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jacevelaryonswife · 10 months

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Do you need help, neighbor?

Tom Bennett was a problem you should avoid, but why was he everything you thought?

∴pairing: Tom Bennett x Fem!Reader

∴warnings and a note: kissing and flirting, also, english is not my first language. This story is a continuation of “Do you need help, ma’am?”, but I tried to make it understandable without having to read the previous part. 2,8k of words.

part one | other characters from ewanverse

It had been a short time since you moved to Manchester. Your house was nothing chic or modern, but the neighborhood was well located and quiet, everything a young woman needed. You didn’t used to leave the house much besides work and grocery store, worried about not generating rumors about your life to others, especially because you’re a woman who lived alone, without parents, husband and children. What could be worse than becoming a reason for lies and gossip?

There were worse things than that in fact, such as experiencing the war that was currently taking place, it was terribly scary for you to imagine a sudden Nazi invasion, but if it was already horrible just to think about it, imagine being present in all horror? You felt sorry for your neighbor Douglas Bennett for dealing with the constant fear of losing his youngest son to such brutality. He was a good man and a helpful neighbor, as was his daughter Lois, who became a good friend of yours over the weeks. Both facilitated your adaptation in the new home and were so kind.

That's why that day you decided to thank them for such generosity by making a dinner at your house. You knew that their financial condition wasn’t the most favorable, so you insisted that they didn’t worry about taking anything since your salary was enough to cover your expenses. But then, a peculiar event happened earlier, and his name was Tom Bennett.

When your sink had problems a few days ago you thought it would be fleeting, however, the insistence of the small leak in the lower siphon was starting to bother. Accordingly, you decided to turn to Mr. Douglas for help, but to your surprise, in front of his door — next to yours — was another younger Bennett, dressed as a sailor and holding a cage with a small bird. From then on, things became confusing, hot and daring. Tom Bennett not only solved the situation of your sink but also kissed you like no man had done before. He was a total menace!

You knew that this shouldn’t have happened, mainly because you were a respectful and single lady (and especially because you just met him), but all you thought about throughout the day was his lips on yours, hands running your body and sharp words in your ears. Unfortunately, you haven't stopped remembering what happened throughout the day...

"A pretty thing like you don't have a ring on your finger, were you waiting for me, ma'am?" he smiled maliciously.

While going to the local grocery store to buy some ingredients that were missing for dinner.

"What kind of thanks would you like to receive, Mr. Bennett?"

His smile wideened as he leaned his hand on the table behind you, very close to your waist. "One that only a man and a woman could do."

While cutting the onions and cooking the potatoes.

"This was surprising, miss, I didn't know you had all this," he provoked with his little side smile, hands, which were previously fixed on your hips now circled patterns around your waist. "But I would love to know more where this came from," he whispered close to his lips, returning the tightness in his body.

While going to the bathroom to pee (yes, you read this).

In fact, Tom Bennett was a problem you should avoid, but why was he everything you thought?

Fortunately Lois interrupted what could happen earlier, luckily for you Tom cooperated in the situation. If she suspected something she didn’t let it appear on her smiling face, but previously, in one of the many gossips in your kitchen, Lois commented on the reputation of her younger and rebellious brother, he was a problem boy with a good heart. And great lips and big hands too...

God, you were in trouble!

However, just as there was a chance of him appearing the opposite was also possible, and you counted on it, because it would be easier to pretend that nothing happened without him being present with that little shitty smile. You left the bread in the oven to keep it warmer while organizing some things in the living room and went up to take a relaxing bath on your day off. You put on a beautiful and modest blue dress with a pair of pearl earrings that matched your necklace, in addition to applying a little makeup to highlight your beauty (and for him to appreciate if he accompanied his family, which you hated!).

One wave of nervousness flooded your body after going down the stairs and sitting on the couch, waiting for them while pinching some cookies before dinner. Intentionally your mind wandered and began to imagine him on top of you right there, exchanging scorching kisses with each other.

Your thighs tightened for a second before the touches came from the door. It was them. You almost jumped off the couch and adjusted your dress before taking a deep breath and looking through the crack of the window to see if...

The bastard came! And I still had that damn smile!

How handsome he was... damn it!

You opened the door with a discreet smile, looking naturally at all three at the same time.

“Oh, hi! Lois, you didn't have to bother!" You said when you saw the medium lane she was holding, making room for the Bennetts to enter.

“I know, I know, but we didn't want to come with nothing and it's just a simple pie,” she smiled openly at you.

“Mr. Bennett, good night,” you greeted him with a handshake, then looking at the tallest (and most beautiful) Bennett without knowing how to greet him. Would Tom be too informal? Would Mr. Bennett be repetitive? You didn't know, so you decided to be simpler: "Hi, welcome."

“Thank you, miss,” he smirk with pout.

"Where do I leave that?" Lois asked, attracting your attention from the piece of bad path in front of you.

"In the kitchen," your voice failed a little, in the fortunately they didn’t seem to notice. You smoothed the dress before guiding them to the dining table, keeping yourself in front of and away from the sailor (who wore a gray sweater and pants in the same tone).

“The smell is amazing! Did you make bread?" She asked excitedly.

"Yes I did, I hope you like it." You put the soup pot in the center of the table along with the bread pan, without realizing that the moment you bowed over the stove your rebellious neighbor looked at your ass covered by the dress. A lovely and seductive little thing, according to him.

“It's nothing compared to what you did for me at that time, but thank you,” you looked between Douglas and Lois, sitting at the table after distributing the dishes and cutlery.

"Oh, it's not for that much!" She said before guiding you in a quick prayer. “Amen,” he echoed in unison.

And then, you felt a soft smoothing on your leg with a firm material like a shoe. On the other side of the table, right in front of you, he was with a cheeky and discreet smile. Bloody hell! Would be a long night.

“So, you have already met,” Douglas said to you and your son with a pleasant face.

Before Tom could reveal anything, you anticipated his answer. "Yes, he fixed my sink earlier, he was very kind."

“I'm sure so,” the eldest replied as he looked at his son, seeing his fun feature. So far the most feared Bennett was in a comfortable silence, but he decided to change things (to your concern).

“It's a sin to deny help to a beautiful lady,” he brushed your leg again under the table.

“Oh!” That's all you sketched in false animation.

"Don't mind him, Tom is very talkative, I don't know how you didn't get tired," Lois said, "and by the way, the soup is delicious."

Your response and that of the sailor were synchronized:

“Thank you!”

“Hm, I think she appreciated my company much more than you think,” he smirk.

You wanted to melt into the chair with what Douglas and Lois could think about the statement, so you pushed his leg away when he tried to reach yours again and countered: "he's pretty funny," you kicked him lightly.

Luckily for you, the silence that followed while you ate was quite comfortable, but not long lasting. A few minutes later Lois was responsible for being the magnet that brought things together. “So, how is the job with Mrs. William?”

“Good, it's close to home and the payment is good,” you replied.

“Do you work there? With the father or the son?" Tom asked, obviously curious.

It was a small accounting office run by a family, fortunately they needed extra help and ended up hiring you, but that was before you moved, which made it easier for you to get around.

“With both of them, actually, and Lisa,” you replied.

Taking advantage of the brief distraction of his family, Tom moved his lips in a dirty phrase without sound towards you: "naughty girl,"

When did your kitchen get so hot?

You hated being affected so easily by him, but how to resist those blue eyes and perfectly outlined pink mouth? What about his beautiful face and thin arms and attractive height? And the most aggravating thing: that damn uniform of before.

