes his head. Willie wonders if he reminded the drummer of his dad at all. But now isn't for thinking about jerks, they tell themself. Today is for having fun and being back together.

"Hey, you wanna tick that dude off a bit more?" Willie asks, raising an eyebrow and grinning.

Alex huffs a laugh. "Depends, what did you have in mind?"

Instead of verbally answering, Willie moves his arm from Alex's waist to cup the back of his neck. They move in closer, pausing a few inches away from his face to wait for an answer. Alex smirks and closes the distance between them in a warm, solid kiss.

Willie lets go of Alex's hand to cup his jaw as the drummer's fingers slide into their hair. It's firm and steady and it's not long before they're both smiling too much to keep kissing. The glare the homophobe shoots them as he herds his family out the door just makes them laugh.

"I missed you," Alex breathes into the space between them. "I know I wasn't actually gone for that long, but..."

"I get it," Willie responds softly. "I missed you too."

They separate fully after another minute. Willie's coffee is getting cold, but they don't really mind. "So my place after this?" he suggests. "We can get takeout for dinner and watch some cheesy gay romcom or something?"

"Sounds perfect," Alex agrees.

The End

#legolas tag #julie and the phantoms #legolas ask #jatp #jatp fanfic #alex mercer #willex #willie jatp #tw homophobia #but the homophobe gets told off #win for the gays!#hope y'all like it!!!#took me wayyyy too long to write but that's fine

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websterss · 2 years

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𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐎𝐏𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝟑/𝟑 — 𝐋𝐔𝐊𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: Having had enough of dealing with Caleb you take the opportunity to leave the Hollywood Club.

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆(𝐒): Angst, mentions of dying, fluff

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 2,598

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: Luke Patterson x Ghost-fem!Reader

𝐀/𝐍: Hope you enjoy it! ♡

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟏 | 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟐 | 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟑

They say life flashes before your eyes, to never take anything for granted, and you didn’t. “Ya know, I didn’t take you for the type to use dead corpses as leverage. But then again everything so far has been total bullshit with you!” You sniffled getting off the floor. You stood before him as you spared a glance down at yourself. You looked all gray and on the verge of decomposing.

“Now, now, no need to be rude.”

“You killed me, we are so far from pleasantries.” You scowled at him. “I’m already dead. What more do you want?”

“I need the boys.” You shook your head not understanding him. “They’re too powerful. I can’t have them roaming California with their newly found tricks.” Caleb smirked.

“See the thing with that is…” You gestured to the room. “They’re already gone…so what’s your big plan now?” You purse your lips in question.

“Simple, ruin everything and everyone they love.”

“Mhmm.” You pondered the supposedly evil scheme of his. “Yeah, I hear you, but uh, when do we get to the part where that plan is actually going accordingly?”

“Well, with you obviously.” Caleb gestured to all of you.

“Trust me, you’d only be hurting one person in this case and she doesn’t forgive very easily. So killing me wasn’t very smart…which was for what exactly? Your own joy?” You raised an eyebrow.

“You knew too much, and you could see me. Which I was intrigued by.” He titled his head scanning you up and down.

“I can still see you now too.” You let your arms fall to their sides. “And there isn’t much to see anyways.”

“Rude.” Caleb scoffed.

“Just let me go. I’m no good to you.” You clenched your jaw.

“But see, that’s where you’re wrong my dove…” You eyed him suspiciously. “You’re the perfect leverage.”

“Again, how?” You looked at him confused. He was about to speak up again, but you put your hand out to stop him. “How about I just stop you there, and kick your ass now, and get this over with?”

“You won’t win.” Caleb checked his manicure.

“But see, that’s where you’re wrong, Mr. Covington. I don’t give up easily.”

After the final bow the guys poofed back into the studio. Luke grew concerned when you didn’t poof back with them. He guessed it was Caleb, but since they were crossing over and possibly destroyed, he stayed put. He groaned as another jolt hit him in the gut. Alex and Reggie reciprocating the pain that was felt.

They all laid back on the rug waiting for their time to be up. “D-Do you think Y/n’s okay?” Alex said out of the blue.

“It’s Y/n…she’s always got everything under control.” Reggie jokes, but groaned feeling another jolt hit them.

“If C-Caleb does anything to her, I’ll kill him.” Luke coughed holding his stomach. “Maybe…if he doesn’t kill us first.”

“I-I think we should worry about Y/n doing something to him.” Alex closed his eyes, the pain being too much.

You grunted as you raised a chair close to you, slamming it into Caleb and his stupid cape outfit. What the fuck was he even wearing? He fell with a grunt and covered his face.

“You fucking asshole that’s for killing me!” You screamed as you kept beating the chair into him.

It didn’t take long before Julie had found them on the ground. She was upset because she really thought that they were gone for good. To make things hurt more, you hadn’t shown up to the show. Julie didn’t get a call, nor a text telling her that you couldn’t make it. Her calls weren’t going through either and that worried her more than anything. She just wanted you to be there and she wanted the guys back, so imagine her shock when they were on the ground of the garage in pain.

“Guys? What? Why are you here? I-I thought-” Julie was cut off by the sudden jolt that struck the boys. She gripped at her chest feeling her breathing pick up. Reggie held onto Alex and Luke’s hands as they groaned out in pain. “I-I thought you crossed over. Why didn’t you cross over?”

“I guess playing at the Orpheum…” Alex struggled to stand. “Wasn’t our unfinished business.”

“Point, Caleb.” Reggie scowled, sarcastically.

“We wanted you to think we crossed over…so we pretended to.” Luke glanced up at Julie. “We just…” He shook his head. “W-We had nowhere else to go.” Luke’s breathing was labored. He held his side from where the jolts shocked him.

“We thought you’d go straight to bed.” Reggie shrugged, looking at Julie.

“Yeah well.” Alex sighed heavily, leaning against the piano. “I knew she was gonna come out here, but nobody ever listens to-” Another jolt struck them. This one was stronger. All three doubled over in pain. Luke fell on his side finding comfort on the carpet, Reggie felt his body fail him causing him to lose his grip on the couch, and Alex… Alex had almost fallen to his knees before he barely held himself up by the piano.

Julie rushed forward and pleaded. “You have to save yourself right now! Go join Caleb’s club, please! It’s better than not existing at all, please! Poof out, do something please! Do it for me, please!” Julie cried out.

“We’re not going back there.” Reggie denied her pleas.

“No music is worth making Julie, if we’re not making it with you.” Julie tilted her head, pouting as her eyes glossed over. “No regrets.” Luke admitted. She lurched herself forward and wrapped her arms around him. Luke wrapped his arms around her too when she went in for a hug. Reggie smiled and Alex was confused.

“I love you guys.” Julie sniffled.

Julie then suddenly pulled back realizing she could feel Luke. He too was taken back because she was able to touch him. She ran her hands down his arms then to his hands. “How can I feel you?”

“I-I don’t know.”

Julie gasped as she placed her hands on his face. Luke then cupped her face too. Laughing because he couldn’t believe it. This was some sort of miracle.

He turned around to look at you guys. “I feel stronger.”

“Alex, Reggie, come here.” Julie told them. The guys walked up to Julie and wrapped their arms around each other. Halo circles glowed up into the air above.

“Woah, I-I don’t feel as weak anymore.” Reggie smiled.

“Yeah me neither. Not that I was ever that weak.” Alex joked, causing them all to laugh. The guys then all looked down at their wrist. The purple stamps removed themselves from their wrist and flowed up into the air.

“What do you think that means?” Julie gaped at the purple magic that floated above her. “I think the band is back.” Luke smiled.

“You guys think we could try that hug one more time?” Alex asked, they laughed and huddled together embracing each other with their hands.

“I like this!” Reggie admitted.

“Me too!” Julie exclaimed. “We played the Orpheum, woo!” They all jumped up and down together.

It hadn’t been long till you took a seat back on the ground. Your back pressed against the wall behind you. Your eyes staring straight ahead into nothing. Nothing. That’s all you felt inside. Nothingness slathered with a pinch of numbness. A disaster for your mental health. The room was quiet except for Caleb’s labored breathing. The man was trying his best to get into a sitting position. You had spared him a glance when he groaned in satisfaction. You didn’t think it was possible for a ghost to receive bruises or cuts. Though you assumed so, since purple was starting to form around his right eye. You looked down at your hands. A little bruised themselves and a nail or two were chipped in the process, but it wasn’t the end of the world. Beating the shit out of Caleb didn’t make you whole. It didn’t heal the ache in your nonexistent beating heart. The emptiness remained.