Another comfortable silence was established, luckily for you. Douglas and Lois spoke a few words about the bread and soup before starting a pleasant conversation about general matters. It was good to get together and entertain yourself with them — something that was needed when living alone.

Until a question made everything change.

“May I use the bathroom?” Tom asked.

"Of course, it's upstairs, but there's a problem with the door and sometimes it ends up getting stuck, if you need help just call," you said.

“Oh he knows, we were talking about the time I got stuck here the week before last,” Lois commented casually, being more revealing than Tom and you could expect.

It went unnoticed at the moment, but when a call upstairs was heard following a "I'm stuck", you were forced to go to it.

"Don't worry, I'll go there."

Poor summer child.

Going up the stairs and stopping in front of the door, you thought how comical it was for him to need your help and decided to play a little about it. “Do you need help, neighbor?”

"I think so, "He replied and you almost swore to see his little smile through the door. "Are you alone?" He asked.

“Yes?”

And so, the door magically opened, just so that your body was pulled into the small and humid room by Tom. An almost scream escaped from your throat when because of the action, your eyes more open. "What are you doing?"

"Is this all for me, miss? I liked it a lot," he smirk seductively, holding your hips and holding you against the door.

"No!" You lied out of breath, holding his shoulders. Ugh, he was so tall and handsome!

"And who is it for? My father? Aren't you too young for him? It will be strange to call you stepmother,” he provoked, making his brow frown with the thought.

"This is not funny! Let me go! Your family is below us,” you tried to keep your voice down.

But the bastard hadn't finished with you yet. The thought of being stuck against the door with his big hands on your hips was dangerous and exciting, and totally welcome at another time, but not now.

"I know, but I couldn't stop thinking about you all day, about your smell, your pretty face, your soft mouth. I know you feel the same way, doll."

He came even closer to you, hovering over your lips with your confident and attractive posture.

“You’re quite convinced, Mr. Bennett,” you murmured, determined to contradict him (well, only vocally).

"And you like that," and then he kissed you sensually, without haste or speed, containing his hands from going down to your ass. Obviously you melted in his arms and returned the slow and demanding movement of the lips, holding around his neck. You wanted this so much. You loved to hate the confidence that Tom exhaled, but what if he was like that with everyone? He had just returned from a horror show, what if he regretted it? What if he didn't want anything serious? You didn't want to be used or badly spoken!

“Stop! We can't do that!" You pushed him away scared and almost ran out of the bathroom, thinking you had left him behind.

"Why? What happened? Didn't you like it?" He murmured right behind you. "Do you have anyone?"

"No!" Before he could ask more, you anticipated back to the table.

Fortunately, your breathing more accelerated than normal went unnoticed by your neighbors who dined calmly. Tom didn't bother you again, but he was restless about what could have happened, it was noticeable. When the pie was broken, you praised Lois' culinary skills and she just said she was the family's favorite, especially Tom's. You asked for the damn recipe — not because of him, but in case things went forward...

And yes, he wasn’t a man who gave up easily, especially a pretty little thing like you, so after his sister and you washed the dishes and everyone got together to talk on the couch, he made a point of sitting next to you. He wanted to be seen by you. It was inevitable that the matter was directed to war, since not only him but Lois was in direct (in the case of himself) and indirect contact with the conflict. He didn't want to keep reliving that in his mind, he just needed a good moment of comfort in the arms of a beautiful woman. You weren't married and certainly found him attractive, so what was the problem?

Tom would do everything to find out why; so, late at night when his father and sister were further ahead on the sidewalk, he touched his pocket and pretended to miss the lighter he was carrying with him.

“I can look for it,” you calmly suggested.

To his surprise, Lois' attitude was favorable to the situation, however, it made him wonder if she would be suspicious of something. “Let's go in dad, it's cold out here,” she said, opening the door of the house next door, their house.

And then, you allowed him to enter again, but remained on your back all the time. There were two options he could venture into, the first: circle your hip and flirt with you until he was embarrassed and shy, which was a delicious sight. The second, a more mature attitude than he used to have, was properly chosen.

“I would like to apologize for what happened before, if I did something you didn't like or wanted, it wasn't my intention,” he said carefully.

“Thank you.”

"... I just wanted to know what happened in the bathroom. Do you have someone or just didn't like the kiss?" He insisted.

"It's not that," you turned to face him, "I'm a single woman, Tom, without a husband or relatives, and I'm new here! I don't need people to say things about me."

"Who cares what the others will say?" He asked.

“I do! I care about it and I don't want a reputation that doesn't fit me. It's not appropriate, and we just got to know each other." You justified it. "You're very handsome and confident, annoyingly confident, but we can't do that, I don't want to have my feelings hurt."

"Do you think I would tell someone?" He asked even more seriously than before.

"I don't know, I don't know you."

"What if you know it? What if I am nothing less than a gentleman who will invite you to dinner without ulterior motives? What if I want to meet my beautiful neighbor properly?"

Your surprised look was quite expressive when you heard his question, breathing a little deeper than before. Would you believe his intentions?

"Do you want to get to know me or is it just a way to make me give in?" You asked.

"You’re tough in the fall, I truly appreciate it in a woman," he joked, sending a look full of flirtation (it was inevitable). "Let's do the following, go meet me and draw your conclusions, nothing will happen as long as you don't want to and I promise that whoever says something about your reputation will take some soups. What do you say?"

And then his mouth opened before closing again. "Only if you behave properly."

Oh boy, you wouldn't regret it. "It's a deal, miss."

═════════════════════

I’m thinking of doing another part of this.

for this story: @inechoingsilence @bellaisasleep

general taglist: @chompchompluke @fan-goddess @kravitzwhore @partypoison00

ewanverse taglist: @aemonds-fire @partypoison00 @schniiipsel @fan-goddess

#tom bennett #tom bennett x reader #tom bennett x you #ewanverse masterlist #ewanverse #tom bennett x female reader #tom bennett x fem!reader #fluffly #flirting #kissing #world on fire #ewan mitchell

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darth-mortem · 3 months

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Here is the next text from my English lessons. It's about '22 Ghost and Soap who are inspecting an old creepy house. The names of Johnny's parents I invented myself. 1157 words.

“Where are ye taking me, Lt.?” Sergeant MacTavish asked, sitting in the front passenger seat of a duty SUV.

He and Lieutenant Riley had come on leave to Soap’s childhood town and stopped at his family house as usual. Johnny’s mother, Islay, loved Simon very much, and his father, Major Douglas MacTavish, had already gone hunting with the lieutenant more than once. However, this time they didn’t come for long, and immediately after dinner, Ghost dragged Soap into the car and drove him somewhere.

“Your mother told me an interesting story about your childhood.” Ghost said, looking at the navigator’s screen. “It’s about one old, scary house, which you and your friends were scared by. Islay told me that you’re still afraid of it.”

“It’s absolute bullshit!” Johnny shouted indignantly. “I’m nae afraid o’ anythin’!”

“Well,” Simon pulled over and killed the engine, “then it won’t be difficult for you to enter that house with me and inspect it from the basement to the attic.”

The sergeant rolled his eyes and got out of the SUV slowly. He walked around the car, stopped by Ghost, and took out his cigarettes.

“Let’s smoke, Lt.!” He said cheerfully. “This bloody house is made o’ wood, sae it’s nae safe tae smoke inside.”

The lieutenant nodded silently and took a cigarette. In his opinion, the reason wasn’t the fire hazard of this old building, but he didn’t focus on it. He stood, leaning on the bonnet, and looked thoughtfully at the house. It looked truly terrifying, not only because of the age-blackened walls and the dark hollows of the broken windows but also because of the collapsed roof and the crumbling left extension. The unpleasant feeling of grief, loneliness, and neglect was intensified by the twilight falling on the small Scottish town. There were lanterns on the plots to the right and left, but this house was plunged into complete darkness.

“Well,” Simon threw away the cigarette butt with a snap of his fingers, “it’s time to go, Johnny.”

“Maybe it’s better tae dae it tomorrow?” Soap asked with doubts. “It’s dark now. We’ll break oor legs in this ruin.”

“We won’t,” Ghost answered, opening the trunk boot, “because I took thermal imagers.”

He took out their helmets with night vision devices attached and handed the sergeant his one. Soap sighed heavily and, taking a cue from Ghost, put on his helmet and lowered the thermal imager over his eyes.

“Follow my lead,” Riley ordered, and went to the house first.

“Aye, Lt.” The sergeant got himself under control and started to move behind him.

They entered the house, and there was dead silence when the door had been closed behind them. There were ruins inside: rotten floorboards, cracked walls painted with lots of graffiti, the crooked interior doors were wide open, and directly opposite the entrance raised the ancient carved stairs to the second floor.

Simon and Johnny moved slowly and inspected all the first floor's rooms. The silence started to press on the sergeant’s ears very quickly, and he tried to start a conversation.

“Ye know, Si,” he whispered, “when ah was wee kid, this house was a test o’ courage fur all the wee jimmies in the neighborhood.”

“Why?” The lieutenant asked. “It’s just an old, dirty house. And why’re you whispering?”

“I dinnae know,” Soap blushed a little and started to talk normally. “Thare were rumors that thare was a ghost in this bloody house.”

“Well, now there is.” Simon laughed, and the shards of glass crunched under his feet.

Johnny rolled his eyes and headed for the stairs first. He was really afraid of this house in his childhood, but now he's no longer a little boy. He was the youngest soldier who has passed the SAS selection. He is a member of TF 141, the best unit in the whole fucking world. He shouldn’t be afraid of the old, abandoned house.

There were some weird sounds on the second floor. The weather was quiet, but the creaks and cracks were heard from all around Ghost and Soap. It was cleaner here; furniture, paintings, carpets, and tapestries were stored here. Johnny tried to stay close to Simon against his own thoughts of courage.

Sometimes they stopped when Riley wanted to inspect some kind of dresser or bedside table, but the sergeant could’ve sworn he kept hearing footsteps. However, Ghost didn’t seem to hear anything and didn’t pay attention to the fact that Soap was nervous.

Suddenly, there was a quick thump in the next room, and then something fell there and broke. Johnny, strained to the limit, involuntarily screamed, and then he didn’t realize how he found himself in Simon’s arms, tightly hugging his neck.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” The lieutenant asked angrily but continued to hold Soap in his arms.

“Whit wis that?!” The sergeant exclaimed and closed his eyes.

“It’s a rat, Johnny,” Ghost lowered Soap and set him on his feet. “And what do you think this was?”

“I dinnae know,” the sergeant said, opening his eyes and seeing a small red contour in the corner with his thermal imager. “Stupid bloody…”

“Enough,” Simon stopped him. “Let’s go.”

Fortunately for Johnny, they didn’t go to the attic because the ceiling had rotted to the point of having holes. But then Simon remembered about the basement door, so they went to the first floor and headed for it.

The basement was dark, stuffy, and reeked of rats, mold, and rot. There were an old boiler and a mutilated electrical panel. The mountains of junk hung along the wall with thesmall,l broken windows. Johnny followed Simon patiently until they reached the far end of the basement.

“Can we go now, Lt.?” He asked nervously and looked at Ghost through his thermal imager.

“What’s your problem, Johnny? It’s just a stupid old house.” The lieutenant looked at Soap in surprise and kicked the wall.

The old masonry crumbled, and together with the stones, the human skull and bones rolled under the feet of two soldiers. They froze, staring at their finds and at each other. Then Ghost turned back carefully and said:

“Let’s get out of here.”

It was quiet outside, but when Ghost and Soap left the house, the door slammed shut behind them, as if from the wind or someone from inside had pushed it hard.

“You know, Johnny,” the lieutenant said slowly, “maybe there really is a ghost here.”

On the way home, they stopped at a phone booth and anonymously reported the human remains to the police. And a few days later, while watching TV together with Johnny’s parents, they saw a story on the news about a terrible find in the basement of the old abandoned building.

“Is it that th’ house ye wur afraid o’ as a child, son?” Islay asked, looking at Soap. “No, maw,” he lied because he didn’t want his mother to worry, “it’s not.”

#call of duty #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #simon riley #johnny mactavish #ghost x soap #ghostsoap #soapghost #soap x ghost #ghoap #cod fanfiction #fanfiction #haunted house #soap cod #ghost cod

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desert-fern · 8 months

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This Love is Fireproof - Robert Floyd X Reader

Pairing: Robert “Bob” Floyd X Fem!Reader

Summary: With an out of control wildfire looming close to your home, you and your fiancé, Bob, do everything you can to keep it together in order to pack up your lives. But it all crashes down around you when you begin to think of what you could lose, but Bob is there, reminding you that your love burns brighter than any fire.

Warnings: angst, fire, loss of homes, evacuation, fear, hurt/comfort, open/ambiguous ending

A/N: So, this one hit hard. As of the day that I am writing this, part of my hometown and a few neighbouring ones are being evacuated due to fires in the area. I haven’t been evacuated, but my family and I had/have had to go through trying to pack up our lives and the fear of losing our house.

===

The waiting. That was always the worst part. Every second that ticked by felt like hours and you could hardly bear it much longer. You kept your eyes peeled out the kitchen window, just waiting for Robby’s truck to pull up. He’d gone down to the grocery for essentials; water bottles, batteries, flashlights, masks, plus a whole assortment of non perishables that would last you both long into this evacuation.

Evacuation.

One word. Five syllables that shot fear through your heart faster and deeper than anything you had experienced before. Hell, even a deployment couldn’t compare to this, because at least you had a home to live in, to miss your fiancé in, to hope that his pilot brought him home to you. But this was something new all together.

The wildfires raged on only a few short miles from your neighborhood, sending up thick plumes of acrid smoke that turned the sky a noxious orange-sepia colour and the sun a scarlet red. Anything caught outside seemed to choke on it, people’s eyes watering like the bursts being used to fight the ever-encroaching flames and headaches that pounded like thunder. Ash fell from the sky like morbid snowflakes, settling in the long dry gutters and river beds, suffocating the world in a cloud of white, grey, the only remnants of long-destroyed brush.

And it was hot. God, it was so hot.

California in the summer was always unbearably hot, but weeks straight with no rain in sight had created a landscape that was a tinderbox just waiting to go up in flames. Hell, you had heard stories of fires starting from dry grass just touching a hot tail pipe on a truck that had pulled over. All this to say, it took next to nothing for a spark to take off, burning a forest down in days.

The Douglas River fire had sparked not three days earlier, the cause unknown, and had ballooned in size so rapidly it surprised you how much damage had been done in only a few days. Campsites, a lakeside resort, cabins, and hundreds - if not thousands - of homes were gone. As far as you knew, the casualties continued to rise as fire swept through the region hell-bent on destroying anything in its path. Thousands had already been ordered to evacuate, leaving their homes with nothing more than a few memories packed up in the backseats of their cars and trucks. For some, they left their whole lives behind, scarcely able to grab a single memento of the years they had spent on this Earth.