“S-Satisfied?”

“Nope.” You stared off into space.

“Oh.” Caleb’s voice rose an octave.

“I’m leaving, Caleb.” You pushed yourself up. “Don’t try and stop me.”

“She’s all yours.” He hummed. Gesturing out his hand to your body. He closed his eyes as he held his stomach.

“I hate you.” Your lip quivered. Your eyes staring down at the man who took everything from you. “But I know you don’t care and continuing on, telling you how much I despise your guts, isn’t gonna help me. So I’m gonna go.” You nodded. “And you’re gonna keep sitting there, with your ego a little bruised.” You turned to wrap your arms around your corpse. Wanting to take your body somewhere where you were sure they’d find it. Where’d they find you.

“I can see why Luke likes you.” You tensed hearing him talk. “You hold a fire inside you like no one else does. I bet that drew him in too. I guess he got lucky with someone who balances him out perfectly. You pull, he pushes. You ignite, he extinguishes. A rare, but beautiful match. At least now you can really be with him.”

“Goodbye, Caleb.” With that you poofed you and your body out of the Hollywood Ghost Club.

You didn’t think twice when you reappeared inside the garage. Your knees hit the ground hard. You had attempted to steady your own body in your arms but ended up toppling over. The guys had turned around when they saw you. They were shocked and filled with joy upon seeing you again.

“Y/n?” Reggie had to do a double take because seeing you there in the garage seemed too good to be true.

“Oh my god, you’re back!” Alex got up rushing over to you. “Oh god, we need to get Julie.”

“Y/n, you’ll never gonna believe what just happened!” Luke walked up to you with a bounce in his step. The boys just discovered that Julie’s love for them made them able to be physically touched. “Julie she-” He smiled then immediately frowned. Tears grazed your eyes as you struggled to hold your dead body up in your arms. Luke reacted quickly running up to you to help you put yourself down.

“I-I didn’t know where else to go...” You whimpered, you placed a hand on your head looking anywhere, everywhere, feeling lost and out of hope.

Alex stopped finally taking a good look at you, seeing one of your straps falling off your shoulder, your hair disheveled, and the bottom skirt of your dress slightly ripped.

You looked like you’d been through hell and back.

“Caleb’s tough but he isn’t as tough as me…” You half-heartedly chuckled, as you swayed a little to the left. You had finally caved in. Letting the tiredness take over. Almost falling over on your side to which Alex immediately caught you.

“Woah, woah, hey I got you okay.”

“J-Julie…” You gasped in realization, almost forgetting about how hard this was gonna be on her. “She doesn’t know! Oh my god! I-I can’t do that to her, she can’t go through any more losses, she can’t!” You clung to the front of his flannel, the right side of your face pressed against his chest. “What am I gonna do, what am I gonna do?” You repeated over and over.

“Y/n, I need you to breathe. Okay baby, I need you to breathe.” Luke gripped your shoulder making sure you met his eyes as he nodded at you.

“I-I can’t.” You heaved. “I can’t!” You squeezed your eyes shut. “I told Julie I’d see her after the show tonight…but I can’t.” You shook your head. Reggie cried as well, reverting back and forth from you and where they laid down your body. “I don’t get to go home. I can’t make up with my parents. Why me? Why now? I didn’t do anything wrong!” You pleaded for all of this to make sense to you. “I didn’t do anything wrong…” You fell back restless into Alex’s arms.

“I know, baby. I know.” Luke cupped your cheek, cooing at you softly. “Hey, look at me.” You shook your head no. “Y/n, look at me, please!” And you did. “I got you. We all got you. We’re gonna get through this. Every step and every second. Including telling Julie the truth, okay?” You nodded, gripping your hand over Luke’s arm that caressed your face, and gripping Reggie’s hand that held onto yours for support.

“What are we gonna do about my body?” You all slowly turned your heads to it.

“You sure this is where you want to be?” Alex asked to be sure. You looked back at yourself. You were down by the beach where Reggie’s old house used to be. Your body was cold to the touch. Your lips were blue. Your clothing had been ripped by your own hand.

An attack gone wrong, is what you kept telling yourself. The ripped articles would hopefully make it look more believable.

“Yeah…” You dragged out. “My body will be found by someone eventually. The police will hopefully take care of the rest. We should tell Julie before it gets back to her.” You stood back up from where you were crouched down. “I can’t believe I’m gonna add on to her pain.” You stared at your corpse. The boys looked at each other, then at you. Luke stepped closer to you and guided your head to lay on his shoulder. His lips pressing into your hair.

“It wasn’t your fault. Plus you’re still here, so Julie won’t be going through your loss alone. She still has you here.” Alex offered his optimism.

“Yeah…but for how long?” You sighed.

“We can’t know for sure, but we’ll get through it together.” Reggie placed his hand gently on your shoulder to make you feel better.

Luke had pulled away slowly. Stepping forward to get closer to your corpse. He bent down and pressed a kiss to your temple. A last goodbye to your human body. It was scary staring at yourself. An image that would forever be engraved into your memory. Alex, and Reggie followed suit. Alex kissed you on the head where he’d usually leave his affectionate kisses. And Reggie being the charmer, he gently picked up your hand and placed a kiss on top of it. Each bidding their farewells to you where they casually liked to show their affection. The temple, the head, and the hand. All that was left was the cheek. Where you laid a kiss yourself. Yours lingered longer than the boys. As an ‘I’m sorry this happened to us’ because you were sorry. You were upset that your life was cut short, and now you had to be okay with leaving yourself behind. For others to find you and keep the memory of you alive. Though you knew you hadn’t much to fear, you knew Julie wasn’t one to forget the ones she loved. You stepped back to be lined up with the boys as you all took in your corpse once more.

“I don’t know what to say.” You sighed.

“Send yourself off. Say your name…go from there.” Alex suggested.

“That’s actually…not a bad idea. Yeah, okay. I-I like that.” You nodded, giving him a small smile. “I’m Y/n Y/L/N. I was born on M/D/Y and I died on August twenty-six, two-thousand twenty, at nine thirty pm.”

#luke patterson #luke patterson imagines #luke patterson imagine #luke patterson x reader #luke patterson x fem!reader #my gif #writings by juls

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mrshipsmcgee · 2 years

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A Lord & A Lady Part Four

TASM!Peter Parker x (fem)Reader

Warnings: romance, mentions of loss, mentions of pregnancy

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Five

Bridgerton AU!!!!!!

4.2k words

You watched as Peter walked away from you, disappearing into the darkness of Lady Danbury’s home. You grip the candlestick in your hand as you start after your friend down the hallway - determined to find out why exactly he had been acting so strangely towards you.

The tall man rounds the corner of the hallway, entering the dimly lit library as you follow after him.

“What on earth have I done to you, Peter?” You whisper, sitting the candlestick down on an end table beside you - stepping closer to Peter as he quickly turns toward you. “Why on earth have you followed me?” His brows are furrowed as he looks to the door before his brown eyes lock gaze with yours, causing your stomach to drop. “Did someone see you follow me? This will not look good for you-“

“Answer my question, Peter. What on earth have I done to you? You ask to form a faux courtship to find a love match for me, only to act strangely and rude towards me or any real potential for a match? What have I done?” You take two steps towards Peter, stepping into the glow of the candlelight. “You and I are friends, Peter. I thought you enjoyed my company. I thought you wanted to help me.”

Peter is quiet, stoic as he stares you down. His white blouse had become unbuttoned at the top since his tussle with Earl Covington and Lord Fredrick in your room. His hair was disheveled just as his clothes were, stepping into the candlelight in front of you. “You would not understand. It is over now anyway,” he whispers, brushing his fingers through his hair as he shakes his head. “Go back to your room. Now.”

His brown eyes stare you down as you cross your arms over your chest, “I am not a child, Peter. I wish you would not treat me as such. Now - what have I done to make you treat me like I am mere dirt?” You gulp, uncrossing your arms from your chest as it rises and falls. “You lie to me and treat me as if I am the villain? We have so much fun together, Peter - what have I done to make you despise me so?”