You wouldn’t let that happen. You couldn’t.

That was why the second you heard of a spot fire, a loose ember latching onto the dry terrain, erupting some 20 miles away, you started packing. Even as you received the evacuation alert, you threw every precious memory you had with your fiancé in boxes and bags, stashing them near the door. You had to be ready at a moment’s notice and you refused to leave anything behind to be devoured.

The crunching of gravel broke you from your thoughts as you watched Bob’s black truck pull into the driveway, the front door swinging open and letting in the smell of burning that clogged your nostrils along with Bob. “Sunshine?” He called out to you, coughing as he pulled his mask off. His normally crystal-clear blue eyes were red and teary behind his glasses, suffering from the effects of the smoke since it had blown in days ago. Now, he was begging silently for it all to stop, for rain to fall, for something, anything to stop this blaze in its tracks, just so he didn’t have to leave the home the two of you had built.

He would personally fight every single ember that crossed your property line if it meant you both could stay. But you couldn’t. The State of California had declared a state of emergency not two hours before and with resources stretched so thin before Douglas River had ignited, things were looking bleak.

“In the kitchen!” You called back, blinking back the sudden wave of emotion that threatened to overcome you. You were staring at the fridge, catching sight of the pictures that you had missed in your initial flurry of packing.

Footsteps sounded on the wooden floors before a ‘thud’ startled you and you whipped around to see your Robby standing there, his eyes red from smoke exposure. “I got most of what we needed. The only thing they were out of was that one jam you like, so I had to grab a different one,” he told you, placing the shopping bag on the table next to the flat of water he’d dropped.

You nodded, chewing on your lip. “Okay, can you put those things in the cooler? I’ve just started moving boxes into my car, we still have to pack the truck, get the sprinklers going, are we going to attach it to the roof? It shouldn’t matter, as long as the ground and bushes are wet and fuck! I forgot ab-”.

You were abruptly cut off by Bob hugging you from behind. His arms wrapped around your waist, tugging you closer to him. You drew in a sharp breath, wincing as your throat tightened and tears started sprouting in your eyes. “I’m sorry,” you whispered. “This is a shitty time to have a breakdown…”

Behind you, Bob shook his head, pressing a kiss to your temple. “You’re scared. Tha’s normal. If you weren’t, Sunshine, I’d be scared if you were standing here completely fine. This is fucking terrifying.” His tone was gentle, muffled behind the N95 he had yet to remove.

You swallowed hard, staring around at the nearly empty kitchen, willing your tears away. There was still so much to do, so much to try and save before the evacuation alert became an order. Before you both were forced to flee. “Yeah..” your voice was quiet, even to your ears. “It’s just…”

“I know.”

The two of you stood there in silence, Bob’s strong arms around your middle, grounding you in this moment. He was there, and no matter what, you two would face this together. “How are Nat and her partner? I heard that their area was under alert earlier.” His squad had become your family too and you were worried for them all, especially for Phoenix, Javy, and Bradley, all of whom you had grown close to.

Bob moved away from you to start packing the cooler and you immediately missed his warmth. “She’s okay. They are at Jake’s right now, Sunshine.” He gave you a soft smile before you heard the ‘clunk’ of drinks landing in the cooler.

“Robby… are you just tossing them in there?” You asked, a smile passing fleetingly across your lips. “You know that we still have to fit the rest of the stuff I bought yesterday in there.”

“Sunshine… would I jus’ throw shit in a bag and call it quits?” The faint drawl in his tone surprised you, given that it usually popped out when Bob was teasing.

You turned to face him, your grandma’s cookbook in your hands. “I don’t know mister. Would you?”

He chuckled, caught red-handed as you peered into the cooler and swatted his arm as you walked by, book in hand. “I’ll fix it, Sugar. Don’t worry about it.”

Shaking your head at his antics, you went to place the book in the last box that hadn’t yet been closed up, but found that you couldn’t find any room. The brief moment of optimism rushed out of you in a heartbeat, your mind flooding with ‘what ifs’ that stole your breath.

You wanted to take everything, but there was only so much that could fit in your car and his truck. Your closet was nearly full, having told yourself that clothes were replaceable and only taking essentials in addition to a few special pieces. The green dress you had worn on your second date with Bob, his favourite on you, had been packed, as well as a few other pieces. But the mere thought of losing it all had tears welling in your eyes again.

There would be pictures left behind. Holiday decorations, some of which had belonged to family members that were long gone, books, blankets, jewelry, that you couldn’t take with you. You had to try your best to pack up your life as you knew it and try and take it with you, cutting out pieces of yourself and memories that were imbued in everything you had in this little house.

You had hidden a few stuffed animals away in the bottom of a box, precious childhood keepsakes that you had never and would never be able to part with. But like everything else in this shitty situation, in this moment, some would be left behind. The child you were was screaming at you, begging and pleading to not leave Mr. Panda and Brownie the Bear behind, but you had to. Your house was full of memories and try as you might, it simply wasn’t possible to take it all with you.

The fear of losing them was enough to have you crumpling to the floor, choking on your tears. This house would still be full when you left. Full of inanimate things that each carried parts of your life and Bob’s, things that held pieces of your both. You couldn’t take the calming blue paint of your bedroom, nor the corner of your living room where Bob had proposed on Christmas Eve.

This was the stuff you wanted to take. To box up and carry far, far away from this place, away from the blaze that bore down on you like a storm ready to snuff out your corner of the world, your safe place.

And you were scared. So fucking terrified that it was a miracle you could even breath with the tightness in your chest. Your home was in danger. Bob was in danger.

But he was there.

Bob was right there the second he heard your knees hit the floor. He ran towards you as you buried your head in your hands and sobbed, your cries indecipherable but so visceral that he knew that they were full of fear and pain without hearing the words. You were pulled into his arms and you turned to sob into his shirt, wetting the fabric with the tears you had held back for too long. He had since discarded the N95 and buried his face in your neck, letting his own tears fall as he mourned almost preemptively.

He hadn’t vocalized his fears to you, not wanting to add to your stress, but having heard that Nat had had to evacuate earlier in the day had shattered the wall he’d built to keep his feelings out. He was scared shitless. Everything you had built together was at risk and it was all so overwhelming that the realization had sent him running from your bed the night before. Ever since the alert went out, you both had gone dancing over the eggshells of your own fears, both not wanting to burden the other.

It had been a mistake to do so. Now the two of you had bottled everything up so tightly, that it exploded out of you in premature grief at the mere possibility of losing it all. “I’m here, Sunshine. It can’t take you from me…” Bob murmured into your skin, sniffling a little. “It won’t. I’m not leavin’.”

You closed your eyes, blocking out the sound of the air purifier, the smoke that hung in the air, the dim sunlight that cast the world in a frightening gold glow, trying to focus on your fiancé. Willing yourself to push past this block, this fear, so you could continue packing, but it was like wading through glue. You were caught in the depths of this panic that it was suffocating you, sapping your will to fight back. Distantly, you felt Bob’s tears on your shoulder, alerting you to the fact that he was suffering too.

He was mourning a life that you two had only begun to share.

A shaky breath left you as you lifted a hand to card through Bob’s sweaty hair, your nails gently scraping his scalp in the way you knew always calmed him. You were trying to comfort him, just as he was trying to do the same to you.

You opened your mouth to say something through your tears when your phones went off, the emergency alert messages blasting through the speakers. Your heart sank. This would be the evacuation order. It had to be.

“No. No, no, no, no!” You cried, tears racing down your face. You felt Bob sigh, unfolding himself to grab his phone, but he held out his hand to you, helping you up. “Robby… please tell me that we have more time.”

From where he stood by the kitchen table, you saw sadness fill his blue eyes, defeat sink into his bones as he answered you. “We don’t. We have to go, Sunshine.” His voice was quiet, barely audible over the blood rushing in your ears.

You were frozen, hardly able to comprehend what was happening. “But I haven’t… the photos. Robby…”

“Grab them. We can find room, but we have to get this stuff in the truck, okay?” When had Bob moved to cup your face in his hands? When did your world come crashing down around you? “Sunshine, I’m sorry, but we have to go.”

You nodded, shaking yourself and grabbed a box, following Bob out to the truck and loading it up. Your neighbours were doing the same, all filled with the same numbing urgency that had seeped into your bones as they packed up as quickly as they could.

A baby wailed a few doors down. Car doors slammed. Shouts echoed as you watched the grey smoke billow in the distance, but it was all at the back of your mind as you packed up both cars, the photo albums tossed haphazardly on the passenger seat.

The furnace was shut off, the propane tank from the barbecue placed in the back seat of Bob’s truck. Everything was disconnected, shut off, or locked away. Cars had begun to leave the neighborhood, driving away to the tune of scared, wailing children, distant sirens, and a primal fear that had settled into the block like the ash falling from the sky.

As you got in your car, watching Bob lock the front door behind him, the finality of this hit you hard. But there was no time to dwell on it. You had to leave and so you did, driving out past the barricade the police had set up, watching as a few cars pulled up and were turned away, wincing as you heard the cries of a child learning that their stuffed animals would have to stay behind.

You felt the same way. You wanted to cry, scream, beg for a reprieve from the smoke and the fear that ricocheted around your body like a deranged pinball machine, but it would be no use. Bob had called your phone the minute you pulled out of the driveway, making sure that the two of you could be connected as you drove.

Out of the neighborhood.

Out of the postal code.

You drove as far as you could go but remained close enough to receive updates on whether or not your home still stood. The both of you had wanted to be close enough to the other Daggers and their families in case they needed help in any way. Javy and his wife were close by, sitting on their hands and waiting for the alert to become an order, but they were safe for the moment. Bob had made sure of that, calling them the minute your neighborhood had fallen under evacuation alert.

They were okay, having started their own packing when you had.

You just wanted everyone to be okay. No more homes turned to burned fragments, no more casualties. Your fiancé had been doing his best to try and distract you, and he had, but your mind was the type to fixate on something for so long that it almost became a part of you.

“…shine? Baby, you there?” Bob’s voice crackled through your car’s Bluetooth. “Are you okay?”

You nodded, forgetting that he wasn’t able to see you. “Yeah,” your voice cracked on the word, making you cringe. “I will be. What were you saying, Robby?”

Bob’s face softened and his heart hurt for you. You were trying so hard to keep it together, the unshed tears making your voice thick in a way he hated to hear. “Just wanted to make sure you knew that the turn for the motel is coming up.”

An ambulance went screaming past in the opposite direction and you flinched. “Okay, yeah. Thanks babe.”

“Hey Sunshine?”

“Robby?”

“Tell me what you first thought about me. Just talk okay?” Bob knew that he had to distract you in some way and you had always refused to entertain his self-doubt that you could have chosen someone better.

You blinked, caught off guard by the randomness of the question. “Well, Mickey introduced us after I refused Jake’s advances and I remember being so afraid to talk to you. You were the reason I kept coming to the bar as often as I did and I thought you were just the prettiest man I’d ever seen.” There was a wide smile on your face as you recalled that one night that had changed both of your lives. “I don’t know what it was about you, maybe just how you seemed to approach every conversation with a level of strategy that didn’t make sense. Or the way that your face went bright red when I came over.”

Bob chuckled at your words. How he’d been so lucky to keep you in his life, he had no idea. You were such a vibrant person, the warmth of your personality coming out when you were around those who you cared for deeply. He’d been half in love with you when you had challenged his opinion on Marvel, playfully debating with him for hours. You had brought light and warmth into his life that he hadn’t known he was missing, and that was the real reason you were his Sunshine.

“… and then you just came alive. I thought you were pretty before, Robby, but after you seemed genuinely interested in my life, in my job, you became so much more than what I had initially thought of you,” you finished your speech in a rush of breath that had Bob laugh on the other end of the call. “It’s hard for me to separate what I feel for you now and what I felt then because I don’t know when they changed.”

Your admission was hushed, like it was a secret that you loved your fiancé long before you had even discussed your future together. Bob grinned, happy that his attempt to distract you had worked. “What about me? You told me once that you didn’t know when I had caught your eye, only that I did.” A pause, before you added semi-playfully, “You distracted me, now it’s my turn.”

He shook his head at your teasing tone. “Sunshine…”

You retaliated, cooing his name over the phone “Robby…”

A beat then you two both started laughing. It felt odd, especially given all the emotions that had flowed out of you not 30 minutes earlier, but you both knew that the other was fraught with a myriad of emotions and hell, laughing was better than crying.

“Okay, okay. I’ll tell ya when we unpack a little at the motel.” You watched Bob’s truck turn onto a side street and you copied the movement, pulling your little red car next to his truck. “Love you baby.”

You shook your head, watching Bob get out of the truck and give you a grin that had you returning the expression. “Love you too!” You had rolled your window down to yell it at him, watching him burst into laughter.

“Come on, let’s go get a room.”

===

An hour later, you were curled up in Bob’s arms as he played with the ends of your hair. “Sunshine?”

“Hmm?”

“It was your laugh.”

You looked up at him in confusion. “What was my laugh?”

“The reason I knew you were my forever. It was real, not fake like I always saw happen to Jake or Bradley. You meant it and I knew that I really couldn’t fuck this up.” Bob’s voice was soft, seemingly afraid to vocalize the words. “When you laughed at my terrible joke, I knew you were genuinely a good person.

“Robby…” You surged up, capturing his lips in a kiss that stole both your breath and his. “I… you are too good to me.”

He shook his head. “I told you when I proposed that I would spend forever trying to earn the love you had given me and if that means showering you in compliments for as long as I have you, then I will.” The sincerity in those blue eyes was almost too much. “And don’t you dare say that I don’t have too. Because you saw me. Quiet, shy, nerdy me.”

“You were never shy, Robby,” you told him, a grin playing on your lips. “I distinctly remember our second anniversary as a couple and nothing about you was shy then.” He rolled his eyes and kissed you again before you continued. “And how could I not see you? The only man I wanted in that bar was you.”

Bob’s head bumped yours and he blew out a sigh. “What did I do to deserve you?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe the same thing I did to deserve you?”

A soft huff of laughter left Bob’s lips. Here, in a motel miles away from your home, wrapped up in the arms of your fiancé, you were safe. Whatever befell your house, if the blaze took it, it was a small conciliation to know that you had Bob with you and that you both were okay.

The fire raged on, yet, you both knew that your love would outlast the blaze, even if all was lost. A wildfire couldn’t take his love of you, nor yours of him. It would glow through the smoke and the haze and be your beacon of hope in this time of uncertainty.