Peter seems hurt by your words as he steps towards you, only inches away as he whispers, “Go to your room, please. I cannot be alone with you.” His voice is raspy and low as he peers down at you. He has become breathless as he inches closer towards you, seeing how beautiful your face was illuminated perfectly in the amber light of candlesticks surrounding the two of you.

You can feel his breath hit your chest as he seems to be moving closer to you. “What?” You breathe out - unsure of what you had just heard. “You - you cannot be alone with me?”

Peter gulps, eyes fluttering as his breath hitches. His fingertips graze the deep rounded collar of your nightgown, causing you to shutter as your eyes fall to Peter’s plump pink lips.

You did not realize how close the two of you had become until you looked down at his fingers tracing your bodice, seeing a paper cut on his already bruising hand. Your eyes flash back up to his handsome face.

His brown eyes look as if they were dripping with honey as the candlelight danced in the warmth of his gaze - seemingly stuck on you. “I -,” he breathes - his fingertips graze your collarbone as he whispers, “I am a gentleman.” He lets out a shaky breath, “And - and you - are a lady… it is not proper for us to be alone.”

Peter’s long lashes lay upon his cheeks as his eyes close. Taking a deep exhale he drops his hand from your collarbone, “I promised to help find you your true love’s match, and I intend to keep that promise.”

“What if I want it to be you?” You whisper, quickly covering your mouth with your hand as your eyes shoot open - staring right at Peter. He’s shocked, seeming to have stopped breathing as he looks at you - only centimeters away, “Excuse me?”

“I am - I am so sorry,” you exhale, stepping away from Peter. “You are right, I need to go back to my room. I am saying nonsense.” You had already started to walk away whenever Peter breathed your name.

You turn in response - meeting Peter chest to chest, letting out a small gasp at the collision.

“Nonsense?” He asks, his voice small. “If that is how you truly feel-.”

“It is not how I truly feel,” you hesitate - breath shaking as you and Peter stand chest to chest in the quiet library. “That is not truly how you make me feel.”

Neither of you vacate your stance. Being this close to Peter made you feel as if he could swallow you whole and you would be content. You wanted to be wrapped up in his strong embrace.

“How,” he breathes, looking to your lips as he licks his. “How do I make you feel?”

His eyes snap back to yours, causing you to nearly choke on your very breath as you mutter, “you - you make me feel….”

Peter’s calloused fingertips brush against your left hand as his long fingers intertwined with yours, holding your small hand in his. He brings up your hand to his mouth, bringing it to his lips - placing a tender kiss to the top of your hand, never breaking his eye contact he held with you.

Your stomach drops watching as Peter kisses the inner of your wrist - using his other hand to spread your palm on his chiseled cheek, humming as he shuts his eyes, leaning his cheek into your hand.

Time seems to stop as you start at the beautiful man cradling your hand closely, pressed against his content face. Being touched like this was so foreign to you - but felt so right.

You can feel yourself gravitating towards Peter’s full lips, licking yours in the process. His eyes open, piercing your soul as he leans towards you - so close now you can smell the champagne still on his breath from Lady Danbury’s ball.

“Peter Benjamin Parker,” Lady May’s voice rang out from the doorway, causing both of you to turn her way - seeing Sarah and Lady Danbury beside her standing in shock as they saw you and Peter so close… touching.

“You two, drawing room - now.” Lady Danbury’s voice boomed as she and the two other women walk away.

“You two do understand what has to happen now that your purity has been tarnished?” Lady Danbury paced slowly, bracing on her cane when she would speak to you and Peter as you both sat on the small floral couch in the dimly lit drawing room. “There is no telling what else has conspired between the two of you. Should we get a doctor?”

“Lady Danbury, I assure you - nothing else has happened between us. I just - I had a lapse of - judgement,” Peter started. “We were-.”

“She has been kept pure of mind, body and soul her entire life. Her father was determined to keep her pure, untouched and pristine for her future spouse,” Sarah chimed in. You had not seen her this upset in a very long time. “That has been my entire career with this family, Lord Parker. Keeping her safe, keeping her from perversion. You have now ruined that.”

Sarah points towards you, “You have defiled her innocence. No one will have her now!”

Hearing their words made your heart sink into your stomach.. it made your skin crawl.

“All she wanted was a love match, which you said you did not want - am I correct, Lord Parker?” Lady Danbury spouted, leaning on her cane as she stared at him. “You told me next year, Lord Parker - so why ruin her chances at love if that is what she has been desiring to find?”

Peter swallowed, hanging his head - too afraid to look your way as Lady Danbury continued. You watched as Peter gripped the side of the sofa, seeing his knuckles turn white as he absorbed the woman’s words.

You felt as if you were dreaming as you stared at Peter, imagining how he touched you in the library. How he sighed into your touch as he nestled his cheek into your hand. His eyelashes were so long, so beautiful as his eyes shut - seeming to take in every moment that he was near you. Touching you.

“-it is what your uncle would have told you to do, I know it,” Lady May said - bringing you out of your thoughts.

“But it is not what she wants! I am not the man that she wants,” Peter’s voice was raspy as he spoke. “Allow her to have her true love’s match. It is what she desires-“

“I do not care what she desires, Lord Parker. Desires went out the door the moment you allowed your desires to cloud your judgement in that library - and god knows where else,” Lady Danbury interjected with a clack of her cane. “You two will wed.”

Those four words rang out loudly in your head as you stood, quickly taking off running out of Lady Danbury’s home as everyone yelled for you to “wait!”

But you were gone.

Peter turned to the women, pointing his finger as he started to speak, “you three know I have respected you my entire life. Tonight, this morning…” he drops his hand, shaking his head as he rubs the back of his neck. “She will not forget the way you have said she is unworthy and unfit to wed a good man. Those thoughts will play out in her head now, I know her.. I have known her since we were children - she will not forget how you three have treated her this day.”

He rubs the bridge of his perfect nose, sighing, “I am the one to blame. I am at fault here, not her. How dare you blame her for my own actions?”

The women are all at a loss for words as Peter continues, “Now - if you three can kindly excuse me I am going after her. I am going to do what is right because that is what she is worthy of.”

“Ladies,” he bows, almost mockingly as he turns, beginning to run after you.

Your bare feet seemed to be moving faster than your thoughts were as you ran out into the foggy, dewy field into the woods behind Lady Danbury’s home. You did not turn back, for you were too afraid of what you would see coming after you.

You just ran, trying to hide yourself away in the midst of bluebells just as the morning sun began to kiss away the night - still hidden behind dreary rain clouds as you finally reach the tree line, stopping to catch your breath as you cling to your chest.

A figure moves in the distance, approaching you at high speed as you try to get up - unable to move from the exhaustion from your sprint.

“Please, stop!” Peter’s voice rang out. “Peter?” You yell as you brace yourself against a large, old tree.

“Please - there is something I must say,” he’s breathless, bracing his hands on his knees as he stops just feet from you. “I am sorry.”

“You are sorry?”

“I have made such a mess of things..” he lets out an exhale as he stands, bracing his hands on his hips as he still catches his breath. “I - I did want to help you find a love match… I did. But then…” he shakes his head with eyes shut. “Then Benedict said he had feelings for you… and - and - and that changed things for me. The moment he said that he felt for you it turned my whole world upside down. My brain felt as if it were on fire.. my feelings got the best of me -.”

Puzzled, you look to your handsome friend - hearing the words coming from his mouth you start to stand.

“And so I - I just got inebriated to make the thoughts go away. I knew I was not the man that you deserved.” he pauses, looking up at the tall green trees towering above him. “In that moment at the gentlemens club it was as if the heavens shone down upon my old mate Ben, highlighting him just for you,” he wipes sweat from his brow as he continues. “Benedict Bridgerton is a good man, he will be a good husband. I am a - I… I have been through things - and I knew in my soul in that moment that you and I were not fated, no matter what I may feel for you, or how long I have felt for you.”

“You feel for me?” You step towards him, feet flat on the wet grass, hair falling into your beautiful face - wet from the misting of rain beginning to fall around the two of you.