===

A/N: This is a very personal fic; probably the only one like it that I will ever write because of how afraid I am during this time. All the love to @startrekfangirl2233 who slapped me out of the imposter syndrome that hit hard on this one, and yeah. If anyone you know or love is experiencing a wildfire or natural disaster threat, check in with them. It’s such a simple act, but it means so much.

Thank you for reading!

Tagging: @startrekfangirl2233 @thedroneranger @roosterforme @sarahsmi13s @writingshae @bobby-r2d2-floyd @dakotakazansky @beccaanne814 @cherrycola27 @bradleybeachbabe

#this love is fireproof #fern writes #robert floyd x reader #robert bob floyd #bob floyd x female reader #sorta personal #top gun maverick imagine #robert bob floyd x reader #bob floyd x reader #bob floyd

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shieldofiron · 4 months

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Two years ago, Jason was sitting stiff in a family sweater, trying to hold a perfect smile while the photographer snapped picture after picture.

This year, Robin and Heather produce a polaroid camera and manage to capture him and Eddie cuddling under the glow of the tree.

Two years ago, Jason and his brothers would have to help wrestle the giant Douglas fur tree to the front of the house so that it could be seen by the whole neighborhood.

This year, Eddie had dragged home the tree in his van. “The department store was getting rid of it from last years Christmas display, can you believe it?? And it’s black! I fished it out of the trash!”

Two years ago, Jason felt like he could barely breathe at Christmas time for all the pressure. Christmas was a time to be perfect, and he never felt like he could measure up.

This year, he and Eddie decorated the tree while Metallica played. Eddie had spent a lot of his childhood with his Jewish mother, so the concept of what did and what didn’t belong on a Christmas tree didn’t apply to him. “I think my cassettes look pretty in the branches, Jace. Get some of yours.”

Two years ago, Jason couldn’t have imagined making nice with the freak.

This year he cringes when he remembers it, running a hand along Eddie’s arms as they circle around him. “I love you, Eddie. You know that, right?”

Two years ago, Jason felt like he was on top of the world.

This year, he knows what being on top of the world really means.

Two years ago, Chrissy was stiff on his arm at the church social, looking like a stiff wind could blow her over.

This year, she’s pink cheeked and soft, holding Patrick’s hand while they listen to Dustin babble on about something.

Two years ago, Jason couldn’t have imagined that there were any queer people in town. To be perfectly honest he thought he was totally alone.

This year, they go over for a party and Billy and Steve’s place, and no one bats an eye when Jason and Eddie excuse themselves to do Eddie’s T shot in the bathroom.

Two years ago, Jason couldn’t have imagined having a black tree, or a real boyfriend or any of this stuff.

This year, he snuggles up to Eddie and hums along when Eddie gets all the words to the Christmas tunes wrong on purpose.

“God rest ye Merry Wintertime, let nothing you dismay. Remember Jace our savior, who fucked on Christmas Day…”

“Eddie, oh my god!”

“To give us all to satan’s power and lead us all astray,” Eddie cried out, tugging Jason into a dance, “Oh-oh, tidings of rock and or roll, rock and or roll, oh TIDINGS OF ROCK AND OR ROLL!”

“I love you. Weirdo.”

“I love you. Dork.”

#munver #tigerfreak #jason carver #eddie munson #trans eddie munson #merry munver and bless us ever one

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dropout-if · 8 months

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Dropout’s Flings

The Dropout, aka the MC, has the possibility to have non-romantic relationships. Those being, in this case, the flings. It’s possible to keep all these relationships strictly friendly and platonic.

Carter Drew (she/her or he/him) • 27 years old

Warm and supportive, Carter inherited the tiny local store. They’re well-known, liked, and Statler’s boss.

Avery White (she/her or he/him) • 23 years old

As someone who has grown up in Downtown Heights, your neighborhood happens to be one of the few places you would never recommend to a tourist. Curious and naive Avery disagrees, apparently.

Robin Douglas (she/her or he/him) • 30 years old

Dependable and aloof, Robin is perhaps one of the wealthiest people in Downtown Heights. The kid of investors, they take pride in their organized businesses. Robin also owns the building you now live in, making them your landlord.

Logan Gray (he/him) • 27 years old • Facts

Cocky and overconfident, Logan and J couldn’t be more different. While the younger sibling is hardworking and responsible, Logan is often treated like and considered a deadbeat.

Olivia Joy (she/her) • 26 years old • Facts

Liv. You know her, Kai claims to hate her. Nonetheless, she's one of their many hook-ups, their closest friend, and their biggest supporter. She also seems to have taken a liking to you.

#dropout #dropout if #flings

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thebunnylord · 6 months

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TTTE pet headcanons

Thomas: has a pair of zebra finches, technically they’re Annie and Clarabel’s but he likes to take care of them, had a cat when he was younger though

Edward: no pet, but likes to look after the neighborhood stray cat, the stray cat likes to hang around his house.

Gordon: never had a pet, but kind of wants a horse because his brother and cousin have one

Henry: five guinea pigs and a Flemish Giant rabbit, used to keep mice as pets when he was little and had a baby squirrel at one point that he brought to school in his shirt pocket that then got out, and freaked the teacher out.

James: had a goldfish that died after a week, doesn’t trust himself to look after a pet rock

Percy: five pigeons and two doves

Toby and Henrietta: a dachshund and a pair of canaries

Duck: one very old terrier and a tabby cat.

Donald: Dilly obviously

Douglas: no pets but wants a little Shetland pony because they’re cute

Oliver: no pets but wants a Norfolk terrier

Toad: a hamster

Emily: a Scottish terrier that screams whenever a bike passes by, and a Yorkshire terrier

Diesel: no pets but wants a snake to terrorize everyone with.

Daisy: a Persian cat

Flying Scotsman: a Morgan horse

Spencer: a very expensive thoroughbred horse with a certificate of authentication and a pair of foxhounds

Salty: a crusty old one eye three legged ship cat with a snaggle tooth

Cranky: do seagulls that he feeds everyday count?

Porter: a bad tempered fowl mouthed Severe macaw that bites

Bill and Ben: no pets, but they love to tease Porter’s parrot to get it to cuss

Paxton: a pair of Siamese cats

#ttte #thomas and friends #ttte headcanon #ttte humanisation #pets #ttte cast

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ofwulf · 8 months

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Starter: open (@hollowstarters) Event: Holloway Event 01 (Leland Manor)

Douglas has no intention of attending the 'lock in'. Because, well ... Bad idea. Too many people. Too enclosed an environment. There's a chance that something - bad - might happen. And he most determinedly doesn't want to be said 'bad' thing. That hasn't stopped him from heading in the general direction of the Leland Manor... Or lingering in the garden and wandering a little distractedly around the different vendors and booths. So far he has a coffee and a salted pretzel - not that he particularly wanted either but it's a good enough guise under which to nose around.

Because there are weird things slipping into the town. Causing harm... causing fear. And Douglas is scared - not for himself but for the people who live here... His friends. His family. And this... this event. He's just not sure. Is it a good thing to raise a little morale? To give people the space to let their hair down and have a little harmless fun? Or is it a damn beacon. Drawing people in... Locking them in. A place where any screams or cries for help may just be assumed to be part of the entertainment. He's trying to shake the words - 'lambs to the slaughter' - out of his head... But without a great deal of success.

So no. He won't be stepping through those doors when the key turns. But maybe he won't head too far out of the neighborhood... Just in case...

He's trying to keep an eye on who is coming and going through the front door, but the place has a buzz of almost nervous excitement - and he's finding it hard to keep track.

"You going in, or just here for the spectacle?"

He asks half distractedly to someone near by.

#hollowstarters #paranoid? nooooo

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dailybugle-blr · 1 month

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Spider-Man: Menace or Misunderstood?

by J. Jonah Jameson, editor-in-chief

Photo by Olivia Chen

NEW YORK CITY - Once again, the city finds itself in the grip of chaos, and once again, Spider-Man is at the center of it all. But is our friendly neighborhood web-slinger truly a hero, or is he just another masked menace wreaking havoc on our streets?

"It's absurd," said Harriett McCain, resident of Queens. "Every time Spider-Man shows up, it's like a tornado hitting the city. Sure, he might stop a bad guy or two, but at what cost? The damage he causes is unreal."

Indeed, let's review the facts, shall we? Spider-Man, with his reckless disregard for public safety and property, has left a trail of destruction in his wake that rivals that of the villains he claims to fight. From toppling buildings to causing traffic accidents, Spider-Man's so-called heroics often do more harm than good.

"I was just walking down the street when Spider-Man came swinging through, knocking over lampposts and sending debris flying everywhere," said Isaiah London, witness to one of Spider-Man's recent escapades. "I barely escaped with my life. That guy's a menace."

And let's not forget the collateral damage left in his wake. How many innocent bystanders have been injured or killed as a result of Spider-Man's reckless actions? How many livelihoods have been destroyed, how many families left grieving, all in the name of his self-appointed crusade?

"He's a danger to society," said Detective Douglas Williams of the NYPD. "Sure, he might catch a few criminals here and there, but at what cost? We can't have someone running around playing superhero without any oversight or accountability."

But perhaps most concerning of all is Spider-Man's blatant disregard for authority and the rule of law. He operates outside the jurisdiction of law enforcement, answering only to his own skewed sense of justice. Who gave him the right to play judge, jury and executioner?

"It's vigilante justice, plain and simple," said District Attorney Mya López. "Spider-Man may think he's above the law, but no one is. We will not tolerate this kind of lawlessness in our city."

It's time for the citizens of New York to wake up and see Spider-Man for what he truly is: a dangerous vigilante who poses a threat to public safety and the rule of law. The time has come for us to demand accountability from this masked menace and put an end to his reign of terror once and for all.

#daily bugle #the daily bugle #jjj #j jonah jameson #jj jameson #marvel #marvel spider man #marvel spiderman #marvel comics #mcu #marvel mcu #spiderman #spider man #peter parker

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girljeremystrong · 1 year

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✨best books i read in 2022 in no particular order✨

Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang (2021)

This "memoir of an undocumented childhood" is a beautiful story of a family who cared for and looked after one another and of a child who had a lot of fears but was at the same time wonderfully brave and curious and determined.

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (2011)

This is the story of Elena and Lila, two childhood friends living in a rough neighborhood on the outskirts of Napoli. We follow their story, narrated by Elena, until they become teenagers, when their paths diverge and their friendship is transformed forever.

Persuasion by Jane Austen (1817)

Persuasion tells the story of a second chance, the reawakening of love between Anne Elliot and Captain Frederick Wentworth, whom eight years earlier she had been persuaded not to marry.

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin (1956)

This is the story of David, an american man living in Paris, living off the little money his father is willing to lend him, while his girlfriend is in Spain, On a night out he meets a young bartender named Giovanni and goes home with him.

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders (2021)

Paired with iconic short stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol, the seven essays in this book are intended for anyone interested in how fiction works, how the mind itself works while reading, and of how the reading and writing of stories make genuine connection possible.

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger (1961)

When Franny’s emotional and spiritual doubts reach new heights, her older brother Zooey, a misanthropic former child genius, offers her consolation and brotherly advice. These two stories offer a touching snapshot of the distraught mindset of early adulthood and are full of insightful emotional observations and witty turns of phrase.

Jazz by Toni Morrison (1993)

a passionate, profound story of love and obsession that brings us back and forth in time, as a narrative is assembled from the emotions, hopes, fears, and deep realities of black urban life.

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers (2021)

This is the story of Ailey and her ancestor's journey in America through centuries, from the colonial slave trade to our days. We meet Ailey when she is a child and watch her grow up, until the moment when, as a college graduate, she embarks on a journey to uncover her family's past.

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart (2022)

Growing up in a housing estate in Glasgow, Mungo and James are born under different stars--Mungo a Protestant and James a Catholic--and they should be sworn enemies if they're to be seen as men at all. Yet against all odds, they become best friends.

Real Life by Brandon Taylor (2020)

Almost everything about Wallace is at odds with the Midwestern university town where he is working uneasily toward a biochem degree. But over the course of a weekend, a series of confrontations with colleagues, and an unexpected encounter with a straight, white classmate, conspire to fracture his defenses.

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach (2011)

This is the story of Henry Skrimshander who gets recruited by a small college to play baseball and quickly becomes the star of the team, and of Mike Schwartz, the baseball team captain who recruited Henry, and who doesn't know what to do with his life, as his relationship with Henry becomes more and more co-dependent.

Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett (2022)

Emma was set to start med school but her father got sick with a brain disease and she decided to go back home to New Hampshire. At home her dad and her mum are in a fight, her brother is just out of rehab her childhood best friend is missing and Emma’s dad started seeing ghosts.

This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1920)

Amory is a boy with family money who attends a private high school, and then Princeton and then gradually becomes disillusioned with life.

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (1999)

Navigating between the Indian traditions they've inherited and the baffling new world, the characters in Jhumpa Lahiri's elegant, touching stories seek love beyond the barriers of culture and generations.

Fight Night by Miriam Toews (2021)

It is told in the unforgettable voice of Swiv, a nine-year-old living in Toronto with her pregnant mother, who is raising Swiv while caring for her own elderly, frail, yet extraordinarily lively mother.

Scoop by Evelyn Waugh (1938)

William Booth is a young man living in the countryside, writing for a newspaper little colums about nature, and he is sent by mistake (he has the same surname as a much cooler novelist) to the fictional country Ishmaelia to cover a war for his newspaper. Various other little mishaps ensue.

Maps of our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer (2022)

This is the story of Lia, Harry and their daughter Iris, a beautiful loving family. Iris is a teenager and has to navigate all that comes with that while, at the same time, learning to live with the fact that her mum's cancer has come back, and doctors are telling them it's terminal.

Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)

When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula with the purchase of a London house, he makes a series of horrific discoveries about his client. Soon afterwards, various bizarre incidents unfold in England.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (1937)

It narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in the United States.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (2016)

The memoir of one man’s coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (1952)

It is the story of an epic struggle between an Santiago, an old, seasoned fisherman and his life's greatest catch of fish, after eighty-four days that he has set out to sea and every time returned empty-handed.

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (1925)

One day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway. She is getting ready for a party she is hosting at her house. It is also a day in the life of a young veteran, Septimus who fought in WWI and got shellshocked: his last day. The two move around London and think back to episodes of their past.

Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (1932)

Poirot is vacationing in Cornwall, meets young "Nick" Buckley and her friends. He is persuaded that someone is out to kill her. Though he aims to protect Nick, a murder happens that provokes Poirot to mount a serious investigation.

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striderl · 1 year

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Steam Team Reference (Complete 1 - 12)

Thomas - Your Friendly Neighborhood Tank Engine

Edward - Active Aggressive -> Certified Group Dad

Henry - He's not Cursed (Or is He?)