Peter's full hair fell flat on his face, his hands to his side as he spoke, “I am not the man that you deserve.”

“Why, Peter?” Your brows furrowed in confusion.

“I - I was married…”

You stop dead in your tracks, eyes wide as if you had seen a ghost, “W-what?”

“In America - I fell in love with a brilliant woman… my - my Gwendolyn. She was beautiful, kind, passionate.. I met her while I studied under two incredible scientists - and we fell in love..” he clears his throat, looking at the ground now as he continues. “We met and were married within a month.. and then a month later we found out she was with child… we were so excited to have an heir. All I have ever wanted my entire life is to love a woman well and to give her a child. My child..”

He sniffled, brushing his hand through his hair as he whispered, “It - it was too early when she went into labor. I awoke to her screaming, the bed was… it was - horrible. She needed more time - they both needed more time…” Peter grimaced, fumbling around his bare ring finger. “I called the doctor, I tried - they were all there within an hour but.. it was - it was too much blood. I did not know what to do for her. I grabbed anything I could to stop the bleeding… I sat behind her and held her close to my chest..”

“I tried…” Tears started to fall down Peter’s face as he whispered, “I held her until her breaths got shallow, and then I started to panic… I did not know what to do for her..” he hung his head lower, sobbing as he said, “Gwendolyn and our baby both died in my arms before the doctors could even arrive. She left me, they both left me alone. And I have been alone since.”

It is silent, other than frogs ribbiting and the small whisper of the rain falling.

“May begged me to come with her this season, to - to try again. She said I deserved to be loved again and to find love again. I - I did not want to come, I did not want to find love again because I know that no matter what - no matter who I love.. they will leave me. I know that loving someone with all of my heart, with all of my soul - the kind of love that you feel in your bones… I know that one day I have to say goodbye - no matter how much time I may have with someone,” he paused, looking up to you. “I do not want to lose you like I lost her. I do not want to go through that loss again - I do not want to love again. Alas here I am, standing here across from you in this field - a field that we grew up playing in together.. I am here and all I have to tell you is that I - I have loved you since we were children..”.

Your mouth is agape - shocked and in awe as Peter speaks.

“I - I thought it was a mere childhood crush flooding back into my heart, what I feel for you..” he shakes his head. “Ben said his peace on how he admired you, wanted to escort you to Lady Danbury’s ball… How could I take away the happiness from my old mate like this? How could I have defiled you - my oldest friend - like this? If I truly loved you like I know I do I wouldn’t have-“

“You love me?” Your voice is shaky - realization washing over you.

He paused, swallowing back the tears swelling in his brown eyes - “Yes,” He whispered quietly as a single tear dripped down his cheek. “I have loved you since I can recall or remember. I did not know it to be love until love had been defined for me with my late wife. I have loved you the entire time and merely thought it a schoolyard crush… We were thick as thieves as children - inseparable.. Nothing has changed after all of these years away from you. And for that I am so sorry. I let my feelings overcome me the past few days, I was jealous… my only desire is to make you happy and protect you from harm.. but I was the villain lurking in the shadows.. I was the one that defiled you. I pray one day you can find it in your soul to forgive me.”

“Do you remember in the summers whenever we were all together and we would play such silly games? Like the game in the creek… or - or house? Ant would play the dog, Daphne would play the child and Benedict would play the butler,” you recalled.

“And you and I-,” Peter chimed in with a tearful smile.

You nod, tears brimming in your eyes as you say, “And you and I were always husband and wife - the mama and papa…”

“Always,” he nods, stepping towards you. “I always begged to play the part of your husband. And here I am years later begging you - pleading with you to right my wrongs. I will take care of you and protect you from anything and everything that may come our way. I will stand beside you through it all and I will love you until I take my last breath. I - I did not want things to go this way between us. I respect you and admire you.. I cherish you - I can be a good husband to you. Please - marry-.”

“-Marry me, Peter,” you whisper.

“W- Excuse me?” He stammers, furrowing his brows as water drips from his brown hair.

“Marry me, Peter Parker,” you say. “Ever since my family died in that fire years ago… losing my mama and papa and brother, and all of those poor people that were our help… they were trapped and I was away at a ladies finishing school? I - I - Life is but a mere blink in time, Peter. I too know loss such as yours, you know that. I came here this season hoping to find a true love’s match and here you are, the boy turned man - my Peter.. my best friend… you - you have always meant so much to me and I understand it now. The way you make me feel.. I understand, Peter.. I love you, I love you, I love you… I came here looking for a love match and then there was you. Marry me, Peter.”

Peter brushes his hand past the bluebells surrounding the two of you - plucking one for himself and examining the beautiful color. “I will marry you as long as you promise to wear bluebell flowers in your hair when you walk down the aisle to me.” His brown eyes snap up to you, gently extending his arm to you - placing the flower behind your ear.

His fingertips sent shivers down your spine as they brush wet hair from your face, stepping towards you - now chest to chest.

“I promise to wear bluebells in my hair as long as you promise to marry me,” you whisper, looking up to Peter. “Please, Peter?”

Peter's hand slowly cups your cheek, cold and wet against your skin as you breathe into him letting out a sigh as you rest your face into his touch. He rubs his lips together as he gazes down at you - his heart racing at the thought of touching you.

“I would love nothing more than to be your husband.. to make you smile and to hear you laugh after I have said something far too comical. I want to chase each other around at your countryside home just like I would whenever we were children. I desire nothing more than to spend the rest of my days loving you fully, wholeheartedly…” he sighs. “I would be honored to be your husband - if you will have me.”

You just nod, feeling helpless under Peter’s touch.

His thumb brushes your bottom lip, seeming to take in your aroma as you look up to him - the space left between the two of you was laced with eager anticipation as he whispers, “Absolutely breathtaking.”

“Peter,” you breathe his name as he brushes over your lip again. “Kiss me,” you whisper. “Please…”

Peter cranes his neck towards you, leaning in as he places a tender kiss to the very corner of your lips, his cheek brushing against yours as he places another small kiss to the opposite corner of your mouth. Your breath is shaky as he pulls away, looking down to you, whispering, “Are you sure?”

Before he can finish, your lips collide with Peter’s in a sweet embrace - pressing a hand firmly onto his chest as you kiss him. A moment you had dreamed of for years.

Both of your lips were wet from the rain and salty from tears. Peter wraps a gentle, muscular arm around your waist, bringing you closer to him as the hand on your cheek wraps into your hair - kissing you deeper as you let out a small whimper into his kiss.

The peacefully falling rain turns into showers around the two of you, drenching you both as you pull away from your embrace will laughs.

“We must get back before one of us catches a chill,” Peter yells over the rain, his hair completely drenched now and falling into his face as he holds his hand out to you. “Care for another sprint, my dear fiancé?”

“How about a race, my dear Peter?” You say just as you start to take off into a sprint, sliding a bit from bare feet on the wet grass.

“Not fair!” Peter yelled from behind you, sprinting after you as the two of you made your way back into Lady Danbury’s garden, nearing the back entrance to her home.

Peter catches up to you, slipping on the grass as his legs come out from underneath him, falling with a grunt. You turn towards the noise, slipping on the damp grass as well, falling down just as Peter did.

“Are you hurt?!” Peter asks as he crawls over to you, laughing at the sight of mud and grass all over the two of you. “Look at us! We look as if we were children playing in mud.”

“Who said we aren’t children playing in mud?” You retort, putting a handful of wet grass onto Peter's head as he sat across from you on the ground. He gasped in shock before he mimicked you, laying a glob of mud on your wet hair.

Your mouth falls open as you let out a breathy laugh, “My own fiancé has put mud in my hair? You have given me no choice but to retaliate with brute force, Lord Parker.” You throw yourself at him, shoving your muddy hands in his handsome face, gaining a large laugh from him as he tried to do the same to you. “I am far too quick! You cannot get me, Peter!”

“Oh yeah?” He asks, throwing himself on top of you as he rubbed a large handful of grass on your cheek. “Hm, you do still look awfully pretty with mud on your face.”

“Ahem,” a voice rang out as the two of you turned, muddy and wet as rain fell around the two of you. Lady Danbury stood bracing her cane as a footman held a large umbrella over her head. “I assume the two of you will wed after all? Or is mud wrestling quite the opposite?”