Gordon - The Dignified Express Guy Whose Entire Face Changes When He Smiles

James - Life is 99% Red Paint with 1% of Hardwork and Friendship

Percy - Steam Team Puffball

Toby - The Quiet Guy

Duck (Montague) - There are Only the Great Western Way or the Wrong Way (Yet He Still Goes the Wrong Way)

Donald & Douglas - Do Not Separate Package

Oliver + Toad - Model Dad and Son

Emily - Lady of the Group

#ttte #ttte humanized au #ttte Thomas #ttte Edward #ttte Henry #ttte Gordon #ttte James #ttte Percy #ttte Toby #ttte Duck #ttte Donlad & Douglas #ttte Oliver #ttte Toad #ttte Emily

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i-only-ever-asked-questions · 9 months

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Since the first photos of the set came out, we saw changes to the corner of Soho where the bookshop lives. The most surprising was learning that the Dirty Donkey is right across the street. And then we became acquainted with Maggie and Nina and their shops. So I decided to take a look and see how the neighborhood changed in four years: -The record shop used to be called "Vynil Fetish" but it got rebranded as "The Small Backroom" -The coffee shop not only changed from "Jon Coffee" to "Give Me Coffee or Give Me Death", it also expanded to take over an empty shop next door -In the back of the alleyway between the coffee shop and the solicitors there was just a blank wall, now there is some sort of music shop? bar? something with a guitar -The Italian Restaurant awning repainted

These are the maps, the first one was posted by Douglas a while back, the second one is a diagram I made based on pictures from the set when it was being built and images from the trailer

This is the alleyway next to the coffee shop, which tends to be difficult to see. The first picture is the only one from season one where it was somewhat visible.

Now one interesting thing is that Maggie has known Aziraphale all her life -the record shop has been in her family for generations after all. Aziraphale even has his own chair in there! But Nina doesn't know Crowley. I doubt Crowley has never set foot in the coffee shop before now so is Nina new to the neighborhood? did she just purchase the coffee shop and that is why the change in name and size?

Is any of this going to be commented on in the show? Who knows! Well, a few people know and in a couple of more days, we all will know :)

#good omens 2 #gos2 spoilers #give me coffee or give me death #the small backroom #nina and maggie #what happened to the neighborhood in four years!#aziraphale's bookshop #will always stay the same though

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no-where-new-hero · 7 months

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Lantern Hill Chapter 1 reactions!

I should take data on how many LMM novels open with descriptions of where their main characters live. Place shapes character so meaningfully in her books and she never lets us forget it.

Grandmother is…yikes. “Those who did not like it need not stay there. This, with a satirically amused glance at Jane, who had never said she didn't like Gay Street.” MA’AM THIS IS A CHILD OF 11. WHERE WILL SHE GO. She’s like Aunt Ruth and Mrs Kent and Mrs Stirling in a particularly vicious combination.

LMM’s use of neighborhood gossip to convey things is always fascinating to me: it’s a great way to clue the reader in without exactly feeling like info dumping because strangers will indeed tell each other everything about other people. But it’s one of her devices that no one really uses anymore.

I’m still not entirely clear on the Kennedy-Anderson family tree but I think it will probably make sense as we go along. I do think it’s interesting how Jane’s mother is the only product of Mrs Kennedy’s second marriage. It reminds me of Juliet Murray. I wonder how much of the suffocation/awkwardness of holding that position in the family will be shown through Jane’s mother’s behavior (since I think we can all agree that Juliet felt it and that’s what propelled her to “break her father’s heart” by marrying Douglas Starr.)

#lmm lockdown #lantern hill book club #lm montgomery

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odinsblog · 2 years

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By the time Cuqui Rivera had to renew her car insurance policy in December 2019, the longtime activist had only heard about some of the reasons she — a Hispanic female with a high school diploma — may pay more than her white, college-educated neighbors.

So, Rivera decided, "Let me be your guinea pig," she said. "Let's see if this is true."

She looked on the website of Liberty Mutual, the company she had been with for at least two decades, to see if it said anything about factoring education, work history and credit score into insurance rates. She said she found nothing.

Her annual policy with Liberty Mutual cost $2,997, Rivera said. She went to CURE, the West Windsor-based insurance company, and said she found the same policy for $1,188, a 60% savings.

That's because CURE is the only insurance company that doesn't factor in education, employment and credit score when determining a driver's rate, according to the advocacy group New Jersey Citizen Action.

The result of using these "income proxies" in rate-setting is a racial and class disparity that Rivera and other advocates say amounts to widespread discrimination in New Jersey — disparities that the insurance industry does not deny but insists are incidental to societal realities beyond their control.

Advocates have pressed lawmakers, as they have for more than a decade, to change the law so companies can no longer use those factors and others, such as marital status and whether a driver owns a home, to determine insurance rates.

But their mission has been unsuccessful. A bill that would exclude those factors from insurance rate-setting narrowly cleared the Senate but was not posted in the Assembly on the last day of the legislative session last week, meaning it must start the process over again.

That means drivers in mostly Black neighborhoods in cities like Paterson, heavily Latino areas like Camden and low-income towns like Lakewood will likely continue paying higher rates for car insurance than people who live nearby in mostly white, higher-income communities such as Ridgewood, Cherry Hill and Brick.

On average statewide, drivers who live in majority Black and Latino ZIP codes pay nearly 50% higher premiums than those in majority-white ZIP codes, according to the Consumer Federation of America. Drivers in mostly low-income ZIP codes pay nearly 52% higher premiums, on average, than those in high-income areas, the federation said.

"There is a disproportionate penalty levied on African Americans and Latinos," said Douglas Heller, an insurance expert with the consumer federation.

"Every day that is delayed" passing the insurance legislation, he said, "New Jersey residents with perfectly good driving records are paying too much for insurance because policymakers are afraid to stare down insurance companies."

Representatives for insurance lobbying groups in New Jersey did not respond to interview requests, but in testimony on the bill last year they denied discrimination in rate-setting.

Rates vary by race throughout NJ

Rates can vary by hundreds of dollars within one small area. Take a 4-mile stretch of mostly white towns in the Meadowlands, for example.

According to the data, the average annual rate in Carlstadt is $1,822. It's $1,707 next door in Rutherford. And in the next town over, Lyndhurst, it's $1,688.

But racial disparities are clear through New Jersey, according to a USA TODAY Network analysis of the data, which was collected in 2020 by the insurance data company Quadrant Information Services and provided by the federation.

All but one of the top 25 ZIP codes with the lowest average annual insurance premiums — about $1,071 — were mostly white, affluent suburbs concentrated in Hunterdon, Morris and Somerset counties, according to the analysis. The one ZIP code that was majority Black represented a population of 258 people across half a square mile in Bernards Township, a Somerset County town that is 68% white, according to U.S. census data.

The 25 ZIP codes with the highest average premiums — about $2,250 — were in mostly Black, low-income cities in North Jersey, including Elizabeth, Fairview, Irvington, Newark, North Bergen, Passaic and Paterson.

Here are the 10 ZIP codes in New Jersey with the lowest average annual insurance premiums and the 10 zip codes with the highest.

👉🏿 https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2022/01/14/nj-car-insurance-rates-credit-score-education-race/8895572002/

#liberty mutual #insurance #racism #structural racism #two americas #white privilege #capitalism #new jersey #nj #black tax #price gouging #cuqui rivera

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