You and Peter stand, brush off your clothes and look at the woman in front of you. “We will wed in two weeks time,” Peter said, matter of fact as your head whipped around - shocked at such a short time. “Uh - yes.. Two weeks we will be married. It will be at my countryside home,” you nod to an annoyed Lady Danbury.

“Well, I suppose it is time to plan a wedding,” she said as she turned. “You two, follow me.”

PART FIVE

There will be a part 5! Lemme know if you’d like to be on my taglist!

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Please leave me a comment, like or reblog with a comment and let me know how this part made you feel. Hopefully you liked it??? I know I did

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nolan-jackson · 2 months

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LOCATION: Heavy Hitters

DATE: 02/25/2024

WITH: @drewparrish

Leaning against the pool table, he chalked his cue stick, a small smile playing on his lips. "Never thought I'd run into you here, of all places," he remarked, lining up his shot. It was a surreal feeling when he learned Drew lived in Covington. "This town keeps surprising me," he continued, his tone light, relief flooding through him at finding a familiar face in the sea of newness that still surrounded him since his recent move. He took his shot, watching with satisfaction as the ball rolled smoothly into the corner pocket. Looking back up, he met Drew's eyes, genuinely interested to catch up. "How long have you been hiding out here in Covington anyway?" he asked. It was crazy to think their paths were crossing again so far from San Francisco. But he was glad for it. Moving across the country had been a big change and a bit lonely at times if he was honest. Running into an old friend, someone who knew him from before, made this foreign place feel a little more like home.

#(conversations.)#(with drew 001.)

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saraiayutthaya · 2 months

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closed starter @sophia-mendoza

She couldn't believe her eyes when she spotted Sophia at Brunch and Barrel. Sarai had stopped by for, not expecting to see a familiar face from her past, but luck seemed to be on her side today. A bright smile spread across her face as she approached the woman—pleasantly surprised to cross paths again. "Sophia! What in the world are you doing here?" she greeted, leaning in to give Sophia a quick hug in greeting.

It had been nearly two years since they had last seen each other, back when Sarai was reviewing a new restaurant and they had somehow ended up sharing a table together. The conversation flowed effortlessly, as if they were already friends and not newly acquainted strangers. After that lovely evening, they had kept in touch through social media. "It's so nice to see again! This is such a wonderful surprise," she added sincerely, her eyes crinkling in delight. "I hope you've been well. Are you going to be in town for a bit?” Of all places, she didn’t expect to see Sophia in Covington.

#sarai && sophia 01 #//i hope this is okay. <3

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focsle · 2 years

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The mention of whale oil doughnuts has inspired me to write yet another long thing laden with primary sources about whaleship fare, ALRIGHT!!

TL;DR, it sucked!

Albert Peck, a foremast hand on the Covington in 1856 was so kind as to write down the weekly menu aboard:

“Our daily diet on board ship was as follows: On Mondays, rice for dinner, with beef and a little pork, a barrel of pork having to last as long as two of beef. Tuesday, boiled beans. Wednesdays, peas, and when these failed, rice. Thursdays, boiled flour pudding called Duff. Fridays, beans again. Saturdays, codfish and potatoes and Sundays, duff again. Breakfast, we had either potatoes and meat hashed up together, with coffee, or scouse, a mess made of ship bread soaked overnight and boiled up in the morning with beef cut up, and sliced potatoes. For supper, hard bread and beef with tea and plenty of molasses, each man being allowed a quart a week, which was amply sufficient if not wasted, and besides this we had extra messes such as a sea pie when a hog was killed, soft bread, pickles, +c.”

By way of variety, there wasn’t much to be found on a whaleship menu. Adding to the monotony the food was often in a very poor condition. William Abbe, greenhand on board the Atkins Adams in 1858, who I’ve talked about at length for his food descriptions of both the good and the ugly, can always be relied upon in expanding on the condition of his meals in the most visceral way possible.

“Our duff this noon, heavy + watery was literally filled with dirt and cockroaches. I didn’t eat a morsel of the filthy food—but sat laughing at the discoveries the fellows made as they carefully sliced their duff— ‘Hullo, heres a piece of old Thompson’s [the cook] hat” cried Johnny — “Here’s a big worm! — Look at these cockroaches!” “I’ve bit a cockroach in two—“ “Let’s make Thompson eat em when he comes below,” came from different empty mouths, while all hands roared out as Curly, finding to his disgust he was munching a boiled cockroach dashed to the slop bucket + holding out his joggy duff cried — “Who wants my duff? Does you Tom?” + finding no purchasers flung his duff into the bucket.”

On multiple whaleships the cook drew the ire of all aboard for the condition of the food. Sometimes it was from a lack of care in the cleanliness and preparation of it, largely it was because it was almost impossible to keep vermin out of the kitchen on a whaleship no matter how clean, and at all times the cook’s orders were tied to what the captain supplied him.

J.T. Langdon of the ship St Peter, 1849, was aware of the limitations of the cook based entirely on how those aft managed food, and talked about it at bitter length.

“The “Old Man” had another rough turn with the steward this morning about grub. The [crossed out—bloody miserable] old crone seems to want us to live on nothing. Nearly the same as we have lived on for the past 30 odd months. When we first came out a number of bushels of turnips and a quantity of pumpkins were left to rot rather than give them to the men; and since we have been out here too, recruits of sweet potatoes have been left in the nettings to spoil rather than the men forward should have them to eat. Such men should have their teeth pulled out and fed on slops.”

Fresh fruits, vegetables, and cheeses were picked up at various ports that whaleships would occasionally stop in for provisions. It wasn’t uncommon for whaleships to also have livestock on board such as chickens or pigs who on many instances free-roamed on the deck, sticking their hungry snouts into the pans of men eating there. In the Galapagos, whalers picked up tortoises (and played a significant role in devastating that population, believed to have taken over 100,000 tortoises between the 1780s-1860s). Fish would sometimes be caught as well, such as skipjacks, albacore, and mahi mahi (which whalers referred to in their personal accounts as porpoises or dolphins). However, fish were not considered a reliable food source to serve a whole crew and usually found themselves on the menu just because someone dropped a line down when they were bored and caught/harpooned one.

But fresh provisions soon ran dry, and it was back to breaking out the dubious casks stored below.

“Found a few bbls of meat that smelled more like carrion than beef, and the “Old Man” told the cook to use that first. I think twill go down rather hard.”

J.T. Langdon wrote, adding to his anger about the condition of the food they had to eat. In the case of the St. Peter the crew refused to eat this spoiled beef, and organized as a collective body to tell the captain such.

“After supper this evening we all went aft to see about eating the beef that was broke out for us on Tuesday. He was not at all surprised at this although he appeared to pull the wool over our eyes we plainly stated to him our grievances and wants in a respectful manner, which made him rowse up a little telling us how he had lived on whale and blackfish meat for a time on the Nor’west; but this would not go down with us and we demanded state’s allowance. He saw we were in good earnest so after while concluded to give us good beef.”

There are a number of instances of shipmates banding together to pressure the captain to improve their fare. Sometimes, like above, that work was successful. Other times it was met with the wrath of the Captain and no change in the food.

In the after cabin, it was a rather different story as far as what was eaten. Mary Lawrence, whaling wife aboard ship Addison, 1859, wrote about food that was prepared when she was entertaining other whaling officers and their families during a gam on the ship:

“We had for dinner oyster soup, boiled ham, and stewed rabbit with dumplings, a gooseberry pudding and tarts made out of bottled fruits, for tea we had fried ham, fish balls, warm biscuit, preserves, pies, plum cake, and plain cake.”

Greenhand John Perkins, of the Tiger in 1845, voiced his envy after talking with the crew of the Sheffield, who during a gam shared what their fare was like (though to me it sounds more like they were pulling his leg). Perkins felt as though the lack of good food on his ship was in some way attributed to the captain having his wife aboard the Tiger (in addition to being cheap).

“Their cook brings their scoff into the forecastle, carries back the kids & washes the pans. A hogshead of molasses is open for them, pepper, vinegar, & salt are free to them. Butter is also allowed them. They have chickens every Sunday, pancakes three times a week, scouse several times a week & potatoes & onions with limitation. The difference in our manner of living is not owing to the owners, for our ship is well fitted out as it respects provision. But our captain is a part owner & therefore wishes to spare all he can, but he also has his wife aboard & therefore wishes not to get out of potatoes, molasses, sugar, butter &c. He now denies us pork.”

Sometimes whaling wives were met with resentment for the above reasons, with the notion that they were an idle hand who was nevertheless eating better food than the men forward (though as time went on much of the cabin fare was quite similar to what the rest of the crew would have, albeit not laden with filth.) Women aboard would often make dishes of their own, such as pies and gingerbread, fruit preserves, candy, and popcorn. Sometimes it was made for themselves, husband, and other officers, but there are also instances of a number of wives making special dishes and condiments for men forward who were sick or—such as in the case of William Abbe—men who seemed to catch her fancy.

Ultimately, revolting as the food often was many found themselves growing accustomed to it, whether it was through necessity after nearly fainting one too many times of hunger from their initial inability to eat it, or because of the substantial appetite the hard labor of their job gave them regardless. It feels fitting to conclude with journalist John Ross Browne, in writing of his 4 year voyage on an unnamed whaler in 1842, about the perspective the food on board gave him.

“The life I had led since I had shipped produced such a change in me as made me a mere animal. When I got anything fit to eat, which was very rarely, I devoured it with the avidity of a starving wolf. I seldom dreamed of any thing at night but good Kentucky roast beef, peaches and cream, pumpkin pies, and all the luxuries of western life. […] I had seen the time when my fastidious taste revolted at a piece of good wholesome bread without butter, and many a time I had lost a meal by discovering a fly on my plate. I was now glad enough to get a hard biscuit and a piece of greasy pork; and it did not at all affect my appetite to see the mangled bodies of divers well-fed cockroaches in my molasses; indeed, I sometimes thought they gave it a rich flavor.”

#awhalin #long post //

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handeaux · 10 months

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Cincinnatians Pitied Yet Feared Predatory ‘Bucket Gangs’ Begging For Beer

There are regular complaints these days about aggressive panhandlers soliciting funds at various locations around town. It will be of little comfort to learn that beggars of that ilk have operated in Cincinnati for ages. During the late 1800s, the most aggressive were even organized. Since their ultimate goal was to fill a bucket with beer they were known as “bucket gangs.” According to the Cincinnati Enquirer [27 August 1882]:

“The ‘Bucket Gang’ are a bad lot, known to the police and saloon-keepers, particularly the latter. Their business, while an old one, improves like all others of a more legitimate character, in that some ingenious member invents a new scheme every now and then, by which a drop of ‘bugle paint’ can be secured. The ‘Bucket gang’ are, in more polite terms, men who will do any thing for a drink, and drink most any thing that resembles or tastes like liquor.”

[As an aside, that term, “bugle paint,” is not much in use these days. It refers to the ability of alcohol to turn the drinker’s nose (his “bugle”) red.]

Bucket gangs ranged from pitiable to dangerous. It cost eight to ten cents to fill a standard pail, known as a growler, with beer, providing one drink apiece for four men. Of course, “standard” covered a lot of territory in those days, so a growler might be an actual bucket of some sort, or it might be an oyster can or some other suitable receptacle.

Members of the bucket gangs were disinclined to find a paying job and so they spent a great deal of time devising assorted schemes to cobble together a dime’s worth of change to fill their suds bucket. A national publication, the Illustrated Police News [13 February 1886] catalogued several stratagems cooked up by Cincinnati bucket gangs.

“A scheme that is worked in Cincinnati is called the ‘bridge game.’ A beat will station himself about a square from the Ohio River bridge and stop every passerby with, ‘Won’t you please give me enough money to cross the bridge? I can get a job of work in Covington or Newport, but the bridge has to be crossed.’ Hardly a man will refuse a plea of this kind, so they are almost always successful.”

The Police News related the story of a bucket gang left high and dry in the middle of the Courthouse Riot of 1884, with not a penny between them to slake their thirst. Finally, one of their number had an inspiration. He appointed one of the gang to go to his house and tell his mother that he had been shot in the riot and it would cost a dollar to bring him home.

“They were all loud in their praise of his excellent suggestion. One started at once for the fellow’s home. Going up two flights of stairs, a rap on the door soon brought Mrs. J_____. He told a pitiful tale of how her son was shot, and the patrol wagons were so busy carrying away the dead that they could not bring him home, but there was an expressman on the corner who would bring him home for a dollar. His distracted mother could not give the dollar quick enough. Her son was brought home that night, but not shot – only half-shot.”

Another ruse was known as the stamp racket. In this endeavor, the bucket gang split up, each going to a store or business to ask for a stamp so he could send a letter to his dear mother, or his sister or some other relative. Few shopkeepers failed to be moved by such heartwarming tales and soon the gang had enough stamps to trade for some amber refreshment.

The Enquirer offered a few more examples of dipsomaniac creativity. For example, it was common practice for a saloon-keeper to stack his emptied beer barrels on the sidewalk in front of his place so the brewery driver could grab them quickly and haul them back for refill. The bucket gangs knew that “empty” was never totally empty, so the cold light of dawn often found a crew tipping the exhausted kegs nearly vertical to capture the few remaining precious dregs.

Another once-successful dodge had fallen into obsolescence by the 1880s because it had been used too often and saloon-keepers were wary of it. Among the best solvents for whitewash was stale beer and those men in the trade usually had an agreement with a neighborly barkeep to save any sudsless lager for his use. The bucket gangs would send one of their younger members into a likely saloon to explain that he was helping his dear old father on a whitewashing job and would there be any stale beer around? Sometimes the publican turned over the dregs and sometimes he chased the beggar down the street.

Sometimes, whether because they were out of stratagems or because they were incapable of devising one, bucket gangs descended to brute force and the Cincinnati police courts were full of such miscreants. It appeared that almost every neighborhood had its own variation on the bucket gang.

Scott Gerhardt was accosted in 1883 by a bucket gang based on Hunt Street in Pendleton. He was surrounded while the gang leader asked for a dime. While complying with the demand, Gerhardt pulled $1.35 from his pocket, all the money he had. According to the Enquirer [25 September 1883]:

“This one of the gang grabbed and succeeded in escaping with it after a severe tussle in which the victim was roughly dealt with.”

The Sixteenth Ward bucket gang, usually congregating around the corner of Court and Cutter Streets in the West End, attacked Eugene Sturgeon, a Cincinnati Water Works employee, one February night in 1886. Sturgeon, on his way home from work, recognized the gang and tried to run away, but was felled by a tossed brick. Thinking they had killed their victim, the gang scattered, but Sturgeon recovered enough to make his way home.

The Commercial Tribune [5 September 1881] reported a tussle between Officer James Dunn and four members of a bucket gang who had commandeered a canal boat tied up between Vine and race streets as their headquarters. As Officer Dunn attempted to arrest the ringleader, a fellow named Pete Nolan, the other three jumped him and, despite their various degrees of inebriation, were getting the best of him. Dunn drew his revolver and fired one shot, striking a conscientious citizen who was rushing to his aid. Dunn maintained his grip on Nolan and managed to deliver him to Central Station. The injured civilian was treated at the city hospital.

#cincinnati crime #bucket gangs #cincinnati saloons

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savannahchen · 22 days

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[ havanna rose liu, cis woman , she + her. ] ⸻ have you seen savannah chen ? yes, the twenty three year old junior that’s usually wandering around campus? they’re currently focused on psychology, so we’re sure theyre super busy with studying. i often hear that they’re talkative, but others have picked up that they tend to be hard to reach. a pretty easy assumption considering they’re known for the sound of a soft southern accent, smiles that never fully reach the eyes, lighting up the room whenever she walks in. scary things have been coming to light, but let’s hope whatever they’re hiding stays in the dark.

trigger warnings: death, drunk driving.

BASIC INFORMATION.

full name: savannah lee chen

nickname(s): sav, anna

age: twenty-three

gender, pronouns: cis woman, she + her

sexuality: bisexual

place of birth: covington, lousiana

major / grade level : psychology, junior.

faceclaim: havana rose liu

BIOGRAPHY.

savannah chen was born and raised in the small town of covington, louisiana by her single mother, avery, and an older brother named michael. their father has left the family when sav was only three years old and hadn’t been heard of since.

the two siblings were thick as thieves and as close as two siblings could be. in fact, their small family were always close. they were one big happy family and despite only having each other, they were content with that. their bond was strong and nothing could ever change that.

when it came time for michael to go to college, everyone had assumed that he’d choose to stay in town and go to the town’s well - known college; even savannah had assumed for that to be the case. never did the thought of her brother leaving cross her mind, but when he chose to go to gsu; her world crumbled. they had never been so far apart before. but even still, she had accepted the choice and wanted nothing but for her brother to be happy.

when he returned home for winter break, it was the happiest thing ever. He told endless stories about his adventures in california. he soon began expressing his wishes of wanting savannah to get out of their small town and wanted his own sister to experience it for herself. there was a whole world outside of their little town and the last thing he wanted was for his siter to spend her life here.

trigger. to make a long and sad story short, she lost her brother not too long after he'd come for a visit. a drunk driving incident with him, his friends and savannah in the car. a driver under the influence being the cause of it all.

after that night, sav's mother no longer seemed to be a mother anymore. just an empty vessel that wandered within their home. for a while, she understood; she was going through her own struggles losing her brother the way she had. She blamed herself for what happened but due to it, their relationship turned almost non-existent.

that’s not to say that savannah had always been the same girl she was before, she changed. the girl rebelled, seemingly getting herself into more trouble than she ever had. though, most people seemed to excuse it considering all the trauma she had gone through; which wasn’t what she wanted. even though she hadn’t realized it at the time, it was a cry for help. she was losing herself and didn’t seem to have anyone to rely on.

then came high school graduation. she, somehow, managed to get her act together — even if her grades were never the ones affected by her nasty attitude — and also did the one thing no one expected her to do. it took a lot of guts and for a while, she sat on it. debating if leaving home, leaving her mother, was something she wanted to do but after a year, she decided to go to california. following in her older brother's footsteps because it's the one of the only other places she felt closer to him.

#gsu:intro

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elijahlawson · 29 days

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⸻ ✧ 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 ⟨ the details ⟩

Name: Elijah Lawson

Nicknames: Eli, tba

Pronouns: he/him

Age: 34

Neighborhood: Riveroak Farms

Occupation: GBI detective

Orientation: heterosexual

Status: single

Residency: local, left at 18, returned 11 years ago

⸻ ✧ 𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘 ⟨ the past ⟩

With a name like Lawson some would say he was destined to be in law enforcement one day. His path to getting there wasn't quite as simple as that. Born and raised in Covington, his father a blue collar man and proud, and his mother a teacher, Elijah came into the world as the third of four children. With two older sisters and eventually a younger brother, he sometimes slipped through the watchful eyes of his involved parents.

In school he played basketball and was a great running back in football until size became too big of a factor. He was average at best. School bored him but he did well enough to keep his parents happy. They'd always stressed the importance of going to university one day, especially following in his older sisters footsteps. Though, Eli always considered them overachievers.

First heartbreak came at 13 when his crush turned him down after he'd asked her to the dance. Years later she'd end up marrying him but at the time she wasn't allowed to date and eventually the rumor went around that her best friend had a crush on him and she was just doing the right thing.

Went off to university at Temple where he was pre-law with the intention of becoming a civil rights lawyer. It changed when he'd been witness to a crime and would later see the defendant get off scott free. Even with his testimony, the defense outshined the prosecution. Elijah became determined to be the best prosecutor ever seen, but again that would change when he'd receive a call from his sister that her best friend had been found murdered.

The case would go on to become a mystery and remain unsolved, giving him a first hand view of the destruction something horrific like could inflict on a family. His own sister's mental health deteriorated and she became a agoraphobic, afraid to leave her own house. With his law degree in hand, Elijah found himself with a badge as a detective with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.

When it comes to the job he's relentless and tenacious, unwavering in his pursuit of the the truth. He understood through personal experience that punishments rarely ever fit the crime, what people wanted/needed most was answers. So, he works and works to give that much.

At 19 Elijah had been reunited with his teenage crush from home when they crossed paths at a party in Philly. She was going to another big school in the same city and they decided that fate had intervened for them. They married a year later. After a few years the young love couldn't survive the hardships of life, not when Elijah had been so effected by the tragedy that changed the course of future careers. When he needed to go home to Covington, she decided that she couldn't follow and that was that.

It took time for him to work his way up the ladder and to gain respect with his fellow agents. Most considered him overly passionate about his job, that he had an inability to turn it off at the end of the day, and his colleagues were right. The first few years Elijah had trouble sleeping at night with the things he'd known and seen, but as time wore on he walled up as a way to protect himself.

One after the other, which hadn't been all that surprising, his parents passed. It drove his sister deeper into herself. With her agoraphobia she'd been living with their parents so to keep her safe and from any kind of institution, Elijah moved her into his home. With work and his dedication to it, he's not there as much as he should be anyway, so it felt like a deal to have someone living in and taking care of the place.

Every time he's tried his hand at dating or relationships or love it's failed. The job demands too much of him, takes up too much space within him, that he's understood he can't give someone else what they need. Time and attention.

After ten years he's gotten to a place of looking ahead and he's become weary, wondering if he's even made a difference or if he needs to continue the fight he's put himself into through a different side of the law. He's kept his law degree active but has never acted on it, never worked a day as a lawyer, yet it has come in handy or in play from time to time. Sometimes he thinks of making the switch, wondering if it would free up other aspects of his life.

#covingtonintro #⸻ ✧ 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎 ⟨ pinned ⟩

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reyhansolmaz · 2 months

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— SETTING: Ahalya's, Zahid's & Devika's apartment, evening — AVAILABILITY: closed starter for DEVIKA VYAS | ( @devikaavyas )

In more ways than one, Reyhan was glad for how things had worked out for Ahalya after letting the younger woman know the building next to hers had apartments available for rent, and, apparently, they were bigger and better than the ones in the editor's current building so, good for her. Really.

So, here she was, at Lya's new roommate's welcome party, sporting a cup of beer in hand as she waltzed around the living area, making chit chat with whoever she crossed paths with. The name Devika sounded more familiar than she would have expected to, but Reyhan didn't want to make assumptions that this Devika would have been the one she'd once given her heart to back in New York, however, upon being introduced to the brunette by the mutual friend they had, Reyhan couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Yes... we've met." She told Lya, before offering her hand to Devika. "How are you, Dev? Long time no see, huh? Covington's a long way from New York."

#hope this is okay! lmk if you'd like me to change anything!#interactions | threads #reyhan.devika1

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mac-lilly · 7 months

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Hotdog and cold dog

Usually, I do not indulge in German!Alex. But this idea had been haunting me for some time. It’s not very original and a bit dumb. But still – enjoy. And big thanks to @onlygenxhere who came up with the term 'Kit Kat' for ... something.

☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆

It’s funny how dying and coming back to life changes one’s priorities.

Before his death, Willie had spent most of his life on the streets. He’d roamed the city on his skateboard; he’d strolled along the beach. He’d done his level best to avoid returning to the latest foster home he’d been placed in.

After his death … Well, he’d mostly done the same. But he’d also fallen into the orbit of Caleb Covington, which had effectively cost him the rights to his soul.

Needless to say, neither his life nor his afterlife had been very pleasant experiences.

So, when fate offered him a third chance, Willie decided that this time, he’d tackle life differently.

That’s why he is here, sitting on a bar stool, watching Alex bustling around in the Molinas’ kitchen as he prepares tonight’s dessert. It’s an incredibly domestic moment, and Willie enjoys it to its fullest.

The kitchen is a mess, though. The countertops are covered with ingredients and bowls, pots with water are steaming on the stove, and dishes pile up in the sink in a haphazard way. And in the middle of this orchestrated chaos stands Alex, the conductor, wearing a pink apron and holding a chocolate-covered spatula like a baton. Melted chocolate is dripping onto the tiles.

Man, German desserts are extraordinarily complicated, aren’t they?

On the other hand, Willie has been here from the beginning. And from what he’s gathered, Alex’s secret German dessert consists of extremely plain cookies and a lot of chocolate. It looks like an oversized chocolate candy bar that’s now chilling in the fridge.

Willie can’t help it. His curiosity gets the better of him.

“So all of this,” he says, inclining his head to point at a leaning stack of bowls, “for a giant Kit Kat?”

Willie isn’t complaining. Not at all. He likes cookies. He likes chocolate. And he likes Alex … a lot. So, in his books, this dish is already a triple win.

Alex misinterprets his words, though. He turns around, planting his free hand on his hip, scowling.

Damn, that’s way more attractive than it should be.

“It’s not a Kit Kat,” Alex insists sternly.

“But it looks like one,” Willie counters, smirking. But maybe he’s gone too far with his teasing.

Alex’s demeanor changes drastically. His shoulders sag; his face falls. Disappointment crosses his features.

Willie’s smirk vanishes. Oh shit.

“Hey, hey, don’t sulk,” he says hurriedly. “I’m just messing with you, hotdog.” To prove his point, he leans over the counter, reaches out, and snatches the chocolate-covered spatula from Alex’s hands. He licks it clean in a rather seducing manner. “I’m really looking forward to tasting your oversized candy bar.” There’s an innuendo hidden in the sentence, and of course, Alex catches on to it. The effect is immediate and intense. He splutters, and a blush travels up his neck. His face turns crimson – even the tips of his ears turn a light shade of pink. He mutters a few words under his breath. It could have been an insult; it could have been German. Most likely, it’s both.

Willie chuckles. Embarrassed Alex is such a delightful sight.

But Willie isn’t a cruel man. They’re going to have much more fun later.

“So, what’s the name of this dish?” Wille asks to put Alex out of his misery.

To his surprise, Alex snickers, and Willie blinks in confusion. That’s unusual. But Alex’s gleeful snickers are also one of the best sounds he’s ever heard, sending shivers down Willie’s spine. His nerves tingle. Damn.

Thankfully, Alex quickly answers his question, distracting him from the sensation. “It’s called Kalter Hund.”

Willie tests the words. They are not as unpronounceable as expected. However, he’s convinced he messed up the pronunciation anyway because Alex’s smile has morphed into an impish smirk. And damn, Willie loves it. He loves the way Alex’s lips curl. He loves the way his eyes sparkle with mischief.

What he doesn’t like is not knowing. He’s clearly missed something, so he has to ask. “What?”

“Do you know what it means?”

Willie tries to guess but without success. He shrugs.

“Please, hotdog, enlighten me.”

Alex looks more smug than Willie has ever seen him. There’s a glint of triumph in his eyes that makes Willie’s stomach flutter. He squirms in his seat. Oh, yes, he’s gone way too far with his teasing. And then Alex leans over the counter. He’s so close their noses almost touch. The proximity steals Willie’s breath away.

“It means cold dog.”

There’s a long pause as they stare into each other’s eyes. Alex’s eyes are bright and intelligent and … oh fuck, Willie really, really loves them. He really, really loves him. So Willie concedes defeat. He lets out a strangled sound that’s half a snort and half a gasp. “Smart move, hotdog.”

“Yeah,” Alex confirms, smirking. Then he closes the distance, pressing his lips to Willie’s.

Yes, Willie really loves his new life.

☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆

Inspired by the IG account uyenninh. Unfortunately, I can't find the video anymore. But her German BF once served her this delicacy. 😆

#Ha! My first Willex Wednesday contribution!#as I said the joke is a bit dumb #but I enjoyed writing it #julie and the phantoms #jatp #Willex #Happy Willex Wednesday!#Alex mercer #Willie jatp

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legolasghosty · 4 months

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Saw Boggie first and OF COURSE I want to know more about that but then I saw Jem and the Holograms and now I CAN'T DECIDE!!! So whichever you're more excited about? 😁

Please!

Hehe that's so fair! Thank you for the ask!!! Well I have the time so... we can talk a bit about both!

Boggie Roommate Stuffy is the fic that refused to write itself. Like I kid you not, this one shot is over a year and a half old and it's only like 1.1k still. But it's basically a And Then They Were Roommates setup for Bobby and Reggie, where their first introduction to each other was Reggie throwing one of those massive, body pillow sized stuffed animals into their new dorm room and almost bowling Bobby over with it by accident.

If I ever manage to finish the stupid thing, it'll consist of some MeetCute, a healthy serving of Make Reggie A Molina 2K Always, Bobby being angsty before meeting his new roommate, and a bit of flirting just for kicks. But the darn thing won't write. Snippet will be under the cut, since this seems like it's gonna be a long post.

Bobby grabs the pile of shirts he’s slid onto hangers and crosses the obstacle course of his own making to the nearest closet. There are two of them in the small room, one closer to each bed, so Bobby takes the closer one to his selected bed, opens it, and places the hangers on the rod. He just has to keep moving. Give himself time to adapt to the new environment. He doesn’t need his parents anymore. Well, for anything other than the money they are paying for his tuition. Hey, rich, absentee parents have to be good for something, don’t they? He continues hanging up clothes and tries to focus on the positives of his situation. He’s not stuck in that big, empty house anymore. Hopefully his roommate will be interesting, so he’ll have someone to talk to when he wants. And the classes he’s signed up for this quarter sound interesting, though the bio class will probably be hard. Maybe him being away will mean his parents actually notice his absence and call every once in a while. Moving for school is a good thing. It just sucks that he has to do it by himself. Just as he finishes hanging up his clothes in the closet, he hears the sound of someone fumbling with the lock on the door. He turns around just as it swings open and in comes… a giant teddy bear?

Okay! And then we got the Jem and the Holograms AU, which is both my beloved and makes me want to scream. As you may have noticed, I'm not the best at committing to long writing projects, and the Jem and the Holograms AU is uh... certainly a long one. The doc is currently around 10k, consisting of just over the first 2 chapters and a bunch of notes.

But plot wise, it follows the basic plot of the Jem and the Holograms movie from 2015. Julie records a song on a whim and one of her siblings (Luke, her adopted brother, in this case) uploads it and it goes viral. From there, Julie, Luke, Alex, and Reggie (all siblings in this one via a combination of fostering and adoption) get swept up into a whole adventure of being anonymously famous, pulled apart by the head of the record company (Caleb Covington, obviously), while also trying to solve a puzzle Rose left behind before she died.

Tis also a JuBobby fic cause I love them! Bobby is their 'handler' when they get to LA. He and Julie butt heads a LOT at first cause he's pretty short and negative and she wants to believe in the dream. But as time goes on, they become friends and maybeeee start to like each other in a more romantic way as well. Cause why not! Though Bobby may have his own line of family drama that they'll get tangled up in too...

Here's a snippet of when Caleb first shows up!

Stilted conversation greeted her as she entered the living room behind her brothers. The first person she noticed was a tall, dark skinned man standing beside the front door. He had on one of those fitted leather jackets that Reggie had always wanted. A pair of tinted sunglasses hid his eyes. His crossed arms and firm stance told Julie he was probably some kind of security personnel. Though she wasn’t sure why security would be at her house, it wasn’t like anyone other than HGC Records knew who she was. “Ah, you must be Julie Molina,” a new voice said, pulling Julie’s attention to the center of the room. Oh. That was why there was security. Caleb Covington was tall, with dark hair just starting to show some traces of grey. His wide smile felt both welcoming and terrifying, at least to Julie. The dark purple suit jacket and black button up seemed like safer places to look. “Or I suppose I should call you Dahlia,” Caleb continued, chuckling. “Our Dahlia, the new star about to blow the world away.” He held out a hand to Julie and she shook it hesitantly. “Hi, um, Julie is fine,” she managed to say.

I have so much love in my heart for this fic but it's so complicated and long! I wish I had all the writing spoons I had mid covid to work on it, but I just don't have the time these days. Someday though. I hope.

Thanks for asking!!!

#legolas tag #julie and the phantoms #legolas answers asks #jatp #reggie peters #bobby shaw #julie molina #luke patterson #alex mercer #the rest of the gang is also around in the Jem AU don't worry!#but I haven't gotten to meeting them yet so...#I'm lowkey tempted to post the first chapter #just to see if anyone is interested #but then I wouldn't want to leave people hanging if they are #and I haven't made progress on this fic since like last summer

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